To get this job you must . . .
     To be the best spouse you must . . .
     To receive answers to your prayers you must . . .
     We want to know the answers to important questions!
     Jesus gives us the perfect way to receive answers to our prayers! He said: Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength (Mark 12:30 NIV).
     We live by faith (II Cor. 5:7 NIV) but our primary goal is to love God because Love goes on forever (I Cor. 13:8 TLB). Growing in love for God helps us receive answers to our prayers!
     Loving God opens the way for us to receive so many blessings. For example, sickness and tragedies may not be good, but they must kneel before His Word: We know that all that happens to us is working for our good if we love God (Rom. 8:28 TLB).
     There are many good deeds that we can do, but we will still lack spiritual power unless we grow in love for God. God is love, and learning to love Him draws us to Him. Because Jesus loved and obeyed God perfectly, all of God’s power was available to Him. To encourage us onward Jesus said, Learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your soul (Mt.1l:29 NKJV). If you have many problems, I urge you to concentrate on learning to love God more.
    How can we learn to love God more? The answers are in His Word. Our love for Him comes as a result of His loving us first (1 John 4:19 TLB). The more we concentrate on what God has done for us the stronger our love for Him becomes. And as we live with Christ, our love grows more perfect and complete (Vs 17). Sometimes we center our attention on all the

 by Merlin Carothers

things we want Him to do for us. This may seem normal and right, but thinking about our wants can often keep us from concentrating on what Jesus wants us to do.
     Ten lepers came to Jesus and He healed them. One of them came back to Jesus, shouting, Glory to God, I'm healed. Jesus said to the man, Stand up and go; your faith has made you well (Luke 17:15, 19 TLB). I believe this man showed that he loved Jesus when he returned to thank and praise God for healing him.
     If you have problems that perplex you, consider turning more of your thoughts and attention to all the good things God has already done for you. He provided a way for you to have the righteous of Christ as His free gift: No longer counting on being saved by being good enough or by obeying God’s laws, but by trusting Christ to save me (Phil. 3:9 TLB).
     We can learn to think about praising God and do this so frequently that it becomes our natural response to everything. This becomes a channel for the Holy Spirit to teach us how to live victoriously in a difficult world.
     Thank Him many times a day for the good things He has done for you and you will keep growing in your love for Him.  Repeat verses such as:  Always give thanks for everything to our God and Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ (Eph. 5:20 TLB) until they become so much a part of you that before you know it, your love for God will become stronger than ever before.

by Mary Carothers

     Needless to say, the religious leaders were amazed at the boldness of the disciples. Because the men of the Sanhedrin held absolute power over the people concerning all things religious, most people would just naturally try to avoid offending them. After all, they could easily put Peter and John into prison and “throw away the key” so to speak.
     After threatening Peter and John, they finally released them. Where did they go? They joined with the other disciples, and they all began to pray.
     Here’s what always amazes me. They did not ask God to protect them. Neither did they pray to be kept out of prison. Rather, they asked for boldness. Boldness to proclaim the Good News of salvation through Jesus alone.
     Would we have asked for boldness rather than protection for ourselves? Would I have prayed that way? I am reminded of Jesus’ words in Matthew 16:25 in the Amplified Version: Whoever loses his life [his comfort and security here] for my sake shall find it [life everlasting].
     “Lord, may we seek glory for You, and desire Your will, rather than our own safety and comfort.”