Prayer Archives - NCC Cartersville

Waiting On The Lord

August 30, 2024 by NCC-Admin-1 in Pastor's Corner

“The Lord is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him.”
Lamentations 3:25 KJV

The Word of God speaks a great deal about waiting. The Lord promises that those who “wait” upon Him shall “renew their strength.” (Isaiah 40:31). And those who wait upon the Lord shall “inherit the earth.” (Psalm 37:9 KJV). Even though the things we are waiting for have not come as quickly as we had hoped, we are told to continue waiting “because it will surely come…”. (Habakkuk 2:3). I must add that these things we are waiting for are the things He has clearly revealed as His will! And they have been confirmed by His Word!

Waiting is difficult for us because of our nature. We all have a tendency to want things “now”. But learning to wait upon the Lord teaches us about the faithfulness of God. It builds our faith and strengthens our confidence in His Word. It teaches us patience and helps us to better appreciate the wonder, the mystery, and the awesomeness of God’s timing. Waiting reminds us that God sees everything from the eternal perspective. He already knows the beginning and the end of all things! From His perspective, there is never a crisis. And the Lord is never late!

The more we walk with the Lord, the more we learn to trust Him! There are times when the Lord causes us to wait just so that He can show His mighty power and glory in such a way that we humbly bow before Him in awe and wonder! Remember the parting of the Red Sea? (Exodus 14). God chose to bring Israel to that very place so that they could witness His power and glory on their behalf!

So, while waiting is not something we would choose, God chooses it for us so that His glory might be displayed and we might walk with greater confidence in Him. Therefore let us embrace God’s waiting times. He has something amazing to show us! He has designed them specifically for our good and for His glory! “Wait, I say on the Lord.”
(Psalm 27:14). It is worth the wait!

Rev. James W. Black

A Prayer for Revival

February 24, 2024 by NCC-Admin-1 in Pastor's Corner

“Oh that You would rend the heavens! That You would come down! That the mountains might shake at Your presence.”
Isaiah 64:1 NKJV

Isaiah was heartbroken over the condition of his people. The nation of Judah had ignored the many warnings of God to return unto Him, but in their pride and arrogance, they refused to listen! Therefore, God had withdrawn His hedge of protection and brought judgment upon them. Their country was decimated by their enemies. The city of Jerusalem was sacked and their beloved Temple, which to them represented the very Presence of God, was in ruins. Everything that God had warned them would happen had happened. Isaiah 63:19 vividly describes their condition: “We have become like those of old, over whom You never ruled, those who were never called by Your name.” (NKJV).

Isaiah understood that the only thing that would change the heart of that generation was a mighty visitation of God! In other words, a genuine revival! In desperation, he cried out for the Lord to: “rend the heavens and come down”. Only the undeniable, Holy, and Sovereign manifestation of God’s Presence in their midst could change their hearts and restore the nation!

As we witness the decline of our nation and its headlong abandonment of the only true and living God; the One who has preserved us and blessed us from the very beginning as a nation; we must realize that our only hope for salvation, preservation and restoration as a nation is God! Therefore let us genuinely humble ourselves in brokenness and repentance before the Lord and desperately cry out to Him as Isaiah did! Let us ask the Lord to have mercy upon us one more time! Our only hope lies in God and God alone!

Rev. James Black

Praying For One Another

January 27, 2024 by NCC-Admin-1 in Pastor's Corner

And this I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgment; that ye may approve the things that are excellent; that ye may be sincere and without offense till the Day of Christ; being filled with the fruits of righteousness which are by Jesus Christ unto the glory and praise of God.”
Phil. 1: 9-11 KJV

Often when we ask for prayer or others ask us to pray for them, it is usually about a specific issue that we or they are facing or dealing with at the time. And we should pray for one another concerning such things. That is called “bearing one another’s burdens”. (Gal. 6:2).

But in the Body of Christ, it is equally important that we pray for those things that strengthen and deepen our understanding and walk with the Lord. In Philippians, Paul lists those vital things that we should continually pray for one another. These things will help us individually and will help us corporately as a Body.

