How Do I Live by Faith?

NOW THE JUST SHALL LIVE BY FAITH: BUT IF ANY MAN DRAW BACK, MY SOUL SHALL HAVE NO PLEASURE IN HIM
(Hebrews 10:38).

What is faith? How do we live by faith, every day, moment-by-moment?

NOW FAITH IS THE SUBSTANCE OF THINGS HOPED FOR, THE EVIDENCE OF THINGS NOT SEEN
(Hebrews 11:1).

FAITH is the substance of things-HOPED-for, the evidence of things-not-seen. What are these things-not-seen that we are hoping for? How do we receive these things-HOPED-for that we cannot see? Why do we need to hope for things-not-seen?

CALL TO ME AND I WILL ANSWER YOU AND TELL YOU GREAT AND UNSEARCHABLE THINGS YOU DO NOT KNOW
(Jeremiah 33:3).

In my life, these things-not-seen that I have been hoping for are the personal promises God has given me before He supplies the things-not-seen. My faith becomes the evidence that I am hoping for those personal promises to be fulfilled, in God’s time, even when the FACTS and CONCLUSIONS of my current circumstances show me there is nothing to hope for, because there is no evidence.

But, in order to have received personal promises from God—things-not-seen—I needed to have a deep, personal relationship with God, first. I needed to make Him my eternal God, my Refuge—the One who holds me in His eternal arms, during difficult circumstances.

THE ETERNAL GOD IS THY REFUGE, AND UNDERNEATH ARE THE EVERLASTING ARMS
(Deuteronomy 33:27).

God always tells us ahead of time what to expect, so we may have faith—so we may hope for things-not-seen. Do you live in a real relationship with God? Then, what are the personal promises for which you are hoping—the evidence of things-not-seen? Are your circumstances difficult, at the moment? Find out what God has already promised you in regards to your current circumstances. If you cannot find any promises to hope for, find God. Ask Him to show you something about your circumstances. Anything that God shows you about your circumstances will be a personal promise to you from God—a thing-not-seen that you can hope for. This is how you will live by FAITH, moment-by-moment, every day.

PRAYER: My Lord, I come to You during my difficult circumstances. I seek Your Presence and Your Participation. Show me the things-not-seen for which You want me to hope, today.

Maintain an Awareness

Temptations are all about WORDS…and what we DO with these WORDS.

The Two Counsels

When I Fail

Oswald Chambers once said, “When a person fails in his personal Christian life, it is usually because he has never received anything.”

JOHN ANSWERED AND SAID, A MAN CAN RECEIVE NOTHING, EXCEPT IT BE GIVEN HIM FROM HEAVEN
(John 3:27).

I bless you to sing a new song of joy, today.  Jesus came to give you what you need, so you do not have to fail anymore.

HITHERTO HAVE YE ASKED NOTHING IN MY NAME: ASK, AND YE SHALL RECEIVE, THAT YOUR JOY MAY BE FULL
(John 16:24).

Do you need acceptance?  Receive it from Jesus!
Do you need goodness?  Receive it from Jesus!
Do you need kindness?  Receive it from Jesus!
Do you need joy?  Receive it from Jesus!
Do you need faith?  Receive it from Jesus!
Do you need hope?  Receive it from Jesus!
Do you need comfort?  Receive it from Jesus!
Do you need light?  Receive it from Jesus!
Do you need life?  Receive it from Jesus!
Do you need healing?  Receive it from Jesus!
Do you need forgiveness?  Receive it from Jesus!
Do you need belonging?  Receive it from Jesus!
Do you need affirmation?  Receive it from Jesus!
Do you need love? Receive it from Jesus!
Do you need strength? Receive it from Jesus!
Do you need a miracle? Receive it from Jesus!

PRAISE THE LORD, MY SOUL, AND FORGET NOT ALL HIS BENEFITS—
WHO FORGIVES ALL YOUR SINS AND HEALS ALL YOUR DISEASES,
WHO REDEEMS YOUR LIFE FROM THE PIT
AND CROWNS YOU WITH LOVE AND COMPASSION,
WHO SATISFIES YOUR DESIRES WITH GOOD THINGS
SO THAT YOUR YOUTH IS RENEWED LIKE THE EAGLE’S
(Psalm 103:2-5).

