This week’s study will really be a testament to the fact that this is God doing the talking, not me. The reason for this is that my heart is not much in it this week, and my mind is wandering somewhere through a field of daisies and Monty Python youtube videos. Praise God for His strength in my weakness!!!!
As I said last week, we shall be talking about our relationship with God. This week, let’s consider God’s position as our friend.
Now the first obstacle we need to overcome before we study any of God’s roles is the idea that God is just some cosmic being watching us from a galaxy far, far away. *Star Wars theme begins to play* Ha, just kidding. Anyway, it is true that God is cosmic. He is infinite, and huge, and omniscient/omnipotent/omnipresent, etc… we’ll deal with those things in a few weeks. The point I would like to convey is that He is also very personal.
Let’s backtrack a moment. Think over your list of friends. What do they do to make you consider them your friends? Do you hang out? Rejoice together over the good things and cry through the sorrow? Share secrets? Swap stories? Listen to music and just laugh the whole night away? Maybe a better question is, what is it about who your friends are that makes them your friends? Are they caring? Fun? Accepting? Do they have the ability to love you as you are? That’s what a friend means to me… you can fill in your own blank, but apart from a few differing interests in activity, I’m guessing your idea isn’t too far off of mine.
Upon initial inspection of this list, it seems rather impossible that Jesus could be a friend to us. It’s not like we can actually see or touch Him, so how can He do all those things that a friend does? But let’s think about it a minute.
When something amazing happens to you, who do you want to tell? Your friends, of course! You go to them, just knowing they’ll be as thrilled as you are by the news, because that’s just what friends do. What’s stopping us from telling Jesus what happened? Who cares if He already knows, He likes hearing it from you as much as your friends do. And He will rejoice with you just as much or more than your bestie in math class. Same goes for the other side of the coin. We all have those days when we just need a hug. Of course your buds are going to be there with a pat on the back, and maybe some cookie dough. What makes us think that Jesus won’t react the same way? I mean, He may not send Gabriel down bearing a heavenly bowl of cookie dough (although that would be AWESOME… And no calories!), but He’s still going to comfort you. He hates to see you hurt, even when you brought it upon yourself.
I have several times encountered this sense of peace and comfort. I remember one time I was at a birthday party at a friend’s house. During the course of conversation, I found out something that broke my heart: a friend of mine (who wasn’t present at the time) was cutting again. I couldn’t even be in anyone’s company, and my friends (being wonderful as they are) understood that. I went downstairs to be by myself for a while and sobbed. I was staggering under the weight of my feelings and questions… how could this happen again? What if she cut too deep and killed herself? Why didn’t I see this coming? How could she hide this from me? If I had done more last time, would she be safe now? After some time I gave up pointless questions that had no answers and cried out to God. There were no specific words that I can remember. It was less of a request and more of a deep yearning. Almost immediately I felt this uncanny sense of calm. I stopped crying, and sat up. It was the most real, tangible expression of God’s love I had felt up to that point. Somehow I knew that it was going to be all right, that God was holding onto her, that it wasn’t my fault… the peace just washed over me in wave after wave of comfort. It was rather like a God-hug.
So we know that God can share in our moments of triumph and of pain. But what about all those in between times, all that time we spend just chillaxin’ with our pals? I wouldn’t consider someone a very good friend if they only came to me when they needed help. So it is with Jesus. He’s with you as your cruising down the street, blaring your tunes. He’s chilling with you while you check your facebook. He’s vegging on the couch as you rot your mind on the television. Admittedly, I don’t always think about Him being there all the time, but He is. A more obvious way to spend time with Him is by talking to Him, and by listening too. You may not necessarily hear a booming voice from heaven, but we can indeed hear from God. He might guide your thoughts, pop an idea in your head, give you a feeling in your heart, or speak through the Bible. He can speak to us in any number of ways… we just have to be listening for it.
We all have different types of friends. We might separate it into our church friends and school friends, or your drama club friends and your basketball friends, or your choir friends and your math class friends, etc. Chances are all these friends from all these areas of your life are of varying closeness to you, ranging from passing acquaintance to total BFF.
