Pray For What?

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anti-religion, faith, lifestyle, prayer, prayforpeace, religion

 

When someone tells you that they will pray for you, do you secretly think they are lying?

Yes, I do.

They may mean well. Some may even spit out a quick ‘God bless you’ to keep themselves honest. Yes, I have done just that. But I have stopped making those promises. I do not pray that you will pass your test or that God will raise your mother from the dead. Nope.

My prayer, if any, is simple: Thy will be done.

I am just sick of hearing these people who just want to be seen and heard, belting out these beautifully crafted poems and speeches masquerading as prayers. Yes. I am the girl in the back of the church rolling her eyes, waiting for the curtain. From what I gather from this situation, Jesus was with me on this one.

And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.

Matthew 6:5

I’ve gone to some churches and I can recite their prayers. I know exactly what they are going to say when the stand to deliver this “prayer”. Really, it’s a well-rehearsed speech filled with commands and begging followed by some thankfulness.

I was bored. I wondered if God shared that sentiment.

The truth is that we don’t know for what to pray. We already have everything we need. Jesus left us with the holy spirit, the comforter, the reminder, that internal peace that assures us that paradise is ours one day.

Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.

Romans 8:26

Yes, Jesus gave us the “Lord’s prayer” but remember this was before He gave His life for our sins. Plus, note in that prayer, Jesus says “thy will be done”.

Thy will be done. The Lord’s will be done.

There is no harming in asking for anything. But know that God’s plan will always prevail. So, if it is not in God’s plan, your request will be denied. Not because you didn’t pray hard enough. Not because you didn’t have faith but simply because it was not part of God’s plan.

The Apostle Paul prayed three times for God to take away his sickness (2 Corinthians 12:8). But, God did not. Why? Because it was not God’s plan. Instead, God reminded Paul that there is a reason for every affliction, every situation.

 And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

¹⁰ Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.

2 Corinthians 12:9-10

Paul accepted this as we should. Our omniscient God has an excellent plan. We have everything we need, if we have trusted the sacrifice of Jesus Christ who died for all of our sins. Simple. Again, there is no harm in praying and asking for what you want. But, know that God has a righteous plan that is set and intended for the good of all people.

Now the question is, do you trust God’s plan?

 

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Remember Your Purpose

Tags

Afterlife, Bible, Christ, christianity, gospel, Heaven, Jesus Christ, lifestyle, Love, religion, Saved

What would happen if all of the churches closed their doors for one Sunday and went out to minister to people just as Jesus and all of his disciples ministered? Who are we to tell people to come to us? Why can’t we go to them?

Yes, it is good to fellowship with people with your beliefs. But bond together in brotherly love and not vain glory. What good is it to have “church” and only “minister” to the same people over and over?

What about Monique, a self confessed prostitute with several children? When she was told that Jesus loves her, all she could do was fight back tears. “I only hear ‘I love you’ from my children. They gotta love me. I’m they momma.” Monique wants to experience God’s love but everyone in her neighborhood knows her occupation. She can’t go to the church. They’ll judge her.
Pam was on the Homecoming Court in high school. She made it to graduation but married a man who beat her. She lost sight in her left eye. She keeps to herself, avoiding crowds at all cost.

Shirley has always been talkative and quick to voice her opinion about almost everything. When asked to talk about herself, she shuts down. In her 52 years on this earth, she has spent 27 of them going in and coming out of mental institutions. Do you know Jesus, Shirley? “Yeah, he’s that white man in the picture.”

How do we get to these people if we are sitting in our buildings week after week basking in our own vain glory? We call it praising God…giving God the glory. Really? How does God get the glory from you obtaining yet another title from your church? What glory does God receive by you calling yourself ‘Doctor’ or ‘Bishop’ or ‘Evangelist’? Especially when you sit on your title after you’ve earned it.

You are in charge of this program and that in your church. You can raise this much money for this department and that. Your congregation adores you. Your church organization respects you and sends you across the world to annual conventions and meetings.

Meanwhile, Pam, Shirley and Monique die unsaved and unaware that “by grace through faith” (Eph. 2:8-9) they could have been saved. They could have experienced a love greater than no other.

