Prayer of Thanksgiving

Often when we try to pray the prayer of praise or thanksgiving we end up making it a prayer of supplication, prayer of request, prayer of confession etc. Below is an attempt to give you a guide to enable you direct your praise or thanks giving to the King of kings and Lord of lords.

Two ingredients must be present in praise and thanksgiving, these are songs and acknowledgement. To help you flow it is important to recount the blessings you have enjoyed as a child of God. This is not the time to lament over unanswered prayers but a time to approach your Heavenly Father with a sacrifice of praise and thanks.

Prayer of Thanksgiving:

Song: We give you all the glory, we give you honour, we give you all the glory…

My initial thought was to decline praying about thanks giving! Since my mother passed, everything for which I can thank God has paled in comparison to the loss I’ve felt in these 365 days. But on second thought I want to believe having me lead a prayer of thanksgiving a day after the longest year of my life is definitely not a coincidence.

I’ll want us to just go ahead and begin to appreciate God for the blessing of salvation. The blessing of knowing him who said that to Him will all flesh come.

Song: For this God is our God, forever and ever

The bulk of our prayer is for needs and wants in our lives or in the lives of others but today we’ll thank him for being God to us. My father is not your father, my mother is not your mother but this God is our God. We are going to thank him for being God, for being the propitiation for our sins

Song: O Lord, our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth

Let us thank God for being mindful of us. For being our carer, our provider, let us thank him for crowning us with glory and honour; the bible says he made us a little lower than the angels and he gave us dominion over all the works of his hands.

Song: There is none holy as the Lord

Finally let us thank him for the excellency of his name. Psalm 8 says his name his excellent. Obama’s name opens political doors, Wole Soyinka’s names opens literary doors but the name of the king of kings and lord of lords created those whose name open doors!  It is because of the excellency of his names that Elijah was able to command the sun in his name and the sun stood still. Go ahead and thank God for that wonderful name Jesus.

Song: That wonderful name Jesus

Round off: Lord we thank you for you. We thank you for the grace to call you father. We thank you for the ownership we claim to that name. We hank you for that wonderful name which is the master key, that name which is the answer for whatever challenge we may be going through, that name which shatters every strong hold in our lives. Thank you for giving us an opportunity tonight to approach the throne of grace knowing that we have assurance of mercy and grace in Jesus matchless name. Amen.

Mrs. Omolola Omoteso-Famuyiwa is a minister who is passionate about 

sharing God's words for the healing of others.

Sunday School Resource - Guidelines for Coordinators and Teachers

Teachers in the Sunday School Department (SSD) are expected to attend the teachers preparatory meeting. It holds at least once a week. It is a must for all teachers to attend; on no account should a teacher who did not attend the preparatory meeting be allowed to teach. The purpose of the teachers preparatory meeting include:             To do a careful study and analysis of the lesson in view until the core of the lesson is understood by the teacher (who should first learn as a student)             To read and critically ascertain the correctness and relevance of every Bible quotation in the lesson.             To discuss and agree on the divergent views on a subject and reach a unified conclusions in line with the Scriptures.             Since teachers are not expected to argue on a topic in the presence of the students the preparatory meeting will enable teachers sort out the grey areas.              Teach the Word without compromise or apology, but with love, humility but firmness. Ephesians 4:15, 25. Exalt Jesus in all your teaching. Let everyone know they need a saviour regardless of personal challenges, status, religion etc. John 3: 1-5, 14-15; Acts 8: 5, 27-35, Acts 9:20 (what are the attributes of Philip as a teacher and preacher demonstrated here?) Emphasise salient doctrines and spiritual experiences in your teaching. John 3:1-7; 4:19-24 – Salvation, Holiness, Holy Spirit baptism etc. Teach until your listener understands, for no learning has taken place till the students know what you are teaching. This can be achieved through various means, viz:             Teach in plain simple terms, and not grand theological phrases.             Use picture language that will make the truth come alive in living colour. Metaphors, parables, similes, etc. were used by Jesus in the gospels.             Build on what the listener already know and believe. Jesus and the disciples never attacked others for their beliefs. They used their beliefs as a basis to help them understand the truth they were teaching (Acts 17:22-23).             Relate and repeat your message when necessary. Be focused in achieving your objective. Students must go home with cogent lesson, i.e. forcefully convincing. Hence, you need thorough preparation so that you can discover the basic lesson taught in the lesson. PRAY, PRAY, PRAY!  This can never be over emphasized. Jesus prayed the whole night for just few hours teaching. Pastor E. A. Adeboye fasts and prays for weeks in order to prepare for a sermon or teaching that may take some minutes or hours. We are shaping lives and destinies through the Word. It‟s a sacred job. People‟s lives and eternity depends on the Word. RESULT          The Word will bear fruit and our labour in the teaching ministry will not be in vain.          The church will be at peace. Wrong doctrine brings disharmony and aggravation. Acts 15: 1-2, 22-23, 30-31.          Tremendous growth. Acts 5:11-16; 19; 9-10; 6:27-28.          The church will be prepared for the second coming of Jesus. Eph 5:27.          The doctrine of Christ will be preserved for coming generation. CONCLUSION True believers must be unwavering in the practice of the doctrine they accepted. This is why removing the ancient church landmark is a gross abuse of the call to teach and lead in the body of Christ. Any deviation from sound doctrine in the church is an end time spirit. Watch out! 2Tim 2:13; John 17:16; 2Tim 4:1-3.

