Battle Gear

Good morning!

It is so good to be home.  We had a wonderful time exploring the Southwest US, but there is just nothing like this heavy, rich air of the Deep South.

This morning we are looking a little more deeply at getting dressed for battle, the spiritual battle that not only rages all around us continually, but that also features us as key players.

The passage that we looked at yesterday, we'll examine again:  Ephesians 6:12-19.

Belt of Truth
This is the first weapon listed and I believe it is for a reason.  The Bible is such a complex book that it is possible to use it to teach error.  Discerning the truth from studying the Scriptures is imperative because, otherwise, we live out some distortion or some heresy.  I went to visit a family friend in the hospital many years ago, as a teenager, and noticed some literature that a well-intentioned soul had left.  I asked her about it and made the comment, "But, Martha, they are so sincere!"  "Yes," she replied, "but they are sincerely wrong."
It is easy to conclude, without looking at all the passages on this topic, that the way to heaven is to be a good person, to "work" your way there.  But, that is not what the whole of Scripture teaches.  This is but one example.

Breastplate of Righteousness
Where do we get this second weapon?  How do we become righteous? This breastplate refers to our salvation in Jesus Christ.  As we learn the truth of the Scriptures, we understand that we cannot earn our salvation or "work our way to heaven", but that righteousness is only found in Jesus Christ and His sacrificial death, burial and resurrection on our behalf.  I've elaborated on this truth in earlier posts. Each day we must put on this breastplate to remind us that our righteous comes from Him and because this weapon protects our hearts from wandering.  We are to live in and practice the righteousness we received from Him.

Gospel Shoes
As a warrior for Jesus Christ, we are commanded to take the gospel of peace to others.  This weapon is referred to as covering for our feet because we are intended to TAKE it to others in the nexus of the battle, those who need to come to know Jesus as Savior.  Why is it called the gospel of peace, in this passage?  Because the finished work of Jesus Christ enables us to have eternal peace with God.  For those of us who have already made Jesus our Life King, we can have peace in the middle of the spiritual war that He is already the Victor.  We know that we fight for the side that will ultimately score a decisive and eternal win.

Shield of Faith
As a warrior, we will be called upon to fend off many spiritual attacks, on a daily basis.  The shield of faith deflects those weapons and prevents them from doing us spiritual harm.  But, we must use this shield!  When attacks cause us to question our relationship with Christ, or what He has called us to do, we must respond in faith, trusting Him to lead us rightly.
I don't know about you, but there are times when I have no problem holding up my shield.  There are other times when my shield tends to waver, falter and fail.  In Scripture, we are told to "exercise" our faith.  2 Peter 1:5, Philippians 2:12-13, James 2:14-26.  In that last passage, James points out that if your faith is not exercised, that is, if it is not evidenced by the good deeds you do, it would be prudent to examine yourself to see if you ever really accepted Jesus as Savior.  That is, it would be good to investigate to see if you HAVE a shield of faith.

Tomorrow morning, we'll look at the remaining weapons in our spiritual arsenal.  In the meantime, don't ever forget: be vigilant!   Remember!  As The Message translation puts it (vs. 12):  we are engaged in "a life-or-death fight to the finish against the Devil and all his angels.

Good morning, Lord!  Thank you for not leaving us defenseless against the Enemy, Satan.  Thank you for these weapons that give us spiritual victory over the evil one.  Help us to reflect on these as we go through our day and to not only wear them, but to use them in the daily battle.  I am so grateful for the Truth you have given us through your Holy Word.  In Jesus' name, Amen.

Oblivion and La la la la la!

Good morning!

It is 3:12 a.m., here in the Mountain Time Zone.  Yes, it is safe to say that my circadian clock is "messed up".  This GA girl wants to be home.  Lord willing, by this time tomorrow, I'll be sleeping in my own bed.  Your prayers are appreciated for us, as we face a long travel day ahead.

So, as I tried to sleep, I was hearing this over and over in my head:

"Onward Christian soldiers, marching as to war,
With the cross of Jesus going on before."
Onward, Christian Soldiers -

Words: Sabine Baring-Gould, 1864. Music: Arthur Sullivan, 1871.

I was "raised" in the Baptist church.  My mother was the church pianist/organist and my Daddy "led the singin'."  I remember singing this song and having not the slightest idea what it meant!   What in the world?  Soldiers?  War?  What war?  In my little community in north GA, most everyone went to some kind of church and held a common standard of morality, it seemed.  It took me a long time to really "get it".

