PRAY PRAISING

Even when you don't feel like it. Not really easy to do. The last thing you feel like doing, when you're down and out, is being happy. Sometimes, the difficulties need to be finished off with misery and a downcast face. I might want to wallow around. And sulk.

But God sends the rain on the wicked and the believer.

He causes his sun to rise 

on the evil and the good,

and sends rain on the

righteous and the unrighteous.

Matthew 5:45b

The Bible tells us to endure hardship as discipline. Maintain your confidence in God. Hang in there. Keep praying. And then there's one step further, praising God even in dire conditions and extreme hurt.

About midnight

Paul and Silas were praying

and singing hymns to God,

and the other prisoners 

were listening to them.

Acts 16:25

This past week has been a difficult one for me, here in my neck of the woods. Rain falls here too. Pain is as prolific as the falling colorful leaves of the autumn season. Hurt falls on me like dead leaves to the ground. But, confidence gained is not thrown away. All I need do is see that perfect orange leaf—to trust Jesus and His faithfulness, and rely on His word.

Praise God in prayer for many things. What has He done for you lately? What did you notice He did? Did you catch that last miracle? Did you know He answered your prayer, even though you think He didn't because the result you want hasn't happened? Brainstorm things to praise Him for. It might start off slow, due to lack of practice and a very poor, grumpy disposition. But before long, I think you'll be sounding like Paul and Silas. At the very least, at least try.

Praise awaits you, O God, in Zion;

to you our vows will be fulfilled.

O you who hear prayer,

to you all men will come.

Psalm 65:1-2

Pray praising, through good times and bad, through sun and rain, through peace and war.

Thanks be to God for His love.    

Click to Enlarge

THE FRUIT OF THE TREE

Copyright 2014

Fragrant Fruit

What fragrance do you love?
What smells are wonderful to you?

Happy October! The Fall season is underway around here in my neck of the woods. I can smell the decaying leaves and plant life. Fall has its distinct fragrances—apples, rain, cool mornings, candles burning inside and more frequent cups of coffee and tea. 

I love the fragrance of love and forgiveness. I think of the woman who anointed Jesus. She opened her alabaster jar and the whole house in Bethany was filled with a pleasing aroma. God, in the Old Testament, was pleased with the aroma of sacrifice. And He was very pleased in the New Testament! He sent His Son to die for our sins. Jesus willingly went to the cross for us. He made purification for our sins, His blood covering our sins.

What does the Holy Spirit produce? It produces fruits: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. They're always correct.

Pray, then, for:

F   antastic love!
R   idiculous joy!
A   bundant peace!
G   reat patience!
R   eal kindness!
A   bove-all goodness
N   ever-without faithfulness!
C   ompassionate gentleness!
E   ven-keel self-control!

Pray the nine fruits of the Spirit for yourself and your family. Pray that you would have these fruits abundantly, indeed, over-flowing! 

You anoint my head with oil,

my cup overflows.

Psalm 23:5b

Ask the nine fruits for your family and friends. Pray that God would give your distraught friend ridiculous joy—overwhelming joy! Ask God to give abundant peace to your friend who is heartsick over his lost family. Pray that God would soften the heart of your rough daughter with a sense of real kindness. Ask God to give your short-tempered spouse great patience. Pray that God would give your teenage son living in today's days steady self-control.

In the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words; and He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. 

Romans 8:26-27 

Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit,

but a bad tree bears bad fruit.

Matthew 7:17 

What fragrance do you leave behind? What lingers? 

May it be a fragrant, wonderful aroma pleasing to God!  (It will probably be pleasing to others, too.)

Keep following the way of love.

Click to Enlarge

HEAVEN

Copyright 2016

Thanking Jesus for Heaven in prayer.

"When we all get to Heaven, what a day of rejoicing that will be!"
Do you remember singing the old hymn? The first verse goes like this: 

"Sing the wondrous love of Jesus, 

sing His mercy and His grace;

In the mansions bright and blessed

He'll prepare for us a place."

When talking with God in prayer, keep His words in mind. Thank Him for His Word in your prayer. Recite back the scripture close to your heart. Keep His only begotten Son's promises in your heart and mind:

"Do not let your hearts be troubled.

Trust in God; trust also in me.

In my Father's house are many rooms;

if it were not so, I would have told you.

I am going there to prepare a place for you."

John 14:1-2 

A place for us! Tis a gathering! Here in September, the birds begin to group and get ready for the migration south. They gather together and fly off to warmer shores. Look closely at nature. God's power, love and promise are evident all around us. In every month, in every season, we are reminded of God's faithfulness to us.

"Look at the birds of the air;

they do not sow or reap or store away in barns,

and yet your heavenly Father feeds them.

Are you not much more valuable than they?"

