An Action of Transaction*

A prayer of faith to come into right relationship with God by believing

(Jesus came bringing clear messages about how we are intended for relationship with God and how it becomes possible by believing. One of his core purposes was to bring a revelation about the heart of God who longs for us as a loving Father, and to encourage in every person a heart response that will bring them into all the benefits of being in right relationship with him.

Unfortunately, if there is a hardening of attitude on our part towards God and his attempts at connecting with us, it means that it is we who are putting ourselves beyond his reach, no matter how much he may long to bring us into his intimate embrace. I think we understand these limitations from our own experiences with people. We know how difficult it can be to get close to someone if they choose to shut us out, or if they have a wrong perception of us which causes them to misinterpret our intentions and resist our efforts to reach out to them.

We have already seen what Jesus meant by exhorting people to repent, i.e. to believe so as to receive.)

Reference:

From that time Jesus began to preach, saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” Matthew 4:17 ESV

(In addition, Jesus also used a number of expressions about how we need to respond so that we can more fully experience God’s good intentions toward us. He continually encouraged people to be aware that to receive the fullness of what God wants to offer us, there does need to be a ‘dying to self’, or a ‘taking up of our cross’, or a heed to the call to ‘follow’ him. This means making a choice to live differently from a life focused primarily on fulfilling the desires and hopes that we have developed for ourselves, or from asserting a value of being ‘open minded’, and deciding on the truths and values that we will adopt from among the philosophies or religions of this world, based on their popularity or particular appeal to us.

Jesus made it clear that there is a decision to be made about giving up all such options that treat life as ‘ours’ and acknowledging the claim of the ‘kingdom of God’ for first place in our lives. This apparent extremity of a requirement is made on the basis that in such surrender and ‘giving up’ of our life, there lies an assurance, paradoxically, that all our needs will be more than met by God who promises that he is a generous provider and sustainer. Furthermore, he has a plan and a destiny for our life, personally, that is ‘abundant’ with significance and purpose far greater than anything we could conceive of in our own imagination or anything we could bring about by our own abilities and efforts.)

References:

The thief [Satan] comes not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I [Jesus] am come that they [people] might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly. John 10:10 KJV

Jesus replied, . . . “Very truly I tell you, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds. Anyone who loves their life will lose it, while anyone who hates their life in this world will keep it for eternal life. John 12: 23‑25 NIV

Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it. What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul? Matthew 16: 24‑26 NIV

Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen. Ephesians 3:20 NIV

We do, however, speak a message of wisdom among the mature, but not the wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age, who are coming to nothing. No, we declare God’s wisdom, a mystery that has been hidden and that God destined for our glory before time began. None of the rulers of this age understood it, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. However, as it is written:

“What no eye has seen,
what no ear has heard,
and what no human mind has conceived” —
the things God has prepared for those who love him—

these are the things God has revealed to us by his Spirit. 1 Corinthians 2: 6‑10 NIV

“For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are healthy, your whole body will be full of light.

But if your eyes are unhealthy, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness!

“No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.

“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes?

Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?

“And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labour or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendour was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith?

“So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. Matthew 6: 21‑34 NIV

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(Jesus recognised that his message would generally not be popular, representing as it does a radical challenge to our natural way of thinking. In reality it is something we can really only receive on a basis of faith. It involves opening ourselves up to a fundamental change of thinking about ourselves - and about our way of relating to this unseen God for which there is not the usual physical or visual proof that we usually expect if we are to become convinced of some truth or reality.

We have a great offer before us but face a significant challenge in taking it up. I can commend it to you highly; but it is only you yourself, dear reader, who can make that choice to receive it (not even God can force it upon you). It is waiting; it is freely offered and available, but it needs a response by taking that step, based on faith, where we become prepared to move out of our comfort zone to avail ourselves of his invitation.

This is a step of faith - faith being the focus of this site - with the hope that you might ‘see’ and be encouraged to respond, whether you can take one large step to plunge right in and start living by faith - or, if not, to at least heed one of God’s invitations and respond in some way, by taking even a small step in response to him. Even if somewhat tentative to begin with, you will have begun down a pathway that has the potential for you to receive all that is promised by faith through believing.)

Reference:

. . . If you will confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made, resulting in salvation. Romans 10: 9‑10 NHEB

FAQ: How can I be made right with God and come into a right relationship with him, especially when there seems to be lingering issues of doubt that persist in my mind?

A: We acknowledge our need to receive in a simple prayer, offering our life to Him, rather than considering it our own, and accepting His Son, Jesus, to be our Saviour and inviting him to have charge of our life by coming to ‘dwell’ within our heart through the work of His spirit within us, as He has promised.

This is a prayer of humility in which we simply accept by ‘faith’ the forgiveness that He offers and the help He promises when we choose to believe what He says to us in His word as we find it in the bible. Praying in this way is choosing to turn our life over to him in trust and committing ourselves to seeking out and ‘following him’ into the purpose and destiny that He has for our life.

