Prayer: What Are You Willing to Ask God For? (Part 1)

Hello all! I hope that God has really been speaking to all of you and blessing you these past couple weeks. I would like to talk about something that God has really been speaking to me lately through my Pastor, Pastor Patrick Johnson at The Way Impact Christian Center in Denton, Tx. and just by spending personal time with God in His word.

First I'd like to show where our prayers go after they are prayed. "And when he had taken it, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb. Each one had a harp and they were holding golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of God's people"(Revelation 5:8 NIV).

" Imagine, then, on this altar are piles of prayers. Centuries of prayers. Your prayers and mine. They are as fire, burning, their smoke rising up from the altar before God. Then the angel takes his bowl to this blazing altar and he rakes in all these flames. Then, holding this bowl of fire — of our prayers — he steps over and hurls it onto the earth". - Jonathan Parnell 

 All the prayers of God's people are not only heard by God but answered by God. We can have confidence that He hears our prayers and answers them. "If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you" (John 15:7). 

To understand what this verse really means we must understand the text in the original language. The word "thelo" is often translated by theologians as "desires" or "wishes" it is used in the verse when Jesus says ask whatever you "wish". However a better translation for the word is "willing". So Jesus is telling us to ask whatever we're willing to ask for, He is in fact daring us to ask beyond our wants. What we want has limitations but what God can do has no boundaries.

So what are you willing to ask God for?

(to be continued)

I Love You

Today's post will be short and sweet. I'd like to talk about one thing, love. Often we think of love as feeling a certain way about someone or something. We throw the term love around loosely to describe our childish cravings or longings for something; I LOVE that song, I LOVE ice cream, I LOVE your hair, I LOVE his shoes... Really we're just using the word love as a substitute for what we truly mean, strongly like.

But what is love, really?

Love is sacrifice! Plain and simple.
Love is being able to put your wants and desires aside in order to serve someone else, no matter how much it costs you. Jesus commands us as His disciples to love each other as he has loved us (John 15:12-13). He goes on to say in verse that there is no greater love than to lay down your life for a friend. How many of us can say we would die for every single one of our friends? Thats because these people really aren't our friends (blog about true friendship coming in the future).

A great example of love shown to me personally is John 3:16. We all know the verse but have you ever just sat down and read it slowly? Have you ever just consumed the words and let it marinate in your mind? I challenge you to do it. It says that for GOD so LOVED the world that He gave His one and only son, that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.

Some of us won't even give up some fries from our fast food meals and here we have the creator of the Universe giving up His only son so that we can live! If that is not love I don't know what is!

It's a pleasure to know that we have a creator who loves us. I hope that everyone gets a chance to experience His love. Here are a 7 verses that showcase Gods love for us. Take the time to read, study, and memorize them. John 3:16, Romans 8:37-39, Romans 5:8, 1 John 4:9-11, Ephesians 2:4-5, 1 Peter 5:6-7, Psalm 86:15.

Live in Love. Live In Peace. Go in Freedom

-Daniel

Where is your Terenbith Tree?

I hope that everyone is enjoying their spring break, I know I am!! I got back to Houston Friday night and was so relieved to be home; to see my family, eat food that doesn't taste or feel like cardboard, and  you know the usual. 

As I woke up this morning at the amazing time of 7:00AM I started worshipping God. I listened to a song by Bethel Music that talked about expecting God in a different way... Experiencing God in a different way... Meeting God at a different place. After the song was over the Holy Spirit told me to go outside and walk. I was given no destination, no coordinates, no map just told to walk. As I started to obey him I got really sick. There was an excruciating pain in my stomach and I started sweating. Oh God, it was horrible! 

At that moment I honestly thought about not going outside at all, I just wanted to lay down and go back to sleep hoping the pain would go away. Then I prayed and asked God to take away the pain... And it was gone. The funny thing is that I was surprised because I've never experienced God to be a healer for me.

Could it be that we downsize God and don't expect Him to do anything? So, He doesn't... 

Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. (Hebrews 11:1 NKJV)

But let me get back to the real topic of this blog the Terenbith Tree... 

So after I was healed I went outside and just started walking, still had no idea where I was going but I knew God was trying to tell me something. Eventually I ended up here:

And without any explanation I just sat down at that place and started worshiping.

Then God spoke to me, and said He led me here because this was my Terenbith Tree. (If you want read about Hearing From God Check out this blog http://danieluncensored.blogspot.com/2014/12/hearing-from-god.html). 

 The Terenbith Tree is a tree that is common in the region of Israel and Palestine. They are sometimes also referred to as "Great Oaks", "Oaks of Mamre", "Great Trees", and "Sacred Trees". A Terenbith Tree is simply just a place where you encounter God. It can be at home, in your car, at your job, at school, etc.

