A Heart Of Thanks: Has Peace

Peace comes to those who think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.

 

Philippians 4:2-9 Now I appeal to Euodia and Syntyche. Please, because you belong to the Lord, settle your disagreement. 3 And I ask you, my true partner, to help these two women, for they worked hard with me in telling others the Good News. They worked along with Clement and the rest of my co-workers, whose names are written in the Book of Life.

4 Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again--rejoice! 5 Let everyone see that you are considerate in all you do. Remember, the Lord is coming soon. 6 Don't worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank Him for all He has done.

7 Then you will experience God's peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus. 8 And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.

9 Keep putting into practice all you learned and received from me--everything you heard from me and saw me doing. Then the God of peace will be with you.

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You cannot be full of joy and have a thankful attitude if you are arguing or if you are worried about something. The enemy hates peace and he will find a way to make it difficult to "think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise" when somebody has done you wrong, when somebody sees things differently or when difficult events comes our way.

Being thankful, rejoicing, and praying all work together to produce a peace that surpasses understanding. I need to decide to be considerate even if I don't want to be or feel like it. Sometimes it is a deliberate choice that goes against our real desires.

Prayer is a great way to change my attitude so that I can have peace and be thankful, Paul told the Philippians not to worry, tell God what you need and thank him for what he has already done. When I pray I can thank God for revealing the end of the story, I know he has the solution for my sin, I know that he is in control and I know that someday peace will be an eternal condition.

Help me Lord to be thankful for those around me even when they don't do things my way or when they treat me poorly. I want to dwell on the things that are excellent and worthy of praise so I can appreciate the people and the circumstances in my life and live with peace.

God Provides For His People

Prayer helps us rely on God to take care of us.

Genesis 32:9-12 Then Jacob prayed, “O God of my grandfather Abraham, and God of my father, Isaac— O LORD, you told me, ‘Return to your own land and to your relatives.’ And you promised me, ‘I will treat you kindly.’ 

10 I am not worthy of all the unfailing love and faithfulness you have shown to me, your servant. When I left home and crossed the Jordan River, I owned nothing except a walking stick. Now my household fills two large camps! 

11 O LORD, please rescue me from the hand of my brother, Esau. I am afraid that he is coming to attack me, along with my wives and children. 12 But you promised me, ‘I will surely treat you kindly, and I will multiply your descendants until they become as numerous as the sands along the seashore—too many to count.’”

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The childhood and early adult life of Jacob was such a mess that it produced a young man that would have a difficult time overcoming his upbringing. We can see part of his personality before he was born as he struggled with his brother in the womb. It is too bad that his parents didn't mold him and help him use his aggressive, outgoing personality for good but instead their actions only made him worse.

Despite his dysfunctional upbringing and his lack of godly character he still inherited the promises of God that began with Abraham and Isaac. Jacob was forced to leave home empty handed and all alone as he dealt with the consequences of cheating his brother.

God would use this time away from home to shape Jacob and prepare him for his future role in God's plans. He would have success and he would fail but God still prospered Jacob as he promised.

In todays scripture we see some progress in Jacob's spiritual journey, he is on a journey back to his physical home because God told him to go back, we can see some small amount of growth in his reaction to the news that his brother is on the way to see him but he still has a long way to go.

Jacob's fear of his brother drove him to pray and then immediately into implementing a plan of action. It seems to be the prayer of a weak, unbelieving man with little faith in the outcome. This guy is familiar with God, he knows his character and he has his great promises for the future but he still seems to be praying in desperation.

Jacob Prayed For God's Help Based On:

God's Covenant

The promises given to Abraham have been reaffirmed with Isaac and Jacob. Notice that Jacob approached God on the basis of the old covenant but we approach on the basis of the new covenant.

God's Command

When God told Jacob to go back home it probably wasn't so that he could be killed by his brother. The will of God will never lead us where the power of God can't protect and provide for us.

God's Care

There was a history now of God's protection and care for Jacob, God has been working on Jacob's character for twenty years now, I don't think that God will let that go to waste.

God's Purpose

Esau's anger could not hinder God's purpose and plan for Jacob and his descendants, especially for Judah (Jesus lineage), Levi (the lineage of the priest and the Apostle Paul (from the tribe of Benjamin).

God's Promise

Jacob needs to review the promises made by God at Bethel. He should know by now that God's promises will come to pass. (Genesis 28:12-15)

We need to know that we can't mess up God's plans and purposes in our lives even if our trust and faith in him is weak. God uses the consequences of our success and our failures to help us grow closer to him.

Our prayers are an indicator of the state of our heart, if we struggle in our own strength to overcome our problems after we prayed about something then we have trust issues with the only one that we can fully trust without any doubts.

Thank you Lord for hearing my prayers despite my little faith. Help me to rely on you to sustain and protect me from anything that comes my way.

Who Is Your Friend

You need the best friend possible and he needs to influence your life.

Genesis 18:1-4 The LORD appeared again to Abraham near the oak grove belonging to Mamre. One day Abraham was sitting at the entrance to his tent during the hottest part of the day. 2 He looked up and noticed three men standing nearby.

When he saw them, he ran to meet them and welcomed them, bowing low to the ground. 3 “My lord,” he said, “if it pleases you, stop here for a while. 4 Rest in the shade of this tree while water is brought to wash your feet.

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It wasn't all that long ago that Abraham didn't know the true, living God but when God said go Abram trusted him enough to go. That was the beginning of Abraham's imperfect journey of faith, a trip that would take him to Haran with his dad, to Canaan and then to Egypt, a journey that was full of important lessons along the way.

It has been a bumpy road but Abraham has grown in his relationship with God, his love and fellowship with him has grown deeper and more intimate through the years, so much so that Abraham has became known as a friend of God. (James 2:23)

Because friendship is awesome. It’s always dangerous, because he or she who walks with the wise will become wise, but the companion of fools will eventually suffer harm. Your friends will influence and possibly determine the direction and the quality of your life.

-Pastor Andy Stanley

Having the right friends is too important to ignore, so important that your parents may have forbid certain friendships or they may have moved to a different neighborhood just so you would have different friends.

We will see in Genesis eighteen and nineteen that friendships are powerful and have tremendous influence on your life so you better chose wisely.

Abraham is a friend of God

James 2:23  And so it happened just as the Scriptures say: “Abraham believed God, and God counted him as righteous because of his faith.” He was even called the friend of God.

