Pray for myself.....

 

 
Back in April 2012 a bible study friend of mine asked me if I pray for myself the way I pray for others. I told her no. She was surprised.
It inspired me at that time to write this. I only sent it to her and I think I have a copy in my bedroom in one of my books that I read sometimes, I use it as a bookmark. I thought I would share it tonight.

What would I do if I had to pray for myself Lord?

Praying for others is so easy.
They tell me their requests.

I listen intently to their words.

As they speak, I ask You what I need to pray for.

I seek the Holy Spirit to help me in the prayer that I will pray for them.

The words…they just come.

It seems natural…to pray for others.

But to pray for myself that way?

It’s easy to pray for someone else when they are hurting.

If they are in physical pain, I just center in on that area and I ask You to heal that part of their body.

I ask You to send good doctors, nurses, medicine.

I ask You to give relief and ease their pain.

I ask You to give comfort and bless them with ease….

It seems natural to pray for others that way…

But to pray for myself that way?

Praying for others is easy.

I listen to their needs, their concerns, and I lift them up to You.

I can’t feel their pain really.
I can imagine what they are going through, but I really don’t know.

That is why it is easy to pray for them,

Because You know more than I do.

You feel and know their true pain, I do not.

My head is clear, the Holy Spirit is working in me on their behalf and it just …works!

But myself?

Myself is to real.

To personal.

I’m to close to me.

I FEEL my pain.

Whether it is physical, emotional or mental, my pain is real.

When I start to pray for myself, my head gets clouded. 

I start to think of the ‘whys’ of how I got here.

I start to think of the ‘whos’ to blame for my pain.

I remember the ‘situation’ in which I got emotional, and then…I can’t pray for myself.

I get frustrated.
Filled with to many words.

I want to say so much, and the words become like a giant puzzle, and then I just say, ‘oh forget it!’ …and leave it at that.

I mean I could ask that you lift that burden,

The one that keeps me up at night…the one that no matter how hard I try to turn off the thought, it just won’t go away…I could ask You to take it, and I could bring it and set it at the foot of your cross…

I could imagine that I’m setting it at Your feet, and then imagine that you carry it with you to the Father, and together, You and Him take care of it…

I could ask you to heal that relationship and make it whole again.

I could ask that you search my heart and open it up to Your ways.

To give me courage to face it…to face her..or him…

I could pour my heart out to You

& You and I could get down to the matter and figure out how to handle it…that would require me to submit…

It’s easier to ask for other people to submit to You than for me to do it for myself…

I mean really? Pray for myself the way I pray for others?

I could ask you to give me a new heart for You Lord, and in that new heart, take away the things that cloud my soul to see Your Glory.

I could ask that while you are sending help to my friend,

That if You don’t mind, send some for me too?

The Angels that roam the earth on behalf of all believers

Could you send one for me too Lord?

That worry for my child, You know the one Lord, the one that just hurts so bad I don’t want to even say it out loud for fear that the Devil will hear it…yeah, that one…I could ask that You, the Creator of all of us, The One who made my child just for me, that you protect him from that, and take care that it never happens…After all, You love my child more than I do…

Or that friend, the one that suffers from cancer, the one that we fear might be taken way before their time…I could ask you to please, just let her keep living with us till she is old and has a good long life…

Or the family member that doesn’t know You, the one that hurts so bad that they live in dark shadows most of their days…the one I can’t seem to understand for the life of me…I could pray that You lift that darkness, and shine Your light in their life…I could pray for a miracle for that person, for You to come and make an example out of that situation, and make it whole again…but I’m to angry sometimes to even ask…because that person’s darkness hurt me…and I’m still mad about it…

And that other prayer Lord, You know the one, the one that deals with the whole world, the one that sometimes scares me so bad that I can’t sleep at night wondering when…if it will ever happen…and if it does, will You come before that and rapture me up so I don’t have to be here for it? Is that selfish Lord?

