James McDonald On What Is Prayer

James McDonald Said:

Prayer is the process of getting spiritually ready to receive what God already wants to do.

Something to think about, huh? If you want to learn more about praying effectively and what it means to obtain what you want and need through God, listen to his message.

Some ministries of James McDonald:

Watch "Why Don't We Pray?" TV broadcast 

Walk In The Word With James McDonald website 

Harvest Bible Chapel 

Act Like Men Conference 

Harvest Christian Academy

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Praying For Public, Private And Unknown Souls

~ Pray For Mercy From God For That Soul To Be Saved, If There Is Any Chance At All ~

Some Christians are devastated about the untimely passing of Prince, and wonder about the condition of his soul. Once a person, whose salvation we wonder about, has passed on, the only thing that we can do is pray for mercy from God for that soul to be saved, if there is any chance at all for that to happen after death. The person may even have already been redeemed, and we had no evidence of it.

~ We look at a person's lifestyle and judge that they could not possibly have been saved. ~

Many Christians, most probably, believe that it's too late to be saved once the last breath is drawn, and that a person has to have accepted Jesus Christ as Savior before he/she dies. There are also some Christians who believe in a pergutory, a place where the departed soul that is unsaved can go to work out their salvation. There has always been much controversy and scripture-slinging misuse of God's word about it. Christians also believe that the members of some denominations or Christian groups have a better chance at becoming saved than others, even when they believe similarly. We look at a person's lifestyle and judge that they could not possibly have been saved. No way, man.

~ We don't know what has happened in her/his heart at any given time. ~

The truth is that even if a person has never given a public testimony about being Born Again, and even if their life does not reflect it, we don't know what has happened in her/his heart at any given time. We also don't know how long is the time between the drawing of the last breath and the traveling of the spirit on to its destination, and what may or may not happen during that time. Man thinks he knows so much, when basically he knows nothing.

~ Pray for God to have mercy on the soul of anyone who has passed on. ~

We all have special feelings for certain ones, and celebrities and public figures make it easy for us to forget others. We should practice, at all times, to be moved by the condition of the souls of every human being on this earth. I remind myself of this, and shift my focus when some well-known, popular person passes on. This is one of the largest areas where we can pray without ceasing, to pray for the insurance of salvation of everyone that we know, that we hear of, that we see, that we learn of, that we like and that we don't like, everyday, before they leave this earth. Pray for God to have mercy on the soul of anyone who has passed on, along with Prince. That will help ease our sorrow, and remind us to always focus on being prepared. Our time could be up here, or Jesus could return any moment.

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The Rock That Is Higher Than I

When my heart is overwhelmed: lead me to the rock

that is higher than I. For thou has been a shelter for me,

and a strong tower from the enemy.

 (Psalm 61:2-3 KJV)

Trust Jesus today to place you in a position to receive all of the help, provision, support and assistance that is available to all who love God with their hearts, minds and spirits. Jesus Christ is the Way, the Truth and the Life. No one comes to the Father, but by Him.

You can live by that same Holy Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead, for He is alive today. He is even now at the right hand of his Father, our God, continuously interceding for us, until all evil will be done away with for good.

You don't have to be afraid. You don't have to be alone. You don't have to be defeated.  The God of all Hope will fight battles for you, and set your feet upon high places. 

The Lord is good, a refuge in times of trouble.

He cares for those who trust in him.

(Nahum 1:7 NIV)  

If you want to be sure that you are saved for Eternity, and that you have all of the help that is available to those who love God, accept Jesus, His only Son, as your Savior today. There is no other. Say a simple prayer to Jesus. Use these words, or use your own words:

Jesus, come into my heart now and save me. I believe that you are God's Son and the only Savior of the world. I want to be a child of God and to live for Eternity with you. Show me how to live a new life for the rest of my years here on Earth, and to care about the things of God. Thank you for breaking the hold over me of everything that is not good. I believe that I am in God's kingdom now, that old things have passed away for me, and that all things have become new. Thank you for showing me how to receive all that God has for me, and how to be a blessing to others. Amen.  

