Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, [and] into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, [and] bless his name. Psalm 100:4
Well, Thanksgiving's only a couple of days away! I can almost smell the turkey, mashed potatoes and gravy, dressing, and blueberry pie! MMMMM... Good stuff! -- So much for my healthy eating plan this week! :)
Thanksgiving's a busy time of year for many. I know for us, personally, we'll be traveling to my parents' house, my husband's parents' house and his grandparents' house-- all in three days! We're even going to manage some serious black Friday shopping the day after Thanksgiving. It's going to be a whirlwind for sure! There will be so many relatives to see, children running around everywhere, busy cooks in the kitchen, men in front of the television watching football, and lots and lots of dishes to wash!
You know, in the midst of all the chaos, it could be easy to forget what the day truly represents. Oh, we sit back and often say we're thankful for this or that, but do we truly meditate on that in prayer with our Lord? How much time do we truly spend thanking Him for His mercy, His lovingkindness, forgiveness, salvation, provision, protection, etc....?
I read a story with my Sunday School students this past Sunday about the first Thanksgiving. I had forgotten about the treacherous conditions aboard the Mayflower. So many died from disease and malnourishment. When they arrived, God provided their Native American friends to help them learn how to cultivate crops in order to have a bountiful harvest. They had so much gratitude to God for His mercy and His provision and the freedom they would find to worship Him publicly!
I pray that each one of us will find a moment to retreat this Thanksgiving and really praise and thank our Lord. May we train and teach our children to do the same. May we also carry the thanksgiving proclamations into the entire year ahead. For there should be more than just one day of thanks. Every single day should be a day of praise and Thanksgiving to God. So start making your thankful list. Hopefully you'll run out of paper before you run out of things to be thankful for!
I'll leave you with a song that is now running through my head:
I will enter his gates with thanksgiving in my heart.
I will enter his courts with praise.
I will say this is the day that the Lord hath made.
I will rejoice for He hath made me glad.
He hath made me glad!
He hath made me glad!
I will rejoice for He hath made me gl-a-ad!
He hath made me glad! He hath made me glad!
I will rejoice for He hath made me glad!
Father, let us come to You in praise, worship and thanksgiving! Thank You, Father for Your Son, Jesus! Thanks You for our daily bread, our forgivness, for deliverance. Lord, forgive us for often taking these things for granted. Thank You so much for loving us! May we show our love to You by making You a priority in our lives, by surrendering, by magnifying You! Be glorified in our lives! For it's in the sweet name of Jesus we pray, Amen!
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
"Why is God silent?"
"You have turned for me my mourning into dancing. You have put off my sackcloth and clothed me with gladness. To the end that my glory may sing praise to You and not be silent." Psalm 30:11-12a
Why is God silent? Have you ever found yourself asking that question? I know I have. There have been times in my life where I've asked for God's intervention in an area of concern or His help where it seemed like the end result would bring glory to Him. So, why the silence?
I thought about that very thing this morning when reading Psalm 30. In fact, that seems to be a common theme in the Psalms where David longingly waited for the Father to hear him and intervene. David cried out to God over his enemies many, many times. Many of his prayers seemed desperate. Yet in this Psalm, he's rejoicing because the Lord has heard his cries.
There have been times in my life where I've prayed hard over situations and things just seemed stagnant. It didn't make sense until I got on the other side of things. This has happened in both big and small ways. And an example of one of the smaller ways this happened was evident this morning. You see, I've prayed for a long time over my children (and I'll never stop praying for them). I've prayed for them to have a heart for God outside of our instruction. Because unfortunately, I think many of us have the tendency to want to take control of every facet of our children's lives and while they desperately need our guidance and protection, there are times when we must pray over them to make right decisions, using careful discernment that those times won't be times when making a wrong decision could bring harm to them. I long for my children to want to do what's right not because of the fear of getting into trouble but because of conviction in God's word. I want them to have discernment in feeling the conviciton of the Holy Spirit. In other words, I don't want to have to nag them over everything!
