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Do you ever get tired of waiting on God?
Sometimes I get tired of waiting on God. I know that may sound like heresy but it is true. It’s OK though. My Father understands. He sent his Spirit to help me. He is right along side of me giving me His great energy. He is most powerful.
Sometimes I don’t know what to pray for. I don’t even know how to pray. It really doesn’t matter. Again, His Spirit does the praying for me. How cool is that? My Father knows me much better than I know myself. His Spirit keeps me right in front of God.
There are a lot of details to my life. It is no big deal for my Father. God loves me and makes sure that every detail of my life is worked into something good. No, something excellent. That’s just His way. Always in a great mood. Always giving me good news. Always giving me more than I can think of to ask Him for. After all, He is my heavenly Father.
St. Theresa’s Prayer
May today there be peace within.
May you trust God that you are exactly where you are meant to be.
May you not forget the infinite possibilities that are born of faith.
May you use those gifts that you have received, and pass on the love that has been given to you.
May you be content knowing you are a child of God.
Let this presence settle into your bones, and allow your soul the freedom to sing, dance, praise and love. It is there for each and every one of you.
Are we treating God like dirt?
Nehemiah was an amazing man of God. He had a big yes going on in his life. He knew how awesome God is. He understood loyalty. He was humble at the core, seeking to get God’s work done. Like Nehemiah, we have come back to God. He has put us back in right standing with Himself. Now we get it.
May we be a mighty prayer warrior like Nehemiah. May we do God’s work and restore His people.
“I said, ‘God, God-of-Heaven, the great and awesome God, loyal to his covenant and faithful to those who love him and obey his commands: Look at me, listen to me. Pay attention to this prayer of your servant that I’m praying day and night in intercession for your servants, the People of Israel, confessing the sins of the People of Israel. And I’m including myself, I and my ancestors, among those who have sinned against you. ‘We’ve treated you like dirt: We haven’t done what you told us, haven’t followed your commands, and haven’t respected the decisions you gave to Moses your servant. All the same, remember the warning you posted to your servant Moses: ‘If you betray me, I’ll scatter you to the four winds, but if you come back to me and do what I tell you, I’ll gather up all these scattered peoples from wherever they ended up and put them back in the place I chose to mark with my Name.'” Nehemiah 1:5-9 MSG
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- Nehemiah’s Story (thisdaywithgod.wordpress.com)
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- Gen. 23; Matt. 22; Neh. 12; Acts 22 (66books.wordpress.com)
What is the importance of prayer?
R.A. Torrey lamented the average believer’s indifference to prayer by writing:
How little time the average Christian spends in prayer! We are too busy to pray, and so we are too busy to have power. We have a great deal of activity, but we accomplish little…the power of God is lacking in our lives and in our work. We have not because we ask not.
Samuel Chadwick writes:
The one concern of the devil is to keep Christians from praying. He fears nothing from prayerless studies, prayerless work and prayerless religion. He laughs at our toil, mocks at our wisdom, but he trembles when we pray.”
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- ~~~ Prayer Book II ~~~ (jericho777.wordpress.com)
“What the Father does, the Son does.” ~~Jesus
Jesus is perfectly aligned with His Father, God. That is the source of His power. That is His challenge to us. Become aligned with God our Father. Pray, “On earth as it is in Heaven.”
How is it in Heaven? What is God doing? Answer that and do that is what Jesus demands.
Pray, “Your will be done.” What does God want to happen right now? Answer that and pray for that. Do that.
Jesus challenges us “to do” what God is doing. That is His way.
“What the Father does, the Son does.” ~~Jesus (John 5:19-20 The Message)
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How can you build yourself up?
The mission is to keep myself in a faith that is set apart for Him. That is the real deal. That is what the end game is for me. It is a building process. I am not there for sure. But I am making progress. He has a goal where I need to be. He has a strategy for how I will get there. He “whacks” away at it every second of every day. So, bring it on my Master.
There is a coming together of the physical, the soul (heart) and spiritual. So I start with a physical act. Let’s say I raise my hands being open and outstretched to Him. I begin to experience His love being poured out on me. Then the presence of His Spirit invades the scene. Watch out then!! This all leads to love. It leads to experiencing His gift of mercy. Not justice. Just mercy.
