Thursday, December 16, 2010
Matthew 21:21-22 (AMP)
21 And Jesus answered them, Truly I say to you, if you have faith (a
firm relying trust) and do not doubt, you will not only do what has
been done to the fig tree, but even if you say to this mountain, Be
taken up and cast into the sea, it will be done. 22 And whatever you ask
for in prayer, having faith and [really] believing, you will receive.
21 And Jesus answered them, Truly I say to you, if you have faith (a
firm relying trust) and do not doubt, you will not only do what has
been done to the fig tree, but even if you say to this mountain, Be
taken up and cast into the sea, it will be done. 22 And whatever you ask
for in prayer, having faith and [really] believing, you will receive.
Needless to say 2010 has been a very different year for me. For the first time,
really, I've had to deal with the frailty of the human body. The parts
sometimes wear out and need repair or replacement; like the frame on my
2001 Toyota. Or the retina (repair) and lens (replacement) in my eye.
In spite of it all, I don't think I'd ask for anything different or seek
to change any of the events of the past year. God has been good to me;
I mean really, really good. I've had lots of quality quiet time to
spend with Him. I feel like I'm just learning to study God's
Word and interact with it. This blog has been part of that
experience. If it has been a blessing to you, the blessing is from
God. My blessing doesn't mean much in the scheme of things.
If there is one big lesson I've learned, it is the correlation between
being a student of the Bible and confidence in prayer. I've learned
that often we don't know how to pray because we don't fully understand
how God acts or what He wants for us and others. I can easily fall into
the trap of making the will of God into a huge mystery. When we study
scripture, we know that we are naturally separated from God and that it
is His will to redeem us through the giving of His Son on the cross. It
is His will that we should love the Lord with all our heart, soul, mind
and strength, and our neighbor as much as we love and care
for ourselves. It is God's will for us to meditate on His Word, and to
pray about everything with thanksgiving in our hearts. We are to
worship the Lord in spirit and in truth and speak the truth in love.
This is part of the revealed will of God. There is no
mystery here. He wants us to know clearly His plan for us. While God
has some plans that are still hidden from us, like when He will return
to earth, much of His will is made plain if we take the time to look for
it.
E. M. Bounds said, "Unless the power of prayer is supplied by God's Word, prayer, though earnest, is empty."
That is what I've learned. Knowing God's Word and prayer go hand in
hand. Knowledge of God through scripture breathes life into prayer.
Now the challenge for me is to know God so intimately that prayer
becomes second nature to me. To be at a place where I don't have to
wrestle with how I should pray is what I really long for. My desire for
2011 is to witness the power of God in answer to prayer.
I want to declare, "That's something only God can do. No plan of mankind could produce that result."
Have a Merry Christmas. God bless us, every one.
really, I've had to deal with the frailty of the human body. The parts
sometimes wear out and need repair or replacement; like the frame on my
2001 Toyota. Or the retina (repair) and lens (replacement) in my eye.
In spite of it all, I don't think I'd ask for anything different or seek
to change any of the events of the past year. God has been good to me;
I mean really, really good. I've had lots of quality quiet time to
spend with Him. I feel like I'm just learning to study God's
Word and interact with it. This blog has been part of that
experience. If it has been a blessing to you, the blessing is from
God. My blessing doesn't mean much in the scheme of things.
If there is one big lesson I've learned, it is the correlation between
being a student of the Bible and confidence in prayer. I've learned
that often we don't know how to pray because we don't fully understand
how God acts or what He wants for us and others. I can easily fall into
the trap of making the will of God into a huge mystery. When we study
scripture, we know that we are naturally separated from God and that it
is His will to redeem us through the giving of His Son on the cross. It
is His will that we should love the Lord with all our heart, soul, mind
and strength, and our neighbor as much as we love and care
for ourselves. It is God's will for us to meditate on His Word, and to
pray about everything with thanksgiving in our hearts. We are to
worship the Lord in spirit and in truth and speak the truth in love.
This is part of the revealed will of God. There is no
mystery here. He wants us to know clearly His plan for us. While God
has some plans that are still hidden from us, like when He will return
to earth, much of His will is made plain if we take the time to look for
it.
E. M. Bounds said, "Unless the power of prayer is supplied by God's Word, prayer, though earnest, is empty."
That is what I've learned. Knowing God's Word and prayer go hand in
hand. Knowledge of God through scripture breathes life into prayer.
Now the challenge for me is to know God so intimately that prayer
becomes second nature to me. To be at a place where I don't have to
wrestle with how I should pray is what I really long for. My desire for
2011 is to witness the power of God in answer to prayer.
I want to declare, "That's something only God can do. No plan of mankind could produce that result."
Have a Merry Christmas. God bless us, every one.
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