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WHEN YOU FAST

To all believers who will join me in fasting and praying for revival in North America and the fulfillment of the Great Commission around the world—especially to the two million for whom God has impressed me to pray who will fast forty days.

The quote given above was included in the introductory pages of a book by Bill Bright, founder and president of Campus Crusade for Christ International. In December, 1994, Bright invited “several hundred of the most influential Christians in the country to gather in Orlando [Florida] as guests of Campus Crusade for a time of fasting and prayer.” More than six hundred Christian leaders came, exceeding his hope of at least three hundred. Bright stated that the prompting for this special gathering started on July 5, 1994, when God led him to begin a forty-day fast “for a great spiritual awakening in America and for the fulfillment of the Great Commission throughout the world.” On the twenty-ninth day of his fast, while studying 2 Chronicles, chapter 20 through 30, he was impressed to organize the special gathering for prayer and fasting.

The Convention sermon at the 1996 Southern Baptist Convention, delivered by Ronnie Floyd and titled, “The Midnight Crisis Before the Coming Millennium,” included an emphasis and call for Southern Baptists as a denomination to spend time in prayer and fasting. The sermon was subtitled, “Through Prayer and Fasting, We Can Reclaim Our Heritage.” In the introduction to the sermon Floyd stated:

I believe we are in a major spiritual crisis. A midnight crisis. The answer to this spiritual crisis in America will not be found in the ballot box, but in the prayer closet. The answer to the spiritual crisis in our churches will not be found in some new program, but in a fresh touch from God that will interrupt all we do. The answer to the spiritual crisis in our denomination will be found by putting on the sackcloth of prayer, fasting, and humiliation before God.

Bright and Floyd believe that fasting is the necessary prerequisite to help pray down a heaven sent spiritual awakening to the United States of America. Second Chronicles 7:14 has often been used as a theme verse for the revival that many hope will come to America. This verse says, “If my people, who are called by name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.” Bright observed:

Fasting is the only discipline that meets all the conditions of 2 Chronicles 7:14. When one fasts, he humbles himself; he has more time to pray, more time to seek God’s face, and certainly he would turn from all known sin.

Floyd pointed out that “spiritual fasting is the means—the once-hidden, unexplored, misunderstood vehicle—by which we humble ourselves before God.” One cannot truly humble himself without fasting. Therefore, for the conditions of 2 Chronicles 7:14 to be completely met, prayer with fasting is required. Bright stated that “the power of fasting as it relates to prayer is the spiritual atomic bomb of our moment in history to bring down the strongholds of evil.”

To some, the spiritual discipline of fasting may be a practice they know little about. Over a decade and a half ago, an article appeared about fasting in a popular Christian magazine as a result of a renewed interest in this spiritual discipline. Douglas Batchelder wrote:

In a fast food world, fasting seems a bit silly, an antique of the Old Testament, something fitting for a prophet in Israel but hardly practical for a believer soon to enter the 21st century. Many regard fasting as a childish ploy designed to twist the arm of the Almighty, assuming it’s something a sophisticated Christian would undertake.

Others consider fasting a quick cure for spiritual ailments—a sure way to recapture the fire and fervor of the first-century church. They make it a means of gaining apostolic excitement. They use it to spice up an otherwise tasteless Christian experience—as if, by denying food to the body, they can make up for the malnourishment of their soul.

Then there are others who honestly admit, “I’m confused.” The thought of fasting fascinates them, but they neglect it. Like an old, valuable tool, it’s tucked away in storage because they have no idea how to use it.
Who is right? The answer requires tackling several basic questions.

The emphasis and call to fasting by Bright and Floyd may appear to be a new concept or method in the desire of many in this country to see a spiritual awakening sweep across the United States. Fasting, though, is not new for this century or one that was only practiced in the previous century or two. It is as old a concept, discipline, and practice as the Bible. It has received renewed emphasis in the past two decades among Christians. Batchelder, though, brought out some legitimate questions and concerns that have been raised about fasting that need to be addressed.

In the sixth chapter of Matthew, Jesus mentioned this discipline of the Christian life that is a neglected spiritual activity for many Christians. If Christians would learn to practice this discipline, not because it is commanded by the Lord, but because of the blessings of it, release could be attained from some of the strongholds people encounter in their lives. Throughout the pages of the Bible and history, prayer with fasting was a factor in remarkable turns of events or spiritual awakening and revival being experienced by a people or nation.

This booklet will answer some of the questions and concerns about fasting by examining this subject through the lives of ones who practiced it. Precedents
for fasting are provided in the Bible and from history. The basis for fasting will first be addressed. In addition to a biblical and historical basis for fasting, a third subsection on a technical basis for fasting will define it and provide direction for the why, when, and how of fasting. Two other major sections will cover the benefits and the blessings of fasting.

THE BASIS FOR FASTING

Jesus indicated that fasting was not a discipline only for a certain era or a select group of Christians. In His Sermon on the Mount, Jesus said:

Moreover when ye fast, be not, as the hypocrites, of a sad countenance: for they disfigure their faces, that they may appear unto men to fast. Verily I say unto you, they have their reward [Matt. 6:16].

Jesus did not say, “if you fast.” He said, “when you fast.” Fasting is a spiritual discipline that every Christian should practice in his life. The Bible provides many examples of fasting, and the situations under which the fasting occurred reveal purposes behind fasting. In his study of the subject, Andy Anderson observed that “fasting is found seventy-five times in the Scriptures, forty-four times in the Old Testament and thirty-one times in the New Testament.” In the Bible, many individuals and groups practiced fasting for a variety of reasons. When they were called of God or led for spiritual reasons to fast, without fail God honored and blessed efforts of true sincerity.

The Biblical Basis for Fasting

The Bible reveals many individuals and groups of people who practiced the spiritual discipline of fasting. Fasting is first mentioned in the Bible when it says of Moses:

And he was there with the LORD forty days and forty nights; he did neither eat bread, nor drink water. And he wrote upon the tables the words of the covenant, the ten commandments [Ex. 34:28].

Although a more complete definition of fasting will be given later in this paper, it does involve going without food and water.
The nation of Israel, whom Moses led, also experienced the discipline of fasting. Leviticus 23:27 says,

Also on the tenth day of this seventh month there shall be a day of atonement: it shall be an holy convocation unto you; and ye shall afflict your souls, and offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD.

To “afflict your souls” meant to abstain from eating for the length of a day.

Hannah, the mother of Samuel, fasted when she was not able to bear a child (1 Sam. 1:1-20). She wanted a son, whom she would dedicate to the Lord, and God allowed her to give birth to a son.

Other groups of people fasted. Ezra led his fellow Jews to fast when they prayed that the Lord would provide safe travel for them to return from exile to Jerusalem (Ezra 8:21-23). Nehemiah, a contemporary of Ezra, was given permission to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem after he had fasted and prayed (Neh. 1:4).

Queen Esther led her fellow Jews to pray and intercede on her behalf so thatshe could be instrumental in helping to spare her people from destruction (Esther 4:16).

When Jonah prophesied that the city of Ninevah would be destroyed in forty days if they did not repent (Jonah 3:4), the king of Ninevah called for everyone to fast and repent, and God spared their city (Jonah 3:6-10).
In the New Testament, John the Baptist was one who regularly fasted (Matt. 9:14). Jesus fasted for forty days (Matt. 4:1-11). The Lord experienced this discipline in His life, after which the devil came to tempt Him without success.

The Bible says that after this experience of fasting and resisting temptation that “Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit into Galilee” (Matt. 4:14).
At the time of the birth of Christ, a lady became known who had spent regular times of fasting for most of her life. She was married for seven years, then widowed at a young age (Luke 2:37-38). For the remainder of her life, she would go to the Temple early each day and serve God “with fastings and prayers night and day” (Luke 2:37). When one spends that amount of time fasting and praying, that person will develop spiritual discernment. When the parents of Jesus brought Him to the Temple to be dedicated, Anna knew that this baby was the Son of God (Luke 2:38).

Through fasting and praying, the Lord revealed to Cornelius, a Gentile believer, that he was to send for Peter (Acts 10:30). The result was that salvation came to the Gentiles.

Paul fasted on many occasions. He was given clear direction for the work of his life after he fasted and prayed with church leaders at Antioch (Acts 9:9; 13:2-3) to take the Gospel throughout the world.

The Historical Basis for Fasting

A historical basis for fasting is seen throughout the pages of the Bible. Arthur Wallis observed that “wherever in Scripture we read of a public emergency being met by a national call to fast, we find without exception that God responded in deliverance.” When a nation or people were led to fast for the purpose of repenting, because they had turned away from God, He would spare their country from an enemy or other source of national concern.
History has provided a basis for fasting, as God has blessed and worked in behalf of nations and individuals who have fasted in time of need.

The Pilgrims, who were instrumental in the founding of the United States, fasted and prayed prior to leaving for this land. In his studies of the Pilgrims, Derek Prince discovered that “one distinctive practice employed by the Pilgrims to achieve their spiritual goals was that of united, public prayer and fasting.”

Spiritual and theological leaders of previous eras practiced the discipline of fasting, and the practice crossed theological boundaries. Wallis remarked:

Some of the great saints of church history have practiced fasting and testified to its value, among them the great Reformers, such as Luther, Calvin, and Knox. The custom has not been confined to any theological school. Here we find Jonathan Edwards, the Calvinist, joining hands with John Wesley, the Arminian; and David Brainerd having fellowship with Charles Finney.

David Smith found that “there is much evidence that Jonathan Edwards was punctual, constant, and frequent in secret prayer, and often kept days of fasting and prayer in secret.” The research of R. D. Chatham discovered that Jonathan Edwards, a leader of the Great Awakening in New England, that occurred in the 1700s, “fasted three days prior to the revival in which he preached his powerful sermon, ‘Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God’.”
Public fasts were called on several occasions in the early years of the United States, even prior to the writing of the Declaration of Independence. On May 24, 1774, the House of Burgesses of Virginia called for a fast on June 1 of that year in response to an embargo the British Parliament had imposed on the Port of Boston. Fasts were also called for during the presidencies of John Adams and James Madison. Probably the most beloved of all U.S. presidents, Abraham Lincoln, called for fasts on three separate occasions. Prince stated:

During the presidency of Abraham Lincoln three separate days of national humiliation, prayer, and fasting were proclaimed. The prime cause for each of these was the Civil War, and the central theme of petition was for the restoration of national peace and unity.

During World War II, the King of England called the British people to fast and pray when it looked like an invasion by Hitler and his German army was imminent. It never happened. God honored their fasting and praying. Among those who faithfully fasted and prayed for their homeland whenever it was threatened by the Germans were a group of students and teachers at a Bible college led by the noted prayer intercessor, Rees Howells. In a book about his phenomenal prayer life, several chapters were devoted to the intense times of prayer and fasting made on behalf of the British and their allies. Norman Grubb gave a summary of their faithful intercession:

Through all the years of the war, the whole college was in prayer every evening from seven o’clock to midnight, with only a brief interval for supper. They never missed a day. This was in addition to an hour’s prayer meeting every morning, and very often at midday. There were many special periods when every day was given wholly to prayer and fasting.

Two centuries earlier, the same nation was called to a “day of solemn fasting and prayer” in view of a threatened invasion by the French in 1756. John Wesley records that “humility was turned into national rejoicing for the threatened invasion by the French was averted.”

The Technical Basis for Fasting

Fasting is a discipline that is as old as the Bible, and a spiritual exercise that has been practiced through the ages. What exactly is fasting? In the spiritual realm, it is more than just going without food for a period of time. Although there are physical benefits that come from fasting, the intent of this paper is to show that the ultimate reason it ought to be exercised is for spiritual reasons. As a definition, directive, and the different kinds of fasting will be covered in this section, the emphasis will be upon the spiritual expectations and benefits of fasting.

Definition of Fasting

Most of those who have authored books on fasting offer a definition for fasting. The following sampling of definitions are a representatives selection from those found in the books read by this writer. Drawing from the Greek word, nesteia, and two Hebrew words that are used for fasting, James Beall defined fasting as “voluntary deprivation of the body, by subordinating the soul for spiritual purposes through voluntary abstinence from food.” Ronnie Floyd defined fasting as “the abstinence from food with a spiritual goal in mind and for a spiritual purpose.” Derek Prince has defined fasting in a similar manner as “voluntarily abstaining from food for spiritual purposes.”

To make a definition for fasting more specific, the simple definition of fasting used for this booklet will be abstaining from food, for spiritual reasons, for at least one meal. A dictionary might emphasize that fasting is done for religious reasons. One can do something for religious reasons and it may not do someone any good spiritually. In abstaining from food for one meal, it does not mean that a person has spiritually fasted who misses lunch at their normal time from noon until one o’clock to pray, then eats soon after one o’clock. True fasting is to abstain from food for one meal, in which time a person would try to devote himself to praying, then not eat again until the next usual time of a meal.