Image Credit: Pixabay.com
Text On Image: Artsy Craftery Studio

 

In Adversity His Power Is Most Strong

Have you ever asked God to send someone to you who is in need, so that you can help them? Ever asked him to show you those who need special prayer? Anyone who has any time under their belt with God knows that the answer often comes in ways that we don't expect, can't recognize and often don't want to embrace.

God sometimes directs to us a person who needs special prayer, but who presents in a disappointing, frustrating or even fearful way.

In other words, he will often allow circumstances in which our fleshly focus will be the offense that a person causes. We then have a choice to allow the anger, frustration or fear to reign and flourish, or we can step back into the Spirit and pray the prayer that God desires for the person. We can then reestablish our faith in God's authority in our lives, and how He protects us through his Holy Spirit and his mighty army of angels.

A young, female stranger in a green hoodie had knocked on our door twice, before I could answer. When I peeked out, she was looking in our mailbox, which was in the yard near the porch. I opened the door, demanding to know what she was doing, and she brushed it off as nothing. I demanded more answers to more questions, including that she must know it is against the law to open mailboxes. She agreed to some of my statements and gave questionable answers to others. At times her attitude seemed to border on belligerence, though I was not yelling or verbally abusing her.

Wanting her to know that she could not take advantage of me, but not wanting to be abusive, I told her strongly that she needed to leave, which she nervously did. I watched her pick up her backpack and jacket from the sidewalk and walk away. I knew that at any time there were many drifters moving through this area. Faith aside, for safety's sake and in respect of our neighbors, we could not invite any of them to stop at our house, when we otherwise would have wanted to help. This is one of the reasons that I told her firmly that she needed to leave, to discourage her from returning.  Also she was trying to con me and seeking to steal from our mailbox.The best thing to do was to get her off of our property, and I did not feel led of the Spirit to report it to the police.

Naturally (the keyword is naturally, or fleshly), after she left I was infuriated by a feeling of helplessness. How could we protect our property from wanderers? It is on a busy 3-lane street and not facing another house. The 2 houses to the left and right diagonally across the street, and the 1 to the side are all facing away and either privacy-fenced or blocked by foliage. To the right was an old, private cemetery. What had seemed like a blessing in privacy was beginning to feel like a liability in safety.

The frustration mounted and then my intercessory prayer spirit kicked in as I thought to pray for this deceitful trespasser.

I have been growing in my ability to look past the person and try to see a need. So I prayed for her. Then I began to think of how God sometimes will test us by sending a person who seems to be a threat, but for whom he wants us to pray a special prayer. God knows where that person is mentally, emotionally and spiritually. God know what he is about to do in that person's heart. God knows when it is time, or almost time. So I went back to my prayer room.

I prayed a 2nd prayer for her, more detailed and more fervent. Then I prayed for myself and our property, reestablishing God's power and authority over his property. How were we going to protect our mail from now on? It was already an ongoing issue to monitor the outgoing and incoming mail, and the arrival of packages. Today though it seemed as if we were being attacked and that the way was being opened for us to be assaulted by trespassers. Isn't that the way that the flesh operates? It breeds never-ending fear and anxiety. I prayed again, and reestablished my belief that God has an army of angels dispatched to protect us and this property from assault. I reasserted that whatever he allows is for a reason and will be recycled for our good.

Why does God sometimes allow us to be tested in this way? Well, it's often twofold. He'll send someone into our mist who now needs a special prayer about something or another. God knows where the person is at, and all that we need to do is pray what we feel, and allow the Holy Spirit to take it from there. Then, God allows to come with the person some annoying or frustrating circumstance so that we can see what we are made of. He already knows where we are at in our walk with him. He also knows where we think we are. The adverse circumstance helps us to see where we are, and to reach up a little higher.

So he often allows a two-fold circumstance so that we can become more adept at choosing to allow his power to work.

It is in a circumstance of adversity that his power will most strongly work for us. It's when we don't feel like it, or are suffering too much, or are too afraid or frustrated, or feel violated when we have a choice to take his power, which we've been claiming and asking for more of everyday, and apply it. It is a choice. We can feel that we are at the mercy of evil, and allow that dreaded fear to take over and multiply, or we can step from our flesh back into our reborn spirit, rise up and invite the power of God that we have been boasting about to take over.