What is the real outcome? What is this all about? A life that is unending. A life that is real.
But you, dear friends, build yourselves up in your most holy faith and pray in the Holy Spirit. Keep yourselves in God’s love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life. Jude 1:20-21
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- Pentecost 20 – “Eternal Life” (Mark 10:17-22) (revtucher.com)
What if I don’t feel like it?
We live in a world where if we don’t feel like doing something we don’t. That is all there is to it. 
That isn’t God’s world. Corrie Ten Boom knew the power of prayer and power of commitment. God doesn’t have problems, only plans!!
“Don’t pray when you feel like it. Have an appointment with the Lord and keep it. A man is powerful on his knees.” ~~Corrie Ten Boom
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“Ephphatha!—Open up!” ~~Jesus
Jesus was on a roll. A mighty move of God with healing everywhere. So, He left the region of Tyre, went through Sidon back to Galilee Lake and over to the district of the Ten Towns. Some people brought a man who could neither hear nor speak and asked Jesus to lay a healing hand on him. Such faith in Jesus. They knew he could heal anyone and that nothing is impossible with him. He is plugged into what God wants to do. God is in a good mood and wants to heal us.
So what does Jesus do? He took the man off by himself, put his fingers in the man’s ears and some spit on the man’s tongue. Really? That is how he did it? Yes it is. I can see why he took him off by himself. 🙂
Then Jesus looked up in prayer, groaned mightily, and commanded:
“Ephphatha!—Open up!” ~~Jesus (Mark 7:35 The Message)
And it happened. The man’s hearing was clear and his speech plain—just like that.
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Am I too bold in what I ask of God?
Am I too bold in what I ask of God? Or am I not bold enough? He has a heart to give to me. He loves to do it. That is just the way He is.
I love to give gifts to my children. My heavenly Father is the same way only much better at it than I am. He loves to give us what we ask for. God is in a good mood.
I need to ask. That is my part. And I can be bold in it. I can ask for things I am reluctant or embarrassed to ask for. He actually wants me to ask.
The story Jesus told about the friend and asking boldly is amazing. The word used is variously translated as “boldness” or “persistence”. The actual Greek word is Anaideiaand is only used once in the New Testament. It is actually perhaps better translated as shamelessness or impudence. It could be “Have you no shame asking for that?” “That is too much. How can you ask for that?” But when it comes to asking our heavenly Father it is not too much. Nothing is impossible with Him.
May I be bold in what I ask for.
Then he said to them, “Suppose one of you has a friend, and he goes to him at midnight and says, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves of bread, because a friend of mine on a journey has come to me, and I have nothing to set before him.’ “Then the one inside answers, ‘Don’t bother me. The door is already locked, and my children are with me in bed. I can’t get up and give you anything.’ I tell you, though he will not get up and give him the bread because he is his friend, yet because of the man’s boldness he will get up and give him as much as he needs.
“So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.
“Which of you fathers, if your son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead? Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? f you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!” Luke 11:5-13
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What should I ask God?
Jesus wants me to ask the Father. I should not be shy. In fact, boldness helps. If what I ask for is consistent with God’s principles for His World (Kingdom), asked in His name and His will, He will give it to me. He delights in giving me what He has in heaven. It tickles Him pink!!!
Wow, what joy that is when it happens.
This is what I want you to do: Ask the Father for whatever is in keeping with the things I’ve revealed to you. Ask in my name, according to my will, and he’ll most certainly give it to you. Your joy will be a river overflowing its banks! John 16:24
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Is He always faithful?
I live in a hostile world. I call to God. To my heavenly Father I cry out. He hears me. He answers my prayers. My cry brought me right into His very presence. I can have a private audience any time I want it. He is ALWAYS faithful.
He is my rescuing knight. A mighty warrior strong and brave. I can run to Him for my dear life.
“To be a Christian without prayer is no more possible than to be alive without breathing.” ~~Martin Luther King, Jr.
