Psalm 64:1
1 Hear me, O God, as I voice my complaint;
protect my life from the threat of the enemy.
I know that on Monday I talked about praying for your enemies and those who persecute you. I just want to clear things up a little bit.
We all have our own ideal world and just how perfect and flawless it should be. What if everyone respected one another and was compassionate and kind? The problem is we get so wrapped up in "this is how I wish the world to be and this is how the world will be" mindset that we're caught off guard when we're betrayed by our enemy. At this point, you know that idea of a perfect world has just gone down the drain.
There is no permanent solution to this problem. You can put a spiritual band-aid on the problem to partially deal with it. It may be effective in one sense, however, it may not do what you think.
What is the spiritual band-aid that I speak of? Prayer. Still, the reality is, you're still going to have enemies and those that find every way to not get along with you. Here's where prayer as a spiritual band-aid comes into the picture. Prayer helps to calm our fears and make us secure when we have enemies. If you have the heart of Christ then you're more willing to give your enemies a taste of Christ then act out of revenge. The purpose of prayer is not to be out of sight from our enemies and harm's way, but to be held in the arms of Christ and heaven above. Let us, Lord, find truth and reality in prayer as it provides us with eternal security not an escape route.
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
Where's Prayer on Your List?
Colossians 4:2
2 Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful.
What are you fully committed to in life? Chances are, for most people, it's not God. Yesterday we did a skit at First Priority, the Christian club at my school, and it related to this point in a way. Is Jesus on the stool or are you on the stool? In other words, who's making the decisions in your life? It has to be either all you or all Jesus. Aim for Jesus...he will give you the wisdom you need to get by day after day.
If you're fully committed to something that means 24/7/365, right? There's not too many things that can be on that list given the strict criteria. Nonetheless, Paul is trying to convince us to be committed to having a conversation with God. Be devoted to prayer. Condition yourself so that you pray constantly not just because you should, but out of your own instinct.
In order to be successful with this, you have to be mindful of everything. Ask God for help and tell him thank you too whenever something comes up. For all you on facebook, become a FAN of God. If you use twitter, why not FOLLOW God? What would you write on God's wall if he had a social networking site?
Do what you can to meaningfully increase your prayers and praises to the Lord today (and everyday)! Lord, let us be committed to you.
Listen to the song "Every Time I Pray." It has a bit of a different style. Even if you don't like the style though, listen to the words. They're quite powerful.
P.S. If you have trouble with the video stopping and starting, keep the video paused, and let it "buffer" (load) as it's called for a while. You will see the red bar along the bottom advance (speed depends on your Internet connection). Wait until that bar gets pretty far along (I'd say more than halfway) before you play the video and it shouldn't pause.
2 Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful.
What are you fully committed to in life? Chances are, for most people, it's not God. Yesterday we did a skit at First Priority, the Christian club at my school, and it related to this point in a way. Is Jesus on the stool or are you on the stool? In other words, who's making the decisions in your life? It has to be either all you or all Jesus. Aim for Jesus...he will give you the wisdom you need to get by day after day.
If you're fully committed to something that means 24/7/365, right? There's not too many things that can be on that list given the strict criteria. Nonetheless, Paul is trying to convince us to be committed to having a conversation with God. Be devoted to prayer. Condition yourself so that you pray constantly not just because you should, but out of your own instinct.
In order to be successful with this, you have to be mindful of everything. Ask God for help and tell him thank you too whenever something comes up. For all you on facebook, become a FAN of God. If you use twitter, why not FOLLOW God? What would you write on God's wall if he had a social networking site?
Do what you can to meaningfully increase your prayers and praises to the Lord today (and everyday)! Lord, let us be committed to you.
Listen to the song "Every Time I Pray." It has a bit of a different style. Even if you don't like the style though, listen to the words. They're quite powerful.
P.S. If you have trouble with the video stopping and starting, keep the video paused, and let it "buffer" (load) as it's called for a while. You will see the red bar along the bottom advance (speed depends on your Internet connection). Wait until that bar gets pretty far along (I'd say more than halfway) before you play the video and it shouldn't pause.
Monday, March 29, 2010
Bless Those Who Persecute You.
Romans 12:14
14 Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse.
This is such an important motto to live by. It's very difficult to live perfectly under this rule, but God expects you to have faults.
When someone says something nasty to you or does something nasty to you, the last thing you want to do is something good in return, bless them, and pray for them. That's just human nature. It's a matter of training yourself though. If you condition your mind and heart to match that of Jesus, then praying and blessing those who hurt you will come naturally.
I'll be honest, living and following Jesus is no easy task. Why? Because his life equaled torture, betrayal, and a brutal death on a cross still as a human being. Then, to top it all off, he forgave, blessed, and prayed for those who persecuted him. As Christians, this is what we are called to do.
If you're going through a difficult time now, is it harder to accept this statement and obey the Lord's command? Pray that God will help you follow this commandment.
P.S. I was out of town Friday and Saturday and my intended posts were scheduled for the wrong day so they didn't show up for Friday and Saturday. Figures. So they're up now. Go ahead and read those as well.
14 Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse.
This is such an important motto to live by. It's very difficult to live perfectly under this rule, but God expects you to have faults.
When someone says something nasty to you or does something nasty to you, the last thing you want to do is something good in return, bless them, and pray for them. That's just human nature. It's a matter of training yourself though. If you condition your mind and heart to match that of Jesus, then praying and blessing those who hurt you will come naturally.
I'll be honest, living and following Jesus is no easy task. Why? Because his life equaled torture, betrayal, and a brutal death on a cross still as a human being. Then, to top it all off, he forgave, blessed, and prayed for those who persecuted him. As Christians, this is what we are called to do.
If you're going through a difficult time now, is it harder to accept this statement and obey the Lord's command? Pray that God will help you follow this commandment.
P.S. I was out of town Friday and Saturday and my intended posts were scheduled for the wrong day so they didn't show up for Friday and Saturday. Figures. So they're up now. Go ahead and read those as well.
Saturday, March 27, 2010
A Simple Concept.
Ephesians 3:16-19
16 I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, 18 may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, 19 and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.
Prayer is one of the simplest things. It just depends on what we make of it. Ever since the beginning of time, people have been expressing their thoughts to the Lord. We praise him and we curse him. We ask him to heal the sick and the injured and to provide us with job opportunities. The problem is that sometimes we can sometimes make something so simple and make it too simple or too complicated when really it should be somewhere in the middle. Prayer is simple once you get the routine down.
Life is extremely difficult nowadays. We have so much happening that we bounce around from point A to point B and often lose focus on the central authority who brought us into existence: God!
Do you ever feel the need for God’s love? Realize that God loves you all the time. Paul prayed that we wouldn’t just FEEL God’s love and presence. He prayed that we would KNOW God’s love and presence. It’s something that all of us need in order to give us that second wind to move on in times of discouragement.
The good news of the Bible brings us the vast love that God has for us. In fact, God’s word fights to dominate over the world’s distractions, disappointments, and darkness. May prayer go beyond all the power known to man and knock down all the walls to bring in the light, hope, and love of God.
16 I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, 18 may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, 19 and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.
Prayer is one of the simplest things. It just depends on what we make of it. Ever since the beginning of time, people have been expressing their thoughts to the Lord. We praise him and we curse him. We ask him to heal the sick and the injured and to provide us with job opportunities. The problem is that sometimes we can sometimes make something so simple and make it too simple or too complicated when really it should be somewhere in the middle. Prayer is simple once you get the routine down.
Life is extremely difficult nowadays. We have so much happening that we bounce around from point A to point B and often lose focus on the central authority who brought us into existence: God!
Do you ever feel the need for God’s love? Realize that God loves you all the time. Paul prayed that we wouldn’t just FEEL God’s love and presence. He prayed that we would KNOW God’s love and presence. It’s something that all of us need in order to give us that second wind to move on in times of discouragement.
The good news of the Bible brings us the vast love that God has for us. In fact, God’s word fights to dominate over the world’s distractions, disappointments, and darkness. May prayer go beyond all the power known to man and knock down all the walls to bring in the light, hope, and love of God.
Friday, March 26, 2010
You're Worthy of the Lord.
Colossians 1:9-14
9 For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding. 10 And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, 11 being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and joyfully 12 giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light. 13 For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, 14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.
We're wrapping up our series within a series, Paul's Prayers, today.
Often prayers have a point. While we sometimes mumble to God, our prayers still usually have a purpose: they may be our needs or they may be our praises. Either way, I don't think that we're just whispering. We hope that they are answered by God. However, do you really know this God you are praying to and are your actions pleasing to him?
How does your life please the Lord? No matter what, we need to live a life that is worthy of the Lord. Don't make this terribly complicated like we typically do. God wouldn't ask something of you if you couldn't do it. Therefore, you are fully capable of being worthy of the Lord despite your daily mistakes. Move on from those mistakes and live a life worthy of the Lord because you can! As you continue to walk with Christ, you will learn more about him and understand his definition of being worthy.
In addition, please God with everything you do! Don't live to satisfy your personal ambitions; live to satisfy the ambitions that God has for you. Remember the whole idea is for Christ's character to reflect who you are. Finally, realize that everything you do for the Lord won't be pleasing to you.
9 For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding. 10 And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, 11 being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and joyfully 12 giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light. 13 For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, 14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.
We're wrapping up our series within a series, Paul's Prayers, today.
Often prayers have a point. While we sometimes mumble to God, our prayers still usually have a purpose: they may be our needs or they may be our praises. Either way, I don't think that we're just whispering. We hope that they are answered by God. However, do you really know this God you are praying to and are your actions pleasing to him?
How does your life please the Lord? No matter what, we need to live a life that is worthy of the Lord. Don't make this terribly complicated like we typically do. God wouldn't ask something of you if you couldn't do it. Therefore, you are fully capable of being worthy of the Lord despite your daily mistakes. Move on from those mistakes and live a life worthy of the Lord because you can! As you continue to walk with Christ, you will learn more about him and understand his definition of being worthy.
