Prayer Lessons – Day 3

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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Lift Up Those Hands!

Lift up your hands to the holy place and bless the Lord! Psalm 134:2 ESV

Those are the opening lines from a chorus I love to sing. God’s word tells us to lift up our hands but do you ever stop to wonder why? Here are the four reasons that I came up with. Maybe you have some other ideas of your own and I would love hearing them.

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A) Praise -We lift up our hands when we worship with other believers. And in this psalm it tells us to do this at night but any time is the right time to praise God.

B) Surrender – When the police officer draws out his gun and yells, “Show me your hands!” we lift up our hands to show we are surrendering. This might not be in church in fact when the disciples left their nets to follow Jesus; they surrendered their careers right in the middle of a work day.

two police men standing near another person beside white and blue police vehicle on road

Photo by Daria Sannikova on Pexels.com

 

 

 

C) Availability – When my teacher called my name it was usually wrong (who can pronounce Caligiuri?) but I knew she was calling on me so I lifted up my hand. “Here!” I shouted. Isaiah answers God in much the same way; “Here I am Lord: Send me.

 

photo of four girls wearing school uniform doing hand signs

Photo by 周 康 on Pexels.com

D) Love – At the end of long work days I would trudge home from the job, completely exhausted, in need of a shower and a meal. But when I opened our apartment door our two little boys who seemed to have no sense of smell raced up to me with their arms up shouting; “Daddy’s home! Daddy’s home! Pick me up Daddy!”  P1030050

Jesus calls to each of us to come to Him and we will find rest. We are not only welcomed into His presence; He loves to hear us run to the door when He knocks crying; ” Abba’s home! Abba’s home! Pick me up Father I need you again today!”

ABC’s for Wyatt

I enjoy writing letters to our grandchildren, maybe in part because I am sad to see that almost no one writes anymore. Some of my most treasured momentos are hand written letters from from my Dad. So when our youngest grandson Wyatt began home school this year I wanted to commemorate this event by writing my first letter to him. In the letter I included this ABC poem that I wrote for him. To any other grandparents out there let me know if you think letter writing isn’t a tradition worth the effort to keep alive. Blessings:

Wyatt’s ABC’s

A lways be sure of God’s loving care

B ecome part of His family give your heart to Him

C ome to Him each day in prayer

D on’t stop praying He is listening

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E ach time you fall God will pick you up

F ollow Him He knows the way

G od is good even when things get rough

H ope will help us through the day

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I magine what He has in store

J esus has big plans

K eep all of your promises for

L oving others is what He commands

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M ake time to read your Bible

N ever doubt what God can do

O ffer Him each day your best

P ut Him first He’ll see you through

 

Q uestions are a normal thing

R emember God can answer them

S o in your heart make Him the King

T rust and worship Him!

 

U nder His care you find He is

V ery strong to carry you

W hen we’re lost He’ll show us

eX actly what to do!

 

Y ou are always in our prayers

Z o please pray for us too!

Z o please pray for us too!

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