Do I know for sure that God was in this invasion, that it was him who allowed the stranger to enter our property, try to steal from our mailbox and become belligerent and shifty when questioned? No, I don't know for sure. But, I choose to believe that it was God and that he is in control, and that his purpose is to bless her and me through the experience. The only other option is to believe that it was not him and that he is not in control, and that we are at the mercy of anyone who walks by. Go with God. It's as simple as that.

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Image Credit: Pixabay.com free images.

Jesus Prayed For You: Did You Know That?

Jesus Christ prayed for us.

Did you know that before he was led away to be crucified, Jesus prayed to his father for you and me? It was after he prayed for his disciples, who had the enormous and monumental task of remaining committed to their calling, that Jesus then prayed for us. His disciples were to spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ on a speaking circuit that could have no other ending than that of a painful and humiliating death. Whom else did Jesus go on to think of as he finished his supplications for those who were fingered by God to wear the great mantle of propagating the Gospel? He thought of the ones who would take to heart the words that his disciples would speak.

He thought of you and I, knowing that the world would continue on for an undetermined length of time. He did not know when he would be returning to launch the reestablishment of the new heaven and the new earth. He had no idea of the appointed time to begin the abolishing of the regime of Satan and his army of fallen angels. Only his father knew the appointed day and time. He knew that we would need all of the grace and help from his father that we could receive. His compassion, foreknowledge and wisdom led him to stand in the gap for you and me, to serve as a proxy in prayer at the throne of God, to for a moment not think of what he was about to endure, but to pray for our strength in a corrupt and dying world.

These are the words, that John recorded, that Jesus spoke to God the Father on our behalf:

20 "I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word;

21 that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me.

22 And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one:

23 I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me.

24 Father, I desire that they also whom You gave Me may be with Me where I am, that they may behold My glory which You have given Me; for You loved Me before the foundation of the world.

25 O righteous Father! The world has not known You, but I have known You; and these have known that You sent Me.

26 And I have declared to them Your name, and will declare it, that the love with which You loved Me may be in them, and I in them."

(John 17:20-26 NKJV-New King James Version)

The Jesus Christ then is the same Christ that we honor today.

We may be far removed from the timeline of these events, but that Jesus is the same Jesus that we honor today. He loves us because we were given to him by his father. He has never ceased to pray for us. He is even now at the right hand of his father, interceding on our behalf. Let's strive always to remind ourselves of how much he loves us, and always will. Those of us who choose to believe and hold on will be with him throughout eternity, enjoying God's everlasting love.

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Scripture References: BibleStudyTools

Images:

1. "Jesus Christ prayed for us," Pixabay Free Images
2.  "The Jesus Christ then is the same Christ that we honor today," ©SJHolland, acrylic and collage painting

Lift Your Mind Above Defeat

"No one can ever overcome anything until his thoughts are creative and positive. It is important that you lift your mind to a higher level.

Mentally, as you raise your mind above the defeats and conflicts you face, your personality will receive help from God in the form of clear thinking, resolute reaching out toward happiness, deeper understanding, and renewed strength.

When your thoughts are in confusion, you live in an unreal world, and you cannot see your way up and out of it."

I think the resolute reaching out for happiness is one of the most critical abilities that we need help with. It is during those times of severe discouragement and depression that we feel that we simply cannot make any effort. We can't try anymore. We can't pray. We can't have hope. We can't believe. We just can't make it anymore. Happiness is a choice that we sometimes feel we just can't make, but we can. We can learn how to do this under any circumstances. It will release great blessings for us, and for others.

I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, which is where my help comes from (paraphrased).

(Psalm 121:1)

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Excerpt from How To Handle Tough Times, A Guideposts Outreach Publication ©1990 Peale Center For Christian Living

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The Pocket Power Prayer

The effective prayer that Jesus modeled has traditionally been seen as The Lord's Prayer. It's actually a prayer model that Jesus suggested to his disciples to use when they prayed (Matthew 6 NKJV). He also admonished them to not use vain repetitions, which raises a question. If we pray this prayer regularly, aren't we using repetition?