Matthew 6:26

Keep trusting God. He wants us to live a life trusting Him. I want to live a life trusting Him. He provides what we need now and for the future. His words are true.

Birds are everywhere in the Bible. Type "birds" on Biblegateway, for example, and you will see every verse referring to birds. Pretty cool! And there is an eagle that speaks, much like the talking donkey of Balaam.

As I watched, I heard an eagle 

that was flying in midair call out in a loud voice:

"Woe! Woe!

Woe to the inhabitants of the earth,

because of the trumpet blasts

about to be sounded by the other three angels!"

Revelation 8:13

How cool is that? God can allow animals to talk! The end times are coming someday. We read about them in many sections of the Bible. And birds have a part to play when Heaven opens and the Rider of the White Horse comes to judge. His name is Faithful and True. It is Jesus! God has given Jesus all authority. His vivid description is written in Revelation 19:11-16. And then, the birds play a part:

And I saw an angel standing in the sun,

who cried in a loud voice 

to all the birds flying in midair,

"Come, gather together 

for the great supper of God,

so that you may eat the flesh of kings,

generals, and mighty men,

of horses and their riders,

and the flesh of all people,

free and slave, small and great."

Revelation 19:17-18

These are the people against Jesus. These are the kings and generals who tried to go against God with their plans. These are the small and great nations and individuals who did not choose Christ. These are the people who did not trust God nor believed in Jesus' words about going and preparing a place. They had their own ideas. When Heaven opens, all will be made right. We can trust this because God's words are trustworthy.

Heaven will be glorious I'm sure! I think there will be all kinds of animals. And many terrains and environments and variety. It will be awesome! I am trusting you will be there in the gathering.

Pray thanks and praise for Jesus' promise of Heaven to believers everywhere. He endured the cross for us and bore the iniquities of the world, dying for our sins and providing purification for them. (Hebrews 1:3) 

Pray prayers of thanks to Jesus for his incredible Love. 

Click to Enlarge

FOREST WINDS

Copyright 2014

Praying for the Lost...

What is a prodigal? When we read about the prodigal son in Luke 15, we think of poor choices and reckless attitudes, of squandered inheritance and wild living. We come to grips with wayward direction and being lost. It especially hits home when the lost one is close to you, like a son or daughter. Or both.

Therefore confess your sins to each other

and pray for each other so that you may be healed.

The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.

James 5:16

How many of us confess sins to others....to our friends? I admit I don't eagerly do that. It's not a terribly common thing to do. Do we look down on someone who does confess? Most likely. Yet, this is what the Bible says to do. How about the second portion of this verse? Are you praying for others? We can pray alone and/or with others. Either is fine. Doing both is awesome. The third portion of this verse contains an encouraging promise. Prayer prayed by a believer who is trusting the one and only Living God is powerful. Earnest Elijah-type prayer is effective. If you're genuine, if you're truly believing, when you pray, your prayer can be powerful and effective.

This is the assurance we have in approaching God:

that if we ask anything according to his will,

he hears us.

And if we know that he hears us—

whatever we ask— we know that we have 

what we asked of him.

1 John 5:14-15

God hears us! He doesn't miss anything. Are you earnest like Elijah? Are you praying from the depths of your heart like Hannah? Are you persistent like the widow who kept going back for justice? God heard these three people in the Bible and granted their requests. They were confident in God. Are we still confident in God? Because He is still hearing prayer today. In order to pray for the lost, we become earnest, praying from deep within, day after day after day with assurance that God hears us.

...being confident of this,

that he who began a good work in you

will carry it on to completion until

the day of Christ Jesus.

Philippians 1:6 

God is faithful! Great is thy faithfulness! You know the hymn. It's so true. (Unless, of course, you don't believe it.) So, with confidence in the Lord— confidence that has not been thrown away— remain hopeful. Remain faithful. Love always hopes, always perseveres. Maintained confidence will be richly rewarded. (Hebrews 10:35). Your heart will be rewarded.

In the fear of the LORD one has strong confidence,

and his children will have a refuge.

Proverbs 14:26

And they said, "Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be

saved, you and your household."

Acts 16:31

There are other such verses...hope for the believer who loves a lost one. Jesus will go after that lost sheep— that sheep who fell in the ravine. He can reach in and pull her out. He can go get that boy and bring him to his senses when no one else can. Keep trusting God to do it. It may not happen in your life time. But keep following the way of love. God doesn't miss that either...your loving the prodigal and remaining hopeful. 

Now to him who is able to do immeasurably

more than all we ask or imagine,

according to his power that is at work within us,

to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus

throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.

Ephesians 3:20-21

The September winds are kicking up. Summer is wrapping up around these woods. The night air is becoming crisper. The birds are gathering to begin their flight south and the crickets are shrilling the ending lullaby.
In every season, through every change, I am reminded of Jesus' love.
As Christ did for us, endure in Love.