“From the Heart” teaching by Drs. Rodney & Adonica Howard-Browne.

All of us have things we need or want. All of us have some changes we would like to see in our lives. What do we do about it? Do we just think about them and wish things could be different? Do we share our problems with other people or even whine and complain about them? There’s little or nothing they can do for us! Or do we talk to Someone who cares and Someone who knows how to move mountains? The Father wants us to depend on Him: He wants us to trust in Him; He wants us to look to Him for everything; and Him alone. He wants us to take time to come to Him; to talk to Him. There are many things in our hearts that are so personal they cannot be shared with others, but the Father already knows what’s in our hearts, so we can be transparent with Him. In fact, He wants us to be open and honest with Him; He wants us to tell Him what we need and He wants to be the one to meet that need. Father God is not bothered when you come to talk to Him, He is delighted. He created us to have intimate fellowship with Him.

But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly. 7 And when you pray, do not use vain repetitions as the heathen do. For they think that they will be heard for their many words. 8 “Therefore do not be like them. For your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him. Matthew 6:6-8 NKJV

God is not moved by many words or repetitive words; He is not moved by begging or crying; He is moved by faith. People don’t like being nagged—the Lord doesn’t either. He just wants us to be straight and real with Him and ask Him for what we want. The Lord knows what is in our heart more than we do, but we still need to tell Him what that is. Purposefully asking God is a demonstration of our faith and trust in Him and His Word. A very helpful tool in your prayer life, on the road to purposeful and answered prayer, is a prayer journal—so that you can focus, write down and keep track of your prayer requests.

Ten reasons why journaling is a good idea:
• It enables you to collect and articulate your thoughts more clearly and specifically before you pray.
• It provides a record of answered prayer to encourage you and remind of what God has done for you.
• It helps you look back on your own spiritual journey.
• It can prevent you mind from wandering while you pray.
• It helps you to dig deeper into your heart, to bring out your real dreams, desires and needs.
• It helps you sort through competing thoughts.
• It helps you realize and remember how blessed you are and gives you more reasons to thank and praise the Lord.
• It provides a measuring rod for your own consistency.
• It helps you to apply the Word of God to your everyday life.
• It promotes self-discipline.

One way to journal is to divide your page into two columns, one for your request and one for the answer. Fill in the date above each column of when you prayed and when it was answered. You can come back later and fill in the answer column when your prayer is answered. Underneath these columns, add space for a paragraph where you can praise God for something that the Lord did for you the day before. You could also use a “prayer card”, writing the prayer on one side and the answer on the other. You can have a special box to keep all your answered prayers.

“Because he has set his love upon Me, therefore I will deliver him; I will set him on high, because he has known My name. 15 He shall call upon Me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him and honor him. 16 With long life I will satisfy him, And show him My salvation.” Psalms 91:14-16 NKJV








“From the Heart” teaching by Drs. Rodney & Adonica Howard-Browne.

Foundation Scriptures:

And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. 16 He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned. 17 And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; 18 .They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover. 19 So then after the Lord had spoken unto them, he was received up into heaven, and sat on the right hand of God. 20 And they went forth, and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following. Amen. Mark 16:15-20 KJV

Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. Acts 2:38 KJV

Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? 4 Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. 5 For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection: 6 Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. Romans 6:3-6 KJV

1. Baptize

a. The word “baptize” means to immerse or submerge; to bury.

b. To go under.

c. Not just sprinkled.

d. If something dies, you do not sprinkle dirt on it; you dig a hole and bury it.

e. Babies are not baptized – they are dedicated.

2. Types of Baptisms in Scripture

a. Naaman the leper – dipped 7 times

b. John the Baptist – baptism unto repentance.

i. Not a New Testament baptism.

ii. Jesus had not died and risen yet.

iii. It was a baptism of obedience, signifying repentance.

c. Jesus set the example for us in His baptism of obedience.

3. Ours is a New Testament Baptism.

a. There are three kinds of baptism:

i. Baptism into the body of Christ at the New Birth – accomplished by the Holy Spirit – Ephesians 2:18; Titus 3:5.

ii. Baptism with water – man baptizes you in water – Matthew 3:11.

iii. Baptism in the Holy Spirit – Jesus is the Baptizer in the Holy Ghost – Mark 1:8; Acts 1:5.

4. Salvation, Baptism in Water, and Baptism in the Holy Spirit

a. Sometimes people pray a salvation prayer, but don’t let go of the past.

b. Baptism in water is a break with the past.

c. The devil does not want people baptized in water any more than he wants them saved or filled with the Holy Ghost. He will try to fight it or water it down with religion.

d. Christians, like the Anabaptists, paid a price for the restoration of the truth of water-baptism to the Body of Christ. They preached against baby “baptism” or sprinkling. They preached that baptism was only for a professed believer in Jesus Christ.

e. Some were drowned in their own baptismal waters by their enemies.

f. In Africa, you can pray with people for salvation, but when you begin to water-baptize them, all hell breaks loose. Witchdoctors don’t like it, because they will lose all their customers.

g. In religious churches, they preach a watered down Gospel and if you start water-baptizing, know that you will see the religious spirits manifesting.

In whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ: 12 Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead. 13 And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses; 14 Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross; 15 And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it. Colossians 2:11-15 KJV

Which sometime were disobedient, when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water. 21 The like figure whereunto even baptism doth also now save us (not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God,) by the resurrection of Jesus Christ: 1 Peter 3:20-21 KJV

5. Water Baptism Doesn’t Save You, the Word of God Does

a. You must realize – grasp and understand clearly – what you are doing.

b. Mix faith with your action of baptism.

c. It is the beginning of the process of renewing the mind.

d. When people have backslidden, it is a point of contact for a new beginning.

e. A burial of the Old Man and a resurrection of the New Man.

f. Water baptism provides you with the answer of a good, clean conscience.

g. Stripping away the old carnal nature with its passions and lusts.

h. Circumcision of the soul.

6. It’s Time to Run to the Waters