The Ghost Of Christmas Prayer

Encouraging prayer, God offers open imitation for his people to talk with him anytime about anything encouraging prayer Dr. James Banks, author of best-selling and many other books on prayer provides weekly biblical insight help you learn to love and valve. James I'm thinking about calling you have understand that last night you had a visit from the ghost of Christmas past Christmas present and Christmas future all in one night. Bah humbug in a way that I did watch a Christmas Carol Schneider nuclear favorite stories about all of the version of it with the Patrick Stewart who shares my hairstyle. So I guess it feels very personal but as I was watching it again. I like to watch it every year. Christmas something really jumped out at me has a lot in that story wanted to see the information of screws map stories incredible.

I love the part where he says I will no Christmas in my heart and keep it all year and the only way you can no Christmas like that is if the true founder of the feast is in your heart. Jesus himself, and what really jumped out at me in. It is this whole concept of how things are heading in one very definite direction in our edification Scrooges life, but they can be changed by your actions.

How throughout the story, Scrooge gets new insight into his past, the present circumstances around them and what will happen if he keeps living the way he's living.

But then he has this moment.

If I remember correctly where he realizes that he wouldn't been shown all of these things of change was impossible and that gives them hope you're right.

It's when he's meeting with the ghost of Christmas yet to come. But he sees that and not hold encounter really made me think about something else and that is the effect of our prayers. How so Scrooge sees what is going to happen if he doesn't change and it makes me wonder what if we caught a glimpse of what will happen if we don't pray and what will happen if we do keep going well. God often chooses to move to our prayers and and sometimes he will not move unless we pray and that means that there are things that will happen only if we pray, or things that won't happen if if we do not pray we talked about something similar in the past finally lifted when Isaiah told Hezekiah right because you prayed he told them an invasion was averted.

That's right because you prayed the whole Christmas Carol story hangs on a similar concept on what can happen because of someone's heart changing and I believe that if we were more aware of the difference. Our prayers make we pray more� Sometimes we get to see what happens the way God moves in response and there's nothing really more encouraged exactly I mean what what better proof of your faith.

What better proof of God's existence and we need to hang on to the biblical truth that our prayers are are precious to God is faithful to hear the weather. We see something happening in the moment or not. And again, those words from Scripture because you prayed well. I mean they they hunt me they make me wonder how things would've been different in the past. If I crave more or how my current circumstances would change and also what effect I can have on the future and that's the thing. Your prayers really can make a difference when absolutely you know you so so think about that.

Let it hunt you a bit to the point that like Scrooge you you want to make a change but some will say Bah humbug. Sometimes I prayed and prayed and nothing seems to change at all what you say to them first, but that I understand and in no we don't fall into the trap of just saying that will only be heard because of many prayers and Jesus warned against that but it's Jesus telling us to ask that we need to keep coming back to me he does it again and again and we need understand that prayer is is intended to be more like a life adventure than a checklist of requested answers. Sometimes answers we want. Don't come, that's true, and it can be heartbreaking when were asking for something good but God's Word still promises that he sees faithful in all of that, come what may. And the gifts he has for us are worth besides you know who really says that they pray too much, can't we all grow in this Kit. We look forward more to what only he can do and then ask for and put it another way as well. Can we give others the gift of our prayers. I love that.

Yeah, that's a great way to see that this time of year. Imagine the difference that your prayers can make for someone who really think about that imagined me take the time to imagine what their lives could be like the blessings that could be given the tragedies that could be averted. The hearts that could be changed go there with the real spirit of Christmas. The Holy Spirit and and get a picture of these things in your mind you know let him lead you if you will with you like a sanctified imagination and and let help you to pray, and you will keep Christmas well. Ask God to lead you in this and he will and your prayers will increase their effectiveness because your praying in step with the spirit. Again, this is what you could call sacred imagination to think of what could be to stay open before God and ask for it and that will really will be a gift to others in the gift that you would receive yourself. Because when we pray God meets us and and were blessed, regardless of whether we see a change in our circumstances, so all you know what could be Robbie.

Think about what the Lord lead us you know what a wonderful thing. It would be really what James so let me wrap up with a prayer that we could really do this and be caught up in what God wants and is waiting to do, Lord. Thank you that the righteous will live by faith. And it's our faith that we need to have that that that your fair hearing and that this matters and I pray that you would just wet our appetite to be in that to be believing in that believe as Scrooge that our lives to could be changed in such a way that we could see you come and make the difference that you claim to know for those that we love and for those yet to come and what against the gift of prayer. Help us to remember that this masses in Jesus name, amen and amen hear more from Pastor James by visiting the website James Banks.org or by visiting these church in Durham, North Carolina. May God bless you and encourage you as you pray