In addition, please God with everything you do! Don't live to satisfy your personal ambitions; live to satisfy the ambitions that God has for you. Remember the whole idea is for Christ's character to reflect who you are. Finally, realize that everything you do for the Lord won't be pleasing to you.
Thursday, March 25, 2010
Body of Christ.
Ephesians 1:15-19
15 For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, 16 I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers. 17 I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. 18 I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, 19 and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of his mighty strength,
Ephesians is another one of Paul's books and is very similar to the book of Romans, where our scripture reading was from yesterday. Paul includes some grand thoughts in this book so it does take careful reading. It is a rewarding experience spiritually to read. I recommend reading the book of Ephesians in its entirety.
As a body of Christ, when one suffers everyone suffers. That's how it is meant to be as everyone is supportive of one another. The problem is that so many of us don't walk the entire length of the path with Christ. Many don't defend their treasuring life in Christ from Satan. Many are disappointing the Holy Spirit by walking the worldly way making the devil feel right at home. You see, too often we get wrapped up in life that we're not moved by the right spirit.
Our limited prayer lives, like praying just for ourselves or our church, defines who we are as a person and body of Christ as well. We have to exclaim the gospel based on our experiences given we're spirit led.
Finally, we have to acknowledge our unity with all saints no matter the race, color, or financial status they have. As a body of Christ, through love and prayer, we are to have victory over Satan!
Here's a reminder of the chorus of "If We Are The Body" by Casting Crowns.
But if we are the Body
Why aren't His arms reaching
Why aren't His hands healing
Why aren't His words teaching
And if we are the Body
Why aren't His feet going
Why is His love not showing them there is a way
15 For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, 16 I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers. 17 I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. 18 I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, 19 and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of his mighty strength,
Ephesians is another one of Paul's books and is very similar to the book of Romans, where our scripture reading was from yesterday. Paul includes some grand thoughts in this book so it does take careful reading. It is a rewarding experience spiritually to read. I recommend reading the book of Ephesians in its entirety.
As a body of Christ, when one suffers everyone suffers. That's how it is meant to be as everyone is supportive of one another. The problem is that so many of us don't walk the entire length of the path with Christ. Many don't defend their treasuring life in Christ from Satan. Many are disappointing the Holy Spirit by walking the worldly way making the devil feel right at home. You see, too often we get wrapped up in life that we're not moved by the right spirit.
Our limited prayer lives, like praying just for ourselves or our church, defines who we are as a person and body of Christ as well. We have to exclaim the gospel based on our experiences given we're spirit led.
Finally, we have to acknowledge our unity with all saints no matter the race, color, or financial status they have. As a body of Christ, through love and prayer, we are to have victory over Satan!
Here's a reminder of the chorus of "If We Are The Body" by Casting Crowns.
But if we are the Body
Why aren't His arms reaching
Why aren't His hands healing
Why aren't His words teaching
And if we are the Body
Why aren't His feet going
Why is His love not showing them there is a way
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
Paul's Lesson on Prayer.
Romans 1:8-12
8 First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith is being reported all over the world. 9 God, whom I serve with my whole heart in preaching the gospel of his Son, is my witness how constantly I remember you 10 in my prayers at all times; and I pray that now at last by God's will the way may be opened for me to come to you.
11 I long to see you so that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to make you strong— 12 that is, that you and I may be mutually encouraged by each other's faith.
Paul is very insightful in this passage of Romans on what we should know about prayer. He wants to show us what God is looking for in our prayer lives. Let me break it down for you:
1. Always praise God when you pray (see verse 8). Paul was always very thankful to God for other Christian believers. In fact, their faith stood out as being significant. Their faith helped them to worship the one, true God, and Paul acknowledged that.
2. You need to pray through Jesus Christ (see verse 8). You can look at Jesus not only as God's son, but as God's messenger. There's no other way we can come to God other than through Jesus. Without him, prayer wouldn't be possible. Notice how when we pray, we say "in Jesus' name."
3. Pray with a sincere and righteous heart (see verse 9). You can tell others that you pray everyday and that your relationship with Christ is on the up and up. However, only God can tell how genuine you are with regard to your spiritual life. Paul was a great example of being sincere. There was no pretending. Paul knew that prayer was important and he knew that God knew about his prayer life.
4. Constantly pray (see verse 9). You know how there's always that one thing that you bring with you everywhere...your cell phone, laptop, or a good luck penny, perhaps? Try and add prayer to that possession of yours that you always have with you. Don't quit praying! Pray as much as possible throughout the day, not just once!
5. Make sure your prayers are intercessory (see verse 9). What is intercessory prayer? I learned it a few weeks ago. It's seeking God on one's behalf. In other words, don't just pray for yourself; pray for others. Don't just pray for others, but pray for others with great hope, trust, and positivity. Notice how Paul mentioned the Roman believers in his prayer.
6. Make a specific prayer request (see verse 10). Even though God knows what we want, it's part of building our relationship with him. We have to come to the Lord and let him know what's specifically on our heart and mind.
7. Surrender and accept God's will in times of prayer (see verse 10). Remember, we are to live "by God's will." Once you state your request, accept the fact that it will be granted only if it is part of God's will.
8. Be encouraged by faith through God and his people as you pray (see verses 11-12). Realize that God works in magical ways. Some of his work you'll see as treasure while in other cases, you won't feel that way. However, God shapes you as he sees best. Remember to see the big picture of God. That will allow you to see his magic all around.
That's a wrap on today's post on prayer. Perhaps print this out and remember these eight ideals as you pray based on scripture.
8 First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith is being reported all over the world. 9 God, whom I serve with my whole heart in preaching the gospel of his Son, is my witness how constantly I remember you 10 in my prayers at all times; and I pray that now at last by God's will the way may be opened for me to come to you.
11 I long to see you so that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to make you strong— 12 that is, that you and I may be mutually encouraged by each other's faith.
Paul is very insightful in this passage of Romans on what we should know about prayer. He wants to show us what God is looking for in our prayer lives. Let me break it down for you:
1. Always praise God when you pray (see verse 8). Paul was always very thankful to God for other Christian believers. In fact, their faith stood out as being significant. Their faith helped them to worship the one, true God, and Paul acknowledged that.
2. You need to pray through Jesus Christ (see verse 8). You can look at Jesus not only as God's son, but as God's messenger. There's no other way we can come to God other than through Jesus. Without him, prayer wouldn't be possible. Notice how when we pray, we say "in Jesus' name."
3. Pray with a sincere and righteous heart (see verse 9). You can tell others that you pray everyday and that your relationship with Christ is on the up and up. However, only God can tell how genuine you are with regard to your spiritual life. Paul was a great example of being sincere. There was no pretending. Paul knew that prayer was important and he knew that God knew about his prayer life.
4. Constantly pray (see verse 9). You know how there's always that one thing that you bring with you everywhere...your cell phone, laptop, or a good luck penny, perhaps? Try and add prayer to that possession of yours that you always have with you. Don't quit praying! Pray as much as possible throughout the day, not just once!
5. Make sure your prayers are intercessory (see verse 9). What is intercessory prayer? I learned it a few weeks ago. It's seeking God on one's behalf. In other words, don't just pray for yourself; pray for others. Don't just pray for others, but pray for others with great hope, trust, and positivity. Notice how Paul mentioned the Roman believers in his prayer.
6. Make a specific prayer request (see verse 10). Even though God knows what we want, it's part of building our relationship with him. We have to come to the Lord and let him know what's specifically on our heart and mind.
7. Surrender and accept God's will in times of prayer (see verse 10). Remember, we are to live "by God's will." Once you state your request, accept the fact that it will be granted only if it is part of God's will.
8. Be encouraged by faith through God and his people as you pray (see verses 11-12). Realize that God works in magical ways. Some of his work you'll see as treasure while in other cases, you won't feel that way. However, God shapes you as he sees best. Remember to see the big picture of God. That will allow you to see his magic all around.
That's a wrap on today's post on prayer. Perhaps print this out and remember these eight ideals as you pray based on scripture.
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Godly Advertisement.
John 17:20-26
20 "My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, 21 that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. 22 I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one: 23 I in them and you in me. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me. 24 "Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world. 25 "Righteous Father, though the world does not know you, I know you, and they know that you have sent me. 26 I have made you known to them, and will continue to make you known in order that the love you have for me may be in them and that I myself may be in them."
Even though Christmas is just about nine months away, the massive advertisements are about 6 or 7 months away. When the time comes, you can't help but notice all the deals and offers posted all around you.
I guess it doesn't even have to be a holiday ad; it can be a normal Sunday ad in the newspaper. Still, the exclamations catch our attention and seem to be intriguing. I know when I look in the ads I always learn about a new product, for example.
Notice that advertisements are all over the place...that's how Christians should be. We should be encouraging with our words and actions to lure someone into the faith not just because it's the right thing to do but because God calls us to do this. People see what is happening in our lives as Christians and use the image to make a judgment on whether or not to accept, believe, and live out the Christian faith. Prior to seeing us, some people may not have a clue about Christianity.
Pray that you are the light for others because God prayed that you would go out into the world with other followers and show a love that originates from the Lord. We're the advertisement selling the Christian faith - except it's priceless - an even better deal!
If someone were to open up your advertisement, what would it reveal about you? You know, it's the inside that really matters. Are you encouraging from the inside out? What's in you that makes others want God?
20 "My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, 21 that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. 22 I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one: 23 I in them and you in me. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me. 24 "Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world. 25 "Righteous Father, though the world does not know you, I know you, and they know that you have sent me. 26 I have made you known to them, and will continue to make you known in order that the love you have for me may be in them and that I myself may be in them."
Even though Christmas is just about nine months away, the massive advertisements are about 6 or 7 months away. When the time comes, you can't help but notice all the deals and offers posted all around you.
I guess it doesn't even have to be a holiday ad; it can be a normal Sunday ad in the newspaper. Still, the exclamations catch our attention and seem to be intriguing. I know when I look in the ads I always learn about a new product, for example.
