Well Kept

The Word says in Psalms 88 and 2, Let my prayer come before thee. Incline thine ear unto my cry. Welcome to Focus Prayer with G. Craig Lewis. before the Lord in prayer today. And just so however you want to pray, you're welcome to. But we're going to go ahead and get started. Father God, in the name of Jesus. We recognize how powerful you are. Just believing that you are the God that you say you are. Believe in what your word says. Believe in what you've said, what you've told us.

Father God, we believe that you are powerful. We believe not only are you powerful, but you are all powerful. We believe that you created everything. Everything is under your control. Everything's under your jurisdiction. God, we just thank you for being all powerful. We recognize that right now as we come before you in this prayer time, we recognize how much more powerful you are than us. We recognize how much more.

God you are than we could ever be. Father God, we are not gods that govern our own lives and our own affairs, but we yield them to you and recognize that you are all powerful and you are deserving of. Our adoration, you're deserving of our worship, you're deserving of us coming before you and recognizing. If we say nothing else, if we ask for nothing else, if we do nothing else, if we come before you.

You are worthy of us just recognizing how powerful you are. Your word says in Ephesians 3 and 20, now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think. according to the power that worketh in us. We don't want to forget all that you're able to do, exceeding abundantly above anything that we can ask and anything that we can even think of. We don't want Father God to belittle you at all.

But we believe that you can do far more than what it is that we can even ask for. So we just thank you because you are all powerful.

And we come before you with thanksgiving, knowing that we just celebrated a Thanksgiving holiday, but we want to just give you thanks because you are worthy of it. We thank you, Lord, for just all you've done for just a whole year. 2020 being a year of just all kinds of peril, all kinds of blindsided things that happened and yet you kept us and you never left us and you were here.

And you brought us through. And so we just thank you, Lord. We come before you thanking you, Father God. When others were afraid and others were scared and others were doubtful, God, we could believe in you. Because we knew you would see us through. We knew you would watch over us. So we come before you thanking you for that, Lord. Just thanking you for that. Psalms 104 says, enter into his gates with thanksgiving.

and into his courts with praise so we enter into your gates right now with thanksgiving just thanking you god thanking you lord god thanking you god for all that you've done All the blessings you've bestowed upon us, the finances, Father God, the food, the clothes, the shelter. Father God, the hope, the love, the peace, the joy. just all of the wonderful things that you've done for us god material non-material just

Whatever it is, we just thank you for it right now. And we enter into your gates with thanksgiving and into your courts, praising you for all that you've done for us. And we are thankful unto you, Lord. And today we bless.

Your name. And we ask for forgiveness for all of our sins. Father God, just being human beings, being volatile to mistakes and error. even when it comes to just thoughts and ideas and just different things father god we stray and we ask for forgiveness right now for any any areas of our lives father god that are unyielded

Father God, any areas where we yielded to temptation, Father God, we just ask for forgiveness right now for all of our sins. You know us. You know how we're made. You know what we face. You know what temptations we contend with. And so, Father, for that, we ask for forgiveness, believing that you will forgive us of our sins, like your word says, 1 John 1 and 9. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins.

and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. So we ask, Father God, that you forgive us for any sins in our hearts, Father God, any thoughts we may have had. ill-wheel toward others. Father God, unforgiveness in our heart toward others or hatred toward one another. All of the just the human emotions we may have experienced, Father God.

We repent of it right now, asking for forgiveness, Lord, so that we can be in good standing as we come before you, Father God. We can come before you with clean hands. We can come before you with a clean heart. with a purified mind so we ask father god that you would just cleanse us from all unrighteousness so that we can come before you father god unashamed

to stand before you knowing that our sins have been forgiven and that you have restored us in Jesus' name. And we come to you in faith believing that you hear us, believing that

This is not a formality. This is not something we're doing because it's third Wednesday. This is not something we're doing just because we're saved. This isn't something we're doing because we call ourselves Christians. But Father God, we come before you in faith. believing that this is the most effective message. I mean, this is the most effective tool that we can use.

effective method of reaching you father god and talking and communing with you and getting your will brought to the earth getting your will accomplished in the earth in our lives in our families and in in our church Father God, in our world, this is the most effective method, the method of prayer. So we come before you in faith, praying the prayer of faith, believing that you hear us, believing that you're not too big.