For many of those, whose names have been mentioned as ones who observed times of fasting, they would follow a standard, typical fast of going a twenty-four hour period of missing three meals. Because of the serious nature that Esther and her people faced, she asked them to “fast ye for me, and neither eat nor drink three days, night or day” (Esther 5:16). When people are threatened with annihilation, going without food, even water, for three days is a price they are willing to pay to save their lives.

Different Kinds of Fasting

What are the distinctions or diversities of fasting? As with a definition for fasting, those who have written on the subject use differing but similar words to describe the kinds of fasts. Wallis used the terms, normal fast, absolute fast, and partial fast to describe what he said are the three kinds of fasts. Jerry Falwell described the kinds of fasts as typical, complete, and partial. Elmer Towns, a ministry peer of Falwell, categorized the kinds of fasting as normal, absolute, partial, and rotational. This booklet will used the terms, selective fast, simple fast, standard fast, and sustained fast to describe the different kinds of ways by which a person may fast. The ideas behind the terms the other writers used can be found in the four terms that will be used for fasting in this booklet.

Selective Fast
There is a partial or selective fast. An example of this kind of fast is seen in the life of Daniel. In the first chapter of Daniel, the king decreed for some young men to be trained, and among those were Daniel and his friends, Shadrach, Mesach, and Abednego. They were to be fed what was felt to be the finest of food and drink, but Daniel did not feel drinking wine and eating the foods offered was best for them. Daniel asked if he and his three friends could train by simply drinking water and eating bread and vegetables for ten days. That was a form of a partial fast, which is going without a certain food for a period of time. The result of this partial fast is that those young men had wisdom and knowledge far beyond all others and their physical appearance was superior to the others. For spiritual reasons, one may feel led to a selective fast, by abstaining from a particular food or beverage.

Going without food or beverage is a form of self-control. Fasting helps to develop self-control, which may be defined as the inner discipline of mind, body, soul, and spirit, resulting in obedience to the promptings of the Holy Spirit. A partial, selective fast, in order to develop self-control as a spiritual discipline, is a form of biblical fasting. This is the kind of fasting that is practiced by Roman Catholics during the yearly forty-day observance of Lent.

Simple Fast
Other fasting involves going without food completely for a period of time of at least one meal. A simple fast is to abstain from food for one meal for spiritual reasons. This kind of a fast is enhanced if the one fasting prays during the time he would spend eating the meal that he is missing. For the simple fast to have its full effect, one should fast a meal that he would usually eat each day. God will honor the most simple fast when the purpose behind it is to see God work on behalf of someone else you are praying for, or because you want to become more alert spiritually or develop self-control. As a person begins to see the blessings that come from fasting, one may then desire to miss two meals in a row for spiritual reasons. Several Bible references to fasting confirm this kind of fast when the abstinence from food was during the daylight hours, which would involve missing two meals. Judges 20:26 and 2 Samuel 1:11-12 are representative examples of this kind of fasting.

Standard Fast
A standard or normal fast is the kind that most biblical examples followed. It is to fast from food from sundown one day until sundown the next day. It involves the skipping of the evening meal the day the fast begins, and the missing of breakfast and lunch the next day. Leviticus 23:32, a representative verse to describe the standard fast, says: “It shall be to you a sabbath of solemn rest, and you shall afflict your souls; on the ninth day of the month at evening, from evening to evening, you shall celebrate.” To “afflict your souls” is referring to fasting.

This writer has followed a pattern at times of going to bed, waking up the next morning and abstaining from food for the entire day, going to bed and not eating again until breakfast on the third day. Although this kind of fast takes place over three days, it covers a time frame of about forty hours, sixteen of which is spent sleeping. The author has found this kind of standard fast to his personal liking because of the spiritual blessings as well as the physical benefits he senses from giving his body a one day break from food and the energy needed to digest it.

Sustained Fast
A sustained fast is an extended fast covering a time frame where one fasts for at least two complete days in which he wakes up and goes to bed without partaking of food. Some of the more observed time periods of extended fasts are three days, ten days, and forty days. Forty day fasts were observed by three Bible personalities. Modern-day pastors such as Bill Bright, Ronnie Floyd, and J. Harold Smith have fasted for forty days, and each man has written a book about his experience. All three deal in their books with the physical benefits the fast brought them as well as the spiritual blessings. Some individuals have even fasted longer than forty days. During the Cork hunger strike in 1920, those who were part of the hunger strike “went without food for periods ranging from seventy to ninety-four days.”

Selective, simple, standard, and sustained fasts are the kinds of fasts that are found in the Bible. If a person has a job that requires much physical activity, it will be hard to attempt a sustained fast, although it is certainly possible. Even a standard fast can be difficult when one must go about the normal busy routine of a day. But a simple fast is one that nearly everyone could and should observe in order to fulfill the Bible directive to fast.

When God wants to say something special through a preacher, He sometimes calls them to prolonged periods of fasting. The pastor, whom God leads to a sustained fast, will usually try to rearrange his schedule so that he can spend prolonged periods in prayer, meditation, and Bible reading throughout the day, allowing for times of rest.

Directives for Fasting

In the few verses in Matthew 6, where Jesus addressed the subject of fasting, he gave some directives for fasting that keep it within its intended boundaries.

Not Hypocritically
The directive for fasting from Jesus is that it is not to be done hypocritically (Matt. 6:16). In a fast, one does not want to draw attention to himself. If he is following a normal routine, and the lack of food causes him to feel nauseated or weak while at work, it is difficult to lay down and rest or to keep others from knowing that you are fasting. It is meant, on most occasions, to be between the one fasting and God. If a person feels called of God to a sustained fast, even if he cannot alter his normal routine, wherever he is, no matter what he does, he must do it. God will give him the strength, though, to endure it, as He gave to Moses (Exo. 34:28), Elijah (1 Kings 19:8), and Jesus (Matt. 4:2), who experienced forty day fasts. Although the forty day fast of Moses included going without water, that was unique to that fast, in which he was supernaturally and miraculously empowered.
The Pharisees, whom Jesus was referring to as ones who fasted hypocritically, wanted people to know that they were fasting. They would make it look like they were suffering for the Lord while fasting. As one fasts regularly, though, his body adjusts to the times when he goes without food, and it would not have been too difficult to fast, even two days a week. They were hypocritical by making it appear to be a great sacrifice for the Lord, drawing attention to themselves, not for the purpose of drawing closer to the Lord. Wallis stated that “when the Pharisees fasted heaven looked the other way.” Fasting should always be solely concerned with conformity to the will of God, never seeking the accolades of mankind.

Privately
Another directive for fasting from Jesus was to do it privately (Matt. 6:18). Jesus states that a person is not to let other people know that he is fasting. Public fasts did occur in the Bible, but it was for special occasions, as mandated by God, or to seek the face of God when confronted with critical situations. Public fasts have been observed throughout history, as has been discussed previously in this paper. The goal of Bill Bright in calling Americans to fast was for two million believers to “humble themselves by seeking God in forty-day fasts.” Although a yearly two or three day gathering to pray and fast for revival has occurred among several hundred of those joining Bright in his crusade, most of the fasting is to be done privately.

Purposefully
Fasting is also to be done purposefully. From the examples throughout the Bible, there was always a spiritual purpose behind the reason for fasting. One who is led to fast ought to have a spiritual purpose for doing so if the fast is for spiritual reasons. The purpose is not to be selfish in its motivation because the person hopes to manipulate God through fasting to get something. Kingsley Fletcher said:

Fasting is not a tool to twist the arm of God so that He will give you exactly what you want. Fasting has a spiritual purpose, and that purpose is to get the flesh out of the way so that the Spirit of God can move in your life.

When fasting is for the right reason, Jesus stated that God would reward the person openly (Matt. 6:18).
Elmer Towns wrote a book on fasting that was uniquely different from any of the other books this writer read on fasting. He touched on the subject of fasting in a way that no one else dealt with it. The most complete account of fasting is given in the fifty-eighth chapter of Isaiah. In his study of Isaiah 58, in verses six through eight, Towns found nine major purposes for fasting in this passage. Towns made the following observations:

In Isaiah 58, God says He has chosen fasts that (1) loosen the bonds of wickedness, (2) undo heavy burdens (3) let the oppressed go free, (4) break every yoke, (5) give bread to the hungry and provide the poor with housing, (6) allow the people’s light to break forth like the morning, (7) cause their health to spring forth speedily, (8) cause their righteousness to go before them and (9) cause the glory of the Lord to be their reward (of “rear guard”).

He said that the passage prompted him to find in other places in Scripture “nine kinds of fasting I think Christians should rediscover today—not just for their own benefit, but for the benefit of others as well.” To correspond with the nine major purposes for fasting found in Isaiah 58:6-8, Towns was led to the following biblical examples:

The Disciple’s Fast (Matt. 17:21) – freeing ourselves and others from addictions to sin; The Ezra Fast (Ezra 8:23) – to solve problems, inviting the Holy Spirit’s aid in lifting loads and overcoming barriers that keep ourselves and our loved ones from walking joyfully with the Lord; The Samuel Fast (1 Sam. 7:6) – for revival and soul winning, to identify with people everywhere enslaved literally or by sin and to pray to be used of God to bring people out of the kingdom of darkness and into God’s marvelous light; The Elijah Fast (1 Kings 19:4,8) – conquering the mental and emotional problems that would control our lives, and returning the control to the Lord; The Widow’s Fast (1 Kings 17:16) – to meet the humanitarian needs of others; The Saint Paul Fast (Acts 9:9) – bringing clearer perspective and insight as we make crucial decisions; The Daniel Fast (Dan. 1:8) – to gain a healthier life and for healing; The John the Baptist Fast (Luke 1:15) – that our testimonies and influence for Jesus will be enhanced before others; The Esther Fast (Esther 4:16; 5:2) – that the Lord will protect us from the evil one.

A variety of reasons can be gleaned for fasting purposefully that build upon the biblical examples and modern-day human experiences. One purpose for fasting is to attain the mind of God on a matter. Another is to increase spiritual alertness so that the mind will be spiritually sharp and sensitive to think, act, react, and respond regarding the issues of life. It helps one to develop spiritual discernment. Another purpose for fasting is to develop the discipline of self-control in order to come under the power and authority of the Holy Spirit. Expressing sincerity to God is an appropriate reason for fasting. Fasting is a means of showing God absolute dependency upon Him in bringing regeneration, revival, and renewal upon the life of the one fasting and upon others for whom he is interceding. Another purpose for fasting is as a thanks-offering to God because of who He is, and as a way of thanking Him for the answers to prayers and blessings he has bestowed upon the family and loved ones of the one fasting.
The purposes for fasting, given in this section, through biblical examples and human experience, do not exhaust all the possibilities. They do give a representative idea of why the Lord exhorted believers to fast and what can be accomplished on their behalf through the practice of it.

Prayerfully
Another directive for fasting is that it must be done prayerfully. In the examples of fasting from the Bible, prayer and fasting go together. Jesus taught on fasting after he taught on prayer and gave the disciples a model for praying (Matt. 6:9-13). Praying with fasting for spiritual reasons is one of the most powerful weapons the Christian has available for his use today. Yet, it is one of the most neglected spiritual disciplines.

Lee Bueno learned the discipline of fasting because it was practiced on the mission field where she grew up as the child of missionaries. She discovered as she grew older and traveled to other parts of the world that fasting was not a common practice throughout Christendom. She stated:

Why has fasting held such a prominent place in many world religions? Even religions of some of the world’s most backward nations recognize the physical and non-physical benefits of a fast. Yet, so little is known about fasting for physical and spiritual benefits within the Christian community.

Fasting is not a common practice among Christians because society today is not a very disciplined people, especially when it comes to food. Kingsley Fletcher addressed the root problem behind the neglect of Christians to fast and pray, but he also gave a motivation why it is beneficial. He said:

Most of us who live comfortably in the prosperous nations have problems with prayer and fasting because everything around us is designed to appeal to our flesh and its carnal desires. But when we seek the face of God through prayer and fasting, we push the flesh aside, denying the appetites the control they seek over us, and allowing our spirit man, who desires God, to develop a strong relationship with the heavenly Father.

Jesus does not condemn eating, and neither does the Bible, but the Lord does indicate that there are times in life when it would be more beneficial to forget about eating. When someone learns the benefits and blessings from fasting, the words of Job make sense: “I have esteemed the words of His [God] mouth more than my necessary food” (Job 23:12).
Fasting is not something that has been pushed or promoted in society, and especially Christian circles, until recent years. For a person who desires to become a mature Christian, there will be times in life when fasting will assist in getting the mind of God on a matter. If a person really wants to show God his desire to know His mind, to mature in his Christian life, to become alert and spiritually sensitive, times of fasting will be observed. Prayer goes side by side with fasting.