Notice that advertisements are all over the place...that's how Christians should be. We should be encouraging with our words and actions to lure someone into the faith not just because it's the right thing to do but because God calls us to do this. People see what is happening in our lives as Christians and use the image to make a judgment on whether or not to accept, believe, and live out the Christian faith. Prior to seeing us, some people may not have a clue about Christianity.
Pray that you are the light for others because God prayed that you would go out into the world with other followers and show a love that originates from the Lord. We're the advertisement selling the Christian faith - except it's priceless - an even better deal!
If someone were to open up your advertisement, what would it reveal about you? You know, it's the inside that really matters. Are you encouraging from the inside out? What's in you that makes others want God?
Monday, March 22, 2010
Jesus Prays.
John 17:6-19
6 "I have revealed you to those whom you gave me out of the world. They were yours; you gave them to me and they have obeyed your word. 7 Now they know that everything you have given me comes from you. 8 For I gave them the words you gave me and they accepted them. They knew with certainty that I came from you, and they believed that you sent me. 9 I pray for them. I am not praying for the world, but for those you have given me, for they are yours. 10 All I have is yours, and all you have is mine. And glory has come to me through them. 11 I will remain in the world no longer, but they are still in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, protect them by the power of your name—the name you gave me—so that they may be one as we are one. 12 While I was with them, I protected them and kept them safe by that name you gave me. None has been lost except the one doomed to destruction so that Scripture would be fulfilled. 13 "I am coming to you now, but I say these things while I am still in the world, so that they may have the full measure of my joy within them. 14 I have given them your word and the world has hated them, for they are not of the world any more than I am of the world. 15 My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. 16 They are not of the world, even as I am not of it. 17 Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth. 18 As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world. 19 For them I sanctify myself, that they too may be truly sanctified.
Jesus not only prays for his disciples, but he prays for you as well! I find that especially comforting, don't you? I love Jesus' words here in this prayer. Let's break this down a little more to understand the awesome fact of Jesus praying for the people of the world, including YOU!
He prayed for YOU in the garden before his death. He prays for YOU, YOUR faith, YOUR protection, and even YOUR joy to be complete. That happens even though we can be disappointing with our lack of faith.
Easter is approaching very quickly...two weeks from yesterday! This was the time when Jesus was preparing to die for YOU. Notice the trend here: it's all about YOU and it's okay that it's that way.
God's love for Jesus Christ is ever-present on the cross and in the empty tomb. Realize that God will never let YOU go. Not only does Jesus pray for YOU, he wants YOU to be involved in prayer as well. Lord, help us to be interconnected with other Christians through faith and prayer so that we can go into your world as humble disciples of and for Christ.
I want to pray for one of my faithful readers. My youth leader, Pam, lost her mom Thursday. She went home to Jesus. Lord, I'm so glad that Pam has you in the center of her life. How is she so strong at such a difficult time? If you ask, she'll tell you because of prayer and faith; God simply prepared Pam for this day. I dedicate this song to Pam and her family today. It's called "Homesick" by MercyMe.
P.S. If you have trouble with the video stopping and starting, keep the video paused, and let it "buffer" (load) as it's called for a while. You will see the red bar along the bottom advance (speed depends on your Internet connection). Wait until that bar gets pretty far along (I'd say more than halfway) before you play the video and it shouldn't pause.
6 "I have revealed you to those whom you gave me out of the world. They were yours; you gave them to me and they have obeyed your word. 7 Now they know that everything you have given me comes from you. 8 For I gave them the words you gave me and they accepted them. They knew with certainty that I came from you, and they believed that you sent me. 9 I pray for them. I am not praying for the world, but for those you have given me, for they are yours. 10 All I have is yours, and all you have is mine. And glory has come to me through them. 11 I will remain in the world no longer, but they are still in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, protect them by the power of your name—the name you gave me—so that they may be one as we are one. 12 While I was with them, I protected them and kept them safe by that name you gave me. None has been lost except the one doomed to destruction so that Scripture would be fulfilled. 13 "I am coming to you now, but I say these things while I am still in the world, so that they may have the full measure of my joy within them. 14 I have given them your word and the world has hated them, for they are not of the world any more than I am of the world. 15 My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. 16 They are not of the world, even as I am not of it. 17 Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth. 18 As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world. 19 For them I sanctify myself, that they too may be truly sanctified.
Jesus not only prays for his disciples, but he prays for you as well! I find that especially comforting, don't you? I love Jesus' words here in this prayer. Let's break this down a little more to understand the awesome fact of Jesus praying for the people of the world, including YOU!
He prayed for YOU in the garden before his death. He prays for YOU, YOUR faith, YOUR protection, and even YOUR joy to be complete. That happens even though we can be disappointing with our lack of faith.
Easter is approaching very quickly...two weeks from yesterday! This was the time when Jesus was preparing to die for YOU. Notice the trend here: it's all about YOU and it's okay that it's that way.
God's love for Jesus Christ is ever-present on the cross and in the empty tomb. Realize that God will never let YOU go. Not only does Jesus pray for YOU, he wants YOU to be involved in prayer as well. Lord, help us to be interconnected with other Christians through faith and prayer so that we can go into your world as humble disciples of and for Christ.
I want to pray for one of my faithful readers. My youth leader, Pam, lost her mom Thursday. She went home to Jesus. Lord, I'm so glad that Pam has you in the center of her life. How is she so strong at such a difficult time? If you ask, she'll tell you because of prayer and faith; God simply prepared Pam for this day. I dedicate this song to Pam and her family today. It's called "Homesick" by MercyMe.
P.S. If you have trouble with the video stopping and starting, keep the video paused, and let it "buffer" (load) as it's called for a while. You will see the red bar along the bottom advance (speed depends on your Internet connection). Wait until that bar gets pretty far along (I'd say more than halfway) before you play the video and it shouldn't pause.
Saturday, March 20, 2010
How Are You Walking?
Daniel 6:10
10 Now when Daniel learned that the decree had been published, he went home to his upstairs room where the windows opened toward Jerusalem. Three times a day he got down on his knees and prayed, giving thanks to his God, just as he had done before.
Have you ever seen a pigeon before and noticed its funny walk? The reason it wobbles is so that it can see. Their vision is poor when they're moving so they have to focus with their head more or less. They move their head and stop - a lot!
You may think it's funny now, but how many times do we have a pigeon walk in our spiritual lives? Probably pretty often. When we're on the go, we have a hard time seeing clearly and just focusing on our purpose. In order to understand our purpose,however, we have to stop between steps, move our heads, and refocus on God so often. Not only that, but we have to stop, think, and make hundreds of decisions each day. It's okay to build-in stops to your daily Christian life to see and understand things in God's name.
Daniel stands out like a pigeon. He prays three times a day, which is something we should model. We should pray AT LEAST three times a day. As a result, we have to pause what we're doing and zero in on God instead. Don't worry about how you walk, but rather if you how you walk lets you see!
10 Now when Daniel learned that the decree had been published, he went home to his upstairs room where the windows opened toward Jerusalem. Three times a day he got down on his knees and prayed, giving thanks to his God, just as he had done before.
Have you ever seen a pigeon before and noticed its funny walk? The reason it wobbles is so that it can see. Their vision is poor when they're moving so they have to focus with their head more or less. They move their head and stop - a lot!
You may think it's funny now, but how many times do we have a pigeon walk in our spiritual lives? Probably pretty often. When we're on the go, we have a hard time seeing clearly and just focusing on our purpose. In order to understand our purpose,however, we have to stop between steps, move our heads, and refocus on God so often. Not only that, but we have to stop, think, and make hundreds of decisions each day. It's okay to build-in stops to your daily Christian life to see and understand things in God's name.
Daniel stands out like a pigeon. He prays three times a day, which is something we should model. We should pray AT LEAST three times a day. As a result, we have to pause what we're doing and zero in on God instead. Don't worry about how you walk, but rather if you how you walk lets you see!
Friday, March 19, 2010
Prayer is a Revolutionary Tool.
Isaiah 38:1-6
1 In those days Hezekiah became ill and was at the point of death. The prophet Isaiah son of Amoz went to him and said, "This is what the LORD says: Put your house in order, because you are going to die; you will not recover."
2 Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to the LORD, 3 "Remember, O LORD, how I have walked before you faithfully and with wholehearted devotion and have done what is good in your eyes." And Hezekiah wept bitterly.
4 Then the word of the LORD came to Isaiah: 5 "Go and tell Hezekiah, 'This is what the LORD, the God of your father David, says: I have heard your prayer and seen your tears; I will add fifteen years to your life. 6 And I will deliver you and this city from the hand of the king of Assyria. I will defend this city.
This is a great passage today. I recommend that you read all of Isaiah 38. It just shows how God uses your prayers (he loves it when you pray) to throw blessings back at you.
Hezekiah prays to God out of his faith with "wholehearted devotion." He even wept to reveal his true and honest feelings. Incredibly, God responds to Hezekiah by granting him with 15 more years of life along with protection from Assyria.
Later on in Isaiah 38, Hezekiah accepts the fact that he is ill because it is for a reason. Finally, Hezekiah proclaims that God's mercy is a saving grace for all of mankind.
God may not respond to all prayers by adding on years to your life. The way in which he does respond, however, is that which is in agreement to his will. The important thing to remember though is to pray to God with sincerity and devotion. You have to trust that God is leading you in the right direction.
Realize that Hezekiah was faithful in believing that nothing could separate him from the love of Christ. We're all just as worthy to receive today.
Lord, sometimes we all weep bitterly to you. Give me the strength and passion to trust in you Lord - that you will deliver me from my circumstances according to your will. Help me realize that you always hear me.
1 In those days Hezekiah became ill and was at the point of death. The prophet Isaiah son of Amoz went to him and said, "This is what the LORD says: Put your house in order, because you are going to die; you will not recover."
2 Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to the LORD, 3 "Remember, O LORD, how I have walked before you faithfully and with wholehearted devotion and have done what is good in your eyes." And Hezekiah wept bitterly.
