Monday, March 18, 2024

Continue 3 Stages of Prayer March 18


Remember the first stage was Luke 10:27, “Love the Lord your God…” And we mentioned that could take a lifetime of continual growth.

The second stage follows as Jn. 13:34, Jesus said, “I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other in the same way that I have loved you.”

This is another lifetime growth pattern because we have to learn love. We can’t just get it like a shot in the arm, one time to cover all infections. There are days when we accomplish Jesus’ love, and then there are times we miss it totally. However, we can get better at it when we allow the Holy Spirit to make the right connections of Grace.

So, to have assurance of answered prayer:

1)Step one we love God with all.

2)Step two we love as Jesus loves.

3)Step three follows as a huge surprise. See later.

Sunday, March 17, 2024

Where is the Kingdom of Heaven? March 17


The scripture surprises us in Luke 8:10.

In the Nestle’s Greek Text translation, Jesus says to his followers: “To you it has been given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God, but to the rest in parables.”

What does this mean?

 First, followers of Jesus will understand certain God-truth that non-believers won’t ever get.

Second, he is saying that the kingdom of heaven works within the substance of what is real. [ all around us]

So where is the kingdom? It is more than a place. It is couched in truth and reality, not sham, pretense, or lies that we excuse and now just call “manipulated data.”

What are the mysteries? Truths that the non-believers miss. Truth that will never trick us by confusing data.

Saturday, March 16, 2024

Stages for Answered Prayer March 16

 

While we think about growth-progress in God’s Kingdom, there may exist three stages needed to actually realize answered prayer, especially the most difficult prayer requests or at least, giving us some assurance that God is listening. When Jesus said, Jn.14:14 [“If you ask me to do something, I will do it.”]       Why aren’t all prayers answered?

I think there is a growth pattern as we look:

1)   Loving the Lord with all takes a long time and maybe a lifetime, so Lk.10:27.

2)   Seeing what Jesus said may come next. Well… what were the old commandments of growth about love? Love your neighbor, love yourself, love your enemies, now…love all AS Jesus loved. “I’m giving you a new commandment” [Jn.13:34].

3)   So how do we get that love? Does it float around like wind? NO.

Of course, the Holy Spirit has to instill in us the kind of devotion that Jesus has, and it is foundational, and we have to build the house upon love. So, the right praying helps to build the house.

Can we ask Anything if we are not building the house correctly? It is hard to stop a leaky roof if you keep allowing holes in it.

Friday, March 15, 2024

A Thought About Prayer March 15

 

Maybe one of the fulfilments of Col. 3:17 is how we address Jesus in prayer.

Maybe our prayers would give as much dynamic to God as we give emotion to our request if we addressed the part of God concerned. In Christ, God may be one but has many functional names for us to understand.

Oh bread of life” [John 6:48], thank you for the abundance of food you give.

Oh God of Light [Ps.104:2], thank you for a new day! 

Addressing God’s name with that part of your prayer you want answered certainly helps our prayer language.

Heavenly Father may not need the distinction, but we do, so we can grow in our praying language.

Wednesday, March 13, 2024

What Comes Next? March 13

 

After we practice putting on the whole armor of God, we are more ready to accomplish Lk.10:27 based on Deut. 6:4-5 which Jesus has the lawyer quote, “love the Lord your God with all…”

  • All your heart… [every emotion]
  • All your soul… [self as decision-maker]
  • All your strength… [every physical cell]
  • All your mind… [intellect and insight]
  • Love neighbor as yourself… [all potential persons]

Every Christian has intentions. But we have to move from intention to invention, finding our personal ways of growth-progress.

Before the really tough prayers become real, we may need to move through the above as a first stage for answered prayer.

        And remember, authentic prayer is not just one-way bargaining, but a two-way conversation with God. Speak-Listen-Do.

Tuesday, March 12, 2024

Complete Armor of God March 12

 

Does a person have to wear the whole armor to get protection from the Tempter? First see the whole suit of Eph.6:10-19.

  • Waist/ Truth
  • Breastplate/ right doing
  • Shoes/ Holy Spirit peace
  • Shield/ Faith
  • Helmet/ Salvation
  • Sword/ God’s Word
  • Prayer/ perseverance

Experiencing only one protection can help a specific temptation. You may not have to wear the whole armor at once to repel a temptation but LOOK at the power if you do.

More growth happens by practicing all each day to partner with the Holy Spirit’s presence.

 

Monday, March 11, 2024

Where to Pray? March 11

 

When Jesus told his followers to go into “your room and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father…”, [Mt.6:6] ---what did he mean?

Some scholars have interpreted the word room as “closet.” Well, I don’t think Jesus was necessarily being literal. Most of the houses in Jesus’ day were just one room with only a door in and out. No closets.

But an important message is still here and that is no matter how we may hide any personal subject, God still knows it all. We don’t have to say long worded prayers for God to hear us. In fact, most of the time, God often answers us with one word: Yes, No, or Maybe.

Also, an emphasis here may be that Jesus is reminding us that there is a special place to go between you and God that no other can enter. Life thrives on conversation between you and God when you two are alone.

The physical place may not matter, the emotional heart-position does.