#SicknessDestroyerChallenge! Win 50,000 Naira this June? (See How)

Here is a great opportunity for you to participate in this Sickness Destroyer Challenge, the winner who comes first wins N50,000.

All you need to do is;

1. Download the spirit-filled song, "Sickness Destroyer" by Seyi Oluwadare & The Pacesetters London Choir. | DOWNLOAD HERE

2. Make a 1 minute video of yourself singing or doing a cover to the song 'Sickness Destroyer'.

3. Follow @Seyi_Oluwadare, @PraisejamzTV on Instagram.

4. Upload the video with the HashTag #SicknessDestroyerChallenge and tag @Seyi_Oluwadare, on his IG account.

5. All videos will be re-posted on his page.

6. Tag and inform your friends to follow @Seyi_Oluwadare, and Like your video.

DOWNLOAD HERE

VIEW LYRICS HERE

The challenge/competition starts now!!! God bless.

Organized by

 @PraisejamzTV

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PLAN TO ATTEND: Win $5000 in 1 Minute at Sound It Africa this June

Win $5000 in 1 Minute at Sound It Africa this June.

After a successful debut in 2017 – SOUND IT widely described as Africa’s biggest Gospel Online singing competition is back with its second season where contestants stand a chance of winning $5000 with in 1 minute. Registration opens on June 1^st, 2018.

"Sound it Africa " is an online singing competition with an aim of leveraging on the simplicity of the Digital Media to discover and showcase new talents across Africa hence cutting loads of protocols to give these talents an easily way to be heard across Africa and Around the world.

The show which in its first season had Uncle Ben of MTN Project Fame West Africa as the lead Judge, also had over a thousand entries from Across Africa especially from Nigeria, Ghana, Senegal and South Africa and was produced by Rising Star Gospel Africa.

Rising Star Gospel Africa is an integrated organization birthed to Discover, Develop, and Promote youths with un-harnessed musical abilities. These they do through their different expressions such as Rising Star Gospel Show, Rising Star Invasion Concert, The Campus Tour and Rising Star Music Conference.

In the past 4 years, they have successfully produced eight (8) life changing events and have had the honour of hosting Industry leaders like Uncle Ben of MTN Project Fame West Africa, Nikki Laoye, a renounced recording Urban Gospel Artiste, Segun Obe, a prolific Vocal Coach and Therapist, and a host of others. They have aired their events on National and Continental Television stations like HIP TV, Silverbird TV, Trybe TV, Kingdom Africa and X2D TV and have also had multiplied thousands of mentions on blogs, news sites and on the social media.

Entry opens on June 1^st 2018, and interested contestants are expected to register for the competition via: www.SoundIt.africa.

For updates follow @RisingStarG on Instagram & Twitter | Rising Star Gospel Africa on Facebook.

Call their hotlines +2348032988276, +2348150468397 for enquiries and further information.

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Christians and Jews Worship Same God, but Only 1 Religion Can Be Right on Salvation ~ Robert Jeffress

Christians and Jews Worship Same God, but Only 1 Religion Can Be Right on Salvation ~ Robert Jeffress.

First Baptist Dallas Pastor Robert Jeffress has said that while he believes Jews and Christians worship the same God, both religions cannot be right about how to be saved.

Jeffress was part of a dialogue event on Sunday alongside Jewish conservative radio personality Dennis Prager that was hosted by the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation & Institute in Simi Valley, California, known as "Ask a Jew. Ask a Gentile."

During his opening remarks, Jeffress explained that he and Prager were going to point out many similarities between Christianity and Judaism, one being that "we worship the same God."

"All gods are not the same," explained Jeffress. "But Dennis and I both worship the same God. We revere the scriptures, we both believe in the inspiration of the Old Testament."

"We both believe in a messiah. Dennis is looking for a messiah yet to come. I believe messiah is come and provided the forgiveness of sins and is coming again as the sovereign over all of the world."

Jeffress warned that while he believed that Jews and Christians both worship "Jehovah God," the two religions cannot both be correct when it comes to salvation.

"You're such a gracious person," Jeffress said to Prager with sincerity. "You don't want to say that I'm wrong or Christians' theology is wrong, but I'm going to tell you, if you're right, I am wrong."

"Because you can't reconcile what Jesus said when He said, and He was a Jew, 'I am the way, the truth, and the life; no man comes to the Father except by me.' The Apostle Paul, who was a Jew, said, 'I desire that my brethren Israel be saved.' ... The Apostle Peter said there was salvation under no other name, 'there's no other name given among men by which we can be saved.'"

Jeffress stressed that "either Jesus was telling the truth, Paul was telling the truth, Peter was telling the truth that there's only one way to God or they were sadly mistaken."

Regarding the accuracy of Christianity, Prager said that he believed Christians "are doing God's work" and that he saw Christianity as bringing the Torah to the world.

"The Christian is in effect God's vehicle to bring the Torah to the world," said Prager, adding that while being Jewish he saw "God's hand in Christianity as well."