Or what about my physical pain Lord? I feel bad asking You to assist me with that because there are so many other people in way more physical pain than I!

I can walk, and sit, and drive, and live…many cannot and therefore…it’s hard to pray for myself in that way…for I’m blessed with good medical care…it’s easier to ask for the person who lives in a hut with an incurable disease…

Pray for myself like I pray for others…? It’s a thought…

I guess praying for myself isn’t that much different than praying for others…

Since you made all of us, we are the same.

My prayer for my friend, is really no different than the ones I would pray for myself…just more personal…

Pray for myself, the way I pray for others…

Father, with You all things are possible…

With You, I can pray for my friends, my family, my world…

And myself…

In all these things Lord…I pray for myself, and everyone else…

Waiting in the Lord

Waiting

 The action of staying where one is or delaying action until a particular time

 or until something else happens.

We've all waited or are waiting. 

Waiting for a job. 

Waiting for a sale. 

Waiting to get better. 

Waiting to see.

Waiting for spring. 

Waiting for Justice.  

Waiting for....

You fill in the blank. 

What are you waiting for? 

So I decided to try and tackle the waiting game from a biblical stand point.  

I just went through a waiting period with my Beloved Brother In Law who passed recently. 

Blessed by time with him, I still don't quite understand the wait. 

 The only thing that brings peace in the waiting was this verse

1 Thessalonians 4:14 says 

 For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so,

 through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep. 

I was blessed with seeing his last breath.

Watching him fall asleep in the Lord. 

And knowing that God himself brought my beloved brother in law to Him

made the wait....bearable

 In the King James version the word "wait" appears 106 times in 101 verses 

So this made me think....why wait?
What is the purpose of waiting on Gods timing? 

And how are we suppose to wait? 

Lamentations 3:25 The Lord is good to those who wait for Him, to the soul who seeks Him.

Romans 5:3-4  More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope

So this is what I learned. 

• Waiting brings out either the best or worst in us. It is a test of our faith. And we will either show impatience, annoyance, frustration to name a few, or we will sit quietly, learning, listening for His voice and showing others stillness.

• Waiting produces patience. If we can learn to wait on the small stuff in life, we can wait for the bigger stuff. 

• When we have to wait, we cherish it more. If we had everything happen in the timing that we thought fit we wouldn't see as much joy in the wait.  

• Waiting transforms our character.  Look what waiting did for Moses,
  Abraham and Sarah, Joseph, Daniel, King David, Noah......and on and on

When we wait on God

He reveals His will.

 He guides our choices and protects the outcome of our obedience.

 When we obey Him, we are shielded from all kinds of damaging circumstances.

As we wait, the Lord heals, comforts, teaches, and empowers us.

He encourages, answers prayers, and gives peace (Phil. 4:6-7)

While we wait

God is working on the situation

Working on our motives

Teaching us

Protecting us from the unseen

Preparing us for something grander than we know

We can try and do it our way

Or we can wait on the Lord

His ways are always better than ours! 

Waiting requires us to have

Faith

Endurance

Patience

 

Pray

Give it to God 100%

When we wait on the Lord for an answer

Don't give him a timeline

Moses had to wonder 40 years

FORTY YEARS! 

But in the end...

ah, in the end

Gods plan is way better than our own!  

 

Jeremiah 29:11

"For I know the plans I have for you,”

 declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, 

plans to give you hope and a future."

Wait on the Lord 

Don't set time lines for God  

Let Him be a work in you and your life

Sit calmly, still and listen. 

Hear His voice and wait

Psalm 130:5I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in his word I hope 

Proverbs 3:5-6  Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.  

Waiting has a way of bringing out the best and worst in people.
Read more at http://www.relevantmagazine.com/god/practical-faith/5-reasons-god-makes-us-wait#jb03pG5qAuqidf4s.99

Waiting has a way of bringing out the best and worst in people.
Read more at http://www.relevantmagazine.com/god/practical-faith/5-reasons-god-makes-us-wait#jb03pG5qAuqidf4s.99

 

 

Would Jesus be on Facebook?