It says that the Lord appeared to Abraham at the Terenbith tree (Genesis 18:1). When the Angel of the Lord appeared to Gideon the Angel was sitting under a Terenbith tree (Judges 6:11). 

What God revealed to me as I sat under that Gazebo is that sometimes when I come to a place that's comfortable, like home, I start to fall into old habits; not studying the word as much, not praying, falling into old patterns of sin, etc. 

Sometimes we just have to get away from the noise and the calamity in our lives and just find that place where we can experience God! Expect Him to move in a different way today and find that place where you and Him are one!

Live in Love! Live in Peace! Go in Freedom! 

-Daniel

My Testimony

So God has been telling me to share my testimony. I've never really shared the whole thing and just last night a friend of mine asked if I would share it with her over the phone. As I was talking to her I realized how much I had been through and what God has done in my life.

I have the common story of the little boy who grew up in church. Every Sunday morning I was dragged out of bed and lugged to church, because "that's what I was supposed to do." It was expected of me. Monday-Friday I had school, Saturday I watched cartoons like Pokemon or Power Rangers, and Sunday I had church.

The majority of my time in church as a 4-7 year old was spent in Sunday School: playing games, eating snacks, or watching Veggie Tales. I remember the bible stories we would always be taught: Jonah, David and Goliath, and Daniel in the Lions Den. However, I honestly can't recall what I felt about church. To me church was just an obligation like learning my ABC's or going to school or cleaning my room and the stories were just stories, nothing more.

There are a lot of things from my childhood that are really shaky in my memory (people say I have a really bad memory...I agree haha). But there are a few things I remember. At around the age of 7 or 8 I remember being in the kitchen with my Mom sitting at the dinner table and she told me about salvation. That night I accepted Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior, or so I thought. I was really excited about it BUT I DID NOT KNOW WHY. I did not understand what a Christian was or what it meant to live for God, I wasn't old enough to understand. I did eventually figure out what salvation was but that's a blog for another day.

Fast forward a couple of years to my 6th grade year. I'm 11 now and going through that weird awkward phase where my body is changing, my voice is cracking, and a bunch of other embarrassing things are happening. Yup middle school days were my glory days (said no one ever). But on a serious note middle school is where I was introduced to sexual temptation, specifically pornography.

I remember going to my friends birthday party for a sleep over... Sorry let me rephrase that, I meant to say an all-nighter. Guys don't have sleep-overs.... So I'm at the all-nighter right, and we're doing typical 6th grade boy things: playing video games, watching Adult-Swim, (had to be 14 to watch that, rebels) eating everything in sight. You know the typical stuff boys do. One of the boys got onto the computer and began surfing the web for porn. I remembered watching it and thinking about how wrong it was. And then I was taught how to masturbate which changed everything. I didn't think about it being wrong anymore I just thought about how good it felt. My thought process was, "If it feels good it must be right."

That one night led to an addiction to pornography. I had to have it everyday. I was trapped in my sin and saw no problem with it. At around the same time, I joined a youth bible study at a church across the street from my house. The youth pastor was great and he had an amazing desire for God. Most of my spiritual growth happened within that youth group, but I was still a slave to sin (John 8:34). I was trapped! Funny thing is, I knew I was trapped and this time I wanted out but I couldn't get out. My flesh and my Sprit were battling each other (Galatians 5:17) and for 8 years of my life the flesh was kicking my Spirits butt!

As I went through high school, and my freshmen year of college, I got caught up with many other things: using marijuana, drinking, partying, thoughts of homosexuality, suicide, as well as going deeper in sexual immorality. I started creating soul ties with multiple women throughout my freshmen year of college. I was seriously messed up. Then one day God told me enough is enough. He said it was time to get back to loving Him. He wanted me to pursue Him and love Him. Not partying. Not drugs. Not women. Not alcohol. Just Him. I didn't fallout at the altar or get prophesied to, God just let me know that I needed to make a conscience decision to stop living in the world.

So here I am today, trying my best to focus on Him. And my urges to fall back into my old ways aren't gone, they're always going to be with me as long as I'm alive. However, sin is no longer my master (Rom. 6:14). As a child of God, I know that I have the power to overcome sin because Jesus had that same power when He was alive.

My prayer for all of you is that you continue to pursue God. If you feel like you are stuck in sin know that there is a way out, but YOU must make that conscience decision to repent.

I hope that you were inspired by my testimony. Please take time out to share this with someone who might need it.

Live in Love. Live In Peace. Go in Freedom.

-Daniel