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The answer is in Verse 9, where Jesus encourages them to pray "in this manner."

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He does not tell them to pray that prayer. In this manner means that he was providing a template, a format for them to use in creating their own prayer to God the Father

It is easy for man to get in a rut and to perform actions without thinking or feeling. Man also faces the danger of performing to receive glory from others, and to make a good impression. Jesus says that the only value that is received for that kind of behavior is what is gotten from others at that moment. There is no long term, spiritual benefit from performing vain repetitions to impress others. If we perform for others, it is easy to use vain repetitions because there is no heart in our display.

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If we pray in private, making our prayer session between us and God alone, it is easy to use his prayer model to construct our own prayer, because our innermost feelings are drawn out.

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It would be beneficial for you to create a prayer in your own words, using Jesus' model. I call it the Pocket Power Prayer, because it packs a lot of power in its small size. You would then pray it often, adding extra thoughts and feelings to it whenever they come up in your spirit. In this way, you will reduce the chance of making it repetitious.

This prayer model is useful when we don't know what to pray, but want to commune with God. I was on my knees and wanted to pray once, but just felt tired and uninspired. I decided to pray The Lord's Prayer, because I had heard that it covers everything.

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I prayed it from the heart, carefully pronouncing each word and thinking deeply about the meaning of each phrase.

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The most interesting thing happened! When I finished, I wanted to continue praying, adding more to cover all of my concerns of that moment, but I could not pray anything else. When I began to say a statement, it felt like I'd already prayed it. I felt that it was already covered. So it is true that when Jesus spoke this prayer model to his disciples, he presented a perfect prayer format.

This is my prayer rewrite. You are welcome to use it whenever you would like, but I encourage you to write your own. Just rewrite each phrase of The Lord's Prayer in your own words. There are no perfect or right words or sentences. Just follow Jesus' format. As long as it makes sense to you God will understand and commune with you, because as Jesus said, "For your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him" (Matthew 6:8 NKJV). This does not replace our open lines of communication with God, or our short or long prayers to God at any time.  It's an additional tool. If you look closely, you can see how I have followed Jesus' model for praying to God.

Dear Father, who lives in heavenly places that we can't yet see. May we respect your name continuously. May your inner glory fill us and your outer glory consume the world in due time. We embrace your daily plan in our lives and all around us, and throughout the world, just as your plans are carried out in the heavenly places. Thank you for providing food today, in whatever way it shall come.

We choose to forgive everyone who has misused, damaged or failed us. We know that in return we have your forgiveness, through your Son Jesus' sacrifice, for our sin state and all that it entails. Thank you for providing a way out of cowardice when we are tried, so that we can hold on and endure the testing. In this way, we know that we will be delivered from the evil of faithlessness and fear.  We know that you own everything, Father. You possess power over all things, and all glory belongs to you. Amen

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Image Credit: Wallpapers Wide
Scriptures Taken From: Bible Study Tools

4-Point Prayer Day: Extra Communication With God

Today is 4-Point Prayer Day for me. I'll get on my knees 4 times today, in addition to my regular Open Line of Communication with God. Why am I doing this? Because the additional actions of reverence and submission to God go a long way to boost my faith and reception.

I believe that one of the main reasons that we feel that our prayers are not answered is because we don't know how to receive. Practicing a day of getting on my knees 4 times is a jump-starter and rocket-infusion of spiritual positioning. I am making an extra effort to get into position to communicate with and receive from God. I am readying myself to grab hold of whatever it is that I need in order to advance to the next level of my spiritual walk. This puts me in a position to also receive into the natural, that which I've asked for and am believing God for in the spiritual.


Like fasting and other special activities before the Lord, 4-Point Prayer Day is not something that I will be doing often, or every other day. I want to preserve the power of this event, and not allow it to become a stagnant and boring habit. I'll do it as I feel the need. This process was given to me in my spirit a few weeks ago. I'm excited to now begin practicing it.

God bless your prayer life to reach

new heights of effectiveness!

