DO YOU PRAY TOO MUCH

1 Thessalonians 5:17King James Version (KJV)
17 Pray without ceasing.

Someone said something to me recently that just made me shake my head in amazement. “Is it really necessary for you to pray that much?”

Are you kidding me? Really?

I’m not offended, but I am shocked, because this person is a Christian.

Mother Teresa said this about prayer…To love as God loves, meeting daily with Him through prayer is essential. Without it love dies. Mother Teresa stressed its importance by saying, “What blood is to the body, prayer is to the soul.”~

Without blood we die. Without breath we die…without prayer we die…

Prayer is communion with the living God…

I love God so much I want to know him more…I talk to him constantly…and you know what…he talks to me too…

Now some may say I’m a fanatic…well praise the Lord because that just means I have a passion for him more than others may have…I like something more than you do. Yes I’m a fan of God!

God loved me so much, he sent his little boy to die for me…I wouldn’t do that for anyone…

He pulled me out of a deep, dark, dirty, pit…he put joy in my heart, gives me a peace that I can’t begin to explain…and an abundant life I never dreamed I’d have. He gave me a huge family of brothers and sisters from all over the world and filled me with grace, His HOLY Spirit and gave me life forever…

He protects me, and surrounds me with Love and goodness…instead of death he shows mercy…and forgiveness…Yes I do talk to him constantly…I always will!

"Lord, teach us to pray." –Luke 11:1

"After Jesus said this, He looked toward heaven and prayed." –John 17:1

"They all joined together constantly in prayer." –Acts 1:14

"And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests." –Ephesians 6:18

"Pray continually." -1 Thessalonians 5:17

The Good Father

The Father is Looking for you!

Luke 15:20
20 “So he returned home to his father. And while he was still a long way off, his father saw him coming. Filled with love and compassion, he ran to his son, embraced him, and kissed him.
 
Father of the Prodigal…

Every day I stand at the window and watch…

Looking for my son, and wonder...

Is he alive? Is he well? Will he ever come home?

For ten long years I’ve waited and watched
Is he lost to me forever…
I will never give up hope…

“God wherever my boy is, whatever he has done, protect him, bring him to the end of himself, and bring him home.” Amen.

It is dusk, the sun is setting. A gentle wind blows the wild flowers in the field…standing at the gate looking out to the east…a bent, dark figure approaches…He’s leaning on a staff, limping as he makes his way over the rocky path…rags cover his body, dust covers his feet.

I squint to see in the distance someone, a man walking…

Can it be…can it be…

My heart begins to pump faster, strength enters my body and joy floods my soul…

It is…It’s my son…

Darting out across the field…In a full run, I grab him and kiss him…the stench is ignored … he’s thin and dirty…that does not matter…my son…my son…

Thank God, thank God, it’s you…

God loves us with an everlasting love and rejoices when one of his children was lost then returns to him.

He’s a good, good father!

7 “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. 9 Or what man is there among you who, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? 10 Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent? 11 If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!
Matthew 7:7-11

The Pig Pin of Life

Luke 15:11-32

Are You Living in the Pig Pin

Have you left the kings palace and discovered you now live in the pig pin?

What happened? How’d you get here? How will you get out?

You may have started out in life full of hopes and dreams, you’re going to conquer the world only to discover that along the way you made unwise decisions, lost all your wealth by wasting your time, talents and gifts on foolish endeavors, drugs, gambling, and unhealthy relationships. You find yourself living in the pig pin of life with no way out.

The stench of the pig pin is overwhelming. You’re empty, unclean and living a wasted, indigent life. Everything gone…self-worth gone, character shattered, morals destroyed, defeat is all that is left. You come to the end of yourself and realize even the animals don’t want to associate with you. You’re starving, afraid and worthless…

Then, you remember your father’s house. Even the servants at your father’s house have it better than you.

I will go home to my father and say, “Father, I have sinned against both heaven and you, 19 and I am no longer worthy of being called your son. Please take me on as a hired servant.” Luke 15:18-19

You have all heard the story of the prodigal son. He decides to return to his father’s house thinking he could at least be a servant and have a decent meal.

