DAILY VIDEO DEVOTIONAL
Horatio Bonar, a British preacher of the 1800s, spoke of the great preachers of the previous century. He said, “We may take the sermons of Whitefield, Barrage and Edwards for a study or a pattern. But it is the individuals themselves that we must mainly set before us. It is with the spirit of the men more than the works that we are to be as powerful and victorious as theirs.”
I agree with Mr. Bonar. The men and women of years past who were mightily used of God were mighty because of their walk with the Savior. The key to courage with Christ is a personal, intimate walk with Him. And prayer is the secret of that intimacy with Christ.
Prayer is the communion of two hearts. It involves the heart of God and the heart of His child sharing together their deepest thoughts and desires. When we draw near to God, we supernaturally find boldness and courage to share His love with others. In that childlike fellowship with Him, the most timid become the most powerful in sharing the love of Christ.
As I study the Scriptures and history, I find a direct correlation between prayer and courage. When I served as a pastor in Germany, I decided the primary goal of our church would be the development of men and women who had a consistent time alone with God.
I preached, taught, and modeled for our congregation. People caught the vision. Priorities were rearranged, and spiritual vitality returned to the church. The church began to experience phenomenal growth. The church grew — not because of slick marketing or people joining from other churches. The church began to grow because Christians began witnessing of Christ out of the overflow of their time alone with God.
I believe that’s what happened with the early church. The Bible says in Acts 4:31, “After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly.” God has not changed. If you will draw near to Him, He will draw near to you. And when He is near to you, then you will also be courageous for Christ. The need of the hour is for courageous men and women. That means the need of the hour is for men and women who are intimate with God.
Deuteronomy : Chapter 31
5) The Lord will deliver them to you, and you must do to them all that I have commanded you. 6) Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.” 7) Then Moses summoned Joshua and said to him in the presence of all Israel, “Be strong and courageous, for you must go with this people into the land that the Lord swore to their ancestors to give them, and you must divide it among them as their inheritance. 8) The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.” Public Reading of the Law
Book of the Month
Sammy Tippit told his fiancée, “I can’t promise we’ll be rich, but life won’t be boring.”
Sammy had no idea what an understatement that would become. Beginning in the bars of Baton Rouge and the nightclubs of Chicago, Tippit has shared the news of life-changing faith in Christ all over the world – including in the middle of a revolution in Romania, the aftermath of genocide in Rwanda, and war in Burundi and the Congo.
Sammy’s lifelong adventure has come at a great price. He’s been cursed, threatened, arrested, deported, and blacklisted. He’s also been personally broken, ravaged with illness, and devastated by grief.
Yet he continues to preach to in stadiums, in open fields, and via satellite technology to hundreds of thousands around the globe. For all other books…
About Sammy Tippit Ministries
STM has been providing inspiration and help around the world for nearly 50 years. Sammy Tippit, founder and president, is a world renowned counselor, teacher and evangelist with experience serving and helping people in over 80 countries. Sammy provides materials that help people tackle a broad array of social, societal, psychological and spiritual issues. He is particularly passionate about making materials accessible to other countries around the world. Sammy is married to Debara “Tex” Tippit, and they have two children and five grandchildren.
Sammy Tippit Ministries is a registered 501c3 non-profit organization.
Contact: info@sammytippit.org
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