PRAYING FOR OTHERS

     The following parable about prayer comes from an unknown author:

     A voyaging ship was wrecked during a storm at sea and only two of the men on it were able to swim to a small, desert-like island.  The two survivors,  not knowing what else to do, agreed that they had no other recourse but to pray to God.  However, to find out whose prayer was more powerful, they agreed to divide the territory between them and stay on opposite sides of the island.  The first thing they prayed for was food.

     The next morning, the first man saw a fruit-bearing tree on his side of the land, and he was able to eat its fruit.  The other man's parcel of land remained barren.

     After some days, the first man was lonely and he decided to pray for a wife.  The next day, another ship was wrecked, and the only survivor was a woman who swam to his side of the island.  On the other side of the island, the second man had nothing.  Soon the first man prayed for a house, clothes, and more food.  The next day, like magic, all of these were given to him.  However, the second man still had nothing.

     Finally, the first man prayed for a ship, so that he and his wife could leave the island.  In the morning, he found a ship docked at his side on the island.  The first man boarded the ship with his wife and decided to leave the second man on the island.  He considered the other man unworthy to receive God's blessings, since none of his prayers had been answered.

     As the ship was about to leave, the first man heard a voice from heaven booming:  "Why are you leaving your companion on the island?"

     "My blessings are mine alone, since I was the one who prayed for them," the first man replied.  "His prayers were all unanswered and so he does not deserve anything."

     "You are mistaken," the voice rebuked him.  "He had only one prayer, which I answered."

     "Tell me," the first man asked the voice, "what did he pray for that I should owe him anything?"

     "He prayed that all your prayers be answered."

     We have many of the apostle Paul's prayers recorded in his epistles.  It is significant to me how large a percentage of those prayers involved petitions for other people (mostly for spiritual needs rather than physical, incidentally) and how few involved petitions for personal needs.

     It is easy to get so caught up in asking God to provide us what we need (or merely want) that we forget to pray for others.  May God help us to be sensitive to the needs of others around us, and may we take advantage of every opportunity to approach the throne of grace and lay their concerns at the feet of our Father.

     "I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone..." (I Timothy 2:1, NIV)

Have You?

I am teaching you, but not always Spiritual Truths that gladden you.

Often, too often, there has to be the word of reproof as I tell you of commands of Mine not obeyed, of resolutions made when in contact with Me that you have failed to keep, of work done for Me in no spirit of Love and Joy, of failure to obtain supply because your attitude (often not your heart)  questioned My unlimited supply.

I teach no easy lesson.

I choose no flower-bordered path in which to walk with you, but take heart that I do walk with you as with Peter of old even when he denied Me.

He had seen his sin.  He went out and wept bitterly.

10 THINGS MONEY CAN'T BUY

1. Manners

2. Morals

3. Respect

4. Character

5. Common Sense

6. Trust

7. Patience

8. Class

9. Integrity

10. Love

Lessons that Geese Provide For Life: (Author Unknown)

- As each bird flaps its wings, it creates an 'uplift' for the birds following it. By flying in a "V" formation, the whole flock adds 71% more flying range than if each bird flew alone.
 The Lesson: People who share both common direction and sense of community can get where they are going quicker and easier when they travel on the thrust of one another. 
 - Whenever a goose falls out of formation, it suddenly feels the drag and resistance of trying to fly alone, and quickly gets back into formation to take advantage of the 'lifting power' of the bird immediately in front. 
 The Lesson: Stay with those who are heading in the right direction. 
 - When the lead goose gets tired, it rotates back into the formation and another goose flies at the point position. 
 The Lesson: Take turns with the hard tasks and share leadership with each other! 
 - The geese in formation honk from behind to encourage those up front to keep up their speed. 
 The Lesson: Be an encourager to those in front! 
 - When a goose gets sick, wounded or shot down, two geese drop out of formation and follow him down to help and protect him. They stay with him until he is either able to fly or dies. Then they launch out on their own, with another formation or to catch up with the flock. 
 The Lesson: Support and stand by one another!

Jude 1:24-25

Now to Him who is able to keep you from falling, and to make you stand in the presence of His glory blameless with great joy, to the only God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen.   

