Did I Do That?

Spiritual Gifts

But to each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it. It was He who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. From Him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.

We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. If a man’s gift is prophesying, let him us it in proportion to his faith. ^If it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach; if it is encouraging, let him encourage; if it is contributing to the needs of others, let him give generously; if it is leadership, let him govern diligently; if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully. 

All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and He gives them to each one, just as He determines.

(Ephesians 4:7, 11-13, 16; Romans 12:6-8; 1 Corinthians 12:11)

You already had a nice little handful of talents before you came to God. But look at you now.

God made you with an inborn set of natural abilities, things that have just always come easily to you. Maybe you have a nice singing voice or a flair for calligraphy. Maybe you’re good with numbers or can fix anything on wheels. You’ve trained these abilities, honed them. But the raw materials and understanding were built into your natural makeup. They are gifts from God in every sense of the word. Now that you’ve become a born-again Christian, though, God has given you an extra set of gifts, spiritual gifts, to equip you to play the vital role He’s given you in His church. Where natural gifts may dictate the kind of work you’ve chosen, the hobbies you enjoy, or the subjects you like most in school, spiritual gifts are designed to activate your field of ministry. They supercharge you with un-natural abilities to give, to comfort, to challenge, or to speak with boldness. They won’t take the place of the things you do well, but they will open up new vistas of opportunity and responsibility for you to be all that God created you to be.

“Every member of the Body has the potential to be and should be led and fed toward functioning as a fully equipped agent of Jesus Christ.” – Jack Hayford

Tomorrow’s Reading: God has given you an indescribable gift and the incredible experience of living in His power. But Christianity isn’t all about receiving . Are you ready to give it all?

A New Button

After 3 years of being in the making we are looking to share Jesus with more gamers than just online. Our goals were to get to this point one day and now we are here. But it also means it will cost us. The new button on our website is the “Donate” button. May Jesus bless you abundantly in your giving!

“But this I say: He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver.”  – 2 Corinthians 9:6-7

We are all about Jesus and if you can’t back something up with scripture, it’s opinion. Gamers, you think about donating money, here is another thing to think about. Have you ever donated your life to Jesus? I mean let Jesus use you the way He wants to use you.

We are not suppose to test God, but in Malachi 3:10, God says to test Him in your giving (tithes & offerings)

“Will a man rob God? Yet you have robbed Me! But you say, ‘In what way have we robbed You?’ In tithes and offerings.  You are cursed with a curse, for you have robbed Me, even this whole nation. Bring all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be food in My house, and try Me 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.”  – Malachi 3:8-10

 

Where will your money be used?

• Need to make gospel of John Bibles with a gaming theme. (https://www.ptl.org)
• Looking to have a booth at gaming conventions to share Jesus with the gamers.
• To pay for the travel for team to commute to each convention.
• Help up keep the website.
• Giveaways, we look to give back to community & give to non-believers as we share Jesus with them.
• Host our own gaming events around the U.S. (and the world (in the future.))
• After we complete most of this, we also are interested in making many $500 scholarships for school.
• We are here to impact the world for Jesus Christ.

10 Ways to Worship

God designed us to worship Him with our whole lives. Are there actually spiritual habits that we can build into our lives that help us to worship God more deeply? Yes! Here are 10 habits than can help build worship into your life on a daily basis.

1. Worship through prayer. We often miss this important component of our prayer life. Think about the issues you usually pray about. How much of our prayer life is about us and how much of it is about God? Without a doubt God wants us to be able to share everything that is going on in our life. He wants us to get to know Him better.

When we affirm who God is through our prayers, we put our prayer life in proper perspective. That’s exactly how Jesus taught us to pray. Look at the Lord’s Prayer in the Gospel of Mathew (6: 9-13), Jesus starts the prayer off by saying “Our Father who is in Heaven, May Your name be honored.” (NLT) Jesus teaches us an important lesson with this prayer. Prayer starts with God.  Consider including in your prayers a time of focused attention on who God is.

2. Get in a regular habit of reading the Bible. The Bible says that we worship God in “spirit and in truth.” How can we ever worship God without a clear understanding of who He is? The truth about God is essential to worship. Pay special attention to the books of Psalms. No book in the Bible spends as much time carefully describing who God is.

