The sermon last Sunday on 'My house shall be called a house of prayer', caused me to reflect upon my prayer journey. As a new believer before the habit of prayer was established I would often castigate myself for failing to pray. Yet I was astounded to hear a lady at a prayer meeting say we were being rude if we fell asleep while praying! How rude she said, how would you feel if your friends fell asleep while you were talking? Well I habitually fell asleep while talking to God much as a baby falls asleep in his mother's arms while she is whispering words of love! Thank God I didn't accept condemnation but went on to become a prayer warrior who still falls asleep in my Father's arms.

My second lesson in prayer came with the suggestion of setting aside a place of prayer in my home. Whenever I went to the prayer corner God never failed to meet with me. I took a picture album to my corner with a Bible promise attached to each picture and would pray for my loved ones. I felt focussed and able to make intercession according to the promises God had given me, "As for me and my house we will serve the Lord." In quietness and confidence I was given strength for the day ahead.

My third lesson was discovering the power of the prayer of agreement. Each morning before going to work my friend and I met to pray for individuals and to make intercession for our community. Out of this early morning prayer time we saw miracles unfold in the lives of my students as well as seeing crooked paths made straight. Carol and I were polar opposites in many ways but we were in total agreement and unity when we sought God's heart in the matter.

I'll be eternally grateful for the time I had with a Jamaican nurse who was waiting for her appointment to serve on the Mercy Ship Anastasia. Daislin taught me to pray the scriptures instead of praying the problem as so many of us are inclined to do. Daislin proclaimed the greatness of God and there is nothing absolutely nothing impossible with him. As praises rolled forth problems diminished and departed and faith rose up to fill us to overflowing. Even as Moses' arms were upheld in the desert the battle was won so we must uphold Christ in praise prayer and Satan departs in defeat.

We mustn't waste our breathe telling God all about the problem. He already knows the problem. We must proclaim His goodness and His ability to overcome every weapon that has been forged against us. In the words penned by one of my grade ten students:

Satan

He clasps man in his crooked hands
Near the fires of the deadly land.
Smothered in smoke on the world he stands.
When God looks down Satan seems so small.
The roaring lion is really nothing at all.
The LIAR cast out had a great fall!

Let's make a committment to pray more in 2017 and release God's power in this great land.

It seems to me we face a New Year with one of these thoughts:  Good, another year God or Good God, another year!

Whatever your view, God has already figured out 2017 and we are part of His plan. We can find comfort in God's word as we face a New Year:  “...be satisfied with what you have. For God has said “I will never, never fail you nor forsake you.”  That is why we can say without any doubt or fear “The Lord is my Helper and I am not afraid of anything that mere man can do to me.”  Hebrews 13:5-6

I have found four truths to help us on our journey through this New Year (with thanks to Adrian Rogers 1931-2005)

1. The Contentment of His Provision

Contentment is not getting what we want, it is wanting what we already have. (Adrian Rogers) 

I like Paul's observation: “since I know it is all for Christ's good, I am quite happy about “the thorn” and about insults and hardships, persecutions and difficulties; for when I am weak, then I am strong – the less I have, the more I depend on Him” 2 Corinthians 12:10  We stress about our situation. Will our needs be taken care of? Will some of the things we rely on be taken away? What about our health? Is God really listening when we talk to Him?  Please know that God is big enough to handle any fear we may have.

2. The Companionship of His Presence

“And when you draw close to God, God will draw close to you.” James 4:8  “Don't be afraid, for the Lord will go before you and will be with you. He will not fail nor forsake you” Deuteronomy 31:8  Whatever comes our way this year can be met with confidence because God has promised to be there.

3. The Confidence of His Promise

A promise is no better than the one who makes it. (Adrian Rogers)

We don't have to doubt God's Promises. He keeps them. When He says “I will never, never fail you nor forsake you,” we must remember it is the omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent God speaking. “So let us come boldly to the very throne of God and stay there to receive His mercy to  help us in our time of need.” Hebrews 4:16

4. The Comfort of His Protection

Martin Luther's great hymn comes to mind:  A Mighty Fortress is our God, a bulwark never failing. Singing about God's protection is a comfort, as is reading God's Word. Here are a few of my favorites:

“No I will not abandon you or leave you as orphans in the storm. I will come to you.” John 14:18

“The Lord is my shepherd.” Psalm 23:1

“God is our refuge and strength, a tested help in times of trouble.” Psalm 46:1

“Let Him have all your worries and cares, for He is always thinking about you and watching everything that concerns you.” 1 Peter 5:6-7

“He keeps His eye on you as you come and go and always guards you.” Psalm 121:8

“Though I am surrounded by troubles, you will bring me safely through them.” Psalm 138:7

“But the Lord is faithful; He will make you strong and guard you from satanic attacks of every kind.” 2 Thessalonians 3:3

“Fear not, for I am with you. Do not be dismayed. I am your God. I will strengthen you; I will help you; I will uphold you with my victorious right hand.” Isaiah 41:10

My prayer for each of us is that we will find contentment, companionship, confidence and comfort in our God as we face 2017.  A God wise enough to create me and the world I live in is wise enough to watch out for me. (Philip Yancey)

Prayer

May God be...above us to Bless us, below us to Support us
Before us to Guide us, Behind us to Protect us
Beside us to Comfort us, Inside us to Give us Strength and Joy  (www.todayiamblessed.com)

When I am afraid of _____________ I will run to you my God.