What do you need?  At what are you failing?

Come to the Lord Jesus, just the way you are, and ask Him for what you need, in faith. It is as simple as that.

PRAYER: Lord Jesus, thank you that I may ask You for anything I need, no matter how small or large my request is, so I may receive, and my joy may be full.

Maintain an Awareness

God wants you to desire a purpose from Him, because He has a purpose that He has been saving just for you.

The Two Counsels

The Serpent Deceived Me, so I Ate

THEN THE LORD GOD SAID TO THE WOMAN, ‘WHAT IS THIS YOU HAVE DONE?’THE WOMAN SAID, ‘THE SERPENT DECEIVED ME, AND I ATE’
(Genesis 3:13).

“My friend was rude to me, so I ate of the fruit the enemy offered me.”
“My boss made a snide comment, so I ate of the fruit the enemy offered me.”
“My husband did not love me, so I ate of the fruit the enemy offered me.”
“My wife disrespected me, so I ate of the fruit the enemy offered me.”

I bless you to understand that the enemy, the father-of-lies, will offer you his fruit, every day, to cause sin to reign in your mortal body “SO THAT YOU OBEY ITS EVIL DESIRES”
(Romans 6:12).

Know that the evil one will offer you the fruit of enmity, strife, fear, jealousy, mistrust, anger, fits of rage, animosity, depression, and selfishness.  Moreover, he will offer his fruit along with the excuse, She offered me the fruit. I had no excuse. I had to eat it.”

I bless you to know that you DO NOT HAVE TO EAT THE FRUIT THE ENEMY OFFERS YOU, even when someone is hateful, manipulative, or condemning.

SUBMIT YOURSELVES, THEN, TO GOD. RESIST THE DEVIL, AND HE WILL FLEE FROM YOU
(James 4:7).

You have a choice: you can eat of the fruit the enemy offers you when someone says or does something selfish to you…or you can resist obedience to the father-of-lies, and submit your pain to God, instead.

Submit yourself, then, to God, and resist the father-of-lies…and he will leave you alone.

What do you do with the fruit the father-of-lies offers you, daily, moment-by-moment?

How might the teaching in this message lead you to deal differently with these temptations, from now on?

PRAYER: Lord Jesus, remind me, daily, that I DO NOT HAVE TO EAT THE FRUIT THE ENEMY OFFERS ME, even when someone is hateful, manipulative, or condemning toward me. May I choose, moment-by-moment, to resist obedience to the father-of-lies and to submit my pain to You, instead. Then, the devil will flee form me, each time.

Maintain an Awareness

We now have a moment-by-moment choice: to live our daily lives the way we always have, under the reign of the OLD MAN, or to allow the Lord Jesus to live His NEW MAN Life is us.

The Two Counsels

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I am the Vine, You Are the Branches

I have heard many ministers preach: “Get rid of anger.  Release your bitterness.  Forgive yourself.”  Others instruct: “Don’t care what others think of you.  Do not let others manipulate you.  Rid yourself from the expectations of others.”  Then again, many people advise: “Get rid of your fears.  Break past your bondages.  Free yourself from these blockages.”

I have tried all the above.  I tried for twenty years.  It did not work.  I could not accomplish any of these self-help methods by myself. I could not stop caring what others thought of me. I could not stop myself from being manipulated by others. I did not have the power to rid myself of others’ expectations, nor the wisdom to let go of my bitterness, nor the patience to change. I needed a Savior who could break my bondage of anger and the unwillingness to forgive, a Redeemer who could remove my multitude of fears, a Deliverer who could release my blockage of bitterness.  I needed Jesus.

I AM THE VINE; YOU ARE THE BRANCHES. IF A MAN REMAINS IN ME AND I IN HIM, HE WILL BEAR MUCH FRUIT; APART FROM ME YOU CAN DO NOTHING
(John 15:5).

Blessed One, I want you to know that, in your own strength, you are not able to get rid of any fears, permanently.  You are not able to free yourself from bondage.  On your own, you are not able to get rid of anger.  I, Jesus Christ, need to do this for you, because without Me you are helpless, powerless, and hopeless against the father-of-lies who instilled these bondages and blockages in your heart in the first place. He is the one who subjected you to the law of sin and death; therefore, you need Me, your Redeemer, to bring you under My Law of Life.

