Author: pastorpete51

Prayers That Last Generations

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For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family[a] in heaven and on earth is named, that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love,   Ephesians 3:14-17 ESV

I confess that usually I pray small prayers like, “Please Lord, don’t let it rain on the church picnic!” or “Father, we’re broke, please help us pay the bills this month!” Now, there is nothing wrong with those prayers. After all, Jesus taught us to ask for daily bread, and our loving Father gladly opens His hand to bless us with answers to even small needs. But I am humbled when I read this prayer of Saint Paul, recalling that he wrote it while kneeling down on the stone floor of his cell and praying for his friends to be strengthened by the Holy Spirit. Wow! In those circumstances, my first request would be, “Lord get me out of here!” Yes, Paul was human, and in other places he does talk about wanting to be released. But his deepest desire was not for God to liberate him from his situation, but for others to know Jesus. Even more amazing to me, is that Paul’s prayers are still being answered in our lives today. What about us? Are we asking blessings for ourselves or are we moved by the needs of others? Am I seeking good but only temporary blessings, or am I praying for others to know Jesus and have a love for Him in generations to come? Am I praying prayers that God’s answer will only be that the rain holds off during our picnic or am I asking for people to know the love of Christ because only that will last forever?!

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Breakfast With Jesus – Live

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Jesus said to them, “Come and have breakfast.” Now none of the disciples dared ask him, “Who are you?” They knew it was the Lord.  John 21:12 ESV

This Sunday at Discovery Villages assisted living, I shared for the second time this message that God has put on my heart. It is about people, just like us, who fished all night, without results. Life, especially as we enter our later chapters is not all sunshine, rainbows and lollipops. Some days include losing our closest friends, family members and an ever-increasing battle with our own physical weaknesses. Yes, we who know Christ do carry with us the blessings of His presence, yet often it feels as if many things that we have hoped and prayed for all night have simply resulted in empty nets at dawn. But the good news is that Jesus has gone ahead of us. He is standing at the shore calling, while we were catching nothing, Jesus already has bread and fish on the fire waiting. After His ascension, Jesus did not go to Heaven to retire. No! He is watching over us. He is praying for us, and He has promised that He has gone to prepare a place for us. Just as He spent all night preparing for the disciples., so, when our night is over and our first day in Heaven dawns, maybe we will hear the invitation that Peter and John did, “Come and have breakfast with Me!”

The Longer I Serve Him

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I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing. 2 Timothy 4:7-8 ESV



Even as a young person, I always kind of liked this song, though it really was neither my style nor my story at the time. I kind of figured it had been written by one of the old fuddy-duddys at some church far away and long ago, but it did have a sweet feeling to it. Recently when I began singing it for the residents at various of the nursing homes which I visit, I began looking into the origins of the composition and was shocked to discover that it had been written by Bill and Gloria Gaither before they even turned thirty!


That is the way it is with God’s inspiration. He shares His riches with those whom He likes, and they have a timeless appeal, precisely because the music comes from Him. I hope you will be touched and blessed by my simple rendering of the Gaither’s classic, “The Longer I Serve Him The Sweeter He Grows”. I also pray that as you embark upon the challenges, difficulties and adventures of the New year, that you will discover how sweet and great a blessing it is to be serving Jesus no matter what your age!