Get out of the pig pin, remember who you are, you are a child of the King. Realize you have sinned and ask your Father to let you come home. He is a loving, caring father. He’ll see you coming from far off and run to meet you. He’ll throw a party for you, kill the fatted calf, put a fresh clean robe on you and give you his signet ring. He loves you so much. Don’t live in the pig pin when you were made to live in the palace with the King.

Hear the father say, “My son was dead but now he’s alive, he was lost but now he’s found.”

It’s time to come home! 

FORGIVENESS

 

Acts 3:19New Living Translation (NLT)
19 Now repent of your sins and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped away. 
Forgiveness

I was reading and came across this sentence and it hit me like a ton of bricks…

“Sometimes we need forgiveness more than we need healing.”

When we see someone sick, hurting and there’s nothing we can do to help them…it is paralyzing and we often feel numb. What can I do? How can I help? There must be something I can do! These questions go off in our heads…we are powerless…

There is one thing we CAN do, and that is pray…

But how do we pray? Do really know what the person needs? We are looking with our natural eyes and we think they need healing…maybe they need more than that…maybe they need forgiveness…

Maybe they need a savior more than they need healing.

Sometimes all we need is forgiveness…

Jesus Help Me

John 17:23New Living Translation (NLT)

²³ I am in them and you are in me. May they experience such perfect unity that the world will know that you sent me and that you love them as much as you love me.

 

 

 Are You Jesus?

My mother-in-law, known to us all as Mom O., gave us this little book, and this morning I decided to pick it up and read it.

I didn’t even get through the Prologue and I began crying…it doesn’t take much for me to do that though…I love that the Spirit of God gives us tender hearts. Bob does this quite often too; his heart is tender and pliable in the hands of God. Sorry I got off track….(A.D.D.) lol

The book, Rediscover Jesus, written by: Matthew Kelly.

It was the biggest meeting of Paul’s life, and it had gone well. He couldn’t wait to tell his wife and his boss. As he rushed out of the Brooklyn office building with the rest of the team, they noticed a vacant cab, yelling to get the driver’s attention. But as they made their way across the sidewalk, they inadvertently knocked over a small produce stand. The rest of the team seemed oblivious until Paul stopped and turned around to go back.

From beside the taxi the others called out to Paul, “Come on, you’ll miss your flight.”

“Go ahead without me,” Paul replied as he made his way back across the street toward the sidewalk covered produce. At that moment, he realized that the woman who had been behind the produce stand was blind. She was just standing there crying softly with tears running down her face.

“It’s OK, it’s OK,” Paul said to her as he got down on his hands and knees and began picking up the fruit and vegetables. There were a hundred people passing in each direction, but nobody else stopped to help. They just scurried off to wherever they were going.

When the fruit was all back up on the stand, Paul began neatly organizing it, setting aside anything that was spoiled. Now he turned to the woman and asked, “Are you OK?” She nodded through her tears. Then, reaching for his wallet, he took out some bills and passed them to the woman, saying, “This money should cover the damages.”

With that, Paul turned and began to walk away.

“Mister,” the woman called after him. Paul paused and turned around. “Are you Jesus?”

“Oh, no,” he replied.

The woman nodded and continued, “I only ask because I prayed for Jesus to help me as I heard my fruit falling all over the sidewalk.”

Paul turned to leave again, only now his eyes began to fill with tears.

For a long time he wandered around looking for a taxi. After finally finding one, he sat in bumper-to-bumper traffic all the way to the airport. He had missed his flight, and because it was Friday night, all the other flights were full.

Paul spent the night in a hotel by the airport. This gave him time to think. He couldn’t get one question out of his head: When was the last time someone confused you for Jesus?

Paul could have kept right on going and he would have never known about the lady standing there, blind and helpless. He probably wouldn’t have missed his flight and he wouldn’t have heard her question, “Mister, are you Jesus?”

Something to think about as we go about our day today…someone is praying, “Jesus help me.” Maybe it’s you!

God bless you! I pray Jesus stops and helps you!

I'm Hungry

 

Tic, tic, tic, I hear the clock in my room of quiet. A gentle tapping at the window, sounds of rain, peaceful.

Last night I dreamed that my four sons and I were all together, they were grown men. Each one came into the kitchen looking for something to eat. Mark called his wife but couldn't get her on her cell. 