An important aspect of the Christian life is the realization that our worldview, which flows from the gospel of Jesus Christ we preach is vastly different from the popular worldview.  And, our belief system appears to be getting more unpopular as time goes on.

The truth is that the world apart from those who believe in the gospel of Jesus Christ has always been full of people who, to some degree or other, are warring against our faith.  The problem is that we, the Church, have often been oblivious.

Oblivion and "la la la la la" are not effective weapons of war.  They result in the enemy forces winning and your side getting stomped.  So, let's break this down.

The first thing we have to realize is that the world we see and move through every moment of every day is just the tip of the iceberg.  There is a whole "other world", a spiritual world, operating behind the scenes of this temporal world we experience with our five senses.  In this spirit plane, the angels of God and the forces of spiritual darkness are at constant war.  Whether we are conscious of it or not, whether people are Christian or not, ALL are affected by, influenced by, participating in this warfare.
So, that's the first step:  realize that you are at the nexus of a grand and ongoing spiritual war, which won't end until God throws Satan into the Lake of Fire for eternity.  If you fail to believe this, you are defeated before you start.

Some people have this false image of angels, picturing them as little cherubs, flitting about playing little harps.  This is a deception of our spiritual enemy, the devil and his forces of evil.  Never underestimate your opponent.  God's angels are WARRIORS.  This could be an exhaustive study in itself, but to give you a tantalising taste, read Daniel chapter 10.  In this chapter, one of God's mighty warriors is telling how he was battling against the spirit prince of the country of Persia, for many days, and that this prevented his arriving to speak to Daniel sooner.

One of the clearest passages concerning the reality of our spiritual battle is given by the apostle Paul in Ephesians 6:12-18.  I'm going to present this passage to you in two Bible versions, the KJV and The Message.  You will see very clearly that it is Father's intention that His children be warriors as well.  Satan stands ready to oppose you, the respresentative of the living Savior, every moment of every day.  Are you prepared?

New KJV:

12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age,[a] against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. 13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. 14 Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, 15 and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace;16 above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one.17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; 18 praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints—

The Message:
12 This is no afternoon athletic contest that we'll walk away from and forget about in a couple of hours. This is for keeps, a life-or-death fight to the finish against the Devil and all his angels. 13 Be prepared. You're up against far more than you can handle on your own. Take all the help you can get, every weapon God has issued, so that when it's all over but the shouting you'll still be on your feet. 14 Truth, righteousness, 15 peace, 16 faith, 17 and salvation are more than words. Learn how to apply them. You'll need them throughout your life. God's Word is an indispensable weapon.18 In the same way, prayer is essential in this ongoing warfare. Pray hard and long. Pray for your brothers and sisters. Keep your eyes open. Keep each other's spirits up so that no one falls behind or drops out.

So, second, we've got to gather our weapons.  After making sure we realize we are soldiers in a mighty, spiritual conflict, Paul admonishes us to "dress for battle" every day.
Have you gotten dressed this morning?

Please don't forget to view every circumstance of your life in this light.  Did you have an argument with your spouse yesterday?  Did you hurt someone's feelings unintentionally?  Did you cheat a business associate?  Did you {insert relevant sin here}?  This is all part of the battle.  Recognize these spiritual attacks for what they are and GO TO WAR!

We'll examine these verses in more depth tomorrow.

Father, I fear that I have done a very paltry job of sharing about this important principle of the Christian walk.  I pray that You will enlighten the hearts of those reading these words and praying this prayer with me today.  Thank you for allowing Your children to fight on your side, the winning side.  Thank you that we can REST in the assurance that You are in control, that You allow the conflict for Your honor and glory, but that ultimately You are the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, reigning now and who will reign for eternity.  I am blessed to serve such a King.  As those of us who call you Lord and King go forward into life this day, please help us to use the mighty weapons you have given us and to never shirk from "fighting the good fight of faith".  To You be all the honor and glory and power, forever and ever!  Amen. 

Embracing the Paradoxes and Making the Trade

Today's Scripture is Matthew 11:25-30.  This passage was brought to my heart and mind this morning, in conjunction with the one I shared about yesterday, the "take up your cross daily" passage.

I got to thinking....that sounds awfully burdensome, doesn't it?  Who would want to do that?  It makes the Christian life sound like drudgery!

