Prayer: Part VI (final)

 Consistent with the Lord’s Prayer, in Mark 11:25, Jesus instructs that in prayer, believers should extend forgiveness to each other as God has extended His own forgiveness to them.  This principle is also articulated in the parable of the unmerciful servant which is found in Matthew 18:21-35. 

 

Prayer: Part V

 Prayer reflects dependence on God and His divine providence through requests for sustenance, forgiveness, protection, and all other supplications.  Psalm 107 reflects the depth of God’s work in the lives of believers.  The message found in Ephesians 1:3-12 also memorializes the role of humanity in the predestined plan of God.  E.M. Bounds wrote that, “[p]rayer is asking God for something, and for something which He has promised.  Prayer is using divinely appointed means for obtaining what we need and for accomplishing what God proposes to do on earth.

 

Prayer: Part IV

Prayer is an expression of submission of individual will to that of the Father.  James 4:7-8 reminds believers to “[s]ubmit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.”  Daniel 10: 10-14 also presents an example of how God hears the prayers of a believer who has humbled himself before God. 

 

Prayer: Part II

Prayer is directed to the Father.  Believers are to have faith in God, believing that He hears them, and if they ask according to His will, those things will come to pass.   This principle is also reflected in 1 John 5:14-15, “This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of Him”  (see also Mark 11:20-25).  

 

Prayer: Part I

A manuscript simply referred to as The Kneeling Christian, the author of which is unknown, shares a story in which a child proffers the following spiritually astute definition of prayer, “[p]rayer is an offering up of our desires unto God for things agreeable to His will, in the name of Christ, with confession of our sins and thankful, acknowledgement of His mercies.

This  definition embodies the themes and principles embodied in the Lord’s Prayer (Luke 11:1-13). 

Prayer is directed to the Father.

Prayer is an expression of worship and adoration.

Prayer is an expression of submission of individual will to the will of the Father.

Prayer reflects dependence of God.

In prayer, we extend forgiveness and are ourselves forgiven.

 

WWFM: Solitude

  The primary time when I practice the discipline of solitude is when I am trying to make a big decision in my life.  Solitude helps me to seek God’s will, which in turn helps to mature my abilities to discern the Spirit.  Solitude is a spiritual discipline that I enjoy, but at this point in my life I rarely have time to practice complete solitude.   I usually have background sounds when I take a few minutes to withdraw and just listen to God.  I can usually tune out my surroundings and listen for God to speak to me.  However, I think it would be good for me to try to practice solitude in complete silence.

 

Sunday School

I teach the early childhood class in our Sunday School program. Tomorrow’s lesson will be over the Good Samaritan. Here is my lesson plan:

Good Samaritan

Opening prayer

Review of friends – characteristics of friends (good, kind, honest, trustworthy, loving caring)

Today, we are going to learn about being loving and caring to one another – in the Bible we find out that Jesus told us about how someone took time out to care for someone who was hurting when no one else would.

Read & act out “the Good Samaritan”

Chant – Sing this song to the tune of “London Bridge.”

Jesus wants me to be kind,

to be kind, to be kind.

Jesus wants me to be kind,

Kindness makes me happy!

Reflection:

It’s easy not to help others. It’s easy to make up excuses to what we don’t want to do. What about the phrase about “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you?” What does God wants us to do as Christians?

Talk about it – Good Sam

Bible Memorization:

Galatians 5:14

The entire law is summed up in a single command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”

Good Samaritan Maze Worksheet

Good Samaritan Coloring Book

Review and application

1. God wants us to love God, love our neighbors, and love ourselves.
2. We are good neighbors when we show kindness and mercy toward others no matter who they are.
3. We must listen to the teachings of Jesus and then go out and live them.
4. We should help others in need without expecting a reward.

Closing Prayer:

Lord, Help us to know your will in all that we do and help us do it. In your name we pray. Amen.

 

Evening Prayer

Thank you God for giving me patience.  And peace which surpasses all understanding.

 

The Sneeze

I came across this and thought I would share:

THE SNEEZE 
 
They walked in tandem, each of the ninety-two students filing into the already crowded auditorium. With their rich maroon gowns flowing and the traditional caps, they looked almost as grown up as they felt.
 
Dads swallowed hard behind broad smiles, and Moms freely brushed away tears.
 
This class would NOT pray during the commencements, not by choice, but because of a recent court ruling prohibiting it.

The principal and several students were careful to stay within the guidelines allowed by the ruling. They gave inspirational and challenging speeches, but no one mentioned divine guidance and no one asked for blessings on the graduates or their families.

The speeches were nice, but they were routine until the final speech received a standing ovation.

A solitary student walked proudly to the microphone. He stood still and silent for just a moment, and then, it happened. 

All 92 students, every single one of them, suddenly SNEEZED !!!! 

The student on stage simply looked at the audience and said,

‘GOD BLESS YOU’

And he walked off the stage…

The audience exploded into applause. This graduating class had found a unique way to invoke God’s blessing on their future with or without the court’s approval.

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The above is from a mass-circulating e-mail.  It ends:

“Isn’t this a wonderful story? Pass it on to all your friends………and

GOD BLESS YOU!!!!