“The goal of my spiritual life is such close identification with Jesus Christ that I will always hear God and know that God always hears me.” ~Oswald Chambers
“Get into the habit of saying, “Speak, Lord,” and life will become a romance.” ~~Oswald Chambers
“Keep praying, but be thankful that God’s answers are wiser than your prayers!” ~~William Culbertson
“The power of prayer is in the one who hears it and not in the one who says it, our prayers do make a difference.” ~~Max Lucado
“Our prayers may be awkward. Our attempts may be feeble. But since the power of prayer is in the one who hears it and not in the one who says it, our prayers do make a difference.” ~~Max Lucado
“You must learn to wrestle against the things that hinder your communication with God.” ~~Oswald Chambers
“You must learn to wrestle against the things that hinder your communication with God, and wrestle in prayer for other people; but to wrestle with God in prayer is unscriptural.” ~~Oswald Chambers
“No one can pray and worry at the same time.” ~~Max Lucado
“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” ~~Apostle Paul
I should be thankful and talk with God about everything. He is in charge. He loves me and has wonderful plans for me. Wow, that takes the pressure off and allows me to not be anxious. He ROCKS!!!
This is His path to peace for me. I don’t understand it for sure but it is true. He is guarding me. Leting Him be in charge guards my mind from my own plans which clearly leads to worry and fear.
Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! …. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:4-9
“After Job had interceded for his friends, God restored his fortune—and then doubled it!” Job 42:10
Am I praying for my friends and family? How much time do I spend interceeding for them? None? Some? Enough?
Job was in a world of hurt. He had lost everything. It is a painful story to read. Yet, at the end, he prayed for his friends. Job had realized he was nothing and God is God. Nothing is impossible for Him. As Job said, “I’m convinced: You can do anything and everything. Nothing and no one can upset your plans.”
And so Job quit living on rumors of God and encountered Him directly. “I admit I once lived by rumors of you; now I have it all firsthand—from my own eyes and ears! I’m sorry—forgive me. I’ll never do that again, I promise! I’ll never again live on crusts of hearsay, crumbs of rumor.” What a change this made in Job’s life.
After that, he could pray for his friends. And my oh my, how God blessed him.
After Job had interceded for his friends, God restored his fortune—and then doubled it! Job 42:10
“Do not be anxious about anything.” ~~Apostle Paul
My part is to rejoice. God is so very good and He is always in this amazing mood. Jesus has a mission to bring Good News to me. Am I hearing bad news? It is a lie then. That is from my enemy Satan. So, I will rejoice at the good God is doing now.
I need to talk with my Father, ask Him for what I need, and be thankful in my conversations with Him. He knows what I need and will do more than I can imagine.
I don’t understand it, but as a result, His peace is mine. I can rest and relax. His peace is at attention in my heart. He is protecting me and the enemy can’t reach my heart.
Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:4-9
Does God feel this way?
I am hoping that God doesn’t feel this way when I pray. I have heard lots of prayers (including my own) that feel this way. It has me thinking for sure. I am wondering for sure.
May my prayers be a conversation (not a monologue) with my Father!!!
“Most conversations are simply monologues delivered in the presence of witnesses.” —–Margaret Millar
Something else to be anxious for
So here is something else to be anxious for. I should keep my arms open. They are outstretched . I am eager for His mercy. I am ready beyond anything I have felt before for our Master’s mercy. I am staying at the center of of God’s love. I am building myself up in in holy faith. I am praying in the Spirit. This life in Him never ends. It goes on and on and on. It is the real life.
But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting anxiously for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to eternal life. Jude 1:20-21
We need a new reality
Much of life is an illusion. We think we believe something but it is not true. We need a new reality. And the good news is that we have one in Jesus. That new reality is we have a life in Jesus that will never end.
That leads to be bold beyond what we would expect in our old life. If we know what He wants, we can ask for it knowing for sure He will do it. We know He is listening. We know He cares. We know He has the power to do it. And so … it is ours.