to not hear us because you made us to hear you. You created us so that we could hear you. That was your goal, so that you could commune with us in the earth. So Father, we believe that. We believe tonight. It's not a formality. This is not something we do because we just do it. But we believe by faith you hear us. and there is an effectiveness in this father god where your will can be accomplished in the earth and we need your will right now more than ever before

Father God, we need your will. We need what you want. Father, we need to exemplify you, be your ambassadors, walk as you, talk as you, and represent you effectively in the earth. So God, we come before you in faith. believing that this is a setup for that so that you can operate through us and your will can be accomplished in the earth mark 11 and 24 therefore i say unto you

What things soever ye desire when ye pray, believe that ye receive them and ye shall have them. That is your word being spoken, Lord. So we speak that word right now. Whatever we desire, when we pray. If we believe, we will receive it. So we are praying your will tonight, right now, your will, and believing that your will will come here on the earth, your will for the earth, your will for us in the earth.

Your will for our families, for our wives, husbands, children, Father God, for our mothers, fathers. We pray that that will be accomplished here in the earth through this prayer of faith tonight, believing that you hear us.

And we are not afraid of things to come. You have not given us the spirit of fear, for God has not given us the spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind, according to 2 Timothy 1 and 7. So, Father God, we... don't operate in fear we don't move in fear we're not afraid we're not afraid of the noise and pestilence we're not afraid of coronavirus we're not afraid to greet our fellow man and to walk around and breathe the wonderful air that you

You've given us to breathe, freely breathe. Father God, we're not afraid of what they're saying. We're not afraid of the strong delusion of the media. We're not afraid of the strong delusion of our government. We're not afraid of what the devil is doing.

God nothing nothing frightens us father God because we know that you made it all and you are in control of it all and father god our faith our hope and our confidence is in you not in man not in what man is doing not is not in what man is capable of doing but father god We are not afraid of things to come because we know you hold our future.

Jesus name so we just come against the spirit of fear right now Father God that that spirit will not overtake us that spirit Father God worrying about the future worrying about our health worrying about what they're saying worrying about the vaccine worrying about the president, worrying about all of these different things. Father God, we are not afraid of things to come because we know you are a keeper. You've kept us this far. And Father God, we have been well kept.

by you, by you. And we trust and believe that you will continue to do so in Jesus.

and god we just want to thank you now because you never left us during this year of 2020 and all of this turmoil and everything that has happened you never left us you are always here to speak a word to us to give us hope father god to give us a word of confidence to to just speak to our heart of hearts even when it was we were in our alone time father fear began to creep up on us

come upon our minds and deep within our hearts but we didn't even want to tell anyone that we were afraid because we didn't know what was getting ready to happen you came and the comforter of your holy ghost comforted us And you assured us that you were with us. You never left us as a church body here at ABC. All that we've been through in 2020, you never left us. Your hand, it was evident that your hand has been here.

And you've never... left us father all that we see on tv all that we hear on social media all that we hear some of our own parents don't want to see us and our own family members are avoiding us because of what they're afraid of but god you

never left us you never left us you have been here so we just want to pray for we just want to pray that that you've been here for us God consistent according to your word you have been consistent there's not a promise you have not kept you've been here god you never left us Matthew 28 and 20 says teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded of you and lo I am with you always even unto

the end of the world. God, that is your promise to us. You've been here and you will be here until the end. God, we just thank you. We thank you for being consistent, for being constant. for being a rock to a weary land, for being a rock, Father God, when we waver. We thank you for that consistency. You never left us.

there was not a time when we felt we did not have you there wasn't a time when we felt we couldn't come to you there wasn't a time this whole year where we couldn't call your name and you bring comfort to us Your word, your spirit comforted us through the toughest of times. You never left us. and we thank you lord we thank you your word says you will be with us always even until the end of the world we stand on that we rest on that we trust in that knowing that you will never leave us

And God, you've not only been here and never left us, but you've increased us. Father God, you've increased us. You've sustained us through one of the toughest economic times we've seen.

In our lifetime, God, you increased us. God, you made sure we had what we needed. You made sure we had what we... what was needed at that time father god you made provision for us god you opened up doors that we could not do ourselves god you blessed us father god you blessed us Lord God, you've given us nice places to live and you've given us cars and houses and clothes and just things all during a pandemic when many didn't know where the next meal was coming from.