There are so many people in our Bible that God had a personal relationship with but Abraham is the only one that the Bible tells us was God's friend. (2 Chronicles 20:7, Isaiah 41:8, James 2:23)

Abraham was a rich man and had many servants, when three men came by his tent in the heat of the day, he could have continued to rest in his tent but instead of having somebody else tend to these guest he ministered to Jesus and the two angels personally. (Genesis 18:1,22, 19:1)

Abraham ran to them and offered hospitality (Hebrews 13:2), he bowed down in humility and after they came to the shade trees outside of his tent, he served them quickly and gave them his best food. (Genesis 18:6-8)

After the meal, Abraham receives a revelation directly from the Lord about the destruction of Lot's hometown, the wickedness of Sodom had grow so bad that God is going to destroy it. Abraham has already been involved with helping the people of Sodom physically by going to war and now he will intercede spiritually.

As a friend of God, Abraham was trusted with God's thoughts, and as a result of knowing God so intimately he knew how to pray for the world and intercede for the lost people of Sodom. (Genesis 18:22-33, James 4:8)

Lot is a friend of the world

Genesis 19:15-16  At dawn the next morning the angels became insistent. “Hurry,” they said to Lot. “Take your wife and your two daughters who are here. Get out right now, or you will be swept away in the destruction of the city!”

16  When Lot still hesitated, the angels seized his hand and the hands of his wife and two daughters and rushed them to safety outside the city, for the LORD was merciful.

You might think that Lot would make some changes in his location after he was saved by Abraham. We don't have any indication in the Bible that Lot or the rest of the people of Sodom were thankful for Abraham's actions on their behalf. (Genesis 14:1-16)

Lot setup his tent near Sodom and eventually he moved into town and setup household. This doesn't seem to be a mission trip, we don't see any evidence that Lot had an influence on his own family, much less the rest of the city.

Lot's depraved state is seen in his offer to give his daughters to the evil men of Sodom that were trying to get to the angels. This is quite a contrast with the fact that Abraham would soon offer his son to the Lord. (Genesis 22:1-24)

Lot's family was so involved with local society that they were unwilling to leave, his wife had to look back, and not too long after that his two daughters got him drunk and had sex with him just because there were not any other men around their new neighborhood. (Genesis 19:30-38)

Jesus is a friend of sinners

Luke 12:37-38 The servants who are ready and waiting for his return will be rewarded. I tell you the truth, he himself will seat them, put on an apron, and serve them as they sit and eat! 38 He may come in the middle of the night or just before dawn. But whenever he comes, he will reward the servants who are ready.

Revelation 3:20  “Look! I stand at the door and knock. If you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in, and we will share a meal together as friends.

Jesus waits at the door and draws your attention to answer his call because he wants to be your friend for this life and for eternity. Jesus wants to fellowship with you at the table, there will be the greatest feast that has ever been prepared right after we get to Heaven and he wants to serve you. (Revelation 19:6-10)

Jesus is as devoted to you as the shepherd that gives his life to save a lost sheep, he loves you so much that he will allow his reputation to be stained to get you from the darkest places, and he will celebrate when you return. (Luke 15:1-32, Mark 2:13-17)

Proverbs 18:24 There are “friends” who destroy each other, but a real friend sticks closer than a brother.

Jesus came to earth to be your BFF so that you could have a peaceful relationship with his Father, this friendship should be full of joy and hope for this life and for eternity. What better friend could there possibly be? (John 15:13-15)

RELATED ARTICLES

Find Peace With God (diggingtheword.blogspot.com)
Is It Okay To Call God My Friend (crossway.org)

Stuff Happens When We Pray

We need to be praying with greater passion and power.

Video: Tauren Wells - When We Pray

It is amazing how much we can know in our head about a spiritual disciple and yet not take it to heart. For me that discipline is prayer. Just about any other spiritual discipline is easy for me to be passionate about and make a part of my daily walk but not so much with prayer.

My number one prayer is to be passionate and bold in prayer but as I look around me I don't think that I am alone in this because I see very little praying that looks like it did in the Bible.

“There is no power like that of prevailing prayer - of Abraham pleading for Sodom, Jacob wrestling in the stillness of the night, Moses standing in the breach, Hannah intoxicated with sorrow, David heartbroken with remorse and grief, Jesus in sweat and blood.

Add to this list from the records of the church your personal observation and experience, and always there is cost of passion unto blood. Such prayer prevails. It turns ordinary mortals into men of power. It brings power. It brings fire. It brings rain. It brings life. It brings God.”

- Samuel Chadwick

We have been deceived by the opposition to put down our best weapon or if we are using it then it isn't being used effectively. We need to pickup our weapon and start using it so that we will become capable of using it better. I shouldn't expect to be competent in praying if I don't do it consistently.

Lord help me to get from a head knowledge about prayer to praying with passion and power.

Learning To Pray

Jesus gives us a blueprint for prayer.

Luke 11:1-4  Once Jesus was in a certain place praying. As He finished, one of His disciples came to Him and said, "Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples."  2  Jesus said, "This is how you should pray:  "Father, may Your name be kept holy. May Your Kingdom come soon.  3  Give us each day the food we need,  4  and forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who sin against us. And don't let us yield to temptation. "

Luke 11:9-10  "And so I tell you, keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you.

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The word was out that John the Baptist disciples knew how to pray and Jesus disciples wanted to get some instruction from him. Nobody saved a copy of the "John the Baptist prayer" for us so we could know if he did a good job. We just know that he taught them and it made the disciples think that maybe they should get some instruction from Jesus about it.

It is interesting to note that the disciples didn't ask how to preach or how to love more or how to do ministry, the only request that we have recorded in the Bible is to be taught how to pray. Perhaps they saw him pray or overheard it and they realized that their prayers were not the same as his, maybe prayer was a struggle for them so they wanted to know more.

I bet the disciples already knew how to pray and they probably did it sometimes. They probably prayed plenty of times while they were out fishing and their nets were coming up empty or when a bad storm came upon them while they were out in the lake.

I grew up in church and I don't remember ever not knowing how to pray, sometime between the nursery and the children's department I was taught how to do it, but even so if I could ask Jesus to teach me then I would probably do like they did. I need to follow their example and ask Jesus to improve my praying!

Jesus gave us a model of prayer, a basic guide to the content of our prayers, it is easy to remember this format with the ACTS acrostic:

Adoration, this is the proper place to start and it is where we should spend the majority of our time. (Exodus 15:11, Psalm 106:2)

Confession, after spending time in worship we should admit to God how we have fallen short of his glorious standard. (Romans 3:23)

Thanks, we have been given so much and it would be rude to never say thank you for our blessings, especially when you are going to ask for more. (Philippians 4:6)

Supplication, asking God to meet the needs of others and then for ourselves

It is very easy to get the acrostic out of order and instead of ACTS we actually do SCAT. We ask for our own "needs" and make that our priority when we need to begin asking from God after we have given to  him the worship and praise that he deserves.

It doesn't matter that I have been taught about prayer all of my life, I can still use words like frustrating, boring, confusing, intermittent, difficult, or struggle to describe my prayer life. It is easy to get discouraged and give up.

