Prayer: The Gate

 Nehemiah 8:10  Do not grieve, the joy of the LORD is my strength.

In the bible, joy is referenced over 200 times.  Difficulties in life, negative people, and being off balance can squish the joy right out of us.  We must find and keep the joy in each day.  Take it with us in our spirits always.

Psalm 51:12  Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit to sustain.

Romans 1:11 I long to see you so that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to make you strong –

We are supposed to become strong in spirit.  We live in a house with many rooms.  We exercise to strengthen our bodies, we study to strengthen our intellect.  Visiting the spiritual room does not make us weak.  It makes us strong.

You would not walk into the gym for the first time and throw 300 pounds on the bar to lift.  The same with your spirit, start small.

The prayer of rejoicing is an easy, comfortable way to start.

Deuteronomy12:7  There, in the presence of the LORD your God, you and your families shall eat and shall rejoice in everything you have put your hand to, because the LORD your God has blessed you.

Try first thing this morning to think of a couple of blessings in your life.  Do you have terrific kids, great friends, good health, a job?  Is there something like sports, music, walking, or being with friends that bring you great joy? 

 Then say: “I am grateful and rejoice in the LORD because…(Tell him the thing you are grateful for). 

Like push-ups or any training, you keep going.  Tomorrow think of a couple of things.  Experiment with different spiritual muscles, by using different types of prayer.  Be strong.  Be God’s.

I have a burning question for readers today. 

Why do we deny answered prayer?

I have heard people attempt to explain away, in a scientific manor, the manifestation of  a miracle or even a minor answered prayer.

Examples of some explanations I have heard:

“The Red Sea is not very deep, and the wind blew really hard and you could actually walk across at that point and when the Egyptians got there the wind stopped blowing.”

“The cancer is gone, but I don’t know why.  I guess the doctors got lucky.”

“I lost weight because of a diet.”

Most significant things and a multitude of insignificant things in my life have happened because I called on the power of the living God, I Am that I Am,  and humbly ask for what I needed.

Not all prayers were answered in the way I thought they would be, or the way I expected.  They are also answered in God’s time.

Maybe we forgot that we asked God for assistance. Maybe we are afraid to give God the credit.  Maybe people will think we are delusional.  Maybe it would change all the things we think we know about God, or science, or anything else.  If God exists does gravity stop working?  Science and God are not mutually exclusive.  What if you could have them both?

Maybe we don’t look for answered prayers.  Sometime we get so caught up in the crazy, busy day to day we don’t see any miracles large or small.

Holy and powerful God, help me to be present in the moment today.  Let me see the wonder of answered prayers.  Let me understand the nature of our relationship through prayer. Know Father that I rejoice in you and I am grateful for the answered prayers and miracles.  Thank you for being my God and being available to me.  Amen

Ephesians 4:1 – 4:4

1 Therefore I implore you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called,  2  with all humility and gentleness, with patience, showing tolerance for one another in love,  3 being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.  4  there is one body and one Spirit, just as you also were called in one hope of your calling.

I am so grateful to live where I am allowed to pursue Christ and practice my own religion.  I live in a place where freedom of thought and ideas are valued. I am blessed.

 I have friends who have far different views than I do, but enjoy listening to their point of view.  Some of the people I hang out with are: artists, teachers, construction people, small business owners, veterinary technicians, database and software engineers, writers, ministers, graphic designers, and bankers.  Some of my friends are conservative, some are quite liberal, some are Christian, some are athiests and I have a friend who is Muslim. 

There are times we break bread together,  have spirited debates, have fun relaxing or doing outdoor sports together.  We share books, hugs, dreams for our future and the future of our children.  We also share the sorrow as well as the joy of day to day life. We encourage each other with all humility and gentleness with patience, showing tolerance for one another in love (see above scripture for the day).

I don’t want them to all think like me, or be like me.  We must all think for ourselves and walk in a manor worthy of our calling.

Holy God, be with me today and I go into the world.  Allow your love to shine through me to others in tolerance, gentleness and grace.  That is how they will know who I am as your child.  Amen

Ephesians 4:7   But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ’s gift.

When we take a couple of moments and think about our blessings it can be astonishing how many there are.  We might only see a couple at first; but then they reveal themselves one by one.  We are blessed beyond measure. 

Since each of our blessings are unique, there is no standard list.

LORD, I rejoice in you and I am blessed. 

Thank you for my good health, and for shelter in the home I live in. Thank you for my family and friends. Thank you for the food on our table. Thank you for the eyes to see and the ears to hear the wonders of the LORD, my God.

I give thanks that I am your child and you have given me talents, and abilities that I may also serve others and be blessed in this service.

Thank you for seeing me as your child and loving me as I am, and not as I should be.  But do help me, LORD, to reach my full potential in this life here on earth.

Guide me, direct me, and let this day count for something. Bring out the best in me today.  Amen

Do you have great joy in your heart today?

It is simply too easy to focus on all the things that are bad.  The television, newspapers and Internet sites are full of  all the bad news as well as scary speculation.  They thrive on it. We tend to believe the scary speculation. Why would we not choose to believe positive speculation?

Probably the biggest reason is that people think positive thinking is for those not smart enough to understand the problem.

2 Corinthians 5:7 …we walk by faith, and not by sight…

Psalm 70:4  Let all who seek You rejoice and be glad in You; And let those who love Your salvation say continually,”Let God be magnified.”

Our faith can be negative, or positive.  It is time we believe that change can bring wonderful opportunity.  Try letting go of the sadness and fear. There might be some life changing task you could do better than any one else. But hanging onto the past prevents you from being available for the miracle. Transform yourself from, “I lost my job” to “I have an opportunity now to be blessed and find truly meaningful work that I will love and still make great money.”

Father God, we rejoice in this day.  We are so happy and grateful for the new opportunities that come to us now in your wise and perfect ways. Let us all have fulfilling work.  Let us be open and receptive to the new work you have for us.  Let us prosper, and allow us to serve and we go through the changes and find our way.  Guide us.  Fill us with the holy spirit that we may know your will in our live.  We believe you love us and want us all to rejoice in you.  Amen