Prayer

He Hears

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I sought the Lord and He heard me and delivered me from all my fears. Psalm 34:4

In my imagination I sometimes wonder just how soundly asleep Jesus really was during the storm at sea. I have thought that perhaps he was more aware of the circumstances than the disciples knew. Perhaps as He climbed into the boat that day He said something along the lines of: “Okay while you guys start rowing us across Galilee, I am going to take a nap. Then as He borrowed a pillow and went to sleep He was saying to himself, “I know what is coming next, I wonder how long it will be before they wake me up?”

photo of people on rowboat during sunset

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Then as the wind picked up and the sky darkened with storm clouds the disciples kept rowing as hard as they could. They didn’t want Jesus to have to worry about anything; after all they were all experienced fishermen. Then as the first wave or two sloshed over the side of the boat some may have begun to worry. Finally as wave after giant wave tossed the little boat up and down and it began to take on water panic took hold of their hearts.

 

“Master, carest thou not that we perish?” Mark 4:38b

 

Just like us, they had come to the place where they wondered if God even cared about their fears. But Jesus is in our boat, to be our Immanuel through any storm. He listened to the disciples. He listened to King David. He is listening to you.

If today you are facing your biggest fear God is with you in your boat. He is waiting for us to cry out like David, like the disciples and like countless generations of believers. He is with us and He hears!

Confessing Your Fears

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I sought the Lord and He heard me and delivered me from all my fears.  Psalm 34:4

A pastor of mine once had a job working on steel towers hundreds of feet tall. He talked with me one day about the process of training that men went through to be able to join the crew. One phrase that he often said was, “Any man who says he isn’t afraid is a liar!” I believe that King David would have agreed with my pastor. He didn’t try convincing God that he was courageous. David’s response to the fear that he felt was to cry out to the Lord. He knew that God already knew that he was terrified. He wasn’t trying to fool God or anyone else. David knew of only one place to go and that was to his knees! Like a child shouting for his father’s help David unhesitatingly cried to God. Just as you will never convince a child not to cry out when hurt, so we need to know that God is not putting us to the test to see how much pain we can withstand.

low angle view of electric post

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The entire mission of Jesus Christ while on earth was summed up in a single word, “Immanuel” He is God with us. He willing came to Bethlehem to be with us. He willingly was rejected by his own people, even at times by his own family so we would never have to be alone. Jesus knows the fact that we have lived all of our lives in fear of death. Jesus came to bring us life, not to tell us to keep a stiff upper lip. Admitting ours fears to God is nothing to be ashamed of; in fact it is our first step towards courage!

 

Holy Week – Day 1

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And he was teaching them and saying to them, “Is it not written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer for all the nations’? But you have made it a den of robbers.” Mark 11:17 ESV

Some of us get the idea that Jesus of Nazareth went through His ministry smiling, blessing children and sitting with newly washed lambs. But on Monday of Holy Week; this same Jesus who had forgiven the woman caught in adultery and who ate with sinners became angry when He went to the temple to pray. Instead of meekly entering He instead shouted as he drove the buyers and sellers away saying indignantly, “Is it not written My House shall be called a house of prayer?”

inside photography of church

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Now the case could be made that Jesus was upset because of the physical location where these vendors were set up. But more importantly;  when Jesus used the word “House” he also meant household or family. In other words the place where God’s family meets should be exclusively for brothers and sisters who come together to pray. Of course it is easy for us 2,000 years later to be critical, but are we any better today?  Are we truly, first and foremost a family of prayer?

Or do we sometimes maneuver our way into desirable positions in order to take unfair advantage of others? Are we putting ourselves right back at the money changer’s tables? Our special events are great and fellowship while we are having coffee matters; but can we say that prayer is the main thing that happens at church (Online or otherwise)?  Secondly notice also that Jesus went on to say that His family was supposed to be for all nations. Are all nations showing up at our place of worship?  Jesus wants to clean His house of anything that keeps us apart. Then when everyone brings their own inheritance into God’s family  together we become the House of God and His family indeed!