Sunday School Resource - How to Evangelise

On Saturday 15th of November the Sunday School Department of RCCG, The King's Court in Hackensack New Jersey will be leading the church members to carry out intercessory prayers and thereafter they would be going round the church neighbourhood to share the love of God with the Bible sharing tracts and bookmarks.

Recreate below as concise bullet points which you can share as nuggets to aid the outreach programme. Let them know this is an evangelism outreach in line with God’s commission to believers in Acts 1:8 and Matthew 28:19-20 to evangelize. Let them know that in participating they are tapping into Matthew 6:33 – as they seek first to increase God's kingdom, God will add all other blessings to them.

Sharing one’s faith with nonbelievers can be intimidating and difficult, but also incredibly rewarding. Evangelism is a cornerstone of the Christian faith and can be a great way to connect with people and share your passion in a tactful, friendly manner. Believers can learn to make the whole process easier by using simple evangelism tips in a group or individual evangelism outreach.

1.  Pick an appropriate location and time. That is what we have done. Individuals and other departments can do this also. As we move around, members should be courteous and respectful.

2. Be prepared. We have prepared ourselves spiritually by praying first. Some people find it very hard to share their faith and experiences because it takes courage to talk about what you believe in to people who might not always be interested in listening. But with us doing this as a group, your courage level would be boosted. If you approach someone in twos, one can speak while the other prays in the spirit. After each session with the person you meet or home you visit, quickly review and talk about how to do the next one better.

3. Have a message. The message we are sharing today is a message of hope; Jesus saves, God is love and there is hope in God. Share biblical messages and experiences that will connect with people in a personal way. We can share important bible verses or stories, story of how you came to be saved, benefits of salvation and church history.

4.  Have few probing questions to ask. It's helpful to transition from simple conversation into a discussion of faith by leading with probing questions, and it helps to have a good list of them to draw from so you're not struggling to come up with them on the fly. Good questions might include:

a.     Do you feel fulfilled in your life?

b.     Do you ever feel like something is missing?

c.      Do you pray?

d.     Do you go to church?

e.     Have you experienced the joy of salvation?

5.     Don't rush directly into the topic of witnessing. Start with some small talk and ask about what has been going on in the person’s life lately. Expect that they won’t immediately trust you. Since we have just a few minutes, come across as being friendly before you go into witnessing.

6.   Ask a probing question. Ask a question that will lower the person's guard and get them thinking about larger existential issues, making them receptive to an exchange of ideas. A question like, "What do you think about afterlife?" can be effective at transitioning the conversation into your territory. A most effective evangelistic tool that you can use is a survey. You can ask four questions about an individual's life, and after you know the needs and beliefs, witness to each based on the point of view.

7.     Listen and pay attention. Evangelism isn't just waiting for an opportunity to speak; it needs to be a real conversation and exchange of ideas. When you ask a question like, "Have you experienced the joy of salvation?” really listen to the response. Aside from giving them the feeling that they have a willing listener, you need to pay attention to what they're saying to enable you respond appropriately, accurately and convincingly. Avoid pressing persons that are totally closed to you, but persist with the ones that are open. Listening closely will help you to gauge the person’s interest and open them up even more.

8.     Talk about your testimony to encourage the person. Tell them about your version of Christianity, what it means to you, and how your faith has changed your life for the better. It's important to treat this conversation as a conversation between two people, putting a face on the Church. In general, you'll want to avoid getting into overly complicated discussions of dogma and theology, focusing instead on the importance of faith and salvation.

9.  
Talk about the Ten Commandments. The Commandments are typically somewhat familiar to the layperson, and a conversation about "laws" can be an effective transition into more theoretical concepts and ideas. Even non-believers can agree that lying, killing, and stealing are to be avoided, and hearing it laid out in those terms can make closed listeners more receptive. Alternatively you can bring in the law by starting with known laws like the “Blue Law” or “Thanksgiving” which have their root in Christianity.

