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I don’t know about you but I don’t pray very well unless I have prepared myself for prayer… both in private and public prayer.
Personally, I don’t like to open worship services with a prayer. I like to pray a little deeper into the service when I have had time to sing a few songs and reflect on the words, and the needs of my brothers and sisters in Christ, etc.
Also, in private prayer if I think “oh I need to pray” and start praying then those prayers tend to be short and routine. If I can begin my day by reading from God’s word or by reflecting on my blessings or problems then my prayers have more depth to them.
Holy people of old prepared themselves for prayer by fasting and wearing humble clothing.
Prayer is important but not just praying for the sake of praying. Prepare yourselves for prayer. I’ve got a feeling that God doesn’t want to hear prayers recited from memory but rather prayers generated from the heart.
“What then? that which Israel seeketh for, that he obtained not; but the election obtained it, and the rest were hardened” (Romans 11:7)
Israel was seeking for salvation from God but did not obtain it because they thought they could acquire it through the “works” found in the Law.
The Elected (not the rejected) were able to obtain salvation because they accepted God’s grace (Jesus Christ. Titus 2:11)
“According as it is written, God gave them a spirit of stupor, eyes that they should not see, and ears that they should not hear, unto this very day” (Romans 11:8)
The “spirit of stupor” was given to those who were seeking salvation by the works of the Law and in doing so rejected God’s grace (Jesus Christ). God did not make them stupid so they couldn’t accept Christ, they had already rejected Jesus because they could not see past the Law. He allowed them to steep in their stupor.
If Paul who wrote this truly believed that God was hiding Jesus Christ from the Jews he would not risk his life teaching in their synagogues on a daily basis.
God himself tried to trump this “spirit of stupor” by extending his grace to the non-Jews to create a “spirit of jealousy” (Romans 11:14) to open their eyes so they could see Jesus Christ.
The non-believing Jews would become jealous of the Roman Christians as they saw their spiritual blessings transferred to Roman (non-Jewish) Christians. Things like the Apostles, miracles and other wonderful things from God.
I read obituaries every day and a few stand out. Dauris Granberry was one of our clients who I did a lot of cattle work for. I was impressed with her even before I read this impressive obituary.
Dauris Ann Jackson Granberry “flew away to heaven” March 9, 2011. Her giggling, girlish sense of humor was present with each conscious breath. She told each attending nurse or aid how handsome or pretty and wonderful they were, for a Southern Lady is always gracious. She taught her children that even when you have been slighted it is far better “to heap coals of kindness” upon the heads of those who irritated or vexed you than to berate them or be rude. “Besides,” she would say with an impish smile and wicked little twinkle in her eye, “it works better!” Dauris Ann was a strong, independent woman. A wonderful photographer, a knowledgeable rancher and a great lover of birds and wildflowers, a catcher of frogs, tolerant of snakes and a lover of all the outdoors. She was more at home in a sea kayak than a Cadillac, scuba gear than a cocktail dress, or a pair of jeans and a chambray work shirt holding the nasty, manure-laden tail of a calf about to be branded than at a ladies luncheon. All her cows were named, in a code that she and her soul mate, Bill, had contrived together. They could trace the lineage of a heifer back generations just by hearing the name. Bill, having a day job, left the day-to-day ranching operations to her. If the phone rang during supper, and it was someone calling about an ad for young bulls for sale, Bill would say, ”Hang on, let me get the expert on the phone”, and he would hand the phone to Dauris Ann.
She gave her children and grandchildren humor, a love of literature, and a strong streak of rebelliousness. She had her picture taken in front of the White House while standing on her head. It wasn’t political, it was just fun! She taught that you did things because they were right, not popular; you were polite, not because someone one earned or deserved it, but because you had to look in the mirror sooner or later, and you owed it to yourself to treat the world the way you wanted to be treated. If they didn’t deserve it, well, see coals of kindness above. She was a Cub Scout den-mother, and an (almost) tireless chauffer to gymnastics, little league and football practices. Once we could drive, and turn on the stove without burning down the house, she announced that she was resigning as a short-order cook, and she would fix what she and Bill wanted and, if we wanted something else, we could rustle for ourselves. She ensured that we learned to cook by fixing brussel sprouts, green beans and a host of other “healthy” stuff no self-respecting teenager could stomach. Sometimes, we felt a little sorry for Dad and snuck him something good!
She taught all the neighborhood kids how to ride their bicycles. She put on puppet shows, put up tents in the backyard, served gallons of Kool-aid to all the galloping hordes in the neighborhood. (Real cokes were reserved for trips to the ranch-limit two per day!) Bad grammar cost you a quarter. She did not give much of an allowance, but she and Bill paid anyone willing to work minimum wage. A lot of bicycles, air rifles and movies were paid for by money earned working cows or cleaning fence lines or hauling, stacking, or feeding hay, building fence, shredding pastures or any of the other numerous chores that stack up on a place.
Our little bird has flown, and her soul has joined the spring migration.
I’ve been disappointed lately in the number of Christians, including our President, who have come out in support of Homosexual marriage. It tells me that they either don’t respect what the Bible says or they are not well informed about what it teaches.
The teaching against Homosexuality is just as clear as is the teaching “not to kill”…
“You shall not lie with a male as with a woman. It is an abomination” (Leviticus 18:22)
“Thou shalt not kill” (Exodus 20:13)
Both of these things are sins against God and unless repented of will result in eternal condemnation. Christians who don’t speak out against such things are just as guilty.
The Bible is clear about how God expects his people to live but clearly some people won’t take the time to find out.