Well, this morning, I got a glimpse of the Holy Spirit working in them. It may not sound like a big deal, but believe me, it meant the world to me. To provide a little background, we've had some sickness in our household in the last two weeks. My daughter and I have both had illness off and on. My husband had to travel out of town and I found myself just exhausted in trying to rest but taking care of my daughter in the midst of a terrible stomach virus. Well, thankfully, she's feeling much better today as am I. Yet, I'm still pretty weak. So, after breakfast, I had the kids clearing the dishes from the table and asked them to go brush their teeth while I went to brush mine. When I came back out of the bathroom I found that they had not only brushed their teeth but had worked together to take out the kitchen trash. My heart melted because that's something I ususally have to ask them to do. When I asked why they said, "Well, we just want to help you out, Mom. We know you don't feel well and it's not just your job to take out the trash." What a blessing. My heart was full.
I've spent a lot of time asking God to mold them. I want them to long to please Him as their heart's desire. There have been many times in parenting them where I wondered if things were sinking in. I wondered what I was doing wrong. Don't get me wrong, they've always been good kids, but there's a selfishness in all of us that can be easily seen in parenting. Countless times I've cleaned the house to find toys or food on the floor within minutes and when I asked someone to clean it up it seemed to take forever to get the job done well. I guess the perseverance does pay off, even though I know I can't expect perfection.
In thinking over silence from God, I think we often miss the boat. I could've easily come to the conclusion that God wasn't listening to me because of the mess in my daughter's room or the breakfast dishes left on the table. But then, God showed me how He works. I have to be a keen observer at times to have a full appreciation so that I don't miss His work in my life. That example in itself makes me think of Elijah. Eljah's life was being threatened by Jezebel and he just didn't understand what was going on. He reached out to the Lord in desperate prayer. The Lord's reply was " "Go forth and stand upon the mount before the Lord." And behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind tore into the mountains and broke the rocks in pieces before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake; and after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire; and after the fire a still small voice." 1 Kings 19:11-12 There the Lord was in that still, small voice.
So persevere in prayer. For the Lord can appear in that still, small voice. Ask Him to reveal it to you. It's something you surely won't want to miss. I know I was blessed by it this morning!
Lord, help us not to miss that still, small voice. Father, I pray that we might feel Your presence. Speak to us and prepare our hearts to listen. Prepare in us hearts of contrition and ready and willing for Your commands. Furthermore, thank you so much for Your presence in our lives. Thank You for the Counselor you've left with us in the form of the Holy Spirit that we might know Your voice. Guide us and mold us to grow and mature. Let us put off all that hinders and seek to be made less that You might become more in our lives. We magnify Your sweet name. In the name of my Savior Jesus, Amen.
Why is God silent? Have you ever found yourself asking that question? I know I have. There have been times in my life where I've asked for God's intervention in an area of concern or His help where it seemed like the end result would bring glory to Him. So, why the silence?
I thought about that very thing this morning when reading Psalm 30. In fact, that seems to be a common theme in the Psalms where David longingly waited for the Father to hear him and intervene. David cried out to God over his enemies many, many times. Many of his prayers seemed desperate. Yet in this Psalm, he's rejoicing because the Lord has heard his cries.
There have been times in my life where I've prayed hard over situations and things just seemed stagnant. It didn't make sense until I got on the other side of things. This has happened in both big and small ways. And an example of one of the smaller ways this happened was evident this morning. You see, I've prayed for a long time over my children (and I'll never stop praying for them). I've prayed for them to have a heart for God outside of our instruction. Because unfortunately, I think many of us have the tendency to want to take control of every facet of our children's lives and while they desperately need our guidance and protection, there are times when we must pray over them to make right decisions, using careful discernment that those times won't be times when making a wrong decision could bring harm to them. I long for my children to want to do what's right not because of the fear of getting into trouble but because of conviction in God's word. I want them to have discernment in feeling the conviciton of the Holy Spirit. In other words, I don't want to have to nag them over everything!
Well, this morning, I got a glimpse of the Holy Spirit working in them. It may not sound like a big deal, but believe me, it meant the world to me. To provide a little background, we've had some sickness in our household in the last two weeks. My daughter and I have both had illness off and on. My husband had to travel out of town and I found myself just exhausted in trying to rest but taking care of my daughter in the midst of a terrible stomach virus. Well, thankfully, she's feeling much better today as am I. Yet, I'm still pretty weak. So, after breakfast, I had the kids clearing the dishes from the table and asked them to go brush their teeth while I went to brush mine. When I came back out of the bathroom I found that they had not only brushed their teeth but had worked together to take out the kitchen trash. My heart melted because that's something I ususally have to ask them to do. When I asked why they said, "Well, we just want to help you out, Mom. We know you don't feel well and it's not just your job to take out the trash." What a blessing. My heart was full.