THE BENEFITS OF FASTING

Fasting provides benefits that one may never receive without fasting. Those who benefit not only are those who fast but others for whom fasters intercede.

For the Benefit of Others

Fasting is beneficial to others beside the ones who fast. Paul exhorted Timothy “that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men” (1 Tim. 2:1). No one interceding on behalf of his people caused the Lord to wonder (Isa. 59:16). The Lord provided salvation through Jesus, but the intercessions of His people on behalf of others is part of the process of one personally coming to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ.

When a person intercedes on behalf of someone else, it pleases God, and he desires to honor it according to His will. When a Christian prays for a carnal, backslidden Christian to come back to the Lord, it is a prayer that God wants to grant. God will work upon the life of the backslider. He will get the attention of an estranged husband, wife, child, another family member, or friend for whom a Christian intercedes. The purpose of the prayer of intercession is not for God to get them but for God to save them or restore them. For the backslidden Christian for whom one fasts and intercedes, the benefit to them is that God may bring joy back into their life and restore the joy of their salvation.

Fasting is of benefit to others as the prayers of intercession compel God to provide direction, correction, and protection to the beneficiaries of intercessory prayer.

As the people of God pray about issues in the country today, God will honor the prayer and fasting of those who intercede on behalf of this nation. Prayer and fasting are weapons with which to fight the enemies of life, especially Satan and his demons, as they try to come upon Christians to discourage them and to keep others from coming to know the Lord. God seeks for a man or woman who will “stand in the gap before me for the land, that I should not destroy it” (Ezek. 22:30). The United States is a land in need of repentance, therefore, it is a land in need of intercessors to stand in the gap on her behalf. Bill Bright and hundreds of other Christian leaders believe that America is at a spiritual crossroads. Bright observed:

In my fifty plus years of walking with the Lord, I have never witnessed a greater concern for the spiritual condition of this nation. Everywhere, concerned citizens, especially Christians, are deeply troubled over the wicked things that are happening in our country.

As a nation, we live in the most critical moment in our history. From a human standpoint, there is no way out of this moral morass. Not one of our institutions—government, education, judicial, science, business, media, military, the Church, or the home—offers a ray of hope.

As individual Christians and as a Church, we are prone to be so comfortable, so materialistic, so indifferent to spiritual discipline, so racked by scandals and loss of respect that secular society sees little difference between believers and the rest of the world.

Most believers have lost their sense of a holy God and the reality of God has little effect on their everyday life. Unless God does something to bring revival, American believers will go down with the national ship.

Bright further stated that “fasting is a primary means of restoration. By humbling our souls, fasting releases the Holy Spirit to do His special work of revival in us.”

For The Benefit Of The Faster

Fasting provides numerous physical, mental, and spiritual benefits to the one who practices it.

Physical Benefits

In a secular book written on fasting, Allan Cott commented that “the body tolerates a fast far better than it does a feast.” A side benefit for one who fasts for spiritual reasons are the physical benefits received. Weight loss and control will naturally occur when food and caloric intake are decreased. Losing weight is not the chief purpose for fasting, but it is a positive result from it when one fasts over a period of several days or practices one days fasts regularly.

Fasting is a safe discipline. C. S. Lovett pointed out that “the safety record of fasting is remarkable. No other method comes close to it.” People have starved themselves to death, but they have not fasted to death. Lovett clarifed that:

fasting and starvation are two separate things. Starvation feeds on tissue, while fasting feeds on fat. In rare instances people have died while fasting, but their deaths were not caused by fasting. Autopsies revealed the presence of organ disease as the cause of death. In terms of safety, fasting is without a doubt one of the finest healing and corrective methods available to man.

If a person has major physical problems or is on medication, a doctor should be consulted before one fasts.

Anderson has summarized as well as any of the writers on fasting how fasting benefits the body physically. He stated:

When a person goes on a fast, the digestive system gets a rest. No longer is there an overstuffed feeling. The stomach and intestines empty. The body feels clean and lean. Much of the energy which has been used in digestion is then available for other things.

Mental Benefits

As Anderson noted, when one fasts energy that normally goes to digest food is available for other use in the body. More blood is able to go to the brain to help one think, not to digest food from eating or to strengthen muscles when exercising. Although a limited amount of exercise can be attempted, the purpose of a fast is for spiritual exercise. Anderson discovered that “without exception, every practicing faster I have interviewed has expressed a heightened state of consciousness following a three-day or more fast.”

One who is fasting will find that his day seems longer because it makes extra time available when one would normally be eating. When a person fasts three meals, he has from one and a half to three extra hours available that he would normally spend eating that he could devote to prayer, the study of the Bible, and other spiritual disciplines.

Spiritual Benefits

The pages of the Bible reveal the spiritual benefits received by individuals and nations who fasted as called by God or compelled by circumstances. God honors fasting for the right reasons.
Two renowned Christian leaders of the previous century wrote of the spiritual benefits fasting brought to their lives. Charles Finney testified that:

whenever I fasted, and let the Spirit take his own course with me, and gave myself up to let him lead and instruct me, I universally found it in the highest degree useful.

E. M. Bounds declared:

All our libraries and studies are mere emptiness compared with our closets. Our seasons of fasting and prayer at the Tabernacle have been high days indeed; never has heaven’s gate stood wider; never have our hearts been nearer the central Glory.

Fasting is still as spiritually beneficial today as it was a century ago. It is as spiritually beneficial as when the words of the Bible were first written and the admonitions about fasting were initially given. Lee Bueno commented that “fasting is the most sacred, most serious, most sacrificial way to present ourselves in total devotion to the Lord.” C. S. Lovett is further representative of the spiritual benefits attained by those who have practiced and written on fasting. He remarked that “fasting can bring you into a glorious intimacy with the Lord that cannot be attained any other way.” As one presents himself to the Lord in total devotion, the greatest spiritual benefits are available and receivable.

Fasting provides many benefits for the one fasting and those for whom fasters intercede. Jerry Falwell summarized the varied benefits of fasting:

I believe it will be a blessing to you spiritually, physically, mentally, and financially. Many people have found that heavy burdens were relieved through fasting (Isaiah 58); wisdom was obtained through fasting (Daniel 10); revival came after fasting (Isaiah 58:6); God’s protection from danger was secured through fasting (1 Kings 21:27-29); healing for a sick loved one came after fasting (Psalm 35:13); and inauguration of a great ministry followed fasting (Matthew 4:2).

Why fast? Because fasting secures God’s results with God’s blessing.

THE BLESSINGS FROM FASTING

In His exhortations on fasting, Jesus promised that the one who fasted would be blessed. Jesus said:

Thou, when thou fastest, anoint thine head, and wash thy face; that thou appear not unto men to fast, but unto thy Father which is in secret: and thy Father, which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly [Matt. 6:18].

As one fasts “unto thy Father,” he can be assured that God recognizes him individually. Fasting gets the attention of God. “Fasting is not the biblical equivalent of waving a magic wand to make all personal wishes come true.” It is a means of acknowledgment that God is sovereign and a confirmation that He fulfills what He has said He will do. The Bible is full of illustrations where God honored and blessed the efforts and concerns of those who fasted. “Fasting helps us to relinquish our will to God” and to “prepare ourselves to receive the fullness of God’s blessings in our lives.”

As “thy Father . . . seeth” the one who is fasting, God responds appropriately. The faster gets an answer from God regarding the motivation behind his fasting. Ultimately, the major purpose behind fasting is for the one fasting to get the mind of God on the issues of life, not to change the mind of God. Derek Prince revealed that “it is important to understand that fasting changes man, not God.” It is always a blessing for the child of God to be in accord with the will of God for “blessed are they that hear the Word of God, and keep it” (Luke 11:28). To fast for the right reason is to hear the Word of God, and keep it because Jesus indicated it is an activity of His followers.

Another wonderful blessing from fasting is that God rewards openly the one who fasts in a manner that does not draw attention to himself. Jesus said that “thy Father, which seeth in secret, shall reward thee openly” (Matt. 6:18). The rewards may come in the form of spiritual, physical, mental, or financial blessings, but God promises that he will bless those who fast. The Bible, history, and the testimonies of those who have practiced fasting and practice fasting today prove that God acknowledges those who fast by rewarding their efforts.

Prayer, fasting, and spiritual awakening have occurred in conjunction with one another in previous generations. Will God bless and reward openly the requests and efforts of men like Bill Bright, Ronnie Floyd, and the scores of others who are joining them in praying and fasting for a spiritual awakening to be manifested in America? Roy Fish has put it in the proper perspective. He stated:

God’s people pray, travail, perhaps fast, until heaven sends a gracious revival. But once it comes, in time there is a slacking off in intense prayer. Consequently, the blessing is short-lived, and that which could have blessed the church for an extended season lasts for a comparatively short time. There can be no question that a revival is ultimately the work of God. Revival is new life, and God alone is the giver of this life. But as a rule, God does not work independently of people. This is true both in securing and sustaining revival.

Revival is ultimately the work of God. He has given, though, principles and guidelines in His Word that enhance the possibility of His acting on behalf of His people. The proof has certainly been documented on the pages of the Bible and throughout history how God has responded to the pleas of His people through their prayer and fasting. If another great spiritual awakening is going to come to the United States before the return of Jesus, prayer with fasting is certainly part of the formula for revival that has always preceded such spiritual outpourings.

Notes

1. Bill Bright, The Coming Revival: America’s Call to Fast, Pray, and “Seek God’s Face” (Orlando: New Life Publications, 1995), 9.

2. Ibid., 19.

3. Ibid.

4. Ronnie Floyd, “The Midnight Crisis.” Evangelism Today, Vol. 3, 1996, 2.

5. Ibid.

6. Bright, The Coming Revival, 17.

7. Ronnie Floyd, The Power of Prayer and Fasting,

8. Bright, The Coming Revival, 16.

9. Douglas Batchelder, “Is Fasting for Today?” Moody Monthly, 35-6.

10. Andy Anderson, Fasting Changed My Life (Nashville: Broadman Press, 1977), 44.

11. Arthur Wallis, God’s Chosen Fast (Fort Washington, PA: Christian Literature Crusade, 1968), 36-7.

12. Derek Prince, Shaping History through Prayer and Fasting (Old Tappan, NJ: Fleming H. Revell, 1973), 132.

13. Wallis, God’s Chosen Fast, 12.

14. David R. Smith, Fasting: A Neglected Discipline (Fort Washington, PA: Christian Literature Crusade, 1954), 33.

15. R.D. Chatham, A Biblical-Historical Study (South Plainfield, NJ: Bridge Publishing, 1987), 91.

16. Prince, Shaping History, 138.

17. Ibid., 141.

18. Ibid., 144.

19. Wallis, God’s Chosen Fast, 36.

20. Norman Grubb, Rees Howells: Intercessor (Fort Washington, PA: Christian Literature Crusade, 1952), 249-50.

21. Wallis, God’s Chosen Fast, 36.

22. Ibid.

23. James Lee Beall, The Adventure of Fasting (Old Tappan, NJ: Fleming H. Revell, 1974), 22.

24. Floyd, The Power of Prayer and Fasting, 3.

25. Derek Prince, Fasting (Springdale, PA: Whitaker House, 1986), 5.

26. Wallis, God’s Chosen Fast, 17.

27. Jerry Falwell, Fasting: What the Bible Teaches (Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House, 1981), 25-6.

28. Elmer Towns, Fasting for Spiritual Breakthrough (Ventura, CA: Regal Books, 1996), 23-4.

29. J. Harold Smith, Fast Your Way to Health (Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1979), 47.

30. Wallis, God’s Chosen Fast, 107.

31. Bright, The Coming Revival, 37.

32. Kingsley Fletcher, Prayer and Fasting (Shippensburg, PA: Destiny Image Publishers, 1992), 61.

33. Towns, Fasting for Spiritual Breakthrough, 19.

34. Ibid.

35. Ibid., 20-3.

36. Lee Bueno, Fast Your Way to Health (Springdale, PA: Whitaker House, 1991), 44.

37. Fletcher, Prayer and Fasting, 62.

38. Bright, The Coming Revival, 153.

39. Ibid., 94.

40. Allan Cott, Fasting: The Ultimate Diet (New York: Bantam Books, 1975), 53.

41. C. S. Lovett, Help Lord . . . The Devil Wants Me Fat! (Baldwin Park, CA: Personal Christianity, 1995), 91.

42. Ibid.

43. Anderson, Fasting Changed My Life, 40.

44. Ibid.

45. Charles G. Finney, Charles G. Finney: An Autobiography (Westwood, NJ: Barbour and Company, 1990), 29.

46. E. M. Bounds, Power through Prayer (Chicago: Moody Press, 1979), 35.

47. Bueno, Fast Your Way to Health, 151.

48. Lovett, The Devil Wants Me Fat, 108.

49. Falwell, Fasting: What the Bible Teaches, 22-3.

50. Bueno, Fast Your Way to Health, 151.

51. Ibid.

52. Prince, Prayer and Fasting, 86.

53. Roy Fish, “How to Keep The Fire Burning” in Revival, edited by John Avant, Malcolm McDow, and Alvin Reid (Nashville: Broadman and Holman Publishers, 1996), 152.

