Loving in Community

God wants us to have this full and rich love for each other because it’s what the kingdom of God is about – love – sharing and caring for one another.  

Praying together – praying heart to heart – when someone is hurting (which for humans is pretty much a daily thing), we all need sharing and caring that is affectionate.

Talking heart to heart with God and with others means you connect to them on a deeper level – at the center of their heart. 

Pray into John 13:35 again, and consider how we “love one another” as Christ loved us.  

Feel free to post questions you might have or your experiences. 

...in community

John 13:35 is one of the verses that continues to come back to me.  It’s almost like the Spirit is saying, “get this”, “remember this”, “BE this”.  

John 13:35 says, “ Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.” 

This love - in Greek, ἀγάπη - agapē  - is an affectionate love – it is full and rich – it shares bread together, like a feast – it is sacrificial. 

Experiencing this kind of love IN a community is heaven on earth. 

Exercise: Pray – heart to heart with 1 or 2 other people.  As you pray think about Christ in them, holding all of you.  Ask the Spirit to speak to you about the needs of the others.  

Write down what you hear, and after you have departed from the others, continue to pray – heart to heart – for the others.  

Continue to write down what you hear. 

Serenity Prayer

This prayer was written in 1943 by theologian, Reinhold Niebuhr:

"God, give us grace to accept with serenity the things that cannot be changed,
courage to change the things that should be changed,
and the wisdom to distinguish the one from the other."


Grace in the moment...

Our Strength

Psalm 42:1a also says that God is our strength.

God is our refuge AND strength!

What exactly does that mean?  How can God put energy into our bodies?  Well, for one thing because He is GOD.  He just can. It's not difficult - if He can blow out (Ruach) and create the universe, He can certainly put strength into our bodies!

God also gives more than physical strength.  He gives emotional strength as well.  When we open up space for God, He can change our attitude. 

I’ve found that attitude is 99.9% of the battle…

As you pray into “God is MY strength”, sit quietly and let God show you HIS strength.

Our Refuge

Psalm 46:1a

God is our refuge…

Pray into this brief phrase and as you pray, envision God protecting you, helping you to simplify your life.  Remember God is here – now – in you – all around.  God is your refuge.

All the time.

Everywhere.

Through eternity.

Ash Wednesday: Turn Back

Today, consider our turning back to God…

Romans 2:4 says:

Don’t you see how wonderfully kind, tolerant, and patient God is with you? Does this mean nothing to you? Can’t you see that his kindness is intended to turn you from your sin?

Pray into a phrase or a single word from Romans 2:4.  Stay with that word or phrase for as long as you need to receive what the Spirit has for you today.  

Be Very Blessed!

Loving

Today's scripture for you to pray into is from John 13:34:

Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other.

I could spend the rest of my life praying into this scripture alone...it's that important!

The key here is that the love comes from Christ.  As you spend more time receiving the love of Jesus, you will be able to "give it away".  You will love abundantly because that is what you are given from God. 

No longer will you react to enmity because you will want to share the love you've been given. 

As you pray into this scripture, ask Christ to give you love for others - abundant love - that is a prayer God will respond to immediately (in other words, not one that requires waiting and God's timing). 

Ask and it will be given to you...

Healing

Healing Prayer is ever so slightly different from other kinds of prayer.

When praying for someone’s healing it’s okay to ask for healing – God will heal as He chooses and in His time…but it’s always okay to ask. Jesus always heals – spiritual healing, then often emotional or relational  - if you seek physical healing for someone don’t be surprised when they are healed in other ways.  I believe God always heals when we ask, not always in the way we want healing to come, but healing as He chooses. 

When praying, LISTEN carefully for God’s response.

Appropriate touching is important – always ask if it’s okay to touch, and make sure you aren’t causing pain (in other words, if it’s a burn on the arm, don’t touch the burn!)

BE Brief.  God isn’t deaf and praying long prayers don’t impress Him.  What God wants is for you to trust Him.

What did Jesus say and do when healing?

When Jesus talked about healing (Matthew 9:6) he said “stand up, pick up your matt and go home.”  Jesus also said he did what he saw the Father doing – in other words He was listening and watching.  (John 5:19).

Pretty simple.  To the point. 

To Pray and to Live By

I love I Thessalonians 5:17 - the NLT says: Never stop praying.

People have asked me if that means keep praying for the same thing, or pray all the time, and my answer is YES.

However, as a contemplative prayer, I have come to realize that "looks" different for everyone.

What does that look like for you?

