December 25, 2013
Luke 1:26-56
- God is certainly smarter than us, having made the universe and us. Even when His instruction look absurd to us, they are higher than our thinking.
- Mary's attitude of 'be it unto me according to thy will' is one we'd be wise to adopt
Isaiah 55:8-11
- God's thoughts and ways are higher than ours
1 Corinthians 1:20-21
- The foolishness of God is wiser than man
December 22, 2013
1. It seems that God will not act on our behalf until we pray. Ezekiel 26:37, Matthew 6:8 - Even when He is saying that He knows what we need before we pray, He is mentioning expecting that we will still pray.
2. It seems that God wants us to ask about the same things that we have asked for before. 1 Thessalonians 5:17, Luke 18:1,7-8
3. Even though God wants us to keep asking, it seems that He finds some prayers boring and repetitious. Matthew 6:6-7
4. It seems that some prayers need to be very long and others very short. Mark 1:35, Luke 6:12-13, Matthew 26:40-41
- So when should we pray for a long time and when should we pray for a short time? From Jesus' example, He prayed ling when He was going to take big decisions - like when He was going to choose the disciples, or when He was going to encounter challenging times - like when He was about to go to the cross.
December 15, 2013
We need to become prayerful as 2013
ends. A lot of accidents, sudden deaths and other strange occurrences
happen as the year comes to a close. Therefore it is very important
to pray every day. Prayer is mysterious because God is mysterious.
Genesis 20:1-7 (KJV)
1And Abraham
journeyed from thence toward the south country, and dwelled between
Kadesh and Shur, and sojourned in Gerar.2And
Abraham said of Sarah his wife, She is my sister: and Abimelech king
of Gerar sent, and took Sarah.3But God came
to Abimelech in a dream by night, and said to him, Behold, thou art
but a dead man, for the woman which thou hast taken; for she is a
man's wife.4But Abimelech had not come near
her: and he said, LORD, wilt thou slay also a righteous nation?5Said
he not unto me, She is my sister? and she, even she herself said, He
is my brother: in the integrity of my heart and innocency of my hands
have I done this.6And God said unto him in a
dream, Yea, I know that thou didst this in the integrity of thy
heart; for I also withheld thee from sinning against me: therefore
suffered I thee not to touch her.7Now
therefore restore the man his wife; for he is a prophet, and he shall
pray for thee, and thou shalt live: and if thou restore her not, know
thou that thou shalt surely die, thou, and all that are thine.
God’s involvement in our lives is
restricted to our prayer. God will become involved in our lives if we
pray and ask Him to help us. He will not do anything about our
problems if we do not pray. Many situations in our lives will change
if we decide to be prayerful.
1 Peter 5:8
8Be sober, be
vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion,
walketh about, seeking whom he may devour.
December 15, 2013
We need to become prayerful as 2013
ends. A lot of accidents, sudden deaths and other strange occurrences
happen as the year comes to a close. Therefore it is very important
to pray every day. Prayer is mysterious because God is mysterious.
Genesis 20:1-7 (KJV)
1And Abraham
journeyed from thence toward the south country, and dwelled between
Kadesh and Shur, and sojourned in Gerar.2And
Abraham said of Sarah his wife, She is my sister: and Abimelech king
of Gerar sent, and took Sarah.3But God came
to Abimelech in a dream by night, and said to him, Behold, thou art
but a dead man, for the woman which thou hast taken; for she is a
man's wife.4But Abimelech had not come near
her: and he said, LORD, wilt thou slay also a righteous nation?5Said
he not unto me, She is my sister? and she, even she herself said, He
is my brother: in the integrity of my heart and innocency of my hands
have I done this.6And God said unto him in a
dream, Yea, I know that thou didst this in the integrity of thy
heart; for I also withheld thee from sinning against me: therefore
suffered I thee not to touch her.7Now
therefore restore the man his wife; for he is a prophet, and he shall
pray for thee, and thou shalt live: and if thou restore her not, know
thou that thou shalt surely die, thou, and all that are thine.
God’s involvement in our lives is
restricted to our prayer. God will become involved in our lives if we
pray and ask Him to help us. He will not do anything about our
problems if we do not pray. Many situations in our lives will change
if we decide to be prayerful.
1 Peter 5:8
8Be sober, be
vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion,
walketh about, seeking whom he may devour.