FOR THE LAW OF THE SPIRIT OF LIFE IN CHRIST JESUS HAS MADE ME FREE FROM THE LAW OF SIN AND DEATH
(Romans 8:2).

I bless you to invite the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus to free you from your iniquities.  Bring your angry heart, numbed by bitterness and unwillingness to forgive, to the Spirit of Jesus, to be resurrected. Bring your mind that has been deadened by fears to the Spirit of Jesus, to be renewed. Yield your heart that cares so much about what others think of you to the Spirit of Jesus, to be replaced. You will see the bondages broken and the blockages removed.

In which ways have you tried to get rid of your bondages? Did you succeed? Have you become desperate enough to try something, or rather, Someone new—to crown the Lord Jesus as Savior of your life and ask Him to do what you have not been able to do yourself?

PRAYER: Lord Jesus, I crown You as Lord and Savior of my life. I admit that I have not been able to get rid of the blockages and bondages in my life. Therefore, I invite Your Presence and Your Participation into my life, O Lord. Become my Savior, my Redeemer, and my Refuge in all aspects of my life.

Maintain an Awareness

Understand that HOPE needs to come to you through your heart. Therefore, you need to CONNECT with your heart and find the places of sorrow, despair, fear, disappointment, bitterness, and anger that reside there.

The Two Counsels

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Receive Understanding

COME TO ME, ALL YOU WHO ARE WEARY AND BURDENED, AND I WILL GIVE YOU REST AND YOU WILL FIND REST FOR YOUR SOULS
(Matthew 11:28-29).

The things in life that cause us to be weary and burdened are the accusatory beliefs of the father-of-lies in our minds and hearts.  They are relentless.  They kill, steal, and destroy. They cause us to argue about situations.

Two accusatory beliefs from the father-of-lies that cause us to be belligerent and argumentative are “You are not worthy” and “You are bad.”  Sometimes, we spend hours arguing about these beliefs, without even knowing it.  On the outside we argue about the situation; but on the inside we fight for our hearts.  Even though we argue about the circumstances, in reality, we are fighting to prove that we are worthy. We are fighting to keep our hearts from being labeled “bad.”

YOU, DEAR CHILDREN, ARE FROM GOD AND HAVE OVERCOME THEM, BECAUSE THE ONE WHO IS IN YOU IS GREATER THAN THE ONE WHO IS IN THE WORLD
(1 John 4:4).

Are you a belligerent, argumentative person? Why do you like to argue so much? What are you fighting FOR? Is there an accusatory belief from the father-of-lies stuck in your mind? Are you trying to prove that your heart is worthy…that you are not a bad person…that you are OK?

Know that THAT for which you are fighting is something only GOD can give you on the inside, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. Arguing about a situation on the outside will not bring your heart rest on the inside. Therefore, stop arguing…and bring your accused heart to the Lord Jesus Christ. He has come to give you His Understanding, from the inside-out. He is the only one who can give you rest.

WE KNOW ALSO THAT THE SON OF GOD HAS COME AND HAS GIVEN US UNDERSTANDING
(1 John 5:20).

Next time you feel like arguing, look for the accusatory belief that is causing you to feel so belligerent and argumentative. Find it and bring it to the Lord Jesus. He will give you Understanding. He will give you rest for your soul.

PRAYER: Lord God, bring me to the place where I would stop arguing about situations in order to prove that my heart is worthy and good. During times like these, call me to You, so I may find understanding in my mind and rest for my soul.

Maintain an Awareness

Therefore, do not despair of the evil done against you: the insincerity…the depravity…the immorality.  They might have meant evil against you; BUT GOD will cancel the effects of any evil done against you, in the past, in the present, and in the future, if you submit to His discipline.

The Two Counsels

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God’s Perspective

THE WOMAN SAID TO THE SERPENT, ‘WE MAY EAT FRUIT FROM THE TREES IN THE GARDEN, BUT GOD DID SAY, ‘YOU MUST NOT EAT FRUIT FROM THE TREE THAT IS IN THE MIDDLE OF THE GARDEN, AND YOU MUST NOT TOUCH IT, OR YOU WILL DIE’

‘YOU WILL NOT SURELY DIE,’ THE SERPENT SAID TO THE WOMAN
(Genesis 3:2-4).