Sinner’s Prayer

Lord, don’t let my knowledge of You be something that only stays in my head. Help me to live it out. Don’t let my faith be just words. Help me to walk. Help me to walk towards You. Help me to walk away from sin. Help me to walk out, and not just say, my sinner’s prayer.

The Family of Christ

As believers in Jesus Christ: 

We are "members of one another" (Rom. 12:5) 
We are to be "devoted to one another in brotherly love" (Rom. 12:10). 
We are to "honor one another" (Rom 12:10). 
We are to "be of the same mind with one another" (Rom. 15:5). 
We are to "accept one another" (Rom. 15:7). 
We are to "admonish one another' (Rom. 15:14). 
We are to "greet one another" (Rom. 16:16). 
We are to "serve one another" in love (Gal. 5:13) 
We are to "bear one another's burdens" (Gal. 6:2) 
We are to "bear with one another" in love (Eph 4:2) 
We are to "submit to one another out of reverence to Christ" (Eph 5:21) 
We are to "encourage one another" (I Thess. 5:11) 
We are to "pray for one another" (James 5:16) 
We are to "love one another" (John 13:34-35) 

As believers in Jesus Christ: 

We are "members of one another" (Rom. 12:5) 
We are to be "devoted to one another in brotherly love" (Rom. 12:10). 
We are to "honor one another" (Rom 12:10). 
We are to "be of the same mind with one another" (Rom. 15:5). 
We are to "accept one another" (Rom. 15:7). 
We are to "admonish one another' (Rom. 15:14). 
We are to "greet one another" (Rom. 16:16). 
We are to "serve one another" in love (Gal. 5:13) 
We are to "bear one another's burdens" (Gal. 6:2) 
We are to "bear with one another" in love (Eph 4:2) 
We are to "submit to one another out of reverence to Christ" (Eph 5:21) 
We are to "encourage one another" (I Thess. 5:11) 
We are to "pray for one another" (James 5:16) 
We are to "love one another" (John 13:34-35) 

Unforgiveness and Hate (By Charles Stanley, In Touch Ministries)

One of the most destructive attitudes for a Christian is hate. Think about it. How well can the saving light of Jesus Christ shine in a life that is totally covered in hatred, anger, or rage? And what picture of Christ does this type of person show to the unbelieving world? 

Hate is a total breakdown in the Christlike attitude we're called to exhibit. But even in churches, it's not hard to find individuals boiling over with hostility. Where does it come from? One of the key reasons believers can be prone to hatred is the inability to forgive those who caused them an undeserved hurt. 

Let's take a "hate test." Think about someone who hurt you in the past, and consider these three "heart checks." 

First, if you hate someone, you cannot shake the memory. Does the scene play out in your mind over and over? 

Second, if you hate someone, you cannot wish him or her well. Can you still wish the best for a person who's hurt you? 

Third, if you hate someone, you want that person to hurt just as you hurt. Do you secretly desire this individual to experience the same pain you felt? 

If these questions revealed any hidden animosity in your heart, don't leave your chair until you prayerfully meditate on Ephesians 4:31-32. Read the passage aloud. Personalize it into your prayer. And let God's Holy Spirit cleanse your heart of hatred by empowering you to forgive an old hurt. 

Take Me to the Cross (By David Langerfeld)

There's an old story (which has been made into a song) about a little boy who was sitting on the steps of a busy street corner crying. A policeman walked up to him and asked what was the problem. The little boy was lost and didn't know where he was. He didn't know his address, only his name. 
 He and the policeman walked up and down several streets looking for some landmark the little boy might recognize - but with no success. Finally, as they rounded a corner, the boy shouted out loud with excitement. In the middle of the block was a church with a cross on top of its steeple. 
 The little boy exclaimed, "I know where I am. I know the cross. Take me to the cross - I can find my way home from there." 
 There are many people in your life who need you to take them to the cross. They live next to you. They serve your table at the restaurant. They play Golf and Bridge and Tennis with you. They watch the soccer and baseball games with you. You see them behind the cash register when you're shopping. You see them behind the counter when you're buying gas. You see them in the park, at school, at work, waiting in line. They may be smiling on the outside, but they're unhappy on the inside. 
 They need God. They need His Love, They need His Salvation. They need someone to take them to the cross. Who will you take to the cross today? 
 To be a missionary, you don't have to cross the sea, you just have to see the cross.