Jason had not one, but two full grown Tigers. One was a saber-tooth, the other was just BIG, lol, they were also hungry and looking for food. I told them to go back in the living room and lay down. They gave me a sideways look, snarled and obeyed. I had no fear of them so I knew they were not evil. 

When I woke up I thought about the tigers...I realized in my dream they represented protection and power. Our spiritual hunger can not be satisfied with natural food, only God can satisfy that need through His word.

As Christian's we walk around hungry, looking for something but not sure what it is we want. We do all the worldly things everyone else does, see the latest movies, get the latest hair style and clothes, eat and drink things not beneficial to us. Spiritually speaking. We have the power of God within us but we don't utilize that authority so we grow weak, lethargic and powerless. Like the light switch on the wall, behind that wall is wires of electricity it is powerful and is present but unless we turn the switch on, it lays dormant and useless. God will not force us. We have to do the doing...

This morning, I also thought about when Jesus was baptized, here is the son of God, a voice comes out of heaven and says, "This is my beloved son in whom I am well pleased." Matthew 3:17. It sounded like thunder to many. But what did the scriptures use to represent the Holy Spirit?

Our wonderful, loving heavenly father used a beautiful, peaceful, gentle animal, a dove. It was meek and pure; a sweet, humble bird sent to show us the love God has for his son. Selah!
Matthew 3:17The Message (MSG)

^16-17 The moment Jesus came up out of the baptismal waters, the skies opened up and he saw God’s Spirit—it looked like a dove—descending and landing on him. And along with the Spirit, a voice: “This is my Son, chosen and marked by my love, delight of my life.”

Live by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God! "It Is Written"

Live by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God!

As I read in the book of Matthew this morning I paid close attention to the genealogy of Jesus.

From Adam throughout the ages, to the birth of Jesus…we see the sons of God…

Then I read that, after Jesus, was baptized he was driven into the desert to be tempted by the devil…after fasting 40 days and 40 nights of fasting, it says Jesus got hungry…then the devil came and tempted him with, “If you be the son of God…turn these stones into bread…


Jesus said…It is written, man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God…

Then the devil tempts him again…If you are, the son of God…cast yourself down, (he knew the word of God, but misquoted it) Satan always twists the word of God… for it is written, he said… He shall give his angels charge concerning thee: and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone.
Jesus said again, It is, written, thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God. (Jesus said to the devil that He is the Lord thy God.)

The devil knew Jesus was the son of God…(Satan is arrogant and full of pride, his downfall.)

The devil takes him to a high mountain and shows Him all the kingdoms of the world and the glory of them and says, “All these I will give you if you will fall down and worship me.” He is the ruler of this world but He has no power over us unless we give it to him. Jesus is the Lord our God!

Jesus says, “Get thee hence Satan, in other words, get lost Satan…FOR IT IS WRITTEN THOU (you Satan) SHALT WORSHIP THE LORD THY GOD, AND HIM ONLY SHALT THOU SERVE! Jesus was saying, Look Satan, I don't worship you, you are to worship God only and serve Him only. (whew that is powerful)
Jesus passed his test…

The devil left him…praise God, when we speak the word with power and authority which is given by Jesus Christ, the devil has to leave…
Then the passage says, The angels came and ministered unto Jesus. Matthew 1-4
And they will do the same for us.

We are not strong enough to withstand the enemy on our own and God knew that we would need a savior and the power of the Holy Spirit to overcome the tactics of the devil…

The most important thing we as followers of Jesus Christ must do is read and know God’s word.

We need to know what the word of God says and we need to say it…the only way to know it, is to read it and study it…We need the word of God to sustain us each and every day just as we eat bread and live, the word of God is the bread of life…we can’t just live on natural bread…we must eat the bread of life…feast on His word…That is Jesus the son of God. Amen!

I can do all things...through Christ Jesus who strengthens me...Yes we can!

A Moment with God

A Moment with God

Have you ever walked into a place that was so serene, so beautiful it took your breath away…colors so vivid and vibrant, smells so fresh and clean that you just couldn’t imagine how it could be that way?

Or flown over mountains and the peaks were snowcapped; everything was still and quiet, a blanket of snow-white images laid out before you and all you could do was stare at the magnificence?