God, you increased your people. Your hand protected us. You never left us. God, we see your blessings all around us. Father God, we see you sustaining us. It's just all around us. And we thank you for it. You blessed us with more and kept us during this evil year of lack. When the enemy tried to unleash his greatest plan, his greatest attack so far on our world.

and on all of the churches and tried to shut all the churches down. Everything that he has done in 2020, Father God, you've blessed us. You've sustained us. You've kept us. When other people were at home, we were here worshiping together, fellowshipping together. When others, Father God, were not allowed or didn't have the faith or whatever the case may be.

Father God, you opened up doors for us to where we found favor, even in our own government, even in our own city. And you allowed us the opportunity to come together so that we could bless you.

And because of that, you have blessed us even more. And you've kept us during this evil year of lack. Psalms 37 and 19 says, they shall not be ashamed in the evil time. I believe, God, we are in the evil time, and right now we don't have to be ashamed. And in the days of famine, they shall be satisfied. Father God, your eyes are on your people.

Your hand is on your people. And during the evil time, Father God, we will flourish. And during times of famine, we will be satisfied because your word said it. We believe it as long as we serve the truth. the living god creator of all things father god we have security we are secure in who you are and in spite of the uneasiness and uncertainty of this year and of 2020 and all that has happened your promises have been sure every promise you made has come to pass

Father God, I was just thinking back to some things you spoke to me this year. Promises, they've all come to pass. God, when I was worried about your people. the church and where we were going to go and what we were going to do and didn't know what to do as a pastor, a leader of your people. All I knew is you just told me to trust you. Father God, everything that you promised.

Everything that you promised has come to pass. You promised to increase us financially as a church, and you did. You promised to increase our membership, and you did. Father God, everything you said that you would do, you did. And Father, we watched it come to pass this year. You said, Father God, that you would protect us. Father God, you said that you would keep us during this time.

So in spite of all the uncertainty and the uneasiness and all the craziness that has gone on in our world, your promises have been sure. Every promise you made. has come to pass. 2 Corinthians 1 and 20, for all the promises of God in him are yea and in him amen unto the glory of God by us. So every promise is yea. Every promise. Amen. It is so. And we thank you, Lord. We thank you. And God, we know that you, during this time, you will keep us.

Father God, we know you're going to keep us in 2021. God, we don't know what's going to happen. We don't know what our world is planning. And I don't think you want us to know everything. I think you want us to just know that you will keep us. You've always done it. If we put our trust and our faith and our confidence in you, you will keep us. Though we do not know what 2021 holds.

We do know who holds 2021. We know that you will keep us safe in... the new year so father god we right now all of our premonitions all of our preconceived thoughts all of the doomsday prophecies and all the videos we keep watching that we shouldn't and all the preachers and different ones that are speaking

will happen what what's what they're doing what's in the vaccine what's in the folks that are given the vaccine what's gonna happen to the people once they get the vaccine all the videos just all of the information father right now we just drop it We forget all of that right now because we know who holds 20. 21 so our faith and our confidence we take out of man and out of man's knowledge and out of our knowledge and we give it to you god because you sustained us and kept us in 20 and 20.

Father God, you kept us through the mass, through the lies, through the deceit, through all that went on, God. You kept us. and you're going to keep us in 2021 so we know that you hold 2021 in the palm of your hand i mean you govern it god it is yours every year is yours The earth is the Lord's and the fullness thereof. You are in control of everything. So because of that, we put our faith, we put our hope, trust and our confidence.

in the one who holds 2021. You hold it, God. We don't want to hold it. We don't want to manage it. We don't want to try to figure it out and try to find a roadmap through it. God, we just want to follow you as you lead us. As you lead, we will follow because we know who holds our future. We know that you will keep us safe in the new year. Matthew 6 and 34. Take therefore no thought for the morrow, for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself.

Your word says right there that we should just trust in you. We shouldn't be thinking about tomorrow, next year. What's going to happen? What's going to happen with our job? What's going to happen? It's so funny how when we didn't have a job, we prayed and asked you for a job. We got a job. We worried about the same job that you gave us. God, if you gave it to us, no man can take it from us. Father God, if you gave it to us, then that means you can give us another one if we need it.

Whatever needs to happen, God, you are in control of it. So we're not going to worry about tomorrow. We're not going to worry. We're not going to put stress and worry in our hearts and in our minds and let our hearts begin to fail us for fear of the things that are going to come. Father God, we just trust and believe that we can trust in you and we can put our future. We can put 2021 in you and rest in you. Believe in Father God.

that you will see us through and whatever the trial of the test that we face as believers in the only true God we know we will make it through because you are still in control. So whatever test, whatever trial, whatever tribulation, whatever comes, Father God, we believe that you're the only true God and that you are the only wise God. And you are in full control of our future. You're in full control, Father God. So we rest in that. We trust in that right now. Right now, Father God.