4 Then the word of the LORD came to Isaiah: 5 "Go and tell Hezekiah, 'This is what the LORD, the God of your father David, says: I have heard your prayer and seen your tears; I will add fifteen years to your life. 6 And I will deliver you and this city from the hand of the king of Assyria. I will defend this city.
This is a great passage today. I recommend that you read all of Isaiah 38. It just shows how God uses your prayers (he loves it when you pray) to throw blessings back at you.
Hezekiah prays to God out of his faith with "wholehearted devotion." He even wept to reveal his true and honest feelings. Incredibly, God responds to Hezekiah by granting him with 15 more years of life along with protection from Assyria.
Later on in Isaiah 38, Hezekiah accepts the fact that he is ill because it is for a reason. Finally, Hezekiah proclaims that God's mercy is a saving grace for all of mankind.
God may not respond to all prayers by adding on years to your life. The way in which he does respond, however, is that which is in agreement to his will. The important thing to remember though is to pray to God with sincerity and devotion. You have to trust that God is leading you in the right direction.
Realize that Hezekiah was faithful in believing that nothing could separate him from the love of Christ. We're all just as worthy to receive today.
Lord, sometimes we all weep bitterly to you. Give me the strength and passion to trust in you Lord - that you will deliver me from my circumstances according to your will. Help me realize that you always hear me.
Thursday, March 18, 2010
God Answers All of Our Prayers in Small Ways.
Romans 5:3-4
3 Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; 4 perseverance, character; and character, hope.
I'm going to spend the day wrapping up what we've been talking about so far this week. We've learned that God responds differently to each of our prayers, but the general consensus is: "yes," "yes, but wait," or "no."
Of course I'm not God, so I can't really say why God says what he says at certain times. The only thing that sounds reasonable enough is that God knows everything about you. He wants to make our life meaningful, not painful. We think it's painful though. However, sometimes the answer to our prayer is negative. It's that way because, believe it or not, it is best for us in God's eyes.
A good example is when a young child begs for food a few minutes before dinner. Parents most often say "no" because it's not the right time for that. After all, you won't have enough room for dinner. Think of God as our parent. He is a wise man. The ways in which we think are beneficial, may not really be so.
Finally, God may use your problems to bless the socks off others. If you keep up with your faith in such a time, that's what people will see and they will be encouraged by that. Your problems, directly and indirectly, believe it or not, can actually introduce people to the Lord. Then they undergo something outstanding and it's like a domino effect.
Remember what strengthens your faith. Answered prayers aren't necessarily the way we gain perseverance and a strong deal of faith. It takes faith to believe that God is doing what's best for you all around. That's what strengthens your faith.
The bottom line is that God answers our prayers even if it's in small ways. In fact, it may be small to us, but grand and full of treasure to others. I remember Pastor Renee at my church preaching about this about two or three years ago. It's funny how certain messages stick with you for a long time.
3 Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; 4 perseverance, character; and character, hope.
I'm going to spend the day wrapping up what we've been talking about so far this week. We've learned that God responds differently to each of our prayers, but the general consensus is: "yes," "yes, but wait," or "no."
Of course I'm not God, so I can't really say why God says what he says at certain times. The only thing that sounds reasonable enough is that God knows everything about you. He wants to make our life meaningful, not painful. We think it's painful though. However, sometimes the answer to our prayer is negative. It's that way because, believe it or not, it is best for us in God's eyes.
A good example is when a young child begs for food a few minutes before dinner. Parents most often say "no" because it's not the right time for that. After all, you won't have enough room for dinner. Think of God as our parent. He is a wise man. The ways in which we think are beneficial, may not really be so.
Finally, God may use your problems to bless the socks off others. If you keep up with your faith in such a time, that's what people will see and they will be encouraged by that. Your problems, directly and indirectly, believe it or not, can actually introduce people to the Lord. Then they undergo something outstanding and it's like a domino effect.
Remember what strengthens your faith. Answered prayers aren't necessarily the way we gain perseverance and a strong deal of faith. It takes faith to believe that God is doing what's best for you all around. That's what strengthens your faith.
The bottom line is that God answers our prayers even if it's in small ways. In fact, it may be small to us, but grand and full of treasure to others. I remember Pastor Renee at my church preaching about this about two or three years ago. It's funny how certain messages stick with you for a long time.
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
When God Says No.
Hebrews 11:6
6 And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.
One of the most difficult things we are faced with is when someone tells us "no." It can be sudden answer like when we expect the answer to be "yes" or it can be a subtle "no" because we realize that we can't get what we want all the time. However, to hear "no" from God brings some people down and unfortunately costs them their relationship with God simply because they are ignorant. Life still goes on after a negative response.
Really, God, isn't saying "no" to hurt you. He denies even our most heartfelt and sincere prayer requests. However, he loves you and he's going to deliver circumstances to you according to his will. Remember we are all created in his image and he can't always see as he would.
Sometimes God denies our request if we're not putting him first in our lives. If he said "yes" to all your prayers you would never regain your perspective on God. You could also say it's somewhat of a test by God at times because God wants to see where we turn when there's no where else to go in our sea of troubles. A couple more points that can hinder our prayers from getting answered is when we're selfish and only focusing on ourselves instead of what can be done to glorify God. If you have a confession to make, that would be a huge load off your shoulders. If you have anything cluttering your heart and mind then you're also blocking the Lord (who you can't thus hear his response clearly).
I realize that there are some situations that just don't make sense. You may be praying earnestly but God takes something away from you. He doesn't say "no" to harm you. He says no so that you understand the reality. Death, for example, happens to even the most Godly of people. It's a fact of life in this broken world.
So God does answer all prayers: sometimes it's yes, no, or wait as we've learned over the past few days. All in all, we have to have faith that God will make us stronger as a result of our trials.
That's definitely a lot to wrap your mind around today!
6 And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.
One of the most difficult things we are faced with is when someone tells us "no." It can be sudden answer like when we expect the answer to be "yes" or it can be a subtle "no" because we realize that we can't get what we want all the time. However, to hear "no" from God brings some people down and unfortunately costs them their relationship with God simply because they are ignorant. Life still goes on after a negative response.
Really, God, isn't saying "no" to hurt you. He denies even our most heartfelt and sincere prayer requests. However, he loves you and he's going to deliver circumstances to you according to his will. Remember we are all created in his image and he can't always see as he would.
Sometimes God denies our request if we're not putting him first in our lives. If he said "yes" to all your prayers you would never regain your perspective on God. You could also say it's somewhat of a test by God at times because God wants to see where we turn when there's no where else to go in our sea of troubles. A couple more points that can hinder our prayers from getting answered is when we're selfish and only focusing on ourselves instead of what can be done to glorify God. If you have a confession to make, that would be a huge load off your shoulders. If you have anything cluttering your heart and mind then you're also blocking the Lord (who you can't thus hear his response clearly).
I realize that there are some situations that just don't make sense. You may be praying earnestly but God takes something away from you. He doesn't say "no" to harm you. He says no so that you understand the reality. Death, for example, happens to even the most Godly of people. It's a fact of life in this broken world.
So God does answer all prayers: sometimes it's yes, no, or wait as we've learned over the past few days. All in all, we have to have faith that God will make us stronger as a result of our trials.
That's definitely a lot to wrap your mind around today!
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
A Slow Response to Prayer.
Daniel 3:20-21
20 So he said, "Do you know why I have come to you? Soon I will return to fight against the prince of Persia, and when I go, the prince of Greece will come; 21 but first I will tell you what is written in the Book of Truth. (No one supports me against them except Michael, your prince.
You may be wondering how this is even a significant passage from the Bible. You say, but it has no effect when I read this. Actually, that's part of my point today.
How often do we go through life disappointed by something because we overreact, overlook, or react without giving something much though at all? You know, we don't see the forest for the trees. In other words, we don't see the big picture. You might not understand the main concept of this passage.
If, for example, you don't let someone finish a statement you can encounter some major misinterpretation. They may say: "I'm not going to give you this..." Before they can finish though you interrupt in anger not realizing how much a few more words could have changed the entire scenario.
That leads me to say sometimes we're just so impatient. We can't wait for anything in this technological demanding age. If we don't hear or see what we want to see, then we're blaming someone.
I'm here to say that prayers may appear to go unanswered for what seems like eons. However, unless you look at the big picture, you won't realize that there's usually a means to God's madness. His intentions are far greater than you realize. He wants to strengthen you and draw you closer to him.
20 So he said, "Do you know why I have come to you? Soon I will return to fight against the prince of Persia, and when I go, the prince of Greece will come; 21 but first I will tell you what is written in the Book of Truth. (No one supports me against them except Michael, your prince.
You may be wondering how this is even a significant passage from the Bible. You say, but it has no effect when I read this. Actually, that's part of my point today.
How often do we go through life disappointed by something because we overreact, overlook, or react without giving something much though at all? You know, we don't see the forest for the trees. In other words, we don't see the big picture. You might not understand the main concept of this passage.
If, for example, you don't let someone finish a statement you can encounter some major misinterpretation. They may say: "I'm not going to give you this..." Before they can finish though you interrupt in anger not realizing how much a few more words could have changed the entire scenario.
That leads me to say sometimes we're just so impatient. We can't wait for anything in this technological demanding age. If we don't hear or see what we want to see, then we're blaming someone.
I'm here to say that prayers may appear to go unanswered for what seems like eons. However, unless you look at the big picture, you won't realize that there's usually a means to God's madness. His intentions are far greater than you realize. He wants to strengthen you and draw you closer to him.
Monday, March 15, 2010
Answered Prayers.
Psalm 34:4, 15-22
4 I sought the LORD, and he answered me;
he delivered me from all my fears.
15 The eyes of the LORD are on the righteous
and his ears are attentive to their cry;
16 the face of the LORD is against those who do evil,
to cut off the memory of them from the earth.
17 The righteous cry out, and the LORD hears them;
he delivers them from all their troubles.
18 The LORD is close to the brokenhearted
and saves those who are crushed in spirit.
19 A righteous man may have many troubles,
but the LORD delivers him from them all;
20 he protects all his bones,
not one of them will be broken.