3. Obey God. We worship God when we obey Him. We all need to build the habit of obedience into our lives. Take practical steps to see that this is a part of your life. Whenever you sense God is speaking to you, make it a regular practice to do it immediately. Don’t let procrastination weigh you down. If you can’t do it immediately, write down whatever God has been putting on your heart, so that you can do it soon!

4. Tithe. If you want to know what in your life you worship, look at your checkbook register. The Bible teaches us this important lesson: “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” (Mathew 6:21 NIV) God wants us to surrender our entire being to Him. One way to show that is by making Him Lord of our pocketbook. If you are already a committed tither, consider raising the percentage you are willing to give.

5. Build deep relationships with other Christians.   The Bible teaches that God designed us to live in community with other Christians. We bring God pleasure by getting to know others and being known by them. Here with 116 Boyz, the primary way we do this is through fellowship while we game. Or joining a small group/bible study.

6. Share your faith. John Piper made many of us re-look at why we share our faith when he wrote a few years ago: “Missions exists because worship doesn’t.” God wants every person on the planet to worship him, not because He is an egomaniac who needs our praise, but because worship is how we are designed by God. He wants the best for us.

Take time this week to share your spiritual journey with someone else. Tell them how you came to faith in Christ. Don’t worry about their response. Relax in the knowledge that you are playing a part in expanding God’s world-wide worship.

7. Serve others. Jesus tells us that “when you did it to the least of these my brothers and sisters, you did to Me!” (Matt. 25:40 NLT) When we serve one another, Jesus tells us we are really serving Him. If you don’t think you have any gifts that are useful to serve, you are wrong. God made you with talents and gifts that He specifically gave you to serve others.

8. Build into your life the attitude of thankfulness. This requires looking at the world through a different set of eyes. When we look through the lens of thankfulness, we see our lives – and everything in it – as all gifts from God. Develop your own spiritual exercise each morning that demonstrates that you are putting on your lens of thankfulness. Then begin to thank God for all of the good things in your life.

9. Begin turning over to God areas of your life that you have never committed to Him. This is the heart of worship – surrender. God won’t settle for 90 percent of your life; He wants all of it. You might have been a follower of Jesus for years, but you still have areas of your life that you are holding back from Him. What are those areas? Only you know that. Three good places to look are your checkbook, your planner and your tongue. Look at the areas of your life where you spend the most money and the most time and what you speak. Do they honor God?

If you are human, you have sin in your life that you need to surrender. Think back over the past month and write down all of the times you remember disobeying clear teaching from God. Then look for patterns. If you find patterns of sin in your life, these are areas of your life you need to surrender to God. Right at the moment start praying for God to help you overcome that sin. Ask your small group or 116 Boyz to pray for you. If you think this chronic sin might be something you can’t stop doing, please contact us (116 Boyz) so we can guide you in the right direction.

10.  Live a life of purpose. God has a reason for your existence. In fact, He has five: fellowship, discipleship, ministry, evangelism and worship. You please God when you live in step with His purposes. God doesn’t want you to waste your life. To continue to grow in God’s five purposes, please join our gaming ministry.

You were designed for God’s pleasure. The purpose of worship is the foundation of the other four purposes. Fellowship without the spirit of worship is just “hanging out.” Discipleship without worship is nothing but a fruitless mental exercise. Ministry without worship is called “spinning your wheels.” Evangelism without worship is a misplaced sales pitch.

Worship isn’t simply one area of your life; it is your whole life. Start right this moment by surrendering your life to Jesus. Then spend the rest of your life learning to worship Him more fully.

Spiritual Gifts Assessment

http://116boyz.com/do-you-know-jesus/spiritual-gifts-assessment/

 

You may want to print this page, to make it easier to work with.

Directions: 1. Answer the 96 questions rating each one from 0-4 on your answer sheet.

• 0 isn’t “bad” and 4 isn’t “good.”
• Don’t think of the rating system like school grades A-B-C-D-F
• Think of the rating system as “symbols” that indicate how much each statement is true in your life.
• When you find a question with two or parts, and you rate any one as not true in your life, then mark the whole question with a low number. In other words, if you think part is true, but another part is not, rate the whole question with a low number.
• This gifts discovery is easy to “psyche out” – so don’t. Make it work for you by answering honestly.

