October 31, 2016

Prayer

Mar 12:38 And he said unto them in his doctrine, Beware of the scribes, which love to go in long clothing, and love salutations in the marketplaces,

Mar 12:39 And the chief seats in the synagogues, and the uppermost rooms at feasts:

Mar 12:40 Which devour widows' houses, and for a pretence make long prayers: these shall receive greater damnation.

Here's instructions on how NOT to pray - praying for a show - or pretense is not God's idea of praying - He's not in it for the SHOW - He's the REAL DEAL and wants us to be REAL too! Today October 31, many get dressed up and PRETEND to be something they are not - while it is fun in the natural realm - let us understand that it is one of the things God's HATES as we approach HIM - Flip side is HE LOVES it when we come to HIM in sincerity and truth! So let's not play church with God as there's no fooling HIM anyway!

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October 30, 2016

Prayer:

Matthew 21:22

And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive!

What is left to be said? ALL THINGS! - IN PRAYER - BELIEVING! Don't you get the idea here that Jesus is trying to help His disciples see that it is not something we need to take years to LEARN to do - but rather an open door to confident conversation with HIS Father and ours! Hallelujah! What a Savior! Unlike our own human nature that once we find a good thing we try to keep it to ourselves - :-)

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October 29, 2016

Prayer:

Matthew 23:14

Woe unto you, scribes Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye devour widows' houses, and for a pretense make long prayers, therefore ye shall receive the greater damnation.

Here we see that prayers made for show or to impress someone are NOT what God is looking for! Heartfelt honest communication - that's our God's desire! So do NOT let your feelings of inadequacy in knowing how to pray STOP you from praying! All God is wanting is relationship and communication! :-)

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October 28, 2016

Prayer:

Mat 18:19 Again I say unto you, That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven.

Mat 18:20 For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.

Wow what an encouragement to pray together! Notice the word "ANYTHING" - ! I cannot even think of any words to add to these words that Jesus Himself spoke to His followers! How many times has someone asked you to pray for them in their need and you say you will but then forget. Just stop immediately when they ask you and agree together in prayer on the spot! Don't procrastinate! Let's just DO it! Pray together MORE! "There HE IS" right in the midst of us as we pray! Hallelujah! What a Savior!

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October 27, 2016

Prayer:

Mat 11:25-30 At that time Jesus answered and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes.  Even so, Father: for so it seemed good in thy sight.  All things are delivered unto me of my Father: and no man knoweth the Son, but the Father; neither knoweth any man the Father, save the Son, and [he] to whomsoever the Son will reveal [him].  Come unto me, all [ye] that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.  Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.  For my yoke [is] easy, and my burden is light.

In Luke this passage is connected with the return of Jesus disciples after He had sent them out two by two - to heal the sick and raise the dead and cast out demons and preach the gospel. He then goes on to call the weary workers to enjoy HIS REST  - for HIS yoke is easy and HIS burden is light - when the burden gets heavy and the days are dreary - stop and think that - HIS yoke is EASY - and HIS burden is light- the heavy ones are the ones of our own making! 

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October 26, 2016

Prayer:

Matthew 9:36 -38 "When he looked out over the crowds, his heart broke. So confused and aimless they were, like sheep with no shepherd. What a huge harvest!" he said to his disciples. "How few workers! On your knees and pray for harvest hands!"

KJV: Mat 9:37 Then saith he unto his disciples, The harvest truly [is] plenteous, but the labourers [are] few;  Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth labourers into his harvest.

HARVEST DAY! - It was this thought that the book Hebrews calls "the joy that was set before Him" .... - He endured the cross because "Harvest Day was coming"! Pentecost was the feast of harvest - when the Holy Spirit was outpoured and the Church was born! No wonder Jesus implored His disciples to pray for laborers! Notice who sends forth the laborers - not us - but the LORD of the harvest! It's HIS WORK and HIS KINGDOM and HIS FIELD and we are HIS LABORERS! :-)! Hallelujah!

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October 25, 2016

Prayer:

Matthew 9:36 -38 "When he looked out over the crowds, his heart broke. So confused and aimless they were, like sheep with no shepherd. What a huge harvest!" he said to his disciples. "How few workers! On your knees and pray for harvest hands!"