What do you plan to say to our Father on judgment day? What will you tell Him when he asks:

“They died on your watch. Where were you?”

“Lord, I was in church.”

My lovely brothers and sisters, sealed unto the day of redemption, called by Christ himself. Let’s not be selfish. Let’s take our honored position and share the good news.

Mark 16:15
And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.

Think Like A Man?

Tags

Bible, christianity, lifestyle, men, music, pop culture, relationship, religion, women

Since Jennifer Hudson’s Think Like A Man song was released earlier this year, I have been singing along and dancing to the beat. I like the melody. I adore Ne-Yo’s voice. But I am a bit skeptical about the lyrics. Sure, I am the girl who has mostly male friends. I am the girl who likes guns, action movies, football and “trash talk”. But these are a few of the characteristics that define me. I’m not trying to be a man or act like one. I’m a woman who happens to like these things.

So, here’s my dilemma.

In the song, Jennifer and Ne-Yo are basically having a “where has this relationship gone” conversation. Apparently, they had been “friends with benefits” but decided to test a real relationship. The shift from just friends to boyfriend/girlfriend didn’t work out so well. The song implies that Ne-Yo’s character wanted to keep the relationship as is but agreed to try it the woman’s (Jennifer’s) way. The end result? Because Jennifer could not think like Ne-Yo and leave well enough alone, they both wound up with nothing.

(From Think Like A Man by Jennifer Hudson, featuring Ne-Yo, Rick Ross, Epic/RCA Records)

(Ne-Yo)

Now I’m gonna keep it realer with you now than I ever been
We should of never been, girl we was better friends
You didn’t have to tell me what, where, why or when
Um why I didn’t need it,
Cause you wasn’t my girlfriend, we had a good thing
You were a come by and kick it, ooh give me that good thang
Then after we were finished,
You go your way, I go my way, it was whatever
Tell me what ever happens
Think this wanna gonna be better
And now i’m telling you lies,
All because I hate to see the tears in your eyes
Of course I want my cake, and eat it too, i’m a guy
And of course, you don’t understand,
But you would if you thought like a man in love

In love? Hmmm…

Don’t get it ladies? I know. I know. If he’s in love, how could he…?

The “friends with benefits” conversation is a whole separate blog and I assure you I will address it. In the meantime, let’s stay on task. Shall we?

Is it Biblical for a woman to actually try to think like a man? Are we meant to understand each other? If we were all completely in sync, who would we be, really?

As I stated before, I happen to love some things that are considered to be guy things. I also like to dress up and wear make-up. I cook a lot but you will never hear me say that I love it. All of us have a preference. Yours may be the opposite. But when it comes to my thinking, I have a genetic make-up and the mental capacity to think like a female typically thinks.

We will come to understand some things and from that predict and assume to know what’s on a man’s mind. But let’s be honest with ourselves. Women may try but we can never fully comprehend a man and vice versa. It is the way we are made.

In a perfect Christian world, there is an order to things.
God. Jesus Christ. Man. Woman.

1 Corinthians 11:3
But I would have you know, that the head of every man is Christ; and the head of the woman is the man; and the head of Christ is God.

We are made beautifully different because we fit together like a puzzle, mentally and physically (if you know what I mean).

Can you imagine kind of world we would have if we all thought alike? Ladies, do you really want to have your man’s idea of a clean house? Most of us would say no. What guy wants their woman to think they he thinks? With a few exceptions, most guys I know ask a female for advice about clothes and grooming. Because they want a different perspective.

Are matters of the heart or lack their of, any different? No. You think and feel the way you were made to think and feel. Women are from Mars,men are from Venus. It’s merely a metaphor but has some truth.

Grace does not void nature. It does not cancel God’s plan. The Lord gave us all a body and mind unique to each other but joined perfectly together. We are created to have different roles.

Ephesians 5:21-25

Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God.
22 Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord. 23 For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body. 24 Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing.
25 Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;

Again, it is all a part of God’s plan, His holy order to things. We all know what happens when we stray from His will. Look around.