Pray without Ceasing

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Prayer is one of those things I struggle with.  I didn't grow up in a home that loved God, I didn't come to have a relationship with Him until I was an adult.  I don't have a problem talking with Him about things: "watch over us and keep us safe while we travel to_________," "guide me today to make the decisions that will honor You," "help me to control my words today so that they are a blessing to others and not a tool for the devil," etc.  I have the day to day conversations and I love that I can approach Him intimately like this. (Ephesians 3:12, Hebrews 4:16)

Recently my small group Bible study began a prolonged group prayer.  God laid it on our hearts to join together and set aside a day every week to intentionally pray for our family and friends who don't have a relationship with Jesus.  That isn't to say that we haven't been praying for our own family members often, but we are trusting God when he says that when two or more of us agree on something it will be done by our Father. (Matthew 18:19)  While we realize that God will not take away the free will of those we are praying for and force them to surrender to Him, we also realize that our prayers can open doors, protect them from the devil's deceit, and soften their hearts to accept God's gift of salvation...but this can sometimes be a long process.  This is where I struggle.

Intellectually I realize that God hears and answers prayer. (Psalm 65:2, Proverbs 15:29, Psalm 66:19-20, Mark 11:24, Matthew 21:22) But emotionally there are times that I question and doubt.  I love my family members, and I want them to feel the overwhelming love that God has for them; I want them to understand the acceptance and comfort and joy that comes from a relationship with Him - and I want it NOW.  We have been praying for months.  I wish I had a dramatic story for you about how one of the people we prayed for had a revelation and heart change, I don't.  That disheartens me sometimes.  But God is good and I know that He hears and is doing His part.

We have seen some of our loved ones step closer to God.  We have seen Him reveal Himself in miraculous ways, especially AFTER being challenged ("The only way this will work is if God does it!").  We have seen His hand of protection.  I know that He is orchestrating things in such a way that the hearts of those we love are being touched by His loving kindness.  So, while I may struggle with His timing, I continue to pray without ceasing.  After all, Augustine's mother prayed for him to know God for 32 years before he finally accepted Jesus' gift.  And Augustine went on to spend the next 44 years of his life in service, becoming one of the most influential writers concerning God since the apostles.  Who knows what God has in store for those we are praying for now!

*originally published on Coffee with Christ

Consider Your Ways

Ever had one of those days where every thing just seems to go wrong?  Your alarm doesn't go off, the coffee filter falls over and you end up with a carafe full of grounds (gasp!), can't find the car keys and when you finally do you realize that you are out of gas.  And that is just the beginning of the day!  I admit, I have had a few days like this this past week, and on those days it isn't easy staying true to Ephesians 4:29.  In my personal study time this week, God showed me something that made me step back and reevaluate.

I was reading Haggai, and I also must admit that I had to look up who this prophet was.  Apparently he was prophesying during a time in Jewish history that should have been wonderful for them.  They had been given a decree from the king, Cyrus, allowing them to return to Jerusalem and rebuild the temple.  All of the things that had been stolen from the temple had be promised to them upon its completion and the king agreed to finance the rebuilding.  What a sweet deal, right?

Only it came with some issues.  The retuning Jews were excited to be home again.  They set about building their homes, clearing their fields, building storehouses, etc.  They were going about their lives and taking care of their earthly business.  Haggai comes along and points out some truths that people had been overlooking.  God had opened the door for their return so they could rebuild the temple.  The temple is special, this is where God dwelt, where He could be close with His people.  Only His people were more concerned with doing their own thing than what they should have been doing.  Haggai tells them, "You have sown much, and harvested little. You eat, but you never have enough; you drink, but you never have your fill. You clothe yourselves, but no one is warm. And he who earns wages does so to put them into a bag with holes." (Haggai 1:6) And it hit me....