KJV: Mat 9:37 Then saith he unto his disciples, The harvest truly [is] plenteous, but the labourers [are] few;  Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth labourers into his harvest.

WOW! Here is a direct instruction of our Lord as to WHAT to pray for/ When is the last time we followed this instruction? When we begin to pray as He instructed us to - this is what happens to our hearts - we become concerned about the harvest - because HE is concerned about the harvest! His heart begins to become our heart! May it be so today in greater measure within each one of us than ever before!

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October 24, 2016

Prayer:

The KJV

Mat 7:7 Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you:

Mat 7:8 For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.

Direct asking and direct receiving - direct seeking and finding - direct knocking and doors opening! No dancing around it! No whining and wishing and hoping so - ! EVERYONE receives - in Luke it connects asking and seeking and knocking to receiving the Holy Spirit and tells us that the Father CANNOT deny that request! GO FOR IT! PRAY IT! Ask for the Holy Spirit to fill your heart today - HE WILL!!!!!! It's like the electric eye of the doorway into His presence! Wham! Door opens! Holy Spirit pours out into our hearts!

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October 23, 2016

Prayer:

Matthew 7:7-11 "Don't bargain with God. Be direct. Ask for what you need. This isn't a cat-and-mouse, hide-and-seek game we're in.  If your child asks for bread, do you trick him with sawdust? If he asks for fish, do you scare him with a live snake on his plate? As bad as you are, you wouldn't think of such a thing. You're at least decent to your own children. So don't you think the God who conceived you in love will be even better?

How many times have we started a prayer with - "God if you'll do this for me ... I'll........" ? - Here it tells us not to bargain with God! :-) God is NOT trying to withhold HIS blessings and answers from us - HE is longing to pour them out on us!

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October 22, 2016

Prayer:

Here is the Lord's prayer from the Message Bible:

Mat 6:5 "And when you come before God, don't turn that into a theatrical production either. All these people making a regular show out of their prayers, hoping for stardom! Do you think God sits in a box seat? 

Here's what I want you to do: Find a quiet, secluded place so you won't be tempted to role-play before God. Just be there as simply and honestly as you can manage. The focus will shift from you to God, and you will begin to sense his grace.

The world is full of so-called prayer warriors who are prayer-ignorant. They're full of formulas and programs and advice, peddling techniques for getting what you want from God.

Don't fall for that nonsense. This is your Father you are dealing with, and he knows better than you what you need.

With a God like this loving you, you can pray very simply. Like this: Our Father in heaven, Reveal who you are.

Set the world right; Do what's best-- as above, so below.

Keep us alive with three square meals. Keep us forgiven with you and forgiving others. Keep us safe from ourselves and the Devil. You're in charge! You can do anything you want! You're ablaze in beauty! Yes. Yes. Yes.

Notice the emphasis on being REAL when we come to our Father! All He longs for is relationship with us - it is NOT complicated - WE make it complicated - if you have or had a Father that you could talk to and bring your needs to it is easier to understand this. But even if you did not - GOD is a KIND and GOOD and LOVING and MERCIFUL - Father that is just longing to hear how our day went and how we want/need His involvement in our living! I've had people tell me that they don't like to pray out loud because they cannot pray like someone else! That's just our pride getting in the way. Father God LOVES to hear us pray! Do not let any tricks or lies of the enemy keep you from prayer (communicating) with God! 

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October 21, 2016

Prayer:

Mat 6:6
But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.

Mat 6:7 But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen [do]: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking.

Mat 6:8 Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him.

We are also told here not to use "vain repetitions" - in other words - just repeating a prayer over and over again as some do is not what God is looking for - He did not give us the "Our Father" to repeat like parrots do learned speech - but rather as a pattern so that we would learn to COMMUNICATE with GOD on HIS terms! Let's be good learners in God's school of prayer!

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October 20, 2016

Prayer:

Matthew 6:6-8

But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.

But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen [do]: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking.

Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him.

In other words: Prayer is not a "show" before men to try to impress others - it is communication with GOD enthroned in Heaven in the HOLY place - which we have been given access to! When we are in communication with God - it is EVIDENT in our daily life! No hiding it! We don't need to tell others it will show! 