21 Evil will slay the wicked;
the foes of the righteous will be condemned.
22 The LORD redeems his servants;
no one will be condemned who takes refuge in him.
Over the course of the new few days I'll be discussing our prayers and different ways God responds to them.
First, he can answer them, as the first few verses imply, as we want him to - "he delivered me from my fears." The rest of the passage is just encouraging.
How many times do you turn to God when you're in fear? I know I frequently turn to him when I'm fearful because God says do not worry. I do my best to turn over those fears and concerns to God. In fact, whenever I think something is suspicious I pray. It's comforting to know that he's there.
When you pray to God, do you see God as a genie? If so, try to get out of that mindset. Keep in mind, that God is more willing to answer your prayers if: you are obedient in his name, following God's will, and putting others first - before yourself. Ask God if you are doing these things. He will tell you. I guarantee that the more you pray and the more you become actively involved in the Bible, the more insight you will gain on your faith.
Too often we forget how much we ask of God and all the prayers he's already answered. Sometimes we move on too quickly without appreciating what he's given us. Thank goodness he still hears our voice when we call out for help.
The greatest thing about prayer is that it's pretty open-ended. You can pray anywhere and anytime. Use that 10 minutes down time you have today and just pray. Praying is easier than you think. Just learn to let the spirit move you. Don't worry about using big vocabulary to impress him. Ask what you want from God using faith and understand that it will be given to you if it's in accordance to his will.
The main thing is that you must trust and have faith in your prayers being answered by the Almighty. More tomorrow!
4 I sought the LORD, and he answered me;
he delivered me from all my fears.
15 The eyes of the LORD are on the righteous
and his ears are attentive to their cry;
16 the face of the LORD is against those who do evil,
to cut off the memory of them from the earth.
17 The righteous cry out, and the LORD hears them;
he delivers them from all their troubles.
18 The LORD is close to the brokenhearted
and saves those who are crushed in spirit.
19 A righteous man may have many troubles,
but the LORD delivers him from them all;
20 he protects all his bones,
not one of them will be broken.
21 Evil will slay the wicked;
the foes of the righteous will be condemned.
22 The LORD redeems his servants;
no one will be condemned who takes refuge in him.
Over the course of the new few days I'll be discussing our prayers and different ways God responds to them.
First, he can answer them, as the first few verses imply, as we want him to - "he delivered me from my fears." The rest of the passage is just encouraging.
How many times do you turn to God when you're in fear? I know I frequently turn to him when I'm fearful because God says do not worry. I do my best to turn over those fears and concerns to God. In fact, whenever I think something is suspicious I pray. It's comforting to know that he's there.
When you pray to God, do you see God as a genie? If so, try to get out of that mindset. Keep in mind, that God is more willing to answer your prayers if: you are obedient in his name, following God's will, and putting others first - before yourself. Ask God if you are doing these things. He will tell you. I guarantee that the more you pray and the more you become actively involved in the Bible, the more insight you will gain on your faith.
Too often we forget how much we ask of God and all the prayers he's already answered. Sometimes we move on too quickly without appreciating what he's given us. Thank goodness he still hears our voice when we call out for help.
The greatest thing about prayer is that it's pretty open-ended. You can pray anywhere and anytime. Use that 10 minutes down time you have today and just pray. Praying is easier than you think. Just learn to let the spirit move you. Don't worry about using big vocabulary to impress him. Ask what you want from God using faith and understand that it will be given to you if it's in accordance to his will.
The main thing is that you must trust and have faith in your prayers being answered by the Almighty. More tomorrow!
Saturday, March 13, 2010
In the Shadow of His Wings.
Psalm 57:1
1 Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy on me,
for in you my soul takes refuge.
I will take refuge in the shadow of your wings
until the disaster has passed.
It's human instinct to take cover when there are dark clouds approaching, when it's raining, or when there's lightning in the area. There are some dare devils who brave the storm, but it's not easy to do. If we have common sense, we know that we shouldn't mess with Mother Nature.
The same fundamental decisions are at stake when there are the much anticipated storms within our soul. We are tricked into thinking that we have to go face-to-face with our battles alone or claim that we're not really in a storm. However, the best choice of all is to take shelter from the impending danger. We can satisfy and comfort ourselves by finding rest in God.
If you step out into the storms of life, you're not only physically in danger, but you're emotionally in danger. Your soul is at risk. As God's people, we need to surrender to him and know that he has no limits and he has all the capabilities you could imagine. We don't need to fight the fight. All you have to do is hunker down, love God, and pray from a fearful perspective.
Just remember that you are safe in the arms of Christ. Once you have hope that the Lord can give you strength, the stir in your soul will settle.
Here's the chorus of the song "Safe" by Phil Wickham. I posted the video for you on January 5!
You will be safe in His arms
You will be safe in His arms
'Cause the hands that hold the world are holding your heart
This is the promise He made
He will be with You always
When everything is falling apart
You will be safe in His arms
1 Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy on me,
for in you my soul takes refuge.
I will take refuge in the shadow of your wings
until the disaster has passed.
It's human instinct to take cover when there are dark clouds approaching, when it's raining, or when there's lightning in the area. There are some dare devils who brave the storm, but it's not easy to do. If we have common sense, we know that we shouldn't mess with Mother Nature.
The same fundamental decisions are at stake when there are the much anticipated storms within our soul. We are tricked into thinking that we have to go face-to-face with our battles alone or claim that we're not really in a storm. However, the best choice of all is to take shelter from the impending danger. We can satisfy and comfort ourselves by finding rest in God.
If you step out into the storms of life, you're not only physically in danger, but you're emotionally in danger. Your soul is at risk. As God's people, we need to surrender to him and know that he has no limits and he has all the capabilities you could imagine. We don't need to fight the fight. All you have to do is hunker down, love God, and pray from a fearful perspective.
Just remember that you are safe in the arms of Christ. Once you have hope that the Lord can give you strength, the stir in your soul will settle.
Here's the chorus of the song "Safe" by Phil Wickham. I posted the video for you on January 5!
You will be safe in His arms
You will be safe in His arms
'Cause the hands that hold the world are holding your heart
This is the promise He made
He will be with You always
When everything is falling apart
You will be safe in His arms
Friday, March 12, 2010
Finding Some Peace and Quiet.
Matthew 14:23 After he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone,
Do you ever feel like too much is happening? I often look at people and wonder how certain people do so many activities. Between work, our social life, the media, and in general, the demanding lifestyle we live in, it all makes us extremely exhausted. Your favorite picnic spot is no longer comfortable, so to speak. Our biggest goal is to find a way out.
The next time you feel like your head is going to explode from all the chaos around you, think about all that Jesus endured. There were no lunch break and no power nap. All that Jesus could think about was helping to meet the needs of others. However, we get so worked up that we can't function anymore. Jesus knew when to step away in a sense.
There are benefits to spending a few moments alone each day, however. It allows you to secure your spot in the Kingdom of God as you get to know him better through prayer. When you go to God in prayer, push the world away. Lord, let's go to you when the world seems to be feeding off my soul. God is waiting.
Do you ever feel like too much is happening? I often look at people and wonder how certain people do so many activities. Between work, our social life, the media, and in general, the demanding lifestyle we live in, it all makes us extremely exhausted. Your favorite picnic spot is no longer comfortable, so to speak. Our biggest goal is to find a way out.
The next time you feel like your head is going to explode from all the chaos around you, think about all that Jesus endured. There were no lunch break and no power nap. All that Jesus could think about was helping to meet the needs of others. However, we get so worked up that we can't function anymore. Jesus knew when to step away in a sense.
There are benefits to spending a few moments alone each day, however. It allows you to secure your spot in the Kingdom of God as you get to know him better through prayer. When you go to God in prayer, push the world away. Lord, let's go to you when the world seems to be feeding off my soul. God is waiting.
Thursday, March 11, 2010
Pray Regularly.
Luke 18:1-8
1 Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up. 2 He said: "In a certain town there was a judge who neither feared God nor cared about men. 3 And there was a widow in that town who kept coming to him with the plea, 'Grant me justice against my adversary.'
4 "For some time he refused. But finally he said to himself, 'Even though I don't fear God or care about men, 5 yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will see that she gets justice, so that she won't eventually wear me out with her coming!' "
6 And the Lord said, "Listen to what the unjust judge says. 7 And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? 8 I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?"
This is a great parable in regard to prayer. The lesson to be learned here is that everyone should pray and be persistent, patient, and avoid giving up. It's a choice we have to make. We either pray or we don't. There's not really much of a middle ground in this scenario. If I follow Jesus' example in prayer and faith, then it would be really difficult to give up. Therefore, if I give up, I must not be praying and acting as Christ would. Jesus uses this parable to explain why we should always pray.
Notice that the judge has a high and elevated position, but he doesn't have the compassionate God-like character. He didn't fear God. How many people do you know who are like that today?
The widow came to the judge to beg for relief from her adversary. The judge didn't respond for some time. The widow really started to bother him so the judge gave the widow justice even though he didn't fear God and disrespected others. Notice the importance of verses 6-8. Jesus emphasizes what the judge said.
Don't get yourself confused now...God is not an unfair judge. The point is God's children should persistently pray because God is a fair and righteous judge. A persistent faith at its best involves prayer.
Remember, don't hang prayer up in the closet and then only take it out when you really need it. How can you expect to not be a faithful servant and then need God to respond in extreme circumstances? Pray often knowing that God is just, fair, and has infinite wisdom. He will answer prayers with his wisdom.
1 Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up. 2 He said: "In a certain town there was a judge who neither feared God nor cared about men. 3 And there was a widow in that town who kept coming to him with the plea, 'Grant me justice against my adversary.'
4 "For some time he refused. But finally he said to himself, 'Even though I don't fear God or care about men, 5 yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will see that she gets justice, so that she won't eventually wear me out with her coming!' "
6 And the Lord said, "Listen to what the unjust judge says. 7 And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? 8 I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?"