I challenged and exhorted the ones in attendance in our morning worship service at Fellowship Baptist Church, Hernando, Mississippi, to praise God instead every time this week they were about to criticize someone, complain about something, or say something negative.  The sermon outline is below.

“BE STILL”
2 CHRON. 20:15-17

I. YOU WILL NEVER SHOW HOW MUCH FAITH YOU HAVE UNTIL YOU SHOW HOW YOU CAN BE STILL AND BE SILENT

1. WE HAVE ASSOCIATED GODLINESS WITH ACTIVITY

2. MANY TEND TO SPEND A LOT OF TIME DOING THINGS FOR GOD BUT NOT SPENDING TIME WITH THE LORD

3. GOD IS MORE CONCERNED WITH OUR BEING (WHAT WE TRULY ARE SPIRITUALLY) THAN OUR DOING

II. TO DO NOTHING AND SAY NOTHING SEEMS TO BE ONE OF THE HARDEST THINGS FOR CHRISTIANS

1. THIS WILL BE REVOLUTIONARY FOR SOME WHO ARE ALWAYS COMPELLED TO GIVE THEIR OPINION

2. FOR SOME, SPRINGING INTO ACTION MAKES THEM FEEL BETTER ABOUT THEMSELVES IN THAT THEY HAVE AT LEAST MADE AN EFFORT TO DO SOMETHING, BUT SOMETIMES THEIR DOING COMPOUNDS THE PROBLEM

3. OFTEN YOU CAN’T HEAR GOD BECAUSE YOU ARE TOO BUSY DOING SOMETHING OR SAYING SOMETHING AND YOU ARE NOT UP TO DATE ON HOW GOD’S UNCHANGING WORD CAN MORE EFFECTIVELY IMPACT AN EVERCHANGING WORLD

III. WHEN YOU ARE ABOUT TO COMPLAIN ABOUT SOMETHING, CRITICIZE SOMEONE, OR MURMUR IN SOME WAY, PRAISE GOD INSTEAD

1. SOME OF YOU WILL BE PRAISING GOD MORE IN ONE DAY THAN YOU EVER HAVE BEFORE

2. SOME PEOPLE THINK SO LITTLE OF THEMSELVES THAT TO FEEL BETTER ABOUT THEMSELVES THEY BELITTLE OTHERS

3. IT’S AMAZING WHAT PRAISING GOD CAN DO FOR ONE PERSONALLY; TURN YOUR NEGATIVE NATURE INTO A POSITIVE
ONE

IV. IF YOU FEEL SOMEONE IS WRONG AND YOU FEEL LIKE LETTING THEM KNOW IT OR TELLING OTHERS ABOUT IT, DON’T; ASK GOD TO DEAL WITH THEM IF THEY ARE WRONG AND ASK GOD TO DEAL ACCORDINGLY WITH YOU IF YOU ARE WRONG ABOUT IT

1. TOO OFTEN WHAT SOMEONE CRITICIZES SOMEONE ABOUT IS SOMETHING THEY ARE MORE GUILTY OF BUT DON’T REALIZE IT

2. I FEEL THAT 95% OF THE SITUATIONS THAT CAUSE PROBLEMS IN CHURCHES WOULD CEASE IF CHURCH MEMBERS FOLLOWED THIS PRACTICE

3. GOD SAID THAT HE WILL TAKE CARE OF THOSE WHO WRONG YOU OR OTHERS, IF IT IS NOT A SUCH A SERIOUS OFFENSE THAT IT MUST BE DEALT WITH PUBLICLY; WHEN GOD DEALS WITH THEM HE USUALLY DEALS MUCH MORE HARSHLY THAN YOU WOULD HAVE
Fellowship Baptist Church, Hernando
Sunday AM Sermon March 15, 2015

Dr. Bobby Mullins, Pastor

BTTBM NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2014 UPDATE
“It’s Time To Get Back To The Basics of Life”
P.O. Box 32486 Knoxville, TN 37930
brobmullins@aol.com / www.drbobbymullins.com

             MY BETHEL “The Three Trees”
at Halle Stadium in Memphis, TN (where I prayed                                                                                                              after jogging most every day from June 1977-June 1981)

THE TRUE MEANING OF CHRISTMAS (Reprinted From The December 2011 BTTBM Update)

One of the most beautiful and moving narratives I have ever heard for a Christmas musical is from the cantata, Noel, Jesus is Born. The musical score was written by Lanny Wolfe, and the narration was composed by the late Bob Benson. Here is a timely excerpt from it that is so relevant to where most of us find our personal circumstances at Christmas:

Well, He [Christ] still comes into a crowded world. It was crowded then, but it’s more crowded now. We lead such busy, jostling, cluttered lives—and they’re even more so at Christmas. We come loaded with bundles of gifts of love for others, but we get impatient and blow our horns at the cars ahead of us. Hardly time enough to buy a tree, we frantically wrap the last of the packages just moments before we’re to tear them open—so we can rush off to somewhere else and back again exhausted.                               
        Here we are at Christmas again—hoping to hear the angels singing, needing a star to follow, really wanting to kneel at a manger. We mean to adore Him with Mary, we do believe with Joseph. We want to worship with the shepherds, our hearts long to rejoice with the wise men—but somehow there isn’t any time.
It is into just such a world the angels come again and again to sing these eloquent, lifegiving words—Jesus is born, Jesus is born.
        Just as those words came and changed a barn filled with cows and straw into a shrine, a hillside dotted with sheep and shepherds into a cathedral, a sky filled with stars into a message from the Father—so they come to you, as old as eternity—as fresh as the morning—as simple as a baby—as majestic as a psalm. Warm as a mother’s arms—mighty as God Himself—Jesus is born, Jesus is born.

A recent survey revealed that over 50% of the citizens of this country no longer view the birth of Christ as the most significant emphasis surrounding Christmas. Excuse me! But isn’t that where the reason for this season originated? I mention this statistic because most of us feel that we keep the emphasis upon Jesus at Christmas time. Do we? Evaluate your schedule and see what truly matters the most at Christmas. Every year, I am sensing the worldly side of Christmas crowding more and more into our spiritual worship and service, which is the year long, lifetime result of what this season is truly all about. Don’t let the rush and busyness surrounding Christmas cause you to focus most on the secular side of the Christmas season. Don’t let it cause you to neglect your spiritual duties and responsibilities.
        Keep Christ as the central focus of your Christmas. Take some time every day to go back to that hillside with the shepherds, to rejoice at the manger with Joseph and Mary, and to glory in the good news, the best news, the greatest news the world has ever known and will ever know—Jesus is born, Jesus is risen, Jesus lives, and Jesus will reign forever.

THE CHRIST WHO MAKES CHRISTMAS

For the All Music Christmas Special 2014 of A Fresh Start I premiered a new song I wrote for Christmas, titled “The Christ Who Makes Christmas”. On this special TV program I offer to give via e-mail a free copy of the sheet music, the soundtrack, and the demo of the song to anyone who requests it. If you would like you to take me up on the offer, please e-mail me at drbobbymullins@aol.com.
Also, I want to give you the opportunity to see the new All Music Christmas Special of A Fresh Start before it airs. Please click on or paste in the following link on your computer internet address/search and it will show the program. Keep in mind, that sometimes when viewing a video on You Tube the quality is not as good as viewing your own DVD of it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q0T2tDS_Lco

TV PROGRAM REPEATS AND NEW PROGRAMS

One of my reasons for airing the A Fresh Start TV program was to get the program and a Christian witness into the thousands of hotel/motel rooms and chalets/cabins in the Gatlinburg/Pigeon Forge/Smoky Mountains corridor where hundreds of thousands of people vacation and attend conferences each year from all over the United States and the world. With most of the tourists being in the area once a year, they don’t know if a program of A Fresh Start is a new airing or a repeat. So, we usually air four new to eight new programs in a row, then repeat those broadcasts at least once before airing new programs. I am pleased to let you know that the first week of December I did four hours of TV taping each afternoon over two days, which will resulted in eight new programs of A Fresh Start, including the new All Music Christmas Special 2014. One of the new programs is also an all music program featuring songs that I have written. The messages I preached on the other programs, which feature songs on four of those programs that Melody recently recorded, are “Why We Need Revival”,”Living Like You’re Dying”, “Looking Ahead With Great Anticipation”, “Numbering Our Days”, “Overcoming The World” and “A Litmus Test For True Worship”
        The Lord has laid upon my heart some relevant and timely messages to preach on future programs of A Fresh Start regarding key issues of our day that are not only dividing our nation but a cause of conflict and division among Christians. Your continued giving to Back To The Basics Ministries will make it possible for me to proclaim these critical messages through A Fresh Start TV Program.

Your tax-deductible donation may be sent to:

Back To The Basics Ministries P.O. Box 32486 Knoxville, TN 37930

or by clicking on the web site address:

www.drbobbymullins.com and then clicking on to the Donate link

MERRY CHRISTMAS From The Mullins Family – Bro. Bobby, Wanda, Melody, Mallory, Brandon, Megan, and Brantley

Blessings,

Bobby Mullins

“Keep in the Word, on your knees, loving God, loving each other, worshiping together,
building Godly homes, sharing the faith, supporting the Lord’s work financially, living life abundantly.”

Chapter Six – “Praising Out His Power”

“For thine is the kingdom, and
the power, and the glory, forever.”

(Using the Lord’s Prayer, phrase by phrase, as a model for expanding your prayer life)

Father, thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever, but I am thankful that it is also for today. I pray that You will manifest Your kingdom, and Your power, and Your glory in our lives and upon our lives this day.

Preservation for Participation

Father, I thank You now because it is Your good pleasure to give us Your kingdom (Luke 12:32) today. I give thanks to You, Father, Who has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light. You have delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed (translated) us into the kingdom of the Son of Your love, in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, Who is the image of You, God, the firstborn over all creation” (Col. 1:12-15).

I praise You today for Your preservation. I know that You will deliver us from “every evil work and preserve us for Your heavenly kingdom” (2 Tim. 4:18). We have Your preservation for participation in Your earthly kingdom so that we will lead others to become citizens of Your kingdom. I praise You, Lord, because You have allowed us to become participants in Your kingdom, and You have supplied us abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Please manifest Your kingdom in us today so that we can lead others to become participants in Your kingdom of righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit (Rom. 14:17). Come today, kingdom of God, in our lives.

Power for Penetration

Father, I praise You today because I know that in Your hand is power and might. I acknowledge that You have made the earth by Your power, that You have established the world by Your wisdom, and You have stretched out the heavens by Your discretion (Jer. 10:12).

I am thankful for the power that You make available to us that strengthens us. I praise You today because “both riches and honor come from You, and You reign over all. In Your hand is power and might; in Your hand it is to make great and to give strength to all. Now therefore, our God, we thank You and praise Your glorious name” (1 Chron. 29:12-13). Thank You, Lord, for giving strength and power to Your people (Ps. 68:35), especially that strength You give to us when we are faint that we might be renewed (Isa. 40:31). How wonderful that we can be strong in You, Lord, and in the power of Your might (Eph. 6:10). How encouraging to know that even in our weakness Your strength is made perfect that the power of Christ may rest on us (2 Cor. 12:9).

I praise You, Father, that we have been endued with power from on high (Luke 10:19) to sustain us. As You are the LORD OUR PROVIDER, You give us power to get wealth (Deut. 8:18). I acknowledge that You are able right now to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we can ask or think regarding our finances according to the power that works in us (Eph. 3:20), for what is the exceeding greatness of Your power toward us who believe according to the working of Your power (Eph. 1:19). Father, I thank You today for Your power to secure us. We can be secure, knowing that You will rule by Your power forever (Ps. 66:7). I praise You for raising up Jesus by Your power and that You will raise us up by Your power (1 Cor. 6:14). How secure we can be, knowing that we are kept by Your power, forever, through faith unto salvation (1 Peter 1:5).

