Prayer location is a great part of my prayer time. Obviously, I can't go here all the time, but when I have so serious praying to do, this is one of the places I go and meet with God.

Many people claim to have faith in Jesus, but when tragedy comes their way, they show their true colors. Faith is a process of growing closer and trusting more in Jesus Christ. A true Christian that has been through trials and tribulations while trusting in Christ will have a greater testimony in their faith than someone who has never experienced that trust. The Bible verse, "Walk by Faith, Not by Sight" (2 Corinthians 5:7) is one that expresses experience over awareness. In other words, living by faith is more than saying that you have faith, it is faith being experienced in real life.

This may be my 123rd confession, but who's counting anyway? How I respond when God is silent!

As we read the story of Jesus, His death and His resurrection, it is hard to understand why the religious leaders of that time did not realize that His life completely fulfilled all the prophesies of the Messiah. It is a shame that the Messiah was right in front of them and they could not recognize Him. Even after His death and resurrection, which was prophesied as well, and they still would not believe. If we lived in the time of Jesus, would we be like the religious people or the true followers of Jesus? Would we have crucified Jesus as well? From the Bible : Luke 22:14-23,31-34,39-62 When the hour had come, He reclined at the table, and the apostles with Him. And He said to them, “I have earnestly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer; for I say to you, I shall never again eat it until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God.” And when He had taken a cup and given thanks, He said, “Take this and share it among yourselves; for I say to you, I will not drink of the fruit of the vine from now on until the kingdom of God comes.” And when He had taken some bread and given thanks, He broke it and gave it to them, saying, “This is My body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of Me.” And in the same way He took the cup after they had eaten, saying, “This cup which is poured out for you is the new covenant in My blood. But behold, the hand of the one betraying Me is with Mine on the table. For indeed, the Son of Man is going as it has been determined; but woe to that man by whom He is betrayed!” And they began to discuss among themselves which one of them it might be who was going to do this thing. “Simon, Simon, behold, Satan has demanded permission to sift you like wheat; but I have prayed for you, that your faith may not fail; and you, when once you have turned again, strengthen your brothers.” But he said to Him, “Lord, with You I am ready to go both to prison and to death!” And He said, “I say to you, Peter, the rooster will not crow today until you have denied three times that you know Me.” And He came out and proceeded as was His custom to the Mount of Olives; and the disciples also followed Him. When He arrived at the place, He said to them, “Pray that you may not enter into temptation.” And He withdrew from them about a stone’s throw, and He knelt down and began to pray, saying, “Father, if You are willing, remove this cup from Me; yet not My will, but Yours be done.” Now an angel from heaven appeared to Him, strengthening Him. And being in agony He was praying very fervently; and His sweat became like drops of blood, falling down upon the ground. When He rose from prayer, He came to the disciples and found them sleeping from sorrow, and said to them, “Why are you sleeping? Get up and pray that you may not enter into temptation.” While He was still speaking, behold, a crowd came, and the one called Judas, one of the twelve, was preceding them; and he approached Jesus to kiss Him. But Jesus said to him, “Judas, are you betraying the Son of Man with a kiss?” When those who were around Him saw what was going to happen, they said, “Lord, shall we strike with the sword?” And one of them struck the slave of the high priest and cut off his right ear. But Jesus answered and said, “Stop! No more of this.” And He touched his ear and healed him. Then Jesus said to the chief priests and officers of the temple and elders who had come against Him, “Have you come out with swords and clubs as you would against a robber? While I was with you daily in the temple, you did not lay hands on Me; but this hour and the power of darkness are yours.” Having arrested Him, they led Him away and brought Him to the house of the high priest; but Peter was following at a distance. After they had kindled a fire in the middle of the courtyard and had sat down together, Peter was sitting among them. And a servant-girl, seeing him as he sat in the firelight and looking intently at him, said, “This man was with Him too.” But he denied it, saying, “Woman, I do not know Him.” But Peter said, “Man, I do not know what you are talking about.” Immediately, while he was still speaking, a rooster crowed. The Lord turned and looked at Peter. And Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how He had told him, “Before a rooster crows today, you will deny Me three times.” And he went out and wept bitterly. After about an hour had passed, another man began to insist, saying, “Certainly this man also was with Him, for he is a Galilean too.” A little later, another saw him and said, “You are one of them too!” But Peter said, “Man, I am not!”