This is a great parable in regard to prayer. The lesson to be learned here is that everyone should pray and be persistent, patient, and avoid giving up. It's a choice we have to make. We either pray or we don't. There's not really much of a middle ground in this scenario. If I follow Jesus' example in prayer and faith, then it would be really difficult to give up. Therefore, if I give up, I must not be praying and acting as Christ would. Jesus uses this parable to explain why we should always pray.
Notice that the judge has a high and elevated position, but he doesn't have the compassionate God-like character. He didn't fear God. How many people do you know who are like that today?
The widow came to the judge to beg for relief from her adversary. The judge didn't respond for some time. The widow really started to bother him so the judge gave the widow justice even though he didn't fear God and disrespected others. Notice the importance of verses 6-8. Jesus emphasizes what the judge said.
Don't get yourself confused now...God is not an unfair judge. The point is God's children should persistently pray because God is a fair and righteous judge. A persistent faith at its best involves prayer.
Remember, don't hang prayer up in the closet and then only take it out when you really need it. How can you expect to not be a faithful servant and then need God to respond in extreme circumstances? Pray often knowing that God is just, fair, and has infinite wisdom. He will answer prayers with his wisdom.
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
It's Not All About Asking.
Matthew 6:9-15
9 "This, then, is how you should pray:
" 'Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
10 your kingdom come,
your will be done
on earth as it is in heaven.
11 Give us today our daily bread.
12 Forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
13 And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from the evil one.' 14 For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15 But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.
This is probably one of the most traditional prayers that is said in churches across the world every week. I know I can easily recite this prayer on Sunday morning without much thought. The problem is I think sometimes we forget what it's saying. We get caught going in the motions of just reciting this prayer off memory. One of the key points of this prayer is to call God our Father!
Too often we get in the "gimee" mode. Give me this Lord, give me that. This prayer isn't exactly so. It is more heartfelt than we usually make it. As we lift our hearts to the heavens with this prayer, we are to honor an glorify God's name, seek forgiveness, and acknowledge his power.
I challenge you to go beyond the mediocre prayer of asking. Use this prayer as a model, but let your heart be aligned with your mind. The Lord wants to not only hear our requests, but he wants to hear our confessions as well.
9 "This, then, is how you should pray:
" 'Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
10 your kingdom come,
your will be done
on earth as it is in heaven.
11 Give us today our daily bread.
12 Forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
13 And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from the evil one.' 14 For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15 But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.
This is probably one of the most traditional prayers that is said in churches across the world every week. I know I can easily recite this prayer on Sunday morning without much thought. The problem is I think sometimes we forget what it's saying. We get caught going in the motions of just reciting this prayer off memory. One of the key points of this prayer is to call God our Father!
Too often we get in the "gimee" mode. Give me this Lord, give me that. This prayer isn't exactly so. It is more heartfelt than we usually make it. As we lift our hearts to the heavens with this prayer, we are to honor an glorify God's name, seek forgiveness, and acknowledge his power.
I challenge you to go beyond the mediocre prayer of asking. Use this prayer as a model, but let your heart be aligned with your mind. The Lord wants to not only hear our requests, but he wants to hear our confessions as well.
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
Prayer is Essential.
Matthew 6:7-8
7 And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. 8 Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.
During the next few days I want to talk about what Jesus says in regard to prayer. When you pray, how many times do you just list off your concerns to the Lord? Is that how you pray each day to the Lord? Not only should you remember to praise the Lord and have some listening time (allowing God talk to you), but you should keep in mind a key concept: God knows what you are going to say before you even say it.
You're probably thinking (and many Christians question as well): "So if I'm not supposed to babble to God AND he already knows what I'm going to say in my prayer because he's so super, then what am I supposed to say and what's the point in me even praying?" Yes, this passage continues by saying the Lord's Prayer, but there's an important concept to understand why you should pray in the meantime.
God is a superior deity and he knows what's going in our lives. Therefore, we don't have to provide a laundry list of prayers. However, we don't want to be skimpy and avoid being engaged with him much. The whole idea of prayer is to build a closer, more intimate relationship with the Lord. The point isn't to make an understatement about God's glory by not saying anything to him or by not praising his name, but to realize that establishing a relationship with him is critical in our journey with Christ.
How do we go about making this relationship work? I mentioned it a lot last week; let God talk to you and let prayer be an active two-way conversation between you and God.
7 And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. 8 Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.
During the next few days I want to talk about what Jesus says in regard to prayer. When you pray, how many times do you just list off your concerns to the Lord? Is that how you pray each day to the Lord? Not only should you remember to praise the Lord and have some listening time (allowing God talk to you), but you should keep in mind a key concept: God knows what you are going to say before you even say it.
You're probably thinking (and many Christians question as well): "So if I'm not supposed to babble to God AND he already knows what I'm going to say in my prayer because he's so super, then what am I supposed to say and what's the point in me even praying?" Yes, this passage continues by saying the Lord's Prayer, but there's an important concept to understand why you should pray in the meantime.
God is a superior deity and he knows what's going in our lives. Therefore, we don't have to provide a laundry list of prayers. However, we don't want to be skimpy and avoid being engaged with him much. The whole idea of prayer is to build a closer, more intimate relationship with the Lord. The point isn't to make an understatement about God's glory by not saying anything to him or by not praising his name, but to realize that establishing a relationship with him is critical in our journey with Christ.
How do we go about making this relationship work? I mentioned it a lot last week; let God talk to you and let prayer be an active two-way conversation between you and God.
Monday, March 8, 2010
Let the Lord Take Care of It.
Philippians 1:19
Yes, and I will continue to rejoice, 19 for I know that through your prayers and the help given by the Spirit of Jesus Christ, what has happened to me will turn out for my deliverance.
Imagine being in Paul's shoes. He's nearly facing death! Would you be able to act so optimistic and not let the issue affect you? Probably not. I know it would bother me. You see, Paul was so in-tune to the Lord that it didn't matter what situation he found himself in the midst of; he trusted God with everything that he had.
More importantly, Paul knows that he can still live through Christ as his future is in the hands of the Lord. Paul knows that the Holy Spirit will help guide him through his trials and tribulations. He realizes that either way the Holy Spirit will work in his favor. He may be released from prison and death allowing him to be well on his way to serving and loving the children of God or he will be in the presence of the Lord. He really can't lose. God is good! No matter what, Paul expects good things to arise and knows that he will be steered away from his pain if he trusts in the Lord.
So before you start fretting to get one more thing done today, do what you can. As I like to say, and I hear others saying, "don't sweat the small stuff." Do as much as you can in a situation and let the Lord do the rest.
Remember to keep praying. Lord deliver us out of your struggles. For those who are sick or have cancer, bless them with your healing hand. Whatever you do, promise us that your grace will either physically heal them or help to secure a future with you and your loving son Jesus Christ.
Yes, and I will continue to rejoice, 19 for I know that through your prayers and the help given by the Spirit of Jesus Christ, what has happened to me will turn out for my deliverance.
Imagine being in Paul's shoes. He's nearly facing death! Would you be able to act so optimistic and not let the issue affect you? Probably not. I know it would bother me. You see, Paul was so in-tune to the Lord that it didn't matter what situation he found himself in the midst of; he trusted God with everything that he had.
More importantly, Paul knows that he can still live through Christ as his future is in the hands of the Lord. Paul knows that the Holy Spirit will help guide him through his trials and tribulations. He realizes that either way the Holy Spirit will work in his favor. He may be released from prison and death allowing him to be well on his way to serving and loving the children of God or he will be in the presence of the Lord. He really can't lose. God is good! No matter what, Paul expects good things to arise and knows that he will be steered away from his pain if he trusts in the Lord.
So before you start fretting to get one more thing done today, do what you can. As I like to say, and I hear others saying, "don't sweat the small stuff." Do as much as you can in a situation and let the Lord do the rest.
Remember to keep praying. Lord deliver us out of your struggles. For those who are sick or have cancer, bless them with your healing hand. Whatever you do, promise us that your grace will either physically heal them or help to secure a future with you and your loving son Jesus Christ.
Saturday, March 6, 2010
Prayer Offers Relief.
Psalm 6
For the director of music. With stringed instruments. According to sheminith. A psalm of David.
1 LORD, do not rebuke me in your anger or discipline me in your wrath.
2 Have mercy on me, LORD, for I am faint; heal me, LORD, for my bones are in agony.
3 My soul is in deep anguish. How long, LORD, how long?
4 Turn, LORD, and deliver me; save me because of your unfailing love.
5 Among the dead no one proclaims your name. Who praises you from the grave?
6 I am worn out from my groaning. All night long I flood my bed with weeping and drench my couch with tears.
7 My eyes grow weak with sorrow; they fail because of all my foes.
8 Away from me, all you who do evil, for the LORD has heard my weeping.
9 The LORD has heard my cry for mercy; the LORD accepts my prayer.
10 All my enemies will be overwhelmed with shame and anguish; they will turn back and suddenly be put to shame.
The writer of this Psalm is having a tough time. At first, it sounds like he’s sick, for his “bones are in agony.” It also seems like he is dealing with a lot of emotional pain; his “soul is in anguish” and his eyes are “weak with sorrow.” He’s crying.
This Psalm is actually a prayer, asking God for relief from the sickness and sadness. By verse 8, you can see that the prayer is beginning to work. The writer knows that God has heard his weeping and has accepted his prayer. He feels God’s presence and comfort. He sees the light at the end of the tunnel. Best of all, he is not alone!
When you are faced with an emotionally painful situation, there’s nothing like prayer. There’s nothing as good as knowing that God is always there to listen; he will always understand. God does more than just listen. God is God. God acts. God sends comfort. God is by your side.
Whenever there's a need, it's natural for us to pray, so don't avoid praying just because of that! Realize that you have to go to God in need sometimes. Other times, however, circumstances are easier and you can praise him. Whenever you pray to God, don't worry he will comfort you and soothe you. God is your medication when you're feeling down in life.
An encouraging song for the day: "Me and Jesus" by Stellar Kart.
P.S. If you have trouble with the video stopping and starting, keep the video paused, and let it "buffer" (load) as it's called for a while. You will see the red bar along the bottom advance (speed depends on your Internet connection). Wait until that bar gets pretty far along (I'd say more than halfway) before you play the video and it shouldn't pause.
