God

Daniel Still Prayed

/ pastorpete51 / 7 Comments

When Daniel knew that the document had been signed, he went to his house where he had windows in his upper chamber open toward Jerusalem. He got down on his knees three times a day and prayed and gave thanks before his God, as he had done previously. Daniel 6:10 ESV

Unless you have been living in a cave for the last two years, you know that there is an important election tomorrow. Whatever the outcome, there will be a lot of unhappy people on Wednesday morning. As I thought over the various outcomes for both the presidency as well as both houses of Congress I was drawn to this verse from Daniel and have been encouraged by his example. When Daniel woke up the morning after the election, he found out that his party was the loser. His prayer life had been declared illegal, and there were deadly consequences for him if he continued to pray. But none of these facts seemed to bother Daniel. When he learned the news, he didn’t kick the cat, throw the coffee pot or run over to his neighbors to complain. Instead, the Bible tells us that Daniel woke up, had his morning coffee, opened his window, just as he always did and got down on his knees to pray! No that’s an example worth following!

When I get so drawn into the political and social storms that are raging all around, I need to remind myself that not every day will be sunny, and the roses cannot always be in bloom. Being faithful to Christ will rarely be applauded by the world we live in, and that only when we follow Jesus, can we discover that his grace and strength can carry us through whatever lies ahead. So, this morning I pray that each one of us can keep Daniel’s perspective. Pray for our nation, we certainly need it! Trust that whatever the outcome, God remains the ruler of the universe: His term will never expire, and He loved us enough to send His one and only Son, to suffer and die for our sins. Now that is good news worth living for, and it is also good news worth dying for!

Praying Real

/ pastorpete51 / 2 Comments 
After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen.  Matthew 6:9-13 KJV

Jesus told us again and again that the kingdom of Heaven was real and at hand. But if we want Him to really show us about Heaven coming to earth, then we need to slow down and think about the words that we pray. In the Lord’s Prayer, Jesus taught us that prayer isn’t a race; it is a conversation with a real God. So, if we want God to be real with us, then we must be real with Him. In this simple prayer, Jesus teaches us that we must begin by real worship, before we ask for real needs and then repent and confess real sins as we really forgive people who really hurt us. Lastly, He tells us that we must never go out and about our affairs, until we ask God for His real protection from the real hardships and dangers that we will face. God is really there; He is really listening, and He will really answer when we really pray the way Jesus taught that we really should!

Asleep in the Storm – 3

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 And a great windstorm arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so that it was already filling. But He was in the stern, asleep on a pillow. And they awoke Him and said to Him, “Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?” Mark 4:37-38 NKJV

Usually, we come to this portion of scripture and race ahead to the end where Jesus marvelously stands up and orders the winds and waves to be calm. But there was another miracle taking place, even before that. In the middle of all the panic, waves and wind, Jesus actually fell asleep! Let’s try for a moment to imagine that scene from the perspective of the disciples as they feverously worked to keep the ship afloat, while shouting to one other over the wind:

“Row harder John!”

“Leave me alone Peter. You just keep bailing!”

“Matthew! What are you doing? This isn’t a tax collector’s booth. Grab an oar and help out!”

“James, since you aren’t doing anything else, won’t you at least go wake up Jesus? Maybe He knows what to do!”

All the while as they struggled, and in spite of the waves that were washing over the side of the boat, Jesus slept soundly on a pillow in the stern. Some have presumed that Jesus was just pretending to sleep, but the Bible makes no such statement. After a long day of preaching, praying for thousands of people, and then walking miles down to the boat Jesus was just flat out exhausted. But neither the demands of HIs ministry nor the immediate commotion around Him in the storm, caused Him to miss the opportunity to rest.

Maybe some of us have problems with our relationships, our jobs, and even our health because we miss the opportunities that God gives us to rest. We don’t have to wait for vacation time, some religious event or the weekend to rest. We don’t have to row harder, bail faster or run around in a panic. God’s peace is just as available to us right where we are, as it was for Jesus in the storm. When we can fully trust God’s control over every problem that we face, then we can rest in Him. He knows what to do. He won’t let our boat go down. His plan will be completed in His way. He is the Master of our seas. Winds and waves still obey His will, and His love still lifts us up so that we can rest in Him!

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