Keela was unable to find purpose in this life. Keela had to take care of her mom from a very young age. Her dad was out of the picture until about age 7 and he turned out to be very abusive. Before age nine, Keela had already attempted suicide. Feeling ashamed, fearful and no purpose for living, the end for Keela seemed to be inevitable. But, then she was invited to a birthday party and her life was thrown into a tail-spin of change. So it was a surprise when a friend told me that I didn't have to be. Sitting criss-cross-apple-sauce on the ground, at a birthday party of all places, a beloved group of friends told me a story that changed my life, that so catastrophically wrecked my way of thinking that I rose up from the ashes as a new person. I asked them about heaven, more specifically if I would ever see my mom there. That got us talking, and all of a sudden, these nine-and-ten-year-old girls huddled around me and told me exactly what my heart had been longing to hear. They told me that God loves me. Like, really loves me. They told me that my sins had separated me from God (Isaiah 59:2) and that's why I felt trapped in a hopeless world, doing things that I knew were wrong. They told me that this sin kept me from God, who wanted me to be with Him. But then they told me that Jesus loved me so much that He died on a cross to take away the punishment for all the stupid crap that I had done (John 3:16). They told me that because of His death, I can have a relationship with the God of the universe and live with Him for all eternity in Heaven (John 14:6). They told me that God created me with a purpose, for a reason, to be His (1 Peter 2:9). They told me that He will never leave me (Hebrews 13:5). They told me that with Him, there is nothing to fear (Isaiah 41:10). Sitting there in that moment, I felt something in me that I had never felt before. A rightness. Hope. Hope. See her story on Instagram @keelahope

What is the free gift of Salvation? God's free gift of salvation is through Jesus Christ. That seems to be simple to understand, until we think about who it includes. Who can receive this free gift of salvation? What if a person has an extremely evil and wicked past, can that person still experience this gift of from God? Free Gift of Salvation or Wrath of God? The Bible tells us that "The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Romans 6:23). All of us have sinned against God, yet He loves us so much that He paid our debt for us. What was the debt? Death. Yet, Christ died in our place and giving is a second chance. Anyone who calls on the name of Jesus Christ will be saved. That is the best deal in the Universe. Does God have the right to turn from us, absolutely, we haven't done anything to prove differently. Isn't it great that God is a merciful God. Through His mercy, we do not receive what we deserve; death. Through His grace, we receive what we do not deserve; eternal life. Instead of turning from us, God rescued us. Instead of sending His wrath upon us, He gave us a free gift of salvation; eternal life! Without any misunderstanding, God has provided the way for each of us to have eternal life, but it comes down to one simple decision... It's about your response. It is us to each of us to make our own personal decision to turn to Jesus Christ or ignore His invitation. Your response determines your eternal destination - Heaven or Hell. Romans 6:17-23 (NASB) But thanks be to God that though you were slaves of sin, you became obedient from the heart to that form of teaching to which you were committed, 18 and having been freed from sin, you became slaves of righteousness. 19 I am speaking in human terms because of the weakness of your flesh. For just as you presented your members as slaves to impurity and to lawlessness, resulting in further lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves to righteousness, resulting in sanctification. 20 For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. 21 Therefore what benefit were you then deriving from the things of which you are now ashamed? For the outcome of those things is death. 22 But now having been freed from sin and enslaved to God, you derive your benefit, resulting in sanctification, and the outcome, eternal life. 23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