For the director of music. With stringed instruments. According to sheminith. A psalm of David.
1 LORD, do not rebuke me in your anger or discipline me in your wrath.
2 Have mercy on me, LORD, for I am faint; heal me, LORD, for my bones are in agony.
3 My soul is in deep anguish. How long, LORD, how long?
4 Turn, LORD, and deliver me; save me because of your unfailing love.
5 Among the dead no one proclaims your name. Who praises you from the grave?
6 I am worn out from my groaning. All night long I flood my bed with weeping and drench my couch with tears.
7 My eyes grow weak with sorrow; they fail because of all my foes.
8 Away from me, all you who do evil, for the LORD has heard my weeping.
9 The LORD has heard my cry for mercy; the LORD accepts my prayer.
10 All my enemies will be overwhelmed with shame and anguish; they will turn back and suddenly be put to shame.
The writer of this Psalm is having a tough time. At first, it sounds like he’s sick, for his “bones are in agony.” It also seems like he is dealing with a lot of emotional pain; his “soul is in anguish” and his eyes are “weak with sorrow.” He’s crying.
This Psalm is actually a prayer, asking God for relief from the sickness and sadness. By verse 8, you can see that the prayer is beginning to work. The writer knows that God has heard his weeping and has accepted his prayer. He feels God’s presence and comfort. He sees the light at the end of the tunnel. Best of all, he is not alone!
When you are faced with an emotionally painful situation, there’s nothing like prayer. There’s nothing as good as knowing that God is always there to listen; he will always understand. God does more than just listen. God is God. God acts. God sends comfort. God is by your side.
Whenever there's a need, it's natural for us to pray, so don't avoid praying just because of that! Realize that you have to go to God in need sometimes. Other times, however, circumstances are easier and you can praise him. Whenever you pray to God, don't worry he will comfort you and soothe you. God is your medication when you're feeling down in life.
An encouraging song for the day: "Me and Jesus" by Stellar Kart.
P.S. If you have trouble with the video stopping and starting, keep the video paused, and let it "buffer" (load) as it's called for a while. You will see the red bar along the bottom advance (speed depends on your Internet connection). Wait until that bar gets pretty far along (I'd say more than halfway) before you play the video and it shouldn't pause.
Friday, March 5, 2010
Pray When in Pain.
James 5:16-20
16 Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results. 17 Elijah was as human as we are, and yet when he prayed earnestly that no rain would fall, none fell for three and a half years! 18 Then, when he prayed again, the sky sent down rain and the earth began to yield its crops.
19 My dear brothers and sisters, if someone among you wanders away from the truth and is brought back, 20 you can be sure that whoever brings the sinner back will save that person from death and bring about the forgiveness of many sins.
James is writing this letter to Christians who are encountering trials in their lives. This book is one of my favorites in the Bible because it's a relatively simple one and is really helpful in times of suffering. As you can see, faith does not prevent pain from entering our lives. We can not live a pain-free life. Instead, James tells us how we can get through the worst of times in such a broken world.
We all have our methods of getting through something difficult. What do you typically do when hings aren't going well?
We get so confused and start questioning God when we go through trials. We ask whether he cares about us or if he is loving and good after all. James is showing us here that God is always present and gracious. He wants us to turn to God and not look so much at our problems. God wants us to draw our faith and says we should pray. Understand that in the midst of everyday stress and anxiety or broken relationships God is at work. We can be in the hottest fire of our life but God is holding us through the burning flames. Think about the day you will be in heaven and not have to worry about a thing. Until then, just turn to God and PRAY.
Take it easy today and have a painless, stress-free day!
16 Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results. 17 Elijah was as human as we are, and yet when he prayed earnestly that no rain would fall, none fell for three and a half years! 18 Then, when he prayed again, the sky sent down rain and the earth began to yield its crops.
19 My dear brothers and sisters, if someone among you wanders away from the truth and is brought back, 20 you can be sure that whoever brings the sinner back will save that person from death and bring about the forgiveness of many sins.
James is writing this letter to Christians who are encountering trials in their lives. This book is one of my favorites in the Bible because it's a relatively simple one and is really helpful in times of suffering. As you can see, faith does not prevent pain from entering our lives. We can not live a pain-free life. Instead, James tells us how we can get through the worst of times in such a broken world.
We all have our methods of getting through something difficult. What do you typically do when hings aren't going well?
We get so confused and start questioning God when we go through trials. We ask whether he cares about us or if he is loving and good after all. James is showing us here that God is always present and gracious. He wants us to turn to God and not look so much at our problems. God wants us to draw our faith and says we should pray. Understand that in the midst of everyday stress and anxiety or broken relationships God is at work. We can be in the hottest fire of our life but God is holding us through the burning flames. Think about the day you will be in heaven and not have to worry about a thing. Until then, just turn to God and PRAY.
Take it easy today and have a painless, stress-free day!
Thursday, March 4, 2010
Praying Together.
Acts 1:14
14 They all joined together constantly in prayer, along with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brothers.
When Jesus rose from the dead that changed everything! Mary and the other women who were faithful to Jesus were there from the crucifixion to the resurrection. They prayed relentlessly for the one they loved. In addition, Jesus' brothers were also there; they initially doubted his expectations and didn't want to acknowledge him as their brother. However, the men eventually prayed in expectation of their brother Jesus to rise from the dead.
You know what? Prayer works. It's certainly no different when you get a group of people and pray for a united cause or the same situation. God does absolutely incredible things when his people get together and pray with great expectations.
Sometimes you have to wait to get an answer, however you can control one thing: Start praying now! Consider meeting with a group of friends who love Jesus and have a powerful spirit. Pray with them. Have great expectations. To start with, pray for one another asking the Lord for the capability of each person to carry out his work.
At least pray alone and increase your individual prayer life if you can't work out a time to meet with others and pray.
14 They all joined together constantly in prayer, along with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brothers.
When Jesus rose from the dead that changed everything! Mary and the other women who were faithful to Jesus were there from the crucifixion to the resurrection. They prayed relentlessly for the one they loved. In addition, Jesus' brothers were also there; they initially doubted his expectations and didn't want to acknowledge him as their brother. However, the men eventually prayed in expectation of their brother Jesus to rise from the dead.
You know what? Prayer works. It's certainly no different when you get a group of people and pray for a united cause or the same situation. God does absolutely incredible things when his people get together and pray with great expectations.
Sometimes you have to wait to get an answer, however you can control one thing: Start praying now! Consider meeting with a group of friends who love Jesus and have a powerful spirit. Pray with them. Have great expectations. To start with, pray for one another asking the Lord for the capability of each person to carry out his work.
At least pray alone and increase your individual prayer life if you can't work out a time to meet with others and pray.
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
Prayer is a Two-Way Conversation.
Kings 19:9b-13
And the word of the LORD came to him: "What are you doing here, Elijah?"
10 He replied, "I have been very zealous for the LORD God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant, torn down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too."
11 The LORD said, "Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the LORD, for the LORD is about to pass by."
Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake. 12 After the earthquake came a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. 13 When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave.
Then a voice said to him, "What are you doing here, Elijah?"
I touched on this a little the other day, but prayer is supposed to be a two-way-conversation. You know the feeling of almost getting bored when someone just rambles their life story to you or what they're going through without any consideration of your presence. It gets annoying. Even though it's good to let someone talk, the reality is that there should be room for you to talk as well in order to keep the relationship alive.
Similarly, we should absolutely talk to God, but we should also be sure to listen for God. He can only really be heard in the quietest times, although personal experiences can vary.
Have you ever heard God speak? Where were you? What exactly did he say to you? If not, start with the advice above. Chances are, you're not going to hear a big audible voice, but you definitely won't notice anything if you don't spend time with him everyday.
We can often miss the voice of God because it doesn’t usually come booming out of the sky like thunder. That's the problem we face. We have to work, go to school, do housework, and keep up with family and friends. I suppose we have about 10-20 minutes for God each day, but most of the time that is filled with reading off our laundry list of prayers to him. He wants you to go to him with your prayers, but don't forget to praise him too. However, sometimes we need to just let God talk to us. Perhaps go outside and lie down; listen to the birds, and let God talk to you.
Elijah had a lot on his mind and desperately wanted to hear the voice of God. Look back in the passage and determine if Elijah heard it. Do you think that’s how he was expecting to hear God?
All in all, life has so much noise and so many distractions: music, the TV, the computer, your siblings, your parents, your cell phone, the dog...in addition to all the work that we must complete. How would we ever hear a gentle whisper in all of that? Work on pausing your normal busy life and find a way to make it possible today.
Create a quiet, private place to pray. Read the Bible, tell God what’s on your mind and wait. Wait in the mere silence for God’s gentle whisper. Give God plenty of time. It might not be today that you hear him, but I promise it will be soon. It might be as simple as a passage standing out to you in the Bible. Whatever you do, don’t rush your time with him.
And the word of the LORD came to him: "What are you doing here, Elijah?"
10 He replied, "I have been very zealous for the LORD God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant, torn down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too."
11 The LORD said, "Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the LORD, for the LORD is about to pass by."
Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake. 12 After the earthquake came a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. 13 When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave.
Then a voice said to him, "What are you doing here, Elijah?"
I touched on this a little the other day, but prayer is supposed to be a two-way-conversation. You know the feeling of almost getting bored when someone just rambles their life story to you or what they're going through without any consideration of your presence. It gets annoying. Even though it's good to let someone talk, the reality is that there should be room for you to talk as well in order to keep the relationship alive.
Similarly, we should absolutely talk to God, but we should also be sure to listen for God. He can only really be heard in the quietest times, although personal experiences can vary.
Have you ever heard God speak? Where were you? What exactly did he say to you? If not, start with the advice above. Chances are, you're not going to hear a big audible voice, but you definitely won't notice anything if you don't spend time with him everyday.