I've spent a lot of time asking God to mold them. I want them to long to please Him as their heart's desire. There have been many times in parenting them where I wondered if things were sinking in. I wondered what I was doing wrong. Don't get me wrong, they've always been good kids, but there's a selfishness in all of us that can be easily seen in parenting. Countless times I've cleaned the house to find toys or food on the floor within minutes and when I asked someone to clean it up it seemed to take forever to get the job done well. I guess the perseverance does pay off, even though I know I can't expect perfection.
In thinking over silence from God, I think we often miss the boat. I could've easily come to the conclusion that God wasn't listening to me because of the mess in my daughter's room or the breakfast dishes left on the table. But then, God showed me how He works. I have to be a keen observer at times to have a full appreciation so that I don't miss His work in my life. That example in itself makes me think of Elijah. Eljah's life was being threatened by Jezebel and he just didn't understand what was going on. He reached out to the Lord in desperate prayer. The Lord's reply was " "Go forth and stand upon the mount before the Lord." And behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind tore into the mountains and broke the rocks in pieces before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake; and after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire; and after the fire a still small voice." 1 Kings 19:11-12 There the Lord was in that still, small voice.
So persevere in prayer. For the Lord can appear in that still, small voice. Ask Him to reveal it to you. It's something you surely won't want to miss. I know I was blessed by it this morning!
Lord, help us not to miss that still, small voice. Father, I pray that we might feel Your presence. Speak to us and prepare our hearts to listen. Prepare in us hearts of contrition and ready and willing for Your commands. Furthermore, thank you so much for Your presence in our lives. Thank You for the Counselor you've left with us in the form of the Holy Spirit that we might know Your voice. Guide us and mold us to grow and mature. Let us put off all that hinders and seek to be made less that You might become more in our lives. We magnify Your sweet name. In the name of my Savior Jesus, Amen.
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
Gleanings from Granny
"Age should speak; advanced years should teach wisdom" Job 32:7
I heard something kinda sad last week. Probably my favorite preacher of our time was talking about the future of his church. He wanted to help the current body in some long-range planning for the future of the church as he knows his time will come to an end not so long from now. That preacher is Chuck Swindoll and I understand his plans because he is 76 years old. I just hate to see the day when he steps down. I love to hear him. He speaks with such wisdom and is unapologetic in what he has to say. He preaches with the boldness and assurance that comes from wisdom in a long life lived with Christ.
You see, I think there's something to be said for wisdom with age. Don't get me wrong, there are some solid, and I mean solid young people in our churches. There are even many whose spiritual growth exceeds that of the older generation. However, I think there's something to be said for the experience that comes with a long life lived here on earth. Think of all the lessons learned, good and bad, that those in their later years have learned and can share with the younger people.
It's a little sad to me that often younger people view the elders as set in their ways. They may be, but in keeping that mindset, I'd say those young people have some preconceived notions of their own. Often, the younger generation doesn't want to take the time to hear what the older generation has to say. It's unfortunate because so much is missed. The stories are often precious.
I'm so glad my children got to meet their granny and really get to know her before she died. She was my husband's grandmother. She died about three years ago at the age of 96. She was known by her whole community as Granny. In fact, when she became ill and was hospitalized, a family friend came to visit and asked to see her. When the receptionist asked for the name of the patient, the visitor's reply was, "You know, I don't even know her name! Everyone I know, me included, just calls her "Granny."
Let me paint a mental portrait of Granny for you. She was a petite little thing, but soft as grannies should be! She had long silver hair that she always wore in a bun and refused to cut despite others telling her to do so. She wore thick-rimmed glasses and was always cold even in the summer. Every time I saw her she had a smile on the face even though she'd lived a life full of pain and loss. She looked just like the face from a bottle of pancake syrup. She was EXACTLY what you'd picture when you think of a granny.
Granny taught me some life lessons just by watching her that will stay with me forever. She taught me about sacrificial love. I remember telling her we wouldn't be able to make it to a certain family event because we had another obligation. She told me, "Well, we'll miss you but you just come when you can. It's okay. Don't you worry about it. We love you." She didn't make me feel bad or feel bad for herself, she just demonstrated love. Another thing I learned was servanthood. Granny deserved to be served but would never let anyone serve her. She served everyone and often waited through an entire meal before serving herself in case she needed to get something for someone. Others' needs were more important than her own. I also learned the importance of listening from her. Despite years of experience, she often sat quietly and let others do the talking as she listened intently. Hers was a life of self-denial and love for others. She was a quiet servant who left behind a host of loving admirers.