My purpose in writing is simply this: that you who believe in God’s Son will know beyond the shadow of a doubt that you have eternal life, the reality and not the illusion. And how bold and free we then become in his presence, freely asking according to his will, sure that he’s listening. And if we’re confident that he’s listening, we know that what we’ve asked for is as good as ours. 1 John 5:13-15
To busy to have power
“We are too busy to pray, and so we are too busy to have power. We have a great deal of activity, but we accomplish little; many services but few conversions; much machinery but few results.”
—–Reuben Archer Torrey
Be direct with God
My on my how we love to bargain. Even with God. If you … then I will …
Jesus says to stop that kind of behavior. We should be direct. He knows what we need. We should just ask for it.
That is what pleases Him. Directness and not a game.
“Don’t bargain with God. Be direct. Ask for what you need.” ~~Jesus (Matthew 7:7)
A mind unafraid to travel
A Prayer. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Anonymous
Dear Lord, please give me…
A few friends who understand me and remain my friends;
A work to do which has real value,
without which the world would be the poorer;
A mind unafraid to travel, even though the trail be not blazed;
An understanding heart;
A sense of humor;
Time for quiet, silent meditation;
A feeling of the presence of God;
The patience to wait for the coming of these things,
With the wisdom to recognize them when they come.
Amen.
Thanks for others
Our attitude about others should be one of thanks. He has blessed us with such rich relationships with our brothers and sisters. This should be something we do all the time. When we think of someone, we should thank God for them. This brings us closer to God in understanding how to pray for others.
I thank God through Jesus for every one of you. That’s first. People everywhere keep telling me about your lives of faith, and every time I hear them, I thank him. And God, whom I so love to worship and serve by spreading the good news of his Son—the Message!—knows that every time I think of you in my prayers, which is practically all the time, I ask him to clear the way for me to come and see you. The longer this waiting goes on, the deeper the ache. I so want to be there to deliver God’s gift in person and watch you grow stronger right before my eyes! But don’t think I’m not expecting to get something out of this, too! You have as much to give me as I do to you. Romans 8:8-12
Contemplation on a prayer: A Poem
Should I pray for an easier life OR
to continue becoming a stronger man?
I will pray for powers equal to my tasks.
I am amazed that power does come to me that exceed the challenges of my life.
I could have sought tasks equal to my powers but . . .
that is not the path of strength.
that is not the path of courage.
that is not the path of hope.
Much better to pray for powers equal to my tasks.
I am amazed at the beauty of my world . . .
at the richness of my life
at the love I know daily.
I am overwhelmed with the friends who care for me . . .
who appreciate me
who challenge me
who accept me.
I am thankful for my family . . .
who knows me and loves me.
cares for and appreciates me.
Everyday I do wonder at myself and
the richness of my life that has come to me
by the grace of God!
Staying centered
There are some things to be careful about. We must take responsibility for building ourselves up. In fact, we can listen to ourself, others, and the enemy in ways that take us out of God’s love. Praying in the Holy Spirit connects us with God’s love. If I am not feeling His love, I am not hearing Him.
But you, dear friends, carefully build yourselves up in this most holy supernatural courage by praying in the Holy Spirit, staying right at the center of God’s love, keeping your arms open and outstretched, ready for the mercy of our Master, Jesus Christ. This is the unending life, the real life! Jude 1:20-21
May I stay right at the center of His love!!
Matters of the heart
There are matters of the heart and there are matters of faith. There are many things in my heart that I want to do. They are based on what I want many times. There is a better way.
When we start with faith, the Lord brings to the matters of the heart to His good conclusion. He cares that good comes from our plans. Supernatural courage comes from Him to step out with pure motives.
May I commit to the Lord everything I do. May He establish my plans.
To human beings belong the plans of the heart, but from the LORD comes the proper answer of the tongue. People may think all their ways are pure, but motives are weighed by the LORD. Commit to the LORD whatever you do, and he will establish your plans. Proverbs 16:1-3 TNIV
Prayer
“All who call on God in true faith, earnestly from the heart, will certainly be heard, and will receive what they have asked and desired.”
– Martin Luther.
Prayer
“All who call on God in true faith, earnestly from the heart, will certainly be heard, and will receive what they have asked and desired.”
– Martin Luther.
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