Daily Bread

Effective Prayer Part Two

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February 23             Effective Prayer Part 2

Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much  James 5:16

If we prayed as earnestly for others as we have prayed for ourselves how different might our church be? In the garden of Gethsemane Jesus prayed so earnestly that we are told that “his sweat was as it were great drops pf blood” Luke 22:44
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No priest, no king, no father and no mother ever prayed with the earnestness of Jesus Christ. Yet for all His earnestness Jesus’ request was denied! The Father’s will remained unchanged and then three times our Lord ended His prayers with “not my will but thine be done”

 

And though apparently His request was denied yet the most earnest of all prayers continues to be answered for us today.  God still hears and has always heard earnest fervent prayers. The way He chooses to answer remains wrapped in the mystery of His Sovereign will. We change and our lives fade yet if we forever hold fervently to His promises lives all around us will be changed!

 

 

 

The Things that Are Seen

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2 Corinthians 4:18 while we look not on the things which are seen but the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporal but the things which are  not seen are eternal

When I took this photo I just wanted to frame the river in the rigging of the boat. What was not seen by my eye was the Cross. That cross no longer seen is the one most eternal picture in the mind and heart of God!

Doorways of Forgiveness

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And Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” And they cast lots to divide his garments. Luke 23:34

 And whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father also who is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses. Mark 11:25

Of all the prayers for restoration, none is stranger or more powerful than the prayer for forgiveness. We all know that as Christians we have a duty to forgive. Forgiveness was commanded, and modeled by our Lord. But if you are anything like me forgiving someone who has done me wrong is like eating liver: I know it is good, but I have a tough time swallowing it! But forgiveness is central to God’s work both in our own lives and in the life of others around us. In the past our own sin erected an unbreakable blockade between us and God but then His forgiveness became the doorway through which we were adopted into His family! When we choose to forgive for His sake, then we can also become doorways rather than blockadeskimg0285 in the lives of others. For who will you become open door today?