Prager said that because he did not think "God judges people by belief" but rather "by deed," he explained that he thinks when it comes to Christians "God is thrilled with you."

Presented by AM 870 The Answer, the interfaith dialogue between Prager and Jeffress took place before a sold out crowd and centered on theological topics such as the purpose of Old Testament sacrifices, the nature of salvation, and who is the messiah.

The dialogue comes the same month as the release of Prager's book, The Rational Bible: Exodus, which seeks to showcase that "the Bible is not only powerfully relevant to today's issues, but completely consistent with rational thought."

"Do you doubt the existence of God because belief in God is 'irrational?' This book will give you reason after reason to rethink your doubts," noted the book's description on Amazon.

"The Rational Bible is the fruit of Dennis Prager's 40 years of teaching the Bible to people of every faith, and no faith. On virtually every page, you will discover how the text relates to the contemporary world and to your life. His goal: to change your mind — and then change your life."

SOURCE: Cp

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Are Selfies Evidence of the 'Last Days'? John Piper Answers

Theologian and Desiring God founder John Piper is weighing in on selfies, urging Christians and social media users to recognize that in a self-obsessed culture their self is actually meant to point to God.

In response to a question he was asked Monday about whether the large presence of selfies and self-centered social media is an indication that the last days are near — where 2 Timothy 3:1-2 speaks of "difficult times" and people being "lovers of self" — the theologian said yes and no.

In response to a question he was asked Monday about whether the large presence of selfies and self-centered social media is an indication that the last days are near — where 2 Timothy 3:1-2 speaks of "difficult times" and people being "lovers of self" — the theologian said yes and no.

"Vlogs, selfies, and self-focused social media are often (not always) an expression of the self-exaltation, self-preoccupation, and self-fascination of these last days," Piper acknowledged.

"But no, these new technologies are not the emerging of such final experiences of sin. They've always been there. The new technologies are giving new ways to express old sins."

While these are the last days, they are not the very last days, he continued, and Christians ought to wait in hopeful expectation of an all-satisfying Christ who will one day return.

"When Jesus came into the world as the long-expected Messiah, he declared the arrival of the kingdom of God, which the Old Testament anticipated as part of the last days," Piper explained.

And at Pentecost Peter explained that the supernatural events that were occurring were the fulfillment of the prophet Joel's words, when he said "and in the last days it shall be ... that I will pour our my Spirit on all flesh." These "last days" Joel was referring to in the time just after Jesus came to earth were the start of the "last days" and we have been living in them ever since, Piper argued.

That the Apostle Paul counseled Timothy to "avoid such people" who are "lovers of self" indicates that the last days had already arrived, because the people to avoid were already present, not 2000 years away from showing up brandishing smartphones, he said.

"God gave us a self, not so that we would have something to exalt in, but something to exalt with. He gave us a self, not to be the object of our joy, but the subject of joy. That is, not to be the focus of happiness in front of the mirror or the selfie, but the furnace of happiness in front of Jesus."

And the self is an instrument of worship, he went on to say, a "desire factory" that points to something outside of ourselves, the joy of the Lord, since nothing in this world ultimately satisfies.

"The desires of the human self are meant to lead us to God, in whose presence is fullness of joy and at whose right hand are pleasures forevermore," he said, making a reference to Psalm 16:11.

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God Cares More About How You Are on the Inside, Not the Outside || Read For Free

God Cares More About How You Are on the Inside, Not the Outside.

But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. 2 Corinthians 4:7

"Do you want to see what's inside?" my friend asked. I had just complimented her on the old-fashioned rag doll her daughter held in her small arms. Instantly curious, I replied that yes, I very much wanted to see what was inside. She turned the doll face down and pulled open a discreet zipper sewn into its back. From within the cloth body, Emily gently removed a treasure: the rag doll she'd held and loved throughout the years of her own childhood more than two decades prior. The "outer" doll was merely a shell without this inner core to give it strength and form.

Paul describes the truth of Jesus's life, death, and resurrection as a treasure, carried about in the frail humanity of God's people. That treasure enables those who trust in Him to bear up under unthinkable adversity and continue in their service. When they do, His light—His life—shines brightly through the "cracks" of their humanness. Paul encourages us all not to "lose heart" (2 Corinthians 4:16) because God strengthens us to do His work.

When God's strength shines through us, it invites others to ask, "What's inside?"

Like the "inner" doll, the gospel-treasure within us lends both purpose and fortitude to our lives. When God's strength shines through us, it invites others to ask, "What's inside?" We can then unzip our hearts and reveal the life-giving promise of salvation in Christ.

Thank You, Lord, for saving me. Please shine Your light brightly through my broken life so others will be invited to know You too.

The gospel of truth shines through the brokenness of God's people.