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October 19, 2016

Prayer:

"Our Father which art in heaven, hallowed be Thy Name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power and the glory for ever. Amen. Matthew 6:9-13

AMEN! - So be it! A powerful word of agreement meaning "let it be so!" - Since Jesus did not give us pages and pages of prayers to pray perhaps contemplating this pattern prayer and patterning our prayers after it might be a good idea! 

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October 18, 2016

Prayer:

"Our Father which art in heaven, hallowed be Thy Name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power and the glory for ever. Amen. Matthew 6:9-13

...for ever... - Another reminder that this is not all there is to our existence - God already dwells in the forever - while we are struggling in time to comprehend eternal truths with our finite minds! What a wonderful reminder that wisdom does not end with us - our understanding cannot even take in ....for ever.... everything we know "comes to pass" - may God expand our understanding a little more as we meditate on this thought! FOR EVER!

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October 17, 2016

Prayer:

"Our Father which art in heaven, hallowed be Thy Name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power and the glory for ever. Amen. Matthew 6:9-13

...and the glory... Ah yes, HIS GLORY --- not ours! What another awesome reminder -- it's not about US - but it's all about HIM!!! This thought by itself could transform our prayer time! It is good to stop ourselves and check our motives: am I praying this so I'll get what I want, look "spiritual", get some brownie points, etc.? It's so easy for us to get derailed and side tracked. Good news HE even helps us with our infirmity to pray! 

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October 16, 2016

Prayer:

"Our Father which art in heaven, hallowed be Thy Name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power and the glory for ever. Amen. Matthew 6:9-13

..."and the power" - ALL power belongs to HIM and HE has given US all power in Heaven and earth to act on Jesus behalf here on earth! But we must never forget that it is HIS power - not ours - as soon as we think we're ok by our own power we fall flat on our faces! Notice these thoughts come at the end of the prayer - as a reminder as to who is in control - sometime in our praying we try to instruct God as if we had all the wisdom, kingdom and control ---....... it just places us back in the right relationship/position to our wonderful all powerful, awesome God!

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October 15, 2016

Prayer:

"Our Father which art in heaven, hallowed be Thy Name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power and the glory for ever. Amen. Matthew 6:9-13

"For thine is the kingdom" -

A reminder we are IN this world but NOT OF this world - we belong to a HEAVENLY KINGDOM - It's HIS Kingdom -- not ours -- we tend to forget sometimes that running the universe is not in our hands but HIS - "THINE is the Kingdom! :-) Notice it goes back to the thought at the beginning of the prayer that it's all about HIS KINGDOM. Jesus knew we would need to be reminded! 

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October 14, 2016

Prayer:

"Our Father which art in heaven, hallowed be Thy Name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power and the glory for ever. Amen. Matthew 6:9-13

"but deliver us from evil:" literally means "from the evil one" - No one needs to explain to us why we need to pray daily to be kept from "the evil one"! Always prowling about seeking whom he may devour and setting nasty "mind traps" for us to fall into! We need all the protection we can get - and have it as we put on the whole armor of God daily! Let's not think we can advance into any day without protection! We are still in enemy territory!

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October 13, 2016

Prayer:

"Our Father which art in heaven, hallowed be Thy Name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power and the glory for ever. Amen. Matthew 6:9-13

"And lead us not into temptation" --- Often enough we lead ourselves into temptation! But here we are encouraged to pray that we will be protected from even the temptation to sin! God does not TEMPT us to sin! Just think how much easier our day might be if we prayed and "Let me not be drawn towards sinful temptation today!"

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October 12, 2016

Prayer:

"Our Father which art in heaven, hallowed be Thy Name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power and the glory for ever. Amen. Matthew 6:9-13

"And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us." Wow what a thought! Those 2 little words "AS WE" - however you look at there's a connection - we must FORGIVE all trespasses against us - another verse tells if that if we will not forgive those around us neither will God forgive us! Unforgiveness is as deadly as cancer! Forgiveness is HEALTH to our whole being. Forgiving someone does not release them from the guilt of wrong-doing nor does it say "it's ok to treat me badly" but it does release US from sin's grip! And it clears the way for our prayers to be heard and answered! Having trouble getting answers to your prayers? Checkup - do I have any unforgiveness in my heart? If so, we can take it to the cross and leave it there! 

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