How many people does it take to make a real friendship work? (I know it might seem like I’m totally switching topics, but I’m not. Stick with me a minute!) Naturally, it involves both parties. Person A might be really interested in pursuing a relationship with Person B. Person B can either share the interest to a large degree, accept the friendly arrangement passively but without much excitement, or be totally opposed to the whole thing. For a close friendship to emerge, Person B has to want it, and they both have to put in the effort.
Now let’s bring these two ideas together. Simply because a person knows Jesus doesn’t necessarily mean they have a close relationship. Some people may be going to heaven, but they are more on an acquaintance level with Him. However, it is not because Jesus doesn’t want to draw close to these people. He’s like Person A. He loves you, and so greatly desires to be your friend and have that relationship… but it takes two to tango. Always the option for closeness is there. The question is, do we want Jesus as our BFF, or that Guy We Say Hi To Every Sunday?
Think now about your very closest (human) friend. If a mad gunman ran into the room and pulled the trigger, would that person take the hit for you? Even as I ask it, I rather hate this question. One can never know how things would play out until they really do, and I can only pray that it never happens to any of you (or me, for that matter). I don’t know that I would ever want my friends to love me that much… then they would be dead, I would be sad, and it’s just a bad situation all around. I can find no fault in the statement of John 15:13. “Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.” It’s true, isn’t it? It rings so true to our human hearts that it is even reflected in the ideas of modern culture and media. I am reminded now of the first ‘Pirates’ movie, quite near the beginning. Jack turns to Will and says, “This girl… How far are you willing to go to save her?” Will quickly and vehemently replies, “I’d die for her!” “Oh good! No problems then.” I could list off a hundred more examples, but this one is my favorite. Romeo and Juliet, anyone? A Tale of Two Cities. Obi-wan in his forfeited duel with Darth Vader (ooh, two Star Wars references in one bible study!). Boromir and Gandalf’s heroic actions in Lord of the Rings. Aslan of Narnia. Dying for love…its frequent use only reflects its accuracy and the respect we have for the idea.
Jesus showed his love for us by doing just that. He took the blame for us, He took the punishment, He took the pain… and why? Because He loves us. Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down life for his friends… let that statement soak in for a minute.
God wants to befriend you, and He went to great lengths to make this possible. Will you accept His friendship? What have you got to lose?
Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.
Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.
Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
Monday, September 29, 2008
I know, I know...........
Yeah......... So, if you are looking for the latest installment of our Bible Study, it's a teensy-weensy bit late....... Working on it, and I apologize for the wait! check back on, like, Wednesday though. Hopefully it will be up and going! Thanks guys, and sorry!!
xoxoxoxo, Hannah
xoxoxoxo, Hannah
Monday, September 22, 2008
Will you be mine?
Many of you will likely have heard me refer to having ‘a relationship with Christ’. I guess I never really explained what in blazes I was talking about though, did I? So, to rectify the unfortunate situation, we’re going to have a little series on relationship.
Today we are going to talk about what a relationship means.
Just what is a relationship, anyway? According to dictionary.com, it is “a connection, association, or involvement.” Anyone fit the description for you? Well, I’d hope so, anyway! If you need your memory jogged, here are a few examples. Your family, for instance? Perhaps your friends? Maybe a significant other crosses your mind at this time. Even authority figures you may not claim a close association with are lumped into this category. If any of you are like me, the different people we have relationships with are all very, VERY different. Can you think of any one common factor between them all? It’s obvious when you think about it… they all know you! Some of them better than others, I’m sure, but the simple fact remains that they all know you. Now stop and think about what it means to really know someone. Referencing my new favorite site again, one definition of ‘know’ is “to be cognizant or aware of”. Now, how many people are ‘aware of’ who you really are?
“Umm, you’re losing it Hannah!” You might be saying. “I believe we just clarified that all these people do know me!” Do they? I’m willing to bet that not one of those people you have a relationship with knows absolutely everything about you. Perhaps your friends know things about you that your parents don’t, and vice versa (yeah, we all have those embarrassing stories mom likes to tell at the most inopportune times). There are likely things that absolutely no one knows about you.
“Well, yeah. No one is totally open to everyone about everything! That would be stupid!” I wholeheartedly agree. I have my little secrets as much as the next person. But why is it that we keep these things hidden? I’m talking now about your thoughts, your hopes, your fears, your longings… those things that don’t come up in general conversations. As a general rule, it’s because we fear the outcome if others found out. Maybe they will laugh at us. Maybe they will use it against us. Maybe they won’t even love us anymore. Maybe it’s just one of those things that is for us only, and simply no one else has any need to know.
