Just be yoursel in prayer

Are you yourself in your daily communication with God? A couple of things have reminded me about this recently. Heard a sermon recently on Psalm 42. Preacher suggested that it was important that we are honest with God - if we are feeling good we should say we are feeling good and if we are feeling bad again we should Lord I'm feeling bad about a particular situation. I have been reading Philip Yancey's Prayer Does it make any difference?

Philip Yancey brings to us a story about a young women and honesty:


"I was teaching a class at a church in chicago when a young woman raised her hand witha question. I knew her as a shy, conscientious student who attended faithfully but never spoke. The rest of the class seemed surprised as well, and listened attentively. ' I'm not always sincere when I pray,' She began. 'Sometimes it seems forced more like a ritual. I'm just repeating words. Does God repeat those prayers? Should I keep going even though I have no confidence I have no confidence I'm doing right?'
I let the silence hang around the room for a moment before attempting an answer. 'Do you notice how quiet around it is in here?' I said. 'We all sense your honestly. It took courage for you to be vulnerable and you touched a nerve with the others of us in the room. You seemed sincere, unlike a salesman, say who gets paid to give a spiel. We tuned in, listening, respectful, becuase you are authentic. And I imagine it's the same with God God wants your authentic self'"
Taken from Philip Yancey Prayer: Does it make a difference, chapter 3, p31

William Sinclair's Baptists

At the end of the last month had a post entitled Small beginnings and on there was a picture of Keiss Baptist Church. This work was started by the landowner William Sinclair and Brian has posted a post on Sir William Sinclair on Highland Praise. You can also view more pictures on http://www.caithness.org/atoz/churches/photogallery/thumbs.htm?0?0 (copy & paste into browser)

Nooma's "Noise"

Hi guys,
have been aware of this series entitled Nooma for a while but not had the opportunity to see one. It is a ten minute devotional presentation whichs speaks into a particular life issue. The speaker on each is Rob Bell, the founding pastor of Mars Hill Bible Church. About three months ago I had a post which was entitled God Speaks Through Silence . The Nooma entitled Noise addresses this issue precisely. At beginning of the presentation you get a short talk on Noise and how it is a part of our everyday life. Silence isnt something we can easily deal with but this is where God speaks often. Rob appeals to Elijah - God didnt speak to him through the things he expected but God was in the silence - He spoke through the silence. The rest of time, there is no sound and the message comes up on type on the screen. I thought it helped teach on silence but not only that with it being demonstrated on the DVD, I felt it would help to put it into action.

The Assurance ~ 1 John 5:14-15

This is a new verses for this week or so. What does these verses say to you? what do they mean for your daily communication with God.

1 John 5:14-15

This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us-- whatever we ask-- we know that we have what we asked of him.

Pray for Scotland's connecting Scotland

Scotland as ever needs prayer! Pray for Scotland, a national prayer network are planning a National prayer walk in 2007 running from the 8th April to the 27th April. They have just recently launched their website & have entitled this initative "Connecting Scotland"
To find out more about it & how you can get involved click here

PrayerFirst

A new blog started in June 2006 which has an emphasis on prayer hence the name Prayer First. To discover for yourself click here

What are the wicked & evil man to do?

What does the following verse say to you?

Isaiah 55:7
Let the wicked forsake his way and the evil man his thoughts. Let him turn to the LORD and he will have mercy on him, and to our God for he will freely pardon.

Seeking & Calling

What does the following Verse say to you? (please reply with your comments)

Isaiah 55:6
Seek the LORD while he may be found; call on him while he is near.

Small beginnings

This is a picture of the oldest organised baptist Church in Scotland - Keiss Baptist Church in Caithness, the North of Scotland (taken by my wife).
I think it is amazing to think that a land laird started a Baptist Church in this small corner of Scotland over 250 years ago.
__________________________
It is good to know that when we come to God in prayer he can do far more than we think. Lets be expectant as we look to see what He will do!

Book on Prayer I will read!

Over the next month or so I am hoping to read the following books and will let you know about them when I get through them!
1)
Philip Yancey Does it make any difference?

2) Peter Greig/Dave Roberts Red Moon Rising (The Story of 24-7 Prayer)

New Verses for the week ~ Isaiah 55:6-7

"Seek the LORD while he may be found; call on him while he is near. Let the wicked forsake his way and the evil man his thoughts. Let him turn to the LORD, and he will have mercy on him, and to our God, for he will freely pardon"

Praying through the news!

We often wonder how we can pray so often without being informed. But away of beginning to pray is listening to/watching the news. One of the countries that is coming alot at the moment is Lebannon.
Operational World has a focus on them...here

Morning is coming!

Psalm 130:6
My soul waits for the Lord more than watchmen wait for the morning, more than watchmen wait for the morning.

We often wrestle with this thing called waiting. It is a British thing to do! Waiting is something the watchman has to do. The night time can be a long time but one thing that is certain is that the morning will come.
Our soul waits for the Lord and yearns for it more than the watchmen waits for the morning! There is a certainty that the Lord will meet with you!

Out of the depths ~ Psalm 130

Do you ever come to the Lord in prayer feeling just out of the depths. We can feel out of the depths for many reasons: Illness, depression, homesickness, guilt etc. David, the psalm writer often writes out of these depths. Yesterday I posted psalm 130:5-6 as the verses for this week. In this Psalm, again David is writing out of the depths and this time it is from guilt. As he comes to wait upon the Lord, he has assurance there is forgiveness in him and he also had the hope of the Word.

Verses for the week ~ Psalm 130:5-6

"I wait for the LORD, my soul waits, and in his word I put my hope. My soul waits for the Lord more than watchmen wait for the morning, more than watchmen wait for the morning."

Open & Honest Prayer

2 Chronicles 7:14-15, the verses I have chosen for this past week are often used to encourage us to pray. There is a real condition here... If my people will do xyz then I will hear from heaven etc! The writer speaks about about a people who are called out by his name.

But what are these people to do?

1) humble themselves (to neither have high view or a low view but
a modest one!)

2) Pray & seek his face!

3) turn from wicked ways : Psalm 66: 18 says If I had cherished sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened . This really speaks about then importance about confessing our sins in prayer. But not only that to have a real life change.

Prayer is about a conversation. This means for us too we need to listen and allow the Lord to mould and shape our lives and the lives of those around.

So what happen as The Lords people turn to him in prayer. He will forgive them! Not only that but Lord will be attentively listen to their prayer and be prepared to act upon it!

Prayer quote from Billy Graham

“To get nations back on their feet, we must first get down on our knees.”
Billly Graham

New verse for the week: 2 Chronicles 7:14-15

If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land. Now my eyes will be open and my ears attentive to the prayers offered in this place.

New Move of Prayer for A new Move of God!

Our churches are dying - even for all that we try new ideas etc! We need to wait upon God to seek his will - in fact we need to get on our knees! Then once we have conversed with Him, we need to converse with one another and be prepared to submit to God and one another.

Prayer in the Good and the bad times

Another hymn which speaks about prayer is Father hear the prayer we offer; written by Love Marie Willis. I like the fact that the hymn writer acknowleges that there is up times and down times. Here is one of the verses:

Let our path be bright or dreary,
storm or sunshine be our share;
may our souls , in hope unweary,
make thy work our ceaseless prayer.

Love Marie Willis (1824-1908)