Month: October 2019

Final Lessons on Prayer

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And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen. Matthew 6:13 KJV

The voices of our parents calling us in on a summer’s night rang out across our neighborhood. “Louie! Wally! Peter!” It didn’t really even matter if your mom or dad was too busy watching the latest episode of Bonanza to remember to call you in. Once two or three kids left to go in, whatever game  we were playing was essentially over.    P1030934

In that same way these final words of the prayer Jesus teaches us sat that it is time to come home to God’s house. We started the morning remembering God is our Father and that His name must be kept holy in our life. We went out into our day ready to find our part in the work of His kingdom. Then as we went along the path God leads us we asked for bread to keep us strong and forgiveness when we stumbled. Now as we are praying through our day we ask Him to keep us safe from temptation on the inside and the enemy named Satan without.

Jesus teaches us that we need to pray this way every day because only He knows where our journey leads and at what hour He will call us home!

another-schooley-sunset

Letters to My Father

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After my Dad passed away one of the most difficult and yet most rewarding things I had to do was going through his things. Though he was now gone it was as if I came to know my father better than I ever could on earth. Old postcards mixed with photos of family and friends I had never met. But among all the books and papers the most startling find was a stack of letters. The handwriting on the envelopes seemed familiar and as I looked closer it suddenly struck me that they were mine. Every thank you note, every Christmas and Fathers Day card were there. One by one I read through words I had forgotten about but Dad had kept them as a special treasure.

I believe it will be the same way in heaven. There God has prepared a place for each of us and lying open on a table will be our letters to God. Each and every word of every prayer God keeps as His special treasure. He has never forgotten a single time we praised or prayed. Then we will begin to uncover the astonishing love of our heavenly Father and begin to know Him so much better than we ever could on earth!

Prayer Lessons – Day 3

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Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. Matthew 6:11 KJV

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Going for walks around the neighborhood with our grandchildren is one of the highlights of our visits with them. Whether we are examining leaves together or stopping at the corner store for ice cream; what matters is that we are doing it together.  Praying for daily bread and forgiveness is just the same. Though they appear to be totally unrelated items they are both part of our daily walk around the neighborhood with Jesus.  P1040060

When we are praying for daily bread we are simply showing our Heavenly Father that we are depending on Him even for the simplest of matters. Then when we stumble and fall down while we are with Him we can immediately turn and ask forgiveness. He is willing to freely give but He also reminds us that forgiveness given comes with His gracious expectation that we learn to be forgiving as well. Through each line of this prayer Jesus wants us to know that our relationship to Him is what matters most. Whether we need daily bread or forgiveness of sins He wants us to trust in His care and discover the joy of an childlike dependence on Him.

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