Scriptural Prayer (Apostle Paul's Prayers for the Church)

Prayer in Ephesians:

Father God, we pray, that by Your Spirit, You will cause us to know truths about You and help us understand them so that we will know You better.

Father, we pray that You will open our minds to see Your truth, then we will know the hope that You have chosen for us to have; that we will know that the blessings You have promised us, Your holy people, are rich and glorious; that we will know Your power that’s very great for us who believe; it’s the same mighty power You used to raise Jesus Christ from death and put Him at Your right hand in heavenly places.

Father, You put Jesus Christ over all rulers, authorities, powers, and kings; You gave Him authority over everything that has power in this world and in the world to come; You put everything under His power and made Him head over everything for us, the Church. We are His body; we are filled with Him and He (Jesus) makes everything complete in every way.

Father, every family in Heaven and on Earth gets its true name from You. We ask that You give us the power to be strong in our spirits; give us strength through Your Spirit. We pray that Jesus will continue to live in our hearts because of our faith. We pray that our lives will be strong in love and be built on love; we pray that we and all Your holy people will have the power to understand the greatness of the love that Jesus has for us: how wide, how long, how high, and how deep His love is; His love is greater than anyone naturally can ever know, however, we pray we will be able to know that love by Your Spirit, so we can be filled with everything that You have for us.

Father, with Your power working in us, You can do much, much more than anything we can ask or think of. Father, be glorified in our Church - in the body of Christ, and in Christ Jesus forever.

Prayer in Philippians:

Father, thank You for the joy we experience in prayer. 

Father, the good work You have begun in us will continue until You complete it on the day when Jesus Christ comes again.

Father, we pray, that our love will grow more and more; that we will have knowledge and understanding with our love; that we will see the difference between what is important and what is not and choose what is important; that we will be pure and blameless for the coming of Jesus Christ;  that our lives will be full of the many good works that are produced by Jesus Christ to bring glory and praise to You.

Prayer in Colossians:

Father, make us completely sure of what You want by giving us all the wisdom and spiritual understanding we need; this will help us live in a way that brings glory and honor to You, and pleases You in every way; that our lives will produce good works of every kind and that we will grow in our knowledge of You Father; that You Father will strengthen us with Your own great power so that we will be patient and not give up when troubles come.

Father, You have made us able to have what You promised to give all Your holy people, who live in the light. Father, You made us free from the power of darkness, brought us into the kingdom of Your dear Son – Jesus; He paid the price to make us free and in Him, we have forgiveness of our sins.

In the name of Jesus we pray! Amen and thank God!!!

How to Embrace Grief and Grow

“We need to grieve.”

Most of us think of grieving in relation to the death of a loved one—a process we must go through to “get on with our lives.” However, grieving is a "grace of God for more."

Responding to God's call for more requires leaving something behind: security, long-held beliefs, even people and places we grew to love. It always necessitates a dying to ourselves. This requires grieving.

Grieving is not something we readily embrace, because we associate it with negative events. However, let's begin to see grieving as a grace God has provided for all His children. Knowing our weaknesses, He has given us grief that we might more easily and productively walk through the necessary transformation {2 Corinthians 3:18}.

Consider these benefits of grieving:

1) It prepares us to let go while making the first step possible. Saying goodbye is a liberating and empowering experience. Even when we don’t know what we're leaving, offering up our “whatever” to God releases His grace for the journey.

2) It allows us to keep our face turned in the right direction. God designed us to face toward the direction our feet are taking us; so that we avoid tripping over obstacles and running into others. Those who keep looking back have a tough time finding God’s path.

3) It makes future grieving easier, as God calls us to let go of more. Transformation is a process. Dying to ourselves, that God might be our all-in-all, is not a one-time event (and this is God's mercy). As God proves Himself faithful as we let go, we then grow to trust Him for more. In other words, our faith grows as we transform.

Grieving is a relational activity. God uses it to build our relationship with Him, and each other. The beginning point for grieving should always be prayer, and that in a community. When we're ready to take the first step in our adventure toward more, let's ask God to reveal something that we need to leave behind. This will allow us to practice the grieving process, and He will meet us there.