Father, I praise You for Your power that strengthens us, that sustains us, and that secures us that we may serve You. I realize that You have given us Your power for penetration. You have endued us with Your power from on high (Luke 10:19; 24:19; Acts 1:8) so that we can live and exhibit victory in Jesus over any obstacle or foe and make a difference for Jesus today.

Power belongs to You, O God (Ps. 62:11). Be exalted, O God, in Your own strength. I sing of and praise Your power (Ps. 21:13). I pray today that Your power will be manifested in our lives, in our family, in our finances, and in the ministries to which You have called us.

Power for Proclamation

Father, I praise You today that thine is the glory forever. Lord, I acknowledge that You are the King of Glory, strong and mighty in battle (Ps. 24:18), and that glory, honor, majesty, strength, and gladness are in Your presence (1 Chron. 16:27; Isa. 42:8). Lord, this day I want to declare (proclaim) Your glory among the nations and, particularly, in the corner of the world where You have placed us (1 Chron. 16:24). Lord, I am thankful today for Your glory—the manifested perfection of Your character, especially Your righteousness.

Lord, I realize that we have Your presence for proclamation. I pray, Father, that through worship we will proclaim Who You are to the world around us. As we worship together, I pray that we will give the glory due Your name and that we will worship in the beauty of holiness (1 Chron. 16:29). Father, I love the habitation of Your house (God’s presence) where Your glory dwells (Ps. 26:8). Please show us Your glory at the church where You have led us to serve and where You have led us to worship (Ex. 33:18). I know that all Your glory will someday be revealed to us, but we can enjoy some of it today (Rom. 8:18).

Father, it is my desire this day that through works I will proclaim the gospel to the world that I am a part of. I am so thankful that even though I fell short of Your glory, Jesus made it possible for me as a believer to be a participant in Your glory (Rom. 3:23; Heb. 2:9-11). As I daily spend time in Your tabernacle of meeting, in a quiet time of communion with You, Father, may I come out and be a blessing to the people around me and those that I lead so that Your glory will appear to all the people and that fire will come out (Lev. 9:23-24). I pray, Father, that we can proclaim that the Lord has shown us His glory and His greatness, and that we have heard His voice from the midst of the fire. I am thankful that You speak face to face with man and that those who have been in Your presence can live to proclaim Your glory today (Ex. 33:11; Deut. 5:24).

Lord, may Your glory fill my life, our family, our home, and our church so that Your awesome presence will draw us to bow before You in praise and awe (2 Chron. 7:1-3).

Lord, I pray that through words we can proclaim Your glory. Yes, Lord, I say it again, I pray that we can proclaim that You have shown us Your glory and Your greatness, that we have heard Your voice, and that we live to proclaim Your glory as You speak to us. I glory in Your holy name and we rejoice (1 Chron. 16:10). In beholding Your glory, I know that Your character and image are being formed in us (2 Cor. 3:18). I pray that the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart will be pleasing in Your sight (Ps. 19:14). I want my conduct and conversation to be according to Your perfect will (Phil. 1:27).

My glory (soul) sings praise to You and is not silent. O LORD our God, I will give thanks to You forever (Ps. 30:12). Lord, I glory in Your holy name this day, and I rejoice. You, O LORD, are a shield for me and my family, our glory and the One Who lifts up our heads (Ps. 3:3). Our hearts are glad, and our glory rejoices; our flesh will also rest in hope for You will not leave us . . . nor will You allow us to see corruption (Ps. 16:9-10). You show us the path of life. In Your presence is fullness of joy . . . and pleasures forevermore (Ps. 16:11). O Lord, our Lord, how excellent and majestic is Your name in all the earth, You Who have set Your glory above the heavens (Ps. 8:1). The heavens declare Your glory (Ps. 19:1). In You, O God, is our salvation and our glory; the rock of our strength, and our refuge, is in You, O God (Ps. 62:7).

Conclusion

For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever, but it is also for today. Father, I have looked to You in Your sanctuary—in Your presence, in Your kingdom today—to see Your power and glory (Ps. 63:2). Lord, I pray that You will manifest Yourself in me as I strive to be a witness for You and a blessing to You of Your kingdom, power, and glory today (Ps. 145:10-13).

“Blessed are You, LORD God of Israel, our Father, forever and ever. Yours, O LORD, is the greatness, the power and the glory, the victory and the majesty; for all that is in heaven and in earth is Yours; Yours is the kingdom, O LORD, and You are exalted as head over all. Both riches and honor come from You, and You reign over all. In Your hand is power and might; in Your hand it is to make great and to give strength to all. Now therefore, our God, we thank You and praise Your glorious name” (1 Chron. 29:10-13). May I walk worthy of You, God, Who has called me into Your kingdom and glory (1 Thess. 2:12) as today I seek first Your kingdom and Your righteousness, thanking You for the victory that me, my family, and my ministry will have in Jesus this day, for greater is is He that is in us than he that is in the world (Matt. 6:33; 1 John 4:4).

Now to Him Who is able to keep us from stumbling, and to present us faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy, to God our Savior, Who alone is wise, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and forever (Jude 24-25). I seek to live this day steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that my labor is not in vain in the Lord (1 Cor. 15:58). Thanks be to You, O God, Who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ (1 Cor. 15:57).

AMEN.

Chapter Five – “Protection Without Fail”

“And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil:”

(Using the Lord’s Prayer, phrase by phrase, as a model for expanding your prayer life)

Father, I pray today that You will lead us not into temptation, but that You will deliver us from evil. Lord, You have promised us Your protection without fail, if we will be obedient to follow the path that You have prepared in advance that we should walk in it (Eph. 2:10).

Put On the Whole Armor of God – Eph. 6:10-18
(DEFENSE)

Lord God, Your Word exhorts us to be strong in the Lord and in the power of Your might by putting on the whole armor of You, Lord, that we may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil (Eph. 6:10-11). By faith today, I put on the whole armor of God.

I put on the BELT OF TRUTH (v. 14). I stand, therefore, having my loins girt about with truth. As my loins contain the digestive system, the reproductive system, and the bowels, I pray that the belt of truth will hold the spiritual equivalents of these physical features. I want to act upon the inward truth of You, Lord, that is within me. I want to be genuine and filled with Your determined purpose. I want to be filled with Your truth, God, so that I will be a person of total integrity and moral rectitude. I am determined to act upon that truth today.  I put on the BREASTPLATE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS (v. 14) today. As the breastplate is so vital to protecting organs that are so very vital to life—the esophagus, windpipe, heart, and lungs—I ask that the spiritual equivalents of these organs will be protected by the breastplate of righteousness today.

As You are THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS, I am thankful that He (Jesus) became sin for us Who knew no sin that we might become the righteousness of You, God, through Jesus Christ our Lord (2 Cor. 5:21). I am thankful that I have received the righteousness of You, Father, through my faith and trust in Jesus, having been justified by the blood of Christ (Rom. 5:1-2,9; 1 Peter 2:24; Rom. 3:22). I will diligently guard my heart today for I know that out of it are the issues of life (Prov. 4:23).

I SHOD MY FEET WITH THE PREPARATION OF THE GOSPEL OF PEACE today (v. 15). I know that in the hand to hand, face to face combat I encounter today in the issues of life, I need the ability to stand, to sidestep, to walk and run, and to be prepared and ready as I walk daily in Your revealed will, O God. I want my conduct and conversation to be as it is worthy and becoming of the gospel of Christ (Phil. 1:27), according to Your Word. I pray that I will experience a sense of Your Oneness, Jesus, and a consciousness of Your divine aid, Holy Spirit, equal to any problem or need that I have or face today, that my family has or faces today, or that the ministry You have called me to has or faces today.

I want to leave footprints of peace wherever I go today. I pray that You will send me where You will to encourage those who need encouragement, to witness to those who need to be saved, to solve conflicts, and to be a calming influence on the lives of others. I pray that as I wear shoes of peace today that I will not be hurried, and that I will not push and hurry others or make them tense.

Above all, I take the SHIELD OF FAITH (v. 16), whereby I can quench all the fiery darts of the wicked, for as I use it, it covers all parts of my body. I trust in You, Lord, to protect me, my family, and my ministry. Because I am hiding in You, I know that nothing can touch me, my family, my ministry, and others whom You prompt me to pray for that You do not allow (Ps. 32:7; 119:114). Thank You for being our hiding place and shield from the evils of this seen and unseen world. What a joy and comfort to live by faith in the Son of God Who loved us and gave Himself for us (Gal. 2:20).

I put on the HELMET OF SALVATION (v. 17) today to keep my heart and mind through Christ Jesus (Phil. 4:7). I receive the mind of Christ today (1 Cor. 2:16) and the peace of You, God, to garrison and mount guard over my thoughts. I resolve to bring into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ (2 Cor. 10:5). Your Word says that as a man thinks in his heart, so is he (Prov. 23:7). Therefore, I pray that the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart will be acceptable and pleasing in Your sight (Ps. 19:14) today, Father. I also realize that the most noticeable part of a soldier’s uniform is the helmet. I pray that my helmet will shine (Matt. 5:16) for You today, Jesus, and as my light shines through the obedient and good works that I fulfill for You, the Father will be glorified.

I take today the SWORD OF THE SPIRIT, which is the WORD OF GOD (v. 17), as my defensive and as my offensive weapon. It is my power and authority (Luke 4:32,36) for everything that I say and do. I exalt Your Word, Lord God, and I hold it in the highest esteem, giving it first place as the rule and guide for my life, my family, and my ministry. I make the Word final authority to settle all questions that confront me. I choose to agree with Your Word, God, and I choose to disagree with any thoughts, conditions, or circumstances contrary to Your Word. I make my schedule, the schedule of my family, and the schedule of my ministry around the Word. As I daily get into the Word, please, Lord, fill my mind with guiding Scriptures. I ask You to give me a specific word of confirmation from the Word for each specific situation and concern in my life for which I am not completely clear of regarding Your will.

As I pray now and always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit (v. 18), I want to pray according to Your perfect will (1 John 5:14). I know that it is Your will to protect me, my family, and my ministry this day without fail. I will watch not to neglect the prayer that is so essential for victory in spiritual conflicts, but with all perseverance and supplication I will pray in behalf of all saints.

I pray that forces beyond my control will not lead me/us into trials. I watch and pray so as not to enter into temptation through carelessness, disobedience, and prayerlessness. I ask that me, my family, and my ministry will be grasped today and everyday from the potent power of evil that seeks to influence us, overcome us, and master us, trying to lead us astray. As I put on the whole armor of God today, I put on the Lord Jesus to be my defense, and I clothe myself with Jesus (Rom. 13:14), making no provision for the flesh, to fulfill the lusts thereof, for Jesus is my TRUTH (John 14:6); Jesus is my RIGHTEOUSNESS (2 Cor. 5:21); Jesus is my READINESS AND PEACE (John 14:2; Rom. 1:15-16; John 14:27; Rom. 5:1); Jesus is my FAITH (Gal. 2:20; Rom. 3:22,25); Jesus is my SALVATION (Acts 4:12; 1 Thess. 5:9); Jesus is my SWORD and living WORD (Heb. 4:12; John 1:1,14). Thank You for being my/our DEFENSE throughout this day.

As I have put on the whole armor of You, God, I am thankful that I can stand against temptation and stand for the Truth of God (Eph. 6:11,14) that even when evil is around me, it cannot affect me, my family, or my ministry or have any kind of negative, harmful influence upon us because with the whole armor of You on us, God, we shall stand.

As I am strong in You, Lord, and standing for Your Truth, God, I pray that I will be protected and that I may open my mouth boldly, to make known the mystery of the gospel that therefore I will speak boldly, as I ought to speak (vs. 19-20). Lord, thank You for Your protection that we may have the strength and the boldness to carry Your Truth on.

Pray a Hedge of Protection – Ps. 91; Ps. 139:5; Hosea 2:6
(DELIVERANCE)

I pray and ask today, Lord, that You will be a hedge of protection around me and my family (and others whom God prompts me to pray for) so that we shall be protected from temptation and delivered from any kind of evil upon our lives. Lord, as Satan said about Job: “Have You not made (protected him) a hedge around him, around his household, and around all that he has on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land” (Job 1:10); I pray the same could be said of my family, except I pray that You will not allow the devil and his demons to lay one hand on my family and our possessions or have any kind of control upon us and our possessions.

Lord, as You hedged up the way of Gomer with thorns (Hos. 2:6), I pray that, in such a manner, You will hedge us and make a wall to protect us and keep us from temptation so that we will not find our path to those places, persons, and things that we do not need to be around. I pray, Lord, that You will hedge us behind and before (Ps. 139:5), above and beneath, and around on every side to protect us and keep us safe from temptation, evil, bondage, harm, hurt, injury, danger, or illness.

