Fun In The Meeting

Came across this recently:
  The youth pastor fell asleep in the staff meeting. So we laid down some clothes on the chairs and existed quietly.
   Then someone blew the trumpet.
   The problem with most Christian is they seem to have lost the funny bone. There is nothing wrong with a good laugh. It will tend to lighten up the situation and help the truth to go down easier.

Am I Praying Correctly?- Posting Three

Open My eyes That I may See

  Often we are praying, or attempting to pray, and we wonder, is there anyone there?
   Does anyone receive our prayers?  That is very important to know. Does someone really care, other than ourselves?
   Hebrews 11:6 states that ...for those who come to God must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who seek Him. And seeking is active and expectant .
    Prayer doesn't have to always be because of need. Prayer is a normal conversation between a parent and a child.
     Remember, I posted earlier that it is a family deal. You have been adopted by God if you have a relationship with Him. Children ask their parents, in this case, Father, for things. The father listens because you are his child. They hear you in a different manner than the person who is not his kid. He doesn't have to hear and answer the neighbor's kid. He has a special link with you that he doesn't have with the other child.
     Also he doesn't have to answer you if you are not asking according to His will.
     Where is this will found?
      In  the Bible.
      That is also why I say you should pray before reading the daily Bible section. "Show me what you have today for me"
       And the prayer doesn't have to be a set written prayer. It is better if it comes from your heart in your own words.
      You could use others prayers as examples, sure, but this is your need not the others.
       Feel free to express your self to God. He wants to hear from you.
      

Prayer Is A Weapon- posting two

Pray

We must never think of prayer is just worthless. It has great worth. But only in the hands of the right people.
  When I talk about right people I am referring to those who have a relationship with God. I am talking in the realm of family again.
   Jesus Christ died and rose again to give those who are His the access needed to have their prayers heard and answered.
    Why would we need prayer?
   This is easy to answer. Just the same way we need to ask our parents for what we need, we need to pray. God has set up a supply and demand route.
   Just as our parents supplied our needs when we asked, so God has set up a relationship that we can understand when we pray.
  Ask and you will receive. Seek and you will find. Knock and it shall be opened.
   It is a weapon also. 
   Along with it being a way for asking for what we need or just a conversation method with our creator, it is also a weapon for use in  the spiritual warfare we are in..
   When we become born again and start this relationship with God, like in a family-He the parent and we the child, we  get a spiritual enemy. It is the same one as Jesus has. Yes, there is a spiritual realm around all of us. The devil leaves people who have no relationship to God alone. Why should he, the devil, worry about them. They are his already.
    He goes after the relationship of those who are part of the family of God.
    We can read about the armor needed for this warfare in the book of Ephesians six.
     Prayer is a very important weapon. We fight back with the scripture we have memorized and hid in our heart. But we pray to God for the needed wisdom to strap on the armor and stand firm.   
    

Let's Look At Prayer - posting one

I am back. It has been a long time. Yet I have a good subject to spend a couple of postings on.
 The subject being prayer.

  In the past I have talked about Bible study and  its methods. Well and good. But without prayer, just what good is it for you to open your Bible and read it expecting to hear God speaking to you?
  Not much use without prayer.
  Prayer releases aid.
   A way to look at it is a wrestling match. You asking and God on the other end moving things around to get the answer to you.
   Prayer isn't a coin machine. Put money in and then have something drop down in the slot for you to pick up and walk away with. No, prayer is relationship. You grab hold of God and tell Him what is on your mind.
   In a way it is not only asking but communicating. About the same way you communicate with your fellow being. How are you? What did you do today? Boy, you should have seen the near hit I almost had.
   Relationship. Communication. Waiting for the answer.
   So how do you pray? Like normal conversation. But you need to have a connection. You need to be one who is a family member. Does God know you?  Do you know God? 
  God will not answer the prayer offered by someone not in His family. The only prayer of a non-member He says He will hear is "Save Me. I am lost. I am a sinner. I believe you died on the cross for my sins. I believe God rose you from the dead. I ask you into my life.