The Bible is an amazingly complex book.  We are told that it is "God-breathed", or "inspired by God".  His Holy Spirit "breathed out" the words to the human authors of each of the books of the Holy Scriptures.  That being said, it often seems confusing and even contradictory.  However, when we take the Scriptures as a whole, the entire, complete picture emerges as the Holy Spirit enlightens us.  This complexity is why we can study the Bible for a lifetime and still not understand it all.

25 At that time Jesus said, “I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and intelligent, and revealed them to little children. 26 Yes, Father, for this was your gracious will. 27 All things have been handed over to me by my Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son decides to reveal him. 28 Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke on you and learn from me, because I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy to bear, and my load is not hard to carry.”

Look at what Jesus tells us in the first couple of verses of today's passage.  He is praying to Father God and praising Him that the deep teachings of the Christian walk are not easily discerned.  Hmmmm...now why would He rejoice in that?  Because, the Godhead wants us to seek Him, to draw near to Him in order to deepen our relationship with Him.

Jesus goes on to thank Father that these understandings will only be revealed to those "little children", the humble ones whom He, Jesus, chooses to reveal them to.  He was praying this in the presence of His disciples, whom He had chosen.  All of this sounds awfully exclusionary, doesn't it?

But then!  Look at verses 28-30.  Paradoxically, He thens speaks directly to the disciples (and to us), issuing this beautiful, all-inclusive invitation.  This invitation is for anyone who will humbly seek Him.   Praise the LORD!

{The Classical Era composer George Frederich Handel set this Scripture passage to music as part of his masterwork, "The Messiah".  I always hear that beautiful music when I read this passage.  I think Handel pictured it beautifully in his lyrical, restful soprano/alto duet.  YouTube it today if you have a chance.  You'll be blessed!}

Jesus invites us to come to Him and lay our heavy burdens down, to trade them for His "yoke" (His cross) and to learn from Him.  Again, this sounds very heavy and unappealing, doesn't it?

The analogy Christ used here is one with which the disciples would have been familiar.  Oxen pulling a plow or a cart would have had a heavy, wooden beam (a yoke) across their backs.  The yoke ensured that the oxen would be steered in the right direction and, if a team of oxen was used, that they would "pull together" to get the job done.

Although a yoke does not sound pleasant, Jesus assures us that His "yoke is easy" and His "burden is light".  How can that be?  Paradoxical, right?

He is not a cruel taskmaster.  He says that He is "meek and lowly of heart".  Another version phrases it:  "gentle and humble in heart".  Wow.  The God who created all that is....He wants to lead us, teach us gently and humbly.  How amazing!

Lay YOUR heavy burdens down at the feet of Jesus today.  Take His yoke on your back.  Take His cross on your back today.  Make the trade!  He promises that if we do that and seek Him, learn from Him that we "will find rest for our souls."  The apostle Peter echoes this command in 1 Peter 5:7 when he says, "Throw all your cares on Jesus, because He cares for you!"

I can't explain this paradox to you, Christian.  I can only testify to you that I have found it to be true in my life.  And, I urge you to do it today, and every day.  Embrace the paradox!  And, find rest for your soul.

Good morning, Lord Jesus!  Thank you for including all people in your invitation to draw near to You.  Only in You can we find rest for our souls.  Thank you for your precious Word of God to us, the Bible, which we can study and pray over as we draw near to You.  Holy Spirit, thank you for enlightening our hearts, minds and souls as we draw near and study the Scriptures.  Today, let us find rest for our souls when we joyfully take our Lord's yoke up and place it across our shoulders.  Fill us today, Holy Spirit!  Empower us to magnify the name of our great God, as a lost and dying world watches.  We love you, Lord!

Numbering My Days and Making Them Count

I have been reading in the beautiful Psalm 90 this morning because The Lord had brought verse 12 to my mind and heart.  Let's deconstruct this psalm together.

Lord, You have been our dwelling place[a] in all generations.
2 Before the mountains were brought forth,
Or ever You had formed the earth and the world,
Even from everlasting to everlasting, You are God.

3 You turn man to destruction,
And say, “Return, O children of men.”
4 For a thousand years in Your sight
Are like yesterday when it is past,
And like a watch in the night.

12 12       So teach us to number our days,
           That we may gain a heart of wisdom.

The psalmist begins by affirming that for generation after generation of man, He has been "our dwelling place".  In other words, He has been the home of His faithful ones.

Next, the psalmist realizes that, even before we were created or anything else was created by God, He was and is and will be, from "everlasting to everlasting" the Supreme GOD.

