Monday, May 23, 2011

Prayer Journey

I know I am not alone in saying that praying can be a challenge, because of a lack of focus. Especially when I pray before bed, I often find my mind wandering, my head nodding, or just a sense of emptiness with what to pray for. So I prayed about it. What follows is my current journey. One thing that I do at the beginning, thanks to the suggestion from a friend, is I adore God. Also, as they come, I do mix in specific prayers for things at the end. The focus however is what is bulleted. 



  • Monday: The World: 
          • The Gospel
          • Missionaries
          • Turmoil
          • Devastation
  • Tuesday: Our Nation:
          • The Gospel
          • President and Administration
          • Economy
          • Devastation/Turmoil
  • Wednesday: My City:
          • The Gospel
          • Mayor and Administration
          • WVU 
  • Thursday: My Church
          • The Gospel
          • Leaders
          • BCM
          • Church body
  • Friday: "Family"
          • Brothers and Sisters in Christ
          • Growth
          • Fellowship/Community
          • Specific Requests
  • Saturday: Salvation
          • Loved Ones
          • Specific Requests
  • Sunday: Reflection 
          • How God has worked in my life this week. 

Note: This is definitely, in way, shape, or form, a "end all" ways to pray. It's merely just want I have worked out as a way to focus my thoughts while I pray. I wanted to share it. Ultimately it boils down to having correct intentions and just praying to the Lord. 

Sunday, May 22, 2011

Nowhere to hide

In the perpetual story that is "adventures in subbing," I bring you this chapter:

There was a bag of spearmints on my desk and during class two students asked if they could have some. I had to tell them no because if they got one the entire class would have wanted one, and I didn't have enough to be generous. Plus, they were not mine. Now, as the class was leaving, I heard a distinct noise that told me one thing: people were getting into the mints! I walked over to the desk, and sure enough the two students were trying to steal some. I was very disappointed in them, and they knew it. So I walked down the hall to inform their teacher that a disciplinary action was going to be taken for trying to steal. As I walked out of the room the two students were standing huddled together not wanting to face their teacher, or me. They were trying to hide from the mistake they made, and were scared of a punishment. 
In Psalm 139 (ESV), David writes: 

"Where shall I go from your Spririt? Or where shall I flee from your presence?
If I ascend to heaven, you are there! If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there!
If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea,
even there your hand shall lead me, and your right had shall hold me." 
v. 7 - 10

When we sin a natural tendency comes out that we should just try and hide, or tread very cautiously until we feel it is safe. Why? Probably because we are like the two students. We feel that when we have sinned we have in some way blind sided the Lord. Again, how foolish we are! David wrote it best with: 

"If I ascend to heaven, you are there! If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there!"
v. 8

"You know when I sit down and when I rise up; you discern my thoughts from afar."
v. 2

"Even before a word is on my tongue, behold, O Lord, you know it altogether."
v. 4

Our Lord is omnipotent and omnipresent. We cannot hide. If we would try, He already knows where we would go! When we have sinned, we need to  accept our weakness, and pray for forgiveness and deliverance. We also need to accept our desperate need for the savior, Jesus Christ!

Saturday, May 14, 2011

Man Gave Name To All The Animals

So I have recently started a read the bible in a year plan. It has the mornings dedicated to the NT and the evenings dedicated to the OT. Upon reading through the story of creation and the creation of Adam, I came across this forgotten song on my iTunes account. This is just a cool way to put into words Genesis 2: 20: 


"The man gave names to all livestock and to the birds of the heavens and to every beast of the field."
(ESV)

Happy Listening!

Thursday, May 5, 2011

2 Timothy

Just some scripture to share today:


"If we have died with him, we will also live with him; 
if we endure, we will also reign with him; 
if we deny him, he also will deny us; 
if we are faithless he remains faithful
for he cannot deny himself."


-- 2 Timothy 2: 11-13 (ESV)



Monday, May 2, 2011

Shawn McDonald - Pride

I absolutely love the way the Lord can take a song that you have been listening to for a while, and bring new life to it and speak to your heart through it. I have had Shawn McDonald's "Scattered Pieces (live)" CD in my car recently, and while my repeat button has been tuned to another song, this one really got to me today. It strikes me the way he is singing to pride, and hate and in essence, struggles in his life that really way him down. He is saying good riddance to it that he no longer needs to trapped underneath such meaningless things. I am not sure if I agree with the line "I can do this all on my own," because from my standpoint the only way I can do ANYTHING is through Christ. However, I think it may be a matter of interpretation. Don't watch the video, it's corny and filled with pictures. Do listen to his voice though. Listen to how he unashamedly cries out that he is done with these struggles!