Tag Archives: Grace

Prayer

Posted on by
Reply

Prayer

So how’s your communication pathway with God? I hear so many saying they “just don’t know how to pray” while with others they say “I don’t have time to stop and pray”. Then we have those that when they pray it becomes nothing more than a venting session of how bad their life is.

I know God is not moved by long, drawn-out, whiny prayers no more than He is with one filled with a lot of theologically sounding babble But we can still find ourselves rambling in our talk time with Him to a point of honestly getting lost in Words. I found myself recently reading Matthew 6. It’s funny how things strike us differently at times, because I have read this many times, but as I was reading this chapter, it truly reached out and grabbed me differently. When I got to verse 5, my spirit surged and I was off on a journey. I got to verse 7 and saw the words “vain repetitions” and I could see this referring to endless babbling and long, drawn-out prayers that confuse. One thing I believe Jesus taught, was focused prayer. Prayer is a matter of the heart; a conversation if you will.

So let’s take a journey through this prayer in Matthew 6 starting in verse 9.

9 In this manner, therefore, pray: Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name.
(Honestly, as we talk to God, it’s not about how holy you can sound because God already knows the real you, so be that who He knows. It’s all about relationship!)

10 Your kingdom come. Your will be done, On earth as it is in heaven.
(In this verse the reader is recognizing God’s way as the way; not just later but in the here and now in every situation.)

11 Give us this day our daily bread.
(We recognize in this verse that God is our supplier. The Bible talks more about your prosperity than anything else. God has more than shown His constant desire that you be fully taken care of. It’s not by obligation He fills this but instead because of love.)

12 And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.
(This scripture, just as in Mark 11, states that we are forgiven but also that we must forgive.)

13 And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.
(Let’s not get confused here in thinking that God brings things on His children. If He was going to do that, then why would He want to send His son Jesus to pay a full price for us? We are recognizing and declaring a hedge of protection around us and our families.)

Again, this is just one area that my daily journey took me to in simplifying my life. How do you find yours? By daily seeking Him and refusing to be a carrier of the weights of life.

If you would like to partner with us as we fulfill the calling that God has placed on our lives, then click here.  In the memo area of the donation page note #25000.  Living Water Teaching is a 501c-3 and all donations are tax deductible.

So leave your thoughts on prayer below.

Kingdom Thinking Recap for Week 1

Posted on by
Reply

Wow, it’s so exciting that 2013 is here! I am truly excited about this year. I have been hearing in my spirit, that 2013 would be the year of great Kingdom Revelation. But it will not come to those that are not seeking Him. He has to be your priority!

I was ready to start the Kingdom Thinking thoughts back into full speed ahead mode and so here is the first recap for this blessed new year!

Monday: (Blank on purpose).

Tuesday: Kingdom Thinking: Allow no regrets from 2012 into 2013.

Wednesday: Kingdom Thinking: Make it a point to find the good in every day, no matter what! It’s simply your decision to make.

Thursday: Kingdom Thinking: Excuses for why you’re not in your YES are nothing more than anchors of weakness.

Friday: Kingdom Thinking: Procrastination if allowed becomes the silent killer of our peace.

Well the first week has come and gone and week two is already here. So eyes ahead and gear up to take this new week gladiator style. Rule and dominate every second to it’s fullest and end each day with not a single regret!

Simplify

Posted on by
5

S

sim·pli·fy (ˈsimpləˌfī) Verb – Make (something) simpler or easier to do or understand.

I have been focusing in my last two blogs on casting the cares and not being carriers of them. We are still going to be on that same path even with the title I chose this week.

1 Peter 5:7 (AMP) “Casting the whole of your care [all your anxieties, all your worries, all your concerns, once and for all] on Him, for He cares for you affectionately and cares about you watchfully.”

The word “care” – Merimna (Strongs #3308) from meiro “to divide” & noos, “the mind”. The word denotes distractions, anxieties, burdens, & worries. Merimna means to be anxious about daily life.