Think of any one person on your list of relationships. Can you imagine if they knew everything about you? The thought makes me shudder. I once had my diary stolen and read, and it seems to me that it would be rather like that feeling, but worse. Quite frankly, if everyone knew everything about me, I’m not sure I would have a whole lot of friends.
Now get this. Jesus is God, right? God is omniscient, which means He is all-knowing. He knows everything, that same everything we have been talking about that we keep so close to our hearts. Everything you’ve thought, everything you’ve said, everything you’ve done… everything. Kind of a weird thought, isn’t it? Here’s an even weirder one… despite knowing and being ‘aware of’ all that crap we hide, he still wants to have a relationship with us! Don’t ask me why, because I’m not really sure. I wouldn’t if I were Him. But then, it sure is a good thing I’m not God, isn’t it! Here’s what God has to say about knowing us.
1 Corinthians 1:9- God, who has called you into fellowship with his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, is faithful.
2 Corinthians 13:14- The amazing grace of the Master, Jesus Christ, the extravagant love of God, the intimate friendship of the Holy Spirit, be with all of you.
Philippians 2:1-2- If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose.
1 John 1:3- We proclaim to you what we ourselves have actually seen and heard so that you may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ.
Job 29:4-5- Oh, for the days when I was in my prime, when God's intimate friendship blessed my house…
Even with the knowledge of everything we are and have done, God still wants to be in a relationship with us! He loves us so much, and it for that reason that He calls us to come to Him. He wants to take care of us, comfort us when we are hurt, sharpen us, steer us in the way we should go, support us, change us, and spend every day walking with us. I will tell you right now, it’s the best thing you will ever experience. Always easy? No. But worth it anyway!
There may be some of you reading this today that don’t have any sort of real relationship with Jesus. Maybe you don’t even know how to get one. It’s simple in concept, really. Know that Jesus is Lord and that He died and came back to life for your sins, put Him in charge of your life and be ready to love Him! All you have to do is ask Him. You don’t have to clean yourself up first, and you don’t have to say any special combination of words to make it work. If some of you are still feeling a little overwhelmed about the whole thing, here’s a guideline. Again, it’s not so much what you say as where your heart is.
"Jesus, I know I’ve messed up. I know that I haven’t been in a relationship with You. I’m sorry for what I’ve done. Please forgive me, and take charge of my life! I give everything I am to You. Thank You!"
If you are thinking about getting a relationship with Jesus or if you have already, shoot me an email or a comment and we can talk about it! I’m open to any questions you might have.
These next few weeks we will be talking about the different roles God plays in His relationship with us. For this week, however, I just want you to come away with the fact that Jesus knows us and loves us anyway. Never forget it! xoxoxo
Today we are going to talk about what a relationship means.
Just what is a relationship, anyway? According to dictionary.com, it is “a connection, association, or involvement.” Anyone fit the description for you? Well, I’d hope so, anyway! If you need your memory jogged, here are a few examples. Your family, for instance? Perhaps your friends? Maybe a significant other crosses your mind at this time. Even authority figures you may not claim a close association with are lumped into this category. If any of you are like me, the different people we have relationships with are all very, VERY different. Can you think of any one common factor between them all? It’s obvious when you think about it… they all know you! Some of them better than others, I’m sure, but the simple fact remains that they all know you. Now stop and think about what it means to really know someone. Referencing my new favorite site again, one definition of ‘know’ is “to be cognizant or aware of”. Now, how many people are ‘aware of’ who you really are?
“Umm, you’re losing it Hannah!” You might be saying. “I believe we just clarified that all these people do know me!” Do they? I’m willing to bet that not one of those people you have a relationship with knows absolutely everything about you. Perhaps your friends know things about you that your parents don’t, and vice versa (yeah, we all have those embarrassing stories mom likes to tell at the most inopportune times). There are likely things that absolutely no one knows about you.