I guess my point is that it's easy for young people to discount the wisdom of the elderly. Time can be of the essence and it may seem that taking the time to listen to stories of experience may take too long. However, sometimes those tidbits of wisdom trump anything and everything on that day's to-do list. So, I think it's important to take the time to listen to experience and wisdom and to definitely respect the older generation. So much can and should be learned from our elders.
Father, thank you for providing us with godly mentors. Lord, it takes us a lifetime to learn some important lessons and much experience on how to best handle certain situations. We desperately need mentoring from those whom you've called to yourself, guided through your Holy Spirit, and matured in faith. We thank You for Your word and for giving us insight and wisdom. Lord, Your word says that the elders are to mentor. I pray that You would grow them in wisdom and give them the words to share with the younger generation. I also pray that the younger generation would be receptive to that wisdom. We praise You for Your perfect order in Your will and we ask that You would guide us in Your perfect wisdom in best keeping with that order. Thank you, Father, for loving us. We love You. In the precious name of Your Son, Amen.
I heard something kinda sad last week. Probably my favorite preacher of our time was talking about the future of his church. He wanted to help the current body in some long-range planning for the future of the church as he knows his time will come to an end not so long from now. That preacher is Chuck Swindoll and I understand his plans because he is 76 years old. I just hate to see the day when he steps down. I love to hear him. He speaks with such wisdom and is unapologetic in what he has to say. He preaches with the boldness and assurance that comes from wisdom in a long life lived with Christ.
You see, I think there's something to be said for wisdom with age. Don't get me wrong, there are some solid, and I mean solid young people in our churches. There are even many whose spiritual growth exceeds that of the older generation. However, I think there's something to be said for the experience that comes with a long life lived here on earth. Think of all the lessons learned, good and bad, that those in their later years have learned and can share with the younger people.
It's a little sad to me that often younger people view the elders as set in their ways. They may be, but in keeping that mindset, I'd say those young people have some preconceived notions of their own. Often, the younger generation doesn't want to take the time to hear what the older generation has to say. It's unfortunate because so much is missed. The stories are often precious.
I'm so glad my children got to meet their granny and really get to know her before she died. She was my husband's grandmother. She died about three years ago at the age of 96. She was known by her whole community as Granny. In fact, when she became ill and was hospitalized, a family friend came to visit and asked to see her. When the receptionist asked for the name of the patient, the visitor's reply was, "You know, I don't even know her name! Everyone I know, me included, just calls her "Granny."
Let me paint a mental portrait of Granny for you. She was a petite little thing, but soft as grannies should be! She had long silver hair that she always wore in a bun and refused to cut despite others telling her to do so. She wore thick-rimmed glasses and was always cold even in the summer. Every time I saw her she had a smile on the face even though she'd lived a life full of pain and loss. She looked just like the face from a bottle of pancake syrup. She was EXACTLY what you'd picture when you think of a granny.
Granny taught me some life lessons just by watching her that will stay with me forever. She taught me about sacrificial love. I remember telling her we wouldn't be able to make it to a certain family event because we had another obligation. She told me, "Well, we'll miss you but you just come when you can. It's okay. Don't you worry about it. We love you." She didn't make me feel bad or feel bad for herself, she just demonstrated love. Another thing I learned was servanthood. Granny deserved to be served but would never let anyone serve her. She served everyone and often waited through an entire meal before serving herself in case she needed to get something for someone. Others' needs were more important than her own. I also learned the importance of listening from her. Despite years of experience, she often sat quietly and let others do the talking as she listened intently. Hers was a life of self-denial and love for others. She was a quiet servant who left behind a host of loving admirers.
I guess my point is that it's easy for young people to discount the wisdom of the elderly. Time can be of the essence and it may seem that taking the time to listen to stories of experience may take too long. However, sometimes those tidbits of wisdom trump anything and everything on that day's to-do list. So, I think it's important to take the time to listen to experience and wisdom and to definitely respect the older generation. So much can and should be learned from our elders.