Hope In God (Why we can hope in God)

The reference scripture for this lesson:

Why are you in despair, O my soul? And why have you become disturbed within me? Hope in God, for I shall again praise Him, for the help of His presence. {Psalm 42:5} (NASB)

Why are you discouraged, my soul? Why are you so restless? Put your hope in God, because I will still praise Him. He is my savior and my God. {Psalm 42:5} (GW)

Why am I so sad? Why am I so troubled? I will put my hope in God, and once again I will praise Him, my savior, and my God.  {Psalm 42:5} (TEV) 

It can be really hard to hope in God at times! We live in an evil, uncertain and hard world. Who doesn’t face personal uncertainty? So, how do we not struggle with fear of the future? How can we find hope in God - the God of hope? Our enemy wants to rob us of hope, however, God assures us in His word that we have a bright future. God gives us incredible promises to give us hope for the future, both in this life and the life to come.

Here are several:

• We hope in God because He has good plans for us
• We hope in God because He will fulfill His purpose for us
• We hope in God because He will complete what He started
• We hope in God because He will establish our plans.
• We hope in God because He will lead us
• We hope in God because our path grows brighter each day
• We hope in God because we are His workmanship
• We hope in God because all things work together for good

Let's keep hoping in God!

1) We hope in God because He has good plans for us.
 For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. {Jeremiah 29:11}
God has specific wonderful plans for each of His children. He has a plan for us and it is a plan for good. Plans for our good. Plans for our joy. Plans to give us a future and hope. And no one can thwart those plans. We don’t know how or when God will work out His plans for us, however, we know He will. And His timing will be perfect. We can hope in God because He has promised us that we will see His goodness in the future. We hope in God because, unlike our plans, His good plans can’t be stopped or thwarted. 

2) We hope in God because we will see His goodness.
I believe that I shall look upon the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living! Wait for the LORD; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the LORD!
{Psalm 27:13-14}

God promises believers that will see His goodness in this life. We certainly will experience His goodness in heaven, however, we'll see it in this life as well. We will see God answer prayers and meet needs. We will experience His joy. We will see Him work in our families. Don’t give up! Keep hoping and waiting for the Lord’s perfect timing. Be strong and take courage. Our hope won’t be disappointed. We do have hope for the future! We can hope in God because He has promised that we will see His goodness in the land of the living, and that’s a promise He will fulfill!

3) We hope in God because of His abundant goodness.
Oh, how abundant is your goodness, which you have stored up for those who fear you and worked for those who take refuge in you, in the sight of the children of mankind! {Psalm 31:19}

God doesn’t have just a few sparse blessings, but abundant goodness stored up for us, and He waits for His perfect timing to shower it on us. We cannot even begin to imagine all the blessings God has in store for us. If we have taken refuge in God, then we can be absolutely sure that God will pour out His abundant goodness upon us. We might not see it at the moment, but it will indeed come. 
We hope in God because He has promised to pour out His abundant, rich blessings upon us. 

4) We hope in God because He will fulfill His purpose for us. 
The LORD will fulfill his purpose for me; your steadfast love, O LORD, endures forever. Do not forsake the work of your hands. {Psalm 138:8}

Have you ever wondered what your purpose in life is? Sometimes, we wonder if we're missing God’s will for our lives. However, God promises that He has a purpose for our lives and He will fulfill it! This gives us great hope! He absolutely will fulfill His purpose for us.  

5) We hope in God because He will complete what He started.
And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ. {Philippians 1:6}

God finishes what He starts. When God saved us, He began an incredibly good work in us – to transform us into the likeness of Christ. Everything we go through, good and bad, is controlled by His sovereign hand to conform you to Christ. He won’t fail. There won’t be any “unfinished” believer in heaven. God works in our lives every day and at “the day of Jesus Christ” we will be like Him. We have every reason to hope in God. If God has started a good, powerful work in you, then he certainly will bring it to completion. 

6) We hope in God because He will establish our plans.
Commit your work to the LORD, and your plans will be established. {Proverbs 16:3}

Maybe you don’t know where you’re going in life. But if you seek the Lord, you have a sure hope He will establish your plans as He has promised. Let’s be honest: there are many times when we can’t bring our own plans to pass. However, God isn’t like that. If we commit our work to the Lord, He will establish our plans. He will cause our plans to align with His plans, and then He will bring those plans to pass. We can hope in God because He is the one who will bring our plans to pass. 