“Well, yeah. No one is totally open to everyone about everything! That would be stupid!” I wholeheartedly agree. I have my little secrets as much as the next person. But why is it that we keep these things hidden? I’m talking now about your thoughts, your hopes, your fears, your longings… those things that don’t come up in general conversations. As a general rule, it’s because we fear the outcome if others found out. Maybe they will laugh at us. Maybe they will use it against us. Maybe they won’t even love us anymore. Maybe it’s just one of those things that is for us only, and simply no one else has any need to know.
Think of any one person on your list of relationships. Can you imagine if they knew everything about you? The thought makes me shudder. I once had my diary stolen and read, and it seems to me that it would be rather like that feeling, but worse. Quite frankly, if everyone knew everything about me, I’m not sure I would have a whole lot of friends.
Now get this. Jesus is God, right? God is omniscient, which means He is all-knowing. He knows everything, that same everything we have been talking about that we keep so close to our hearts. Everything you’ve thought, everything you’ve said, everything you’ve done… everything. Kind of a weird thought, isn’t it? Here’s an even weirder one… despite knowing and being ‘aware of’ all that crap we hide, he still wants to have a relationship with us! Don’t ask me why, because I’m not really sure. I wouldn’t if I were Him. But then, it sure is a good thing I’m not God, isn’t it! Here’s what God has to say about knowing us.
1 Corinthians 1:9- God, who has called you into fellowship with his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, is faithful.
2 Corinthians 13:14- The amazing grace of the Master, Jesus Christ, the extravagant love of God, the intimate friendship of the Holy Spirit, be with all of you.
Philippians 2:1-2- If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose.
1 John 1:3- We proclaim to you what we ourselves have actually seen and heard so that you may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ.
Job 29:4-5- Oh, for the days when I was in my prime, when God's intimate friendship blessed my house…
Even with the knowledge of everything we are and have done, God still wants to be in a relationship with us! He loves us so much, and it for that reason that He calls us to come to Him. He wants to take care of us, comfort us when we are hurt, sharpen us, steer us in the way we should go, support us, change us, and spend every day walking with us. I will tell you right now, it’s the best thing you will ever experience. Always easy? No. But worth it anyway!
There may be some of you reading this today that don’t have any sort of real relationship with Jesus. Maybe you don’t even know how to get one. It’s simple in concept, really. Know that Jesus is Lord and that He died and came back to life for your sins, put Him in charge of your life and be ready to love Him! All you have to do is ask Him. You don’t have to clean yourself up first, and you don’t have to say any special combination of words to make it work. If some of you are still feeling a little overwhelmed about the whole thing, here’s a guideline. Again, it’s not so much what you say as where your heart is.
"Jesus, I know I’ve messed up. I know that I haven’t been in a relationship with You. I’m sorry for what I’ve done. Please forgive me, and take charge of my life! I give everything I am to You. Thank You!"
If you are thinking about getting a relationship with Jesus or if you have already, shoot me an email or a comment and we can talk about it! I’m open to any questions you might have.
These next few weeks we will be talking about the different roles God plays in His relationship with us. For this week, however, I just want you to come away with the fact that Jesus knows us and loves us anyway. Never forget it! xoxoxo
Sunday, September 14, 2008
No witty title today, guys... Sorry!
This week we are going to be discussing the word purity. My church crowd may be sitting there about to go check their Facebook, thinking “Purity? Really? I’ve taken the class, I know all there is to know. No point in reading this week!” However, I beg you to put away your preconceived ideas and open your hearts to what God might be saying to you today. For those of you who are sitting there in dire confusion, let me explain…
If you go to Google and type in the words Christian and Purity, you will come up with a million and a half sites all related to the same thing… no sex before marriage. If you ask the average church-going citizen what purity means, most will give the same reply. This is especially true among teens, mainly because it has been drilled into us from twelve years old and up. We’ve taken the True Love Waits classes, signed the paper, and got the purity ring that says we won’t have sex until our wedding night.
Blah blah blah. Now don’t get me wrong… this is an absolutely true message, and me and Jesus are 100% behind it. Sex before marriage is a bad idea for all involved, what with the physical, spiritual, and emotional ramifications. (If you don’t know what these things are, ask me. I’ll get you the information). I’ve got a purity ring myself, and I wear it every day to remind myself of my commitment. Oh, and it IS a commitment guys, both to God and to your future spouse! It’s not just a bit of bling-bling or something to wear because the Jonas Brothers have them! Anyway, it’s just that this simple definition makes purity a rather 2-D word, doesn’t it? Flat, rather lifeless, and of very limited use.