Father, thank you for providing us with godly mentors. Lord, it takes us a lifetime to learn some important lessons and much experience on how to best handle certain situations. We desperately need mentoring from those whom you've called to yourself, guided through your Holy Spirit, and matured in faith. We thank You for Your word and for giving us insight and wisdom. Lord, Your word says that the elders are to mentor. I pray that You would grow them in wisdom and give them the words to share with the younger generation. I also pray that the younger generation would be receptive to that wisdom. We praise You for Your perfect order in Your will and we ask that You would guide us in Your perfect wisdom in best keeping with that order. Thank you, Father, for loving us. We love You. In the precious name of Your Son, Amen.
Thursday, November 4, 2010
I just don't know what to say to God...."
Or how about this one: "My prayer life has become repititious."? If we're honest with ourselves and others, most of us could relate to this. Most of us could say we've fallen into a trap of this at one point or another despite Jesus' warning against vain repition in prayer. Why do we struggle so? Personally, I think it's because we often come to God out of routine or necessity rather than choosing to foster a true love relationship with Him. So the question remains: "How do I pray?"
Fortunately, we can seek and FIND the answer in his Word!! Grab your bible and turn to Luke 11:1-4. It is also found in Matthew 6:9:14. To me, it's found twice so that means it really deserves our attention!
Jesus was speaking to the disciples who were Christ followers. Therefore, these words are what Christ wants believers to pray. How convenient that He laid it all out for us! So let's take a look.
Luke 11:1-4--- "Now it came to pass, as He was praying in a certain place, when He ceased, that one of His disciiples said to Him, "Lord, teach us to pray, as Johne the baptist taught his disciples." 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.
Give us day by day our daily bread.
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."
And if you'll turn with me back to Matthew 6:13b, He concludes, " For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen"
You may have a different translation as this is the NKJV. However the concepts are the same. I had the wonderful opportunity of taking a bible study about this prayer and I thought, what better way to pray than to follow the model of Jesus himself?
So, lets' break it down and find out what God desires from us in prayer.
If we look at the beginning:
"Our Father in Heaven, Hallowed be Your name", this is a recognition of God as our Supreme God. He's our only God He's worthy of our worship and praise, honor. Hallowing His name means recognizing it as holy. We are worshipping Him and praising Him with these verses. So we know our prayers are to include worship of Him and that it is a vital part! You can use this time to call Him by His names as found in scripture. If you don't have a source that tells you the names of God, you can find a list of names on the Internet. During different points of Your life, different names may have different meanings for you. For instance, if you're going through trials, He may be Counselor or Refuge. If you've been healed from physical suffering, He may be healer. Praise Him and call Him by Name.
"Your kingdom come." This is a marvelous promise to us. He has promised His kingdom. He reigns and we can take this time to thank Him for His reign and recognize Him as Sovereign and being in control. He has a plan. His ways are marvelous and we are here to fulfill the role to reflect Him and bring glory to Him. His kingdom and His eternal glory are what it all boils down to!
"Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven" This is surrender on our part. This is desire for God's will, knowing it is higher than our own. It is perfect. It has purpose and we're here to fulfill it. We pray that He will guide us and direct our paths. We pray that we may be used to bring Him glory and that we may fulfill His commission of telling others about Him. We surrender to what His will brings-- including trials. We praise Him in good and bad. He is Lord of heaven and earth, and if we're to have the mind of Christ, we must desire His will no matter the cost.
"Give us day by day our daily bread" This has been subject of debate as to whether this pertains to spiritual food, meaning growing us and filling us with Him, or physical food and necessities. My personal conviction is to make it a prayer which includes both. We are to desire His presence and a relationship with Him. We can take this time to ask Him to draw us closer. He also wants us to present our prayers and petitions to Him, so we can take this time to present prayer requests to Him as well. He wants our all and desires for us to share our burdens with Him.
"And forgive us our sins, For we also forgive everyone who is indebted to us" God wants us to come to Him with contrite, repentant hearts. He longs for us to confess our sins and ask His forgiveness. That process recognizes Him as the forgiver of sins. We must long to walk in obedience and we must be willing to come to Him asking Him to help us. He convicts us and just as we long for our children to ask forgiveness when they mess up, He desires that as well. But the more difficult part for most of us is the second part-- forgiving others. Yet we see the two parts in alignment in this prayer. We're commanded to forgive. We must actively forgive others when they've wronged us and we must be willing to ask their forgiveness when we've wronged them. So this is a good time to meditate, asking God to reveal to you where you've sinned or where you've had an unforgiving spirit. You then ask His forgiveness and forgive others (going to them in person if necessary to restore the relationship".
