Pray Always

When it comes to prayer, we have so many questions? How often should I pray? When should I pray?  What should I pray?  Where should I pray?  In what position should I pray? What is prayer?  Will God answer my prayers?  Is there a right kind of prayer? And conversely, is there a wrong kind of prayer?  Why is prayer so hard?  Why is it so difficult for me to pray?

 Are any of these your questions?  Let's ask God the questions and see what He says.  In 1 Thessalonians 5:17, He says two or three words: "pray without ceasing" or "pray continually." Is God serious?  Yes. Does He really mean that? I think so.  A part of prayer is talking to God, so just maybe prayer is having a conversation with God. And that conversation takes place wherever I am.  Could it be that sometimes I'm praying 'unawares'?  So maybe I'd better pay more careful attention to the words that I'm speaking since I don't have to announce to God that I'm praying. He's ever hearing.  We could learn a lesson from Peter when He was walking on the water and began to sink.  In deep trouble and scared to no end, Peter's prayer was simply "Lord save me."

Another part of prayer is hearing from God. That requires getting still, stopping all activity, and listening.  There is a time when we really have to stop talking so that God can talk.  Don't know about you, but for me, that's challenging.  Again, have you ever wanted to hear from God but never stopped to listen to Him?

Philippians 4:6 is instructive where the point is made to pray in everything, every circumstance, every situation.  In Isaiah 45:11, God advises that we command Him concerning the work of His hands. So we ask God for our wants, desires, needs ... yes; and we command or tell God our wants, desires, needs ... yes.  So, pray always, pray about everything, pray all kinds of prayers. Talk to God ... listen to God.

Be Kind and Gentle to All

"Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near."

Philippians 4:5

I recently saw the movie, Son of God.  And yes, it's worth seeing.  Man's inhumanity to man was all too evident from one scene to another, and especially so during the week of the Passion.  I was repeatedly reminded of how Jesus was always kind and gentle to all, no matter what was done or said to Him.  And more importantly how He expects you and me to do the same.  I thought, “really?”  You may be thinking, "now ain't that a mess?"

I couldn't miss how warmly and graciously Jesus embraced Judas when He knew that Judas was betraying Him with his hug and kiss. Jesus responded kindly and gently to Judas.  Shortly before the crucifixion, Jesus was greeted by the masses with shouts of "Hosanna."  A few days later, the same masses shouted "Crucify him, crucify him."  As He was being crucified, Jesus looked toward heaven and prayed, "Father forgive them, for they know not what they do."

How kind and gentle must one be?  How kind and gentle can one be?  When the woman who was caught in the act of adultery was brought before Him, I couldn't help but notice how kindly and gently Jesus responded both to her and all of the men with rocks in hand, prepared to stone her to death. In His soft spoken manner, He kindly and gently said "let he who is without sin cast the first stone." 

I was further reminded of words often spoken by my pastor -- "life is choice driven, we live and we die by the choices we make."  I must choose to be obedient to the Word of God.  Jesus is my example, I can do as He did.  I must choose to be kind and gentle, not just to some but, to all.  Will you make the same choice?  Will you do the same?  Will you let your gentleness be evident to all?

 

Rejoice in The Lord

For most of my 25 year tenure as a member of The Guiding Light Church in Birmingham, I have spent time with families who have experienced the death of a loved one.  Sometimes the deceased would have been a member of the church, but more of the times, the deceased would have been an immediate family member of a church member.  Always the question before me -- what to say?  What words can I speak that will comfort? And strengthen? And ease the pain and the hurt?  In these situations, death is one or more of the following -- shocking ... feared ... a great loss ... hurtful ... painful ... scary ... unexpected ... too soon ... and so much more. 

I always knew and believed that nothing I could say really helped or even mattered.  These family members, my brothers and sisters, needed to hear a word from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  That word and that word only could I speak.  One passage of Scripture that I have used, probably more than any other, is the Apostle Paul's declaration that "the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus" (see Philippians 4:7). This promise alone is great and wonderful, a tremendous blessing, powerful and amazing. 