Lord, I lay hold to the promises of Psalm 91 and the three “becauses” of Psalm 91. Because our family have made You, the Lord, Who is our refuge, even the Most High, our habitation and our “dwelling place” (v. 9), I know that You will be our defense. How thankful I am that “He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty” (v. 1). I know that as we express our praises to You, Lord, that You sit down among us for You inhabit the praises of Your people (Ps. 22:3).

How wonderful to know that because I have made you my dwelling place that “though an army may encamp against me, my heart shall not fear; though war should rise against me, in this I will be confident. One thing I have desired of the LORD, that will I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD, and to inquire in His temple. For in the time of trouble He shall hide me in His pavilion [royal tent]; in the secret place of His tabernacle [the secret place of Your presence in the very center of Your army] He shall hide me; He shall set me high upon a rock. And now my head shall be lifted up above my enemies all around me; therefore I will offer sacrifices of joy in His tabernacle; I will sing, yes, I will sing praises to the LORD” (Ps. 27:3-6).

Lord, because me and my family seek You first above all else and all others, and we cling to You in absolute trust, I lay hold to Your promise that no evil shall befall us, nor shall any plague come near our dwelling; for You shall give Your angels charge over us, to keep us in all our ways (Ps. 91:10-11). As we focus our affections upon You, we can identify with David when he said, “I sought the Lord, and he heard me, and delivered me from all my fears” (Ps. 34:4). Thank You, for being our defense, and as our defense, You are our deliverance.

I pray a hedge of protection today, Father, around me and my family because You have set Your love upon us (Jer. 31:3; 1 John 4:19) and we have set our love upon You. I lay hold of Your promise that You will deliver us. You said through the Psalmist, “Because he has set his love upon Me, therefore I will deliver him” (Ps. 91:14). Father, how wonderful to know that You love those who love You, and to love You, Lord, is to be obedient to Your Word, to follow Your teachings, and to fear You in a positive way. The fear of You, Lord, is where we find wisdom because it causes us to be respectful, teachable, and knowledgeable (Prov. 1:7). Fear of You prolongs our days (Prov. 10:27) and adds satisfying life to our years, void of evil (Prov. 19:23). It is because “the angel of the LORD encamps all around those who fear Him, and delivers them (Ps. 34:7).

Lord, I want to serve You this day out of our love for You. As I do, I am thankful for the promise: “My eyes shall be on the faithful of the land, that they may dwell with me; he who walks in a perfect way, he shall serve me” (Ps. 101:6). Lord, I know that where Your eyes are, Your presence is there also, and where Your presence is, there is defense and deliverance from temptation, evil, and bondage for Your protection is without fail.

Lord God, I pray a hedge of protection today around me and my family because we know Your name. I lay hold of Your promise: “I will set him on high, because he has known My name” (Ps. 91:14). Your name is a strong tower (Prov. 18:10) to us where the righteous can run to it and are safe. I acknowledge our dependence upon You as our strength and shield (Prov. 28:7), our fortress, our high tower, our deliverer, our lovingkindness, our shield, and the One in whom we take refuge (Ps. 144:2). We commit our devotion to You. How encouraging to know that from the end of the earth we can cry unto You and that You will lead us to a rock that is higher than we can imagine. For You have been a shelter for us, a strong tower from the enemy. We will abide in Your tabernacle forever; we will trust in the shelter of Your wings. For You, O God, have heard our vows; You have given us the heritage of those who fear Your name (Ps. 62:2-5).

Therefore, we know that as we shall call upon You, You will answer us. You will be with us in trouble and will deliver us and honor us. With long life You will satisfy us and show us Your salvation (Ps. 91:15-16).

Today, Lord, I thank You for Your hedge of protection around me and my family (and others whom You prompt me to pray for) because we have made You our dwelling place and habitation, and we seek You first above all else; because we have set our love upon You, and we want to serve You; and because we know Your name, and as Your name signifies Who You are and what You want to be in our lives, we submit to You. You are ELOHIM, You are EL-SHADDAI, You are ADONAI, You are our RIGHTEOUSNESS, our SANCTIFIER, our PEACE, our LORD WHO IS THERE, our HEALER, our PROVIDER, our BANNER, our SHEPHERD. You are EL-ELYON, the Lord God Most High.

Therefore as you search us and know us, You have hedged us behind and before (Ps. 139:5), above and beneath, and around on every side as an unbreakable, impenetrable hedge and bubble of protection. We know that we dwell in the secret place of the Most High, and we abide under the shadow of the Almighty. We do say of You, Lord, that You are our refuge and fortress, our God, in You we trust for protection without fail. Assuredly, You will defend and deliver us as You cover us with Your feathers, and we take refuge under Your wings (Ps. 91:1-4), underneath the everlasting arms (Deut. 33:27), knowing that You shall thrust out the enemy from before us. Your truth shall be our shield and buckler. We shall not be afraid by night or day.

I thank You, Heavenly Father, that your hedge of protection is around me and my family and all that we have, on every side, like a nest around bird, like an unbreakable, impenetrable bubble and hedge of protection to keep us safe from harm, hurt, injury, danger, illness, temptation, evil, or bondage this day and every day. I know that Your hedge of protection is around our home, our property, our possessions, our going outs, our coming ins, where we are, where we are going, what we are in or upon, and what we are doing like an unbreakable, impenetrable bubble and hedge of protection to keep these places, possessions, and things safe from damage, destruction, theft, wreck, or mechanical breakdown. I pray, if need be, that angels will appear, unawares or by sight, to protect us, our possessions, and our going outs and our coming ins this day.

Present a Holy Life to the Lord – Rom. 12:1-2
(DIRECTION)

Lord, as I have put on the whole armor of You, God, and as I have prayed a hedge of protection around me, my family, and my ministry (and others whom You have prompted me to intercede for), our possessions, and our going outs and our coming ins, I realize, Lord, that we need to present a holy life to You, Lord. Lord, You have plainly shown us how You would bless us, if we hearken diligently to Your voice, to observe to do all Your commandments and statutes (Deut. 28:1-14), but there are curses that shall be upon us if we hearken not unto Your voice to observe to do all Your commandments (Deut. 28:15).

Lord, my desire is to present a holy life to You, Lord, and in doing so I can be confident that You will protect me, my family, and my ministry without fail. I believe Deuteronomy 28:24-25: “And the Lord commanded us to do all these statutes, to fear the Lord our God, for our good always, that He might preserve us alive, as it is at this day. And it shall be our righteousness, if we observe to do all these commandments before the Lord our God, as he has commanded us.”

I resolve to strive daily to live out Romans 12:1-2: “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” I choose to be not conformed to this world. I want to seek after the things of You, God, more than anything else, not laying up treasures on earth, but laying up treasures in heaven.

I make a choice to be not conformed to the fads, fashions, and frivolities of this world, knowing the “the form (fashion) of this world passes away” (1 Cor. 7:31). I want to make use of this world, but not to misuse and abuse it, in fulfilling Your purpose for my life. I realize the need to be transformed by the renewing of mind daily. I want to be charged spiritually, physically, emotionally, mentally, financially, and materially each day by the battery charger—Your Word. I will make the Bible a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path (Ps. 119:105), knowing that it will provide the direction to follow in those steps You have ordered (Ps. 37:23) for me in those paths that You have prepared in advance that I should walk in them (Eph. 2:10), being predestined according to the purpose of You, Father, Who works all things after the counsel of Your own will (Eph. 1:11).

I know, Lord, that as I choose to be not conformed to this world, to be charged daily from Your Word, then I will be empowered in such a way that I can help to change this world from worldliness to Godliness, making a difference for Christ with some (Jude 23), for I will be building up myself on my most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, keeping myself in the love of You, God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life (Jude 20-21).

Lord, I ask and need Your protection today because I want to be used to make a difference for Jesus in this world and to help change it for the best. I do not want it to be said of me: “You have not gone up into the gaps to build a wall for the house of Israel [USA] to stand in battle on the day of the LORD. . . . So I sought for a man among them who would make a wall, and stand in the gap before Me on behalf of the land, that I should not destroy it; but I found no one” (Ezek. 13:5; 22:30). Lord, I want to be a GAP person, and I know that such a person must prove Your good, acceptable, and perfect will consistently and conscientiously. As I pray a hedge of protection around my life, my family, and my ministry, I want to do so for our church, our city, our county, and our country so that these words of Yours will not be fulfilled: “Therefore I have poured out My indignation on them; I have consumed them with the fire of My wrath; and I have recompensed their deeds on their own heads,” says the Lord GOD” (Ezek. 22:31).

Father, I pray today that You will be a hedge of protection and a wall of fire round about me, my family, and my ministry, and that You will be the glory in the midst of us (Zech. 2:5) to defend, deliver, and direct us so that we may have Your protection without fail. I thank You for blessing and protecting the work of our hands and for increasing our possessions, as You increase in our lives while we decrease (John 3:30). Thank You for conferring happiness, protection, provision, and prosperity on us this day. I thank You that we stand today in the victory Jesus Christ has won for me, my family, and my ministry (1 Cor. 15:57).

Chapter Four  – “PAID IN FULL”

“And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.”

(Using the Lord’s Prayer, phrase by phrase, as a model for expanding your prayer life)

Father, I pray that You will forgive us of our debts, as we forgive our debtors. Thank You, that we are able to be forgiven of our sins, as we are forgiving toward those who sin against us. I am thankful that the debt of my sins has been paid in full by what Jesus made possible for us on the Cross of Calvary. For “You are God, ready to pardon, gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abundant in kindness” (Neh. 9:17). “Who is a God like You, pardoning iniquity and passing over the transgression of the remnant of His heritage? He does not retain His anger forever, because He delights in mercy. He will again have compassion on us, and will subdue our iniquities. You will cast all our sins into the depths of the sea” (Micah 7:18-19)

Lord God, I praise You for the pardon of our sins that “as far as the east is from the west, so far have You removed our transgressions from us” (Ps. 103:12).

I am grateful, Lord, that you are “merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in mercy. . . . You have not dealt with us according to our sins, nor punished us according to our iniquities” as we really deserve. “For as the heavens are high above the earth, so great is Your mercy toward those who fear You” (Ps. 103:8,10-11).

Confession Through Supplication

Lord, I want to get my heart and house in order today. How wonderful to know that “if we confess our sins, You are faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9). Lord, I know that You want me to “be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving,” to let my requests be made known to You (Phil. 4:6).

So, I ask You, God, to look into my heart. Lord, I confess and ask forgiveness of the sin(s) that I have committed since I last prayed to You. I am aware that if I regard iniquity in my heart that You will not hear me (Ps. 66:18). I do not want to regard iniquity in my heart and in my life, so I ask You to expose sin(s) in my life now that I am not aware of so that I may confess it/them to You, Lord. I want to say and feel the same way about my sins that You do, Lord. I want to keep my sin list short.

Cancellation Through Salvation

Lord, I am thankful for the cancellation of my sins obtained by the salvation provided by our Lord Jesus Christ (1 Thess. 5:9). Thank You, Lord, that as our sins and iniquities separated us from You so that You hid Your face from us (Isa. 59:2), Your hand is not shortened so that it cannot save, nor Your ear heavy that it cannot hear (Isa. 59:1), because You made Him to be sin for us Who knew no sin that we might become the righteousness of You, O God, in Him (2 Cor. 5:21).

As on (Date) , I publicly acknowledged that I had confessed with my mouth the Lord Jesus, believing in my heart, God, that You raised Him from the dead, I was saved (Rom. 10:9) because of that profession of faith in Christ, and my sins were cancelled through salvation, pardoned, and paid in full. With my heart I believed unto righteousness, and with my mouth I made a confession unto salvation (Rom. 10:10).

Lord, You have revealed to us through Your Word that when we repent, we shall receive the forgiveness of sins and the refreshing presence of Your presence through the Holy Spirit, Who leads us to live for Jesus. I am thankful for these words that you spoke through Peter: “Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, and that He may send Jesus Christ” (Acts 3:19). I also thank you for these other words the Holy Spirit inspired Peter to say when he preached on the Day of Pentecost: “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit” (Acts 2:38). Thank You, that as we repent (confession), we receive the remission (cancellation) of our sins and the refreshing, renewing, reviving presence of the Holy Spirit.

I acknowledge Your words, Father, “Come now, and let us reason together, says the LORD, though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall be as wool. If you are willing and obedient, you shall eat the good of the land” (Isa. 1:18-19). I am thankful for the cancellation of my sins through Jesus, whereby, I can eat the good of the land. I pray, Lord, that You will use me to keep others from refusing and rebelling, so that they will not be devoured by the doom of eternity in hell. 