By Kirsten Holmberg at Our Daily Bread. Taken from Our Daily Bread®, © 2017 by Our Daily Bread Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI. Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved. Find them online here https://odb.org/

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Happy New Year 2018, to all Our Fans Home & Abroad ~ With Love From the Praisejamzblog Team

Wishing all praisejamzblog fans and patronizers a joyful, bright, healthy, rewarding, prosperous and happiest new year ever!

We are glad to step into 2018 in Style, We are very Positive about 2018, We know this Year will bear good fruit for us and all our fans and patronizers.

2018 is a new beginnings, fresh starts, reaffirmations of love and promises for a brighter future all come to mind as we ring in a New Year.

No matter the hurdles or problem you experienced in 2017, You won’t shed any Tears in 2017. Your life will be so colorful that even your enemies will have no choice than to hang themselves.

Thank You all for staying with us all through 2017 

God bless y'all!!!!!!!!!!!!

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Merry Christmas To All Our Fans Home & Abroad ~ With Love From The Praisejamzblog Team

Its the best time of the year!

With all the love in our hearts, we wish you a very merry Christmas. Thank you for being part of our lives in 2017 and we look forward to an even more amazing 2018.

WISHING YOU AN ABUNDANTLY BLESSED HOLIDAY SEASON!

From the fullness of GRACE we have all received one blessing after another.

John 1:16

Lots Of Love From all of us at Praisejamzblog.

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The Season of Giving: Be a Blessing to Someone This Season

     The Season of Giving: Be a Blessing  to Someone This Season.

     ’Tis the season to be jolly, fa-la-la-la-la, la-la-la-la! It’s also the season to be giving! Bless someone
nearby or far away, not only in the spirit of the season, but also in the spirit of Christ.

Here are 5 verses I’ve chosen to get you giddy to give!

1.) Proverbs 11:25 (ESV)- “Whoever brings blessing will be enriched, and one who waters will himself be watered.” The Lord blesses those who bless others, because His will is that we serve those around us.

2.) Psalm 37:21 (NIV)- “The wicked borrow and do not repay, but the righteous give generously.” A mark of a Christian is their willingness to pour into the lives of those in need. God always supplies His people with something to give—be it spare change, our time or otherwise. You can always bless someone, either physically, spiritually, or emotionally.

3.) 2 Corinthians 8:12 (NLT)- “Whatever you give is acceptable if you give it eagerly. And give
according to what you have, not what you don’t have.” It is not mandatory that we give away what
we can’t afford to lose. As aforementioned, there are many ways to sow into someone else,
spiritually and physically. You can be a blessing without going beyond your means.

4.) 2 Corinthians 9:7 (NIV)- “Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.” Our charity is a service to God, rather than just a service to man. Therefore, what we give will only be deemed acceptable if we give it out of cheerfulness, kindness and sincerity of our heart. We should not have to be bribed or persuaded to give to others.

5.) Proverbs 14:21 (NKJV)- “He who despises his neighbor sins; But he who has mercy on the poor, happy is he.” It pleases God when we serve others and give freely, as He does for us on a daily basis. There is joy found in giving!

This season, don’t hold back. Do something to improve someone’s day. Whether it be big or small, as long as it is done in love and in truth, God smiles on your good deeds and will reward you for them.

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Is Dating During High School Harmful? John Piper Answers

Is Dating During High School Harmful? John Piper Answers.

A prominent Reformed theologian thinks it's unwise for teenagers to date while in high school, and says that youth, with some exceptions, should postpone it until they're spiritually mature and ready to move toward marriage.

In response to a question from a young person who wants to date, John Piper, founder of Desiring God, said Monday that he cautions against teenage dating for several reasons, particularly given how American society has changed.

"There was a time when the cultural expectations and the cultural supports were in place, partly to prepare young people to marry that early and partly to provide the structures and help after they got married. That's not as true today in America as it once was," Piper said.

He noted that many people in his generation typically married at a much younger age and that his own parents were 19 and 20 when they were wed. But he knows many people in his generation who also advise not pairing off in dating relationships while in high school.

Even if godly people you know married early, dating early is not necessarily a good idea, he said.

"Whether you see dating at age 15, 16, or 17 as wise will depend partly on your view of sexual relations, partly on your view of the meaning of dating, and partly on your view of the relative maturity of teenagers," Piper noted.

And the Bible is clear that sexual relations are for the marriage covenant, he added, referencing the Apostle Paul's words in 1 Corinthians 7:2, which read: "Because of the temptation to sexual immorality, each man should have his own wife and each woman her own husband."

This perspective stands in stark contrast to our modern, media-saturated society where the prevailing sexual ethic is that sex outside of marriage is fine as long as it's consensual.

Sexual desire, "one of the most powerful forces in human life is the awakening of a peculiar happiness and desire that comes from being liked by a person of the opposite sex," the theologian explained.

"I have watched otherwise strong, wise, and seemingly mature Christian young people completely lose their moral bearings when they find out that they are liked — that they are attractive to an unbeliever. It's as if every switch on the mainframe of their moral life gets turned off while one massive desire button is alive and well."