We can often miss the voice of God because it doesn’t usually come booming out of the sky like thunder. That's the problem we face. We have to work, go to school, do housework, and keep up with family and friends. I suppose we have about 10-20 minutes for God each day, but most of the time that is filled with reading off our laundry list of prayers to him. He wants you to go to him with your prayers, but don't forget to praise him too. However, sometimes we need to just let God talk to us. Perhaps go outside and lie down; listen to the birds, and let God talk to you.
Elijah had a lot on his mind and desperately wanted to hear the voice of God. Look back in the passage and determine if Elijah heard it. Do you think that’s how he was expecting to hear God?
All in all, life has so much noise and so many distractions: music, the TV, the computer, your siblings, your parents, your cell phone, the dog...in addition to all the work that we must complete. How would we ever hear a gentle whisper in all of that? Work on pausing your normal busy life and find a way to make it possible today.
Create a quiet, private place to pray. Read the Bible, tell God what’s on your mind and wait. Wait in the mere silence for God’s gentle whisper. Give God plenty of time. It might not be today that you hear him, but I promise it will be soon. It might be as simple as a passage standing out to you in the Bible. Whatever you do, don’t rush your time with him.
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
Worrying Part II.
Matthew 6:25-27
25 "Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? 26 Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? 27 Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?
Refer to Worrying Part I back on September 8, 2008.
Write down this passage and put it in your wallet. Refer to it over the coming weeks. It's a good reminder not to worry. The last part is very meaningful. I can't tell you how many times I spend worrying. You may not realize it, but worrying is a sin. I like to think of a sin as anything that steals our time away from God. Thus, worrying is definitely a sin in my book.
There is no point in worrying as I concluded above. We all find ourselves worrying, but the question is why do we do that so often? The answer: it's simply human nature.
If something happens, instead of worrying about it, give it to God to deal with. He will praise you if you do this. He wants you to give him your worries. In reality, unfortunate circumstances happen to all of our brothers and sisters in Christ on a daily basis. It's just that we usually ignore them and focus on our worries exclusively.
I mentioned that by worrying, we waste time. Think about it, we could be learning to trust God more during that time as we're in a strong relationship with him. Trust God to resolve all challenges you might be experiencing. Then, be able to progress forward. He doesn't care tomorrow what you gave him today or yesterday. It's a new day full of troubles. In Matthew 6:34, Jesus said, "Do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own."
If we just get out of the human flesh and go into the spirit in times of worry, God provides and the problem can be resolved. As Jesus said when he was talking about the persecution in Matthew 10:19, "When they arrest you, do not worry about what to say or how to say it. At that time you will be given what to say, for it will not be you speaking, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you." God has promised us that if we trust him as our Lord and Savior, we have been born into his family for eternal life. God has a plan to carry us through until the end.
Finally, another downside of worrying is that when we worry, it brings us into a state of fear which can lead to depression. This depression translates to a paralyzed felling of not being able to do anything. That can be seen in many with various types of phobias.
The bottom line is that in faith and in a faithful relationship, you have to show trust toward the other person - so trust God!
Try something different when you feel overwhelmed by fear and worry. Perhaps go outside and stand until you feel the wind. That, my friend, is faith. The beauty of faith is: you can't see it, but you can feel it. God is here!
God bless and have a worry-free day!!!
"The sovereign cure for worry is prayer." ~William James
25 "Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? 26 Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? 27 Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?
Refer to Worrying Part I back on September 8, 2008.
Write down this passage and put it in your wallet. Refer to it over the coming weeks. It's a good reminder not to worry. The last part is very meaningful. I can't tell you how many times I spend worrying. You may not realize it, but worrying is a sin. I like to think of a sin as anything that steals our time away from God. Thus, worrying is definitely a sin in my book.
There is no point in worrying as I concluded above. We all find ourselves worrying, but the question is why do we do that so often? The answer: it's simply human nature.
If something happens, instead of worrying about it, give it to God to deal with. He will praise you if you do this. He wants you to give him your worries. In reality, unfortunate circumstances happen to all of our brothers and sisters in Christ on a daily basis. It's just that we usually ignore them and focus on our worries exclusively.
I mentioned that by worrying, we waste time. Think about it, we could be learning to trust God more during that time as we're in a strong relationship with him. Trust God to resolve all challenges you might be experiencing. Then, be able to progress forward. He doesn't care tomorrow what you gave him today or yesterday. It's a new day full of troubles. In Matthew 6:34, Jesus said, "Do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own."
If we just get out of the human flesh and go into the spirit in times of worry, God provides and the problem can be resolved. As Jesus said when he was talking about the persecution in Matthew 10:19, "When they arrest you, do not worry about what to say or how to say it. At that time you will be given what to say, for it will not be you speaking, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you." God has promised us that if we trust him as our Lord and Savior, we have been born into his family for eternal life. God has a plan to carry us through until the end.
Finally, another downside of worrying is that when we worry, it brings us into a state of fear which can lead to depression. This depression translates to a paralyzed felling of not being able to do anything. That can be seen in many with various types of phobias.
The bottom line is that in faith and in a faithful relationship, you have to show trust toward the other person - so trust God!
Try something different when you feel overwhelmed by fear and worry. Perhaps go outside and stand until you feel the wind. That, my friend, is faith. The beauty of faith is: you can't see it, but you can feel it. God is here!
God bless and have a worry-free day!!!
"The sovereign cure for worry is prayer." ~William James
Monday, March 1, 2010
There's a Time for Everything.
Ecclesiastes 3:1-8
1 For everything there is a season,
a time for every activity under heaven.
2 A time to be born and a time to die.
A time to plant and a time to harvest.
3 A time to kill and a time to heal.
A time to tear down and a time to build up.
4 A time to cry and a time to laugh.
A time to grieve and a time to dance.
5 A time to scatter stones and a time to gather stones.
A time to embrace and a time to turn away.
6 A time to search and a time to quit searching.
A time to keep and a time to throw away.
7 A time to tear and a time to mend.
A time to be quiet and a time to speak.
8 A time to love and a time to hate.
A time for war and a time for peace.
It's a new week and a month! It is my goal to spend the entire month discussing prayer in some way, shape or form. Quite frankly, prayer is one of the most important foundations of maintaining our faith in God. It's something that I've avoided discussing in hope of an enormous series one day and I just kept pushing it further and further back. I've decided it's time now. After all, there is a time for everything.
Ecclesiastes 3 is a great chapter, and I say, why not read the whole thing? Not everything falls into our perfect timing. Some things may not be able to get accomplished today because of uncontrollable circumstances. However, whatever the case might be, remember that God always has a plan. Everything that happens to us, including life (birth) and death, is pre-determined by God.
If you look at the second part of verse seven it says: "A time to be quiet and a time to speak." That I feel is an important verse. You can't just talk, you have to listen. Not only should you be doing that in everyday conversation but also in your spiritual life when it comes to prayer. You might not think of prayer as a conversation, but it really should be. It's a two way conversation between you and God. We pray. We ask for guidance everyday. We thank him for the beauty of the Earth from time to time. There's really a lot of things that we ramble to God about. God really wants us to listen for us his voice, however. He wants to talk to us, but we don't often allow him to do so. You might think he's going to talk to you in a loud and mighty voice. Instead, he usually he does the opposite and speaks when things are quiet. When he does speak, it's usually a very gentle tone.
I recommend that you extend your prayer time about five minutes - not for more talking to God, but instead a time of quiet listening and meditation. Don't just open your heart when you pray, open your ears as well. You want to make the most of this opportunity. We'll talk more about this in the days to come.
Finally, realize that you can't remain protected from anything without being selfish and narrow-minded. So don't try to cover up the reality of life. Through our difficulties, God teaches us lessons. There is a time for everything.
“Many people pray as if God were a big aspirin pill; they come only when they hurt.”
~B. Graham Dienert
1 For everything there is a season,
a time for every activity under heaven.
2 A time to be born and a time to die.
A time to plant and a time to harvest.
3 A time to kill and a time to heal.
A time to tear down and a time to build up.
4 A time to cry and a time to laugh.
A time to grieve and a time to dance.
5 A time to scatter stones and a time to gather stones.
A time to embrace and a time to turn away.
6 A time to search and a time to quit searching.
A time to keep and a time to throw away.
7 A time to tear and a time to mend.
A time to be quiet and a time to speak.
8 A time to love and a time to hate.
A time for war and a time for peace.
It's a new week and a month! It is my goal to spend the entire month discussing prayer in some way, shape or form. Quite frankly, prayer is one of the most important foundations of maintaining our faith in God. It's something that I've avoided discussing in hope of an enormous series one day and I just kept pushing it further and further back. I've decided it's time now. After all, there is a time for everything.
Ecclesiastes 3 is a great chapter, and I say, why not read the whole thing? Not everything falls into our perfect timing. Some things may not be able to get accomplished today because of uncontrollable circumstances. However, whatever the case might be, remember that God always has a plan. Everything that happens to us, including life (birth) and death, is pre-determined by God.
If you look at the second part of verse seven it says: "A time to be quiet and a time to speak." That I feel is an important verse. You can't just talk, you have to listen. Not only should you be doing that in everyday conversation but also in your spiritual life when it comes to prayer. You might not think of prayer as a conversation, but it really should be. It's a two way conversation between you and God. We pray. We ask for guidance everyday. We thank him for the beauty of the Earth from time to time. There's really a lot of things that we ramble to God about. God really wants us to listen for us his voice, however. He wants to talk to us, but we don't often allow him to do so. You might think he's going to talk to you in a loud and mighty voice. Instead, he usually he does the opposite and speaks when things are quiet. When he does speak, it's usually a very gentle tone.
I recommend that you extend your prayer time about five minutes - not for more talking to God, but instead a time of quiet listening and meditation. Don't just open your heart when you pray, open your ears as well. You want to make the most of this opportunity. We'll talk more about this in the days to come.
Finally, realize that you can't remain protected from anything without being selfish and narrow-minded. So don't try to cover up the reality of life. Through our difficulties, God teaches us lessons. There is a time for everything.
“Many people pray as if God were a big aspirin pill; they come only when they hurt.”
~B. Graham Dienert
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