7) We hope in God because He will lead us.
I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my eye upon you. {Psalm 32:8}

God Himself, the One who controls all things, the God of infinite wisdom, will personally counsel us with His eye upon us. Wow, who could hope for more than that! Let's ask God to instruct us and teach us and show us how to live a life that pleases Him, and He will. He will lead us in the way we should go. He will instruct - teach, guide, and counsel us. Even though the way forward may seem unclear at the moment, God will be the one who leads us. We can hope in God because He is faithful and will lead us and instruct us. 

8) We hope in God because our path grows brighter each day.
But the path of the righteous is like the light of dawn, which shines brighter and brighter until full day. {Proverbs 4:18}

Maybe the path is dark right now, however, if we keep seeking the Lord, He will make our path brighter and brighter. As we seek to follow Jesus He’ll light our path. If we believe in Jesus, our future is bright. Our path will shine brighter and brighter until the full day when He - Jesus returns. We can hope in God because He has promised a bright future for us. 

10) We hope in God because we are His workmanship.
For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. {Ephesians 2:10}

Whenever we're tempted to think we might miss God’s will for our lives, this verse reminds us He created good works for us to walk in before He created the universe. He desires that we walk in these good works even more than we do. He has prepared them already and He will make sure we don’t miss them.

Do you believe that God has prepared good works for you to walk in? He most certainly has, and he will guide you into those good works. You are his workmanship, and every day he is making you more and more like Jesus Christ. Nothing can stop him from completing that work. We can hope in God because we are His workmanship. 

11) We hope in God because all things work together for good.
And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to His purpose. {Romans 8:28}

Every believer suffers various kinds of temptations, tests, and trials. Life’s not easy. However, God works even the sad, hard, and painful things together for the good of what He has purposed. Someday in heaven, we’ll see how our momentary light afflictions produced an eternal weight of glory far beyond comparison.

So don’t give up hope. Let's keep asking God to pour out His abundant goodness upon us. Keep asking Him to guide and instruct and show us the way we should go. Let's keep expecting to see His goodness. Keep hoping in the living God. Our hope for the future isn’t based upon us. It’s based on who God is and what He has promised!

All things are possible to God. We have a promise of restoration; He is as good as He is powerful; so hope in Him.

The God of Hope

“Whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope.” (Romans 15:4)

Paul is speaking about the Old Testament here in this verse, but what he says applies today. The Bible was written for our learning. This is not the conclusion of everyone. However, this does not change the facts. The greatest of all learning is the learning we get from God’s Word.

God's Word instructs us in the most important matters of life. Any institute of learning that ignores the Bible will wallow in ignorance in the most important matters of life. In Romans 15:4, Paul speaks of three areas of learning which we gain from the Scriptures. They are patience, comfort, and hope. These are very important areas of learning indeed.

Patience

Patience is a virtue of great value and none of us have enough of it. However, we can learn it from the Scriptures. The more we get into the Scriptures in earnest study, the better we will learn about patience. The world is not teaching about patience (its advertisements emphasize getting everything right now), but the Word will teach us patience.

Comfort

We live - are living in a very discomforting world. It can get pretty rocky and bumpy at times, and often we hit these rough areas of life. However, the Scriptures - God's Word will give us the comfort we need for the rough places of life; scripture gives us - the believer the best comfort.

Hope

Another valuable thing we learn from Scripture is hope. Hope is confident expectation, anticipation, looking and longing for, desiring, relying upon and trusting. The world does not give us any hope. Rather, it gives us a lot of hopelessness. But the Bible gives a lot of hope. It will give us hope in the midst of the worst circumstances and trails. It will give us hope for the future. If you want hope in your life, go to God's Word. It gives the best hope.

Romans 15:13:

"Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost." 

Here it is "the God of hope." There is nothing hopeless about the Christian experience. 

"The God of hope" is both the One who gives us hope and the object our hope. 

Our joy is the joy of the Lord. (John 15:11; Galatians 5:22; 1 John 1:4) 

The peace is not "as the world giveth." (John 14:27)

It is Jesus' peace given by the Holy Spirit to those who hope in God.

