Readings:
Psalm 39
Ephesians 6:18-24
Focus:
Ephesians 6:18a: "Constantly ask God's help in prayer, and pray always in the power of the Spirit."
It is good to have a time every day to spend in prayer with God. But besides that, we can send little prayers to God throughout the day. This accomplishes many purposes.
When we do this, if we are in a difficult situation, we ask God for help right at the moment we need it. So often, when I have been in a puzzle, I have quickly just prayed, "Help me, God," and then I have found that the right words have come, or I have arrived at the right decision.
Praying constantly also accustoms us to being in God's presence. It gets us used to the idea that God is there, waiting to be in relationship with us.
And, best of all, continual little prayers throughout the day build our relationship with God. A friendship would never grow if we hardly ever communicated with the friend. It is the same with a relationship with God. Prayer is communicating with God. We must do it often in order to have a relationship with him.
That is why it is so good to constantly ask God's help in prayer.
Showing posts with label praying. Show all posts
Showing posts with label praying. Show all posts
Thursday, August 19, 2010
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
The Lord Hears Our Entreaties
Readings:
Psalm 6
II Corinthians 11:1-15
Focus:
Psalm 6:9: "The Lord has heard my entreaty; the Lord will accept my prayer."
When we pray, sometimes it seems as if God is not listening. And sometimes it seems like he does not answer. God can seem quite remote at times.
Yet God promises that when we turn to him, he will be there. God loves us more than we love him, and longs for us more than we long for him. He does listen to us when we pray, and he does answer our prayers.
He may not answer us in the ways we expect, but he will answer us in the ways that are for our good. He will give us what we need, and he will also give us, ultimately, what we truly want. The Lord hears our entreaties.
Psalm 6
II Corinthians 11:1-15
Focus:
Psalm 6:9: "The Lord has heard my entreaty; the Lord will accept my prayer."
When we pray, sometimes it seems as if God is not listening. And sometimes it seems like he does not answer. God can seem quite remote at times.
Yet God promises that when we turn to him, he will be there. God loves us more than we love him, and longs for us more than we long for him. He does listen to us when we pray, and he does answer our prayers.
He may not answer us in the ways we expect, but he will answer us in the ways that are for our good. He will give us what we need, and he will also give us, ultimately, what we truly want. The Lord hears our entreaties.
Saturday, June 26, 2010
As Often As We Cry to God, He Answers
Readings:
Psalm 3
II Corinthians 9
Focus:
Psalm 3:4: "As often as I cry aloud to the Lord, he answers from his holy mountain."
God is a responsive God. He is not remote and uncaring. When we turn to him, he is ready to receive us.
Whenever we cry to God for help, he answers. Sometimes his answers are not what we expect. But he always answers. He always provides the guidance we need, the way out of a seemingly impossible situation. It might not be what we would have chosen, but it will be the right thing.
As often as we cry to the Lord, he answers.
Psalm 3
II Corinthians 9
Focus:
Psalm 3:4: "As often as I cry aloud to the Lord, he answers from his holy mountain."
God is a responsive God. He is not remote and uncaring. When we turn to him, he is ready to receive us.
Whenever we cry to God for help, he answers. Sometimes his answers are not what we expect. But he always answers. He always provides the guidance we need, the way out of a seemingly impossible situation. It might not be what we would have chosen, but it will be the right thing.
As often as we cry to the Lord, he answers.
Sunday, June 6, 2010
Not Just Our Spirits, But Our Minds
Readings:
Job 25
I Corinthians 14
Focus:
I Corinthians 14:15b: "I will pray with my spirit, but also with my mind; I will sing hymns with my spirit, but with my mind as well."
Although it is important for us to be emotionally and spiritually engaged when we pray and sing to God, Paul cautions us that it is not good for us to only be emotional and spiritual in our prayer and worship. We must use our minds.
In fact, Paul says it is more important than anything else for us to use our minds while we pray and worship. Without this, our relationship with God cannot develop and mature. Fervent singing and praying is good, but it is not good if it is the only thing we ever do. We must apply our minds to our relationship with God, and apply them while we are worshipping him, so that we can actively communicate intellectually with God, and not just emotionally.
Like Paul, we must pray and sing not just with our spirits, but with our minds.
Job 25
I Corinthians 14
Focus:
I Corinthians 14:15b: "I will pray with my spirit, but also with my mind; I will sing hymns with my spirit, but with my mind as well."
Although it is important for us to be emotionally and spiritually engaged when we pray and sing to God, Paul cautions us that it is not good for us to only be emotional and spiritual in our prayer and worship. We must use our minds.