Notice that there are two sources of counsel available to you: God’s Counsel and Satan’s counsel.

Listen to God’s Counsel:

TRUST IN THE LORD WITH ALL YOUR HEART
AND LEAN NOT ON YOUR OWN UNDERSTANDING;
IN ALL YOUR WAYS ACKNOWLEDGE HIM,
AND HE WILL MAKE YOUR PATHS STRAIGHT.
DO NOT BE WISE IN YOUR OWN EYES;
FEAR THE LORD AND SHUN EVIL
(Proverbs 3:5-7).

Notice that Satan’s counsel opposes God’s Counsel…resists God’s instruction…attacks God’s Word:

Do not trust God,
Instead, rely on your own perceptions,
Trust your own interpretations and believe everything you think.
Try and figure everything out for yourself,
for your mind is sufficient to supply all the explanations you need.
Have faith in your own common sense.
Then, everything will turn out OK.

THE MIND OF SINFUL MAN IS DEATH, BUT THE MIND CONTROLLED BY THE SPIRIT IS LIFE AND PEACE
(Romans 8:6).

Do you have Life and Peace? If not, whose counsel do you heed, daily? Who controls your mind, moment-by-moment?

Are you willing to follow a different Counsel? I challenge you to stop trying to figure things out for yourself. Instead, ask God for His Perspective…and see what happens.

PRAYER: Lord God, may I trust YOU with all my heart and refrain from being wise in my own eyes, but acknowledge Your Perspective in everything I do and think.

Maintain an Awareness

Every given moment of your life, you live either in obedience to the Counsel of the Perfect Father, or in obedience to the counsel of the father-of-lies.

The Two Counsels

Throw Off Everything that Hinders

YOU WILL NOT FEAR THE TERROR OF NIGHT, NOR THE ARROW THAT FLIES BY DAY
(Psalm 91:5).

The other day, my heart was struck by an arrow that flew by day.  I am not sure why that arrow was flying—whether it was aimed at my heart with the purpose to harm, or whether it was shot out of self-defense and just happened to land in my heart.  However, I felt it bore deep into the walls of my heart, until it was securely lodged.  A few years ago, I would have left the arrow in my heart and allowed it to create a deep, festering wound of bitter resentment.  But, today I know better.  You see, I have made a decision in my life to throw off everything that hinders, especially sin that so easily entangles. I decided to throw off the negative, destructive beliefs of the father-of-lies, so I would not retaliate with sinful actions and reactions.

THEREFORE, SINCE WE ARE SURROUNDED BY SUCH A GREAT CLOUD OF WITNESSES, LET US THROW OFF EVERYTHING THAT HINDERS AND THE SIN THAT SO EASILY ENTANGLES, AND LET US RUN WITH PERSEVERANCE THE RACE MARKED OUT FOR US
(Hebrews 12:1).

 Blessed Child, many arrows fly by day.  Some arrows are aimed to harm your heart.  They are shot on purpose.  They are meant for revenge.  Other arrows are shot by accident.  They just happen.  Regardless of why and how an arrow was shot, if it struck your heart, it is your responsibility to have it removed.  If not, it will hinder you from enjoying the Love, Life, and Light that I, Your Redeemer, offer. If a flaming arrow stays lodged in your heart, you will become entangled in the oppressing beliefs of the father-of-lies and the sinful reactions that follow.

IN ADDITION TO ALL THIS, TAKE UP THE SHIELD OF FAITH, WITH WHICH YOU CAN EXTINGUISH ALL THE FLAMING ARROWS OF THE EVIL ONE
(Ephesians 6:16).

How do you take up the shield of faith?  Humbly admit that you have an arrow—a negative, destructive belief from the father-of-lies—stuck in your heart.   Instead of focusing on the PERSON who shot the arrow, focus on your own HEART, and on your SAVIOR.  Do you know what will happen?  The Lord Jesus will pull the flaming arrow out. Not only will He remove the negative, destructive belief of the evil one, but He will also bathe the wound with Heavenly salve.

What do YOU do with the flaming arrows that fly by day?