2. Add up the 24 rows of 4 numbers and enter the totals in the “total” column.

• Sample: 1. 3     25. 2     49. 2     73. 1     Total = 8

3. Find you 3-5 highest scores and circle the letters (A through X) by the high scores.

4. Go to the GIFTS KEY and find the 24 gifts listed from A to X

5. Mark your answer next to the question.

• Sample: 83. People say I am gifted with my hands.  _3_

6. Contact us to let us know your gifts and we will help you so your able to use what God has blessed you with.

 

 

QUESTIONS:

1. I enjoy working behind scenes, taking care of little details. __

2. I usually step forward and assume leadership in a group where none exists. __

3. When in a group, I tend to notice and approach those who are alone to help them feel part of the group. __

4. I have the ability to recognize a need and to get the job done, no matter how small the task. __

5. I have the ability to organize ideas, people and projects to reach a specific goal. __

6. People often say I have good spiritual judgment. __

7. I am very confident of achieving great things for the glory of God. __

8. I am asked to sing or play a musical instrument at church functions. __

9. God has used me to communicate the gospel in a language unknown to me. __

10. Through my prayers God has made the impossible possible. __

11. I have an ability to use my hands in a creative way to design and build things. __

12. I have seen my prayers heal people. __

13. I enjoy giving money to those in serious financial need. __

14. I enjoy ministering to people in hospitals, prisons, or rest homes to comfort them. __

15. I often have insights that offer practical solutions to difficult problems. __

16. I have often understood issues or problems in the church and have seen answers when others don’t. __

17. I enjoy encouraging and giving counsel to those who are discouraged. __

18. I have an ability to thoroughly study a passage of scripture, and then share it with others. __

19. I presently have the responsibility for the spiritual growth of one or more young Christians. __

20. Other people respect me as an authority in spiritual matters. __

21. I have an ability to learn foreign languages. __

22. God oftens reveals to me the direction He desires the body of Christ to move. __

23. I enjoy developing relationships with non-Christians, especially with hopes of telling them about Jesus. __

24. Whenever I hear reports on the news or in conversations about needy situations, I am burdened to pray. __

25. I would like to assist pastors or other leaders so they will have more time to accomplish their essential and priority ministries. __

26. When I ask people to help me accomplish an important ministry for the church, they usually say yes. __

27. I enoy entertaining guests and making them feel “at home” when they visit. __

28. I take initiative to serve and enjoy serving others, no matter how small the task. __

29. I am a very organized person who sets goals, makes plans, and achieves the goals. __

30. I am a good judge of character and can spot a spiritual phony. __

31. I often step out and start projects that other people won’t attempt, and the projects are usually successful. __

32. I believe I could make a positive difference on the music or worship team. __

33. Praying in tongues is personally meaningful to me in my prayer life. __

34. God has used me to make things happen which were far beyond human means. __

35. I enjoy doing things like woodworking, crocheting, sewing, mental work, stained glass, etc. __

36. I often pray for God to heal those who are physically and emotionally ill. __

37. I joyfully give money to the church well above my tithe. __

38. I feel compassion for people who are hurting and lonely and like to spend considersble time with them to cheer them up. __

39. God has enabled me to choose correctly between several complex options in an important decision when no one else knew what to do. __

40. I enjoy studying difficult questions about God’s Word, and I am able to find answers more easily and more quickly than others. __

41. I’m very fulfilled when I encourage others, especially if it’s about their spiritual growth. __

42. When a question arises from a difficult Bible passage, I am motivated to research the answer. __

43. I enjoy being involved in people’s lives and helping them grow spiritually. __

44. I would be willing and excited to start a new church. __

45. I can adapt easily to cultures, languages, and lifestyles other than my own and would like to use my adaptability to minister in foreign countries. __

46. I will always speak up for Christian principles with conviction, even when what I say isn’t popular. __

47. I find it easy to invite a person to accept Jesus as their Savior. __

48.  I have a passion to pray for the significant issues of God’s kingdom and His will for Christians. __

49. I enjoy relieving others of routine tasks so they can get important projects done. __

50. I can guide and motivate a group  of people toward achieving a specific group. __

51. I enjoy meeting new people and introducing them to others in the group. __

52. I am very dependable for getting things done on time, and I don’t need much praise or thanks. __

53. I easily delegate significant responsibilities to other people. __

54. I am able to distingguish between right and wrong in complex spiritual matters that other people can’t seem to figure out. __

