"Teach us to Pray?"

There is something within each of us that pulls us in the direction of God. There is a God-shaped empty place in us that will not be satisfied with anything less than God. Often we look for life in all the wrong places, only to discover that what Augustine said is true, “Thou hast made us for Thyself O God, and our hearts are restless ‘til they find their rest in Thee.”

God has given us the gift of Prayer as the primary means by which we make connection with God and send our roots into the meaning of life. Let me give you my definition of Prayer: Prayer is anything you do with a conscious awareness of God. It has been described as “practicing the presence of God.” Whatever you are doing, you are aware of God, and open to His guidance and His strength.

Clearly, Jesus was a man of Prayer. He was able to do the remarkable things He did only because He was plugged in to the source of meaning and power in life. Of course, I am talking about God. Prayer is where that contact took place. Jesus spent sizable blocks of time in intimate contact with God, through Prayer. In Prayer, Jesus was still and quiet and He experienced the “Godness” of God. He opened His life to the breezes of God’s Spirit. He prayed daily as a matter of custom. But especially when He had a decision to make, a difficult task to do, or a cross to face, He would first spend time with God in Prayer, and then go to do what He had to do. The disciples knew that Prayer was the source of Jesus’ power. That’s why they asked Him, “Lord, teach us how to pray.”

"This, then, is how you should pray:
'Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
Your kingdom come,
Your will be done
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
Forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from the evil one'." - Matthew 6:9-13

Prayer is a mystery, but the one thing I am sure of is that if you take Prayer seriously, it will change your life. It changes mine. Prayer is able to change the situation in which we find ourselves and Prayer is able to change the person who is praying. In Prayer, we receive love and guidance and strength.

You know I Love ya and pray for you - Don

Prayer is a Hunger!

The first beatitude of Jesus (Matthew 5:3) in the Sermon on the Mount speaks to this issue. “Blessed are the poor in spirit” is the traditional translation of this word. “How blest are those who know their need of God” is the way the New English Bible renders it. To know our hunger, our hunger for God, is the condition for entering the Kingdom, and for praying. The psalmist spoke the truth in unforgettable language.

“As a hart longs for flowing streams, so longs, my soul for thee, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When shall I come and behold the face of God?” (42:1-2, RSV).

The Prayer language of the psalmist is worth contemplating as we consider our Prayer.

“My soul thirsts for thee; my flesh faints for thee” (63:1).

“For God alone my soul waits in silence” (62:5).

“O thou my help, hasten to my aid!” (22:19)

The psalmist poured out his soul to God – cried, even screamed, from the depths of his being. He was confident that his soul’s hunger could be satisfied only by the Lord. This confidence is dramatically demonstrated in the Prayer language of the psalmist:

“My God in His steadfast love will meet me” (59:10).

“I call upon God; and the Lord will save me” (55:16).

“God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble” (46:1).

“For thou, O God, art my fortress, the God who shows me steadfast love” (59:17).

So, Prayer is a hunger. It is also a confidence, a confidence rooted in the belief that we are not alone in the world, that there is help beyond our human resources, that the hunger within us will be satisfied. It is the confidence that God made us for Himself, and that our hearts will always be restless until we rest in Him.

Praying for you - Don

Friday Funny - "The Last Word"

It is Friday! Time to Laugh:

An elderly woman died last month. Having never married, she requested no male pallbearers. In her handwritten instructions for her memorial service, she wrote, "They wouldn't take me out while I was alive, I don't want them to take me out when I'm dead."

Enjoy a great weekend in His grace - You know I love ya, Don

A Prayer in Spring by Robert Frost

A Prayer in Spring by Robert Frost

OH, give us pleasure in the flowers today;
And give us not to think so far away
As the uncertain harvest; keep us here
All simply in the springing of the year.

Oh, give us pleasure in the orcahrd white,
Like nothing else by day, like ghosts by night;
And make us happy in the happy bees,
The swarm dilating round the perfect trees.

And make us happy in the darting bird
That suddenly above the bees is heard,
The meteor that thrusts in with needle bill,
And off a blossom in mid air stands still.

