Challenge Answers and "I Want To Be More Like You"

Good Evening to All!

The answers to last night's Bible Challenge "Prayer" are as follows:

1. c) Enos' (Genesis 4:26)
2. b) Abraham (Genesis 18:23-33)
3. d) because Moses was stalling when he should have been taking action (Exodus 14:15)
4. d) 51
5. c) Solomon (2 Chronicles 7:14)
6. d) dedication of the temple in Jerusalem (2 Chronicles 6-7)
7. c) vain repetitions (Matthew 6:7)
8. Matthew 6:9-13, Luke 11:1-4
9. a) three (2 Corinthians 12:8)
10. d) My grace is sufficient for thee (2 Corinthians 12:9)

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We have the mind of Christ (the Messiah) and do hold the thoughts (feelings and purposes) of His heart. (1 Corinthians 2:16 AMP)

When we invite Jesus to come into our hearts, the Holy Spirit makes His home in us.

He indwells in our hearts which are the very centers of our beings. The Holy Spirit begins cleansing our souls ( our minds, wills, and emotions), but only if we allow Him to do so.

Before we filled with the Holy Ghost or the "indwelling of Jesus" in our hearts, we
think with our carnal or "natural" mind. We can't know what or how God thinks. Once we have the Holy Spirit within us, He will teach us and guide us in the ways of God. This is not to say it happens automatically. It is a process. Just as though we are in school. We have to learn how to think in the manner of God. What would He do in this situation, how would He deal with the situation at hand, or what was said.

Our emotions tell us how we feel in the natural sense, not what God feels about our situations, people we associate with or the decisions we make. The only way to know how He feels is to know His will, and the only way to do that is by being guided by the Holy Spirit within us and by studying His Word. The more we study His Word and Pray, the better we get to know Him because His Spirit will speak to our hearts and tell us. What it all boils down to is that He wants us to take on as many of His characteristics as possible. This is why the "Fruits of the Spirit" are so important to achieve. They are all attributes of Christ. He does not expect us to change by ourselves. That is impossible. If we ask God for strength, He will give it to us.

Our wills, or "what we want" also must change. In time, after spending time with God in His Word, under His guidance from the Holy Spirit, and prayer, we will find that our desires have changed. We will find ourselves desires more in line with what God wants for us. We can still desire natural things, houses, cars, good jobs, the normal things of life. The difference being they won't be on a whim. They will be in line with God's will for us. Also, God will provide us with more than we could ever dream of.

We will find ourselves asking Him for more spiritual things and things about our person such as asking Him for understanding, knowledge, or generosity. Our motives for wanting things will change. We will ask for things of normality such as a job with better hours, not so we can have more time to party, but better hours in the sense so they will line up with our church schedule so we won't miss church. We will ask for a better paying job, not because we want more money to buy a "fancier house or sports car, but so we can provide for our family better and give more tithes to God. (After all, He provided us with the money in the first place by getting us the job).

The more we allow the Holy Spirit to work in us, and the more we accept and heed His direction, the more mature we become in Christ. The more mature we become, the more like Him we will become, which is our goal.

We will NEVER be perfect as He is until we are caught up with Him in the sky and taken to heaven to live with Him forever (when our bodies become incorruptible), but His Word says to strive to be like Him, and with the guidance of the Holy Spirit is the only way to accomplish this feat.

There is a beautiful little chorus which we used to sing at church a lot, and I feel that it is so appropriate here. It 's called "I Want To Be More Like You".

I want to be more like You, Jesus , I want to be more like You.
I want to be a vessel You work through, I want to more like You.

We cannot be more like Him if we don't have the Holy Spirit guiding us.

With God's Help, you can manage your emotions instead of letting them manage you.

Good Night And May God Bless!