Over a period of time, I came to realize that I needed to say more, that the listening ears needed to hear more.  And I was instructed to read backwards or upwards in the passage to verse 4 -- "Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!"  My thoughts ran wild -- can I say this?  How will people take this message at such a time as this?  Is this the time to tell people to rejoice?  Sometimes death had come because of a heinous crime, sometimes because of accidents in cars, on jobs, during vacation or other leisure activities, fires, drownings, and the like.  And my nagging question of God -- do You really want me to tell them to rejoice, and to rejoice always?  In the quietness, the still small voice of the Lord said "yes, this is a part of my path to peace."

 So while on your way to experiencing the peace of God which passes all understanding is this command from God Himself --  "Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!"  Need I say more?  Stop and think about this!

The Golden Rule

"So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you,

 for this sums up the Law and the Prophets."  Matthew 7:12

Some things in Scripture many of us know.  The Golden Rule is one of those things.  Have you ever wondered why it is called the Golden Rule? Something for you to think about.  For me, it is the first and last phrases that I have basically ignored.  What about you?  The first phrase -- "so in everything" -- has now gotten my attention, and I realize it is instructive. Some other Bible translations use "in everything," "therefore all things," "whatever," or "always."  The Message Bible presents the passage in this manner.   “Here is a simple, rule-of-thumb guide for behavior: Ask yourself what you want people to do for you, then grab the initiative and do it for them. Add up God’s Law and Prophets and this is what you get."

To understand what I want others to do to and for me, sometimes I think about what I don't want them to do.  This further clarifies for me what I must not do to them. Here are some of my don'ts which help me know and understand more clearly my do's: don’t be unkind ... talk about me behind my back ... mistreat me ... show disrespect ... cut me off in traffic ... lie to me ... murder or kill ... fight with me ... follow through ... say "I'm sorry" ... hurt me ... laugh at me ... ridicule me ... be rude ... be unkind ... be unthoughtful ... steal from me ... walk over me ... quarrel ... disobey ... be unapologetic ... unloving ... show disregard ... ignore me ... shame or embarrass me ... hurt me ... cheat on me ... knock me down ... keep a promise ... follow instructions ... be untrustworthy ... and more. 

What's on your list?  Paul writes to the Galatians that we'll reap whatever we sow?  Consider the set of questions: what am I sowing, or what and why am I reaping this?  We must understand the boomerang effect of this and the Golden Rule.  What we get is what we have given?  Now consider this set of questions: what am I giving, or what and why am I receiving this?    Will I make the choice to, in everything, be not merely a hearer but a doer of God's Word?   Will you?

Do Not Worry

Today, I was one of several women who were asked to pray for another woman who has gone through, not once but twice, someone trying to break into her home while she was there.  What to pray?  How to pray?  What to say to her?  What advice to give her?  What encouragement?  Do I say what the Word says?  Do I give advice from the Scriptures?  Is the Word the best that I can offer?  Is the Word enough?  Will the Word satisfy?  Will the Word meet her need? Will the Word protect her?

 Then, I began to remember.  Must acknowledge God in all my ways ... must trust God with all my heart ... must lean not to my own understanding ... must put on the full armor of God ... must remember that my weapons are not the weapons of the world ... must know that every one of my weapons is the Word of God ... must speak the truth ... must remember that the only real truth is the Word of God. 

From my pastor's instruction for daily Scripture reading, today's reading is Matthew 6, a portion of Jesus' sermon on the mountain.  Jesus says, not once but several times, in verses 25-34: do not worry.  The command to me, to her, and to you is quite simply do not worry.  Do not worry about today, or tomorrow, or your life, or what you will eat, or what you will drink, or what you will wear.  Whatever you may be worrying about, hear the Word of the Lord.  Do not worry.  Your heavenly Father knows what you need.  He has promised to supply every need that you have, so do not worry.  And there are NO exceptions to this command -- do not worry.