I don't know about you, but that gives me blessing and comfort, to reflect on how our God is THE God of all gods.  Time has no relevance to Him (vs. 4)

The psalmist goes on to talk about how mankind is bound by time, how our lifespan is about 70 years here on the earth and that a lot of that time is spent in frivolous pursuits ("iniquity" in one version).

Then, the psalmist prays, "Teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts to wisdom."

What good is a long life, if it is lived chasing dreams that are worthless?  You may feel that your life has been like that.  Perhaps the psalmist felt that he had wasted some of his life in such a manner.  I know that I have wasted some of my precious time here "on this mortal plane".

Most commentators and Bible scholars believe that this psalm is very old, that it was written, in fact, by Moses, while the Israelites were wandering for 40 years in the desert because they had refused to trust and obey God.  Don't you know that there were times when Moses felt like giving up on this rebellious people He was called lead?  Times when he wondered if the next day really mattered?

But, here is the good news:  despite the past, regardless of how many birthdays you or I have left, we can still learn from Father how to spend the remainder of our days "applying our hearts to wisdom."  The New American Standard Version puts it like this:  "so that I may present to you a heart of wisdom".

This implies conscious thought and act, Friends, a deliberate act of the will.  It reflects an earnest desire to please GOD by, when we see Him face-to-face, falling down on our face before Him and presenting to Him our lives of service.

In the New Testament, Jesus talks about in Luke 9:23 how we are to deny ourselves (our selfish nature) and "take up our cross daily" as we seek to follow in His footsteps.  Again, taking up that cross daily is a conscious decision that we must make in order to gain wisdom.

Dear Lord Jesus, for the time that I have left, I choose You.  I choose wisdom.  Teach me how to make each day count for You and the furtherance of Your kingdom.  Father, may Your kingdom come and Your will be done on earth, and in my life, as it is in Heaven.  Satisfy me in the morning with Your lovingkindness that I may sing for joy and be glad all my days.  Let Your work appear to me and Your majesty to my children. May Your favor, my God, be upon me.  Please establish the work of my hands; yes, confirm the work of my hands, for Your honor and glory!  I love you, LORD!

Happy All the Time?

When I was a kid at church camp, we used to sing a song that went, in part, like this:
"I'm up-side, down-side, in-side, out-side happy all the time!
I'm up-side, down-side, in-side, out-side happy all the time!
Since Jesus Christ came in and took away my sin,
I'm up-side, down-side, in-side, out-side happy all the time!"

That song was deceiving.  There are some Christians who preach and teach along these same lines.
Basically, they tell you that unless your path is rosy or that you are happy, happy, happy, you are not 
1) really a Christian or
2) doing God's will.

What pernicious, incapacitating lies!  This kind of false teaching calls many new Christians and some veteran believers to either walk away from the life with Jesus or at the very least to doubt.

What is the truth then?  Shouldn't Christians be happy?

First, we need to differentiate between "happiness" and "joy".

Isn't happiness great?  It's just about the greatest feeling, right?  But, here's the thing - - - happiness is dependent upon what HAPPENS to you!  It is a feeling that accompanies the set of circumstances that you like!  Everyone who is old enough to have been told "no" understands that things don't always go the way we would like for them to.  Look at what Jesus said to His disciples in John 16:33. He said, "In this world you will have tribulation...".  (Tribulation is a word that means "big troubles".)
Ok, now, if the Author and Finisher of our faith promises us this, and we recall that happiness and troubles are not friends.....well, it only goes to figure that Christians will be happy at some times, but that it is unreasonable to expect that we will be happy ALL the time.

What about "joy"?  What is that?  Joy is different; it is not dependent upon or affected by your outward circumstances.  Joy comes from trusting the promises of God.  Look at the entire context of John 16:33.  Jesus also says, "be of good cheer!  I have overcome the world!"

Tomorrow we are going to talk about war.  But, for now, suffice it to say that this world in which we live is generally hostile to Christians.  Did you know, for example, that more Christians are being persecuted for their faith worldwide than at any other time in human history?

What is Jesus saying then?  He is saying that because we know that He has it all in His hands, that He is greater than our circumstances, we can "be of good cheer", we can reach down deep into ourselves and draw upon the joy the Holy Spirit gives.  He is saying, "Be joyful."