Pray that we will grow in love for one another. Our love for one another should be genuine and continue to grow and deepen as we walk with Christ. Such love should permeate the entire Body. (John 13:35).
Pray that we will continue to grow in the knowledge and truth of the Lord Jesus. Our understanding and knowledge of Christ and Biblical Truth should continue to grow and increase. (John 1: 14, 17).
Pray that we will continually focus on those things that are excellent (those things that have real value and meaning). We should not allow ourselves to get distracted by non-essentials. Pray that in all things we will keep our focus on Jesus! (Heb. 12:2).
Pray that our hearts will be genuine and sincere in our walk with the Lord, doing our best to not bring a reproach to the Name of Christ or to be offensive toward one another. (1 John 1: 6-7).
Pray that the Fruit of Christ (the fruit of the Holy Spirit) might be manifested in us and through us individually and corporately as the Body of Christ. (Gal. 5: 22-25).

If we pray for one another concerning these things we will grow individually and corporately as a Body!

Rev. James W. Black

There Is No Substitute for Obedience

October 29, 2023 by NCC-Admin-1 in Pastor's Corner

“For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous.”
Romans 5: 19 KJV

There is no substitute for obedience. The Apostle Paul reminds us that it was because of the disobedience of one man, Adam, that sin entered into the world. Our world has been broken and corrupted by sin ever since. We can see the impact of sin all around us every day. Homes, marriages and individual lives are marred by the influence of sin.
Institutions are impacted by sin as well because they are managed by sinful people. The message is clear, disobedience has serious consequences.

But just as disobedience has consequences, so does obedience. The good news of the Gospel is that One Man, Jesus, totally and completely obeyed the will of the Heavenly Father in every way. As a result, all who are redeemed by His Precious Blood are the recipients and beneficiaries of His obedience.

Obedience is not always easy. It is easier in some situations than others. But in all situations it requires us submitting our fleshly desires to the cross and simply doing what the Lord would have us to do. God always makes it clear to us what we need to do. Just as He made His wishes known to Adam, He makes His wishes known to us. He does not leave us in the dark. He has given us clear instructions through His Word and by the leading of the Holy Spirit. And the Lord always helps us to obey if we will yield to Him!

It was not easy for Jesus to obey. The torture of the cross was not easy. The very idea of being separated from His Heavenly Father when our sin was placed upon Him was not easy (Matthew 27:46). But Jesus understood the importance of obedience. There could be no substitute. The entire fate of the human race hung in the balance. Would He choose the Father’s will or His own? (Luke 22: 40-44).

Thankfully, Jesus chose the path of obedience. And all of us who are redeemed have received the blessing and the benefit of that obedience. So the next time you are tempted not to obey the Lord, just remember that your obedience can have an impact that is far greater than you can imagine. The obedience of Jesus was not just about Himself. It was about all of us! To Him, pleasing the Father was more important than pleasing Himself. I shudder to think of where we would be if He had not obeyed the Father!

James W. Black

The Attentive Ear of God

May 7, 2023 by NCC-Admin-1 in Pastor's Corner

“The Lord is nigh unto all them that call upon him, to all that call upon him in truth.”
(Psalm 145:18 KJV).

Have you ever struggled with having confidence that when you pray the Lord actually hears you? Or that He really cares about you and the issues you are facing in your life? Have you ever thought that somehow you are not good enough or that you are not spiritual enough? Have you ever felt like you just don’t seem to have the right words or that somehow your words just do not seem adequate? Have you ever felt awkward when you pray, thinking that you look foolish speaking to someone you can’t even see? Have you ever had the thought cross your mind that said: “What difference does it really make?”

Every child of God has experienced these thoughts and feelings when it comes to prayer. The reason we have such thoughts is because we are all keenly aware of the weakness of our flesh. And all of us are bombarded by the thoughts the evil one and his demons seek to plant in our minds. This is true not only for new believers but for seasoned believers as well. All of these thoughts and feelings are designed to discourage us from praying. The goal is too intimidate and discourage us in order to keep us from praying. The evil one knows the power of prayer far better than we do. He and his demons are fearful of people who pray and churches that pray.

But the great promise of God is that He always hears the heart cry of those who belong to Him. He reminds us that “He is near”. What that means is that He is close to all who truly belong to Him. But also notice that He hears those that “call upon Him in truth.” That means to call upon Him with genuine authenticity. The Lord knows if we are serious about Him or not. We cannot fool God. He knows the motive and intention of our heart. If our heart is right, and our motive is right, the Lord always hears His people! Thus we can always pray with absolute confidence when we call upon Him!

James W. Black

Too Late to Pray

April 23, 2023 by NCC-Admin-1 in Pastor's Corner

“Then said the Lord unto me, Pray not for this people for their good. When they fast, I will not hear their cry; and when they offer burnt offering and an oblation, I will not accept them; but I will consume them by the sword, and by the famine , and by the pestilence.” (Jer. 14: 11-12 KJV).

