Recorded November 10, 2024, with Rhonda Harrison.

It's time for the Champions in Christ broadcast

with Rhonda Harrison on 1017 Bay FM. Good morning

and welcome to Champions in Christ. We're so

glad you joined us This is the day the Lord has

made we will rejoice and be glad in it Every

day is a good day in Christ. No matter what the

circumstance because without him we are nothing

But through him we can do all things through

Christ who strengthens us, you know this morning

I want to talk about a little bit about what

to do now As a born -again Christian maybe you

are brand new at being a Christian and you wonder

how do I talk to God? Well talking to God is

called prayer and there's many types of prayer

and this sharing about prayer could take weeks

and weeks really if we dive into it and get deep

in it, but Christ keeps everything simple and

that's what we love about him. And why do we

want to pray? We pray to communicate with God.

We talk to him and he will speak to you. He will

speak to your heart. When you get born again,

the Holy Spirit comes and lives inside and he

speaks to you from the inside out. It's not a

head voice. It's a heart voice and You can hear

the voice of God, but mostly if you read his

word and you get acquainted with it, especially

the New Testament, because that's where we live.

We are under a New Testament. testament and a

new covenant we have with God since Christ was

raised from the dead. But in Psalms 118 it says

it's better to trust in the Lord than to put

your confidence in man. It's better to put your

trust in the Lord than to put your confidence

in princes. You know we just had an election

and whether your candidate won or not we don't

put our confidence in man. we put our confidence

in God. But then God tells us in praying in 1st

Timothy 2 verses 1 through 6, let's look at that

for a minute because that's going to help us

as far as what to do about these leaders who

come into office in every office, local, state,

government, I mean federal. This is Paul writing

to Timothy. He says, I exhort you therefore first

of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions,

and giving of thanks be made for all men. So

those are all types of prayers. Supplication,

prayers, intercession, and giving of thanks.

He's saying we should first of all do that for

kings and for all that are in authority that

we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all

godliness and honesty. So our prayers make a

difference. When we pray and you go, well what

do I pray for my leaders? You pray they hear

from God. You pray they bow their knee that they

humble themselves before him. You pray that they

have the wisdom of God to lead whatever portion

of government or military assignment, whatever

their area of expertise and that includes whether

you are in any place that's why it says for all

men because you are leading someone you are influencing

someone whether you're a teacher whether you

work in a hospital whether it doesn't matter

what the position is you could be a landscaper

which is a great job where would we be without

our landscapers and you could be out there but

you influence someone someone is going to hear

you and watch you and be influenced by you we

all have influence in the earth because God created

us to work together as a body so he says here

he wants us first of all to pray to pray for

all men how many of you out there that have been

Christians for many many years are doing this

on a regular basis we all need to make sure we

do this It says, for this is good and acceptable,

this is verse three, in the sight of God our

savior, who will have all men to be saved and

to come to the knowledge of the truth. That's

right, he wants all knowledge, all men to have

that knowledge of God, to come to the saving

grace of Jesus Christ. You know, we can't do

anything. to go to heaven except follow God's

word and his plan for salvation and what is that

to receive his free gift and free to us but it

cost him his life it cost him everything and

he he gladly laid down that life it was tough

it was really tough what he went through I'm

unbearable for most human beings but God gave

him the strength and he laid down his life No

one took it, he laid it down, the Bible says.

For us, he became that sacrificial lamb. And

so again here, it's just emphasizing, you know,

that his plan is, as verse four says, who would

have all men to be saved. He wants everybody

born again, and why wouldn't we want to be? He's

the greatest God. ever. He's the only living

and true God. He's King of all kings. He's Lord

of all lords. He's Alpha, the Omega, the beginning

and the end. He knows everything. He sees everything.

He is there with you right now. If you're going

through the hardest time in your life or you're

going through the most glorious time in your

life, He's with you. He's with us in our tears.

He's with us in our joy. He is our strength.

And it continues on to says, verse five, for

there is one God, one mediator between God and

man, and that man is Christ Jesus who gave himself

a ransom for all to be testified in due time.

And this is due time. We testify of his goodness.

and His grace, because He is amazing. And what

He's done for us, nobody can do. He'll go in

where no knife can go, and He will heal you.

If you have a broken heart today, or you have

emotional stress in a situation, or domestic

situation at home, God is right there with you.

Cry out to Him, reach out to Him. He will give

you strength, He'll give you peace, He'll give

you guidance. And if you read the word of God,

a lot of times you'll find your answer right

there because the word of God is the will of

God. The word of God is the will of God. We are

so thankful for the word of God. You know, Jesus

also said in Philippians 4 6, do not be anxious

about anything, but in everything by prayer and

supplication with Thanksgiving, let your requests

be made known unto God. He's always available.

