Tag Archives: family

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The Importance of Prayer

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1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 “Rejoice always; pray without ceasing. in everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus”

Prayer for the Christian is important. Praying to God is simply any conversation you have with Him. There are different types of prayer. Sometimes we are requesting things or answers from Him, for ourselves and for others. (Philippians 4:6-7). Other times we are in dire straights and need some help. Psalm 145:18 “The LORD is near to all who call upon Him, To all who call upon Him in truth.” Prayer is also giving thanks for all He has done for us and for who He is.

No matter our circumstances, prayer should be our first step, before the doctor, before the lawyer, before the bank and credit cards, before counseling and self help books. First thing every day we should go to Him with a heart of Thanksgiving. The last thing we do before our eyes close to sleep is to end our day in conversation with Him. Notice I say conversation. Conversations are two sided. We have to be still and quiet enough to hear His voice. A great place to start is after a time of praise and reading His word, ask God how much He loves you. Then listen.

The verse in I Thessalonians tells us to “pray without ceasing”. I know the majority of us have jobs and obligations. Yes we need to verbally, out loud, pray to God. Use His word in our prayers. Recite His promises. But we can also pray silently, or pray in the spirit quietly. Another way to look at it, is that you are always open to hear from Him. Maybe your job takes a lot of concentration and you can’t let your mind go into prayer, but you can thank Him when you are done with a task, thank Him for helping you handle that difficult client. Be creative. Always pray before you eat. A trite, “Good bread, good meat, thank God let’s eat”, just wont cut it. You don’t have to pray until your food is cold, but be earnest and honest with God. Do you commute to work? Take that time to pray.

So maybe you are thinking, “my life is pretty good, I don’t have that much to pray for.” Here are some suggestions for you. Of course, always pray for yourself and your family. Name their names, be specific in what they may need. Pray for the lost ones especially.

Pray for our leaders and those in authority over us.
1 Timothy 2:1-4 KJV
“I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men; For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour;”

We don’t have to like them, we don’t have to agree with them, but God says to pray for them. Pray for their salvation. Pray that they use Godly wisdom and pray for their protection.

Pray for our spiritual leaders.
Colossians 4:2-4 AMP
“Be earnest and unwearied and steadfast in your prayer [life], being [both] alert and intent in [your praying] with thanksgiving. And at the same time pray for us also, that God may open a door to us for the Word (the Gospel), to proclaim the mystery concerning Christ (the Messiah) on account of which I am in prison; That I may proclaim it fully and make it clear [speak boldly and unfold that mystery], as is my duty.”

Ask God to bless them financially, emotionally, physically and spiritually. Pray that they have time to rest, relax, and spend time with their families. Pray that they are led by the Spirit of God, and are upright in all their ways. Ask God to give them Godly wisdom and discernment.

Pray for one another.
Colossians 4:12 AMP
“Epaphras, who is one of yourselves, a servant of Christ Jesus, sends you greetings. [He is] always striving for you earnestly in his prayers, [pleading] that you may [as persons of ripe character and clear conviction] stand firm and mature [in spiritual growth], convinced and fully assured in [a]everything willed by God.”

Pray that they can stand in these evil days. Pray again for supernatural provision. That they lack no good thing. Think about the things you need and ask God to provide those things for your brothers and sisters in Christ. Pay attention to those around you, are they going through some hard times, go to God on there behalf. Again, make sure you take the time to listen to God. He may ask you to do something or direct you to pray in a certain way. A word of caution, if God reveals something to you so that you can pray, don’t go and gossip about it!

Pray for your enemies.
Matthew 5:43-45 ESV
“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.”

Pray for their salvation. Ask God to open their eyes to their need of Him. Ask the Holy Spirit to prepare their hearts. “Get them”, “punish them”, “give them what they deserve” are all NOT good prayers. We didn’t get what we deserved. Ask God to forgive them.

Pray for the lost.
Acts 26:18
“To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me.”
God’s desire is that all are saved. Jesus died for all men. We shouldn’t write off anyone.

Like most things you have to work at building a habit. Set time aside, on purpose to pray. You will see great changes take place. God’s word does not return unto Him void. When we pray according to His will, He does the miraculous.