Is that easy during troubling times?  No.  Is it, however, a choice we can make?  Yes.  Does being joyful mean smiling and bubbling over with happiness when things are downright horrible?  No!  That would be freakish!

But, we can trust in God, run to Him for comfort and direction, and allow His joy and peace to fill our hearts.  Joy and peace are great friends!  He wants us to draw near to Him in times of trouble.

I don't know about you, but this does not happen easily for me.  I get so caught up in wanting the circumstances to be different that I waste a lot of time, energy and emotion on my unhappiness.  What I should immediately do instead is to start praying, seeking the will of Father and asking Him to give me His peace and joy.

Listen, Believer!  Jesus has promised that his Holy Spirit will never leave us or forsake us, that He will be with us even when this old world is ending!  So, even in those times when you fear that your world IS coming to an end, Jesus is there.  He sees. He loves you.  He wants to wrap His arms of love and comfort around You.

So, pray for that supernatural joy to fill you up!  But, here's a secret.  Praise Him during the time of trouble!  You know why?  God comes to be with you in a very special way when you praise Him.  The Scriptures say that He "inhabits the praise of His people Israel" (Ps. 22:3).  Furthermore, the devil hates it when we praise our Lord and declare that He is in control, that He is King of Kings and Lord of Lords!

Have you seen that cartoon adaptation of Dr. Seuss's book, "The Grinch that Stole Christmas?"  It shows at Christmastime and is one of my favorites.  Here is my favorite part:  after all the Whos in Whoville wake up on Christmas morning to find that all the gifts and food and decorations have been stolen, they STILL gather around the center of town and sing a song of unity and praise!  It brings tears to my eyes every time!

Dear Ones, that is a picture of how believers should respond to adversity.  We should draw near to our Father, draw near to each other and praise Him!  What a testimony to the world that is, when we do this!  Dear Ones, choose joy!

My Beloved, thank you for giving me joy, although I tend to get distracted by my circumstances at times.  Thank you for your Holy Spirit who will never leave nor forsake me, regardless of what happens today, in the "nasty now and now".  Urge me to be resplendent in You today!  I love you, Lord!
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Do Our Prayers Really Matter?

Good morning!

Do our prayers really matter?

James was the son of Mary and Joseph, Jesus' half-brother.  After Jesus' resurrection James became the leader of the church in Jerusalem until his martyrdom.

In chapter 5 of his book, verses 13-18, he is talking about the power of prayer.  The centerpiece of this passage is verse 16:  "Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed.  The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working."  James then cites the example of Elijah, who prayed for 3.5 years that there would be no rain on the earth in his country.  And, God withheld rain.  Afterwards, Elijah prayed that it would rain; and, God then sent rain.

2 Kings 20:1-11  In this passage, King Hezekiah had been told by God that his days were short.  God basically said, "Get your house in order, boy, 'cuz you are comin' home!"  Hezekiah was appalled to hear this and begged God to give him more time.  As a result, God gave him 15 additional years.

Can our prayers change God's mind?  It appears so.  In fact, in other parts of the Old Testament, God says that He was sorry that he had created man (Genesis 6 The Message version) and that they had broken His heart.  This led Him to bring the Great Flood on the earth.

When the Scriptures record Abraham "bargaining" with God in Genesis 18:23-33, it appears that God changed His mind.  This is one of the most amazing portions of Scripture, because it is recorded that God took on human form (theologians call this a theophany of Jesus Christ) and came walking across the desert with two angels beside Him, to visit Abraham.  And, then, we read that Abraham had the gall to beg God to change His mind!

The point I want to focus on here is that God wants us to commune with Him in prayer.  Does He really change His mind?  I don't think so.  Our God knows all, from beginning to end.  He knows what will happen in every circumstance long before it begins to unfold in our time-bound earth.  The psalmist said that God "does whatever He pleases" (Psalm 115:3).  However, when we pray, He is allowing us to deepen our relationship with Him by having a part in His marvelous, perfect will.

It appears that the two actions are contradictory, and it is a tremendous mystery, but they are not.  God's all-knowing (omniscience) and His all-powerful (omnipotent) attributes allow our prayers to make an earthshaking difference.  Jesus said in Matthew 17:20 that if we pray in faith that a mountain will be moved, it will happen.  That is an amazing statement!

God created and established prayer, prayed in faith, as a powerful weapon in the ongoing spiritual war, in which we play a powerful role.  A key element of effective prayer is that we believe our prayers make a difference.  Someone once said that if our prayers are the key, our faith is what puts the key into the lock and turns it.

