“Stand up and bless the LORD your God from everlasting to everlasting…”
Let us pray…
“…Blessed be your glorious name, which is exalted above all blessing and praise. You are the LORD, you alone. You have made heaven, the heaven of heavens, with all their host, the earth and all that is on it, the seas and all that is in them; and you preserve all of them; and the host of heaven worships you.”
[Nehemiah 9:5-6]
In Jesus name I pray,
Amen!
Prayer
Acceptable
“Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O LORD, my rock and my redeemer.” (Psalm 19:14)
Amen
It is a presumptuous thing for a sinner, on their own, to think they can speak to a holy God in an acceptable way. The Jews believed this, so much so, that not even the name of God dared to pass their lips, lest they risk offending or angering God.
Even now, we do not give the praise and worship God is due, “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). And since that is the case, you and I need help. But do you want to know something – God is pleased to help; at least those who WANT to give acceptable worship and praise. You see, God wants the glory and so He will see to it that His children give Him the glory He desires. You just need to want and then ask for help.
So let Psalm 19:14 be your prayer as you seek to worship God. Let it be your prayer as you seek to sing His praises. Let it be your prayer as you seek to make God known. God is the Rock and Redeemer, so let us seek to give Him what is acceptable in His sight.
Breathing
What is your prayer life like? You get to be honest here because there is no one to hear your words or see your reaction. But do be honest because who are you fooling? God? Certainly not. But also, this is not an article to make you feel guilty but rather to call to your attention that which is essential to the life of a Christian. Martin Luther is quoted as saying, “To be a Christian without prayer is no more possible than to be alive without breathing.” I think that says it all. So really the question is: Are you alive?
I admit it, I struggle with a regular, vibrant prayer life. I go through my ups and downs. Sure, I pray during worship and at meetings. I pray at mealtimes and with my kids before they go to sleep. But as a regular activity, such as breathing? Well, that can be more sporadic than regular. I once heard a quote that said that when you do not feel like praying, that is the precise moment when you need to pray all the more, because it is an indication that Satan is at work on you. And the last thing I want is for Satan to work on me.
And so, I have been working on my prayer life and trying to develop some routines and healthy habits. Some are new and some are beginning to become habits. And so, I want to share with you a couple ways to jump start your prayer life and hopefully begin a new, godly habit to rejuvenate your relationship with God.
(1) Wake up in the morning and thank God first thing (even before you have your coffee).
(2) Instead of your normal, memorized meal prayer, mix things up and pray a prayer from the heart.
(3) Keep a prayer journal and note how and when God addresses your prayers. I like to use my phone because I know I always have that with me.
(4) Instead of saying to someone, “I will pray for you”, actually pray for them or at the very least, take the time to write it down so you will not forget later (watching you write it down shows that you are serious about them).
(5) Send a message to 3 people each week, asking how you can pray for them. You might be surprised at how responsive people are. And then follow up with them later.
(6) Pick a handful of people from the congregation and send them a message to let them know that you are praying for them.
(7) If you have to drive for a while, turn off the radio and cell phone and pray out loud. No one will hear you except God.
But whatever you do, pray, pray and pray some more. It is the breath of a Christian and the lifeline to our awesome God. But always remember, no prayer is too small or insignificant for God. He is never too busy for your prayers. And on the flip side, remember how big God is so never be afraid to pray boldly. But in the end, it is thy will be done. Let God change you and put you more in line with His glorious and perfect will. Amen.
Tuesday devotions ~ Psalm 50
14 Offer to God a sacrifice of thanksgiving,
and perform your vows to the Most High,
15 and call upon me in the day of trouble;
I will deliver you, and you shall glorify me.”