 

 So this morning, I started thinking 

would Jesus be on Facebook? 

Now, before I start, let me disclaim something. 

I am a social media (Facebook) junkie

I have my phone by me all the time

In my pocket, in my purse

I never leave the house without it

and if I did, I would come back to get it.

It is a life line for me.

I'm addicted and hooked on my Android. 

I check Facebook several times a day, but only for 2-5 minutes

I don't play any of the games on there

I only check the news feed to get up to date status on those I follow

I don't Tweet

I don't Foursquare

I don't Google Plus

Or anything other social media I am missing.

But I am hooked on my phone, so disclaimer,

I am guilty of having it in my hand most of the time. 

With that said

Would Jesus be on Facebook?
Would he have a smart phone?

Android? Old fashioned flip phone? 

Or not a phone at all? 

The following is my personal opinion. 

Well there is this verse

Romans 12:1-2 

I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. 
Then there is Corinthians 10:31
So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.

I am sure if I researched further, there would be more passages. 
I think the internet can be ok, as long as we aren't doing things on it that are displeasing to God.
Now, this is my personal opinion here, so
I think if we bring attention to God on Facebook and other social media
then aren't we bringing Glory to God? 
If we complain (I'm guilty of this) on Facebook,
then that is negative and not bringing Glory to anyone! 

So I think Jesus WOULD be on Facebook
AND I think he would have many followers, believers and non-believers alike
I think he would talk in parables on Facebook and bring very lively discussion.
There would be millions of posts to His posts on Facebook
I believe that if Jesus were on earth today
He would use social media as a way of reaching people

I could be wrong
But here is another question and this was brought to my attention by a friend this morning
Should we be on social media when we are in the flesh with others? 
Much like the picture above, we all have seen it. 
People in a resturant
Not looking or talking to each other
just on their phones. 
Probably texting each other from across the table
(I am guilty of this as well.) 
So, we are visiting a sick friend, 
We are at a party
We are at work
Eating out
We are with other people in conversation face to face 
Is it then proper to be on social media? 
Matthew 18:20 popped in my head
  For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them. 

And the bible says, where two or more are gathered so am I, says Jesus
So, He is there too, at that table, at lunch. 
Your conversing, talking, sharing, fellowshipping
Or are you? 
Now, I am just as guilty of this as everyone else
And I do it all the time
But I am asking, 
Should we look at our phone and check our messages 
when we are face to face with other humans? 
Should we?

On my mind this morning is-
SHOULD we be doing this? 
Or should we be in fellowship with one another?
Paying ATTENTION to what is in front of us!!
Not what is on the other side of the screen. 

I'm not sure I know the right answer
Probably because I am guilty of the very thing I am asking all of you
If I say it is wrong, then I have to stop doing it. 
But I ask you to ponder
SHOULD we be on social media when we are face to face with friends, family? 
Would Jesus take a selfie? 
Would he stop when walking with the disciples and say, 
John, James, come, take a selfie with me!! 
I don't know, but
It's Something to think about........
 

 

Heaven on day of death....or on judgement day?

So the question has been asked

Do you get to heaven immediately after passing? 

Or do you have to wait for judgement day? 

From the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod website: 

The Bible speaks clearly to indicate that we are granted access to glory at the time of our death. Consider what Jesus said to the repentant, believing criminal who was crucified alongside him: "I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise.” (Luke 23:43) This is also the way the Apostle Paul spoke, for example, in Philippians 1:21-23 -- "For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. . . . I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far."
The Bible also speaks clearly that we will stand before Christ to be judged on the Last Day. Consider the detailed description of that event in Matthew 25:31-46 or these words from 2 Corinthians 5:10 -- "We must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ."
So our answer to your question is not an either-or answer but a both-and answer. We are apparently judged privately or individually at the time of our death as our souls are received into glory to be with our Savior. And we will be judged publicly on Judgment Day with all mankind, as our resurrected bodies with the soul are received into glory as well.
And the best news, of course, is that we already know the verdict as we rely on Jesus Christ and rejoice in the salvation he earned for us. We are forgiven! Our sins are not counted against us since they were counted against Jesus and fully dealt with, that is, paid for in full.

