As I read once again this well known prayer in Matthew 6:9-13, I thought I would share a few of my thoughts on it.
Our Father in heaven - Wow! What a way to start off the prayer. We have a spiritual father who is the King of kings and the Lord of lord's. Heaven refers to where is at and His exalted position. Talk about having connections in high places. What's most amazing is the we are His children.
Hallowed be your name - Holy is the name of the Lord. Do we treat His name as holy? Does our attitudes and actions reflect His holy name? The child is a reflection on the Father. When a person looks at a child and watches his attitudes and actions, he will form an opinion of the Father.
Your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. - This is not a prayer for future events. This is a prayer for present day action. God wants to bring heaven to earth. He wants what is on earth to line up with what is in heaven. Of course the complete fulfillment of this will not happen until the Father puts everything under the Son in the last days. Yet, the prayer is not, come Lord Jesus, but Lord Jesus be revealed in us in the here and now.
Give us today our daily bread. - Do you depend on God for your daily bread or are you seeking your daily bread in your strength or relying on others for your daily bread? God wants our focus to be on Him for our every need. He wants us to rely on Him only.
Forgive us our debts, as we have also forgiven our debtors. - Christ paid our debt of sin. Are you willing to do the same for another? God gave us grace - unmerited favor. There may be someone in your life who is not worthy of forgiveness, but we need to forgive them anyway. There may be someone who owes us big time, not just financially. God would say, don't try to collect. Let me be your reward.
An lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one? The Bible says that the devil is like a roaring lion seeking someone to devour. We can only be delivered from his mighty jaws with the help of God. I know for my own life God has delivered me many a time. It is not always from Satan, more often it is from my self.
Thursday, June 9, 2011
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
What Do You Hear
What Do You Hear?
Revelations 2:17 "He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes I will give some of the hidden manna to eat. And I will give him a white stone, and on the stone a new name written which no one knows except him who receives it."' NKJV
Two keys to entering into the promises that are common to all seven churches in Revelation are an ability to hear what the Spirit is saying to the churches and the ability to overcome. We live in a world inundated with constant sound, voices from every area pulling upon our attention, drowning out what God is wanting to speak to us to enable us to overcome and come into the abundant life Jesus has provided for us.
In I Kings chapters 17 and 18 there had been no dew nor rain in Israel for three years and there was “severe famine.” God had supernaturally provided for Elijah with ravens that brought him bread and meat and a widow who only had a “handful of flour” and “a little oil jar.” Elijah came into this supernatural provision in famine because of his ability to hear the voice of God in the midst of insurmountable challenges and the courage to obey that voice. But God’s plan was not only to provide for Elijah, but to use Elijah to impact a nation.
In chapter 18, Elijah calls down fire from heaven, kills the prophets of Baal and then in verse 11 makes a startling pronouncement to Ahab: “Get thee up, eat and drink; for there is a sound of abundance of rain.” There has not been rain nor dew in three years, there is not a cloud in the sky or even a hint of rain, yet Elijah hears what others do not hear, he hears the sound not of a little rain but the sound of abundance of rain. While Ahab eats and drinks, Elijah prays in what he has heard in the Spirit. Seven times he bows down and prays, six times he sends his servant to look and there is nothing, but the seventh time the servant sees “a cloud, as small as a man’s hand, rising out of the sea.” Elijah leaps into action and outruns Ahab’s chariot to Jezreel in the midst of pouring rain.
To survive, overcome, and lead in today’s world, we need to hear what others do not hear. If all we do is listen to what others say, what we see on the news or read on the internet, magazines or books, we are simply being influenced by voices around us whether good or bad. Romans 10:17 says, “Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” Our ability to act with faith and confidence even in the midst of drought and famine is rooted in our ability to clearly hear the voice of God and to pray it into reality.
"He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes I will give some of the hidden manna to eat.” God has hidden manna for you to eat today if you will shut off the shouting voices of the world and get into God’s presence. For those who hear and overcome there is also a new name that “no one knows except the one who receives it.” A name in Bible times defined identity. God has a new identity for you that does not come from this world, no one can give it to you, and no one knows it but God. He wants to reveal it to you if you, will hear His voice and respond in faith and obedience.
Revelations 2:17 "He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes I will give some of the hidden manna to eat. And I will give him a white stone, and on the stone a new name written which no one knows except him who receives it."' NKJV
Two keys to entering into the promises that are common to all seven churches in Revelation are an ability to hear what the Spirit is saying to the churches and the ability to overcome. We live in a world inundated with constant sound, voices from every area pulling upon our attention, drowning out what God is wanting to speak to us to enable us to overcome and come into the abundant life Jesus has provided for us.