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Image Graphic Credit: Wake Up To Jesus http://wakeup4jesus.blogspot.be/

Prayer For Male Victims Of Domestic Abuse

I read this letter from a reader, about female-on-male domestic violence, at the Abigail Van Buren (Dear Abby) column at Yahoo News:

While female-on-male domestic violence is reported less often than male-on-female violence, it does happen, as anyone who reads my column regularly knows. Men who need help should call the Domestic Abuse Helpline for Men and Women -- the toll-free number is 888-743-5754 -- because help is available. (http://surl.me/0o44)


This is a problem that, as with the other ills of this world, has been growing for decades. It is an issue of which the male victims are certainly embarrassed to speak. I'm sharing the phone number above in hopes that it will encourage someone to reach out for help, and that someone will reach out to help.

Dear Lord:

Send helpers to reach out to men who are being abused. Send willing workers and resources to establish places of safety for these men. Encourage them, strengthen them, and most of all give them a hunger and thirst to know You, and to receive eternal deliverance as you help them to have better lives.

In Jesus' name I pray and according to Your will.

Amen.

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Image Credit: http://www.surl.me/agmnd

The After-Prayer: The Most Effective Of Them All

Have you ever had a good prayer session, and then as you were getting up you made another statement to God? Has that statement been asking or pleading with God? Has it been a statement of praising him? Have you ever made a quick and unplanned statement of thanks to God after your intense prayer session? These quick, barely discernible after-prayers are wrung from our spirits and offered up, without planning, guile or deceit. Just what are these after-prayers?

They are the prayers after our prayers and are the most pure and impassioned, because they are not contrived. They are spontaneous and natural. The striking, intensely emotional prayer of a righteous man is of much advantage, profit and assistance. There is nothing wrong with the long, constructed prayers that help us to organize our thoughts and come before God with confidence. These types of humble offerings can also be capable of producing the intended result. After-prayers, however, come closer to communing with God.

These authentic, powerful and ardent prayers are the simple statements that are birthed from us in unintended devotion. The length is not important, because they are often one, two or three sentences. They are cast up unawares to God. When you recognize that you have offered up an after-prayer, be thankful and rejoice. They are like whispers, like the Holy Spirit. They are uncluttered with superfluous words and thoughts. They are petitions and thanksgivings that are truly fervent and effectual. They are honest and deeply-felt, a sweet incense to God, whom we can only really worship in spirit and in truth.

The effectual, fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.

James 5:16 KJV

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Word definitions taken from: The Free Dictionary by Farlex
Scripture references taken from: Bible Study Tools
Image credit: FunkyMonkeySnacks07

Praying For Thieves

I found myself in front of the church gazing at the roses, which led me to think about the stolen rose bushes. Someone(s) had pilfered three new rose bushes from a street side median. They had been placed there to beautify the old, eclectic neighborhood, and now that spot of arid dirt was once again barren. I can't understand how someone could plant stolen rose bushes in their yard and look at them with appreciation everyday. Maybe they were stolen and sold. Roses are so beautiful and stand for so many beautiful things.

My thoughts drifted to the consistent theft that I experienced while working in a department store. The same group of family and friends, in various numbers or singly, would regularly steal throughout the store. They would shop each holiday, sports event and season, stealing housewares, clothing, children's items, costumes and anything else they could conceal. They stole at Easter, and they stole for Harvest/Halloween. They stole before game day, and at Christmastime. I can't imagine how it feels to laugh and play and enjoy life in a home filled with stolen items, and to care for children whose every item of apparel has been stolen.

We know that there are many types of theft in many different circumstances. When we pray for thieves, we are praying for ourselves as well. We can be stealing, pilfering, pinching, cheating, misrepresenting and misappropriating, and not recognize it, denying it, hiding from it, justifying it and whitewashing it. It is not so much the act as the tiny thought in the heart.  We know about the heart of man, don't we? (Jeremiah 17:9)

So let's pray for thieves and most of all, for the thoughts that lead to chronic and acute thieving and dishonesty. Let's pray for the healing of hearts with a propensity towards stealing. Pray for thieves, and let us pray for each other, while we're at it.
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Image Credit: Eric K Washington, flickr

Such As It Is

I walked briskly out onto the boulevard, then made a right onto the drive, and then another right onto the side street. I was having my usual morning walk, talking to the Lord and enjoying nature.

