Sam373's Blog

How strange it is to conclude that after so many years of claiming to love you Lord, I have been striving to behave towards you in a manner that would earn for me the desires of my heart.

This I’ve concluded is not love but manipulation, therefore I should not think that I would get the rewards of a loving partner or faithful servant when my motives and behavior has been manipulative rather than love or loyalty based.

It would appear that we have not heard Our Lord’s response to our request “Lord teach us how to pray as John also taught his disciples.” Your response was:

^“2 “When you pray, say: Our Father who lives in heaven,^[a] Holy is Your name. We look forward to Your kingdom coming on earth and  Your will being done on earth as it is in heaven. ³ Give us each day our daily bread.^[c] 4 And forgive us our sins, as we ourselves forgive everyone indebted to us…”  ( especially for that lie we just told but rather, don’t let us stray from our quest to be like you).  (Luke 11:1-4)

I must confess that this has not been the prayer I’ve prayed nor has it been my mind set when I’ve prayed. First of all, do I take stock of who God is? What is God’s relationship to me? Verse 3 says that we should ask for what we need in order to survive daily. Then we should ask Him to forgive us our sins; it is hypocrisy when we say that we have forgiven them that owe us debut. Dare we ask God not to lead us in down paths of temptation when we are already there; (It is the Devil’s job to give us alternatives to God’s plan). Then there is what we really need; deliverance from the evil that we are involved in. Consider our mindset or motivations when we bless those we call friend and loved ones, which Jesus uncovered in verses 5-8:

⁵ And he said to them, “Suppose one of you has a friend, and you go to him at midnight and say to him, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves of bread; ⁶ for a friend of mine has arrived, and I have nothing to set before him.’ ⁷ And he answers from within, ‘Do not bother me; the door has already been locked, and my children are with me in bed; I cannot get up and give you anything.’ ⁸ I tell you, even though he will not get up and give him anything because he is his friend, at least because of his persistence he will get up and give him whatever he needs.

Jesus continues to explain that we have been given already better gifts than we give, verses 9-12:

⁹ “So I say to you, Ask, and it will be given you; search, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened for you. ¹⁰ For everyone who asks receives, and everyone who searches finds, and for everyone who knocks, the door will be opened. ¹¹ Is there anyone among you who, if your child asks for^[e] a fish, will give a snake instead of a fish? ¹² Or if the child asks for an egg, will give a scorpion? ¹³ If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit^[f] to those who ask him!”

In all that we ask for, what should we ask for the more and in asking know that it has already been provided us. The next time you prepare to pray, meditate first on John 14:12-14 and Philippians 2:12-13. Then as you pray, remember that Prayer is a conversation that ends after you have listened to His response.

“Teach us to Pray”

Sammie L. Carter

Copywrite12/17/2015, 0458hrs

~ by Sam373's Blog on December 17, 2015.

Posted in Opinion, Religion\Spirituality, Socialization, Uncategorized