Now I will be the first to admit that until a very short time ago, this was my entire range of thinking. Purity = Chastity, Chastity = Purity, end of story. It wasn’t until the youth speaker at Brown City Camp, Jeremiah Bolich (look him up guys, he’s fantastic!), brought it up that God really got me on it. I spoke to many of my friends afterward, and they were equally surprised at this new revelation. The point he made was this:
PURITY IS NOT JUST ABOUT THE SEX (or lack thereof). You can go your whole life without anything even related to sex, and still not be pure.
There are many definitions of purity. Seven actually, according to dictionary.com. Oddly enough, the definition of “physical chastity; virginity” is number five on the list. Know what number one is? “the condition or quality of being pure; freedom from anything that debases, contaminates, pollutes, etc.”
“Ok, so what does that have to do with me?” You may be asking. “If it’s not about my sex life, what is it about?” I’ll tell you. It’s about your life. All of it. Every thought, every action, every word. All of it. God wants us to live our lives in a pure way.
Need proof that it’s not all church hype? Take a look at this:
2 Corinthians 6:6- We prove ourselves by our purity, our understanding, our patience, our kindness, by the Holy Spirit within us, and by our sincere love.
1 Timothy 4:12- Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity.
Psalm 24:4-5- He who has clean hands and a pure heart, Who has not lifted up his soul to falsehood And has not sworn deceitfully. He shall receive a blessing from the LORD And righteousness from the God of his salvation.
Psalm 51:10- Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.
See? Told you God was behind it. Why do you always doubt me? Gee whiz…
So, what does living a pure life entail? The definition of purity said it was free of anything that debases, pollutes, or contaminates. When it comes to our spiritual lives, that contaminate is SIN. Now I’m not talking about just those “big things” that all the church people are talking about… you know, murder, sex before marriage, stealing, pornography, all that good stuff. I’m talking about the “little” things, like cheating off your friend’s paper so you don’t fail a test, or those lustful thoughts you get when that little blonde hottie walks by, etc. I put quotation marks around the words “big” and “little” because to God, there is no big or little sin. Sin is sin, and it separates us from God. That means to God, living a homosexual lifestyle is no worse than lying to your friend so she won’t get mad at you. (And yes, according to God homosexuality is a sin. If you want some back-up verses, ask. Oh, and for those of you self-righteous idiots who think you are too holy to love/befriend a person like this, take a look at yourself for a change and come off your high horse a notch or five.)
In any case, sin puts a barrier between you and God. The idea of living a pure life is to get rid of those things! I know it’s hard. Sometimes we just plain don’t want to give up our sin. Let’s face it, sin is fun, at least for a little while. But the backlash and repercussions of it are not worth the temporary thrill, and a restored closeness with God outstrips any pleasure sin can ever bring!
So are you living a life of TRUE purity, or do you need to apply a Tide To Go stick on a few places? Truthfully, almost all of us have something God needs to work on in us. If God is calling you out on a few things, I know something that works just a smidge better than those stain-removing pens (although they are nifty, aren’t they?). It’s called prayer, and if I’m not mistaken, I think I may have just talked about it last week. Talk it out with Him, make things right, and live a pure life.
So, that’s it for this week!! Now that you know, go live it! xoxo
If you go to Google and type in the words Christian and Purity, you will come up with a million and a half sites all related to the same thing… no sex before marriage. If you ask the average church-going citizen what purity means, most will give the same reply. This is especially true among teens, mainly because it has been drilled into us from twelve years old and up. We’ve taken the True Love Waits classes, signed the paper, and got the purity ring that says we won’t have sex until our wedding night.
Blah blah blah. Now don’t get me wrong… this is an absolutely true message, and me and Jesus are 100% behind it. Sex before marriage is a bad idea for all involved, what with the physical, spiritual, and emotional ramifications. (If you don’t know what these things are, ask me. I’ll get you the information). I’ve got a purity ring myself, and I wear it every day to remind myself of my commitment. Oh, and it IS a commitment guys, both to God and to your future spouse! It’s not just a bit of bling-bling or something to wear because the Jonas Brothers have them! Anyway, it’s just that this simple definition makes purity a rather 2-D word, doesn’t it? Flat, rather lifeless, and of very limited use.