The same old troublesome thoughts began to insinuate themselves into my mind as I prayed along my peaceful journey. Turning it all over to God, I said

Thank you God for happiness and health,

and as the depressive thoughts tried to reenter, I added,

such as it is.

Though some things in my life are not as I want them to be, I don't allow that fact to prevent me from thanking God. Such as it is means that I have in my possession all of the good things that God has created. I may be waiting for the manifestation of many things, but I thank God for those things now. Such as it is dis-empowers the thoughts that will ask do you really have that, do you really feel that, do you really mean that. I always want my answer to be a wholeheartedly YES! Such as it is declares that what I currently have is worth thanking God for, and I also have the increase that is coming.

And so I am filled with gladness, and my words are full of joy.

And I, mortal though I am, will rest assured in hope,...

(Acts 2:26, GNT: Good News Translation, BibleStudyTools.com) 

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Image Credit: OCVA

You Are Here: Tired Of Praying & Weary I

When you're just too tired and weary to pray, tell the Spirit of God.

Do you sometimes feel tired of praying, tired of believing, tired of asking?  Do you feel so weary that you no longer know what to say in your prayers, or how to pray? All of this comes because you are such a faithful believer, such a faithful praying person.

To be burdened with this weariness is to give up. To give up means that in due season you will not reap. If you don't give up, when will the due season come?  Most of the time we don't know. Sometimes we are given information on that, most of the time not. Do some die never ever realizing the fulfillment of a long-standing prayer? Yes, and it no longer matters then. While you are here, if you give up, you'll never know if you would have enjoyed the fulfillment of your earth-based prayers.

Have you sacrificed for others? What about going the extra mile for others? Have you given your all for others? In what other ways have you performed good deeds for others? How often have you pushed on, not being weary in well-doing for others? Not being weary in well-doing also means sacrificing, giving your all, and going the extra mile in well-doing towards yourself. Praying one more time is well-doing, but what about feeling just too tired to pray today. And what about being weary and confused about what to say, if you could pray?

Words are necessary to bring things to past, and if we can't form the words, the Spirit of God will.

Well, there is a Helper who speaks the words on our behalf, if we will rely on Him, especially at those times when we're just too tired to form another prayer. Words are necessary to bring things to past, and if we can't form the words, the Spirit of God will. There is another advocate who intercedes on our behalf, always, whether we're too tired to pray, or not. Jesus Christ stands at the right hand of God, speaking for us.

So when you're just too tired and weary to pray, tell the Spirit of God, who is always with you, I'm just too tired to pray, I can't form the words and I just don't know what to say. Help me please. And just be quiet. Don't try to pray a lengthy, eloquent prayer today. Your spirit is willing, and your flesh is weak. That is why you are reading this, because your spirit is willing. The Spirit of God knows your heart, that you believe in the power of prayer, and that you believe God. You can rest in that, and rely upon His Spirit, until you feel more able to form your prayers again.

And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.

 (Galatians 6:9  King James Version-KJV)

In the same way, the Spirit also helps our weaknesses, for we don't know how to pray as we ought. But the Spirit himself makes intercession for us with groanings which can't be uttered.

 (Romans 8:26  World English Bible-WEB)

For he that seeketh the hearts, knoweth what the Spirit desireth, for by God [for after God, that is, at God's will,] he asketh for holy men. 

 (Romans 8:27  Wycliffe)

You Are Here: Tired Of Praying & Weary II

You Are Here: Tired Of Praying & Weary III

You Are Here: Tired Of Praying & Weary IV

You Are Here: Tired Of Praying & Weary V

You Are Here: Tired Of Praying & Weary VI

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Image Credit: Rowdy Rider

Don't Hate, Just Pray

While walking to the store this morning I was solicited by a guy loitering out front.  As I walked through the convenience store parking lot, he stood up from where he was leaning against the wall behind the trash can.  Hey baby, he called.  You wanna jump on me?  I looked to the left at him with a scowl.  I was on my way to the grocery store next door, and didn't break stride as I said I don't know what that means, and kept stepping.