Concession Through Submission

Father, You have said that we are forgiven of our sins, as we forgive those who sin against us. Lord, I resolve to forgive those who have sinned against me, and I resolve to follow the words of our Lord Jesus, Who said to “love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you” (Matt. 5:44).

I release critical, evil eyes, and condemning, unbridled, sparking tongues to You, Father. I do so conceding my rights to deal with them directly, only doing so when there is no alternative, but in submission to Your Word and Your will, I seek to forgive and forget the wrongs of others toward me.
Father, I seek to follow Your Word which says, “Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Lament and mourn and weep! Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up. Do not speak evil of one another, brethren. He who speaks evil of a brother and judges his brother, speaks evil of the law and judges the law. But if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge. There is one Lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy. Who are you to judge another?” (James 4:7-12).

So, Lord, I resolve to forgive anyone who wrongs me today. I realize, Lord, that You use those who sin against us to teach us how to forgive. I realize that there are those who are always critically watching (referred to as the “enemy” in the O.T.), so I make a willful decision to respond with love and forgiveness toward those who offend me. And as I forgive those who offend or wrong me, Lord, I release them into Your hands.

Father, I always strive to have a conscience without offense toward You and my fellow man (Acts 24:16). I seek always to tell the truth in Christ, not to lie, with my conscience bearing me witness in the Holy Spirit (Rom. 9:1). My goal in striving to be a man after God’s own heart (1 Sam. 13:14; Acts 13:22) is to have such a good and clear conscience that when I may be defamed by evildoers, what they criticize me for would actually be reviling my good conduct in Christ to their shame (1 Peter 3:16). May I suffer, if it is Your will, Lord God, for doing good than for doing evil (1 Peter 3:17).

Lord, I pray that if someone is critical of me, then, in essence, they are critical of You, Lord, because I am living, abiding, acting, and reacting in Your will and purpose for my life. Father, thank You for this passage of Scripture that we can personalize for our lives when we undergo undue criticism. We continue to stand on this promise from Your Word that is also for us today:

“Whoever assembles against me/us shall fall for Your sake (Isa. 54:15). No weapon that is formed against me/us shall prosper, and every tongue which rises against me/us in judgment You shall condemn, for this is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and our righteousness is from You (Isa. 54:17).”

Father, You have revealed in Your Word a special word to us when we are wrongly accused and slandered by an individual or group with whom we once walked with in sweet fellowship. In such situations, we can identify with what the Psalmist David was saying when he wrote: “For it is not an enemy who reproaches me; then I could bear it. Nor is it one who hates me who has exalted himself against me; then I could hide from him. But it was you, a man my equal, my companion and my acquaintance. We took sweet counsel together, and walked to the house of God in the throng” (Ps. 55:12-14).

Father, You have revealed that we should wait silently on You, for our expectation (hope, deliverance, vindication) is from You. Psalm 62, especially verses 1-2, 5-8, and 11-12 are Your Word(s) for us in such situations. Also, You have confirmed what You will do to those who falsely accused us: “The mouth of those who speak lies shall be stopped” (Ps. 63:11). In such situations, we are to give ourselves to prayer (Ps. 109:5). I submit to Your way of dealing with such individuals and situations.

Consecration Through Sanctification

Father, I thank You for the holy consecration I have received and remain within through the sanctification process that began when I got saved and that is continuous in my life. Through the atoning death and resurrection of Christ, I know that “by that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all” (Heb. 10:10). With the Holy Spirit as a witness, how wonderfully encouraging these words are:

“This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, says the LORD: I will put My laws into their hearts, and in their minds I will write them, then He adds, Their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more. Now where there is remission of these, there is no longer an offering for sin. Therefore, brethren, having boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way which He consecrated for us, through the veil, that is, His flesh, and having a High Priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful. And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching” (Heb. 10:16-25). Glory!

Father, as the Word says, “Therefore if anyone cleanses himself from the latter (see 2 Tim. 2:16-20), he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified and useful for the Master, prepared for every good work” (2 Tim. 2:21). Lord, I want to remove those things from my life that hinder me from being a vessel of honor for You, God, so that I will remain in a state of unbroken fellowship with You, Lord.

Father, I give myself to prayer. Now therefore, I pray, Lord, please pardon my sin (which I confessed to You), and return again with me, that I may worship You, Lord (1 Sam. 15:25). As I pray, I commit to obey what You desire for me to do and how You commanded us to live. I do behold Your Word that “to obey is better than sacrifice” (1 Sam. 15:22). I strive to not commit willful and presumptuous sins (Heb. 10:26; Ps. 19:13).

Lord, I want to live in obedience to Your Word “for rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry” (1 Sam. 15:23). Lord, I strive to live so that it cannot be said of me, and I pray that You will use me to keep these words from being said of others: “Because you have rejected the word of the LORD, He also has rejected you” (1 Sam. 15:23). Lord, please use my ministry to turn others from these words: “I have sinned, for I have transgressed the commandment of the LORD and your words, because I feared the people and obeyed their voice” (1 Sam. 15:24); because, Lord, Your Word for such individuals is “I will not return with You, for you have rejected the Word of the Lord, and the Lord has rejected you” (1 Sam. 15:26). May we rescue the perishing as You have rescued us through our repentance (Luke 13:3; John 3:16).

I am thankful, Lord, for this song that I am able and privileged to sing:

He paid a debt He did not owe;
I owed a debt I could not pay;
I needed someone to wash my sins away;
And now I sing a brand new song, amazing grace all day long;
Christ Jesus paid the debt that I could never pay.

Thank You, Father, that the debt of my sins has been paid in full. I thank You, Lord, for the full pardon I have received for the penalty of my sins because You are a God of grace and mercy (Heb. 9:22; 1 John 1:7; Eph. 1:7; Rom. 5:9; 1 Peter 2:24).

Chapter Three – “PROVIDING ALL OUR NEEDS”

(Using the Lord’s Prayer, phrase by phrase, as a model for expanding your prayer life)

“Give us this day our daily bread.”

Father, I pray that You will give us this day our daily bread. As You are Jehovah-Jireh, The Lord-Our-Provider, I acknowledge You as the ultimate authority whom we depend upon to provide the essential elements of life. We trust in You completely to provide all our needs.

Live For Him

Father, I seek to be in Your will this day. I want to seek first Your kingdom today, to be in Your will for my life today. As we live for You, I know that I need take no thought regarding what we shall eat, drink, or be clothed with, for You, heavenly Father, know that we have need of these things. So, I take no thought for tomorrow because I am confident that You will supply all our needs (Matt. 6:31-34).

Father, I ask You to give us this day our daily bread as we serve You. We commit to be in Your will and to do those things today that will please You. Father, You have confirmed that “it shall come to pass” (Deut. 28:3-13), if we hearken diligently unto the voice of You, Lord, our God, to observe and to do all Your commandments which You have commanded us that You will set us high above all nations
of the earth: and all these blessings (vs. 3-13) shall come on us, and overtake us, if we hearken unto the voice of You, Lord, our God (Deut. 28:1-2). We shall be blessed when we come in and when we go out, in the city or in the country. You will bless the work of our hands.

I believe, according to the promise and the truth of Your Word, that it is Your will to provide all our needs. We can be secure in knowing that You will provide for us and do all that You have promised to do for us. You have particularly confirmed this to us in Deuteronomy 28:1-14 and Deuteronomy 30:5,9-10, as we seek to obey Your Word above all else and serve You.

Lord, You have confirmed that in the area of finances we will be the head and not the tail, the lender and not the borrower, and that we shall be above only and not beneath (Deut. 28:12-13), if we will heed all Your commandments.

You have confirmed that You will bring us into the land which You desire for us to possess, and that You will do us good, and multiply us. And, You will make us plenteous in every work of our hands, in the fruit of our body . . . and in the fruit of our land for good, but only if we shall hearken to the voice of the Lord our God, to keep Your commandments and Your statutes, which are written in Your book of the Law, and if we turn to You and live for You with all our heart, and all our soul (Deut. 30:5,9-10).

Give To Him

Father, as I daily read from Your Word, as I pray, as I fellowship within Your Church, and as I follow Your lead and promptings in diligent, balanced work habits, I strive and I am obedient in giving as You prompt me to give. Lord Jesus, You said that it is more blessed to give than to receive (Acts 20:35), and, Lord, we want to give to You and Your work as You want us to.

Father, You have said in Your Word that “he who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully” (2 Cor. 9:6). Lord, our family tithes faithfully, even giving above and beyond a tithe of our gross income. We give in our hearts as You purpose us to give, and we do so not grudgingly or of necessity, but out of love for You. It is a joy to give back on the first day of the week the first 10% of our income to You, Lord (2 Cor. 9:7).

Lord, we honor Your Word which we believe points us to give our tithe to our local church. We give our tithe to our local church, offerings as You prompt us to give, and offerings to other Christian causes and groups as You prompt us to do so. As we are faithful to bring all our tithes into the storehouse, that Your work may be done, we do accept Your offer for us to try You now in this, “says the LORD of hosts, If I will not open for you the windows of heaven and pour out for you such blessing that there will not be room enough to receive it” (Mal. 3:10).

We stand on Your promise from our Lord Jesus: “Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you” (Luke 6:38).
Believe In Him

Father, I believe in You, that it is Your good pleasure to prosper us and not only meet but exceed all our financial needs, obligations, commitments, and responsibilities. I believe and know that You want to meet and exceed the budget of our church. Lord, I believe the words of our Lord Jesus Who said, “And whatever things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive” (Matt. 21:22). Father, I know that we may not receive because Your Word says, “You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures” (James 4:3). As I pray for financial resources, it is that we may more effectively serve You. Lord, I ask in faith “with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind” (James 1:6), that all our financial needs will be met so that we can stay out of debt, pay our tithe and taxes, and live within our means. And this is the confidence that we have in You, that if we ask anything according to Your will, You hear us, and if we know that You hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of You” (1 John 5:14-15).

Father, as I ask in faith, according to Your will, I do so accepting Your time frame. I pray that if it is Your will for us to wait some more concerning a financial request , please give us grace to do so and renew and revive our faith through the process so that it will become even stronger (Isa. 40:31).

Receive From Him

Father, as we seek to live for You, to give as You prompt us to give to Your work, and believe that what we ask of You in the way of financial provision is according to Your will, we are confident that we will receive from You all our need according to Your riches in glory (Phil. 4:19).

I ask today for Your supernatural (impossible to man, but possible to You, Lord) blessings on our family, our home, and our possessions in the area of finances. I pray that You will work providentially and divinely through the ordinary, supernaturally through the natural (through normal means and resources of providing income for us), and I pray that You will even work miraculously in and over our finances to provide the income to get us out of debt (if applicable), keep us out of debt, to live within our means, to enlarge our tent (size of home, furnishings, and increase in possessions and assets), as needed, to pay our taxes, to give our tithe, plus other offerings as prompted, and to be able to save an adequate amount of our net income for emergency situations and future needs that arise, seldom having to use this money in savings and never having to deplete it.

We will obey You as You have sometimes asked us to give the unusual and unexpected. We commit to the Lordship of Jesus Christ over our finances, our material possessions, our home, and our “coming in and going out” (Deut. 28:6). I ask You today for the allotted portions from you for us financially, physically, and materially which is necessary to fulfill Your perfect will and plan for our lives, thanking and acknowledging that You, my God, are able to make all grace abound toward us and our finances because You always have all sufficiency in all things, having and giving an abundance to us for every good work and that which we need to fulfill Your perfect will for our lives this day (2 Cor. 9:8).

I pray that the financial needs of our church will be met this day and this week in order to further Your kingdom and to glorify Christ. I pray that You, O Lord, our PROVIDER, will bring a harvest of new members into our church who will be faithful tithers. I pray that You will bless those in our church membership who are presently tithers with more income so that their tithes will increase. I pray that our members who are not presently tithers will be compelled to start tithing and that You will prove Malachi 3:10 to them.

I pray that our church will meet its budget every week and exceed the funds needed for the budget. We pray that we will be patient for those things we desire for our church until we have the money in hand to pay for them. Lord, I firmly believe that if we really have need of something at our church for which we do not presently have the money that You will send in the necessary finances if this is within Your will for our church.

Lord, I trust You to provide all the resources and means to fulfill our financial needs, obligations, commitments, and responsibilities.

I praise You, Father, because You are the Lord, our PROVIDER, Who knows and sees beforehand our financial needs (Matt. 6:8) and makes provision for them, even before we ask. I know that we shall receive today what we need financially to fulfill Your will for our lives.

