Why do we pray?

This is taken from www.one place.com by Adrian Rogers

Why do we pray?

It's very important to understand this: we are inviting God into our lives when we pray.

When we pray, we experience —

• Fellowship. 

We become "workers together with Him" (2 Corinthians 6:1). When we pray, God gives us the joy and privilege of administrating His kingdom, His affairs — working together with Him. He could do it without us. We could not do it without Him. But what a glory that God allows us the privilege of doing it with Him!

• Development. 

When we pray, God is growing us. Have you ever prayed and didn't receive immediately what you asked for? What did you do? You kept on praying, but you also began to search your heart and life to see if something was hindering God's answer. Many times there is. God uses prayer to grow us.

• Dependency. 

God never wants us to live lives independent of Him. If God just did everything for us and we never had to pray, soon we would begin to take things for granted. We would cease to depend upon God.

Prayer Binds Us to God

That's why we tell God what He already knows. He knows what we have need of before we ask, but we're definitely, specifically, unqualifiedly told to pray and to ask — not to impress or inform God, but to invite God, so that we might have that fellowship with Him, so that we might grow, and we would learn to depend upon Him.

God Is With You

Back about 15 years ago was what I would call my spiritual transformation. I went deeper into my relationship with God through prayer, meditation, and journaling.  I would wake up around 5 in the morning and just spend some time with God. I wrote phrases and sentences that turned into verse. I borrowed my sisters piano and just started playing around with music and created melodies. 

Around this time, my sister was very sick and several of my friends were dealing with cancer.  I wrote "You Are Not Alone", to express how God is always with us through every storm in our lives. We can find rest, peace, and comfort in God. 

I hope you can find a message of God's love for you in this video. 

Peace

http://flipagram.com/f/HlJTeSPgJW

Chapter 2. Look Around You

Suffering from migraines and prescription drugs

Lonely and suffering from anxiety

Need a job

Cancer

Car accident with neck injury

One month old baby died

Cancer

Depression 

All of these things are people who I work with every day or near me as a friend or relative.  I don't think I am unusual. We have so many people around us and in our day to day lives to reach out and help. 

1. Pray for them

2. Listen to them

3. Give them your gentle spirit

4. Help where you can

5. Encourage them

6. Love them

Peace..........

http://youtu.be/muH70QDnGko

Chapter 2. Becoming Outwardly Focused

Love God.  Love Yourself.  Love Others. 

 It is rather simple.  We make things so complicated. Our issues in our minds fight with the natural creation from God to be made in his image.  God is love.   We are love.  Others are love. 

We need help. Our family, friends, neighbors, leaders, the world needs help.  Imagine a world where everyone is outwardly focused to love one another. We are God's hands and feet.  Anyone reading this should be able to think quickly of someone who needs our help.  Try to help someone today. Show them your love.  Be nice and smile.  Loosen up.  Stop thinking only about you.  Become outwardly focused.

Love and Peace....

Memories

On my drive to work, I tried to go back to my earliest memory.  I got to pre-kindergarten.  My mom would read these stories to me that had words with pictures throughout for me to say.  I remember picking up grasshoppers in our back yard.  Then I remembered an earlier time when I tried to push open the storm door and my wrist went through the glass.  I had to get stitches.  I also remember we lived across from a funeral home. We would go in there from time to time.  I decided most of my memories are creepy.  Except for the stories.  Wait...I remember before kindergarten when we lived in Indiana and my mom and I would ride the bus downtown and eat cinnamon rolls at the dime store counter. So now creepy things and good things.  Other than the above, most of my memories were saved because of photos.  The photos let me relive my life of love, family, and a wonderful, meaningful life.  The photos preserve the time and help keep the memory alive.  The say a picture is worth a thousand words really makes sense to me.  With IPhone and social media we have a great way to share and keep our memories.  

Life is good and we have been given a way to share life with each other.  Make sure when living life you take a pic now and then so if you are like me you will be able to remember.

Good

Do Christians think we are better than non believers?  Apparently that is what some non believers think of us.  They think we consider ourselves the only nice people on earth.  Is it the way we try to convert everyone because of the great commission?  Perhaps it's because we tend to hang together.  Whatever reason, we must embrace the phrase "perception is reality".  

The only reason I'm bringing this up is to challenge you to review your image and perspective to other non believers.  Everything we do or say should be done in love.  We are called to be light in a darkened world.  We are to bring help and hope to anyone in need.  Everyone should be considered precious in God's eyes.  Do we see everyone as precious?  Or do we pick and choose who we want to be invited into the kingdom? Seek to love everyone unconditionally.  Become very humble and remember that we are All Sinners.

In your prayer time, take a moment to ask God how you can be shown how to become more loving towards everyone.  To not pick and choose.  To have your heart opened and lead by the Spirit.

For me, Mother Teresa was the type of person that could love unconditionally.  She lived to help those around her and saw everyone as a child of God.

peace......

In Honor of Cheryl

Cheryl is a inspiring woman from our church who went to be with the Lord yesterday.  My husband and were in several small groups with Cheryl and her husband.  There is a quote, "Be the person that if anyone ever said anything bad about you, no one would believe it." Cheryl was that person.  Her faith in Christ was a living testimony.   Cheryl battled breast cancer for the last 10 years of her life. She was paralyzed from the waste down the last year as the cancer moved into her spine.  In spite of it all Cheryl had a quiet loving spirit.  I would say she was a perfect example of living by the fruit of the spirit as we are to become as Christians. 

I want us to take The Cheryl Challenge.  We can all live like Cheryl.  We can all be an example of Christ.  It doesn't matter how old you are or what you have done in your past or just did a few moments ago.  With Christ, we are a NEW CREATION.  New meaning CHANGED.  Accept this NOW.  We are free.  If you are already a follower of Christ then change from your old ways.  Get rid of hatred, anger, bitterness, selfishness, rage, and unforiveness.  Through the Holy Spirit living in you, live with love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, and self control.

If you have never accepted Christ into your life, then I beg you to do it right now.  Christ provides a way for us to have everything above and receive this for eternity.  Our life on earth is but a second.  We can make a choice.  But this choices offers us a chance to live with God forever.  To have the Holy Spirit enter our soul and give us everything in that picture above now.  You can and will experience peace so wonderful, love so amazing,  joy never ending.  No matter what you will endure on this earth, God will never leave you and promises that.  That is why we can suffer and still live by the Fruit of the Spirit.  

Our small group is studying Hebrews.  The book of Hebrews was partly written for Jews who converted to Christianity.  They were persecuted and lived a very hard life.  The Jewish people disowned them. To some it was so hard they wanted to go back to the old ways and give up.  Throughout Hebrews the message is clear.  Turn you eyes to Jesus.  Fix your eyes on Jesus.  Jesus came down to give us a new way and and new life.  When we turn to Christ, we can find rest here on earth.  Cheryl was able to find rest through Christ in spite of her troubles.  

Change today.  Don't be so prideful or embarrassed.  Take the Cheryl Challenge and become the person God intended you to be.

If you want to become a follower of Christ.  Just pray,  Jesus, I sin.  I don't like my life and I want you to be a part of me.  I believe that you were the sacrifice for me.  By dying on the cross you saved me.  I believe in you and want you to be in my life forever. Amen!  

I will leave you with a quote that is on Cheryl's Pinterest board.