As I crossed over into the supermarket parking lot, I thought with annoyance how people do this sort of thing.  They are always bothering people and getting on the nerves of others.  As I walked and thought, my frown began to smooth out, and I thought that God can help him.  I silently rebuked myself for my train of thought.  Don't hate, just pray I told myself.  God knows why he's doing what he's doing. God knows what he needs that is beyond what he's doing.  I began to pray for him as I approached the glass doors of the store.

Don't hate, just pray is not about being jealous of the possessions, blessings or traits of someone else.  It's about re-directing our train of thought from being angry at the activities of others, to feeling compassion for them, and then praying a heartfelt prayer on their behalf.  We can hate what they do, but it's more beneficial, for us and them, to arrest our train of thought from hating the person.

We don't like it when we are approached by certain types of characters.  We don't want to rub shoulders with certain types of people.  When we encounter this, our thoughts can rapidly degrade, and become useless, if we are not aware of it.

When I left the store the 'fella was still loafing outside the convenience store.  He yelled out a similar invitation to another man, as he left the store.  That person said I don't know man, and kept walking, never turning around to look at the loafer.  Using my wisdom as a woman walking alone, I gave a wide berth to the front of the store where the man loitered.  As I made my way on towards home, I smiled and thought, Give grace to the graceless, and don't hate, just pray.  I did not doubt that God loves that man.

I desire therefore that the men in every place pray,

lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting.

(I Timothy 2:8 World English Bible)

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Image Credit: lovette<3 

Prayers & Celebrations For Christmas & New Year's

Praying Snowman, watercolor on paper, collage, (c)Sandi Holland Mixed Media

To Christians, Jesus is the reason for the season.  To non-Christians, gift-giving, vacations, tradition and celebrations are reasons for the season.  To me, it's healthy to enjoy a combination of both.

Jesus participated in worldly traditions when he kindly provided wine at a wedding that he and his mom were attending.  Did Jesus drink any of the wine?  The Bible doesn't say.  Does it matter whether he did or not?  Not in the great big 'ole scheme of things.

I think what is pertinent is that Jesus was present in his community, by joining in with the festivities.  It's possible that he would have preferred to be away praying alone, or reading, or being devout, or whatever their word for that would have been.  The truth is that he was always being a part of his society, while he lived with the fact that he was separate.

So I wish you many inspired and fervent prayers for this holiday season.  Prayers are of God, and the effectual, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.  I also wish you many celebrations and gifts of many types, because it is an uplifting tradition of our society.

If you're a Christian, join in the worldly holiday gaiety, in your own reverent way.  Be a part, rather than apart.  If you're not a Christian, spend some time with a Christian neighbor or associate.  Go to a Christian event, it doesn't have to be church.  Be a part, rather than apart.

God is everywhere, and everywhere he is there is hope.  If you're a non-Christian, you can enjoy a part of him by spending time this season with a Christian.  Do it, even if you're not ready to be a Christian.  Maybe you feel that you'll probably never take the plunge to be a Christian.  Even so, spend time with a Christian this season.

Season's Greetings.  Happy Holidays.  Merry Christmas.  Happy Hanukkah.  Feliz Navidad.  Have a joyful and thankful Kwanzaa.  As my snowman is doing, pray, and then enjoy your presents, even if it's just one that you've given yourself.

And Happy New Year's too!

Can You Say A Prayer For Your Tormentor?

This is a difficult thing to consider.  It can be an obscene question depending on what terrible thing is being done to a praying person.  Praying for our tormentors is always possible, because prayer is without respect of persons.  All things are possible through prayer.  We can even pray for the strength and humility to be able to pray for our persecutors, harassers,  oppressors, and others who may afflict us.

Some torment is absolutely horrific , and I am not minimizing the suffering of those in those situations.  Often the suffering of children is unspeakable.  If I was facing a child who had lived through an extended, monstrous situation, what could I ever say to him or her?  What could I say to help that child feel that God cares, as he or she lay suffering near death?

My message comes back to me, and it is always the same: if possible find the strength to pray as good a prayer as possible for a tormentor.  It doesn't have to mean that I agree, accept or condone what is happening, or what happened.  It means that there was a price that was paid, both for the tormentor and  the tormented.  Jesus Christ paid the price equally for everyone, and this life is often unfair at various levels, for many of us.  Some suffer in diverse ways their entire lives.  Eventually though when it's all over, we will experience the rectifying of all injustice, including any injustices which each of us may have done.  God is a very fair God, and he has provided for it all to be made right.