"And do not lead us into temptation, But deliver us from the evil one." This part may be a little perplexing at first because we may want to ask why God would tempt us. He doesn't. We must look at the passage in its entirety to understand what it means. This is a prayer of deliverance when we are faced with trials or temptation. When Satan tempts us or tests us, we ask the Lord to bring us through so that the end result is that all glory goes to God. It is also a proactive prayer. We know those times will come because His word tells us they will. So we are to pray that we would be in alignment with Him in those times, in a place of submission to His authority, that we would be able to withstand and go through the fire.
"For yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever, Amen"
God is authority! He is power! He is love! He is above all and He is Supreme. So why not use this part to end your time in prayer with worship? How fitting that Jesus would've began the prayer with praise and worship to the Father and ended the prayer the same way? He's the ALpha and the Omega. The beginning and the end. Period.
Take this time to pray to Him. Really pray to Him. Come into His presence. You'll be blessed.
Fortunately, we can seek and FIND the answer in his Word!! Grab your bible and turn to Luke 11:1-4. It is also found in Matthew 6:9:14. To me, it's found twice so that means it really deserves our attention!
Jesus was speaking to the disciples who were Christ followers. Therefore, these words are what Christ wants believers to pray. How convenient that He laid it all out for us! So let's take a look.
Luke 11:1-4--- "Now it came to pass, as He was praying in a certain place, when He ceased, that one of His disciiples said to Him, "Lord, teach us to pray, as Johne the baptist taught his disciples." 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.
Give us day by day our daily bread.
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."
And if you'll turn with me back to Matthew 6:13b, He concludes, " For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen"
You may have a different translation as this is the NKJV. However the concepts are the same. I had the wonderful opportunity of taking a bible study about this prayer and I thought, what better way to pray than to follow the model of Jesus himself?
So, lets' break it down and find out what God desires from us in prayer.
If we look at the beginning:
"Our Father in Heaven, Hallowed be Your name", this is a recognition of God as our Supreme God. He's our only God He's worthy of our worship and praise, honor. Hallowing His name means recognizing it as holy. We are worshipping Him and praising Him with these verses. So we know our prayers are to include worship of Him and that it is a vital part! You can use this time to call Him by His names as found in scripture. If you don't have a source that tells you the names of God, you can find a list of names on the Internet. During different points of Your life, different names may have different meanings for you. For instance, if you're going through trials, He may be Counselor or Refuge. If you've been healed from physical suffering, He may be healer. Praise Him and call Him by Name.
"Your kingdom come." This is a marvelous promise to us. He has promised His kingdom. He reigns and we can take this time to thank Him for His reign and recognize Him as Sovereign and being in control. He has a plan. His ways are marvelous and we are here to fulfill the role to reflect Him and bring glory to Him. His kingdom and His eternal glory are what it all boils down to!
"Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven" This is surrender on our part. This is desire for God's will, knowing it is higher than our own. It is perfect. It has purpose and we're here to fulfill it. We pray that He will guide us and direct our paths. We pray that we may be used to bring Him glory and that we may fulfill His commission of telling others about Him. We surrender to what His will brings-- including trials. We praise Him in good and bad. He is Lord of heaven and earth, and if we're to have the mind of Christ, we must desire His will no matter the cost.
"Give us day by day our daily bread" This has been subject of debate as to whether this pertains to spiritual food, meaning growing us and filling us with Him, or physical food and necessities. My personal conviction is to make it a prayer which includes both. We are to desire His presence and a relationship with Him. We can take this time to ask Him to draw us closer. He also wants us to present our prayers and petitions to Him, so we can take this time to present prayer requests to Him as well. He wants our all and desires for us to share our burdens with Him.
"And forgive us our sins, For we also forgive everyone who is indebted to us" God wants us to come to Him with contrite, repentant hearts. He longs for us to confess our sins and ask His forgiveness. That process recognizes Him as the forgiver of sins. We must long to walk in obedience and we must be willing to come to Him asking Him to help us. He convicts us and just as we long for our children to ask forgiveness when they mess up, He desires that as well. But the more difficult part for most of us is the second part-- forgiving others. Yet we see the two parts in alignment in this prayer. We're commanded to forgive. We must actively forgive others when they've wronged us and we must be willing to ask their forgiveness when we've wronged them. So this is a good time to meditate, asking God to reveal to you where you've sinned or where you've had an unforgiving spirit. You then ask His forgiveness and forgive others (going to them in person if necessary to restore the relationship".
