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The Sovereignty of God (Part Nine)
Sermon by John W. RitenbaughAcknowledging God stands at the center of prayer because it requires a conscious recognition of His sovereignty, holiness, power, wisdom, immutability, mercy, and grace as the Creator and Ruler who knows the end from the beginning. This recognition begins with honoring His name and dominion while confessing human dependence, inadequacy, and creature-hood, thereby placing the one who prays in humble submission before the only source of eternal life and blessing. Such acknowledgment is not performed to inform God or alter His settled purpose but to bring the petitioner into alignment with that purpose, producing the humility that precedes obedience, growth, and the reception of honor. Because God has already determined the destiny of those He calls, acknowledging Him in prayer functions as a daily exercise that destroys pride, fosters yieldedness, and keeps the believer on the path toward the Kingdom. It leads the one praying to present needs in detail yet commit every outcome to His sovereign pleasure, trusting that He will respond in the manner that best glorifies Himself and advances His will. This attitude of dependence ensures that requests remain within the bounds of what Christ Himself would ask, eliminating any notion of prayer as a means to dictate terms or obtain what lies outside divine purpose. In this way acknowledging God transforms prayer into the appointed means by which blessings flow to the humble, character is refined through testing, and the believer learns to reflect the image of the One whose thoughts and ways stand far above human understanding.
God Is Aware
Sermonette by Richard T. RitenbaughUnlike human beings, who are very limited in their awareness, God knows all of our secret desires and urges, which are continually open to Him for inspection.
Praying Always (Part Six)
Article by Pat HigginsJesus' command to pray always contains the advice Christians need to strengthen their relationships with God as the return of Christ nears.
Praying Always (Part Five)
Article by Pat HigginsDeeply examining ourselves for flaws and shortcomings, as we do each year before Passover, helps us to accomplish Christ's command to watch and pray always.
Praying Always (Part Four)
Article by Pat HigginsHow does 'praying always' work? Why is consistent, thoughtful prayer such a powerful tool in the process of overcoming?
Teach Us To Pray! (Part Two)
Sermon by Martin G. CollinsPrayer should be a major practice in our life and bring us into contact with God's creative purpose, indicating to Him that we will yield to His purpose.
The Spirit of Gratitude
Sermon by Charles Whitaker (1944-2021)Pride, the kind demonstrated by Nebuchadnezzar when he boasted about what he had accomplished, militates against any feelings of gratitude.
Will You Show Up?
Sermonette by Hunter D. SwansonExpecting to do the very best each time might prove to be a detriment leading to inhibiting self-doubt. Sometimes, "showing up" may be our best works.
Forget Not All His Benefits
Sermonette by Clyde FinkleaAs long as the nation truly remembers God, He will prosper us. When we forget that foundational principle, He will break the pride of our power.
The Sabbath: Redemption
Feast of Tabernacles Sermon by Richard T. RitenbaughGod has blessed us with the Sabbath, a period of holy time, when He redeems us from the clutches of our carnality and this evil world.
Ecclesiastes Resumed (Part Sixteen)
Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh (1932-2023)Ecclesiastes 1-6 contains an indictment of materialism. The only lasting fulfillment comes from establishing and maintaining a relationship with God.
What's So Bad About Babylon? (1997)
Feast of Tabernacles Sermon by John W. RitenbaughBabylon constitutes the fountainhead of instruction that, like strong drink, impairs the ability to function properly while creating the illusion of ability.
Out of Sight, Out of Mind
Sermonette by Hunter D. SwansonIn our daily walk through life, we may not see evidence of God's intervention if we become distracted by problems and frustrations.
The Commandments (Part Sixteen)
Sermon/Bible Study byIt is absolutely impossible for lust to bring about any kind of satisfaction. Adultery cannot be entered into without irrevocably damaging relationships.