He wants you talking to him all day and all night.

You know, first Thessalonians 5 17 says, pray

without ceasing. What? How do we do that? Well,

you pray in your car. You pray before you go

to bed. You pray when you wake up. You talk to

him all day long. He loves to hear from you.

And he says in his word that we're to pray to

the Father in Jesus' name because it's through

the blood of Jesus that we have that access again,

that great access of God. So we are to pray to

the Father in Jesus' name. But you can talk to

God. He wants to hear your heart. He wants to

commune with you, to have that intimacy. The

same way you pour out your heart to your best

friend, guess what? Jesus is a friend that sticks

closer than a brother. And He's there for you.

And He can be your best friend. He'll never leave

you, never forsake you. He'll never fail you.

God will never fail you. You know the Bible says

in James 5 16 that we are to confess our sins

one to another and pray for one another that

we may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man

or woman has great power as it is working. And

you know, it's important to share our hearts

with other people. Maybe you're struggling through

a sin you're trying to overcome. Well, first

of all, if you give your life to Christ, Christ

will give you the Holy Spirit and you will have

the strength to overcome, to walk away. When

you have the power of God in your life, you have

the power to walk away and you will do it if

your heart is set on that. Remember, God gives

us a free will, so he wants us doing His will

in the earth, and that always reaps us the benefits

and the rewards of being born again. You know,

the Bible says that we are to rejoice in hope,

be patient in tribulation, and be constant in

prayer. You know, so let's lift up these leaders,

these government leaders, local, state. federal

because we want to be blessed we want to live

that quiet and peaceable life and that our children

grow up in a in a blessed nation that's what

our have our founding fathers intended that we

would live in a land land of the free home of

the brave and we are some of the bravest men

and women on the planet our military is outstanding

and guess what when you're born again you're

in the family of God but you're also in the army

of God which means we aren't to lay down and

just go okay it's we're good our nation is good

no no our nation needs lots of healing lots of

help lots of clarity lots of direction from God

from God so we have to pray we want to pray we

want to Colossians 4 2 says continuing steadfast

in prayer be watchful with thanksgiving god wants

us watchful you know to be sober and to watch

over to watch over things because the enemy is

like a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour

but the bible says we've been given all authority

over all over all the power of the enemy hallelujah

The Bible also says, is any among us sick? Let

us pray for him. You know, you can call for the

elders of the church. They can anoint you with

oil and you can be healed. That's another prayer.

You know, but Jeremiah says in 29 12 that when

we call upon him and come and pray to him, he

will hear us. He also says that in first John

that he will hear us. Hallelujah. Hallelujah,

God hears our prayers. And how should we pray?

You know, 2 Chronicles 7 14 tells us, if my people

that are called by my name will humble themselves,

pray and seek my face, turn from their wicked

ways, I will hear from heaven, forgive their

sin and heal their land. Do you think America

needs healing? Yes, indeed. Yes, indeed. And

many of Americans and others need healing. All

nations need healing, but it won't happen without

prayer. It won't happen without the body of Christ

taking their place. So ask God, what is it on

earth I'm created to do? You were created for

a purpose. Jeremiah says he knew you before you

were in your mother's womb, and you were created

for a purpose. So seek his face. and you will

find your purpose get in his word you will find

your purpose you know the bible says um in john

15 7 if we abide in him and this is jesus talking

and my words abide in you ask whatever you will

and it will be done wow that's a powerful prayer

thank you lord for that awesome word if we abide

in him how do you abide in him You read his word,

you talk to him, and you praise and worship him

with thanksgiving. It is so important to praise

and thank him for all the things he's done, for

the little and the big. You know, he loves it

when we're thankful. Don't you love it when your

kids thank you for something? You know, don't

you love it when they say thank you? It means

a lot. Well, it means a lot to God, too. It means

a whole lot. and when we don't complain and don't

murmur. And the more you pray, the less you'll

complain and murmur because the more you understand

the power of God in the earth today. And so we

want to continue to ask and believe if you have

faith, faith to be active in our life. Faith

is a currency of heaven. Faith is a currency

of heaven, but faith works by love. It works

by love. You know, God is so faithful to pour

out His love for us. You know, in 1 John 5, 15,

He says, if we know He hears us in whatever we

ask, we know that we have the request that we

have asked of Him. He's a loving Heavenly Father.

He has many things He wants to bless your life

with. He wants to bless your life with. You know,

Jeremiah's 17 five says thus saith the Lord cursed

as a man who trust in mankind and makes the flesh

his strength whose heart turns away from the

Lord God it's okay to to let men take authority

to be thankful for men and women who use wisdom

and do things but to put your trust in man is

not good according to the word of God. It says,

cursed is the man who trusts in mankind and whose

heart turns away from God. We want to trust God

and keep our heart right with him, love on him.