(Galatians 5:22; Philippians 4:7)

The believer does not build on the experience of an hour or the happenings of a minute; our hope is in God, the One who sees the end from the beginning, planning and understanding it all. 

The result of joy and peace abounds "through the power of the Holy Spirit."

The description of God as the God of hope relates to hope mentioned in the preceding verses and to the promises of God recorded in the Scripture which give hope. Paul desired God to fill his readers with all joy and peace. (Romans 14:17)

1) We experience joy as we anticipate seeing our hopes fulfilled. 

2) Peace is the result of the assurance we have that God will fulfill our hopes. 
(Romans 5:1; Philippians 4:7)

3) Joy and peace are experienced as we trust in Him.
(Hebrews 11:1)

4) As a result of the believer’s joy and peace, there’s overflow of hope aided by the power of the Holy Spirit. (Romans 15:19)

The achievement of all God's purposes for the spiritual welfare of His children comes from the power given by the Spirit of God. 

A strong fellowship - Church

Each one of us has a personal responsibility to help make our local fellowship of believers a strong body. It is the duty of every believer to bring all he or she is—the talents, gifts, love, knowledge, acceptance that come only from knowing God—to the local church. There are five qualities, five marks that spell out a strong fellowship:

• Mark 1: the strong bear the weaknesses of the weak.
• Mark 2: everyone studies the Scriptures - God's Word.
• Mark 3: everyone works for harmony.
• Mark 4: everyone accepts one another without discrimination.
• Mark 5: everyone is filled by the God of hope.

Our God - our Father is the "God of hope!!!"

He is:

·  the "Author" of our hope

·  the "Foundation" of our hope

·  the "Builder" of our hope

·  the "Finisher" of our hope

Characteristics of a Sanctified / Holy Life

The study text for this lesson: Colossians 3:12-14

So, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion (show mercy to others), kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience; bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you. Beyond all these things put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity.

Paul the Apostle, exhorts the Church at Colosse to maintain a holy lifestyle. Paul admonishes them, "to clothe themselves with" - "put on" compassion (show mercy to others), kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. This "putting on" helps us progress in the sanctification process, the purifying process through which God is taking all of us, so He can make us more like Christ. Sanctification is being made holy, purified, and set apart for God’s special use or purpose. 

Sanctification or holiness is what makes us "saints" (a term for believers - Christians used in scripture); we are God’s holy - sanctified people. It's only by the strength of God, and our complete reliance on His sustaining power and transforming grace, that we will be able to heed - obey the directions - instructions given to us above. 

This "putting on" helps us progress in the sanctification process, 

the purifying process through which God is taking all of us, 
so He can make us more like Christ. 

A heart of compassion - showing mercy to others

Some of us are more compassionate than others. Maybe it’s our personality or the environment – the home in which we were raised. Nevertheless, in the Lord’s Church, every believer is admonished to “put on a heart of compassion - show mercy to others” {Colossians 3:12}. Compassion is simply defined as a desire to free others from their suffering; a deeply felt affection or sensitivity to people in need.  

Because empathy (the ability to understand or share the feelings of others) doesn’t come naturally, some believers may wonder if something is wrong with them. So, what can we do to develop a greater sense of caring?

Having a heart of compassion indicates a very deep feeling, 

a yearning with the deeply-felt affection of Jesus Christ.

While emotions cannot be manufactured on demand, we can change our thoughts, which in turn affect our emotions. Compassion is possible only when we think of others before ourselves. Self-centeredness keeps us from seeing the needs and hurts of those around us and acting on their behalf. What we need is a renewed mind.

The believer's new nature is like a growing plant that grows stronger 

and stronger in a continuous, advancing process.

We are all born with a selfish, sinful nature, referred to as the “old self.” However, when a person puts their trust in Jesus for salvation, they receive a “new self” created in righteousness by God {Ephesians 4:22-24}. As our minds are renewed with God’s Word and we grow in obedience, Christ’s love and compassion begin to flow through us; remember, "God poured out His love to fill our hearts through the Holy Spirit He gave us" {Romans 5:5}. Instead of our being oblivious to the pain and suffering around us, God will open our eyes and use us to comfort - help those in need.