Bobby, Vadine, and Ray Mullins                

BTTBM AUGUST 2014 UPDATE

In Memory of Ray Mullins

May 12, 1948 – August 9, 2014

(Ray announced the start of A Fresh Start TV Program each broadcast, which is aired by Back To The Basics Ministries, on WVLR TV48 in Knoxville, Tennessee www.dt48.org on Saturday at 8:30 p.m., Sunday at 11:30 a.m. and Tuesday at 7:00 p.m.)

REMEMBERING MY BROTHER RAY MULLINS

 To remember the life of my older brother and only sibling, Ray Mullins, for the most part I am going to use excerpts from Facebook Posts or articles or links announcing Ray’s death, such as via WMC Channel 5 News in Memphis, The Commercial Appeal, and Press Releases by The University of Memphis Athletic Department.  A major reason why I want to choose this method to remember Ray’s life is to help inspire us to live the kind of life Ray lived that made such a positive impact on so many people.

RAY’S DESCRIPTION OF THE ILLNESS THAT EVENTUALLY ENDED HIS LIFE

 “I have many people who have said they are praying for me, and I still need your prayers. The best way for me to let everyone know the bottom line currently is to use Facebook and get the truth out to as many people as possible.

 I currently am in Germantown Methodist Hospital with pneumonia in both lungs. I have been here since Wednesday and will probably be here for a while. I am being seen by my Primary Care Physician, a blood specialist from West Clinic, a pulmonoligist, an infectious disease doctor, and a urologist who are all focusing on various aspects of what currently ails me.

In January of this year I was diagnosed with Myelofibrosis and neutropenia, which is a chronic disease of bone marrow and my blood cell counts are terribly low. I am in the process of finding a donor match to have a bone marrow/stem cell transplant through Vanderbilt’s excellent trans plant program.

Here’s the bottom line. I can have no visitors except immediate family, no flowers, no food from outside the hospital, basically no contact with the outside world. I would also appreciate no phone calls. Your prayers are what I need now. Thanks!”

— at Methodist Le Bonheur Germantown Hospital – August 2, 2014.

As Ray was improving from double pneumonia, on Tuesday August 5^th he went that afternoon for surgery to remove a kidney stone.  He made it through the surgery okay, but on the way to the Recovery Room Ray’s heart quit beating.  After about 25 minutes, he was revived but never regained consciousness until his death on Saturday August 9.  His mom, wife, brother, brother-in-law, two sisters-in-law, his three daughters and their husbands, all his nieces and nephews, and several family friends were present at the hospital when Ray died.  We all entered his room singing “Victory In Jesus” and then sang “There’s A Sweet, Sweet Spirit.”

WHAT OTHERS HAD TO SAY ABOUT RAY’S IMPACT ON THEM

The Bible says in Psalm 90:9 that we spend our years as a tale that is told.  The story of our life is being written every day we live in some way, and that story will continue on after our earthly life ends through those who knew us.  Here is some of the story of Ray Mullins’ life and how it affected others as told by the ones whose lives were impacted by Ray:

I only knew Ray Mullins through the stories of my dear friend Amy. I do know her courage, strength, sarcasm, vulnerability, and laughter are just glimpses of this amazing man that touched so many lives. As I stood with hundreds, all strangers to me, waiting to give their condolences, I felt at peace, filled with warmth and joy. The halls were filled with love and laughter and stories of baseball and acts of kindness. 

I am so blessed to have been touched by the ripple that Ray Mullins created. I am a better person, better friend, better parent because of Amy and the lessons I’ve learned from her zany family. The world is a better place because of Ray Mullins and his impact will be compounded throughout the generations because of his amazing family.  (Amy, I love you! Thank you for sharing so much with me!)

I have been thinking of Ray Mullins . I went to Briarcrest Christian and I’m a Tiger from U of M. I went for an interview with Wachovia Bank and Ray was one of the interviewers, which he joked the only reason I was hired was because I was a Saint and a Tiger! He had a way about him I admired. There are times to be quiet and listen. He was always around in some capacity of my life and today I pray for his family for peace in their hearts and I thank God for good people and have been reminded to let people you love know it. Thank you Ray!   (Jessica Ann Coleman)

I’ve been sad and speechless for the last day trying to come to grips with this. Ray was someone who I can say that it was truly a blessing to have known. We worked closely 100’s volleyball and baseball games together from 2004-2011. Ray was almost like my personal p.a. announcer. He was first my p.a. for volleyball and as soon as the baseball opportunity opened he was the first one I asked and he told me “I’m here for whenever you need me.” That was Ray! Dependable and always there when needed. We had a blast working together in the pressbox! You never realize how special those times are until times like this. Thanks for everything Ray Mullins! R.I.P.    (Jason Redd – University of Memphis Athletic Dept.)

The toughest release I’ve ever done. The picture in the story sums up the personality that made Ray Mullins such an absolutely perfect individual to be around. I’ll miss his presence on the sidelines at soccer and in the “loveshack” at FedExPark, but I’ll cherish the memories made forever. “Tiger Radar” will live on!

http://www.gotigersgo.com/genrel/081014aaa.html        (Mark Taylor – University of Memphis Athletic Dept.)  CLICK ON THE LINK FOR NICE PICTURE AND ARTICLE ABOUT RAY

Saddened by the passing of friend and gameday announcer for The Mighty Sound of the South, Ray Mullins. What a wonderful and positive spirit, even in the roughest of times for the Tigers! Gameday was always gameday with him, with a kind word and bright smile. We miss you already!     (Quintus Wrigten)

I do not even know where to begin except to say that my heart is very heavy. I worked very close to Ray for 13 years and can honestly say that I have heard him say and live out the 10 things that Katrina mentioned in her post. I will never forget Ray saying once in a meeting at work to an office full of ladies that tears will not work with him that he had raised three girls and was immune to them. So not true…. I can assure you that he wiped many tears and was a shoulder when needed. He also was never to big to show his own emotions when it came to his feelings and love for his family. I have so many memories of Ray sharing his high times along with the low ones. The happy times so outweighed the not so happy times. His love was bigger than his smile for all of you. He was a great mentor to so many and had an ease and way of moving over to allow some one else to move up. My heart breaks for you all and you will remain in my prayers. I will be praying for strength and peace. Love to all….       (Donna Edwards)

RIP to ray mullins who was a great memphis man and an awesome announcer for my tigers. (DeAngelo Williams – Former University of Memphis Football Player and Running Back for the Carolina Panthers)

Thank you to everyone who has been lifting our family up in your prayers over the last week. They have certainly been felt. My dad said it best at the funeral on Tuesday when he said that while we all know the song “What a Friend We Have In Jesus” we could rewrite it to “What a Jesus We Have In Our Friends”. Thank you for being the body of Christ to our family.

Please continue to lift my Aunt Carolyn, my cousins, their husbands & their sons, my Mimi, my parents, and the entire Mullins/Mayhew/Ridgeway Baptist family up in your prayers in the days, weeks and months ahead.

As we all adjust to a new reality (in our family, in our country and in the world at large) I am thankful for this promise … “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.” Hebrews 13:8.          (Melody Mullins)

Heartbroken to say the least. I would never be where I am at in my career without you Ray Mullins. Defining leadership with your charisma, you have touched so many lives in your path. You are so wise and I will never forget the advice you have given me throughout the years. I will never be the same because of you and I will never forget your voice, your smile, nor your bow tie. Thank you for believing in me. I would never be where I am if it wasn’t for you. I am a better person because of you. I believe that 100%. The world is a better place because of your attitude, leadership, and personality and today I am thankful for that. I will always remember your quotes and will forever hold myself to your high standards. Your family is always in my prayers.   (Angela Wiseman Malone)

You will be Missed!

Sometimes we wish we could turn back time

To give one last good-bye

To have one more conversation

One more eye to eye

You were loved by so many

Your smiles… You had plenty

Negativity at work…hmmm

I don’t think there was any

I can’t begin to give emphasis

Of what you meant to us

And a great voice lost

To the city of Memphis

When it came to men

You’re one of the GREATS

Great Father

Great husband

Now Heaven Awaits

You will be missed by some team mates from over the years

Some who I know cared for you so dearly

And have shed many tears….

————————————————-

You are in our Hearts Ray Mullins!!!!

Praying for your Family in this time of Loss

This world could use more people like you

…   (Alex Williams)

To read many more comments about what others had to say about Ray, go to his Facebook Page – Ray Mullins – Nashville, Tennessee

WHAT RAY’S SONS-IN-LAW HAD TO SAY

There could not be a greater tribute paid to a man than what his son-in-law would say about him. The first one is from Donnie Blair, the husband of Ray’s oldest daughter, Kim Mullins Blair.  The second is from Todd Mashour, the husband of Ray’s youngest daughter, Emily Mullins Mashour.

I know that a father could never be replaced. However, when my dad passed away, (way too soon) Ray Mullins, (my father-in-law) did his best to fill the void that comes when things like that happen. Ray was not only my father-in-law, he was my mentor, spiritual leader, and friend. He always knew what to say and what not to say, depending on the situation. He treated me as his own on every occasion, and gave me some of the most sound advice a dad could give. Ray was a family man that put God first in all that he did. He loved his wife and family more than anything, and he raised his girls in the best way he knew how, (in the Word). Because of this, he turned out three outstanding women, that carry as much respect in the community as he did. He also gave me the best gift a guy could have, my wife Kim. He gave Kim special gifts in life. He gave her a weird, but great sense of humor, the ability to call a wrestling match like a pro, and the ability to speak in front of anybody with a special kind of flair (like father, like daughter). I could write about Ray all day, but if you knew him, you know everything that I would write anyway. In the end, the most important thing to know is that he loved Jesus, his family and his country. You couldn’t ask for a better man as a husband, father, grandfather, son, or father-in-law. I am very lucky to have known Ray the way I did. I wish more people got to meet him. I will miss you until I see you again Ray.      (Donnie Blair)

Today the world lost a great man. While we are saddened that he has been taken from us, we are happy to know for certain that he is now in the presence of the Perfect God that he worshiped every single day for many years. Over these past 4 years, he has set such a great example of what it means to be a loving husband, a caring father, and most importantly, what it means to be a true Man of God. Scripture tells us how followers of Christ are supposed to live, and my father-in-law Ray truly embodied those characteristics. He will be missed dearly on Earth, but we will see him again someday in Paradise.     (Todd Mashour)

RAY MULLINS TRIBUTE by Katrina Samoranski (One of Ray’s fellow District Managers for Wells Fargo Bank)

I’m missing Ray Mullins. I will remember what he’s taught me…

1. Right is right and no matter what some may argue, right is still right.

2. Put the people you love first in your life, without fear of the consequences.

3. You don’t always have to share your opinion. Just smile and nod. You really know the right answer in your heart, and no amount of explaining will ever change a mind made up.

4. Work doesn’t have to be the love of your life, but people should be. Make time for the things you are passionate about, without regret.

5. Everyone should have a favorite word. I will leave it at that.

6. Happy wife, happy life

7. In marriage, you can be right or you can be happy. Choose to be happy

8. Be proud and eat a big piece of pie sometimes, but be disciplined enough to lose weight with weight watchers online.

9. Don’t be afraid to pray or let people know you pray at work and stand boldly on the freedom we have as Americans.

10. Take every chance you get to do something with your spouse…A quick trip. A nice dinner. It is that important.

THE WORLD COULD USE MORE PEOPLE LIKE YOU

“The world could use more people like you.”  That is about as high a compliment as someone could make about someone, and that was what someone said about Ray Mullins.  I hope that you have read what others had to say about Ray, not so much because I wanted you to read good things about my brother, but because of what stands out to others as memorable and noteworthy qualities that impacted them.

I have said many times at funeral services I have participated in that the death of someone I know always causes me to re-examine my own life to consider what is the tale that others would tell about my life had I been the one who died.  If you need to change or improve, do so.  Always be the best person you can be.  Below are some things to focus on in order to have a positive impact upon others.

Live fully; Laugh frequently; Love unconditionally and genuinely; Lay aside what limits you spiritually;

Look for the good around you and never lose the wonder of it all; Listen as much, even more, than you talk; 

Lift up one another in prayer; Let your loved ones know how much they mean to you;

Lead others to a saving knowledge of Jesus; Leave a lasting impression worth passing on.

Blessings,

Dr. Bobby Mullins, Executive Director, Back To The Basics Ministries

“A man’s life consists not in what he possesses, but in what possesses him” – Luke 12:15

If you would like to make a tax-deductible donation to Back To The Basics Ministries in memory of Ray Mullins, please go to: www.drbobbymullins.com , click on the Donate link and follow the instructions or send your check to Back To The Basics Ministries, P.O. Box 32486, Knoxville, TN 37930.