55. I trust in God’s faithfulness for a bright future, even when facing significant problems. __

56. I enjoy singing, and people say I have a good voice. __

57. I have been led by the Holy Spirit during a prayer or worship, and began to speak in tongues, and/or interpret tongues. __

58. God has blessed my prayers so that supernatural results have come from otherwise impossible situations. __

59. I find satisfaction in meetings the needs of people by making something for them. __

60. God regularly speaks to me concerning people’s illnesses so that I can pray for them. __

61. I wouldn’t mind lowering my standard of living to give more to the church and others in need. __

62. I want to do whatever I can for the needy people around me, even if I have to give up something. __

63. People often seek my advice when they don’t know what to do in a situation. __

64. I have an ability to gather information from several sources to discover the answer to a question or learning about a subject. __

65. I feel a need to challenge others to better themselves, especially in their spiritual growth, in an uplifting, rather that condemning way. __

66. Others listen and enjoy my teaching of scriptures. __

67. I care about the spiritual welfare of people and do my best to guidge them toward a Godly lifestyle. __

68. I am accepted as a spiritual authority in other parts of the country or world. __

69. I would like to present the gospel in a foreign language in a country whose culture and lifestyle is different than my own. __

70. I feel the need to speak God’s message from the Bible so people will know what God expects of them. __

71. I would like to tell others how to become a Christian, and give them an invitation to receive Jesus into their life. __

72. Many of my prayers for others have been answered by the Lord. __

73. I enjoy helping others get their work done and don’t need a lot of public recogniton. __

74. People respect my opinion and follow my direction. __

75. I would like to use my home to get acquainted with newcomers and visitors to the church. __

76. I enjoy helping people in any type of need and feel a sense of satisfaction in meeting that need. __

77. I am comfortable making important decisions, even under pressure. __

78. People come to me for help in distinguishing between spiritual truth and error. __

79. I often exercise my faith through prayer, and God answers my prayers in powerful ways. __

80. I believe the Lord could use me in the choir to deliver a message through song. __

81. I have spoken in a language unknown to me that, when interpreted, brought a blessing to those who heard. __

82. God uses me to work micacles for the glory of His kingdom. __

83. People say I am gifted with my hands.  __

84. People often seek me out to pray for the physical healing. __

85. When I give money to someone, I don’t expect anything in return and often give anonymously. __

86. When I hear of people without jobs who can’t pay their bills, I do what I can to help them. __

87. God enables me to make appropriate application of biblical truth to practical situations. __

88. I can discover difficult bibical truths and principles on my own, and I enjoy this. __

89. People find it easy to talk with me and respond well to my encouragement to become all they can for God. __

90. I am organized in my thinking and systematic in my approach to presenting Bible lessons to a group of people. __

91. I help Christians who have wandered away from the Lord find their way back to a growing relationship with Him and get involved in a local church. __

92. I would be excited to share the gospel and form new groups of Christians in areas where there aren’t many churches. __

93. I have no racial prejudice, and have a sincere appreciation for people very different from myself. __

94. I find it relatively easy to appy bibical promises to present day situations, and I’m willing to confront in love if necessary. __

95. I have a strong desire to help non-Christians find salvation through Jesus Christ. __

96. Prayer is my favorite ministry in the church, and I consistently spend a great deal of time at it. __

Total

1. __    25. __   49. __   73. __  = ___ (A)

2. __   26. __   50. __   74. __  = ___ (B)

3. __   27. __   51. __   75. __  = ___ (C)

4. __   28. __  52. __   76. __  = ___ (D)

5. __   29. __  53. __   77. __  = ___ (E)

6. __   30. __  54. __   78. __  = ___ (F)

7. __   31. __   55. __   79. __  = ___ (G)

8. __  32. __   56. __   80. __  = ___ (H)

9. __  33. __   57. __   81. __  = ___ (I)

10. __  34. __  58. __  82. __  = ___ (J)

11. __   35. __  59. __  83. __  = ___ (K)

12. __  36. __  60. __  84. __  = ___ (L)

13. __  37. __  61. __   85. __  = ___ (M)

14. __  38. __  62. __  86. __  = ___ (N)

15. __  39. __  63. __  87. __  = ___ (O)

16. __  40. __  64. __  88. __  = ___ (P)

17. __   41. __  65. __  89. __  = ___ (Q)

18. __  42. __  66. __  90. __  = ___ (R)

19. __  43. __  67. __  91. __  = ___ (S)