Or been caught up into a place of perfect peace…for just a few moments you felt no worry or doubt or concern for anything or anyone…your soul was content…you were in perfect peace…

When God speaks to us in the quietness of the night or early morning…there is nothing like it…no beauty or place can compare to His presence…

It’s a very special time just between you and the creator of all life.

Pure, clear, ice-blue water, living water where you can see all the way to the bottom, fish thrive and stones glisten, being warmed by the sun, lots of plant life is healthy and in abundance. You scoop up a long refreshing drink without concern. Go on, drink it, it won’t harm you!

If you have never experienced a time like this with Him…you have no idea what you’ve missed…or what I’m talking about…but can't you imagine…take the time to spend with your heavenly father…

He’s calling you; he wants to share times like this with you…

Go to him…be clean and let him take you to that place only He can give. It is no fairy-tale…He’s more real than your own heartbeat…

Pure, living, moments in the very heart of God! Don't let anything stop you...

January 11, 2016-Marla Shaw O’Neill

Psalm 46:4-6The Message (MSG)

^4-6 River fountains splash joy, cooling God’s city,
    this sacred haunt of the Most High.
God lives here, the streets are safe,
    God at your service from crack of dawn.
Godless nations rant and rave, kings and kingdoms threaten,
    but Earth does anything he says.

Pride

 

Who are you promoting? How are you living? Has Pride taken control?

I have found that when I become self-centered and self-consciences I want everything to revolve around me, and I am not letting Him surround me. In the middle of the word ‘HIM’ is the letter I. It’s all about Him (God) not me, myself or I…when I want all the attention, what I’ve done and what I’m doing and see me, me, me…I fall into Satan’s trap and I become distant from my loving heavenly father.

My behavior becomes full of pride and it’s all about ME, I’m in sin!

I become short tempered and envious and sensitive and insecure.

But praise God, for the precious Holy Spirit, He deals with me gently, but with a firm hand.

Before I know it I hear myself and I don’t like what I see or hear. And I find myself on the altar, crying out, Jesus save me. My attitude has to be right though, I have to be contrite and humbled or God will not listen.

When that happens I am most miserable. I go on for a few more days making others around me miserable too.

And if I stay in that condition for very long, I am separated from the love of God and a dark cloud follows me, I am in sin and need correction. God chastens those he loves…the only way to get out of it, is to humble myself before Him. Recognize ‘Pride.’

17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise. Psalm 51:17 King James Version (KJV)

18 Pride goeth before destruction and a haughty spirit before a fall.
Proverbs 16:18 King James Version (KJV)

God is holy and just. He is the creator, He is the savior, and without him we can do nothing. Pride is what caused Lucifer to fall from his position along with a third of the angels. Pride will destroy lives, crush nations, and kill everything beautiful and sacred in our lives.

Satan used pride to tempt Jesus when he was in the wilderness and he is still using it today to deceive and destroy lives and he will keep on using it. We must be aware every minute and pray for a heart of humility and grace to live this life. We are the children of the King…we are to be in Him and he in us. He is to be lifted up; not you and not me.

Let ‘I,’ be surrounded by Him and live in a constant state of humility.

And remember when Satan comes and lies to you and fills your heart with pride…Like Jesus, say, IT IS WRITTEN…YOU SHALL NOT TEMPT THE LORD YOUR GOD…

For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. Hebrews 4:12New King James Version (NKJV)

So humble yourselves before God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. James 4:7 New Living Translation (NLT)

Take control of what I say, O Lord, and guard my lips. Psalm 141:3 New Living Translation (NLT)

In the same way, the tongue is a small thing that makes grand speeches.
But a tiny spark can set a great forest on fire. James 3:5 NLT

Speak life…and walk in humility.

Finally…

If you’ve gotten anything at all out of following Christ, if his love has made any difference in your life, if being in a community of the Spirit means anything to you, if you have a heart, if you care— then do me a favor: Agree with each other, love each other, be deep-spirited friends. Don’t push your way to the front; don’t sweet-talk your way to the top. Put yourself aside, and help others get ahead. Don’t be obsessed with getting your own advantage. Forget yourselves long enough to lend a helping hand. Philippians 2:2-4The Message (MSG)