We aren't much different.  Oh, it is easy to read these stories in the Bible and shake our head in disbelief about how they are again not doing what they are supposed to.  To wonder how they seem to miss what seems so obvious to us as the reader.  But if you had to step back and read your own life story, don't you think you might have the same thoughts?  Now I'm not going to say that every time you don't get that raise at work, or your coffee gets some grounds in it that it is because you aren't following through on God's will, but I will say, perhaps you should stop and take a moment to consider the possibility.

You, yes YOU, have a purpose in God's plan.  Just as the Jews were called back to Jerusalem to build a place for God to dwell, you have a mission to create an inviting place for God to dwell - your heart.  As you work on cleaning out the debris, laying a good foundation, and building according to God's plans He will reveal more and more to you about what He is calling you to do.  And when you veer away, when you become more consumed with building earthly things rather than spiritual, you are in effect walking away from His blessings.  When you walk away, things start to fall apart...

So when things start to fall apart, consider your ways.... are you spending time in His word?  Are you spending time talking with Him?  Are you listening for Him?  Are you about His business?  If you can answer yes to these, then keep on the path you are on.  Push through the obstacles and know that they can only make you stronger.  But if you answered no, perhaps He is trying to reach you and help you to see the truth.

"Be strong ... declares the Lord. Work, for I am with you, declares the Lord of hosts."  ~Haggai 2:3

*originally published on Coffee with Christ

The Innermost places

We eat a lot of apples in my house.  They are a quick treat, portable, and yummy.  My youngest daughter particularly enjoys Golden Delicious apples thanks to her discovery that they were originally discovered in our home state.  As for me, as long as they are crispy, crunchy and juicy - I'm good.  

Because we eat so many of them I am very particular about picking them out at the store.  I look for apples that are well shaped.  I check for signs of bruising, I squeeze to ensure they are firm and not mushy.  And then I bring home what appears to be the perfect selection of apples.  But sometimes, I cut into one and discover this:

image from www.reddit.com

What I had thought was going to be a sweet treat was actually rotting from the inside out.  I'll be honest, I don't really know what causes this in fruit.  But I do know that fruit isn't the only thing that can appear beautiful on the outside and yet be full of decay on the inside.  Mark 7:21-23 tells us that the things that are evil - pride, foolishness, covetousness, deceit etc - come from within us.  More often than not we don't wear a big sign that announces these things about ourselves.  Instead we bury those things deep within us and try to look beautiful and pure on the outside.  Sometimes we hide the decay in ourselves so well that even we don't even realize it is there.

But God isn't looking at the outside, rather He is searching our heart. (1 Samuel 16:7)  And sometimes He has to cut open the apple to reveal the decay inside.  It isn't a pleasant process.  We often call them trials or hard times.  Now don't think I am saying ALL trials are a result of decay in our lives, but I am saying that we need to examine ourselves to see if that might be the cause.  Just because you cut an apple doesn't mean it is rotting inside. :)  

So the next time things get rough, and if you are following Jesus they WILL get rough, (read our post earlier this week for that lesson!) take a few moments in prayer and ask God if perhaps this is an attempt to reveal an aspect of yourself that isn't pleasing to God, a part of yourself that you may not have even realized was there.  Trials have a habit of bringing out the worst in us, actions that we may never have taken or thought otherwise.  Then, if God has revealed this is the case, start working to excise those decayed parts.  But you can't stop with that.  An empty spot begs to be filled.

Fill those parts of yourself with God.  I'll leave you with the same advice Paul gave the Philippians, "brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable--if anything is excellent or praiseworthy--think about such things." (Philippians 4:8)  For when we fill ourselves with these things, we crowd out the decay.

*originally published on Coffee with Christ

A Sign

I admit it, when it comes to messages from God, I'm a billboard kind of gal.  I want God to throw up a BIG ol' sign with step by step directions and a map that shows the final destination as well as all the roads to avoid.  I want rays of light to shine on that billboard as the rest of the world fades to black so that I can't miss it... even if I tried.  Problem is, God seldom works that way.

