Boomerang Prayers

1 Timothy 5:17, Isaiah 59:2, Matt 6:7, 1Peter 3:7,  James 4:3, 2 Chronicles 7:14

“Now I lay me down to sleep, I pray the Lord my soul to keep. If I should die before I wake, I pray the Lord my soul to take”. That is a prayer many of us learned in childhood. We may have even taught it to our children. Prayer changes things. In fact the word tells us to pray without ceasing. But will our prayers be heard? It is terrible to think that a wise and loving God who loves us with an everlasting love, would turn His ear away from us. But the reality is, if we do not hear (and obey) God, He will not hear us. Our sins and iniquities separate us from Him. The help that we need to obtain the victory over temptation when the devil is walking about like a roaring lion is not available to us when we choose not to listen to God. Husbands, your prayers are not heard if you are not treating your wife right i.e. with love, tenderness, care and preference, loving her as Christ loved the church. Vain, repetitious prayers are not heard. Prayers that are outside of God’s express will are not heard. I once knew a woman who prayed for God to return her live in boyfriend to her that had married someone else—while he was living with her! Mercy! Such prayers go no higher than the ceiling, but return to us unmet.   If you want others to pray for you (intercessory prayer), seek counsel from the Lord as to who He will hear, because not everyone that prays, obeys. If you want to offer earnest prayer for someone else (healing, victory over sin, job, finances etc), be sure that YOU are hearing and obeying God.  It is when we humble ourselves first, then pray and seek His face (i.e. study his word), and turn from and forsake  evil ways, that He hears us, forgives us and blesses us (which includes answering our intercessory prayers for others)!

Wisdom

Hot Pursuit

Matt 6:33, 2 Tim 2:15, Phil 2:5, John 5:39

There are only 24 hours in a day, 6-8 hours of which we spend sleeping, 8-12 of which we spend working, 2-3 of which we spend eating and getting dressed, 1-2 of which we spend going to and from work. That leaves about 4 hours of free time each day. How do we spend that free time? Is any of it devoted to the development of the mind of Christ? Or do we spend it on things that will burn up? Like for instance…..EVERYTHING ELSE!!?? Even more telling, how do we spend our day of worship when we have 12 hours to devote to developing the mind of Christ? Do we even keep it holy or do we spend it gossiping about others, going to the movies, going to sporting events, shopping, or getting our hair done/cut, and doing our own thing?  How is it that we can still sing the songs from back in the day but we can’t recall exactly how that scripture reads or where it’s found? There is only one thing that the redeemed will take to heaven with them, that is their purified and holy minds.  Reaching this perfection of Christian character is not a haphazard occurrence.  It requires determined effort, planning, and cooperation on our part. If we spend our days in pursuit of everything else, the thing that we will need most in the end will be outside of our grasp. Rethink your agenda and schedule each day and include time with Jesus for by beholding you will become changed!