Devotional Song: … Go to this link … Please take the time to take in a video of Alan Jackson, singing the old hymn… What A Friend We Have In Jesus, exhorting Christians to take all our burdens to the Lord in prayer ,,, And THEN ON TO THIS LINK … to hear Gary Chapman, singing a similar message in another old hymn, written by an African American song writer, Charles Tinley … Leave It There.
Highlight Passage 1st Samuel 23: 2, 4 [NKJV] … USE THIS LINK …
… When confronted with enemy forces, David’s first out was to pray
============
Highlight Context - 1st Samuel 23: 1-5 [NKJV] … USE THIS LINK …
… First option … pray!
============
Reference Passage #1 - 2nd Chronicles 7: 13-15 [NKJV] … USE THIS LINK …
… When the pressures of the world are overwhelming, what are we to do … PRAY!!!
Reference Passage #2 - Proverbs 3: 5-6 [NKJV] ...
5 Trust in the Lord with ALL your heart and lean not on your own understanding. 6 In ALL your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your paths.
… Solomon declared it. But do we believe it, and even more do we pray and live ti?
Reference Passage #3 - Ephesians 6: 18 [NKJV] ...
18 … praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints …
… In our spiritual battles, do we apply God’s #1 battle strategy, … prayer?!!
Reference Passage #4 - Philippians 4: 6-7 [NKJV] … USE THIS LINK …
… Anxious?! … Well, what then? … Yes, … we’re to pray with a thankful heart, trusting that God will hear us.
Reference Passage #5 - 1st Peter 5: 7 [NKJV] ...
36 Casting all your cares on Him because He cares for you.
… Really?!! Do we?
My Journal for Today: Today’s Our Daily Bread devotional entry, authored by Jennifer Benson Schuldt, quoted the stalwart devotional writer Oswald Chambers, to make her main devotional point. Chambers wrote, “God wants us to pray before we do anything at all.”
I”m sure you’ve read the stories in THE BOOK. … How many times do we read it, playing out in the lives of the giants of the faith, in the Old and New Testaments? What did Moses do when he was pressed against the Red Sea during the exodus of God’s people from Egypt? … He trusted in God and prayed. … What Did Elijah do when he was exhausted and depressed under that broom tree, being pursued by Jezebel? … He prayed to die; and aren’t we glad that God doesn’t say “YES” to all our prayers? … And what did Jonah do when he was in the belly of the big fish? … He prayed - BIGTIME!! … And what did Nehemiah do when he learned that the walls of Jerusalem needed to be rebuilt? … He prayed a prayer of repentance and restoration. … And what did Habakuk do when he was confused and confounded by what he observed God doing with His people in Judah? … He took His confusion to God in prayer!!! … And finally, what did Jesus do … over and over and over again, … when He needed the power of His Holy Spirit to deal with His humanity and the world on His trek to the cross? … He got alone and prayed to His Heavenly Father!!
Are we getting the picture? Do I really need to explain the ODB author’s exhortation any further? I hope not; because I’m not smart enough or a clear enough writer to make the point made above from God’s word that PRAYER IS ALWAYS OPTION #1 when life hits a rough spot in the road.
So, this morning I’m duly convicted that I too often take on the burdens of life, trying to be a controlling, lone-ranger Christian, before I use God’s primary burden-carrying, life-sustaining battle strategy; and what is it? _________________ You fill in the blank; and then, after meditating on the song links above, … let’s go do it!
My Prayer Today: Lord, I do it here, doing what Peter exhorted me to do … to take my cares - ALL of them - to you in prayer because You care for me! … Amen
Blogger Note: Everyday during this year, my daily devotional blogs are influenced by the reading and study of the online devotional blog entitled Our Daily Bread, distributed online via email by RBC Ministries. If you GO TO THIS LINK on the date of my blog, you can read/study the ODB blogs; or you can subscribe to the blog via email at that site.
No comments:
Post a Comment