That isn't to say that He isn't delivering messages to me (or you for that matter), He just doesn't tend to be that showy.  He's been there done that and wrote a book about it.  Sure, He parted the Red Sea, spoke through a burning bush, and even walked around in a superheated furnace and kept 3 guys from being incinerated at the same time and many other BIG displays of His power and might.  And He could definitely do it today if it suited His needs.  But God's plan doesn't include show, it is all about the heart.

God is looking for followers that take the time to get to know Him.  It's kind of like dating (hang with me for a minute).  In a new relationship you get to the person.  You go out of your way to discover what they like and don't like, what makes them happy, and what doesn't.  You pay attention to the little details and make adjustments in your own life to accommodate them.  The relationship deepens and becomes more intimate as you spend more time with them.  You seek them out, think about them when you are apart, you miss them and can't wait to be reunited.  You begin to understand who they really are.  You don't have to ask what they want to do with you for the most part-you already know.  THAT is what God is after with you!

He has already given you all the clues.  What other relationship can you begin where you are given a book that gives you the inside scoop?  But how many of us pick up our Bible on a daily basis and take the time to really learn His character?  That is the first way God sends us messages.  It's a big ol' love note that we let sit on the coffee table and gather dust.  Is it any wonder we don't often get the billboard?

I want to challenge you to get a notebook and a pen before you sit down with your Bible.  Pray and ask God to reveal a part of Himself to you in your reading.  If you ask, He'll show you - I promise! (Deuteronomy 4:29)  And when He does, write it down.  It's your special journal between the two of you. The more you look to discover who He is and what pleases Him, the less time you will spend looking for billboards.  Why? Because you will recognize that He is all around you leaving love notes.  He is in the beautiful sunrise, the lone wildflower poking up from the sidewalk on your path, the perfectly timed word of comfort from a friend that didn't even know you needed it.  He has always been there, leaving these signs for you, you just didn't notice.

*originally published at Coffee with Christ

A Sign...

I admit it, when it comes to messages from God, I'm a billboard kind of gal.  I want God to throw up a BIG ol' sign with step by step directions and a map that shows the final destination as well as all the roads to avoid.  I want rays of light to shine on that billboard as the rest of the world fades to black so that I can't miss it... even if I tried.  Problem is, God seldom works that way.

That isn't to say that He isn't delivering messages to me (or you for that matter), He just doesn't tend to be that showy.  He's been there done that and wrote a book about it.  Sure, He parted the Red Sea, spoke through a burning bush, and even walked around in a superheated furnace and kept 3 guys from being incinerated at the same time and many other BIG displays of His power and might.  And He could definitely do it today if it suited His needs.  But God's plan doesn't include show, it is all about the heart.

God is looking for followers that take the time to get to know Him.  It's kind of like dating (hang with me for a minute).  In a new relationship you get to the person.  You go out of your way to discover what they like and don't like, what makes them happy, and what doesn't.  You pay attention to the little details and make adjustments in your own life to accommodate them.  The relationship deepens and becomes more intimate as you spend more time with them.  You seek them out, think about them when you are apart, you miss them and can't wait to be reunited.  You begin to understand who they really are.  You don't have to ask what they want to do with you for the most part-you already know.  THAT is what God is after with you!

He has already given you all the clues.  What other relationship can you begin where you are given a book that gives you the inside scoop?  But how many of us pick up our Bible on a daily basis and take the time to really learn His character?  That is the first way God sends us messages.  It's a big ol' love note that we let sit on the coffee table and gather dust.  Is it any wonder we don't often get the billboard?

I want to challenge you to get a notebook and a pen before you sit down with your Bible.  Pray and ask God to reveal a part of Himself to you in your reading.  If you ask, He'll show you - I promise! (Deuteronomy 4:29)  And when He does, write it down.  It's your special journal between the two of you. The more you look to discover who He is and what pleases Him, the less time you will spend looking for billboards.  Why? Because you will recognize that He is all around you leaving love notes.  He is in the beautiful sunrise, the lone wildflower poking up from the sidewalk on your path, the perfectly timed word of comfort from a friend that didn't even know you needed it.  He has always been there, leaving these signs for you, you just didn't notice.