THIS IS MEMORIAL WEEKEND, A TIME FOR US TO BE GRATEFUL TO THOSE WHO WERE WILLING TO GIVE THEIR LIVES SO WE CAN HAVE THE FREEDOM WE NOW ENJOY. BUT IT DOES SEEM THAT SLOWLY, OUR FREEDOMS ARE BEING ERODED. I HAVE TRAVELED TO 57 COUNTRIES AND FOR ME, THIS IS STILL THE BEST PLACE ON THE EARTH TO LIVE. GOD HAS CERTAINLY BLESSED AMERICA IN SPITE OF OUR EVIL WAYS, CORRUPTION AND DISREGARD FOR HIS COMMANDMENTS. BUT WE, AS CHRISTIANS KNOW WHAT WE MUST DO…. DON’T WE?
I CANNOT SEEM TO GET AWAY FROM THE SCRIPTURE THAT WAS GIVEN TO ISRAEL FROM GOD, BUT IT IS CERTAINLY FOR US TODAY. AND IF WE DO AS IT INSTRUCTS, THE RESULTS WILL BE AS GOD SAYS, IT IS SO VERY APPROPRIATE FOR THIS DAY IN WHICH WE ARE LIVING……
2 CHRONICLES 7:14 ~ “IF MY PEOPLE WHO ARE CALLED BY MY NAME WILL HUMBLE THEMSELVES, AND PRAY AND SEEK MY FACE, AND TURN FROM THEIR WICKED WAYS, THEN I WILL HEAR FROM HEAVEN, AND WILL FORGIVE THEIR SIN AND HEAL THEIR LAND”
THE QUESTION…. WHY IS IT SO HARD FOR US TO DO ALL OF THOSE THINGS COMMANDED, AND ESPECIALLY TO PRAY? EACH BORN-AGAIN CHRISTIAN MUST PRAY. AS MARTIN LUTHER WROTE…. “TO BE A CHRISTIAN WITHOUT PRAYER IS NO MORE POSSIBLE THAN TO BE ALIVE WITHOUT BREATHING”, I THINK YOU WILL AGREE, MOST CHRISTIANS DON’T SPEND THAT MUCH TIME IN PRAYER. WE CAN LOOK AROUND, LISTEN TO THE NEWS, SEE THE DEVASTATION AROUND THE WORLD, NATURAL DISASTERS, WARS, MARITAL PROBLEMS, DYSFUNCTIONAL FAMILY SITUATIONS, DIFFICULT STRESSFUL JOBS, EVEN THE POLITICAL CLIMATE COULD BE DOWNRIGHT SCARY. IT IS CLEAR TO SEE THAT THIS WORLD NEEDS JESUS! AND WHEN WE BEND OUR KNEES TO PRAY BEFORE THE THRONE, GOD BENDS AN EAR TO LISTEN TO OUR REQUESTS.
HEBREWS 4:16 ~ LET US COME BOLDLY TO THE THRONE OF GRACE, THAT WE MAY OBTAIN MERCY AND FIND GRACE TO HELP IN TIME OF NEED.
OF COURSE, WE ARE NOT TO COME TO GOD JUST TO GIVE HIM OUR REQUESTS. THERE IS MUCH MORE THAT WE MUST DO, SUCH AS APPROACHING THE THRONE WITH ADORATION, AS THAT MUST BE A VITAL PART OF OUR TIME OF GOD EACH DAY. WORSHIP MEANS “TO ADORE THE ONE WHO IS THE CREATOR OF THE UNIVERSE,” AND WHO SO LOVED THE WORLD THAT HE SENT HIS ONLY SON JESUS TO SAVE US FROM OUR SINS.
PHILIPPIANS 4;6 ~ BE ANXIOUS FOR NOTHING, BUT IN EVERYTHING BY PRAYER AND SUPPLICATION, WITH THANKSGIVING, LET YOUR REQUESTS BE MADE KNOWN TO GOD.
AS WE COME INTO A TIME OF PRAYER TO GOD, WE ARE TO ENTER INTO HIS PRESENCE WITH THANKSGIVING, WE PRAISE GOD FOR WHO HE IS, A GOD WHO ALREADY KNOWS WHAT WE NEED…. BUT LISTEN TO THIS!, HE ALSO KNOWS WHEN WE NEED IT! AND BEFORE THE ANSWER COMES, WE ARE TO BE THANKFUL! I REMEMBER SINGING A SONG THAT SAYS IT ALL “DON’T WAIT TIL THE ANSWER COMES….. THANK GOD NOW” ….SOOOO TRUE!
PSALMS 100:4 ~ ENTER HIS GATES WITH THANKSGIVING, AND INTO HIS COURTS WITH PRAISE.
WE MUST NOT COME DEMANDING ANYTHING FROM GOD, RATHER, WE COME WITH SUPPLICATION, “ASKING HUMBLY” FOR THE THINGS WE NEED, AND TO ASK ALSO FOR THE NEEDS OF OTHERS, OFTEN FOLK ARE IN SUCH A DIFFICULT STATE OF MIND, THEY FIND IT HARD TO PRAY FOR THEMSELVES, AND THEY NEED SOMEONE TO INTERCEDE FOR THEM. THAT IS WHAT I LOVE TO DO. I HAVE A BOOK WITH NAMES I DO PRAY FOR EACH DAY. SOME I HAVE PRAYED FOR A L O N G TIME, AND THEN THERE ARE TIMES WHEN PRAYERS ARE ANSWERED QUICKLY, WE DON’T ALWAYS SEE HOW GOD IS WORKING IN OUR PROBLEMS OR UNDERSTAND HIS WILL, BUT HE WILL ALWAYS SEE US THRU.