Hebrews 5:7 While Jesus was here on earth, He offered prayers and pleadings, with a loud cry and tears, to the One who could rescue Him from death. And God heard His prayers because of His deep reverence for God.

Do you think it was easy for Jesus to have a prayer time?

If you think that you are too busy and that too many people are trying to get your attention and there isn't any way to get alone for prayer then consider how it was for Jesus. He had crowds of people begging for his attention and asking him to do something or answer some question. There wasn't hardly a moment of rest!

Jesus was in prayer in the garden just before he was arrested. I am pretty sure that I would be running away scared trying to find a place to hide but he was out in a public place where he could be found. I have to wonder if he "offered prayers and pleadings, with a loud cry and tears" every time he got alone for his quiet time or if it was just his final prayer in the garden.

Was that the serious, passionate praying that made the disciples want to know more? I can be just like the disciples, I can be in my quiet time and suddenly wake up and realize that my lack of passion in my prayer time made it too easy to fall asleep.

Prayer 101

✔   Jesus prayed for others. Matthew 19:13-14, John 17:9
✔   Jesus prayed with others. Luke 9:28,
✔   Jesus prayed alone. Luke 5:16
✔   Jesus prayed regularly. Luke 5:16
✔   Jesus prayed in nature. Luke 6:12
✔   Jesus prayed all night. Luke 6:12
✔   Jesus prayed with passion. Luke 22:39-44
✔   Jesus taught persistence in prayer. Luke 18:1

Jesus life gives us an example of prayer, how to do it, what to ask for and when we should pray. There isn't anybody better to teach us how to talk to God than the Son of God!

Philippians 4:6-7 Don't worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank Him for all He has done. Then you will experience God's peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.

There is still a lot for me to learn and put into practice when it comes to praying. After all of these years of experience I feel more like a prayer wimp than a prayer warrior but God doesn't want me to put any value on my feelings, Satan uses them to get me to stop talking to God.

Thank you Lord for desiring a relationship with me and being concerned about me. Help me Lord to make prayer a priority in my life everyday.

RELATED ARTICLES

Pray The Bible (matthewhenry.org )

Prayer And The Difference It Makes (focusonthefamily.com)

Prayer For Beginners (desiringgod.org)

When Heaven Is Silent (youtube.com)

Prayer Resources (navigators.org)

Red Letter Prayers - The Jesus Way (youtube.com)

Growing Big Faith - Private Disciplines

Private disciplines help us to be more like Christ.

Matthew 6:1-8  "Watch out! Don't do your good deeds publicly, to be admired by others, for you will lose the reward from your Father in heaven.   

2  When you give to someone in need, don't do as the hypocrites do--blowing trumpets in the synagogues and streets to call attention to their acts of charity! I tell you the truth, they have received all the reward they will ever get.  3  But when you give to someone in need, don't let your left hand know what your right hand is doing.  4  Give your gifts in private, and your Father, who sees everything, will reward you.

5  "When you pray, don't be like the hypocrites who love to pray publicly on street corners and in the synagogues where everyone can see them. I tell you the truth, that is all the reward they will ever get.  6  But when you pray, go away by yourself, shut the door behind you, and pray to your Father in private. Then your Father, who sees everything, will reward you.

7  "When you pray, don't babble on and on as people of other religions do. They think their prayers are answered merely by repeating their words again and again.  8  Don't be like them, for your Father knows exactly what you need even before you ask Him!

Matthew 6:16-18  "And when you fast, don't make it obvious, as the hypocrites do, for they try to look miserable and disheveled so people will admire them for their fasting. I tell you the truth, that is the only reward they will ever get.  17  But when you fast, comb your hair and wash your face.  18  Then no one will notice that you are fasting, except your Father, who knows what you do in private. And your Father, who sees everything, will reward you.

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Discipline is a four letter word to most of us, we don't like being forced to do something that we do not want to do, we feel like we are suppose to do it whether we like it or not. It doesn't matter if it is exercise, budget, a diet or learning to play an instrument. Sometimes we don't always like disciplined people, sometimes they are inspiring but sometimes they get on our nerves, they make us feel bad, so we try to persuade them to be more like us.

Discipline is for our own good and that is even more true of spiritual discipline. Spiritual disciplines are another tool that God uses to help us grow closer to him. Our faith and trust in him will grow as our relationship with him develops, this doesn't happen by accident, there must be an intentional effort to get to know God.

"Students are to be like their teacher."

Right away Jesus tells us to not make a big deal of what you are doing. When it comes to being disciplined and doing good deeds Jesus tells us that we need to be a secret agent. If you are fasting, do your best to not look like you are, don't be a show off when you pray in public, God says that you won't get a reward from him if you have already gotten a reward from the people around you.

Don't mistake the purpose for private discipline, you are not trying to earn God's favor by checking off a bunch of good deeds, doing these things does not change the fact that you have been saved by grace alone. Becoming a better disciple is our goal. (Ephesians 2:8-9)

Don't mistake the presence of these disciplines with spiritual maturity. They are not a guarantee that maturity exist rather they open the opportunity for it to develop. Sometimes the disciplines are being done with the wrong attitude but there is still some value in doing it. God can still use the time spent with you to bring you closer to him. You may find that it will get easier and the things that you used to dread will be something that you will look forward to.

Our selfish nature is always wanting to get stroked for doing the right thing but the lifestyle of the Christ follower is one that requires selfless discipline that will probably not get noticed. It is better that way so that we won't start to believe that we are anything away from the power of God.

My secret disciplines should include:

• Helping those that have needs that I can meet.
• Praying with the attitude that Jesus demonstrated in his example.
• Forgiving the people that have hurt me without even mentioning the offense to them.
• Fasting without looking like it I am doing so.
• Bible study, meditation and memorizing scripture helps us overcome Satan's attack.

This is only a partial list of disciplines but it is a great place to start. For more information on spiritual disciplines check out this page.

The life of a Christ follower should be a disciplined life so that your faith can grow. It takes a lot of effort to take up your cross daily and to put on the Armor of God. Without discipline you will be tempted to give up and leave the cross and the armor laying on the ground.

Talking To God About His Family

We need God to: “Give us,” “forgive us,” and “lead us.”

Luke 11:3-4 "Give us day by day our daily bread. 4 And forgive us our sins, For we also forgive everyone who is indebted to us. And do not lead us into temptation, But deliver us from the evil one.”

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In the previous post we looked at the first half of the Lord's Prayer and we saw that it gave us an example of how to "Talk to God About God."

We looked at the part of the prayer that says: “Hallowed be Your Name,” “Your kingdom come,” “Your will be done.” We learned that we should get our minds away from our selfish ways and focus on him, then we will be able to pray as we should for our own needs and desires. It doesn't seem proper to come before the throne of grace without revering God's name, without desiring for his kingdom and his will to be done.