Now I will be the first to admit that until a very short time ago, this was my entire range of thinking. Purity = Chastity, Chastity = Purity, end of story. It wasn’t until the youth speaker at Brown City Camp, Jeremiah Bolich (look him up guys, he’s fantastic!), brought it up that God really got me on it. I spoke to many of my friends afterward, and they were equally surprised at this new revelation. The point he made was this:
PURITY IS NOT JUST ABOUT THE SEX (or lack thereof). You can go your whole life without anything even related to sex, and still not be pure.
There are many definitions of purity. Seven actually, according to dictionary.com. Oddly enough, the definition of “physical chastity; virginity” is number five on the list. Know what number one is? “the condition or quality of being pure; freedom from anything that debases, contaminates, pollutes, etc.”
“Ok, so what does that have to do with me?” You may be asking. “If it’s not about my sex life, what is it about?” I’ll tell you. It’s about your life. All of it. Every thought, every action, every word. All of it. God wants us to live our lives in a pure way.
Need proof that it’s not all church hype? Take a look at this:
2 Corinthians 6:6- We prove ourselves by our purity, our understanding, our patience, our kindness, by the Holy Spirit within us, and by our sincere love.
1 Timothy 4:12- Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity.
Psalm 24:4-5- He who has clean hands and a pure heart, Who has not lifted up his soul to falsehood And has not sworn deceitfully. He shall receive a blessing from the LORD And righteousness from the God of his salvation.
Psalm 51:10- Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.
See? Told you God was behind it. Why do you always doubt me? Gee whiz…
So, what does living a pure life entail? The definition of purity said it was free of anything that debases, pollutes, or contaminates. When it comes to our spiritual lives, that contaminate is SIN. Now I’m not talking about just those “big things” that all the church people are talking about… you know, murder, sex before marriage, stealing, pornography, all that good stuff. I’m talking about the “little” things, like cheating off your friend’s paper so you don’t fail a test, or those lustful thoughts you get when that little blonde hottie walks by, etc. I put quotation marks around the words “big” and “little” because to God, there is no big or little sin. Sin is sin, and it separates us from God. That means to God, living a homosexual lifestyle is no worse than lying to your friend so she won’t get mad at you. (And yes, according to God homosexuality is a sin. If you want some back-up verses, ask. Oh, and for those of you self-righteous idiots who think you are too holy to love/befriend a person like this, take a look at yourself for a change and come off your high horse a notch or five.)
In any case, sin puts a barrier between you and God. The idea of living a pure life is to get rid of those things! I know it’s hard. Sometimes we just plain don’t want to give up our sin. Let’s face it, sin is fun, at least for a little while. But the backlash and repercussions of it are not worth the temporary thrill, and a restored closeness with God outstrips any pleasure sin can ever bring!
So are you living a life of TRUE purity, or do you need to apply a Tide To Go stick on a few places? Truthfully, almost all of us have something God needs to work on in us. If God is calling you out on a few things, I know something that works just a smidge better than those stain-removing pens (although they are nifty, aren’t they?). It’s called prayer, and if I’m not mistaken, I think I may have just talked about it last week. Talk it out with Him, make things right, and live a pure life.
So, that’s it for this week!! Now that you know, go live it! xoxo
Sunday, September 7, 2008
Okay, now bow your head and close your eyes.....
So now we know that when we pray, God answers. But exactly what is prayer? Today, we learn about Talking to God.
Prayer is nothing more than having a conversation with God. That’s it. Not so scary after all, is it? Still, there are a few things that God would like me to clear up with you about the subject.
MISCONCEPTIONS ABOUT PRAYER!!! (woot)
Misconception 1: God doesn’t have time to hear about the little things in my life.
I’ll tell you straight up that’s not true. How many of you know how many hairs you have on your head? How many of you actually care? Not like it stays consistent anyway, as we are always growing and losing more (Some of the older crowd perhaps losing more than you are growing). It says in Luke 12:7, “Even the hairs on your head are counted.” If God cares enough to know how many hairs you have on a daily basis, do you think that maybe he cares to hear about how your day went? What boy/girl troubles you are having? How much you absolutely ADORE chocolate cake? God simply loves to have communication with you, even about the little stuff. Which leads to our next misconception…
Misconception B: You have to use big, impressive words for your prayers to count.