2 PETER 3:9 ~ THE LORD IS NOT SLACK CONCERNING HIS PROMISES, AS SOME ARE… BUT IS LONG SUFFERING TOWARD US, NOT WILLING THAT ANY SHOULD PERISH BUT THAT ALL WOULD COME TO REPENTANCE.
I LOVE THE DEFINITION I READ FOR THE WORD “PRAYER,” IT IS SIMPLY “TALKING TO GOD.” I REALLY LIKED THAT…. BECAUSE I TRY TO SPEAK TO HIM, OF COURSE WITH REFERENCE, AND POURING OUT MY HEART TO HIM AS I DO WITH MY S.I.S. GROUP (4 LONGTIME GIRLFRIENDS OF OVER 40 YEARS), IT IS EASY TO TELL THEM MY TRIALS AND WOES…. SO WHY NOT ALSO WITH MY FATHER GOD. AND WHEN I DO NOT KNOW EXACTLY HOW TO PRAY, I THANK GOD FOR THE HOLY SPIRIT WHO HELPS ME. HE KNOWS HOW TO PRAY, HE DOES KNOW THE CORRECT WORDS TO SEND UP TO THE FATHER FOR US. WE CAN BE HONEST WITH GOD, KNOWING HIS ANSWER IS ALWAYS RIGHT!
ROMANS 8:26-27 ~ THEREFORE THE SPIRIT HELPS US IN OUR WEAKNESSES. FOR WE DO NOT KNOW HOW WE SHOULD PRAY AS WE OUGHT, BUT THE SPIRIT HIMSELF MAKES INTERCESSION FOR US WITH GROANINGS THAT CANNOT BE UTTERED. NOW HE WHO SEARCHES THE HEARTS KNOWS WHAT THE MIND OF THE SPIRIT IS, BECAUSE HE MAKES INTERCESSION FOR THE SAINTS ACCORDING TO THE WILL OF GOD.
IN MY TIME OF DEVOTION EACH DAY… I PRAY WHAT IS COMMONLY CALLED “THE LORD’S PRAYER”, IN ACTUALITY, IT IS THE PRAYER JESUS TAUGHT HIS DISCIPLES TO PRAY. I USE EACH LINE AS A PHRASE FOR MY SUPPLICATION, CONFESSION, TIME OF ADORATION, AND THANKSGIVING TO GOD. AND WOW, IT DOES COVER ALL THINGS I MIGHT ENCOUNTER IN MY LIFE EACH AND EVERY DAY. SINGING IS A “MUST” DURING MY PRAYER TIME, IN FACT, OFTEN I WILL EVEN SING A PRAYER, SUCH AS “FILL MY CUP LORD”, OR “JESUS USE ME”. MUSIC IS A POWERFUL MEDIUM, AND I USE IT TO THE FULLEST . I ALWAYS WANT GOD TO KNOW THAT I TRUST HIM FOR ALL I NEED, AND I ASK HIM TO HELP ME COOPERATE WITH HIS PLAN FOR MY LIFE. HE HAS CERTAINLY PROVEN HIMSELF TO BE FAITHFUL, AS HE HAS SUPPLIED ALL MY NEEDS SINCE HE CALLED ME FROM MY JOB AT THE TELEPHONE COMPANY TO GO INTO FULL TIME MINISTRY. THAT WAS NEARLY 39 YEARS AGO, AND NOT ONE TIME HAS HE FAILED ME IN ANY AREA. HE DOES TAKE CARE OF ME, OFTEN IN STRANGE AND WONDERFUL WAYS.
ANOTHER GREAT DEFINITION FOR A TIME OF “PRAYER” IS TO SURROUND YOUR SELF WITH THE PRESENCE OF ALMIGHTY GOD….. AND BASK THERE.
PSALMS 16:11 ~ IN THE PRESENCE OF THE LORD IS FULLNESS OF JOY AND AT HIS RIGHT HAND, PLEASURES EVERMORE.
I HAVE HAD SOME GOOD REST FOR NEARLY 2 WEEKS, HAVE HAD JUST A FEW DAYS OF MINISTRY. I NEEDED THE REST, HAVE GOTTEN CAUGHT UP SOME SPECIAL THINGS THAT NEEDED TO BE DONE…. OF COURSE THERE IS ALWAYS THAT HUH?
IT IS HARD TO BELIEVE THAT THE YEAR IS ALREADY NEARLY HALF OVER. IF YOU ARE IN CHARGE OF PLANNING YOUR CHRISTMAS FUNCTION, WHY NOT LET ME COME MINISTER A GREAT CHRISTMAS PRESENTATION. YOU WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED! AND YES, YOU CAN AFFORD ME! OF COURSE, I CAN COME MINISTER ANYTIME TO YOUR SENIORS GROUP, YOUR CHURCH, LADIES MEETINGS, CALL ME AT 909 948-2448…..
YOU DO PLAY AN IMPORTANT ROLE IN HELPING ME “KEEP GOING.” THANKS FOR YOUR PRAYERS……. I SO APPRECIATE THEM, AND THE FINANCIAL GIFTS YOU INVEST IN THIS MINISTRY…. IT IS “GOOD GROUND.” YOU WILL RECEIVE A TAX DEDUCTIBLE RECEIPT FROM ME AND A GREAT REWARD FROM GOD IN HEAVEN.
2 CORINTHIANS 13:14 ~ THE GRACE OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST, AND THE LOVE OF GOD, AND THE COMMUNION OF THE HOLY SPIRIT BE WITH YOU ALL. AMEN.
UNTIL NEXT TIME…
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