So whether the torment is light or heavy, moderate or intense, brief or extended, mental, emotional or physical, God can give us the strength to pray for our tormentors.  When our first thought may be to curse our tormentors, and even to curse God, we can find the strength to pray for the afflictors.

Have you ever considered that you may have tormented someone unawares?  Maybe a word or action that you did, without forethought or plan, hurt someone deeply in some way.  Maybe your attitude towards someone has always been demeaning, degrading, or even offensive.  Did you hurt a child to such a degree that that adult has never recovered?  If you learned of it wouldn't you want that person to pray on your behalf?  If you never became aware of it, wouldn't you hope that one day that person had the strength to pray on your behalf?

You may never see a change, in this world, after your prayer.  It is possible that, before you breathe your last breath, that you may never be delivered from the circumstance of your torment.  The person you pray for may never know that they did or are doing something that is causing you great pain.  He or she may be intent on purposely  oppressing you, and may not ever  care how you feel.  Praying for your tormentor does not bring with it the promise of proof that the tormentor has changed.  You will have peace though that you've done the right thing.

Our prayers for our tormentors will  matter one day, if we continue to believe.

Bless those who persecute you; bless, and don't curse.  (Romans 12:14 World English Bible)

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Image Credit: NCBrian

Ask. That's All That It Takes

I arrived at the end of the Kindle book this morning.  It was a novelette that I'd been reading during spare moments, for the past two days.  Colonel Henry, a writer in residence at a library, befriended one of the clerks.  This was particularly endearing since, because of her high-strung and noble personality, she had antagonized him from the start. 

Always challenging an issue or campaigning some cause or another, Stella rarely gets along with any co-workers at any work place.  She laments that trouble follows her everywhere, and to that the Colonel replies, Trouble's after everybody.  But we're praying people, aren't we?  Stella replies, But I haven't asked him anything for years.  I can't even remember the last time I prayed.

The Colonel tells her that he remembers her asking for help twice during the last catastrophe.  When she insists that it was nothing but sheer desperation, he insists that that's all that it takes.  He quotes a very good scripture to her: ...call upon me in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee. (Psalm 50:15, The Webster Bible)

Considering his response, Stella reasons with herself about what could have happened versus the blessed things that did happen, including help from the Colonel.  She marveled that all of it was a result of simply calling out to God in a stressful time of need, even though she couldn't remember when she had last thought of him.

God will hear us at any time.  Sometimes the answer is immediate and discernible.  Sometimes it seems that he does not hear us, that he does not care.  You can rest assured that if you haven't yet experienced an answer, that he is arranging it.  Even for those who experience prolonged suffering, often until death, when they've called out to God, I believe he heard.  I believe he answered them in some way that we cannot fathom.  

You will find this short and satisfying story, Home Before Dark by Lilly Maytree, at Amazon.
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Image Credit: /PeterS

Sandi Holland on Google+

The Desire To Pray Is Prayer

Because God knows our hearts, He knows that we want to pray.  He knows when you think about praying and proclaim that you are going to.

He knows when you say to yourself, I should pray for her, or them, or those people.  The fact that you have a desire to pray for others is not lost on God.

When you think, I really need help with this.  I wish I knew how to pray!, God hears your plea.  An inner plea is a prayer.

Sometimes you may say to yourself, If only I'd prayed.  If I was a praying person maybe this would have turned out better.  God is aware of your faith.  You experience the desire to pray because you have faith.

Desire manifests into the physical, so your desire is valuable to God.  This is my prayer for you:

Dear Father:

This reader, who is precious to you, desires to pray.  We thank you for hearing the plea and answering the prayer of this visitor, who is known to you by name.  You are a Good God and a Wonderful Father.  You make no mistakes and your plans are perfect.  You are the Most High God, the Only Wise God and the One True God.  Amen.

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Image Credit: Angel prayers on Public Domain Images
Sandi Holland on Google+