In fact, Paul says it is more important than anything else for us to use our minds while we pray and worship. Without this, our relationship with God cannot develop and mature. Fervent singing and praying is good, but it is not good if it is the only thing we ever do. We must apply our minds to our relationship with God, and apply them while we are worshipping him, so that we can actively communicate intellectually with God, and not just emotionally.
Like Paul, we must pray and sing not just with our spirits, but with our minds.
Sunday, February 7, 2010
Yes
Readings:
II Chronicles 1
Acts 15:36-16:5
Focus:
II Chronicles 1:11-12: "God said to Solomon, 'Because this is what you desire, because you have not asked for wealth or possessions or honor, or the lives of those hostile to you, or even long life for yourself, but have asked for wisdom and knowledge to govern my people over whom I have made you king, wisdom and knowledge are granted to you; I shall also give you wealth and possessions and glory, such as no king before you has had, and none after you shall have."
When God asked Solomon what he would like, Solomon's prayer was an unselfish one: he wanted wisdom so that he could properly do the job that God had given him to do. In response, God gave him what he had asked for, plus the things that another person might selfishly have asked for.
When we ask for unselfish things, especially things in line with God's will, it is often likely that God will answer those prayers with a yes. And when we are doing God's will, he further gives us other things, things that we had not asked for, things that make us happy. They may not always be material things such as possessions or money, or even safety and health. But when we are doing God's will, he will always make us happy.
II Chronicles 1
Acts 15:36-16:5
Focus:
II Chronicles 1:11-12: "God said to Solomon, 'Because this is what you desire, because you have not asked for wealth or possessions or honor, or the lives of those hostile to you, or even long life for yourself, but have asked for wisdom and knowledge to govern my people over whom I have made you king, wisdom and knowledge are granted to you; I shall also give you wealth and possessions and glory, such as no king before you has had, and none after you shall have."
When God asked Solomon what he would like, Solomon's prayer was an unselfish one: he wanted wisdom so that he could properly do the job that God had given him to do. In response, God gave him what he had asked for, plus the things that another person might selfishly have asked for.
When we ask for unselfish things, especially things in line with God's will, it is often likely that God will answer those prayers with a yes. And when we are doing God's will, he further gives us other things, things that we had not asked for, things that make us happy. They may not always be material things such as possessions or money, or even safety and health. But when we are doing God's will, he will always make us happy.
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
Deaf to the Truth
Readings:
I Chronicles 12
Acts 7:23-8:1
Focus:
Actss 7:51a:"How stubborn you are, heathen still at heart and deaf to the truth!"
When I read about Stephen saying this to the religious authorities who had arrested him, it's easy for me to think of the people he was addressing. They were continuing in the line of both secular and religious Israelite authorities who had murdered so many of the prophets after ignoring their messages.
It is also easy for me to think of various kinds of contemporary people who seem to be heathen at heart and deaf to the truth. There are those who ignore God altogether and live for their own pleasure or profit. There are those who say they follow God but distort his message in all kinds of different ways, using it to twist his teachings or to do wrong. These are the people, I think, to whom Stephen would be speaking today.
But I always need to remember that I could so easily be heathen at heart and deaf to the truth myself. I must never become complacent and think I know everything about what God has said and what he wants. It's one reason for regularly reading the Bible and thinking about it anew. It's also a reason for habitually praying, and by that I mean not making requests of God, but opening myself to hear what he has to say.
Living in close relationship with God, constantly asking him to show us what he wants us to do, is how we can be sure not to be heathen at heart and deaf to the truth.
I Chronicles 12
Acts 7:23-8:1
Focus:
Actss 7:51a:"How stubborn you are, heathen still at heart and deaf to the truth!"
When I read about Stephen saying this to the religious authorities who had arrested him, it's easy for me to think of the people he was addressing. They were continuing in the line of both secular and religious Israelite authorities who had murdered so many of the prophets after ignoring their messages.
It is also easy for me to think of various kinds of contemporary people who seem to be heathen at heart and deaf to the truth. There are those who ignore God altogether and live for their own pleasure or profit. There are those who say they follow God but distort his message in all kinds of different ways, using it to twist his teachings or to do wrong. These are the people, I think, to whom Stephen would be speaking today.
But I always need to remember that I could so easily be heathen at heart and deaf to the truth myself. I must never become complacent and think I know everything about what God has said and what he wants. It's one reason for regularly reading the Bible and thinking about it anew. It's also a reason for habitually praying, and by that I mean not making requests of God, but opening myself to hear what he has to say.
Living in close relationship with God, constantly asking him to show us what he wants us to do, is how we can be sure not to be heathen at heart and deaf to the truth.
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