Pray As God Leads

Henry and Norman Blackaby wrote about experiencing the presence and example of Jesus in prayer.  They bring to your attention that, “Prayer is not for the purpose of getting God to help us…but for getting us in line with what God is about to do.  Prayer is God’s invitation to enter His throne room so He can lay His agenda over our hearts.”  Wow, powerful.

How does God place his agenda in your heart?  He does so through prayer, as Jesus taught.  When the disciples asked Jesus how to pray, pause to consider how Jesus’ answer to them had some very pointed statements.  Jesus answered, “This, then, is how you should pray: ‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done” (Matt 6:9-10). It begins with praising God and yearning for His Kingdom.  As He continues, the request for a disciple’s needs are for daily bread (which represents Christ, the Bread of life, as well as food) and deliverance from sin and the evil one—connecting in the center is “your will be done.”  

 

Jesus set the example at the end of His earthly ministry, facing the cross He prayed, “My Father, if it is not possible for this cup to be taken away unless I drink it, may your will be done” (Matt. 26:42). 

In Christ: Father, “Your will be done,”

Owen <><       

Released from Finger Pointing

It’s easy to point a finger at people with a lifestyle or actions that aren’t ethical or morally faithful to the life God desires for us.  Thankfully, God removed the burden of being a finger pointer when He sent his Spirit to “convict the world of guilt in regard to sin and righteousness and judgment,” John 16:8. 

When God’s Spirit took over as the Counselor who works to convict on the hard stuff; we were given the mission is to tell others about God’s grace and Christ’s work to clean us of sin—we can keep our hands in our pocket.  It takes courage, but it’s the kindest act we can do.  

 

Hands in pocket, telling the good news,

Owen <><

Where Your Name is Written Mattters

 
 

 

Though it seems odd to many, one of the kindest things I can do is to point out what happens to those who decide against accepting Christ Jesus as Savior.

You see, to tell you about the streets of gold in heaven and a wonderful eternity is only ½ of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.   ....   The other ½ is the recognition of sin, not the bad things we do but the rejection of Christ and repentance (turning your life around from everything else to the Lord) and then live in moral faithfulness.  Once God sees a heart faithful to salvation alone in Christ, your name is written in the Jesus’ or the Lamb’s Book of Life.

“This is the second death, the lake of fire.

And if anyone's name was not found written in the book of life,

he was thrown into the lake of fire.”  

Revelation 20:14-15 ESV