My wife and I went on a trip to an island that was known for where sea turtles would lay their eggs. In addition to seeing turtles lay their eggs, we also get to hand-release newly hatched turtles into the ocean for the first time. The survival rate of these turtles is fairly low and only the strong survive. This is similar to new Christians. Jesus tells a parable of a farmer that scatters seed and how the seeds fall on different types of ground, some good, some no so good. He explains the parable, "When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what has been sown in his heart. This is the one on whom seed was sown beside the road. 20 The one on whom seed was sown on the rocky places, this is the man who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy; 21 yet he has no firm root in himself, but is only temporary, and when affliction or persecution arises because of the word, immediately he falls away. 22 And the one on whom seed was sown among the thorns, this is the man who hears the word, and the worry of the world and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful. 23 And the one on whom seed was sown on the good soil, this is the man who hears the word and understands it; who indeed bears fruit and brings forth, some a hundredfold, some sixty, and some thirty” (Matthew 13:19-23, NASB). Christians must be spiritually healthy or Satan will destroy us. Paul says to the Galatians, "I am amazed that you are so quickly deserting Him who called you by the grace of Christ, for a different gospel; which is really not another; only there are some who are disturbing you and want to distort the gospel of Christ. But even if we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to you a gospel contrary to what we have preached to you, he is to be accursed! As we have said before, so I say again now, if any man is preaching to you a gospel contrary to what you received, he is to be accursed" (Galatians 1:6-9, NASB)! He witnessed new believers falling away by false teachings. James tells us that we are to persevere through tribulations and that it builds our faith, "Blessed is a man who perseveres under trial; for once he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him. Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God”; for God cannot be tempted by evil, and He Himself does not tempt anyone. But each one is tempted when he is carried away and enticed by his own lust" (James 1:12-14, NASB). The world can lure the best of us back in to it's sinfulness, but if we prepare ourselves for battle (spiritual battle), then we know that our strength will come from the Lord. Paul tells us just how to dress for the occasion, "Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might. Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm. Stand firm therefore, having girded your loins with truth , and having put on the breastplate of righteousness , and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace ; in addition to all, taking up the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. And take the helmet of salvation , and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints, and pray on my behalf, that utterance may be given to me in the opening of my mouth, to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains; that in proclaiming it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak" (Ephesians 6:10-20.) Trust and depend on God, fellowship with other believers and always keep God's Word close to your heart.

'Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. ' Philippians 4:6 https://my.bible.com/bible/100/PHP.4.6

Message by Pastor Paul Karanick Story: Raven's pregnant ewe had been down for four days in pain during her pregnancy. It was pretty obvious that Lindy was probably not going to survive much longer. Raven was not going to give up on her and she researched all possible issues and remedies, but nothing provided much hope. She continued to pray and ask God for guidance, but even that prayer seem to go unnoticed. I believe we all have experienced time when it just seems like God isn't listening or at least responding the way we expect Him to respond. Once you listen to this story, I hope it help you to trust God even more than ever. John 10:25-30 Jesus answered them, “I told you, and you do not believe; the works that I do in My Father’s name, these testify of Me. But you do not believe because you are not of My sheep. My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand. I and the Father are one.” ' Isaiah 40:11 'Like a shepherd He will tend His flock, In His arm He will gather the lambs And carry them in His bosom; He will gently lead the nursing ewes. ' Isaiah 66:7-9 Before she travailed, she brought forth; Before her pain came, she gave birth to a boy. Who has heard such a thing? Who has seen such things? Can a land be born in one day? Can a nation be brought forth all at once? As soon as Zion travailed, she also brought forth her sons. Shall I bring to the point of birth and not give delivery?” says the Lord . “Or shall I who gives delivery shut the womb? ” says your God.

Have you ever had one of those one-sided conversations where one person talks for the entire time and the other person cannot say a word? To make it worse is when they speak until they are finished and then finish by saying something like, "I gotta go, talk to you later". You may feel like you had so much to add to the conversation, but wasn't given a chance. When we pray to God, let's give Him a chance to be involved and give input; not just as a listener. This video message is about learning to speak and listen to God. Prayer is talking to God, but what is listening? How do you hear from God? Does God have a voice? How do you discern God's voice? Jesus says that people who believe in him will know His voice. That is very important to know that it is possible to hear from God. Bible verses about Prayer: Matthew 5:44 But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you Matthew 6:7 And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. Matthew 26:41 “Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.” Mark 11:24 Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. 1 John 5:14 -15 This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him. 1 John 5:15 And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him. 1 John 5:16 If you see any brother or sister commit a sin that does not lead to death, you should pray and God will give them life. I refer to those whose sin does not lead to death. There is a sin that leads to death. I am not saying that you should pray about that. John 17:15 My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. Ephesians 1:18 I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people, Ephesians 6:18 And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people. Romans 12:2 Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. James 5:13 Is anyone among you in trouble? Let them pray. Is anyone happy? Let them sing songs of praise. Jeremiah 29:12 Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you.