You know, another place we have to pray, Matthew

544, the Lord says, love your enemies and pray

for those that persecute you. Hello. Who wants

to do that? It's not what we want to do in our

flesh, but really in your heart of hearts. You

know, people are enemies usually because of misunderstanding

or they've been, you know. under an influence

that takes them down a different route. But we

can pray for our enemies. We can love them and

we can pray for those that persecute us. Are

we going to be persecuted? Absolutely. The Word

of God says if we walk in the ways of God, we

will be persecuted. But he said be of good cheer.

They did the same thing to me and the prophets

before you. So we should actually, it tells us

to rejoice when we're persecuted. and they speak

all manner of evil against us falsely for his

namesake that's a mouthful but we should rejoice

in that and how many people do know usually it

causes people to back down from being truthful

and speaking God's word but he's the way the

truth in the life And it's up to us to get that

good news out. It's good news. And if we get

persecuted in the process, well, we're in good

company because Jesus and the Apostles, the prophets,

everyone before us got persecuted, persecuted

as well. And the Bible says in First Chronicles

16 11, seek the Lord in his strength and seek

his presence continually, continually. We have

to continue to seek him. we have to continue

to and you will not miss out his presence is

the best thing it's the best thing it's the greatest

high you ever have if you've ever done drugs

or you drink alcohol or any of those things to

find that place of ecstasy or a place of peace

there's nothing the bible says god's peace passes

all understanding you know that's why in the

in the book of acts and they were in the upper

room and People thought they were drunk when

they got filled with the Holy Ghost because they

were joyful, they were peaceful as if they were

drunk, but it was supernatural. And you can have

that too. Yes, you can. God has never changed.

He does not change. And the Holy Spirit, the

Bible says in the book of Acts, is being poured

out upon all flesh. That's you and me, if you

desire it, if you want it. But cry out to him.

You know in Psalms 18 -6 it says, In my distress

I called upon the Lord. To my God I cried for

help and from his temple he heard my voice and

my cry to him reached his ears. Wow! Hallelujah!

Thank God he hears us. Thank God he hears us.

Thank God he answers us. It says in Proverbs

15 -29, the Lord is far from the wicked but he

hears the prayers of the righteous. he hears

your prayers righteous does that mean you do

everything right no it means you're righteous

in god through jesus christ our righteousness

is in christ hallelujah because of what he did

we still try to obey and do what's right and

when we don't we repent but we move on it gets

cleaned off our slate the bible says that he

throws our sin as far as the east is from the

west hallelujah hallelujah Hallelujah. You know

Luke 11 nine says ask and it'll be given to you

seek and you will find knock and it'll be open

to you. Are you asking? Are you seeking today?

Are you knocking on his door? He will. He will

change our nation. one person at a time. He will

change our state one person at a time. He will

change our community one person at a time. But

imagine if the entire body of Christ said, okay,

that's it. I'm standing up. I'm going to do everything

I can do. God loves America. We want God to bless

America. He is faithful. He's faithful. The Bible

says he's faithful and true. He's faithful and

true. He loves you today. Let's pray for America.

Let's pray for each other. Let's stand up and

lock arms with the Word of God as the army of

God, as the family of God and accomplish what

He wants us to accomplish so He can be done.

You know, when that last person receives Jesus,

guess what? We're out of here and glory to God.

We're going to be in a better place and eternity

is forever. forever. So we want our nation to

be strong until that time. We have to trust God

while we're here on earth, while we have opportunity,

make our lives count for eternity. And we can

do that by yielding to the Holy Ghost. We'll

listen to a couple of songs and I'll come back

at you on the other side. If tomorrow all the

things were gone I'd work for all my life And

I had to start again With just my children and

my wife I'd thank my lucky stars To be living

here today Cause the flag still stands for freedom

And they can't take that away Because there ain't

no doubt I love this land. God bless the US land.

From the lakes of Minnesota to the hills of Tennessee,

across planes of Texas from sea to shining sea

from Detroit down to Houston and New York to

LA well there's pride in every American heart

and it's time we stand and say Guys, listen here!

America the beautiful God bless our nation hallelujah

well right now I want to give you opportunity

maybe you don't know this God we're talking about

maybe you've heard about him but you don't know

him personally just pray this prayer dear Jesus

I receive you as Lord and Savior come into my

life forgive me of my sin cleanse me and wash

me I thank you that you went on a cross you died

for me and you rose again and I declare you my

Savior and Lord in Jesus name Amen. Hallelujah

if you prayed that prayer just begin your conversation

with God talk to him read your Bible go to a

church that preaches the whole counsel of God.

We want you to go out and make it a great day

today if you need a new Bible contact us at champions

in Christ 3 at gmail .com We love you, God loves

you, and you are the champion in Christ.