While "dating" is the current term — in Piper's day it was "going steady" — he thinks it is important questions like "What is dating?" and "What's it for?" be asked.

When teenagers date and do things together a feeling of "specialness" arises in the relationship which usually precipitates a sequence of events that leads to engagement and then marriage.

"The question becomes, 'Is it wise for a 16 year old to step into that river that flows toward marriage?' My answer is no, I don't think it is wise," Piper said, noting that exceptional situations do exist in our culture where two young people are very spiritually mature and marriage is planned for age 18 upon completing high school.

Falling in love is "beautiful" and "one of the greatest experiences in the world," he continued, and "what makes it so great is that God has blessed it with an appointed and thrilling consummation called marriage."

"If you turn that process into a high school pastime with revolving relationships, you are robbing yourself of the very best you can have."

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True or False? Some Boys in Church Choir Compete for Girls' Attention, Study Claims

True or False? Some Boys in Church Choir Compete for Girls' Attention, Study Claims.

Boys singing in a church choir begin to compete for attention when teenage girls are in the audience, new research shows.

The research was done in Leipzig, Germany, with 16 members of the St. Thomas Choir, all teenage boys. The researchers held two concerts and recorded each choir member's voice individually for the purpose of the study, published in the journal Frontiers in Psychology.

"The choir was informed that there would be researchers around throughout the recording session, as well as a small audience to create a natural performance situation," the study explains. "The choir was also told that a 'school group' was due to arrive for a castle tour and would join the audience for a performance and would be taking notes for a school magazine article. This school group consisted of four females who constituted our manipulation. The choir was instructed to sing as they normally would in a concert performance."

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The researchers found that the tone quality of the choirboys who were singing deeper parts clearly change when the teenage girls were in the audience. "The boost in the singer's formant that we observed may constitute an attempt by the basses to establish a privileged social communication channel with female listeners by drawing attention to these appealing vocal qualities," says the study.

"The fact that female presence did not lead to a reliable enhancement of the singer's formant in tenors (aged 16–18 years) suggests that the effect was not related to a general desire to lift performance standard in the presence of female peers. An increase in the desire to perform well could also be expected to affect other performance parameters, even in sopranos (12–16 years) and altos (12–16 years), but no such additional effects were observed.

"Furthermore, as revealed by post-concert questionnaire responses, members of the tenor and bass section were unanimous in thinking that the performance sung in the presence of females was the best, but none admitted to attempting to attract the girls' attention. Therefore, while tenors and basses converged in terms of their subjective evaluations of the performances, their objectively measured behavior diverged."

It adds, "Indeed, the fact that we observed any vocal embellishment at all is remarkable given that the music was composed for religious celebration in the Lutheran Protestant tradition, where flamboyance is eschewed (in contrast to opera, gospel, and pop choirs, for example)."

The research notes that the origin of music remains a mystery to scientists. Some believe competition for sexual partners could have driven the evolution of musical behavior, while others cite social cohesion.

The study urges caution in generalizing the outcome. "Of course, investigating a single elite group has the obvious limitation of a small sample size. For this reason, caution should be taken in drawing generalized conclusions, especially since the current study focused on a single, culture-specific musical style. Indeed, one may ask whether effects observed with a highly drilled European boys choir would generalize to everyday forms of group music making in different cultures. While we cannot answer this question based on present findings, work in the field of ethnomusicology suggests that such generalizability is feasible."

Article Source: Cp

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Happy 57th Independence Day NIGERIA! With Love From Praisejamzblog

Happy 57th Independence Day to our great nation NIGERIA with lot of love from praisejamzblog.com.

"May the flag of our country always fly high and higher as we mark our [57th] Independence Day.”

Wishing all the lover's and patronizer's of praisejamzblog a Happy new month. May the lord grant y'all your heart desires this month, In Jesus Name. Amen!

Kindly Drop Your well wishes to our great Nation 'Nigeria' Below!

#God_Bless_Nigeria!

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Who do You Rely on? Depend on God, Not People || Read For Free

Who do You Rely on? Depend on God, Not People || Read For Free.

Some days, it just seems so easy for us to trust in people, doesn’t it?

If I had to ask you why, the subconscious answer would be because you can see them and you feel like their visibility makes them more accessible, and more available, than God.

The fact that they are a solid being you can see with your naked eye makes their promises feel palpable and their support seem more tangible.

But the Bible tells us that it is best to place our trust in God. According to Psalm 118: 8 (NLT), “It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in people.”

Placing your confidence in the Lord is better than placing your confidence in people, because people will fail you. They are limited in ther capabilities. They are fallible, unlike God, whose power is limitless, ways are righteous, knowledge is all-encompassing and wisdom is unsurpassed.

Job learned about the limits of people the hard way. Do you remember when he hit a rough patch in his life? He lost his kids, his servants, his possessions and his health. On top of that, those who were supposed to be there for him let him down in his time of need.

His wife told him to curse God and die (Job 2:9), and his friends accused him of bringing his unfortunate fate upon himself, rather than encouraging and comforting him.