So now that we have done that little word study, let’s move forward with this thought to simplify even deeper. When I talk about simplifying, we could actually take that in so many different ways. It could be in how we are looking at things or how we complete a started task or project. To others it might mean lightening the loads of life. Honestly, the true meaning of simplifying one’s life, is found in them and them alone. We can seek the help of others and we can read all the self help books that are written, but until we first find ourselves, nothing else can eternally be done.

I love Matthew 6:33 (AMP) “But seek (aim at and strive after) first of all His kingdom and His righteousness (His way of doing and being right), and then all these things taken together will be given you besides.”

The focus is to seek the Kingdom and via that journey, we find His ways. When we find His ways, we too then can find our way and by Grace we can complete His calling for our lives. Life was never meant to be complicated, but by decisions made, it becomes that way. By decisions, we can now simplify that which was made complicated. HOW? By casting the cares, anxieties, burdens, and worries that so easily complicate daily life, if we allow it to.

Please leave your thoughts below.

Kingdom Thinking Thoughts & Ministry Update for the Week October 22nd

Posted on by
Reply

Another fruitful week has come and gone and God has as always, blessed our home and ministry abundantly.

Myself, Debbie, and our son, Parker, have been at the Billye Brim Prayer Conference all this week promoting Operation Shoebox. Dr. Billye Brim has partnered with us for over 14 years in this outreach.

In Guatemala, we just ended on Thursday night a major medical/evangelistic campaign where 2,978 were treated medically and 1,054 received Jesus. Click on this link to find out more about our mission trips: www.livingwaterteaching.org

Debbie & I are now preparing to leave in 2 weeks for Guatemala to meet with our country directors and a seminar along with our yearly Bible School graduation.

I focused this entire week on having a Kingdom Marriage, and here is a link to the blog post: https://rkspanberger.wordpress.com/2012/10/22/kingdom-marriage/
It’s never too early or late to prepare yourself to be a kingdom spouse.

Here is a recap of last week’s Kingdom Thinking Thoughts. I pray each one comes alive in you as you read them.

Monday – Kingdom Thinking: If you’re not daily depositing into your marriage, then you’re daily taking away. Nothing sets dormant & survives!

Tuesday – Kingdom Thinking: Perfection in marriage will only be seen through the eyes of unconditional love.

Wednesday – Kingdom Thinking: We must realize that the next second of life is never guaranteed so never waste the present one.

Thursday – Kingdom Thinking: Your love for your spouse must be more than emotion, it must have action with it.

Friday – Kingdom Thinking: The honeymoon should be the precursor of things to come and not a short time marital bliss.

Debbie and I would love to hear from you with your questions, comments, prayer requests and/or testimonies. We pray you have a truly blessed day and week in all that you put your hands to do!

Pursuing Your Passion

Posted on by
Reply

 

 

 

 

I recently read a quote online from the iconic Steve Jobs. It went something like this, “The only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you have not found it yet, keep looking, and don’t settle”. It is true, we need to find our passion and pursue it.

I read one definition of passion that describes it as: “A strong and barely controllable emotion”. So what is your passion? Mine is to touch lives in all that I do.

Whether you love or hate Apple and the late Steve Jobs, he was a man with passion. People like Bill Gates, Katy Perry, Henry Ford, Walt Disney; the list goes on and on with names of people who have followed their passions. History is full of men and women that had passion to change the present time they lived in which impacted the future that was ahead of them. But only one had enough passion to impact the past, present and future all in one life. His name was Jesus, and He is my all in all in everything!

Passion is what pushes us beyond to think about others almost to the point of risking our own lives. Passion is what pushes a fireman, law enforcement officer or a soldier to put their lives on the line and risk all to save a life that they do not know. Passion moves mountains and changes the here and now and affects the outcome of tomorrow.

I urge you to daily pursue your passions with all your heart.