Share His Love

"Share His love by telling what the Lord has done for you," a line from an old hymn.  Our recent winter weather has been so different and sometimes very threatening.  My pastor's recent focus has been on helping us build and enhance our relationships with God. He has been setting us up to hear the voice of the Lord.  He's been encouraging us to not merely ask God in prayer for whatever but to be still and listen to hear the voice of God.  Most recently, our assignment was to ask God what He'd have us do for the next 24 hours.  On this past Monday morning, I did just that.

 Early evening, I had to make a decision regarding whether we'd open our child development program the next day.  By this time, every school system in the county and surrounding counties had already closed, local colleges were closed, many children day cares were closed, the weather forecast suggested close.  For all practical purposes, we were closed because we tell our parents and caregivers that we follow Birmingham City Schools.  We also reserve the right to do differently. So for us specifically, my strong sense was to wait until I saw something.  When saying this to the director of our program, I expected her to debate my suggestion.  But she didn't, she simply said she'd let staff know to wait on our decision.  My strong sense went against everything I was hearing and what everybody else was doing.  Was this rational?  Was it a reasoned and informed decision?  Amid it all, I felt so at peace with the choice.

 So I waited, the staff team waited.  The early Tuesday morning forecast showed rain throughout the day with temperatures above freezing until late night.  So open we did, not at the usual time of 6:30 a.m. but at 9:00 a.m.  For many of our parents who needed our service, we were available to provide it. Wow, I have to share His love by telling what the Lord has done for me.

 

 And that's not the end of the story.  The following evening, all the school systems again closed.  My strong sense remained to wait until I saw something.  It was easier this second time around to trust what I realized God had advised me to do.  Wednesday morning rolled around, temperatures above freezing, rain, an afternoon forecast for chance of light dusting of snow.  So again, we opened an hour earlier at 8:00 a.m.  Even more of our parents took advantage of our being open when the schools, and colleges, and many day care programs were closed. And we were able to remain open until two o'clock.  Wow, I must share His love by telling what the Lord has done for me.  I asked Him to let me know what He would have me do for the next 24 hours, and He gave me insight into how to respond to the weather conditions.

 You too must "share His love by telling what the Lord has done for you."

I Love to Tell the Story

Words from an old hymn are "I love to tell the story ... of Jesus and His love."  In the aftermath of Birmingham's most recent and surprisingly harsh winter storm, how many of you have a story?  What is your story? How did Jesus show His love to and for you?  At The Guiding Light Church where I was, I learned a bit of the stories of many.  I recall a mother who arrived before noon to pick up her youngest child after having already picked up her twins from their school.  Four hours later, I saw her getting out of her car with the three children in tow.  She realized that she was unable to get home and so returned to the church for refuge.  What better place to seek refuge than where Jesus lives and rules and reigns.  The four of them were there until late morning two days later.  I can only imagine the children singing "yes, Jesus loves me."

 I love to tell the story of the mother and father who left their three year old on that Tuesday morning.  Mother was unable to pick up her precious child until late Thursday morning.  This mother and father experienced the love of Jesus as their child stayed peacefully through two nights away from them. Then, there's the story of the father who finally arrived safely to pick up his daughter.   Realizing that his wife was stuck in Hoover and he'd be unable to get up the hill to their home, he said "we might as well stay here with y'all."  So for the two days, they did.  And then, I'd love to hear the story of the pregnant mom who came to pick up her young child, stayed, and experienced the love of Jesus.

 A grandmother and grandfather picked up their two grandsons and realized their inability to get back to their home.  Grandmother's thought was, "let's go the church."  In her heart, she realized (without knowing for a certainty) that the church must be open.  And open it was.  For a full day, they experienced the love of Jesus, though not at their home, yet at home in His house.

 "The love of God is greater far than tongue or pen can ever tell" -- words from another old hymn.  Two seniors, both 80+, spent the night at the church.  One of them, our staff person in Adult Day Care, was asked to take the other senior, our client, home.  They left the church shortly after 2:00 p.m., but returned a short while later after realizing that the drive was treacherous.  Ask either of them about the love of God.  Any story that does not tell of the love of Jesus or the love of God is incomplete.  So, what is your story?