Sometimes, the people closest to us fail us in our time of need. People you thought were for you will be against you and those you thought would support you at all times will go ghost on you when things get spooky.

It’s when our earthly connections fail us that we want to turn around and seek God’s help, but the Lord shouldn’t be our last resort.

Trust God first and foremost. It’s true that you can’t check in with Him to see how He’s handling things like you could with a person, but that’s where faith comes in. You have to believe that He is working all things together for your good (Romans 8:28).

Trust that He is with you even when circumstances seem to say otherwise.

There is no one more deserving of your trust than the Lord. He will never leave you nor forsake you (Deuteronomy 31:6). He is willing to take on your burdens (Psalm 55:22) and no matter what happens, He loves you, and cares for you immensely.

So let “In God we trust” be more to you than the saying you read on the penny. Place your full confidence in Him.

Article By Corinne Justice

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Four (4) More Things Every Christian Should Do || Read For Free

Four (4) More Things Every Christian Should Do || Read For Free.

Many people today are labeling themselves Christians. But being a follower of Christ is more than a bumper sticker and a confession.

A lifestyle of service and love for others must accompany our profession of faith. Here are 5 things every Christian should do:

    #1 Love like Christ. Jesus says in Mark 12:30-31 that the most important commandments God has given us are these: to love the Lord with all your heart, and to love your neighbor as yourself. If you love God, it will be reflected in how you treat people. Your interactions with others should be seasoned by your love for Christ, meaning you should approach folks with kindness, humility, patience, and forgiveness.

    #2 Live to serve. Mark 10:44-45 (ESV) reads, “And whoever would be first among you must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” Greatness in God’s eyes is lowliness in the world’s. Your outlook on life must be God first, people second, me last. You serve the Lord by serving others, placing their needs above your own, so that they will “see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven” (Matthew 5:16, NIV).

    #3 Obey His commandments. “If you love me, obey my commandments,” are the words of John 14:15 in the NLT. According to Christ, love and obedience are one and the same. If you would do anything for a loved one here on earth, how much more should you be willing to do anything for the One you love in heaven? Obedience and Christianity cannot be separated. Though our salvation is not based on works, but grace, once we have come to know Jesus, we will automatically begin to produce righteous fruit. You can’t be in a relationship with Him and remain in a constant state of rebellion and habitual sin. Just saying.

    #4 Know what Jesus actually did. 1 Corinthians 2:2 (ESV) says, “For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.” Christ is to be our focus. It’s not enough to simply know who He is by name; you have to know what He did and why He did it. Don’t be a stranger to the gospel. After all, how can you follow the example of someone without pursuing wisdom and insight on how they actually behave?

    #5 Be a witness. Your walk and your talk should scream “I’M A JESUS FREAK!” and your faith should be the theme of your life, not an undertone. As a Christian, you should walk boldly in your faith and share the source of your joy with those who are willing to listen. Abide by Romans 1:16, which reads in the NIV, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile.” Make sure you are actively working to introduce people to Christ.

If none of the things listed above is reflected in your life, you may need to consider rededicating your life to Christ. And if you have been following certain instructions here, but not others, now you know what to sharpen up on.

Here’s a quick prayer;

"Lord, please search my heart. If there is anything within me that’s goes against your character, please forgive me, wash me and make me new. In Jesus’ name, Amen."

Article by 'EEW Magazine'.

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The Power of Intercession: Why You Should Pray For Others || Read For Free

The Power of Intercession: Why You Should Pray For Others || Read For Free

Prayer changes things, and when we get into a jam, it’s one of our main lines of spiritual defense. We pray to be forgiven, we pray for favor, we pray for protection—basically, our prayers are very ME-centered.

But how often do we throw in a word or two for someone else? Not often enough. So, today, we present these 3 scriptures to challenge you to spend time in prayer for others:

1 Timothy 2:1 (NIV)- “I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people.”
According to Paul in 1 Timothy chapter 2, verse 1, believers are to intercede on behalf of all people. Not just those we like, those we know, and those that we associate with. God expects us to pray over those who hate us, the poor and needy that we may not be familiar with, and anyone who does not know Christ. You and your family are not the only people in the world who struggle, so don’t pray as if you are.

Instead of talking recklessly about people, take up their issues with God; pray for the dysfunctional family, pray over the distant, hurting child, and intercede for those who don’t have the faith to go before God themselves. Whether your prayer is answered with a yes or no, don’t forget to thank God for taking time to listen to your plea on behalf of the hurting.

1 Timothy 2:2 (NIV)- “… for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness.”
Pray for the leaders who rule the country, asking that God would either save them or gently guide them. Pray for anyone in a high position of authority, be it your boss, the mayor, or the governor, that they would be given the wisdom required to be effective in their leadership roles.

Ask God to give them the mental strength to deal with the pressures and demands of their duties. Pray so that not only their load is bearable, but that the individuals that serve under them are wise in their daily dealings, decisions and doings.