                                                                                                  All scripture passages taken from The Message

In the Sermon on the Mount, as Jesus instructed His followers, He said to them:  This, then, is how you should pray: Our Father, in heaven…(Matthew 6:9).  As He gives a pattern, a model for prayer, He begins with the words, Our Father; never forget who it is you are addressing in prayer – He is our Father; we are in a relationship with Him, we are His beloved children!  Never forget how He feels about you; He couldn’t have a greater love for you than He already has and He invites us to come to Him in prayer.
 
Our Father in heaven reminds us that our God is sovereign, He rules over all.  He is ever present, all wise and all powerful -- nothing is too difficult for Him.  He able, more than able to respond to the cares and concerns of your life.
 
Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name; His name is to be honored and as such, our prayers must include an element of worship – always include praise and adoration as you come to God in prayer.
 
Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. May there be a little more of heaven on earth; may kingdom values prevail in a world that has lost its way.  And may His will be done – have your own way Lord, in my life, my home and family, in all that I put my hand to do, in all that I have, in all my relationships and in my service to the Lord; in our church, in our communities, in our nation and our world.
 
Give us today our daily bread; take care of our needs and give us grateful heart as we realize all that we enjoy in life is a gift from the hand of a good and gracious God.  The Bible says present your requests to God (Philippians 4:6); the big concerns of your life that keep you awake at night and those day-by-day cares and concerns -- Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.  (1 Peter 5:7)
 
And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. Our prayers need to be honest prayers, prayers of confession and repentance that we might grow in our faith and not be the obstacle that prevents us from being all God wants us to be in Christ.  As we pray ‘forgive me’, we receive cleansing and healing grace and strength to live a life that is pleasing to Him. And, we are able to extend forgiveness and grace to those who have offended or wronged us – we can life with a forgiving spirit toward others.
 
And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.  Pray for protections from the Evil One, from the forces of evil and the temptations that can so easily derail us in our journey of faith.  Remember the words of Peter:  Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. (1 Peter 5:8)  Pray for yourself, your loved ones and for the church for protection and victory in Christ.
 
Some manuscripts add Yours in the kingdom, the power and the glory forever. 
Begin your prayer with worship and end it with a declaration of praise and honour and glory to our God.  And close your prayer by saying, Amen, let it be so; may it be forever so.  Amen!

Happy New  Year!

It takes just 2-3 seconds to say the words,   but have you ever stopped to reflect on just how many seconds will make up the year 2017?  There are 60 seconds  in a minute, 3600 seconds in an hour, 86,400 seconds every day, 604,800 in a  week and 31,536,000 seconds in a year.   That’s a lot of seconds!

Have you ever thought about how much can happen in second?  Have you ever reflected on how many of these seconds you will not be happy?  It only takes a second for your life to be totally changed.  In a year full of seconds, anything can happen at any second!  So, if we’re going to proclaim “Happy New Year”, there are some things to  keep in mind.  

To begin with, we are not always sure how to define happiness.  For a lot of people happiness depends on their happenings. If their happenings happen to happen the way they happen to want their happenings to happen, they are happy!  So they spend their time organizing their happenings to make sure  everything happens the way they want it to happen. But, if their happenings don’t happen to happen the way they happen to want their happenings to happen, they are unhappy!

We have to come to terms with the fact that we may not always be able to control our happenings!  One of the great myths about humanity is that we are in charge; nothing could be further from the truth.  We are not masters of our destiny.  

There is a year full of seconds ahead of us. When we recognize the frailty of our humanity and limitations of our own strength; when we come to grips with the realization we cannot regulate or escape these inevitable, irresistible factors of life, God is waiting. He says, ‘look this way for a moment; put your trust in me’.  If there is any rhyme, any reason to life, it is because there a transcendent God who is working in all of our seconds, in all of our circumstances to accomplish His purposes for our lives / in this world.

Daniel 5:23 says it is God who holds in his hand your life and all your ways.

If nothing transcends the circumstances of life, if the here and now is all we have; if we can only find happiness by manipulating and escaping the inevitable, irresistible events that only take a second to come into our lives, we will wear ourselves out!  God would say, there is a better way.

Ecclesiastes 3:11 says of God:  He has made everything beautiful in its time.  He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end.

When we begin to realize that God can work in and through and despite all the irresistible, inevitable things of life then there is a possibility of a deeply rooted sense of well-being that is far removed from a superficial happiness that comes from getting our happenings to happen the way we happen to want our happenings to happen.  If we can learn to trust God and begin to recognize that he can bring a certain  beauty into all circumstances of life then there is hope of a ‘Happy New  Year’.

I trust the New Year will give you opportunity to recognize that whatever inevitable, irresistible realities of
life that come your way, there is a God who is bigger and mightier than any circumstance you will face.  As we walk in faith we can know He is at work in our lives; we can rest in His grace and love. For me, that’s enough!

May it be so for the people of Valley and in the lives of those we love.

Happy New  Year!