Prayer

Garden of Prayer!

/ pastorpete51 / 3 Comments

Then Jesus came with them to a place called Gethsemane, and said to the disciples, “Sit here while I go and pray over there.” Matthew 25:36 NKJV

When Hurricane Milton passed through, everyone in our area, including all the residents at Life Care Center, were evacuated. This first service since we returned featured a new appreciation for how God preserved us and brought us back together. There is no better hymn to sing in celebration than “The Beautiful Garden of Prayer.” We passed through a time of anxiety, difficulty and testing and as we prayed, God drew us closer to His heart and deeper into the Beautiful Garden of Prayer! “The lyrics for The Beautiful Garden of Prayer were written by Eleanor Schroll and first published in 1920. The wonderful lilting melody was composed by James Filmore. This little-known hymn is one of my favorites and it reminds me of when Jesus invited His disciples to join Him in prayer, in the Garden of Gethsemane. Though they did not know it, this was the last time they would be able to pray with Jesus before His crucifixion. That invitation remains today for all of us who follow Christ. He is already in the garden, and He is calling us to join Him. No matter what situation we are facing, He will open the gates and welcome us to kneel by His side and pray. Won’t you come to His side whether in praise or in sorrow and tarry there an hour? What better place could we ever wait, than in the presence of the Savior?

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!

Who is on Guard Duty?

/ pastorpete51 / 1 Comment 
Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:6-7 NIV

A few days ago, the verse of the day in my Bible app was the one from Proverbs that told us to guard our hearts. It was great advice, but my problem is that I am not always great at guard duty. Sometimes I am distracted by temporary problems, get embroiled in controversies with the other guards or have days when I just feel like being lazy. That is why I was encouraged by these words of Paul to in the church in Philippi. After several chapters dealing with the hot topics of the day, he gives some fatherly advice to his friends telling them that they could bring all their problems and anxieties to God in prayer. But they must also remember to give God thanks in advance and trust Him for the answer.

I am so happy to learn that it isn’t just by my being vigilant or adhering to a strict set of rules that my heart is protected. I am guarded by asking God for help. Now, I don’t know about you, but God is definitely a better guard than me! I fall asleep about ten o’clock every night, but God stays awake 24/7. God never sleeps so that we can. He never fails, though we do so often. God is always faithful, loving kind and powerful, so why should we ever doubt Him? Let’s start today by giving Him thanks for His help in our crisis, His mercy to forgive our sins and most of all for His sacrifice of His only Son Jesus, so that His peace could guard our hearts and minds today!