This is one of the most sobering passages in the Bible, along with (Jeremiah 15:1). Here the Lord instructed Jeremiah to stop praying for the nation of Judah! Is it possible that God, who is full of love, mercy, grace and is exceedingly patient could reach a point that He will no longer hear the prayers of His people? Is it possible that God, Who’s patience far exceeds ours can reach a point to where He says: That is enough? Absolutely!

The Southern Kingdom of Judah had witnessed God’s judgement and destruction of the Northern Kingdom of Israel by the Assyrians in 722 BC. God had sent them prophets to warn them and to implore them to repent and return to Him, but they refused to listen. Now the Southern Kingdom of Judah is doing the same. For over 130 years, the Lord had sent prophet after prophet to warn the nation of God’s impending judgment if they did not repent and return unto Him. But just like the Northern Kingdom, Judah refused to listen. They had short spurts of revival, but they did not last. Those revivals did not impact the nation long term. Judah, like Israel, continued to reject God. Now, God had come to the place where He said: That is enough! My judgment will now fall upon this nation!

God, in His love and mercy gives every individual and every nation the opportunity to repent and return unto Him! It is called a “space for repentance.” But if that person or that nation continues on in total rebellion and they continue to harden their heart toward God after He has called them again and again; then the Lord will bring His judgment upon them.

The message is clear. God is loving, merciful, full of grace and patient. But He is also Holy. And His Holiness demands that unrighteousness and wickedness be judged; especially when those He has called again and again refuse to listen! Although America may not have yet reached that point, I fear that she is very close. Let us fervently pray for this nation. Let us fervently pray for a Great Awakening while God will still hear!

James W. Black

The Gift of God’s Peace

February 26, 2023 by NCC-Admin-1 in Pastor's Corner

“And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are called to live in peace. And always be thankful.” (Col. 3:15 NLT).

We live in a chaotic world. This chaos is the result of living in a world that is enveloped and governed by sin. Division strife and conflict is everywhere. Sadly, discontentment, bickering, strife and turmoil is the norm rather than the exception.
We see and hear it in the newscasts daily. It is pervasive in individuals, families, communities, organizations and nations. This chaos is the result of sin which expresses itself through selfishness and a self centeredness. It even impacts churches, whenever God’s people take their eyes off of Jesus and become distracted and focused on the weaknesses, flaws, failures, and imperfections of others within the Body of Christ. It is interesting to note how we somehow expect and even demand that others, walk more perfectly than we do; all the while forgetting that we also have feet of clay and are usually blinded to our own flaws. We deceive ourselves into thinking that our weaknesses and flaws, which we even may acknowledge, are not nearly as bad as those we see in others (Mat. 7:3-5).

But into this chaos comes Christ! And with Him comes His peace! It is His gift to us; personally and corporately. It is available to our family, our community and our fellowship. One of the amazing things about Jesus was that He was always at peace. He rested in the Peace of God, the Father. He was never anxious. He was never worried. Jesus was at perfect peace even when the ship carrying Him was tossed on the waves and appeared (at least to His disciples) to be sinking (Mat. 8: 24-27). As He stood before Pilate, knowing full well what awaited Him, He was a peace! He was at peace because He had fully committed Himself into the hands of His Heavenly Father (Mat. 26: 39-46). and He completely trusted Him to take care of Him in and through all circumstances. (John 18: 36-37).

This same peace is available to every follower of Christ. It comes with our salvation. It is a part of living and being in Christ. But notice the passage: “let the peace of God, that comes from Christ, rule your hearts.” The peace comes from Christ, but we must allow (or let) His peace rule and reign! We do that by surrendering ourselves unto Him, relinquishing the chaos to Him, and letting His peace lift us above the chaos. The chaos may not change but we change. We change our perspective and we change our position. And because we have chosen to surrender ourselves and our chaos to Him, His peace is then released so that it can have full reign in our lives.

James W. Black

How Can You Tell If You Love Jesus?

February 19, 2023 by NCC-Admin-1 in Pastor's Corner

“If you love Me, keep My commandments.” (John 14:15 NKJV)

It is very easy for someone to say: “I love Jesus.” But how can you tell if that really is true? Jesus made it simple and clear. He said in essence, “If you love me, you will do what I ask you to do.” Genuine obedience to the Lord is born out of love for Him! If we love Him, obedience is not hard because we know that whatever He asks us to do is because of His great love for us! He always has our best interest in mind.