Being made like Christ through salvation, 

we should act like Christ. 

A heart of compassion cannot be achieved through self-effort, however, it is the heart of the person with a God-focused life. As we draw near to Him through His Word and His Son, He transforms our focus, thoughts, and feelings. What a relief to know that God has provided everything we need to follow Jesus’ example of compassion. God equips us to obey His Word.

Recovering our understanding of Sanctification / Holiness

Sanctification is being made holy, purified, and set apart for God’s use or purpose.

Sanctification or holiness is what makes us saints (a term for believers - Christians used in scripture); God’s holy or sanctified people. Saints, enjoy purification from evil, separateness (not isolation) from the world, fellowship with all other saints, and enlightenment - wisdom from God. We enjoy this sanctification from the moment we become believers. It's not a "second blessing" for which we must wait.

1) We are sanctified through the Spirit by faith and obedience

• 2 Thessalonians 2:13: "You are saved by the Spirit (God) making you holy and by your faith in the truth."

• 1 Peter 1:2: "God planned long ago to choose you and to make you His holy people, which is the Spirit’s (God's) work. God wanted you to obey Him and to be made clean by the blood sacrifice of Jesus Christ."

• Ephesians 5:26-27: "so that He (Jesus) might sanctify her (the Church), having cleansed her by the washing of water with the Word, that He (Jesus) might present to Himself the Church in all her glory, having no spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that she (the Church) would be holy and blameless."

2) We are sanctified when justified and redeemed

• 1 Corinthians 6:11: "...you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus."

• 1 Corinthians 1:30: "Jesus... was made to us wisdom from God, and justification, and sanctification, and redemption."

3) We are sanctified to serve

• Romans 12:1: "...present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy (sanctified), acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service."

Let’s look at five characteristics of "saints" and their sanctification:

A) Purification from Evil

Here are three important scriptures that associate sanctification with purification:

• Hebrews 9:13-14: compares animal sacrifices with the sacrifice of Christ's own body and blood. In these verses the word "sanctifies" is used in connection with the words "purifying" and "purge."

• 1 Corinthians 6:11: note how "washed" and "sanctified" are associated here. "You were washed... sanctified... justified..."

• Ephesians 5:25-27: the terms, "sanctify, cleanse, washing, holy, without blemish," are all linked together.

In God’s law there are three things essential to purification and therefore to sanctification:

• a sacrifice of blood
• offered by an appointed priest
• under a divine covenant

Jesus made our sanctification possible by offering His own blood as our High Priest who mediated the New Covenant (1 Peter 1:2, Hebrews 9:14-15, Hebrews 10:10-12). There is one important and simple fact we can believe and understand regarding what it means to be sanctified: "If we confess our sins, God is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness" (1 John 1:9). In verse 7, John states, that the blood of Jesus Christ God’s Son, cleanses us from all sin. Our sanctification is immediate, full, and ever-present.

B) Separateness from The World

Our spiritual duty:
The saint (sanctified person) has a "spiritual duty of worship" to present his or her body as "a living and holy sacrifice, well-pleasing to God... not conformed to this world, but transformed by the renewing..." (Romans 12:1-2)

A spiritual world view:

•  Because "the earth and its works will be burned up" the saint lives in "holy conduct" as if already living in the new world where righteousness dwells (2 Peter 3:10-14).

• Sanctified people live in the world, but are not of the world; they conform to Christ’s prayer for their sanctification (John 17:14-20).

• In short, if a person's life and ways are not markedly different from that of worldly people, then that person is not one of God’s saints.

C) Spiritual investment

• Saints have an inheritance (Ephesians 1:13-14,18). An inheritance has much in common with an investment, however, in some cases, an inheritance is a gift; the beneficiary contributes nothing.

• Certainly, our inheritance is a gift from God, however, we are required to invest our whole selves in God’s kingdom. We must render our bodies "a living and holy sacrifice" (Romans 12:1).

D) Fellowship with The Saints

• There is a "manner worthy of the saints" in which we receive one another, and recognize one another’s ministry (Romans 16:1-2). Christ’s prayer, mentioned above, goes on to ask,  "that they all may be one" (John 17:20-21).