The second half of the Lord's Prayer is a look at talking to the Father about His family—the children’s need for provision, pardon, and protection: “Give us day by day our daily bread,” “Forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who is indebted to us,” and “Do not lead us into temptation.”

His Provision – Give us this day our daily bread.

God cares for our needs and it is okay to talk to him about them. Praying for our daily bread shows a level of dependence on God. This doesn't have as much meaning to us and it is easy to forget to be truly thankful for our daily bread when we have freezers and cabinets full of groceries at home. When Jesus gave this example of how to pray there was a much greater concern for getting food for the day.

We need to realize our dependence on God for everything that we need. Jesus didn’t give us a blank check to ask for anything and everything. Most of us need to realize how blessed we are and that we need to pass some of those blessings on to others.

His Pardon – Forgive us our sins.

After we ask for provision we need to ask for pardon. We spend a lot of time worrying about our daily provision and we dwell on that a lot but most of us are not as concerned about our need for forgiveness.

We all like to get forgiven but we don't like to offer it to others. Jesus told us to ask for forgiveness for our sins as we forgive those who sin against us. Why did he have to put that in there? Forgive me but why do I have to forgive others?

If I honestly see my sin the way that I should then I realize that I am not righteous and I am in desperate need of God’s forgiveness. If I am truly grateful for God’s forgiveness in my life then I will feel obligated to show forgiveness to others. Since God has given up his right for revenge and he has offered mercy to me then I must do the same. We are never more Christ-like than when we offer pardon to those people in our lives that have hurt us.

His Protection – Do not lead us into temptation.

You may have heard the saying, "Do not lead me into temptation, I can find it myself." We seldom want to be delivered from temptation, it promises too much fun, maybe you have heard it said “Don’t resist temptation, it may not come back.” We like to play around with sin.

We have a natural inclination to do the opposite of what God desires. It isn't easy to consistently do what pleases God. The work of Satan threatens to seduce us to live life apart from God. We will be tempted to build ourselves up and honor our own names, to build our own kingdoms, to take credit for supplying our own needs and denying our need for forgiveness.

God Provides
Philippians 4:19  And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.

I need to realize my complete dependence on God for provision, pardon, and protection. I have nothing without him. He takes care of my daily needs as well as my need for forgiveness and for protection until I reach my eternal home.

Talking To God About God

Jesus gives us a blueprint for prayer.

Luke 11:2 So He said to them, “When you pray, say: Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done On earth as it is in heaven.

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In response to the disciples request to be taught how to pray, Jesus gives them an example of the content that should be in our prayers, this basic outline is a great example for us to use when we pray. Just be careful that it doesn't become the only prayer that you say and allow it to be meaningless repetition.

The Lord's Prayer can be divided into two major sections. The first half of the prayer is talking to God the Father about his person, his program and about his purpose. This is the part of the prayer that says: “Hallowed be Your Name,” “Your kingdom come,” “Your will be done.”

In the next post we will look at the second half of the Lord's Prayer and see the need to talk to God about his family and the needs that we should ask him to fulfill. We will look at his children’s need for provision, pardon, and protection: “Give us day by day our daily bread,” “Forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who is indebted to us,” and “Do not lead us into temptation.”

His Person – Hallowed be your name

First of all we need to begin by remembering who we are praying to. Jesus says that when we come to the God of the universe in prayer we don't have to shake in fear but instead we can call Him Father.

This prayer is very well known and it is quoted by many people that don’t have the right to say it. Not everyone can call God their Father. Jesus taught that his children are allowed to call God their Father but they are the only ones. Jesus is the only way for us to enter into a relationship with God and become members of His family. He is our Father and we are His children.

1 John 3:1  See how very much our Father loves us, for He calls us His children, and that is what we are! But the people who belong to this world don't recognize that we are God's children because they don't know Him.

It is a wonderful privilege to be able to call the one and only true God our Father, a privilege we definitely take for granted.Just think about it, we address him as, “Our Father in heaven,” I should be in awe of his greatness and be amazed that God allows me to call him Father. The one that I come to as a loving Father is also the sovereign God of heaven, the God of all power, and the God of all authority.

Revelation 4:11  "You are worthy, O Lord our God, to receive glory and honor and power. For You created all things, and they exist because You created what You pleased."

To the early Jewish Christians, having a proper awe of God was probably easier than understanding their new intimate relationship that they have through Jesus. Unfortunately in our day, the pendulum has swung to the other extreme, we talk about God as the "big man upstairs" without honoring his name.

We are to honor God as holy. We should celebrate who he is as a part of worship during our prayer time. We need to make sure that our prayers show that we honor and revere God.

His Program – Your kingdom come

The second request that we direct to the Father about the Father is not only devoted to the person of God but also to the program of God.

Revelation 11:15  Then the seventh angel blew his trumpet, and there were loud voices shouting in heaven: "The world has now become the Kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ, and He will reign forever and ever."

The second request is “Your kingdom come.” Jesus was speaking here about His future messianic reign on the earth. All through Scripture, the story of the Bible looks forward to the return of the Messiah, Jesus Christ, who will rule in righteousness when the kingdom of this world will become the kingdom of our God and of His Christ.

History seems to be an endless cycle of the same events going on day after day but history is “His story” and it is headed to a definite climax. We look forward to the day when he will reign on earth and everything will be made new.

Matthew 4:17  From then on Jesus began to preach, "Repent of your sins and turn to God, for the Kingdom of Heaven is near. "

Until that day comes we can allow God's kingdom to come in our own lives. When we pray, “Your kingdom come,” we can ask for God's kingdom and his rule to be established in our own lives. We should let him be the King of our life as we submit to his will. I need to make my life his throne right now!

His Purpose – Your will be done

Next we are to pray for that His will will be done on earth as it is in heaven. God's will is for us to obey his law and for us to be holy. We should know what he expects from us through his word and we should be willing to do it.

Romans 12:2  Don't copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God's will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.

A lot of times it seems like we are praying for our own will to be done instead of God's. We lose our perspective and forget that it isn't all about us and God isn't our cosmic butler that we can boss around. Before we ask for our selfish desires we need to focus on the big picture of God's will.

We can stop the rebellion in our own lives as we line up our will to God's will. We can rebel against the ruler of this world, go against the flow, and begin to allow God's will to come to pass on our little piece of the planet.

The point of these first three petitions is to get our minds away from our selfish ways and focus on him, then we will be able to pray as we should for our own desires. It doesn't seem proper to come before the throne of grace without revering God's name, without desiring for his kingdom and his will to be done.

Pray For Missions

Missions without prayer at best is miserable at worst it is impossible.

It is easy to underestimate the power of prayer to do God's work, we can easily begin to think that the success of our work depends on us doing the right things in the right way at the right time to the right people. Working for God with that kind of perspective will eventually lead to misery and our work will be almost impossible.