 Any lingering struggles, such as things that we are unsure about or aspects of our life or character that we seem unable to change by ourselves, are all things that He is inviting us to simply commit into his care as we allow him to become present in our life and thereby begin to develop our relationship with Him and our trust in Him. He promises that it will always be a journey of fulfilment and reward, even though there may be tough and challenging times to come as well. He promises to be ‘with us’ always as a source of strength and resolve.

Jesus says to ‘repent’ from trying through our own efforts and simply ‘accept’ what He has done on our behalf to make it right. He is well aware that our problem is an inherent inability to always walk in victory, so we honour him by being humble enough to graciously accept the help that He offers and our need for it. Then seek to ‘follow him’ in whatever way that is needed or in whatever way he leads and opens up before you as you become willing to seek Him.

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(You can write something out first, if it helps)

• acknowledgement of Him (as the God he says he is)

• acknowledgement of my need and my shortcomings in having lived my life without him

• acknowledgement verbally that I choose to ‘believe and receive’ (i.e. on his terms) the forgiveness and salvation he offers . . .

• I declare my decision to accept His offer of forgiveness and help in making my life right with Him

• I acknowledge that I now ‘receive’ it (i.e. ‘rest’ in it by faith) by expressing my thanks for the gift of his Son who has brought me forgiveness (and a clear conscience) by taking my penalty upon himself on my behalf and by giving his life for me on the cross

• I invite and welcome him to come in, and to live in my heart by His Spirit, where he has now imparted his resurrection life in me from this time forward and forever more

• I thank Jesus for taking my penalty and setting me free from all guilt and shame and making me righteous before God, even while this new life that I have received begins to work itself out under his guidance in my life and present experience

• I affirm that I am praying ‘in Jesus name’ (Saying ‘in Jesus name’ acknowledges that we have the right to come to God through Jesus because of what he did for us on the cross.)

• Conclusion with an ‘Amen’ (this is an affirmation that means ‘so be it’)

(Anyone who prays such a prayer that is heartfelt is assured of having received all that is promised (see examples following). For help in maintaining and growing in your faith, you may download some .pdf pages of basic information that comes from the bible about how to do this. Alternatively, you may request to have them sent as an attachment by email using the Request form below.)

References:

For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross. Colossians 1: 19‑20 NIV

For if, while we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life! Romans 5: 10 NIV  

This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun! 2 Corinthians 5:17 NLT

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: the old has gone, the new is here!

All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. 2 Corinthians 5: 17‑19 NIV

God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. 2 Corinthians 5:21 NIV

This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, Romans 3:22 NIV

. . . not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ - the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith. Philippians 3:9 NIV

Jesus replied, "Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them.” John 14:23 NIV

Because you are his sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, “Abba, [Daddy] Father.” So you are no longer a slave, but God’s child; and since you are his child, God has made you also an heir. Galatians 4: 6‑7 NIV

When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, having cancelled the charge of our legal indebtedness, which stood against us and condemned us; he has taken it away, nailing it to the cross. And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross. Colossians 2: 13‑15 NIV

What you heard from me, keep as the pattern of sound teaching, with faith and love in Christ Jesus. Guard the good deposit that was entrusted to you—guard it with the help of the Holy Spirit who lives in us. 2 Timothy 1: 13‑14 NIV

We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life. Romans 6:4 NIV

I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws. Then you will live in the land I gave your ancestors; you will be my people, and I will be your God. I will save you from all your uncleanness. Ezekiel 36: 26‑9 NIV

Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ. He anointed us, set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come. 2 Corinthians 1: 21‑22 NIV

For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name. I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. Ephesians 3: 14‑19 NIV

Whoever does not honour the Son does not honour the Father, who sent him. Very truly I tell you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be judged but has crossed over from death to life. John 5: 23‑24 NIV

We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love each other. Anyone who does not love remains in death. 1 John 3:14 NIV

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16 NIV

These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life. This is the confidence which we have before Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. 1 John 5:13 NASB

Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God - children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God. John 1: 12‑13 NIV

So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith, Galatians 3:26 NIV

See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when Christ appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is.

All who have this hope in him purify themselves, just as he is pure. Everyone who sins breaks the law; in fact, sin is lawlessness. But you know that he appeared so that he might take away our sins. And in him is no sin. No one who lives in him keeps on sinning. 1 John 3: 1‑6 NIV

Therefore, brothers and sisters, we have an obligation—but it is not to the flesh, to live according to it. For if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live. For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God. Romans 8: 12‑14 NIV

You, dear children, are from God and have overcome . . . , because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world. 1 John 4:4 NIV

For anyone who has prayed to accept God’s invitation to come into relationship with Him and wishes to maintain and grow in their faith, you may download some .pdf pages of basic information that comes from the bible about ways to do this. You can also request to receive this information as an attachment to email by using the request form below. (Your email address will not be added to a contact or subscription list unless there is a specific request for contact that is received from you on the general ‘Contact us’ form on main menu.)

For all other correspondence or enquiries, please feel free to use the general ‘Contact us’ form on main menu.

*You may copy and paste from the messages below (or type similar of your own).

Request: Making it with God

Request: 'Please send pages (in .pdf format) of further information from the bible about how to maintain and grow in my faith'

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