Not a day goes by when you don't hear of someone talking about praying or someone (maybe ourselves) asking for or promising to pray. Proverbs 28 has an interesting statement to make about prayer..."9 God has no use for the prayers of the people who won’t listen to him."
So unless our prayers are a conversation that involves us listening to what God says and what he has written down for us our prayers are not much more than an attempt at self-medication.
One of the biggest hindrances to having a two-sided conversation with God, is that we do not want to deal with the brutal honest truth about who we are on a heart level. 13 You can’t whitewash your sins and get by with it; you find mercy by admitting and leaving them. You cannot expect your relationship with God to grow or move forward if you have sin in your life that you haven't admitted and left.
What is your whitewashed sin? Find someone you trust...tell them. James says, that we move forward in our journey by confessing our sins one to another. So tell...someone you trust, and be smart about it. Foolishness is blabbering it to the wrong person. Anyway, confess it to a trusted friend / mentor, confess it to God...and move on. Give that someone permission to kick you in the middle (if you're a guy) if needed to keep you moving on.
Until your relationship is moving forward, you are merely grasping for hope and that leads to trouble. You don't need to grasp...you need to a foundation / relationship to trust in. 25 A grasping person stirs up trouble, but trust in God brings a sense of well-being.
(my prayer) Father, still my heart to listen. Bring to my attention the whitewashed fortresses in my heart, and allow me to move from where I am (grasping) to living a life built on consistent trust in you.
Chris -
Saturday, March 28, 2009
Thursday, March 26, 2009
Don't Brag
Proverbs 27:1 Don’t brashly announce what you’re going to do tomorrow; you don’t know the first thing about tomorrow.
It shocks me at how often I'm deciding and announcing what I'll be doing tomorrow when I don't even have control over today. God desires for us to follow Him on a moment by moment basis, yet I tend to want the highlight version.
The movie "Click It" starring Adam Sandler highlights this reality for me. So often, I just want to jump ahead to the planned future (my plans). It is especially tempting when I'm going through something that really sucks. However; it is God who decides human destiny, and it is God who knows what I need to become the follower of Jesus that he desires to shape me into.
Father, teach me to live more in the moment with you. I tend to get so ahead of what you are doing in and around me right now. Especially with my kids...don't let me get ahead of myself and forget to teach them to follow your ways...don't allow me to get so far ahead that they miss out on seeing me live it out in front of them in the now.
James 4 :12 says, "God is in charge of deciding human destiny. Who do you think you are to meddle in the destiny of others? Nothing but a Wisp of Fog 13 And now I have a word for you who brashly announce, “Today—at the latest, tomorrow—we’re off to such and such a city for the year. We’re going to start a business and make a lot of money.” 14 You don’t know the first thing about tomorrow. You’re nothing but a wisp of fog, catching a brief bit of sun before disappearing. 15 Instead, make it a habit to say, “If the Master wills it and we’re still alive, we’ll do this or that.” 16 As it is, you are full of your grandiose selves. All such vaunting self-importance is evil."
It shocks me at how often I'm deciding and announcing what I'll be doing tomorrow when I don't even have control over today. God desires for us to follow Him on a moment by moment basis, yet I tend to want the highlight version.
The movie "Click It" starring Adam Sandler highlights this reality for me. So often, I just want to jump ahead to the planned future (my plans). It is especially tempting when I'm going through something that really sucks. However; it is God who decides human destiny, and it is God who knows what I need to become the follower of Jesus that he desires to shape me into.
Father, teach me to live more in the moment with you. I tend to get so ahead of what you are doing in and around me right now. Especially with my kids...don't let me get ahead of myself and forget to teach them to follow your ways...don't allow me to get so far ahead that they miss out on seeing me live it out in front of them in the now.
James 4 :12 says, "God is in charge of deciding human destiny. Who do you think you are to meddle in the destiny of others? Nothing but a Wisp of Fog 13 And now I have a word for you who brashly announce, “Today—at the latest, tomorrow—we’re off to such and such a city for the year. We’re going to start a business and make a lot of money.” 14 You don’t know the first thing about tomorrow. You’re nothing but a wisp of fog, catching a brief bit of sun before disappearing. 15 Instead, make it a habit to say, “If the Master wills it and we’re still alive, we’ll do this or that.” 16 As it is, you are full of your grandiose selves. All such vaunting self-importance is evil."
Monday, March 16, 2009
Left Turn
Pray for El Salvador! After several years of stability and headed in a positive democratic direction, it has taken a 90 degree turn to the left.
Sunday, Salvadorians voted in a socialist president that represented the party of the guerrillas that drug the country through a horrendous civil war in the 80's.
The Americas project has been researching some partnerships in El Salvador, it remains to be unseen how this will effect those opportunities.
People will always be disappointed when they put their hope in governments and political parties...our hope should be in Jesus.
Sunday, Salvadorians voted in a socialist president that represented the party of the guerrillas that drug the country through a horrendous civil war in the 80's.
The Americas project has been researching some partnerships in El Salvador, it remains to be unseen how this will effect those opportunities.
People will always be disappointed when they put their hope in governments and political parties...our hope should be in Jesus.
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