We need to realize the power of prayer in missions so that our work will not be hindered, prayer leads us to the power source, it helps us to remember who we are working for. God invites us to work for him but we cannot do it successfully on our own.

We are engaging in spiritual warfare, if you think that missions is about strategies, activities, programs and needs then you are going to be miserable, the devil is going to walk all over you. There is so much more beyond the physical realm.

As we go into the mission field we need to pray, when we see others going into the mission field we need to pray. There is a battle out there that needs to be fought and it cannot be done without the power of prayer.

Here are some strategic areas that we need to pray for:

Pray for Open Doors

Colossians 4:2-4  Devote yourselves to prayer with an alert mind and a thankful heart.  3  Pray for us, too, that God will give us many opportunities to speak about His mysterious plan concerning Christ. That is why I am here in chains.  4  Pray that I will proclaim this message as clearly as I should.

Pray for Boldness in Witness

Ephesians 6:19  And pray for me, too. Ask God to give me the right words so I can boldly explain God's mysterious plan that the Good News is for Jews and Gentiles alike.

Pray that God’s Word Will Spread

2 Thessalonians 3:1  Finally, dear brothers and sisters, we ask you to pray for us. Pray that the Lord's message will spread rapidly and be honored wherever it goes, just as when it came to you.

Pray for Protection

2 Thessalonians 3:2  Pray, too, that we will be rescued from wicked and evil people, for not everyone is a believer.

Pray for God’s Guidance

Colossians 1:9  So we have not stopped praying for you since we first heard about you. We ask God to give you complete knowledge of His will and to give you spiritual wisdom and understanding.

Pray for Refreshment

Colossians 1:11  We also pray that you will be strengthened with all His glorious power so you will have all the endurance and patience you need. May you be filled with joy,

Praying For Improvement

Praying for spiritual growth is a great way to bless your friends and neighbors.

Ephesians 1:15-19  Ever since I first heard of your strong faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for God's people everywhere,  16  I have not stopped thanking God for you. I pray for you constantly,  17  asking God, the glorious Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, to give you spiritual wisdom and insight so that you might grow in your knowledge of God.   

18  I pray that your hearts will be flooded with light so that you can understand the confident hope He has given to those He called--His holy people who are His rich and glorious inheritance. 19 I also pray that you will understand the incredible greatness of God's power for us who believe Him.

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The ultimate church planter was probably the Apostle Paul, his strategy for planting new churches is an example that is still valid today, God used Paul to get the message about Jesus out of Israel and spread it around the world.

Paul was happy to learn that his church plant had developed a strong faith but he didn't believe that they had arrived. Paul knew that there is always room for improvement and that the pagan culture around them could easily distort the truth of the gospel and lead this new church astray.

These new Christians needed to:

✔ Grow in their knowledge of God.
✔ Realize the hope that we have in Jesus.
✔ Learn about God's great power.
✔ Understand what God's will is.

As we become more mature in our faith and understanding of God the easier it will be to live in a manner that pleases him. The new disciples had to get beyond the basics and get to know God better, just having enough knowledge about God to understand the good news of Jesus work on the cross isn't enough, there needs to be a discipleship process.

Paul was concerned about planting churches but he didn't just plant them and take off down the road, he also worked to make disciples, often times he left his coworkers behind or he sent letters to help clarify doctrine but most importantly he prayed for them.

Maturity produces obedience.

Colossians 1:9-10  So we have not stopped praying for you since we first heard about you. We ask God to give you complete knowledge of His will and to give you spiritual wisdom and understanding.  10  Then the way you live will always honor and please the Lord, and your lives will produce every kind of good fruit. All the while, you will grow as you learn to know God better and better.

What a great way to help the people that we know, to pray for their spiritual needs instead of concentrating on their physical needs, it is amazing that we are content to pray for the temporary instead of the eternal.

The greatest need that we have after our salvation is to become more like our Savior. To see the world through his eyes, to react to situations the way that he would, to put others before ourselves the way that he did.
 
Of course the right attitude is necessary when praying for somebody else to grow spiritually. If you are praying for them because you have judged them and decided that they "really" need improvement then you need to be careful. Don't forget the parable about "mister log eye."

No matter how faithful and spiritual we become we will never reach perfection and we will still need somebody that will go beyond praying for our temporary needs. What an awesome way to help our friends and neighbors. I need to pray for what really matters in the lives of the people all around me, those people that know the Lord already and for those that still need to know him.

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• Ten Simple Strategies for Prayer (thomrainer.com)
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Praying? Don't Be Shy!

God's people are encouraged to pray boldly.

Nehemiah 1:3-7  They said to me, "Things are not going well for those who returned to the province of Judah. They are in great trouble and disgrace. The wall of Jerusalem has been torn down, and the gates have been destroyed by fire."

4  When I heard this, I sat down and wept. In fact, for days I mourned, fasted, and prayed to the God of heaven.  5  Then I said, "O LORD, God of heaven, the great and awesome God who keeps His covenant of unfailing love with those who love Him and obey His commands,  6  listen to my prayer!

Look down and see me praying night and day for Your people Israel. I confess that we have sinned against You. Yes, even my own family and I have sinned!  7  We have sinned terribly by not obeying the commands, decrees, and regulations that You gave us through Your servant Moses.

Psalms 102:1-2  A prayer of one overwhelmed with trouble, pouring out problems before the LORD.

LORD, hear my prayer! Listen to my plea!  2  Don't turn away from me in my time of distress. Bend down to listen, and answer me quickly when I call to You.

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I have been in church all of my life and I have never seen anyone pray the way God's people did in the Bible. In the Bible there is a forceful passion without any messing around these people pray what they feel. It makes me wonder how we can see their prayers and the results that they achieved and yet we don't follow their example?

"Hey God, it's me again, I know you are busy and you have other more important things. I know you already know this but let me just ask this one thing if it's your will. Sorry to bother you."

That's not the kind of prayer that Nehemiah prayed! Nehemiah spoke to God with passion, he wasn't afraid to say "Listen to my prayer!" God wants to hear the emotion, he wants to hear how we really feel, he can handle it! Nehemiah wasn't being disrespectful, he showed that he revered God. He began by saying "O LORD, God of heaven, the great and awesome God."

We don't dare pray with an exclamation mark! It seems too demanding and rude we come to God all shy and timid afraid to make a request. We know that God knows everything and he has a plan and a purpose for everything so we think that maybe we shouldn't bother God with our little problem.

Keep on asking boldly! 

Luke 11:8-9  But I tell you this--though he won't do it for friendship's sake, if you keep knocking long enough, he will get up and give you whatever you need because of your shameless persistence.  9  And so I tell you, keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you.

The way that Jesus taught us to pray is nothing like the average Christian today. In Luke 11 Jesus lesson on prayer was about a man that won't give up, this guy is shameless and bold, he has a lot of nerve to wake up the man and his family and make him get out of bed to help him.