One of the most effective weapons of the enemy, that old devil, is to convince us that our prayers don't matter.  There is a school of philosophical thought called nihilism which says basically that nothing we do matters.  The belief that prayer is meaningless is born out of this satanic school of thought.  Don't fall for it, Believer!

Believe what the Scriptures say, even though we have in this life an unclear understanding of how prayer works.  Keep on faithfully praying!  It will strengthen your relationship with your Lord Jesus Christ.

Father, please help me to remember to pray to You about even the most minute circumstances of my life.  I want to be more dependent on You, as opposed to "driving the wagon" myself.  Thank you for giving me the privilege of deepening our relationship through prayer.  I am so grateful that You hear me 24 hours a day and forever.  You, the God of the Universe!  I don't understand it; but, I am so very grateful for Your indescribable love.  In Jesus' name, amen.    

"No, Slow, Go"

Good morning!

Today, I want to share more about prayer.  I've heard some say, "I don't feel like my prayers are heard."  I touched on this at the beginning of yesterday's post.  But, remember, the truth of God stands, in spite of our feelings.  The promises of God are reliable.  He never lies, nor does He ever fail.

So, don't pray based on your feelings.  Faith is not governed by feelings.  Basically, your feelings can lead you astray.  Prayer, like much of the Christian life, must be a conscious act of the will, an act of obedience.

"But, I don't know what to pray for...."  There are two things which you can pray for that will always be right.

The first is to pray that God will have His way in every situation about which you are praying...that regardless of the outcome He will receive the glory in it.  For example, a loved one is very ill.  You pray that God will heal him or her, but you are concerned that this may not be God's will.  Pray for healing and that God will be glorify Himself in the situation.  To pray this way is not to pray against the will of God.  We are told in James 5:14-15 to pray for the sick, that they might recover.

The second is to pray the Scriptures.  I had a boss several years ago who shared with me that she prayed every morning Psalm 91 over our school.  If you read that psalm, you'll see it is asking God for His divine protection.

Christian brother, sister, don't worry that God is not hearing your prayers.  He is.  And, he will answer.  One of my former pastors, Ike Reighard, used this little phrase to help us remember how God answers prayer.  The phrase is:  "No, Slow, Go."

Sometimes, God's answer to our prayers is "no".  This is when He reveals to us that our petition, our request is not one that He knows is best.  So, as a good Parent, He says, "no".

Sometimes, God's answer is "yes" or "go".  In those cases, we see that He grants our request.  Or, He speaks to our hearts and lets us know that He wants us to move forward with what we were praying about.

Sometimes, God's answer is "not right now" or "slow".  These are the hardest, because these are the times when we feel like He is not listening, that our prayers don't "rise past he ceiling".  These are the situations that deepen our faith.  I want to share with you an illustration that helps me in these times.  Basically, one of my besetting sins is wanting to control situations and people.  I have a forceful, passionate nature, one of those "git 'er done" types.  Predictably, things sometimes don't go the way I think they should, and I get all twisted up about it.  I've had to learn to pray through these times and turn situation after situation after situation over to God.  I'm STILL learning this, Friends!

Right now, I have one of those "slow" situations that is tearing my heart in two.  If you do too, we are right there together, in the spiritual trenches.  But, our Savior, Father and Spirit are right there with us!

Have you ever looked at a piece of needlepoint?  If you look at it from the area that is to be viewed and appreciated, you see a beautiful scene (well, not if I did it, but if a master of needlepoint did!).  However, if you turn it over, you do not see beauty.  You see knots, and sometimes threads all crossed up.  The picture on the underside, behind the scenes, resembles nothing like the beauty that is on the viewing surface.

This is much like how God works in our lives to answer our prayers.  Often, He does not choose to answer them the way we would like!  In those cases, He is asking us to trust Him, to yield to Him, to see things the way that He sees them.

Lord, again this morning, remind us of how much You love to commune with us in prayer.  Help us to remember to exercise the discipline of prayer throughout the day as we go about what You have called us to do.  Help us to remember that, if our hearts are sincere, we can't "pray wrong", and even if we do, your Holy Spirit "helps our infirmities" (Rom. 8:26).  You know how we are formed, because You formed us!  You remember that we were created from the dust of the earth.  (Psalm 103:14).  Yet, You love us with an everlasting love.  Draw us to You with those cords of love today.  In the precious and matchless name of Jesus, Amen.