In I Kings chapters 17 and 18 there had been no dew nor rain in Israel for three years and there was “severe famine.” God had supernaturally provided for Elijah with ravens that brought him bread and meat and a widow who only had a “handful of flour” and “a little oil jar.” Elijah came into this supernatural provision in famine because of his ability to hear the voice of God in the midst of insurmountable challenges and the courage to obey that voice. But God’s plan was not only to provide for Elijah, but to use Elijah to impact a nation.
In chapter 18, Elijah calls down fire from heaven, kills the prophets of Baal and then in verse 11 makes a startling pronouncement to Ahab: “Get thee up, eat and drink; for there is a sound of abundance of rain.” There has not been rain nor dew in three years, there is not a cloud in the sky or even a hint of rain, yet Elijah hears what others do not hear, he hears the sound not of a little rain but the sound of abundance of rain. While Ahab eats and drinks, Elijah prays in what he has heard in the Spirit. Seven times he bows down and prays, six times he sends his servant to look and there is nothing, but the seventh time the servant sees “a cloud, as small as a man’s hand, rising out of the sea.” Elijah leaps into action and outruns Ahab’s chariot to Jezreel in the midst of pouring rain.
To survive, overcome, and lead in today’s world, we need to hear what others do not hear. If all we do is listen to what others say, what we see on the news or read on the internet, magazines or books, we are simply being influenced by voices around us whether good or bad. Romans 10:17 says, “Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” Our ability to act with faith and confidence even in the midst of drought and famine is rooted in our ability to clearly hear the voice of God and to pray it into reality.
"He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes I will give some of the hidden manna to eat.” God has hidden manna for you to eat today if you will shut off the shouting voices of the world and get into God’s presence. For those who hear and overcome there is also a new name that “no one knows except the one who receives it.” A name in Bible times defined identity. God has a new identity for you that does not come from this world, no one can give it to you, and no one knows it but God. He wants to reveal it to you if you, will hear His voice and respond in faith and obedience.
Saturday, June 4, 2011
Having a Positive Effect
What kind of effect are you having on the people around you? Are you having a positive or negative effect on them? Are you making their day better or worse?
Matthew 5:13 says, "You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men"
Salt brings out the good flavor in food. It has a positive effect on the food. We are to positively effect those around us. We are to bring out the best in a person. What they see in us should be appealing and cause them to desire us or that which is in us, namely, Christ. Or do our attitudes and actions leave a bad taste in others mouths?
Also, salt does not bring attention to itself. Salt is to blend into the food and enhance it. If there is too much salt in the food, it overwhelms the food and has an opposite effect. If we come on too strong to the world, we may overwhelm them and become a bad taste in their mouth. Often when we come on too strong, we end up detracting from God, Him who is in us. They focus on us more than Christ in us.
On the other hand if there is not enough salt, we will not bring the necessary change and positive effect that needs to take place. We must be careful not to water down the Gospel or our walk with Christ. Then the salt loses its saltiness and becomes worthless.
Finally, there are those who don't want the spiritual food no matter how we salt it. They have determined in their heart and mind that they don't like this kind of food. Often because in the past they have had a bad experience with the food or have chosen never to give it a chance.
The Bible says that we should never be tired of doing good and letting our light shine. Let us have a positive affect on our family, friends and everyone that we come in contact with today.
Matthew 5:13 says, "You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men"
Salt brings out the good flavor in food. It has a positive effect on the food. We are to positively effect those around us. We are to bring out the best in a person. What they see in us should be appealing and cause them to desire us or that which is in us, namely, Christ. Or do our attitudes and actions leave a bad taste in others mouths?
Also, salt does not bring attention to itself. Salt is to blend into the food and enhance it. If there is too much salt in the food, it overwhelms the food and has an opposite effect. If we come on too strong to the world, we may overwhelm them and become a bad taste in their mouth. Often when we come on too strong, we end up detracting from God, Him who is in us. They focus on us more than Christ in us.
On the other hand if there is not enough salt, we will not bring the necessary change and positive effect that needs to take place. We must be careful not to water down the Gospel or our walk with Christ. Then the salt loses its saltiness and becomes worthless.
Finally, there are those who don't want the spiritual food no matter how we salt it. They have determined in their heart and mind that they don't like this kind of food. Often because in the past they have had a bad experience with the food or have chosen never to give it a chance.
The Bible says that we should never be tired of doing good and letting our light shine. Let us have a positive affect on our family, friends and everyone that we come in contact with today.
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