PRAYER: Thank you, Perfect Father, that You sent Your Son, Jesus Christ, so I do not have to walk around with flaming arrows in my heart. Lord Jesus, call me, daily, to submit my heart to You, along with all the arrows that are stuck there. Only You have the Power and Wisdom to remove them from my heart and replace them with Your Love, Life, and Light.

Maintain an Awareness

Capture that the human mind loves to reason WITHOUT the Holy Spirit.

The Two Counsels

The Will of the Perfect Father

YOUR KINGDOM COME, YOUR WILL BE DONE ON EARTH AS IT IS IN HEAVEN
(Matthew 6:10).

The Will of the Perfect Father is the highest Power in Heaven and on earth.  Nothing can withstand it…except our own will.

ARE NOT TWO SPARROWS SOLD FOR A PENNY?  YET NOT ONE OF THEM WILL FALL TO THE GROUND APART FROM THE WILL OF YOUR FATHER
(Matthew 10:29).

On the other hand, the father-of-lies is always ready to persuade us to do HIS will: to follow his negative, destructive thoughts “God does not love you. God only wants to harm you. God only wants to punish you, because He is a villain—someone without principles.” The father-of-lies constantly promotes his own will through your will, because he knows if we chose HIS rebellious will, he would be able to manifest his own sinful nature in us, along with his own deceitful desires, his own accusatory beliefs with their painful feelings, his own evil deeds, and his own destructive purpose.

YOU ARE WORTHY, OUR LORD AND GOD, TO RECEIVE GLORY AND HONOR AND POWER, FOR YOU CREATED ALL THINGS, AND BY YOUR WILL THEY WERE CREATED AND HAVE THEIR BEING
(Revelation 4:11).

The father-of-lies will always try to persuade you that HIS rebellious will is good for your life, and that the Perfect Father’s Will is bad for you.  However, whenever you believe the father-of-lies’ negative, destructive thoughts, you will be filled with suspicion, hatred, sadness, confusion, guilt, jealousy, and anger. His beliefs of rejection, shame, condemnation, and abandonment will reign in your heart. His unworthiness will cover your soul. His hopelessness will abuse your heart. On the other hand, the more you submit to God’s Perfect Will, the more you are filled with His Hope, Truth, and Love, for by His Will you were created and have your being. Know that what the father-of-lies has been telling you about Him is not true. The father-of-lies is the real villain. He is the one without the principles. He is the one who does not love you and wants to harm and punish you. Know that when you allow the Father’s Will to reign in your life, the father-of-lies’ will has no hold on your life.  However, this all depends on YOUR will.

Whom do you serve with YOUR will: the Perfect Father…or the father-of-lies?

PRAYER: Perfect Father, with my will I choose Your Will to reign in my life: in my thoughts, in my actions, in my nature, in my desires, in my emotions, and in my purpose.

Maintain an Awareness

Therefore, do not despair of the evil done against you: the insincerity…the depravity…the immorality.  They might have meant evil against you; BUT GOD will cancel the effects of any evil done against you, in the past, in the present, and in the future, if you submit to His discipline.

The Two Counsels

To Him Who Overcomes

What is there in your life that causes you to feel so bad, sad, and mad?  Is it the belief that you are unacceptable, unloved, unworthy, or unwanted? Know that these negative, destructive beliefs from the father-of-lies, along with their accompanying emotions, cause certain temptations in your life—temptations that need to be overcome.

HE THAT OVERCOMETH, THE SAME SHALL BE CLOTHED IN WHITE RAIMENT; AND I WILL NOT BLOT OUT HIS NAME OUT OF THE BOOK OF LIFE, BUT I WILL CONFESS HIS NAME BEFORE MY FATHER, AND BEFORE HIS ANGELS
(Revelation 3:5).

Know that the Lord Jesus regards overcoming as something very valuable.  If you live a life of overcoming, your name is so commendable that it will appear in the book of Life, and the Perfect Father, the Most High, the Creator of all things, will know your name, personally.

BECAUSE THOU HAST KEPT THE WORD OF MY PATIENCE, I ALSO WILL KEEP THEE FROM THE HOUR OF TEMPTATION, WHICH SHALL COME UPON ALL THE WORLD, TO TRY THEM THAT DWELL UPON THE EARTH
(Revelation 3:10).