20. __  44. __  68. __ 92. __  = ___ (T)

21. __   45. __  69. __  93. __  = ___ (U)

22. __  46. __  70. __  94. __  = ___ (V)

23. __  47.  __  71. __  95. __  = ___

24. __  48. __  72. __  96. __  = ___ (X)

 

                                                                 GIFT KEY

A. Helps                     G. Faith                                     M. Giving               S. Pastor/Shepherd

B. Leadership           H. Music                                    N. Mercy               T. Apostleship

C. Hospitality            I. Tongues/Interpretation    O. Wisdom           U. Missionary

D. Service                   J. Miracles                               P. Knowledge       V. Prophecy

E. Administration    K. Craftsmanship                   Q. Exhortation     W. Evangelist

F. Discernment        L. Healing                                R. Teaching           X. Intercession

 

A. Helps

The gift of helps is the ability to work with and support others Christian’s ministry efforts. (Mark 15:40-41, Acts 9:36, Romans 16:1-2, 1 Corinthians 12:28)

B. Leadership

The gift of leadership is the distinctive ability to influence others according to a “big picture” purpose, mission, or plan. (Romans 12:8, 1 Timothy 3:1-13, 1 Timothy 5:17, Hebrews 13:17)

C. Hospitality

The gift of hospitality is the distinctive ability to make people feel “at home,” welcome, cared for, and part of the group. (Acts 16:14-15, Romans 12:13, Romans 16:23, Hebrews 13:1-2, 1 Peter 4:9)

D. Service

The gift of service is the distinctive ability to identify and meet the practical needs of others. (Acts 6:1-7, Romans 12:7, Galatians 6:10, 2 Timothy 1:16-18, Titus 3:14)

E. Administration

The gift of administration is the distinctive ability to coordinate and organize people and projects. (Luke 14:28-30, Acts 6:1-7, 1 Corinthians 12:28)

F. Discernment

The gift of discernment is the distinctive ability to perceive whether a person’s actions originate from Godly, satanic, or merely human sources. (Matthew 16:21-23, Acts 5:1-11, Acts 16:16-18, 1 Corinthians 12:10, 1 John 4:1-6)

G. Faith

The gift of faith is the distinctive ability to believe God with confidence for things unseen, spiritual growth, and the will of God. (Acts 11:22-24, Romans 4:18-21, 1 Corinthians 12:9, Hebrews 11)

H. Music

The gift of music is the distinctive ability to make a significant contribution to a worship experience through singing or playing a musical instrument. (Deuteronomy 31:2, 1 Samuel 16:16, 1 Chronicles 16:41-43, 2 Chronicles 5:12-13, 2 Chronicles 34:12, Psalm 150)

I. Tongues/Interpretation

The gift of tongues is the distinctive ability to speak or interpret a language which you never learned and communicate a divinely anointed message from God to believers. (Acts 2:1-3, 1 Corinthians 12:10, 1 Corinthians 14:1-40)

J. Miracles

The gift of miracles is the distinctive ability to perform supernatural acts as an instrument or agent of God, which alter the expected course of nature. (Acts 9:36-42, Acts 19:11-12, Acts 20:7-12, Romans 15:1-19, 1 Corinthians 12:10)

K. Craftsmanship

The gift of craftsmanship is the distinctive ability to use your hands and mind to benefit other believers through artistic, creative or a wide variety of construction arenas. (Exodus 30:22-25, Exodus 31:3-11, 2 Chronicles 34:9-13, Acts 18:2-3)

L. Healing

The gift of healing is the distinctive ability to be used as a human intermediary through whom God’s supernatural power is applied to a person’s physical or emotional need. (Acts 3:1-10, Acts 9:32-35, Acts 28:7-10, 1 Corinthians 12:9)

M. Giving

The gift of giving is the distinctive ability to cheerfully and generously contribute personal resources of God’s work. (Mark 12:41-44, Romans 12:8, 1 Corinthians 8:1-7, 1 Corinthians 9:2-7)

N. Mercy

The gift of mercy is the distinctive ability to sincere empathy and compassion in a way that results in practical relief for people’s hurts, pain and suffering. (Matthew 9:35-36, Mark 9:41, Romans 12:8, 1 Thessalonians 5:14)

O. Wisdom

The gift of wisdom is the distinctive ability to discern the mind of Christ and apply scriptural truth to a specific situation in order to make the right choices and help move in the right direction. (Acts 6:3-10, 1 Corinthians 2:6-13, 1 Corinthians 12:8)