WRONGO!! Many people feel uncomfortable praying because they feel like their prayers have to sound like… “Oh Holiest Father, we thank Thee for this day Thou hast made in Thy power and might. I humbly come in penitence before Thy exalted throne and gratefully expound upon the grace Thou hast administered upon Thy servant and his transgressions…” Dude, I just WROTE that prayer and I hardly know what it means! Please note, there is absolutely nothing wrong with this prayer. If you are comfortable with that sort of lingo and that is how you commune with God, that’s fine!! However, it is also fine to pray like this. “Hey Daddy! What’s up? Thanks for the awesome day you gave me. The warm sun was great for our time at the beach! I love the beach, it is one of the best places in the world! I’m sorry that I said that mean thing to Josh, I really shouldn’t have… will you forgive me? Thanks. I’ll go make it right with him tomorrow when I see him.” That I understood a little bit better, personally. There are some times when I can’t even manage that. Sometimes I can’t get anything more than “Help!” And you know, that’s alright. He hears me anyway. As I said before, God just loves talking to you and spending time with you. You don’t have to be all professional and fancy. He knows what you are thinking anyway, so flowery words aren’t going to hide the condition of your heart. Just talk to Him! You’ll be glad you did.
Misconception π: I know what I need better than God does.
“What?” You might be thinking. “No I don’t! Who would think that?” You don’t? Really? I know I can fall into this trap sometimes. Here is what I am talking about. Let’s say you pray for something. You pray, and you pray, and you pray, and you have faith that God is really going to answer this prayer with a yes (because He always answers, remember)… and then things don’t happen the way we want them too. Maybe a friend doesn’t come to Christ. Perhaps someone close to you passes away. Maybe your dad loses his job. What do we do? We get mad at God. “How could You let this happen? How could You do this to me? I don’t think You are even paying any attention, because if You were You would EASILY have seen how this situation was supposed to go down!” I’ve been there, and most likely you have too. The thing we have to remember is that we can only see a tiny part of the picture. Our limited view and understanding of the world is infinitely smaller than what God sees and knows. Sometimes it seems like God has no idea what He is doing, and that we could handle things better. We can’t though. God has a reason for what He does. Do we always see it right away? No. Will we ever see it? Sometimes, but not always. It’s a trust thing. I’m not saying that it doesn’t hurt… when stuff like that happens, it is a hard blow, and that's fine. We just need to remember that God is in control. A verse that I have always found exceedingly comforting is Romans 8:28. “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” God’s looking out for you, so just put your faith in that promise and hold tight to Him.
I’ve talked a lot about what NOT to do. I’m sure you are wondering, “Well then, what do you do?” The disciples asked Jesus that same question. This is how He answered them in Matthew 6:9-13.
"This is how you should pray.
" 'Our Father in heaven,
may your name be honored.
May your kingdom come.
May what you want to happen be done
on earth as it is done in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
Forgive us our sins,
just as we also have forgiven those who sin against us.
Keep us from falling into sin when we are tempted.
Save us from the evil one.'
In Hannah terms, this is what this is saying.
Hey Dad! You rock, You know that? I can’t wait until You come back for me so that I can be with You! Until then, let happen what you want to happen around here, since You obviously know best. Keep food on the table for me and my family. Forgive me for what I have done wrong, and help me to forgive others when they hurt me. Oh, and when that old Devil comes around, help keep me from falling into his traps, would You? Thanks! I love You!
It’s not hard. It’s a natural thing. It’s talking to your best friend who loves you more than anyone else ever could. So, now you know. Give it a shot!
Naturally there are more ideas on prayer than I have space for here. If you have any questions, send me a message or comment or something, and we will get it answered for you. I love you all!! xoxo
Prayer is nothing more than having a conversation with God. That’s it. Not so scary after all, is it? Still, there are a few things that God would like me to clear up with you about the subject.
MISCONCEPTIONS ABOUT PRAYER!!! (woot)
Misconception 1: God doesn’t have time to hear about the little things in my life.