Just empty our hearts, what we've been holding on to. Father God, empty our hands, what we've been pulling on. Father God, empty our minds, Father God, of what we've been worried about, what we've been watching. Father God, they pushed everyone in their homes and forced them on the internet and then put all kinds of prophecies and words and just lies and deceit and just everything imaginable.

is a google search away and people are getting feel their minds their hearts are getting heavy they are filling their own hearts up with grief they're feeling that filling their own minds up with heaviness and hindrances they are taking themselves down the devil doesn't have to do it they're doing it themselves by just piling on doubt fear just talking to the wrong people reading the wrong things

just filling themselves up with this strong delusion. But Father, we believe that you are the true and the living God. And we believe, Father God, that if we trust in you, not what man is saying and doing, but if we trust in you. Father God, we believe that you are in control and you will see us through. Just like you brought us through 2010, 2015, 2020.

Father God, 2021 will be no different. You will bring us through. Isaiah 41 and 10. Fear thou not, for I am with thee, says God. Be not dismayed, for I am thy God. God, if he's your God, you don't have to be dismayed. If he's our God, we don't have to fear. I will strengthen thee, yea. I will help thee, yea. I will uphold thee with the right hand.

of my righteousness. We trust your word, Lord. We pray your word right now. We pray against fear because your word says fear not because you are with us. Father God, we are not dismayed because your word says that you are our God and you will strengthen us. So Father, we pray your word right now that you will help us, that you will uphold us with the right hand of...

your righteousness right now in the name of Jesus. And God, we know there are no surprises or unforeseen occurrences to an almighty creator. you're not surprised by anything because you're creator of everything because you created it it is under your power so we rest right now in knowing that you will make a way for us father god we rest right now

knowing that you will make a way for us. We have peace right now, knowing that you will make a way for us. Your word says in Colossians 1 and 16, for by him were all things created. that are in heaven and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones or dominions, principalities or powers, all things were created by him and for him. We serve.

an almighty, true, and living creator that everything is subject to, all things visible and invisible, thrones and dominions, principalities and power. Everything must answer. to the creator of all things so almighty creator we submit to you right now we submit to you who you are right now knowing that under your wing is our protection So we hide in you, God. We hide in you. Father God, we know that you will bless us. It is your desire to bless us.

not just financially, but physically with our health, with our strength. It is your desire to bless us, Father God, that we would just be examples of what a blessed creation. looks like. That is what you put in the earth in the garden of Eden. You wanted an example of what a blessed creation looked like. And though the enemy has tried everything he can, to stop it. He can't stop your blessings. We claim your blessings right now and we claim that we will walk.

in your blessings and be blessed creations no matter how wicked and evil this world gets no matter how perverted it gets father god we will walk in your blessings and be blessed of you so that the world can see what a blessed creation looks like and during times of famine and hardship your people in the word flourished these were the times god when people saw and needed to hear

from the people of god they needed to hear from the man of god they needed to hear what thus said the lord during the times of famine and hardship so father i pray right now that you will rise up your voices Father God, so that these wicked men, so that these men that are fearful and afraid, all of this evil, God, that they would submit to those that are connected with you.

Because during famine and hardships, God, that's when your people always flourish so we pray that your word will flourish in the earth right now we pray that your truth will continue to flourish right now father god we pray that the faith that you established back even in the new testament the faith that built the church.

the rock that it was built upon, all of these things will be shining examples of who you are in the earth. No matter how wicked things are around us, Father God, we will still be beacons of light. We will still be... your light in the earth, your salt in the earth, affecting and changing the flavor of everything, Father God, that we come in contact with. Father God, during these times, I pray that your people will flourish.

our god provides and protects and preaches to us while the rest of the world lives in doubt and fear during this time god you will provide you will protect and you will preach and minister to us And we will continue to grow in the faith while the rest of the world is in doubt and the rest of the world is living in fear. God, this is our time to show you to.

the earth psalms 27 and 5 says for in the time of trouble he shall hide me in his pavilion in the secret of his tabernacle shall he hide me he shall set me upon upon a rock. So Father, we believe this is the time when you will set us upon a rock so that we will be seen by the world and those that want to choose your way will see your way exemplified correctly.