Call us Keepers

Psalm 119:2 ESV: Blessed are those who keep His testimonies, who seek Him with their whole heart.

Praying into scripture means you rely on the Spirit to penetrate the words deep into your heart.

Exercise: 

Say the word "Bless-ed" and wait for the Spirit to imprint the word on your heart.

Stay with it as long as you need to stay with it.  Let God bless you. 

Recite "keepers" and once again wait for the Spirit to show you what holding onto means to God.

Say "testimonies" and give the Spirit time to talk with you about God's precepts - Words. 

Whisper "whole" and let God give you whole-ness.

Speak "seeking" and imagine yourself looking for God's ways.

Say "heart" and see your heart merged into God's heart.  

Repeat the exercise as many times as the Spirit brings it to you throughout your day.

(For the Hebrew on this see:  http://justoutsidethewalls.blogspot.com)

A Lamp

Bible Study is an important discipline to practice because knowing and understanding scripture gives us the tools we need in our relationship with God.

Psalm 119:105 (NLT) says:

Your word is a lamp to guide my feet
      and a light for my path. 

Write this scripture on your heart - recite it throughout your day - when you have a chance, sit with God and ask the Spirit to show you what He has for your life. 

Love

What is love, really? 

Patient.
Kind.
Not envious.
Not arrogant.
Doesn't insist on having it's own way.

Pray into this:
Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
                                                                                     I Corinthians 13:7

God is love - loves you more than you can understand - for all eternity - always.

Jesus Chooses You

 Jesus chooses you – comes to you – pursues you and you have a choice to listen and let Him in, or to go about your life doing all the things you have on your list to do. 

God never forces himself on us, but rather gently comes. 

In Luke 19 Jesus picked Zacchaeus out of the crowd and told him He chose Zacchaeus.  Zacchaeus’ response was:

Zacchaeus quickly climbed down and took Jesus to his house in great excitement and joy.

                                                                                                                                Luke 19:6

Pray this scripture and think of times when Jesus has called to you.  How did you hear Jesus?  How did you know it was Jesus?

If you do not know how to recognize Jesus calling, practice listening as you pray this scripture.  Ask the Spirit to help you hear.  Continue practicing listening so that you will recognize His voice even in the midst of a crowd…

The Beauty of God

Have you considered the Beauty of God?

How can God NOT be the most beautiful, when He created such beauty? Consider the sunsets, the grandeur of the mountains, new fallen snow, butterflies, or peacocks.

Contemplate the beauty of God as you pray this scripture:

Psalm 96:7-9 (The Message)

Bravo, God, Bravo! Everyone join in the great shout: Encore! In awe before the beauty, in awe before the might.  Bring gifts and celebrate, bow before the beauty of God, then to your knees – everyone worship!

God is Peace

Pray into:

Do all that you can to live in peace with everyone.
                                                       Romans 12:18

I've said before that when I was young I didn't understand why my dad talked about God's wonderful peace like it was a really big deal.  When I was 16 I wasn't seeking peace.  I wanted adventure, challenge, and excitement.

As the years passed, I started to realize what a really big deal it was to live in peace with everyone.

Peace matters.

Forgiveness really matters.

Being able to move on matters.

If you don't forgive you won't move on - you'll stay stuck in the mire.

Pray into Romans 12:18 and ask God what He has for you today.

Song of Ascents 124

Psalm 124 (a song of Ascents) is an interesting Psalm. 

This Song of Ascents, also called a Song of the Steps was written by David and it is believed they refer to the songs sung by the people of Israel when they climbed to Jerusalem to go to the 3 pilgrim festivals. (see Deut 16:16).

What is interesting about Psalm 124 is the structure.  It has a clear introduction:

If it had not been the Lord who was on our side – let Israel now say….

Then it continues with a list of events they were saved from.

I imagine as they climbed the steps they sang about all the things God had done for them that saved them from sure destruction. Can’t you see David leading them and shouting, “let Israel now say!” followed by their recant of the times God had saved them.  What an awesome event!  They were remembering and singing/shouting it so their children would remember. 

The Psalm ends with the line:

Our help is in the name of the Lord, who made heaven and earth.

As a prayer, spend some time with:

If it had not been the Lord who was on my side…

I would have…

I would have…

I would have…

My help is in the name of the Lord, who made heaven and earth.

Spend time with the prayer and remember – remember what God has done for you!

Immersed in Light

The Message

…"he even sees me in the dark!
      At night I'm immersed in the light!"
   It's a fact: darkness isn't dark to you;
      night and day, darkness and light, they're all the same to you.