"And do not lead us into temptation, But deliver us from the evil one." This part may be a little perplexing at first because we may want to ask why God would tempt us. He doesn't. We must look at the passage in its entirety to understand what it means. This is a prayer of deliverance when we are faced with trials or temptation. When Satan tempts us or tests us, we ask the Lord to bring us through so that the end result is that all glory goes to God. It is also a proactive prayer. We know those times will come because His word tells us they will. So we are to pray that we would be in alignment with Him in those times, in a place of submission to His authority, that we would be able to withstand and go through the fire.
"For yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever, Amen"
God is authority! He is power! He is love! He is above all and He is Supreme. So why not use this part to end your time in prayer with worship? How fitting that Jesus would've began the prayer with praise and worship to the Father and ended the prayer the same way? He's the ALpha and the Omega. The beginning and the end. Period.
Take this time to pray to Him. Really pray to Him. Come into His presence. You'll be blessed.
Monday, November 1, 2010
It's a Lifestyle
"Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings." 1 Peter 5:9
Monday, Monday. Well, Monday starts a new week in a big way. My husband and I decided yesterday that our clothes are beginning to get a little too tight for comfort so we decided to make a friendly competition of it. We're delving into healthy eating and exercise and the loser (and I don't mean weight) has to clean out the garage. I'm pretty determined that isn't going to be me!
So now I find myself having to get back into the eating habits I maintained before I hurt my ankle. I'm having to choose lean proteins, whole grains, leafy veggies and fruits and lots of water. The late night Cheez-Its weren't cutting it for some reason. Go figure... However, I'm looking forward to how I'll feel when I get back into healthy habits.
As I've said before, I actually used to help friends in this area. I remember a certain friend coming to me in great frustration. She disliked the idea of a diet. I told her, "You have to think of it as a lifestyle, not a diet. Set small goals for yourself. Don't look at the big picture or you're likely to get overwhelmed. Get through each goal and keep going. I promise you, once you begin eating 4-6 small, healthy meals a day, begin hydrating and exercise, your body will crave it. In fact, your body will hate it when you decide to make an occasional binge on greasy food. You won't feel well and you'll actually miss the healthy way of eating." She looked at me a little pessimistically but, with determination, decided it was her best option at that point. She began to watch her diet and exercise and began feeling better-- at least during the time period we worked out together.
Well, now, ironically, I find myself in her shoes. I've been feeling a little sluggish, weighed down and craving the healthy lifestyle. And that's the way I choose to look at it, a lifestyle. Diets don't work. They're temporary. The weight comes back. They don't allow for occasional splurges (because then you're off your diet). They just don't involve the mindset that you're choosing to be healthy for the long haul. They also usually involve the wrong set of motives as well. But healthy lifestyles, well, there's a different story altogether. It a long range plan to fuel our bodies with what they need but maintaining a healthy perspective of what we put in them and how we use them.
Our bodies are the temple of the Holy Spirit as He dwells in us. So we are to take care of them physically and with self-control. However, we must also look beyond that to our faith. It also is something that has to be fostered and developed over the span of our lives. Faith isn't a diet. We don't do it for awhile and then give up. It's a lifestyle. While it's tempting to recoil when the going gets tough (and I confess, I have at times) we must keep the faith. We must pursue it knowing that without it our spiritual lives will be just like our physical bodies when we binge on greasy food. We'll be sluggish and ineffective.
If I'm being perfectly honest (and it was comforting to see Francis Chan say this in his book Forgotten God (as I was thinking it before I even read it!)) sometimes the idea of proceeding in faith with the Holy Spirit is scary. I've often thought to myself, "Well, what if He calls me to do this or that? I just don't know if I can." Finite, thinking. Yet, I know that if He calls me to do something, He will empower me to do the task. It will be by the power of my Father in heaven that the job gets done. I must keep that "lifestyle" mentality to run the race set before me. And you may be thinking, "Oh you of little faith", but be honest with yourself, might you have felt the same way before? Isn't that what faith is? Believing in things we cannot see? Trusting in God for the outcome even when the task is unnerving at onset?