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Book Review for “Voices of Hope” – Science Fiction

I picked this Sci Fi book up for .25 from the library and didn’t know it was the last one of a series of several books. So at first the “trannie” language really confused me. By about midway I was catching on to almost all of it. It is told from the viewpoint of about 5 people so you really have to pay attention to the chapter headings that let you know who’s in charge. A great book about the differences in financial status in a future society. Has some military aspects but I am guessing not as much as the first few books. Great morals, a small amount of swearing and some of that is in a futuristic slang. There is also a lot of violence, and it’s pretty vivid, so I can’t recommend for younger than high school. I give it 4 stars and will be reading the first books as well.

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Book Review for “All Things Different” -Fiction

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I so enjoyed “All Things Different”. A great emotional ride about relationships, good and bad, loyalty, family and love. This isn’t an easy weekend read, you’d miss most of the undercurrents. The story is told through the eyes of a high school boy. Not a lot of dialogue, but lots of insight on peoples feelings and thoughts. You need to read this one with some Kleenex close by. I give it 5 stars and will be checking out more books by Shawn Underhill.
Still free on Amazon Kindle version.

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Who’s Your Daddy?

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Ok, so the title is a little corny, but it fits.
All of us, with not exceptions, are born into a corrupted word. Since Adam and Eve’s disobedience, we have lived in a “fallen state.” No longer in relationship with God. There are only two families. God’s (the Kingdom of Heaven), and Satan’s (the kingdom of rebellion). Just like in the natural, when we are born, we cannot choose our family. It was decided for us ages ago by our ancestors, Adam and Eve.

But, (here comes the good part), God allows us to choose later in life. His desire is to be our Father and so He gives us the opportunity to be adopted into His family. Galatians 4:4-6, “But when the right time came, God sent his Son, born of a woman, subject to the law. God sent him to buy freedom for us who were slaves to the law, so that he could adopt us as his very own children. And because we are his children, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, prompting us to call out, “Abba, Father.”” He always wanted us, intended for us to be His, but He can’t break His own laws. He won’t be a “child-napper.” We have to come freely to Him. He already made the legal way through the shed blood of His Son.

When we choose Christ, we immediately are translated from the Kingdom of darkness into the Kingdom of Light. But, we may still have to get rid of some old thought patterns and some un-godly habits. When Satan was our father, we had his nature. John 8:44, (Weymouth New Testament) “The father whose sons you are is the Devil; and you desire to do what gives him pleasure.” Now that God is our Father, we should be demonstrating His nature. We should be reflecting God’s personality and character.

The hard part is that the devil still wants us. Not out of any love or loyalty, just to keep us away from God. He never had any love for us. He was ever an abusive parent, in every way, physically, mentally and verbally. If he seemingly did something we perceived as “good” at eh time- it was only a trick, a trap and a snare. We always paid for it in the end and the price continued to get higher and higher, until finally God Himself had to pay it for us. We lived in bondage. Not son’s but slaves.

In the Family of God, we have a wonderful, loving father. His thoughts toward us are good and not of evil (Jeremiah 29:11). In His Family, we are no more slaves, but Sons! We are “accepted in the beloved.” Our hearts are created new, clean, our minds are renewed. We have to destroy any thoughts that are against the nature of God, that don’t line up with His word. We have to “crucify” our flesh, all that junk that tried to come over with us into our new family.

We can’t ask God to take us, then keep boing back to our “old” family! There is no weekend visitations, no joint custody. We need to be fully His. Because if we aren’t fully His, then we aren’t His at all. You can only have one father. So…who’s your daddy?

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Book Review for “Outside”-YA Dystopian Fiction

I was given a copy of “Outside” by the author, Shalini Boland, in exchange for an honest review. This is a YA Dystopian book, which I tend to like. She understands teens, and the intricacies of family and relationships. The story is set in England and enjoyed the difference in the way they talk compared to our American lingo. Great main characters. I give it 5 stars. I can recommend this book for teens and up.

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Book Review for “Rise of the Shadow Stealers”- Children’sChristian Fiction

This was a wonderful allegory! Along the lines of C.S. Lewis and John Bunyan. It was a fantastic read and I am hoping there will be more from Daniel Ingram-Brown. The story is all about stories. The world that our two unlikely heroes reside in is filled with plots, twists, tales, both fun and scary. I would recommend as a buddy read with a parent for ages under 10. I give it 4 stars. Good Job.