                                Psalm 139:11-12

The second translation of Psalm 139:11-12, from The Message, says very much the same thing as the New Living Translation, but it says it in a different way.  That gives us the opportunity to see different sides of what the Psalmist was saying to his audience. 

Think of it this way…you are looking at a person from his left side, then you move to the front, then to the right side, then the back.  The object you are looking at is the same person, but you get different views of that same person. 

That’s what we’re doing with Psalm 139 from The Message.

What is remarkable about this view of the scripture is that when I prayed into it, the Spirit brought full light and I felt like I was surrounded in light.  It really felt like there wasn’t ANY darkness. 

I realized that dark is light to God because wherever God IS, there is light.

WOW.

Never in the Dark

A scripture prayer for you from the New Living Translation:

I could ask the darkness to hide me
      and the light around me to become night—
     but even in darkness I cannot hide from you.
   To you the night shines as bright as day.
      Darkness and light are the same to you.

                                Psalm 139:11-12

Have you ever had a day where you felt like you had been thrown into a hole and covered up in a place that was completely dark? 

I have.

I used to run from being in that place.  Then I realized that running does me no good because the feeling that is not “faced” head on just becomes hidden feelings that manifest themselves in another way. 

We need to face our feelings of being in the dark.

I’ve read this Psalm for years and took this part to mean God can see me in the dark. 

I realized when I prayed into this Psalm that my cultural tunnel vision has been covering the truth of who God is. 

Here’s the thing…

When I am in the dark, God is there WITH ME.

God doesn’t look into my darkness from the outside…He lives it from within.  God feels my fear and loss of hope, and from within shines His light on my fear with his love.  (read I John 4:18). God’s light from within also gives hope.  In addition to that, we are building character and that gives hope (see Romans 5:1-5). 

As you pray the scriptures, you will remember other scriptures that build on what you are praying about.

Just a word about the last line…when I prayed that I was reminded that in God there is no darkness – AND that’s because wherever God goes, there is light.  You are a child of light because God is IN you.  So, your darkness is not dark because God’s light is there. 

The most important take–away I had from praying into these two verses is that even when I feel like I am in a dark lonely place, God is there with me, feeling my feelings with me.  I am not alone.  God suffers with me. God’s light is in me and surrounds me.  When we go through times of darkness, realizing that God is there WITH us makes all the difference. 

All the difference in the world. 

God's Great Healing

Just as God healed the people of Israel and brought them out of exile, God's desire is that we would turn to Him and be restored.

As you pray this short verse from the Psalms, 

He heals the brokenhearted and bandages their wounds.
                                                                              Psalm 147:3

Christ is IN you, so imagine Him touching your heart and filling it with his healing through and through.  Imagine Jesus touching your wounds and wrapping clean bandages around you.  Let Christ sit with you and lay His hands on you.  Drink in His strength and His healing touch.  Let yourself experience His love.

Say to yourself, Jesus heals my broken heart. He bandages my wounds.  His love fills my soul.

Power Scripture

This brief portion of scripture is a very powerful prayer...

Your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
                                                                                   Matthew 6:10

I used to think that asking God for His kingdom to come meant I was asking for the Second Coming.  While that's an okay thing to pray for, I have come to realize that asking for God's kingdom means much more than something out there in the future.  It means, we want you - we want to be part of you - we invite you in - we want to make space for more of you, God - today - right now - we are open to you.

The next phrase is incredible when you think about it!  When you pray that you want God's will here on earth to be just like it is in heaven, you are saying you want earth to be just like heaven.  That means you would be totally and completely connected to God and you would understand exactly what God wants...no doubt...just love and perfect peace. That's what you're asking for when you pray that God's will here would be identical to heaven.

When you pray, spend time with the words - as much time as it takes for you to let the Spirit absorb the words into your heart and mind.  The really great thing about praying is that not only do we get to spend time in relationship with God, we open ourselves to let God into our heart, and into our conscious and sub-conscious mind.  When you pray in the Spirit you are feeding your subconscious with exponential positive feedback.

Powerful indeed...

Unlimited Resources

I often wonder if we imagine what strength we have available to us from the Spirit...


Ephesians 3:16

I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit.

Pray into this scripture.

Stay with it as long as it takes for you to connect to the inner strength of the Spirit.

Be mindful of how the Spirit longs to empower you.

Even after, remember your time spend in prayer.

Thank God for this gift!