For this is love and nothing else is love,
To which it is reserved for God above
To sanctify to what far ends he will,
But which it only needs that we fulfill.

I have always liked this poem by Robert Frost. I pray it blesses you today - Praying for you - Don

The Day after Easter

It is the day after Easter, carrying yesterday’s events in their minds, each of the disciples had doubts about what happened and of Jesus’ words. It appeared as if each one had given up hope after Christ’s crucifixion. They were drifting apart ready to give up. Adding to his musings, Simon Peter had to deal with the fact that he had denied Jesus three times. Peter was probably questioning his future. Peter was in turmoil and went back to that which he felt was comfortable and safe. He went fishing.

Note that their return to their comfort zone didn’t improve the situation. John 21:3 “Simon Peter said to them, "I am going fishing." They said to him, "We are going with you also." They went out and immediately got into the boat, and that night they caught nothing.” They tried to go back to the way things were before they met the Man from Galilee. Although they wanted it to be – it was not nor would ever be again – Business as Usual!

Jesus is amazing at meeting us where we are. Christ brought fellowship and provision to where they were. John 21:4-13:

The rest of them replied, "We're going with you." They went out and got in the boat. They caught nothing that night. When the sun came up, Jesus was standing on the beach, but they didn't recognize him.

Jesus spoke to them: "Good morning! Did you catch anything for breakfast?"

They answered, "No."

He said, "Throw the net off the right side of the boat and see what happens."

They did what he said. All of a sudden there were so many fish in it, they weren't strong enough to pull it in. Then the disciple Jesus loved said to Peter, "It's the Master!" When Simon Peter realized that it was the Master, he threw on some clothes, for he was stripped for work, and dove into the sea. The other disciples came in by boat for they weren't far from land, a hundred yards or so, pulling along the net full of fish. When they got out of the boat, they saw a fire laid, with fish and bread cooking on it.

Jesus said, "Bring some of the fish you've just caught." Simon Peter joined them and pulled the net to shore—153 big fish! And even with all those fish, the net didn't rip. Jesus said, "Breakfast is ready." Not one of the disciples dared ask, "Who are you?" They knew it was the Master.

Jesus then took the bread and gave it to them. He did the same with the fish. This was now the third time Jesus had shown himself alive to the disciples since being raised from the dead. (The Message Bible)

Today is the day after Easter. It can be so easy for Easter to be a moment in time and not a moment that changes time. Our experience with Christ should change our lives. We shouldn’t experience the resurrection and then just go back to the day to day lives we lead unchanged. Life should be different because of the grace of Christ.

Easter changed me this year. I am different. I am not sure I can articulate it yet, but I know God is working a new work and it is all because He is alive. Did Easter change you, or are you back to the daily grind? Jesus wants more from us than to just experience the joy of the resurrection - He wants us to live changed lives!

You know I love ya - Don

Happy Easter - Happy Resurrection Day!

Easter, the greatest day that ever dawned from the greatest story in the greatest book ever written of the greatest life ever lived. The first day of the week and everyone began to whisper one name;

the name of love,

the name of victory,

the name of Jesus.

The name expanded into a phrase, and the phrase exploded into a cause. What thrilled Jerusalem there and then is still thrilling us here and now… JESUS IS ALIVE!

Happy Easter! You know I love ya - Don

Friday Funny - "Digging Holes"

Dave Fretz gets the credit for this one. "The best blonde joke in the world...." (You might be able to apply it to choir directors or maybe....sound techs.)

Two blonde girls were working for the city public works department.
One would dig a hole and the other would follow behind her and fill the hole in.
They worked up one side of the street, then down the other, then moved on to
the next street, working furiously all day without rest, one girl digging a hole, the other girl filling it in again.

An onlooker was amazed at their hard work, but couldn't understand what they
were doing. So he asked the hole digger, 'I'm impressed by the effort you two are putting in to your work,

but I don't get it -- why do you dig a hole, only to have your partner follow behind and fill it up again?'

The hole digger wiped her brow and sighed, 'Well, I suppose it probably
looks odd because we're normally a three-person team.

But today the girl who plants the trees called in sick.

Have a great Good Friday and Easter Weekend! You I love ya - Don