In this lesson on prayer the guy is talking back to his neighbor and he isn't taking no for an answer. Jesus gave us three verbs for us to get busy doing: keep on asking, keep on seeking, keep on knocking.

Besides teaching us about prayer Jesus also gave us an incredible example on praying with force and boldness. When he came to earth he knew why he came, he knew the terrible way that he was going to die, nevertheless he still prayed with great passion for God to make another way.

Matthew 26:39  He went on a little farther and bowed with His face to the ground, praying, "My Father! If it is possible, let this cup of suffering be taken away from Me. Yet I want Your will to be done, not Mine."

Jesus prayed boldly, he didn't want to suffer such cruelty and yet he was willing to accept the Father's will, he didn't think that it was wrong to ask boldly for a different plan. I need to follow Jesus example and quit praying like a wimp.

Lord help me to stop praying so weak! Wake up the passion in me and help me realize the power that is available in prayer.

Additional scripture on bold prayers: Hebrews 4:16, Ephesians 3:12

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The Hardest Prayer

Praying for the problem people can be frustrating.

Matthew 5:43-45  "You have heard the law that says, 'Love your neighbor' and hate your enemy.  44  But I say, love your enemies! [Bless those who curse you. Do good to those who hate you.] Pray for those who persecute you!  45  In that way, you will be acting as true children of your Father in heaven. For He gives His sunlight to both the evil and the good, and He sends rain on the just and the unjust alike.

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We love to pray for the people that we love, it is so easy to pray for your parents, nana and papa, or your best friend but Jesus tells us that we need to pray for everybody. In this scripture which is part of the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus says that we are to love everybody and then he goes on to say that not only are we to love everybody but we are to pray for them as well.

We see throughout the Gospels that Jesus broke down the barriers that prevent love from spreading. Jesus showed us how to love the unlovable, the picture of love that he gave us includes a road trip through Samaria, it includes inviting tax collectors to be his friends and it includes sharing the plan of salvation with a Pharisee but he didn't stop there.
"Father, forgive them, for they don't know what they are doing."

-Jesus

The ultimate display of love in the Bible also includes a prayer for those that do not deserve to be loved. Jesus proved that there is a direct connection between loving your enemies and praying for them. Jesus' love gave him the ability to pray a blessing on his "enemies" while he has in agony from the pain that they had inflicted on him.

Want to retaliate?

1 Peter 3:9-10  Don't repay evil for evil. Don't retaliate with insults when people insult you. Instead, pay them back with a blessing. That is what God has called you to do, and He will bless you for it.  10  For the Scriptures say, "If you want to enjoy life and see many happy days, keep your tongue from speaking evil and your lips from telling lies.

It isn't my job to get revenge and try to even out the score. The best way to have the right attitude and love the people that don't "deserve" to be loved is to bring them before the Lord in prayer. It is difficult to speak evil of them and be unloving to them after you have prayed a blessing over them. Even if somebody sees me as their enemy I still need to see them as my neighbor and pray for them.

Jesus, help me to see the world around me through your eyes, I need to see how sin has affected this world and how it has tried to destroy our ability to relate with each other. Thank you for showing us that we can have loving relationships even if we don't get anything back as a reward.

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Getting Enough Spiritual Oxygen

A healthy Christian needs prayer just as much as he needs air.

Ephesians 6:18 Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere

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What is true about Bible study is also true about prayer, we know we should do it, we know that it is good for us but we still avoid doing it. We can feel drawn to do it yet we can find so many reasons to avoid doing it.

We may decide that we don't know how to pray or we may question our motives for praying. The new Christian starts out using everyday words and their prayers sound like they are talking to a good friend. They don't change the tone of their voice or use any "theology" words to talk to God. It's a shame that somewhere along the way we lose that innocence. Isn't innocence exactly what God wants to hear in our conversations that we have with him?

Like any spiritual discipline we will grow through doing it. There is no magical right way to start, it is okay to begin with prayers that focus on ourselves but as we grow in the discipline of prayer, we will notice a shift in the direction of your prayer. Our prayer life will move from being centered on ourselves to being centered on God and others.

Some basics that we need to remember about prayer:

We are commanded to pray Prayer brings glory to God. Prayer blesses us. Asking in Jesus name. Asking in faith. Asking in God's will. Praying is powerful. Praying is for your safety.

1 Thessalonians 5:17. John 14:13 James 5:16 John 14:13 Matthew 21:22 1 John 5:14 James 5:16 Matthew 26:40-41

In Ephesians 6:13-18, Paul tells us about all of the equipment that we are supposed to put on, the "Armor of God." After we are dressed up in all of this protective gear we are still not ready for battle, the belt of truth, the helmet of salvation and the sword of the spirit are not going to benefit a dead man, there is an essential thing that is left to do in order to sustain life. Breathe!

Prayer should be seen as basic and essential in the life of a Christ follower as breathing is to those of us that need oxygen. Without sufficient oxygen you may suffer mild symptoms such as memory loss, diminished attention span, poor judgment, rapid heartbeat and decreased coordination. Severe lack of oxygen may cause seizures, coma, and brain death.

Imagine being in battle with all of the Armor of God on and not being able to think clearly, making bad decisions, having poor coordination or passing out in the battle. You would be dead in no time! Our praying should be as natural as breathing because it is just as necessary in the life of God's children.

I need to have a constant awareness of God every minute of the day and talk to him about every situation. If I am "praying without ceasing" then I will be able to make better decisions and stand strong in the battle.

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Resolution #1 - Resolve To Pray

Start the day with God and keep him with you all day long.

Philippians 4:6  Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.

1 Thessalonians 5:17 Pray without ceasing.

Psalm 86:1 Bend down, O Lord, and hear my prayer; answer me, for I need your help.

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Worry is a universal trait, everybody does it, in fact it is probably the greatest time waster that is known to man. Worrying is so natural for us to do that we do it even when things are going well, we worry that things are going too good and that the bottom is about to fall out from under us.

God has a better plan, he wants us to trust in him no matter how things are going, through the good and the bad, he wants us to talk to him about it and leave it in his hands. I need to be determined to pray more in every circumstance because if I don't then it will get pushed off of my to-do list.

We should develop pray as a way of life seeking to know him so that we can react to every situation the way that he would. A prayerful lifestyle declares that I need God and that I trust him to handle whatever comes my way.

I need to:

• Set aside a time to talk to God each morning at the begining of the day
• Focus on worship, before I ask for anything that benefits me, leave the shopping list behind
• Ask God to shape me and help me to realize that everything works out for my good, he is working in every situation and sometimes the bad times are meant to shape my character.
• Remain in prayer throughout the day

Thank you Lord for wanting to hear from me. I confess that it is easier to pray for my wants and forget that I am talking to the God of the universe that deserves my praise and adoration before I make my request.