Therefore, we seek to honor Him, not out of duty or coercion but because of our love for Him. We love Him because of what He has done for us (1 John 4:19). Jesus has redeemed us by His own blood (Col. 1:14). He has forgiven us and made us sons and daughters of His royal family (Gal. 4:6-7). He came to us when were totally bankrupted by sin and gave us the wealth of His mercy, forgiveness, grace and love! He gave us His very own righteousness (Rom. 3: 21-22). And if that were not enough, He gave us eternal life (John 11: 25-26). The power of sin and death was broken by His resurrection and no longer has a claim upon us (Col. 2: 13-15). It is absolutely amazing! And He did all of this out of His great love for us. He did that for us before we even knew Who He was (Rom. 5:8). How could anyone truly know that not love Him?

Therefore if we truly love Jesus , we will want to honor Him! We will not want to do anything to bring a reproach upon His Name. We will not want to live in a way that would cause others to question whether or not we are a follower of Christ (1 Thess. 5:22). If we love Him, there will be a consistency in our life that reflects Christ. The key word is consistency, not perfection! No follower of Christ lives perfectly. But there will be, in spite of our failures at times, the willingness and the ability to get back up and keep following Him. When we love Him, He always empowers us to do that and whatever else He wants us to do.

James W. Black

Revelation Knowledge

February 12, 2023 by NCC-Admin-1 in Pastor's Corner

“Now it came to pass, as he sat at the table with them, that He took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them. Then their eyes were opened and they knew Him; and He vanished from their sight.” (Luke 24: 30-31 NKJV).

In (Luke 24: 13-35) the Word of God gives the account of what happened on the Road to Emmaus. Two followers of Christ were walking together on their way to Emmaus, a small village about 7 miles from Jerusalem. While they walked they were discussing the events that had transpired in Jerusalem. Jesus, whom they truly believed to be the Messiah, (vs. 21) had been crucified and buried. But now some were saying emphatically that Jesus was alive; that He had risen from the dead! The two men were confused and trying to make sense of it all.

As they walked a stranger joined them and inquired about their discussion. They were surprised at his inquiry (vs. 18) and shared with him their confusion over everything that had happened to Jesus. Then the stranger began to share and explain from the scriptures how that the Messiah would be killed and then raised from the dead. It was right there in the Word of God, but they had not been able to see it before. They were amazed at what this stranger shared with them. They were so blessed by the conversation that they encouraged him to stay at their home for the night. Then as they were eating together, as the stranger blessed, broke and gave them the bread, “their eyes were opened” (vs. 31) and they recognized Jesus for the very first time! He had been with them all along. But they did not know it!

What happened? They received “revelation”! Revelation is knowledge and understanding that is given only by the Holy Spirit. Revelation is not learned. It is given. When the Holy One gives revelation, we see things that before were unseen. What a joy it is to know that we have Someone who can show us truth that before we had been unable to see! When our eyes are opened and we receive revelation, everything changes! Let us so align ourselves with the Lord in our walk that He will give us deeper revelation about Himself!

James W. Black

No Neutrality In The Kingdom

January 29, 2023 by NCC-Admin-1 in Pastor's Corner

“He who is not with Me is against Me, and he that does not gather with Me scatters abroad.” (Matthew 12:30 NKJV).

There are many who approach Jesus with a take it or leave it attitude. They may tolerate those who do follow Jesus but when it’s comes to them personally it does not really matter if they follow Him or not. They are basically indifferent to Jesus. They think that they can remain neutral when it comes to the person of Jesus. But the truth is that Jesus did not leave us with that option. Jesus made it abundantly clear. Either we are with Him or we are against Him! There is no middle ground! In other words, from God’s perspective, though one may not overtly or openly opposed to Jesus, to be indifferent to Him is the same as being opposed to Him. Neither one will embrace or promote Jesus. Therefore both are considered to be in direct opposition to Him!

Let that sink in for a moment. We are either with Him (following, serving and honoring Him with our lives) or we are against Him (opposing Him, rejecting Him or dishonoring Him with our lives). It literally means that we are either His servant or we are His enemy! Most would not consider themselves to be the enemy of Christ. But in reality we are either “followers of Christ” or we are the “followers of the evil one.” And our lives and our actions will clearly demonstrate who it is we are following! (Matthew 7:17-18).

Jesus did not leave room for neutrality where He was concerned. He did not intend to.
He made that clear with His invitation to the very first disciples. His invitation was: “Follow me…”.(Matthew 4:19). That invitation still stands today!

James W. Black

Tag: Prayer