We don't have to worry over the "big picture". God's promised to work that for the good of those who love Him, remember? We must take each task at hand with full reliance and faith in Him. Live the lifestyle abundantly!
Lord, thank You for Your Holy Spirit You sent to dwell in me. I was blind and You restored my sight. I was enslaved and now have liberty. Because of You I'm alive! Please guide me in my journey of faith. Give me full assurance of Your will and guide me accordingly. May it truly be a lifestyle, Father, and may I have complete joy in You. Thank You for Your presence. Thank You for Your power. Thank You for Your love. Thank You for redemption. Thank You for the HONOR to serve YOU! It is truly an honor and a priviledge. For it's in Your Son's holy name I pray, Amen.
Monday, Monday. Well, Monday starts a new week in a big way. My husband and I decided yesterday that our clothes are beginning to get a little too tight for comfort so we decided to make a friendly competition of it. We're delving into healthy eating and exercise and the loser (and I don't mean weight) has to clean out the garage. I'm pretty determined that isn't going to be me!
So now I find myself having to get back into the eating habits I maintained before I hurt my ankle. I'm having to choose lean proteins, whole grains, leafy veggies and fruits and lots of water. The late night Cheez-Its weren't cutting it for some reason. Go figure... However, I'm looking forward to how I'll feel when I get back into healthy habits.
As I've said before, I actually used to help friends in this area. I remember a certain friend coming to me in great frustration. She disliked the idea of a diet. I told her, "You have to think of it as a lifestyle, not a diet. Set small goals for yourself. Don't look at the big picture or you're likely to get overwhelmed. Get through each goal and keep going. I promise you, once you begin eating 4-6 small, healthy meals a day, begin hydrating and exercise, your body will crave it. In fact, your body will hate it when you decide to make an occasional binge on greasy food. You won't feel well and you'll actually miss the healthy way of eating." She looked at me a little pessimistically but, with determination, decided it was her best option at that point. She began to watch her diet and exercise and began feeling better-- at least during the time period we worked out together.
Well, now, ironically, I find myself in her shoes. I've been feeling a little sluggish, weighed down and craving the healthy lifestyle. And that's the way I choose to look at it, a lifestyle. Diets don't work. They're temporary. The weight comes back. They don't allow for occasional splurges (because then you're off your diet). They just don't involve the mindset that you're choosing to be healthy for the long haul. They also usually involve the wrong set of motives as well. But healthy lifestyles, well, there's a different story altogether. It a long range plan to fuel our bodies with what they need but maintaining a healthy perspective of what we put in them and how we use them.
Our bodies are the temple of the Holy Spirit as He dwells in us. So we are to take care of them physically and with self-control. However, we must also look beyond that to our faith. It also is something that has to be fostered and developed over the span of our lives. Faith isn't a diet. We don't do it for awhile and then give up. It's a lifestyle. While it's tempting to recoil when the going gets tough (and I confess, I have at times) we must keep the faith. We must pursue it knowing that without it our spiritual lives will be just like our physical bodies when we binge on greasy food. We'll be sluggish and ineffective.
If I'm being perfectly honest (and it was comforting to see Francis Chan say this in his book Forgotten God (as I was thinking it before I even read it!)) sometimes the idea of proceeding in faith with the Holy Spirit is scary. I've often thought to myself, "Well, what if He calls me to do this or that? I just don't know if I can." Finite, thinking. Yet, I know that if He calls me to do something, He will empower me to do the task. It will be by the power of my Father in heaven that the job gets done. I must keep that "lifestyle" mentality to run the race set before me. And you may be thinking, "Oh you of little faith", but be honest with yourself, might you have felt the same way before? Isn't that what faith is? Believing in things we cannot see? Trusting in God for the outcome even when the task is unnerving at onset?
We don't have to worry over the "big picture". God's promised to work that for the good of those who love Him, remember? We must take each task at hand with full reliance and faith in Him. Live the lifestyle abundantly!
Lord, thank You for Your Holy Spirit You sent to dwell in me. I was blind and You restored my sight. I was enslaved and now have liberty. Because of You I'm alive! Please guide me in my journey of faith. Give me full assurance of Your will and guide me accordingly. May it truly be a lifestyle, Father, and may I have complete joy in You. Thank You for Your presence. Thank You for Your power. Thank You for Your love. Thank You for redemption. Thank You for the HONOR to serve YOU! It is truly an honor and a priviledge. For it's in Your Son's holy name I pray, Amen.
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