10. 
Lay out the ABC. Some evangelists like to use a basic introduction method of becoming a Christian as a way of giving a possible convert a concrete list of steps to keep in mind when thinking about developing their faith. The ABC method breaks down like this:

A: Admit that you are a sinner

B: Believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God who died for your sins

C: Confess your belief to Christ

11. Lay out a plan with them. A person may not become spiritually mature and be "saved" after talking to you for five minutes. What's the next step? What should this person do tomorrow and the next day to build and maintain their new interest in your faith? Pray, study the Bible and attend church.

12. 
Provide appropriate literature. Have Bible and some handouts to give the most receptive of the people you communicate with. Also give materials provided by the department e.g. bookmark to as many people as possible, whether they show interest or not.

13. Do not deliver a false-hope Gospel. Deliver the true Gospel, the "Good News." Anyone who says that when you become a Christian your life will be always wonderful and perfect has apparently never read the New Testament. If the person you are trying to convert does not wish to discuss or listen, then move ahead to talk to someone more receptive.

14. Do not preach hell, fire and brimstone or prosperity message. Just preach the basics of the good news of the Gospel. The basic story of Jesus is a good place to start.

15. Recommend the church. Ensure you share the church’s information. Share the service schedule especially Sunday Service and Bible Study.

16. Evangelise for the right reasons. If they are social or material, you are no better than a salesman. The Lord is always reaching out to the unbelievers, but you can be in God’s way if you are a hypocrite.

17. Proclaim the Truth of the Gospel without respect for persons or favouritism. Do not use opinions and non-biblical doctrines and traditions when trying to explain the Gospel of Jesus Christ to unbelievers or members of another religion or denomination.

18. 
Pray with them. If the person has never prayed before, he/she may be reluctant, curious or nervous about the process. Walk the person through the prayer session. Say a simple and brief prayer, introducing them to it as a practice. Tell them how to pray and when to pray. If they accept the Lord, welcome them to the body of Christ after praying, request that they join a Bible believing church and invite them to church.

Sunday School Resource – What do I do to be saved?

This question answers a lot of other sub questions such as the following: If I am not lost why do I need to be saved? What am I being saved from? Why should I be saved? How do I know that I need to be saved? A person who desires to be saved is someone who needs a saviour. When we talk about being saved we are talking about a spiritual state and not a physical state. A person will know that he needs to be saved when he finds that he /she begins to feel empty and dissatisfied with life. They find that that they may even be financially comfortable and in a loving marital relationship but still find that there is a void inside of them. This person may have everything but they are still empty. They try to fill the void with friends, hobbies, outings, buying themselves expensive gifts but find that the void is still there.. The bible shows us the way and is the answer to all our life problems.. The manual that our manufacturer has left for us to order our lives by is the Bible, has all the answers 2 Timotht 3:16. You may ask, how do we know that the bible can answer our problems. We know that the bible can answer our problems because it is a book that has spanned many generations and has fulfilled over 300 prophecies it had predicted ie the birth of Christ, the deliverance of the children of Isreal from the hands of the Egyptians etc. There is the scientific evidence that the bible is true and it has been confirmed by science ie roundness of the earth - Isaiah 40:22, infinite extent of the sidereal universe Isaiah 55:9, vast number of stars Jeremiah 33:22, paramount importance of blood in life processes Leviticus 17:11, gravitational field Job 26:7 etc. Those that wrote the bible wrote in it as different books, it was later put together as one book. There is a total of 66 books in all and over 30 authours. What is unique is that the themes of all the books seem to be very similar. The message of all the books is that God loves us and even when reading books which reveals wars the fights and mass destruction, the message is still one of a God of love. This piece is not meant to go into the indepths of biblical apologetics but to make a point that we do have to be saved to be fulfilled as a whole human being and also be reconciled with God so that we have perfect peace and harmony in life. These points will suffice for now, to ensure that the bible is true. Having now proved that the bible is a book which is what it says it is, then we go back to the intial point which is: why do I need to be saved. The reason why we need to be saved is as follows:          God wants us to be saved. So that we become one with Him.          It will do us good.          It brings us inner peace.          So that we make it into God's heaven for all eternity. In short, this piece attemts to explain and encourage the reader, not only to be saved but to stay saved. God bless you.