Worship
Obedience
Prayer
These are things that people of faith do, but they are things that can be faked, at least for a while. For those who follow Jesus as their Lord and Savior, worship, obedience and prayer are threads intimately woven into the fabric of their being. It is what they do without thinking; an automatic function like breathing or blinking your eyes. You do not think about doing those things, nor does a disciple of Jesus think about worship, obedience and prayer. Imagine needing to consciously remind yourself to breathe. Those who need that help are usually on ventilators and thus without artificial means they would die. The same goes for those who have to think about worship, obedience and prayer. They are empty actions devoid of meaning because it is not part of them and thus it is an insult to God.
That is the issue at hand in this Psalm. God has gotten to the point of rejecting their sacrifices (vs 9) and their recitations of His statues from their lips (vs 16). They have become empty rituals in which the people are seeking to justify themselves before God. They do religious things and say the “right words”, but their lives reflect anything but a transformed life that glorifies God.
I am not saying that regenerate people perfectly follow Jesus. Sometimes you do not feel like worshiping and your obedience is lacking and your prayer life is flat. But try holding your breath for an extended period of time. Eventually that which your body needs will force the issue. The child of God does not worship to gain God’s favor, rather worship is a natural outflow, like obedience and prayer.
Child of God, you will have those bad days when worship, obedience and prayer are difficult, but do not fear. Do not worry that God will reject you because those things are difficult sometimes. Rejoice that He has already chosen you through Jesus Christ. Run to Him in confession and know His mercy and grace, and thus give you a renewed reason to worship Him.
LET US PRAY: Holy God, I praise You that I know You intimately enough to praise You with my whole being; without thinking. In my low moments and in those dark valleys, show me Your light and remind me of my chosenness. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.
Sunday Morning Prayer ~ Matthew 16:13-20
Sunday mornings are a little different as we join in prayer using the text I will be preaching today.
LET US PRAY: Holy God, who are you? You are Creator, Mighty God and Father. You are revealed to me in Jesus. But who is Jesus?
Jesus is Lord, Savor and King,
He is the One to whom my voice sings.
Who is Jesus?
Jesus is Redeemer, Shepherd, and friend,
He is the One who has no end.
Who is Jesus?
Jesus is Servant, Master and Son.
He is the One who for me has won.
Who is Jesus?
Jesus is MY Lord.
Jesus is MY Savior.
Jesus is MY Life.
Jesus is the only way to You, Father God, and thus may Your Spirit teach me more and more of him and may Your Spirit draw me closer and closer to him. For if Jesus shows me You, and he does, then I want more of Jesus.
Who are You Father?
You are Love.
You are Grace.
You are Mercy.
You are.
And thus to You be all glory, praise, honor, thanksgiving and worship, and I do so through Jesus Christ, Your Son and MY Lord, Amen.
Tuesday Devotions ~ Psalm 44
“O God, we have heard with our ears, our fathers have told us, what deeds you performed in their days, in the days of old”
I saw a social media meme recently that caught my attention:
“Many folks are praying for God to heal our land, but I think he’s still waiting for people to humble themselves, repent and turn from their wicked ways.”
I see a lot of truth in that statement. There are people crying out for healing but yet, not willing to turn to God; to repent; to leave behind their sinful ways. They have heard the stories from their parents and remember, but they want their cake and eat it too. As in verses 9 – 16, I hear people lamenting and wondering why God has turned His back on this nation. And then in verse 17, people claim they are being faithful, and have not forgotten God. But is that true?
And finally, in verse 23, the psalmist, on behalf of the people, is calling God to wake up and remember them. But I can’t help but wonder if people today need to wake up and remember God; to wake up and remember what they have heard with their ears from their fathers, to wake and remember who they are and whose they are.
So maybe the prayer is not for God to heal this nation, in the sense of taking away conflict and hate. Maybe the prayer needs to be for renewed hearts, hearts of stone being replaced with hearts of flesh. Maybe the prayer is that people would humble themselves and thus cry out in faith, “Rise up, come to our help! Redeem us for the sake of your steadfast love!” A steadfast love that God has shown through Jesus Christ.
Yes, let us pray that prayer.