Our Commander In Chief

Do you know who is in control?

Psalm 66:7 For by his great power he rules forever. He watches every movement of the nations; let no rebel rise in defiance.

1 Peter 2:13-17  For the Lord’s sake, respect all human authority, whether the king as head of state, 14 or the officials he has appointed. For the king has sent them to punish those who do wrong and to honor those who do right.

15 It is God’s will that your honorable lives should silence those ignorant people who make foolish accusations against you. 16 For you are free, yet you are God’s slaves, so don’t use your freedom as an excuse to do evil. 17 Respect everyone, and love your Christian brothers and sisters. Fear God, and respect the king.

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God was the first authority, he had the power to create and decide what should be and where it should be, it was his choice to put a galaxy over there and a mountain there and where the oceans were going to be. As soon as God created man he shared some of his authority, the organization chart was very simple, God had authority over man and woman and they had authority over the physical creation in the garden. (Genesis 1:28)

Government in its purest sense is supposed to create harmony and unity among us, we have restraints that we submit to in order to keep the peace, so that we can all get along. Of course it isn't a perfect entity, the government is affected by our sinful state and it often fails to make our world a better place.

Hebrews 13:14 For this world is not our permanent home; we are looking forward to a home yet to come.

We may not always live in a country that is tolerant of Christian values, but we shouldn't let that get us down, most of world history has proved that government is usually not going to care about such things. If the government moves away from Godly values it shouldn't surprise us or get us down.

The good news is that I don't have to look to the government or any other authority besides God for my joy and peace of mind. The child of God can live through good government or a hostile dictatorship knowing that this is just a stop over on our way to our permanent residence in heaven.

While we are here we need to influence the darkness. It may be with a vote for candidates that promote moral values or for running for public office or it may be to try and persuade law makers to create laws that are in alignment with Biblical values.

Pray for our leaders

1 Timothy 2:1-5 I urge you, first of all, to pray for all people. Ask God to help them; intercede on their behalf, and give thanks for them. 2 Pray this way for kings and all who are in authority so that we can live peaceful and quiet lives marked by godliness and dignity.

We need to do our part to make the world a better place, if our lives are pleasing to God then they will be appealing to society, if we are caring for others and loving like Jesus did then the world will want to know what makes us different.

Pray for everybody and especially the people that have authority over you, we need to get down on our knees, it's the best way that we can have a positive influence on our culture.

Philippians 2:10 At the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth.

It may not look like it but God is still in control and some day the entire world will bow down to his authority and his children will live in peace and harmony for all of eternity. Until that day comes we need to do all that we can to influence the authorities that we live under for good.

Praying Often And Praying Well

Praying in the Bible looks a lot different than how I pray.

Colossians 1:3  We always pray for you, and we give thanks to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Colossians 1:9-12  So we have not stopped praying for you since we first heard about you.

We ask God to give you complete knowledge of His will and to give you spiritual wisdom and understanding.  10  Then the way you live will always honor and please the Lord, and your lives will produce every kind of good fruit. All the while, you will grow as you learn to know God better and better.

11  We also pray that you will be strengthened with all His glorious power so you will have all the endurance and patience you need. May you be filled with joy,  12  always thanking the Father. He has enabled you to share in the inheritance that belongs to His people, who live in the light.

Colossians 4:2-4  Devote yourselves to prayer with an alert mind and a thankful heart.  3  Pray for us, too, that God will give us many opportunities to speak about His mysterious plan concerning Christ. That is why I am here in chains.  4  Pray that I will proclaim this message as clearly as I should.

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The average Christ follower in America probably doesn't spend enough time in prayer and then when we finally do pray it is usually very weak or selfish. We say that prayer is important but do we really believe it? We prove how important we think it is by how often we actually pray.

The Apostle Paul told the church in Colosse that he was always praying for them. It sounds like he wants us to pray just like we breathe, we don't stop breathing for too long and it should be the same way with our praying, a breath of air here and there isn't going to get us very far in life.

I know that when I finally do slow down and pray it can look like a check list of request that are pretty lame. Do you find yourself praying for a good day or for safety or for help to get a pay raise? We usually pray for self family and a few sick people. While there isn't anything wrong with praying about all of the details of your life at the same time you will not find the types of prayers that we pray anywhere in the Bible.
 
Most of us probably would not pray for our friends the way that Paul told the church that he prayed for them; he prayed for them to have:

✔ Complete knowledge of God's will and that they will have spiritual wisdom and understanding
✔ Strength for endurance and patience
✔ Joy and a thankful spirit because of their inheritance

My prayer list needs to be focused more on others and also on what's really important for them. When Paul prayed for his friends there was a higher purpose and a greater good that he was wanting them to know.

I need to pray more and I need to pray better, Lord help me to be consistent in coming to you in prayer and help me to pray for bigger things.

Where Do Your Blessings Come From

Difficult times can be the source of blessing.

Blessings - Laura Story 

We usually pray for the difficult times to go away, none of us like for anything to be tough, but what if those difficulties are the very thing that God is using to send blessings your way?

Don't feel bad if you have prayed for those difficulties to get lost, your in good company, even Jesus prayed for a better way. He didn't want the pain of the beatings and the cross and he prayed in so much agony over the hard times that he would endure, "let it pass" he said to God the Father.

Thankfully God didn't take Jesus away from the suffering, it is difficult to see a greater good coming out of the pain when we are in the midst of it, but just like it did in Jesus case to a lesser degree there is also good coming from the bad in our lives as well.  

We cry out to God to "let it pass" but so often he doesn't, isn't he interested in my well being? Yes he is, but sometimes the best for us is to go through the suffering and keep our eyes on God and what he wants us to learn in the difficult times.

Praying For Real

Jesus prays on the Mount of Olives.

Luke 22:39-46 Then, accompanied by the disciples, Jesus left the upstairs room and went as usual to the Mount of Olives.

40 There he told them, “Pray that you will not give in to temptation.”

41 He walked away, about a stone’s throw, and knelt down and prayed, 42 “Father, if you are willing, please take this cup of suffering away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine.”

43 Then an angel from heaven appeared and strengthened him. 44 He prayed more fervently, and he was in such agony of spirit that his sweat fell to the ground like great drops of blood. 45 At last he stood up again and returned to the disciples, only to find them asleep, exhausted from grief.

46 “Why are you sleeping?” he asked them. “Get up and pray, so that you will not give in to temptation.”

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Jesus and his disciples had just finished the Passover meal, they left Jerusalem and went to the Mount of Olives, it was a familiar place that they have been to many times. Matthew and Mark tells that they went to the Garden of Gethsemane which was at the foot of the mount. (Matthew 26:36, Mark 14:32)

Jesus knows why he is there, Jesus is there to do some serious praying and he tells the disciples to do the same. Jesus steps away from the disciples and gets alone with God, he needs to talk to the "Father" about what is coming up very soon. Did you notice the closeness of their relationship in the use of the word Father?