I’ll tell you straight up that’s not true. How many of you know how many hairs you have on your head? How many of you actually care? Not like it stays consistent anyway, as we are always growing and losing more (Some of the older crowd perhaps losing more than you are growing). It says in Luke 12:7, “Even the hairs on your head are counted.” If God cares enough to know how many hairs you have on a daily basis, do you think that maybe he cares to hear about how your day went? What boy/girl troubles you are having? How much you absolutely ADORE chocolate cake? God simply loves to have communication with you, even about the little stuff. Which leads to our next misconception…
Misconception B: You have to use big, impressive words for your prayers to count.
WRONGO!! Many people feel uncomfortable praying because they feel like their prayers have to sound like… “Oh Holiest Father, we thank Thee for this day Thou hast made in Thy power and might. I humbly come in penitence before Thy exalted throne and gratefully expound upon the grace Thou hast administered upon Thy servant and his transgressions…” Dude, I just WROTE that prayer and I hardly know what it means! Please note, there is absolutely nothing wrong with this prayer. If you are comfortable with that sort of lingo and that is how you commune with God, that’s fine!! However, it is also fine to pray like this. “Hey Daddy! What’s up? Thanks for the awesome day you gave me. The warm sun was great for our time at the beach! I love the beach, it is one of the best places in the world! I’m sorry that I said that mean thing to Josh, I really shouldn’t have… will you forgive me? Thanks. I’ll go make it right with him tomorrow when I see him.” That I understood a little bit better, personally. There are some times when I can’t even manage that. Sometimes I can’t get anything more than “Help!” And you know, that’s alright. He hears me anyway. As I said before, God just loves talking to you and spending time with you. You don’t have to be all professional and fancy. He knows what you are thinking anyway, so flowery words aren’t going to hide the condition of your heart. Just talk to Him! You’ll be glad you did.
Misconception π: I know what I need better than God does.
“What?” You might be thinking. “No I don’t! Who would think that?” You don’t? Really? I know I can fall into this trap sometimes. Here is what I am talking about. Let’s say you pray for something. You pray, and you pray, and you pray, and you have faith that God is really going to answer this prayer with a yes (because He always answers, remember)… and then things don’t happen the way we want them too. Maybe a friend doesn’t come to Christ. Perhaps someone close to you passes away. Maybe your dad loses his job. What do we do? We get mad at God. “How could You let this happen? How could You do this to me? I don’t think You are even paying any attention, because if You were You would EASILY have seen how this situation was supposed to go down!” I’ve been there, and most likely you have too. The thing we have to remember is that we can only see a tiny part of the picture. Our limited view and understanding of the world is infinitely smaller than what God sees and knows. Sometimes it seems like God has no idea what He is doing, and that we could handle things better. We can’t though. God has a reason for what He does. Do we always see it right away? No. Will we ever see it? Sometimes, but not always. It’s a trust thing. I’m not saying that it doesn’t hurt… when stuff like that happens, it is a hard blow, and that's fine. We just need to remember that God is in control. A verse that I have always found exceedingly comforting is Romans 8:28. “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” God’s looking out for you, so just put your faith in that promise and hold tight to Him.
I’ve talked a lot about what NOT to do. I’m sure you are wondering, “Well then, what do you do?” The disciples asked Jesus that same question. This is how He answered them in Matthew 6:9-13.
"This is how you should pray.
" 'Our Father in heaven,
may your name be honored.
May your kingdom come.
May what you want to happen be done
on earth as it is done in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
Forgive us our sins,
just as we also have forgiven those who sin against us.
Keep us from falling into sin when we are tempted.
Save us from the evil one.'
In Hannah terms, this is what this is saying.
Hey Dad! You rock, You know that? I can’t wait until You come back for me so that I can be with You! Until then, let happen what you want to happen around here, since You obviously know best. Keep food on the table for me and my family. Forgive me for what I have done wrong, and help me to forgive others when they hurt me. Oh, and when that old Devil comes around, help keep me from falling into his traps, would You? Thanks! I love You!
It’s not hard. It’s a natural thing. It’s talking to your best friend who loves you more than anyone else ever could. So, now you know. Give it a shot!
Naturally there are more ideas on prayer than I have space for here. If you have any questions, send me a message or comment or something, and we will get it answered for you. I love you all!! xoxo
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