1 Timothy 2:3 (NIV)- “This is good, and pleases God our Savior...”
It delights the Lord when we pray for others, because it is His will that we look out for our fellowman. Pray for others the way you would pray for yourself: enthusiastically, desperately, earnestly, and whole-heartedly. Bombard heaven with requests for the peace of a friend, and the salvation of a stranger. James 5:16 tells us to pray for one another, because the prayer of the righteous is greatly effective.

But don’t limit this instruction only to praying for your brothers and sisters and Christ; extend your prayers to all who need them, in the church or not. The effectiveness of prayer is not dependent on whether the person being prayed over is saved or not; if the person being prayed over had to be saved beforehand, prayers for God to lead people to salvation would be of no use.

So, today, get down on your knees and fold your hands for someone else’s sake; you just might contribute to the change God makes in their life.

Article By EEW Ministries

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Get A Move On: Favor Starts With Your Feet || Read For Free

Get a move on: Favor starts with your feet.

Have you received a promise that God is going to favor you, but you don’t see anything happening? Your circumstances don’t seem to be changing, your dreams aren’t going anywhere except back and forth in your mind, and you seem to be perpetually stuck where you are?

Why does your life feel so stagnant, even though the Lord has promised to move in your favor? To help you understand, let’s dig into four verses from Joshua chapter 3.

Foundational Scriptures (NIV):
 

Joshua 3:5 - “Joshua told the people, ‘Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the LORD will do amazing things among you.”
 

Joshua 3:9-10 - “Joshua said to the Israelites, ‘Come here and listen to the words of the LORD your God. This is how you will know that the living God is among you and that he will certainly drive out before you the Canaanites, Hittites, Hivites, Perizzites, Girgashites, Amorites and Jebusites.”
 

Joshua 3:13 - “‘… As soon as the priests who carry the ark of the LORD—the Lord of all earth—set foot in the Jordan, its waters flowing downstream will be cut off and stand up in a heap.’”

Let’s summarize what’s happening. Here we find the children of Israel on the cusp of entering the Promised Land. They were guaranteed total defeat of their enemies and that “the Lord will do amazing things.” But first, before they could see God work, they had to cross the river. Before the Lord moved, they had to move.

The priests had to set their feet in the Jordan River, and then, God would work a miracle for them to walk across on dry land, just as He had done with Moses and the miraculous Red Sea crossing in Exodus 14.

Favor started with their feet and it begins with your feet, too.

That simply means, when God promises to do something awesome in your life and says His favor will cover you, trust that it’s true. But don’t just say you trust in His Word and fail to act on it. Unless He expressly tells you to be still, get those feet moving! Do something.

This idea of taking action is also expounded upon in James 2:17, which lets us know, “Faith without works is dead.” Sometimes, we don’t witness God’s favor, because we fail to put our faith into action.

Faith is not a still thing; faith moves toward the goal for which it is believing. So, get on your feet and make strides toward what God has called you to, trusting that His favor will follow you everywhere you go.

It’s not that the promise has been retracted, it’s just that you haven’t acted. Get busy! Psalm 5:12 NIV declares, “Surely, LORD, you bless the righteous; you surround them with your favor as with a shield.”

You already know the favor is on you. The word of God tells you so. That’s why you have no need to procrastinate.

And remember: When you hear destiny calling, you have to answer; When there is an open door of opportunity, you have to walk into it; When there is a river you need to get over, you have to cross it; When you need God to do the super, you have to do the natural.

So, get moving. Favor starts with your feet.

Article By Alice Whitehall of EEW Magazine

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Want to Lead a Happier Life? Be More Generous, Study Says

Want to Lead a Happier Life? Be More Generous, Study Says.

A new study out of Switzerland shows that people who are generous and focus on helping others report feelings of happiness more than those who act on their own self-interests.

Philippe Tobler and Ernst Fehr from the Department of Economics at the University of Zurich, along with a team of international researchers, conducted an experiment with 50 people in a lab who described their levels of happiness after doing acts of generosity, EurekAlert reported on Tuesday. The team sought to investigate how areas of the brain communicate to produce feelings of happiness.

The study's participants were promised 25 Swiss francs a week for four weeks. Twenty-five of them were asked to spend the money on others; the other 25 were told they could spend it on themselves.

"Doing something nice for another person gives many people a pleasant feeling that behavioral economists call a warm glow," a news release from the University of Zurich states.

The participants consistently reported that giving made them feel good. MRI scans of their brains were done simultaneously and showed that one area of the brain triggers a response in another area that is related to happiness.

"Our study provides behavioral and neural evidence that supports the link between generosity and happiness," the research team explained in the journal Nature Communications.

The researchers looked at three areas of the brain, "one linked to altruism and social behaviour, a second to happiness, and a third area involved in decision-making."

Those who said they would give the money away said they were happier than the "self-spenders" even without having moved forward on their commitments to give.