Jesus didn't pray a lofty prayer or a prayer that hides what we are going through, his humanity is really showing in the agony of his prayer, he doesn't want to go through suffering but he wanted to be obedient to God's will. Jesus shows us that we are perfectly normal when we approach fear with distress and he had the same desire to avoid suffering that we have.

Jesus was willing to obey his father, to be human and to accept the undeserved suffering and death. Jesus prayed to his father with great honesty, he didn't hold back, all of his humanity shows up in this scene just before his trial and crucifixion.

Hebrews 4:15-16 This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same testings we do, yet he did not sin. 16 So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most.

When trials come and it seems like evil is all around, I need to remember that Jesus understands my weaknesses and he wants me to come to him in honesty so that I may receive comfort and grace.

Looking For Justice In An Unfair World

A lesson about prayer teaches us about God's character.

Luke 18:1-8 One day Jesus told his disciples a story to show that they should always pray and never give up.

2 “There was a judge in a certain city,” he said, “who neither feared God nor cared about people. 3 A widow of that city came to him repeatedly, saying, ‘Give me justice in this dispute with my enemy.’

4 The judge ignored her for a while, but finally he said to himself, ‘I don’t fear God or care about people, 5 but this woman is driving me crazy. I’m going to see that she gets justice, because she is wearing me out with her constant requests!’”

6 Then the Lord said, “Learn a lesson from this unjust judge. 7 Even he rendered a just decision in the end. So don’t you think God will surely give justice to his chosen people who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? 8 I tell you, he will grant justice to them quickly! But when the Son of Man returns, how many will he find on the earth who have faith?”

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Jesus wanted to teach his disciples some more about prayer, he had already granted their request to learn how to pray in Luke 11:1-4 when he gave them what we call "The Lord's Prayer." This time around he wanted to teach them about the longevity of prayer and the nature of the person that we are praying to.

In Jesus lesson about praying, he talks about the persistence that may be required before getting an answer and he talks about seeking justice from God for the wrongs that are committed against us.

Our God loves justice

Job 34:12 Truly, God will not do wrong. The Almighty will not twist justice.
Psalm 99:4 Mighty King, lover of justice, you have established fairness. You have acted with justice and righteousness throughout Israel.

Jesus told his disciples that they should be faithful in prayer, doing it always without giving up, just like a nagging woman that won't stop. The judge in the story made it clear that he didn't play favorites and that he was fair with everybody. That's how it is with God, he is our impartial judge and he will bring justice, it is a part of his nature that cannot be changed.

We may have to pray for a long time about the same injustice but we can have hope in the fact that God is just and he will eventually make everything right in this world. No wrong will go without punishment except for the wrongs that have been forgiven by Jesus blood.

God wants us to be just

Zechariah 7:9 “This is what the LORD of Heaven’s Armies says: Judge fairly, and show mercy and kindness to one another. 10 Do not oppress widows, orphans, foreigners, and the poor. And do not scheme against each other.

The world that we live in is a very unfair place, things happen everyday to people that don't deserve it and other people get away with stuff that they shouldn't have. God wants us to seek justice but it is something that we should seek for others more than for ourselves.

Mercy and kindness should rule in our lives and we should strive to treat other people fairly. Throughout the Bible we find the message from God to deny ourselves, treat each other fairly and help out everybody that you can, we should let our heavenly father be the just judge that he is and let him deal with the wrongs that are made against us. 

God's justice is:

• Impartial - 1 Peter 1:17
• Infallible - Hebrews 4:13
• Inescapable - Romans 2:3
• In Christ - Romans 3:25-26

I need to be nice at all times, at home, at work and in traffic between those two places. Help me to be forgiving.

Help me Lord to reverse the trend of society by helping others and being nice in this world that needs a lot more niceness. Help me to pray without ceasing for all of my needs.

I Am Thankful For Answered Prayer

The power of prayer gives us a lot to be thankful for.

Psalm 107:19-22  “Lord, help!” they cried in their trouble, and he saved them from their distress.

20 He sent out his word and healed them, snatching them from the door of death.

21 Let them praise the Lord for his great love and for the wonderful things he has done for them. 22 Let them offer sacrifices of thanksgiving and sing joyfully about his glorious acts.

Psalm 107:28-32  “Lord, help!” they cried in their trouble, and he saved them from their distress.

29 He calmed the storm to a whisper and stilled the waves. 30 What a blessing was that stillness as he brought them safely into harbor!

31 Let them praise the Lord for his great love and for the wonderful things he has done for them. 32 Let them exalt him publicly before the congregation and before the leaders of the nation.

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The most powerful answer to pray that I have witnessed recently is in the life of Pastor/Missionary Eddy Williams. After suffering a major heart attack and major setbacks he was able to return home after twenty-six days in the hospital just a few days ago. Here is where his story began as told by his daughter via Facebook:

On Monday night my Dad, Eddy Williams had a massive heartattack.  The awesome staff of St Joseph's Hospital did everything they could to repair the damage to his heart. They attempted to place a number of stints which unfortunately was unsuccessful. They attempted an angioplasty which also was unsuccessful. With these continued attempts to repair the blood flow to the right side of his heart more damage was done. Like a domino effect, everything they tried was not only failing but was causing more damage in the process.

At 2am Tuesday morning he was rushed into emergency bypass surgery. Needless to say, our family was devastated. After a total of almost 14 hours of surgery and numerous less than positive updates from the staff we met my Dad's surgeon.  Dr Sherman's message was a ray of sunshine after a night of fear. My Dad, the stongest willed man I know survived the surgery that statistically he had only a 5% chance of surviving... did I mention my Dad's amazing? :) Dr Sherman repaired much of the damage but even with this the right side of his heart is still not working. The doctors remain optimistic the heart will improve over a time of rest and healing.

The power of prayer was flexed all over the world as friends and family and complete strangers from every corner of the globe were crying out to God. Eddy was snatched from death's door (Ps 107:20) because God's people cried out in distress (Ps 107:19). God's people cry out and he answers! Eddy still needs more prayer for a complete healing as his heart still only functions on the left side but God has given us a lot to be thankful for.

Prayer shouldn't be neglected or abused, as a pastor recently said "prayer should be a wartime walkie talkie, not an intercom to the butler to come bring us something or to move the thermostat"

The Psalmist gives us instructions on what our response should be to answered prayer. We should be full of praise, we should offer sacrifices of thanksgiving, we should sing joyfully and we should do all these things out in front of everybody  as a testimony of God's goodness (Ps 107:21-22, 31).

I am thankful for prayer, the ability to talk to God and maintain a relationship with our creator and to know that he wants to hear from us and he wants to help us in our distress is a wonderful blessing.

Thank you Lord for prayer and the power that it brings into our lives.