In regard to our sin not being held against us when we are believers, this came my way this week in an email, and I found it very well written. 

After living what I felt was a 'decent' life, my time on earth came to the end. The first thing I remember is sitting on a bench in the waiting room of what I thought to be a court house. The doors opened and I was instructed to come in and have a seat by the defense table. As I looked around I saw the 'prosecutor'. He was a villainous looking gent who snarled as he stared at me.

He definitely was the most evil person I have ever seen. I sat down and looked to my left and there sat My Attorney, a kind and gentle looking man whose appearance seemed so familiar

to me, I felt I knew Him.  

The corner door opened and there appeared the Judge in full flowing robes. He commanded an awesome presence as He moved across the room. I couldn't take my eyes off of Him. As He took His seat behind the bench, He said, 'Let us begin.' The prosecutor rose and said, 'My name is Satan and I am here to show you why this man belongs in hell.' He proceeded to tell of lies that I told, things that I stole, and In the past when I cheated others. Satan told of other horrible perversions that were once in my life, and the more he spoke, the further down in my seat I sank.  I was so embarrassed that I couldn't look at anyone, even my own Attorney, as the Devil told of sins that even I had completely forgotten about. As upset as I was at Satan for telling all these things about me, I was equally upset at My Attorney who sat there silently not

offering any form of defense at all.  I know I had been guilty of those things, but I had done some good in my life - couldn't that at least equal out part of the harm I'd done?  Satan finished with a fury and said, 'This man belongs in hell, he is guilty of all that I have charged and there is not a person who can prove otherwise.'  When it was His turn, My Attorney first asked if He might approach the bench. The Judge allowed this over the strong objection of Satan, and beckoned Him to come forward. As He got up and started walking, I was able to see Him in His full splendor and majesty.  I realized why He seemed so familiar; this was Jesus representing me, my Lord and my Savior.

He stopped at the bench and softly said to the Judge, 'HI, DAD,' and then He turned to address the court. 'Satan was correct in saying that this man had sinned, I won't deny any of these allegations. And, yes, the wage of sin is death, and this man deserves to be punished.' Jesus took a deep breath and turned to His Father with outstretched arms and proclaimed, 'However, I died on the cross so that this person might have eternal life and he has accepted Me as his Savior, so he is Mine.' 

My Lord continued with, 'His name is written in the Book of Life, and no one can snatch him from Me. Satan still does not understand yet. This man is not to be given justice, but rather mercy.' As Jesus sat down, He quietly paused, looked at His Father and said, 'There is nothing else that needs to be done. I've done it all..' The Judge lifted His mighty hand and slammed the gavel down. The following words bellowed from His lips..... 'This man is free. The penalty for him has already been paid in full. Case dismissed.'

So many people make Jesus so complicated. 

They think that must do this, do that, follow that rule, 

go to this church, or that one, pray this prayer, or kneel here. 

The bottom line TRUTH is simple! 

Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, with all your heart, 

with all your soul and all your mind. ( Deuteronomy 6:5) 

Matthew 10:33 says, "But whosoever shall deny me before men, 

him will I also deny before my Father who is in heaven". 

Don't deny Christ for who He Is! 

He IS Lord of Heaven and Earth 

and HE WILL come back and judge those living and dead

And HE WILL claim what has always been His. 

We are all sinners

We all fall short of the Glory of God Romans 3:23

Believe in Who He Is

He is Jesus

Who died on a Cross 

For YOU

For me

And He took the judgement 

we should be getting

Believe in Him and 

On your day of death

You WILL be in heaven with Him

For it is written in the Book of Life