10 Minute Prayers

I recently heard a fitness guy say that doing a 30-45 minute workout might be a little much for most people. He suggested that people could try doing a good 10 minute workout 3 or 4 times a day. That got me to thinking that maybe that would help many Christian people to pray more. Instead of trying to pray 30 minutes or more at one sitting, maybe we should try to pray 10 minute prayers 3 or 4 times a day. I think at times we get discouraged if we aren't able to spend a long period of time in prayer, but God is more concerned with the intent of our heart than the time we pray. God would rather we pray from our heart for a short period of time, than pray while looking at the clock. Try it! I have and it has helped me tremendously.

2 Chronicles 7:14

If my people...that pretty much sums it all up. The problem with the world and politics and just about everything that ails this planet, is that "my people" have not been salt and light to a dark and evil world. That scripture says that God's people need to humble and pray and turn from their wicked way, so that God will hear from heaven and forgive their sin and heal their land. We need to heed that advice more than ever today. Do you feel a need to change, or is all well? Many times if all is ok with us we don't feel the need to humble ourselves and get down to business with God. Folks now is the time. We don't have much time left on this planet. Look at the newspapers and read Bible prophecy, and it will tell you our time is almost up. God says "if my people" will get serious about what is going on. "If my people" will see the need for repentance. "If my people" will humble themselves and pray, not a lay me down to sleep prayer, but a fervent and effectual prayer. Hungering and thirsting for righteousness and calling out to a holy God for help in our time of need! We have lost the altar in our churches, and if we have lost it there, we have lost it in our homes. We must learn to pray again. We don't need a teaching or a conference on prayer, we just need to pray. Prayer is something that grows on you. Prayer is something that becomes a part of your life. We must and we need to pray more now than at anytime before or after this day. I am guilty Lord, please forgive me for my laziness about praying. I am needful of your touch to forgive me and inspire me to pray! Pray, pray, and pray even more. Prayer will become the key that unlockes the door to the throne room of God!! Lord teach me to pray, and inspire me to pray your heart.

1 Corinthians 13 Part 2

Love is patient, love is kind. I really dread writing this because I am one of a multitude of Christian's who struggles with patience. I want things to happen overnight, quick Lord do it now! Biblical patience means that we can rest assured that what we commit to God, He will keep. If our love is patient, it is sometimes passive, but always ready to move into action to respond. Patient love suffers long, doesn't judge quickly, bears all things, believes all things. Love understands and waits. Many times we don't wait, we move too quickly and not at the leading of the Spirit. Moving too quick can sometimes cause us to miss God's perfect timing. If patience is love passive, kindness is love in action. Have you ever noticed how much of Christ's life was in doing kind things for others. We have an obligation to be kind to people. We will never make an impact on people's lives unless we reach out to them in kindness. Sadly it is Christian people who can be the most unkind to total strangers. We must understand that a kind word can go a long way in making an impact on someone's life. The world is sick and hurtful, we need to spread love in action to a lost and hurting world. Sermons are not what most need to hear, first they need kindness. The Bible says that Jesus went about doing good and healing all manner of sickness and disease. Kindness, love in action. Jesus was a man of action, shouldn't we be as well. Lord I pray for patience and kindness to deal with life's trials. Teach us to be kind to others. Amen

Pray for one another

James 5:16 says, "Confess your trespasses (sins) to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much". This may be old school, but I remember a time in our churches that praying for one another was a vital part of the church experience. Many times an altar service would begin and people would kneel before God with a specific need and others would quickly come to pray with them. Sometimes tears and loud crying would be offered up on their behalf. There seems to be a special bond that develops between believers when they join together and pray. We never told specifics, however the need was expressed and usually met. Wish to God that we could go back to some of the old times to get that new refreshing that is needed in many of our churches today. An altar is a sacred thing, and we have mostly done away with it in our modern churches. I commit to begin anew that sacred tradition! God may you bless and keep us as we do your will.

1 Corinthians 13 Part 1

I am old enough to remember the carnage that was the Vietnam War era. One of the most vivid and striking visions of that war was seeing a Buddhist monk set himself on fire to protest the American military presence in his home country. As a high school student at the time, loving life and looking forward to the future, I couldn't begin to understand why he would make such a sacrifice. Here was a monk willing to kill himself for an earthly cause. No doubt he assumed he was doing God's will. In the 13th chapter of Corinthians, Paul writes about love. In the first part of the chapter Paul contrast what love is and is not. Even if a person could speak the language of angels or understand great mysteries and not have love it would amount to nothing! Even if a person could have faith to move mountains or have knowledge of all deep revelations, without love it would amount to nothing. Giving all to the poor. Giving your body to be burned, it still does not profit a man! Many in today's Christian world think faith is the greatest gift there is. Paul closes the chapter by saying "now abideth faith, hope, and love these three, but the greatest of these is love!! Paul also said "love is the fulfilling of the law." If we have love, we will fulfill all that God wants from us. Jesus said "love God and love your neighbor as yourself.' Love is a fruit of the Spirit, we are not given love or baptized with love, we cultivate love. Fruit sometimes takes a long time to mature. Christ's one secret of the Christian life is LOVE!! O God help me to cultivate love so that your divine nature may be manifest in my life.