While their brains were being scanned they were asked questions which "evoked scenarios pitting the participants' own interests against those of the beneficiaries of their experimental largesse."

The degree of happiness they had was reportedly not related of the amounts they 

The research team also said their findings have all kinds of implications for other realms of culture like public health, education, economics, and politics.

"Generosity and happiness improve individual well-being and can facilitate societal success," they said.

"However, in everyday life, people underestimate the link between generosity and happiness and therefore overlook the benefits of ... spending" on others, they continued.

The brain science behind generosity will not surprise some.

Christian Smith, a University of Notre Dame sociologist and Hilary Davidson, note in the book, The Paradox of Generosity: Giving We Receive, Grasping We Lose, that an accumulating body of research has shown the positive effects of generosity on the brain.

Citing experts in neurobiology, Smith wrote: "Experimental studies have shown that the increasing amounts of oxytocin in people's neurological systems significantly increases their generosity, empathy, and love."

"But the relationship may work both ways: increased feelings of empathy for others and generous practices appear to be capable of increasing the oxytocin released into people's brain systems."

Furthermore, a lack of generosity can have the opposite effect, stimulating negative neurochemical processes. Smith cited a study showing that stingy people have been shown to secrete more cortisol in the brain, a stress hormone that is known for creating "wear and tear" on the body.

Source: Cp

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There's Forgiveness For That, Too! Release Guilt And Accept God's Mercy || Read For Free

There's Forgiveness For That, Too! Release Guilt And Accept God's Mercy.

Have you ever messed up and felt like there was no recovering from that mistake? Or have you ever done something you knew went against God, and felt the horrible sting of regret afterward?

If so, this article is for you, to remind you that there is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:1).

Here’s a breakdown of Isaiah 53:5 in the NKJV to liberate you from the oppressive nature of guilt:

Part 1.) “But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities…”

If you’re worried about facing God’s anger and disappointment, relax. Jesus took on God’s full wrath so that we wouldn’t have to. Of course, there may be consequences that result from sinning, but none will come close to the heat we would’ve felt had Christ not willingly hung on the cross. And God isn’t disappointed; He knew you would fall to sin in one way or another due to your sinful human nature. This was the reason for Jesus’ sacrifice.

Part 2.) “…the chastisement for our peace was upon Him…”

Be at peace, resting in the fact that Jesus endured the severe punishment that was necessary to make us right with God. He gave Himself over to death so that we might be saved and was tortured so that we might be free. We no longer have to pay the wages of sin, which is death (Rom 6:23), because we have an advocate with the Father in Jesus Christ. When you sin, know that as long as you are repentant, all is forgiven. Thank God that an apology and removing yourself from that mistake is all it takes to achieve forgiveness, and enjoy the peace that comes with knowing your contrite heart has been accepted by the Father (Psalm 51:17).


Part 3.) “… and by His stripes we are healed.”

Because of His sufferings, we have been made spiritually whole. Sin is not our master—and although you may fall once or twice, God will be there to receive your confession of sin and get you back on the right path. Because of your faith in Jesus, you are counted as righteous. You will be forgiven when you should be reprimanded, and called righteous despite your righteousness being comparable to filthy rags (Isaiah 64:6).

You are forgiven and all your sins have been covered by the blood that Jesus shed for you. There is no sin too great for God to forgive, or that His grace is not sufficient for.

So be at peace, all is well. 

Article By EEW Ministry

Need prayer to release the guilt tied to a past mistake? Let our intercessors stand in faith with you and believe God to help you receive the forgiveness He readily gives. Click here to request prayer.
   

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#HereWeGo!!! The Danger of Faking It ‘Til You Make It: Get Real With How You Feel So You Can Heal || Read For Free

The Danger of Faking It ‘Til You Make It: Get Real With How You Feel So You Can Heal || Read For Free.

I’d heard it so much throughout my lifetime, especially in church, that I adopted it as my mantra and faithfully lived by it in my everyday life.

Now, I have such a love-hate relationship with that phrase. On one hand, I get it. There are times when you have to piece it together even when it’s all really falling apart, or act like you’re making it when you’re honestly not.

I mean, you can’t acceptably just be out here an emotional wreck, spilling your issues everywhere you go, right? On the other hand, faking it teaches you to suppress things, cover them up, or, in a sense, slap a band-aid on your wounds and keep it moving. Well, that only works temporarily and ultimately makes things worse.

I know it all too well.

I was the queen of faking it. I had mastered putting on a good face when all kinds of hell was breaking loose in my life and in my mind. Even though I wanted to assume the fetal position, pull the covers over my head, and cry and throw all types of tantrums in the dark all day, every day I showed up looking as if my life was perfect and ideal. I pretended for so long that I started to believe my own façade. I became numb to the pain I once felt inside because of the pretense I’d made my norm. I just didn’t want anyone to see my pain and judge my life.