LET US PRAY: Father God, this world is messed up. We want a good life, one free of conflict, disease, hate, fighting and division. We want peace and harmony, but often we are not willing to humble ourselves and admit that we are the problem. So instead of looking inside, we look outside and point our fingers at others. Father God, send Your Holy Spirit to convict hearts and turn Your children back to You. Renew hearts to see You for who You are and to know Your love, grace and mercy in Jesus Christ. Bring healing to this nation but God, would You please begin with me. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.
Sunday Morning Devotions ~ August 20, 2023
SCRIPTURE:
Matthew 13:1-9 and Isaiah 55
LET US PRAY:
For as the rain and snow come down from heaven, and do not return to You, oh God, without watering the earth, making it bring forth and spout, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so shall Your Word be that goes forth from Your mouth.
It shall not return to You empty.
It shall not return to You void.
It shall not return to You having failed.
Your Word, mighty God, is powerful and therefore it shall accomplish that which You purpose.
Your Word, my awesome God, shall succeed in whatever You send it to do.
Your Word, Creator God, is the only word that can breathe life into dry bones.
As for me, because of Jesus Your Son and my Lord, my bones have life and thus I shall go out in joy and peace.
May the mountains and hills break forth in singing.
May Your people bow down in worship.
May Your works be made known to all people.
May Your servant be faithful with Your seed.
For Your Word has rained down and has given me living and daily bread, and thus seed for this sower. Therefore,
May the words of my mouth sing Your praises.
May the words of my mouth spew Good Seed.
May the words of my mouth be carried and blessed by the Spirit to create New Life; beautiful fruit from rich soil, growth that can only come from You.
Oh God, You are a faithful God and thus all glory belongs to You. In Jesus’ name I pray,
Amen.
Weapons
Good morning. It has been a while since I have posted here. Occasionally I have gone through some dry spells when this blog was less active. Hopefully this new Buffalo Center Tribune article will kick things off again for this blog. So without further ado, here you go. To God be the glory!
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In reading through 2 Corinthians last week, I paused on verses three and four of chapter ten, which read, “For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds.” I think of these verses whenever a national tragedy takes place, like a mass shooting, natural disaster, etc. Especially during an event like a school shooting, social media lights up with political finger pointing, blaming this and that party for their policy actions (or inaction) and beliefs. And then amidst the finger pointing there is another form of attack. This is directed towards Christians who wield a different kind of weapon in response to the tragedy. Their (our) calls for and commitments to prayer are met with mocking and anger as nonbelievers criticize Christians that prayer is not enough, or prayer is pointless in stopping a bullet or prayer is just being lazy and irresponsible when people are dying. I have seen all of these attacks on social media, and it saddens me. But it also reminds me that as a Christian, the battle, indeed, is not against flesh and blood and therefore the weapons we wield are different than the world’s weapons. For those fighting flesh and blood, the weapons include the political system, words, and actual real-life weapons. The world wields these and thus, to them, anyone who does not is weak and irresponsible.
As a Christian, the greatest weapon we can use is that which carries a different and greater power. It is a power that cannot be overcome by the world. It is a power that is unmatched by anything and anyone. It is a power that WILL destroy every stronghold. It is the power of God Almighty. And thus, the greatest, not the least, thing you can do is PRAY. It does not mean that Christians should not do something in this world in response to a tragedy, like engaging the political process, but do not let that be your only weapon of choice. We have to remember, as a child of God, the enemy is not of this world. But God our Creator is the victorious King, a victory won on the cross of Jesus.
The enemy, Satan, though defeated, keeps on fighting in this world. He keeps on trying to drive people to despair and to fight among themselves. What Satan sees on social media after a national tragedy is something that brings a smile to his face. Brothers and sisters, keep on wielding the weapons of the Spirit and never let the world convince you that you are being lazy. Rather, remember the divine power and grace that has saved you through Jesus and thus bring him glory through your faithfulness. Keep on fighting and trust God. HE is powerful and HE has won the Day. In Jesus name, Amen.
