Prayer

Belly Aching

/ pastorpete51 / 3 Comments 
  True Confessions of a Bellyacher
  
 I complained that I was lonely
 Till it forced me to make friends
 And I griped how big my church was
 Till I saw folks came for Him
 I worried over this and
 I fussed too much on that
 Which I had lost control of
 Till I found God had my back
  
 Then in big ways and in small
 That I never understood
 I found God in every circumstance
 Working all things for my good
 So if He soon calls me homeward
 Or if He gives to me long life
 I am choosing to be thankful
 For His great love in Jesus Christ!

True Confessions of a Bellyacher by Peter Caligiuri
Copyright 2020 all rights reserved

Though True Confessions of a Bellyacher has appeared in Purpose Magazine as well as on this blog, I included it today for those of us in danger of a grumpy start for 2021. Whatever way elections, lockdowns or our personal situation is, we need to remind ourselves that praise begins with a bit of humility and reminds us that He who is ultimately in charge has our back.

I’m not exactly sure why I started writing poems. For me it has been a bit like making jam from the blackberries we used to pick on hot Summer afternoons. Once those fresh berries were mixed with sugar and sealed in mason jars, their sweetness could be preserved for the long cold days of Winter. For those interested in having some of my poetry on your own shelf, I released a collection in 2020 titled Seasons of Song. It is available in either e-book or print format from Amazon. I am posting the link below or if you prefer you can find the title by searching Amazon by the title – Seasons of Song by Peter Caligiuri – These times ahead we all need to stay close by the side of Jesus and listen to His opinion before hearing the news. May God bless each of you with a season of the sweetness of His presence this morning.

Binging on God

/ pastorpete51 / 9 Comments

The Lord sets the prisoners free; the Lord opens the eyes of the blind. The Lord lifts up those who are bowed down; the Lord loves the righteous. The Lord watches over the sojourners;  he upholds the widow and the fatherless, but the way of the wicked he brings to ruin. Psalm 146:8-9

Maybe in the midst of the Corona Virus crisis we have lost hope as a nation because we have looked in all the wrong places. People joke about binge watching Netflix and YouTube; but when was the last time you heard anyone say, “Let’s binge read the Bible this week”? Or “Last night we binged on prayer till midnight.”? We are waiting on checks in the mail from the government, wishing the cruise ships could sail again and cheering on our favorite sports team. But our empty ships and stadiums; and empty public treasury, have yet to turn us as a nation to God who alone is the only true source of hope.

This is the first Sunday of the New Year and the first week of 2021. Why not turn off Netflix, football and the cooking channel and dedicate it as a kind of first fruits offering to binging on Jesus? He is our best hope and our helper forever!

12 Gifts of Christmas / Day 3- Prayer

/ pastorpete51 / 1 Comment

But I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned again, strengthen your brothers.” Luke 22:32 ESV

Can you remember a single time in the life of Jesus when he said, “I’ll be praying for you!”? He prayed when He was woken from sleep in a storm and He prayed in the desert for forty days. He prayed when people were hungry to multiply bread and He prayed for God to forgive His enemies from the cross. Everywhere and always Jesus prayed because He knew that His Father was listening. We probably already knew about those prayers of Jesus but did you ever stop to think that Christmas is in fact, the ultimate answer to every person’s prayer. God heard and He sent us His Son.

Prayer is also the greatest gift we can give to anyone this Christmas, every needs Jesus and anything is possible when we pray. Those who feel alone can experience His presence; He came as Immanuel – God with us. For friends who have lost their way, the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem answers their prayers for forgiveness because He came as God’s sacrifice for sin. For the friends or family who feel life is very dark with this pandemic, He is the light of the world.

For those feel week, He came as to be our strength. For those of us who know we have done things wrong and hurt others, Jesus shows Himself as the friend of sinners. no matter our need, Jesus is the answer to our prayers . What greater gift we could give to someone else is there than to be able to honestly say “but I have prayed for you”