I’d almost succeeded at convincing myself that I was okay, until all of the issues that I’d suppressed rose up and nearly choked the life out of me. Then, I had no choice but to stop faking it and really face my problems. At that point, what anyone would think of me was irrelevant, because when pain becomes unbearable it doesn’t matter who sees how much you’re hurting. All you want is whatever it takes to heal.

The thing about suppression is that you’re only hiding the problem, and hidden things almost always show back up. Think about it – putting a bandage on a cut doesn’t stop it from bleeding, it just stops the bleeding from spilling all over the place. The bandage works for a little while, but if you leave it on too long, the wound will likely become infected because you never uncovered it to clean it or air it out, which is necessary for it to heal.

See where I’m going with this?

Sis, it's time for you to heal for real. For long enough, you have painted on this happy face to look good for people who probably couldn't care less about your happiness. You've pretended enough for those who aren't even real with you.

In your mind…

You can't let them see you sweat.

You don't want them to think you don't have your stuff together.

You don't want them to judge you.

You can't let them think you need help and treat you like a charity case.

You refuse to be caught with your face not beat, your hair not slayed, and your  outfit not looking like it came straight off the runway.

You give looking the part so much effort, but you have breakdowns in the shower and you cry yourself to sleep every night, if you sleep at all, because underneath all of that faking it, you're hurting and broken. You're unhappy and emotionally unhealthy.

You're cute and all (And I’m not insinuating that you should be in these streets looking a whole wreck!), but, friend, there’s nothing really cute about masquerading as whole when you’re shattered inside.

What you're hiding beneath that pretense needs to be uncovered so that the true essence of who you are can be recovered. As I mentioned before, putting bandages on top of wounds so no one else will see them or to pretend they don’t exist does not make them go away. No matter how much you dress it up, sex it up, shop it up, party it up, over-achieve it up, or however you cover it up, until you reveal it, you will never heal and the pain will only grow deeper and stronger.

Jesus didn’t die for you to live this way. The abundant life He came to give you, mentioned in John 10: 10b, is not one that is full of pain, dysfunction, and brokenness.

One of the most beautiful things about God is noted in Hebrews 4:15. It says, “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses…” Your pain is a weakness, and God understands. It’s okay to reveal it to Him, because Hebrews 4:16 assures us in this way, “So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most.” You don’t have to hide anything from Him. You can go before Him and bare it all, and right there in all of your messiness and brokenness, His mercy and grace will wrap you like the comfort of your favorite blanket.

God heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds (Psalm 147:3), and He will restore you to health (Jeremiah 30:17).

Pray.

Fast.

Journal.

See a therapist.

Seek Christian counsel.

Reach out to a trusted confidant.

Uncover it so that you can begin to recover from it. You can’t fake it forever. It’s time to get real with how you feel so that you can heal.

Article by  Lakeisha Rainey Collins of EEW Magazine

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#FACT! Study Shows Attending Church Is Good for Your Health, Longevity || Read For Free

Study Shows Attending Church Is Good for Your Health, Longevity || Read For Free

One of the results of attending church is that you have better health and live longer than those who do not, according to a recent study by Vanderbilt University professor Marino Bruce.

"We found in our study that actually attending church is actually good for your health, particularly for those who are between the ages of 40 and 65," Bruce, the associate director of Vanderbilt's Center for Research on Men's Health, says in a video posted to YouTube by the university.

Middle aged adults who attend church reduce their mortality by 55 percent, Bruce says, adding, "For those who did not attend church at all, they were twice as likely to die prematurely than those who did who attended church at some point over the last year."

The professor's study, "Church Attendance, Allostatic Load and Mortality in Middle Aged Adults," published in the Plos One journal, used publicly available data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey involving 5,449 participants, both men and women. It looked at participants' worship attendance, mortality and allostatic load, which is a physiological measurement, and social support.

"I'm ordained clergy so I'm always about what do we mean by our spiritual health. Does spiritual health matter with respect to biological outcomes?" Bruce says, and clarifies, "Any place of worship, any place where groups gather together to worship, it could be a church, it could be a temple, it could be a mosque… it's not about a particular faith."

He also says that the study went beyond presuming that the effects of attending worship services should be attributed only to social support. People go to church for reasons beyond social support, the study found.

"While churches are places where people can get social support, we actually found that and began to think about whether compassion is particularly important — feeling that you're doing good or having empathy for others," Bruce says.

The professor reveals he would like to also consider in future holiness and its effect on a person's health. When you feel good about yourself, you eat better and take good care of yourself, he argues.

Another study published last year showed that American women who attend a church service once a week or more are five times less likely to commit suicide compared with those who never go to a religious gathering.

The study had 89,708 women aged 30 to 55 years from across the United States as participants. It was published in July in JAMA Psychiatry.

In the conclusion, the authors of that wrote: "Our results do not imply that healthcare providers should prescribe attendance at religious services. However, for patients who are already religious, service attendance might be encouraged as a form of meaningful social participation. Religion and spirituality may be an underappreciated resource that psychiatrists and clinicians could explore with their patients, as appropriate."

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