• Saints are called "fellow citizens" (Ephesians 2:19). We are "stones fitted together" in God’s temple (1 Peter 2:5). "A heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, patience, bearing with one another and forgiving one another" (Colossians 3:12-13), characterizes those who are sanctified.

• We "put on love, the perfect bond" of unity (Ephesians 2:19-22; Colossians 3:12-15). People who fight, hinder, slander, avoid and abandon each other are not saints.

E) Enlightenment from God

• The "mystery which has been hidden from past generations and ages, has now been manifested to His saints, to whom God willed to make known" His revelation. So the saints are not ignorant of eternal truth, having "the eyes of their understanding enlightened" (Colossians 1:26-28, Ephesians 1:1,17-18).

F) Dedication and Loyalty to Jesus

• Saints are "faithful in Christ Jesus" (Ephesians 1:1). To be sanctified means to be dedicated. We recall that Solomon "did not follow the Lord fully" (1 Kings 11:4-6).

• There are people like Solomon, who partly follow God, but also follow their own ways. Sanctified people, however, are characterized by their total dedication and loyalty to the Lord. (Luke 11:23).

• In the time of Moses, the tabernacle, or tent of worship, had rooms called the Holy Place and the Most Holy Place (Hebrews 9:1-3). These rooms were hallowed, sacred, dedicated, set apart for God and devoted to His use and presence. That's what it means to be "holy."

The Church in Recovery

In this "Year of Recovery" the Church needs to recover some of the practices of the early Church. For this lesson, we'll use this reference for the purpose of defining the word recovery: 

Recovery is the restoration or return to a normal condition

after damage or loss has been incurred - taken place. 

Our points of focus - discussion are taken from the book of Acts, chapters 2 thru 4, and the book of Revelation, chapter 2.

1) Let's recover a sincere love for God.

When we receive Jesus Christ as our Savior, we experience the delight of "first love" for the Lord. God’s Spirit witnesses with our spirit that we are now a child of God and this newfound relationship brings great joy and freedom. Unfortunately, many of us fall away from this first love. When we stop depending on God to meet our daily needs, our love for God grows cold. Jesus addressed this issue when He spoke to the Church of Ephesus. Jesus said: “I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love. Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works . . .” (Revelation 2:4–5).

2) Let's recover our devotion to God and the study and practice of His Word.

Devotion to God implies a passionate, enthusiasm for Him; having a heart completely yielded to Him in reverence, faith, and holiness. For the devoted, prayer and the study of God's Word, along with meditation are imperative. Listening, learning, and putting into practice what we hear and learn. We must become devoted to listening, learning, and letting what we read and hear change our lives.

3) Let's recover our devotion to prayer.

We see this again and again throughout the book of Acts, as believers prayed for the apostles, for each other, and for the spread of the Gospel. They prayed a particularly wonderful prayer in Acts 4, asking God for boldness to spread the Gospel.

4) Let's recover the practice of sharing.

Something really remarkable about the early Church is how committed they were to serving and supporting one another. Acts 2:45 even says that they sold their belongings in order to care for those who didn’t have enough! This kind of remarkable generosity should be evident in our Churches. However, too often we get caught up in loving the thought of having lots of money to ourselves. Could we be more generous to those around us, so no one is in need?

5) Let's recover the understanding of how important it is that we come together - meet together.

The early Church met not just on Sundays, or on Friday night, or for a mid-week Bible study and prayer. They were committed to meeting together every day, to encourage one another, learn together and worship the Lord. This doesn’t mean we have to go to church every single day. However, these believers clearly placed an extremely high priority on fellowship. Do we place the same value on meeting together? Or do things like relaxing, going out to eat, watching tv, Netflix, and chilling or just hanging out, come before Church, prayer, and Bible study?

6) Let's recover the understanding of the importance of praise.

The believers in the early Church were so thankful for everything Jesus had done for them, that they praised God fervently. This was even despite the persecution and alienation they faced for following such a radical faith! Often when we struggle, we are inclined to blame God. Perhaps we should be praising Him more for all He has done, and who He is. After all, no matter what is going on in our lives, God still created us and Jesus still died for us.