 

Kingdom Thinking Thoughts Recap for the Week of September 9th

Posted on by
Reply

Greetings to all my friends and family,

Well another week has come and gone! For some, the week might have
been great and for others, you might be thanking God that it’s over.
Whichever one you are doing, it’s now a part of your life’s history. I
read a statement that said, “Yesterday is history and tomorrow is a
mystery, but today is a present, so make it count”. This is so true,
today is what you make it!

Here is a recap of last week’s Kingdom Thinking Thoughts. I pray each
one comes alive in you as you read them.

Monday – Kingdom Thinking: Make your mindset “I am Royalty by Kingdom
design, not words of man”!

Tuesday – Kingdom Thinking: Clarity of you is key to success in Him.

Wednesday – Kingdom Thinking: If your plan is about you and your
increase, then discard & start over! It’s not about you…. John
3:16 is our example.

Thursday – Kingdom Thinking: The reality of wholeness and completeness
in the Kingdom, must become functional reality and not just theory. Col.
1:12,13

Friday – Kingdom Thinking: Victim or conqueror – your choice. Take
this day “gladiator style”.

True victory comes by first making Jesus Lord of your life and then
understanding and walking in Kingdom Reality.

Debbie and I would love to hear from you with your questions,
comments, prayer requests and or testimonies.

We pray you have a truly blessed day and week in all that you put your
hands to do!

I CAN!!!!!

Posted on by
Reply

Philippians 4:13 (AMP) I have strength for all things in Christ Who empowers me [I am ready for anything and equal to anything through Him Who infuses inner strength into me; I am self-sufficient in Christ’s sufficiency].

Philippians 4:13 (KJ) I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.

We were watching a movie and this man was making a speech.  He was talking about his dad and a statement that was common to him.  The statement was “What would you do, if you knew you would not fail? Then do it!!!”  We as sons and daughters of the most high God truly do have that assurance.  We read that in Philippians 4:13 and we see that it is not because of our works but through the completed works of Christ.  If God said, “I can do all things”, then that’s what He meant, ALL THINGS!!!!

I remember my father-in-law, the late Dr. James Zirkle, making this statement:  “One of the biggest regrets old people have, is that they did not take enough chances”.  We can no longer let fear rule us!  We have got to take a stand on His Word and move forward with our God given dreams.

What a sad thing it would be to live your life only to get to the end of it and realize that we have never truly lived.

I pray this prompts you to dream at a level like never before and to live life so large that you become a light to a lost and dying world.

So I leave you with these two words…

LIVE UNPREDICTABLE

Hello World!!!!!

Posted on by
Reply

What a wonderful day we are resting in.  Did you notice I said resting in?  That is truly how God intended our lives to be BUT we take control of things and the rest is history….

Just in case you are wondering, the purpose of this Blog is truly not about me or a ministry but instead the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords.   All that is written on here will be God inspired without any compromise.  So please share this with all that you know to help get the word out so that we can share Living Water with a dry & thirsty world.

Moving forward now…

How many have felt that they have been walking through their very own wilderness experience?  I know that I have, but during that time I have come to know a greater presence of God than ever before.  I am not saying that He placed me here, I needed no help there!  What I am saying is  that as I have pressed closer to Him, I have felt Him closer to me.  Things have become clearer and the Word has become so much more alive to me & in me.  But just a short time ago, all I wanted to do was find a corner and hide and just close my eyes hoping it would all go away.  But it didn’t and I had to shake the dust off and move forward.  Sounds easy, but sometimes we need a loving push and a good kick in the rear and I got it!

We must realize that the Blood of Jesus qualifies us to have constant access to the Most High God.  A 24/7/365 connection to Him, His anointing, His supply, His protection, His peace, His everything; so even in a desert I have ALL I need to enjoy life to the fullest!

So wherever you are today in this great big beautiful world, take hold of what is yours.  Stop looking for the light at the end of the tunnel and start walking in the light through the tunnel of life.  Life is going to have its ups and downs but just make a decision to enjoy the ride no matter what!

Always remember to live Extreme for Him in ALL that you do,

Keith