P. Knowledge

The gift of knowledge is the distinctive ability to seek out, gather, organize, and clarify facts and ideas on a number of diverse subjects. (Acts 5:1-11, 1 Corinthians 12:8, Colossians 2:2-3)

Q. Exhortation

The gift of exhortation is the distinctive ability to appropriately communicate words of encouragement, challenge, or rebuke in the body of Christ. (Acts 14:22, Romans 12:8, 1 Timothy 4:14, Hebrews 10:24-25)

R. Teaching

The gift of teaching is the distinctive ability to employ a logical, systematic approach to biblical study in preparation for clearly communicating practical truth to the body of Christ. (Acts 18:24-28, Acts 20:20-21, 1 Corinthians 12:28, Ephesians 4:11-14)

S. Pastor/Shepherd

The gift of pastor/shepherd is the distinctive ability to assume responsibility for the spiritual growth and Christian community of a group of believers. (John 10:1-18, Ephesians 4:11-14, 1 Timothy 3:1-7, 1 Peter 5:1-3)

T. Apostleship

The gift of apostleship is the distinctive ability to provide spiritual leadership over a number of pastors and churches that results in tangible fruit in ministry. (Acts 15:22-35, 1 Corinthians 12:28, 2 Corinthians 12:12, Galatians 2:7-10)

U. Missionary

The gift of missionary is the distinctive ability to minister effectively in cultures beyond your own. (Acts 8:4, Acts 13:2-3, Acts 22:21, Romans 10:15)

V. Prophecy

The gift of prophecy is the distinctive ability to boldly declare the truth of God, regardless of the consequences, calling people to righteous living. (Acts 2:37-40, Acts 7:51-53. 1 Corinthians 14:1-4, 1 Thessalonians 1:5)

W. Evangelism

The gift of evangelism is the distinctive ability to share the good news of Jesus Christ with others in such a way that many non-Christians believe in Christ and are converted to Christianity. (Acts 8:5-6, Acts 8:26-40, Acts 14:21, Acts 21:8)

X. Intercession

The gift of intercession is the distinctive ability to pray for significant lengths of time, on a regular basis, and often observe specific answers to those prayers. (Colossians 1:9-12, Colossians 4:12-13, James 5:14-16)

Our Commitment to World Evangelism Must Involve Generous Giving

It often has been said that the best measure of our value system is our checkbook. How we spend our money reveals which world we are living for, this one or the next. The scriptures make it clear that must participate financially in world evangelism (see Matthew 10:9-15). We are to give as God has prospered us. Giving our financial resources for the ministry of Christ is a matter of obedience and a part of our commitment to spreading the gospel. In 2 Corinthians 9, we are called to “glorify God for the obedience of your confession to the gospel of Christ, and for your liberal sharing with…all men” (2 Corinthians 9:13).

Because God spared no expense in bringing salvation to us, we praise His love ad goodness: “Praise the Lord.Praise the Lord, O my soul. I will praise the Lord all my life; I will sing praise to my God as long as I live. Blessed are those whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the Lord their God. The Lord reigns forever, your God, O Zion, for all generations. Praise the Lord” (Psalm 146:1-2, 5, 10).

Now pray this confession to the Lord to keep your life free from sin and in fellowship with Him: “The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears them; he delivers them from all their troubles. The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit” (Psalm 34:17-18).

Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. As you agree with God’s will, voice your affirmation of His Word: “Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the man who takes refuge in him” (Psalm 34:8).

As you bring your requests before the Lord, remember:

• Faithfullness to the Great Commission,
• Opportunities to share His love with unbelievers,
• A greater desire to contribute to missions.

Offer this closing praye to the Lord: “The Lord redeems his servants; no one will be condemned who takes refuge in him” (Psalms 34:22).

“Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work. As it is written: “He has scattered abroad his gifts to the poor; his righteousness endures forever.”  Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness. You will be made rich in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God. This service that you perform is not only supplying the needs of God’s people but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God. Because of the service by which you have proved yourselves, men will praise God for the obedience that accompanies your confession of the gospel of Christ, and for your generosity in sharing with them and with everyone else. And in their prayers for you their hearts will go out to you, because of the surpassing grace God has given you. Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!” (2 Corinthians 9:6-15).