Prayer Jealous

It seems like this younger generation walks in great favor with prayer.  I know so many who pray and see the sick healed.  I've gone one confirmed, but that's it.  So I'm not giving up.  God's resources are for everyone.

This week I prayed for a woman in Dillons.  Broke her leg bad and the muscles shortened to great deformity.  No healing.  But it was good to share anyway.

Good Things

I went fishing the other night at 2am.  I lost a special lighted bobber going to the lake.  I used the flashlight and looked all over.  Could NOT find it.  Really wanted to use it and expressed that to the Lord.  Would you believe after I turned the flashlight off and started walking I stepped on it?  Didn't break it.  Just stepped on it and the batteries were nearby in the grass.  Woohoo!  The Lord is good.

Also at church today we had a decision to make about who was to speak.  I felt I was to speak but didn't say anything.  This morning I had been reading about Matthias and how they cast lots after praying to make a decision.  So got the elders together and we said a quick prayer then played rock, paper, scissors.  Another elder won so I thought to myself that the Lord must've wanted him.  I still felt I was to speak though.  Then all of a sudden he said, "wait."  He went and checked with his wife and they had a commitment that weekend.  Back to the remaining elder.  Rock, paper, scissors.  Rock.  I win!  I was to be the speaker.  Woohoo!  Urim and Thummim revised.  :)

Joy

I have come to learn two things in recent weeks:

1)  Joy is the billboard of the Christian

and

2)  The path there is through trusted truth of Jesus

End Prayer Poverty

End Bible Poverty Now is a campaign that I am in full support.  The mission is to place a Bible or Jesus film into the area where there is literally no access to Scriptures--no Bibles, Bible excerpts or even a Jesus film.

For me I've read and studied the Bible a lot in my life.   Certainly have a great room to grow but it's something I enjoy.  But what I feel is lacking is focused, quality and quantity prayer time.  I pray mostly throughout the day, in the car and turning my thoughts to prayer.   This is good.  But I feel I also need the dedicated time of prayer.  For me I think I need a move of End Prayer Poverty.  What would it look like if we literally all found more Knee Time instead of Facebook Time?

The How of Forgiveness

"She's just having a rough time."

"He grew up on a tough family."

"He doesn't know better."

"Look to the good."

I hate it when people tell me these are they reasons why I need to forgive someone when they have done harm or wrong to me.  It's as if their sin is to be excused because they're having a rough time.  Yes, we all need mercy and compassion.  But A)  It doesn't excuse their sin.  And B)  It's a faulty foundation of forgiveness.

Forgiveness is founded not on the basis of "excusable behavior."  Have you ever tried that one on a young girl who is raped by her uncle?  'You need to forgive him because he grew up in a rough home.'  Yeah, not going to work.  If this were so Jesus would never, ever had to die. 

What is the basis of our ability to forgive others?   Because Christ has forgiven me.  That's it and that's enough.