Precious One, do not try to fight temptation by yourself, in your own strength. You will fail, each time, because the one who is tempting you is more cunning than you will ever be. But, I, your Savior, came to keep you from the hour of temptation, for I will tell you the Truth about being unacceptable, unworthy, unloved, and unwanted. But, before I do this, you need to ADMIT how you feel and SUBMIT the negative, destructive beliefs that accompany your feelings, to Me. Then, I will COMMIT to you. My immediate Presence in your life will keep you from the hour of temptation, each time.

TO HIM THAT OVERCOMETH WILL I GRANT TO SIT WITH ME IN MY THRONE, EVEN AS I ALSO OVERCAME, AND AM SET DOWN WITH MY FATHER IN HIS THRONE
(Revelation 3:21).

Be patient during temptation.  Do not run to sinful defense patterns to escape the pain of being unloved or unwanted.  Do not hide the pain of unworthiness in your heart by pretending that you are okay, or wear a mask to pretend that you are not who you are.  Do not blame others for your pain of non-acceptance.  Instead, run to the Lord Jesus.  He will let you sit with Him on His throne…to reign over the temptations in your life.

PRAYER: Lord Jesus, how good to know that You can keep me from the hour of temptation…IF I come to You. My Lord, teach me to deal with temptation Your way, instead of trying to deal with it through my own defense mechanisms of running, hiding, and blaming others.

Maintain an Awareness

God wants you to desire His Love, because He wants to pour His Love directly into YOUR heart, right there where it hurts so much.

The Two Counsels

The Guilt of Experiencing Pain

Sin does not stand alone.  It does not happen by itself.  It sits on a pillar of beliefs, suggested by the father-of-lies: beliefs of abandonment, condemnation, rejection, and shame.  Understand that these beliefs cause anguish: anger, animosity, jealousy, fear, disappointment, confusion, guilt, and despair.  Know that these painful emotions are interconnected with the disheartening beliefs of abandonment, condemnation, rejection, and shame. You do not experience one without the other. They are both part of the OLD MAN, the body of sin that came to live its life in each of us.

 KNOWING THIS, THAT OUR OLD MAN IS CRUCIFIED WITH HIM, THAT THE BODY OF SIN MIGHT BE DESTROYED, THAT HENCEFORTH WE SHOULD NOT SERVE SIN
(Romans 6:6).

I used to feel very guilty whenever I experienced painful emotions in my heart.  I always thought these painful emotions of anger, animosity, jealousy, fear, disappointment, and despair rendered me bad; therefore, I concluded that I had to flee from them as soon as possible.  I did not know that these painful emotions were merely an indication that a negative, destructive OLD MAN belief, planted in my heart by the father-of-lies, was being triggered. What a revelation it was when I realized it was not the PAIN in my heart, but my REACTION to it, that rendered me sinful.

THEREFORE DO NOT LET SIN REIGN IN YOUR MORTAL BODY SO THAT YOU OBEY ITS EVIL DESIRES
(Romans 6:12).

Blessed One, be patient when your heart is aching. Do not react to your pain. Do not hide from it, run away from it, or blame it on someone else. If you do, this will cause sin to reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires. Instead, cry out to Me, Jesus, your Savior. Find the negative, destructive OLD MAN beliefs that are associated with these painful emotions in your heart. Then, ask Me to crucify these beliefs for you. I will answer you by setting you free.

IN MY ANGUISH I CRIED TO THE LORD, AND HE ANSWERED BY SETTING ME FREE
(Psalm 118:5).

What will you do with the current pain in your heart: will you react to it sinfully…or will you submit it to the Lord Jesus?

Did you know that your painful emotions are not really a result of your circumstances, but a result of the negative beliefs, instilled in your mind by the father-of-lies? Your pain serves as a temptation to obey the father-of-lies…or as an opportunity to surrender to God. Which one will it be for you?

PRAYER: Lord Jesus, thank you that You came to set me free from the OLD MAN, the body of sin that came to reign in me through its negative, destructive beliefs and its associated emotions. Call me to You whenever I feel like reacting to these painful emotions, Lord Jesus. Crucify the OLD MAN in me, so the body of sin in me might be destroyed.

Maintain an Awareness

Our relationship with God is not just one-sided—us praying to God. When we pray, God also needs to talk to us…and He WANTS to.

The Two Counsels