So I pray right now, Father God, that during this famine, during these famines, this hardship, that your people will flourish. This will be a time when the truth of your word will come forth. the truth of your word will be shown even brighter during dark times. Father God, I pray right now, knowing that these things will come to pass in Jesus' name. And while the world is sick, we will be healed while the world is fearful. We will rejoice while the world is perishing. We will live on.

God sustain those that follow his plan. So Father God, while the rest of the world is worried about being sick, we are praying for healing. We are believing you for healing. We are believing that your healing power is still a thing. Father God, we serve a God who is a healer, greater than any pestilence, greater than any sickness, greater than any disease. Father God, you are a healer. And while the world is fearful, God, we will rejoice.

because we have nothing to fear we have nothing to be worried about we have father god nothing to complain about you have done marvelous things you've done great and mighty things you've done powerful things So Father God, while the rest of the world is walking around in fear, Father God, we will walk boldly, rejoicing in you for all the wonderful things you've done and how you're going to sustain us and keep us in the future.

And while the world is perishing, we will live on because you sustain those that follow your plan. Psalms 55 and 22, cast thy burdens upon the Lord. and he shall sustain thee. He shall never suffer the righteous to be moved. He told us right here, 55 and 22, cast your burden.

upon the lord so right now we must cast our burdens upon the lord god we cast our burden our cares father got the heaviness father god the hurt the father god whatever we're experiencing we cast it upon you right now because you said you would sustain us and you said that you would never suffer the righteous to be And God, we believe that you are the source and our supply. The Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away. The devil can take nothing from us, but the Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away.

And we believe that our blessings, our hope, and our sustenance all comes from you. Philippians 419, but my God shall supply all your needs. according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus. So you have blessed us, Lord. And during this time, you will continue to bless us, Lord. And while the world is sick, you will bless us. to be healed. And Father God, we just thank you for being our source and our supplier. We give you glory right now in the name of Jesus.

in the name that is above every name. Thank you for keeping us guard under the shadow of your name. Safety. There's healing and peace in you. And we trust in you. We're grateful for your peace, oh God. For the peace of God. We thank you for your peace. We don't have to worry about it. You've given us your peace, Jesus. Oh, your peace, oh God. We're grateful. We're grateful.

Peace I leave with you. My peace I give to you. The world gives I give to you. So let not your heart be troubled. And don't let it be afraid, but let the peace of God. That passes all your understanding. May the peace of God. Guard your heart and mind. May the peace of God passes all your understanding. May the peace of God. God, your heart and mind, we pray for the peace of God that passes all your understanding. Let the peace be.

God, your heart and mind, let the peace of God passes on your understanding. May the peace of God guard your heart and mind. Hallelujah. God tells us in Psalms 23 and 1, the Lord is my shepherd and I shall not want. And I really want you to listen to these words. They just meant so much to me reading them. I know we memorize this as children, but if you just really read it and pay attention to what...

The psalmist is saying, the Lord is my shepherd, which means that he's my leader. And I shall not want, he maketh me to lie down. in green pastures, which means he just gives me rest. He leadeth me beside steel waters, meaning he takes me away from the trouble and hides me, places me. near the steel waters he restoreth my soul meaning that something must have been wrong with my soul for there was a need for it to be restored and he is the restorer of our souls

He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death. Y'all, that's 2020. The valley of the shadow of death. I will fear no evil, for thou art with me, thy rod and thy staff and thy comfort me. thou prepares the table before me in the presence of my enemies, meaning that as they are being enemies and trying to hurt me, he's preparing a table for me.

so that i can dine with them right in front of them right in front of the enemy so that they can see who they are really the enemy of Thou anointed my head with oil, my cup runneth over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life. And I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever. Goodness and mercy. shall follow me all the days of my life. And I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever. So God, we just thank you for being our shepherd.

We thank you, Father God, for being our shepherd. Not just our shepherd, but being the good shepherd. Father God, the good shepherd. That allows us to lie down in green pastures and leads us beside still waters and restores our soul, leads us in the path of righteousness for your namesake. And no matter how bad things get, no matter how dark the shadows of death are around us, we don't have to fear because our shepherd is with us. He's with us.

with us so thank you lord for being with us thank you god for being with us in jesus name and he'll continue to be with us i want you to keep that confidence knowing that he will continue to be with us. In Jesus' name.