World Day of Prayer Friday

Happy World Day of Prayer.  How neat to know that those around the world today are focussing upon Prayer.  Isn't it neat to know that Churches and individuals are coming together on bended knee and focussing upon Prayer this very day.   Wow!   Powerful.    
Prayer is central to the Christian faith.  Without prayer,  we do not have a relationship with God.   Simple as that.

Have an awesome Friday! 


Devotional......

Jesus, gentle and humble of heart,  give us hearts like yours.  Open our hearts to the Word of God this day and do what You ask us to do with great enthusiasm and great love.  Amen.

 Read:  St. Matthew 7: 24 – 29

The Parable of the Wise Builder and the Foolish builder is a great word picture visual of what Jesus was stating in St. Matthew 7: 21 – 23.    Everyone who hears the Word of God and puts it into practice is like a wise builder who builds a house on a rock.   Even in adversity,  the house stands firm. 

Those who hear the Word of God but don’t put the words into practice are like the foolish builder who built his house on the sand.  When the storms of life came along,  the house was demolished by the storm.   

And the crowds who had listened to Jesus from the beginning suddenly had light bulbs going off in their heads!  Oh!  So THIS is what Jesus has been teaching us.  

Practice.    Ask any music student what the word “practice” means and they will tell you that it is a time  they make to play their instrument every day.  If they do not practice every day,  the instrument becomes difficult to play as they loose the finger dexterity in their hands or the shape of their mouths to play an instrument like trumpet or french horn. While most music students know that practice isn’t something they want to do it is something they HAVE to do.      How can we as Christians think that we do not need “practice”?   Christian practice  being  the daily  time of  reading and studying God’s word and saying prayers and even singing a few hymns.      As an old Presbyterian,  we used to call this “Christian Discipline”.     

LORD,  we thank You with our hearts full of joy.  Your love for each of us is boundless and You have forgiven us.   Help us LORD as we spend time in prayer and reading Your Word this day.    Open our hearts to new understandings of Your Good News.  This we ask in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Many blessings!