Sunday School Resource: United in Doctrine

Doctrine is the revelation of scriptures given by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit as an unchangeable pattern for the New Testament church. Doctrine gives a sect identity as it portrays the basic fundamental beliefs of the religious organisation (Psalm 133: 1-3, Ephesians 4:11-15, Acts 2: 41-47). A change in doctrine will therefore produce a new sect or religious group. The universal church must have a unified doctrine. Heb 6: 1-2, 2Tim 3:16, Matt 22:33, Luke 4:32 Mark 1:27. WHY UNITY IN DOCTRINE?          To prevent corruptness. Tit 2:7          It is a means to control heretic revelations and teachings. 1Tim 4:16, Mk 1:27          To foster stability. 1Tim 6:20-21, Heb 13:9          To ensure faithfulness to the ancient land mark 1Tim 1:3-4, 2Tim 2:2          It is the root of our core value. 1Tim 4:13, 15-16, 2Tim 3:10          To preserve and ensure the continuity of the Christian faith to coming generation. 2Tim 2:2, Gen 18:18-19          To help believers grow in grace and in complete freedom from bondage, etc. Jn 8:32          To produce strong mature believers and to stop backsliding – Believers should be taught the hard fact of discipleship, discipline, it‟s the strong meat. Heb 5: 12-14; 2Tim 4:1-4; Eph 4:11-15 HOW TO BE UNITED IN DOCTRINE You must know the doctrine. Be an ardent scholar of the Word. Be sound in the knowledge of the Word. You cannot give out what you don‟t have. Be persuaded, convinced and unshakable regarding the truth of the Word (Matt 12:34; 2Tim 2:15; Ezra 7:6, 10; 1Tim 4:6). The greatest problem with teachers today is lack of sound knowledge of the Truth. To do proper teaching and interpretation of the Word, you MUST have proper understanding, equip yourself with study materials such as commentaries, Study Bibles, concordance, and Bible Dictionary of the word and places, etc. Make most of the teachers' preparatory meeting. It is held once a week (please request the phone line). It is a must for all teachers to attend; on no account should a teacher who did not attend the preparatory meeting be allowed to teach. The purpose of the teachers‟ preparatory meeting include:          To do a careful study and analysis of the lesson in view until the core of the lesson is understood by the teacher (who should first learn as a student)          To read and critically ascertain the correctness and relevance of every Bible quotation in the lesson.          To discuss and agree on the divergent views on a subject and reach a unified conclusions in line with the Scriptures.          Be united in your teaching and don‟t go on and teach your own views in your class.          On no account should teachers argue on a topic in the presence of people/students. All that should be sorted out during the preparatory meeting.          Teach the Word without compromise or apology, but with love, humility but firmness. Eph. 4:15, 25. Exalt Jesus in all your teaching. Let everyone know they need a saviour regardless of personal challenges, status, religion etc. John 3: 1-5, 14-15; Acts 8: 5, 27-35, Acts 9:20 (what are the attributes of Philip as a teacher and preacher demonstrated here?) Emphasise salient doctrines and spiritual experiences in your teaching. John 3:1-7; 4:19-24 – Salvation, Holiness, Holy Spirit baptism etc. Teach until your listener understands, for no learning has taken place till the students know what you are teaching. This can be achieved through various means, viz: Teach in plain simple terms, and not grand theological phrases. Use picture language that will make the truth come alive in living colour. Metaphors, parables, similes, etc. were used by Jesus in the gospels. Build on what the listener already know and believe. Jesus and the disciples never attacked others for their beliefs. They used their beliefs as a basis to help them understand the truth they were teaching (Acts 17:22-23). Relate/repeat your message when necessary. Be focused in achieving your objective. Students must go home with cogent lesson, i.e. forcefully convincing. Hence, you need thorough preparation so that you can discover the basic lesson taught in the lesson. PRAY, PRAY, PRAY! This can never be over emphasized. Jesus prayed the whole night for just few hours teaching. Pastor E. A. Adeboye fasts and prays for weeks for few hours sermons/teachings. We are shaping lives and destinies through the Word. It‟s a sacred job. People‟s lives and eternity depends on the Word. RESULT          The Word will bear fruit and our labour in the teaching ministry will not be in vain.          The church will be at peace. Wrong doctrine brings disharmony and aggravation. Acts 15: 1-2, 22-23, 30-31.          Tremendous growth. Acts 5:11-16; 19; 9-10; 6:27-28.          The church will be prepared for the second coming of Jesus. Eph 5:27.          The doctrine of Christ will be preserved for coming generation. CONCLUSION True believers must be unwavering in the practice of the doctrine they accepted. This is why removing the ancient church landmark is a gross abuse of the call to teach and lead in the body of Christ. Any deviation from sound doctrine in the church is an end time spirit. Watch out! 2Tim 2:13; John 17:16; 2Tim 4:1-3.