Happy Father’s Day
The following is the annual posting of my Father’s Day Prayer. It is a prayer that is loosely based on some wording from a Mother’s Day Prayer I received from a colleague over 10 years ago. It also includes suggested petitions I have received from others over the years, This prayer goes through revisions each year and thus has morphed into what you read today. To God be the glory.
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God our Father, in Your wisdom and love You made all things. You have created and ordained men to be heads of their household. Give them the faith to be godly teachers and examples to their family, leading them in holiness.
Bless those new fathers, who have been called and accepted the responsibility of parenting.
Bless those men who have lost a spouse to death or divorce.
Bless those men who, through various circumstances, find themselves parenting their children alone.
Bless those men who have been called to parent children through adoption or the foster care system.
Bless grandfathers who share their wisdom and love with multiple generations.
Bless those fathers who have had to bear the grief of burying of a child.
We pray for fathers who have made the decision to abort a child. Bring healing and reconciliation through Jesus.
We pray for those men who choose to remain without biological children, may they continue to show fatherly love with the world in many ways.
We give thanks for uncles and godfathers and neighbors, who share fatherly love with so many children; and for far too often overlooked stepfathers.
We pray for those men who struggle with infertility, whose desire for a child is met with frustration.
We pray for the fathers of children with special needs and chronic illness, who know anxiety and exhaustion better than most.
We pray for those men who were given abuse and heartbreak by the ones called to love them.
We pray for fathers who have made the difficult and loving decision to entrust a child to adoptive parents.
Strengthen all these men by and through Your love that they may be the loving and caring persons they are called and meant to be as they reflect Your love and glory. Grant this, Father God, through Christ Jesus our Lord.
In response to the Uvalde school shooting…
I posted the following in a private Bible reading Facebook group I lead, but wanted to make this more widely available. To God be the glory.
It is Wednesday morning. I went to bed last night with a heavy heart as I pondered the news of elementary school kids in Uvalde, TX slaughtered by an 18-year-old gunman. I have seen different numbers but it looks like 14 kids (2nd, 3rd or 4th graders – the ages of my kids) and a teacher. I am sure numbers will be updated as time goes on. As I pondered this news, praying and wondering, I was preparing to schedule our morning devotion for today. I had it written and ready, but I couldn’t do it. Instead I am writting this. I felt I needed to stop and acknowledge those who died, and to acknowledge the evil in this world that took their lives.
I am tempted to say something politcial right now, but instead I am turning my attention to the One who is in control. You see, God is still God. Jesus still reigns. Satan is still defeated. And death? Yes, that too will be gone someday. In the mean time, we live in a world of evil as sin fills our hearts and Satan works to drive a wedge between people. And I see that Happening today. With every tragic event like this, the rhetoric ramps up, people fire their attacks at one another and the divide gets wider and wider. Solutions seem to be simple and straightforward. The only difference is who you ask. Ask people of this world and the answer is stricter laws. Ask those who find their peace under the Lordship of Jesus, the answer is right in front of us: Jesus. Does this mean we just sit back and be push overs? No! We stand up and fight. But more than that, we pray, pray and pray some more. We appeal to God in the name of Jesus and find our hope in the One who made all things and all people. In the words of Job, who’s world was falling apart around him, “For I know that my Redeemer lives, and at the last he will stand upon the earth. And after my skin has been thus destroyed, yet in my flesh I shall see God, whom I shall see for myself, and my eyes shall behold, and not another. My heart faints within me!” (Job 19:25-27) Yes, my heart does faint within me today, but my Redeemers lives, thus my hope is not lost.
And so, I say it again and again: Pray. Remember the families who lost loved ones. Remember the grieving community. Remember the emergency workers who can not unsee the things they have seen. Remember and pray. Lord, in Your mercy…
The Heart of a Pastor 