[B5150]

Matthew 6

Prayer
5"And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. 6But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. 7And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. 8Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.

Do Not Worry
25"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? 26Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? 27Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life[b]?

28"And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. 29Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 30If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? 31So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' 32For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

The challenge is knowing the mind of God. If we know the mind of God then we know how He communicates to us. We are not like God and we need to learn His mind and how He communicates. The way we get to know the mind of God is by studying His word. When we study His word we know what He is like and when we are in His word we are in His presence. How do you get to know your Father? By spending time with Him. How do we do this? Prayer AND study.

[ReaperX]

One of the things I've learned in my own experience is that God tends to give an ample amount that you need to continue to move forward, but not enough to actually do the work for you. God also seems to make you as a person draw enough to do your own work instead of God doing it (which could be easily done and would be much better).


I've picked this up, esp with Elijah's story. Sometimes it is a pain to go through 'bad times' and just want relief and for it to be over, although in the back of my head I know it dosen't work that way, it is not on my time schedule, and more importantly, for all I know I could be 100% off. On top of that, it falls on me and my own responsibility, no one else.

[B5150]

In my experience I have not suffered through or endured any trial that has not made me a stronger and better man...when I do it with God.

"for we know that He works all things for good for those who love Him"

Notice He did not say; have the answers, try their best, fix it on their own, try harder, give it 100%...etc.

Going through something without God may just be survival. Going through something WITH God is molding, forming and shaping you and your character into the God like man He intends for you to become. THAT man He has plans to use for His glory some day. You will be that witness that someone will be waiting for God to send into their life.

I've been in both situations

[atjnutrition2]

I wanted to pass on something that I mentioned in a bible study:
My son (10y/o) who had been asking for some type of toy repeatedly (and we repeatedly said no) asked me what I thought a parent's job was. I knew he was going somewhere with it so I told him to tell me what he thought. He said "people tell me it's to make kids happy" At that point I didn't know whether to laugh or get angry. I told him pretty much that I didn't care if I made him happy, that my job was to make sure he grew up into a fine upstanding young man. If he liked me, even better; if not as long as I did my job I would be content with that.

The leader of the bible study responded to that story by saying that a lot of times we are all like my ten year old son. We expect God to constantly make us happy. We feel that it's his job. I believe God does want us to be happy, but he is more concerned with our spiritual growth and our ability to learn and grow in Him. This is a hard lesson for me as I go through the many struggles of life. I wonder why God lets me go through those things...why isn't He making my life happy? It is during those times that I believe He wants us to turn to him and understand that through him we are more blessed than we can ever imagine.

Anyway, just something I wanted to share.

[Beau]

And, we need to keep in mind that God gave all of us free will; meaning we can do as we please, but so can others. Even if we follow God, others may not - thus we may have to face ill-intended transgressions of others.

I don't believe it is prudent to see God's role as ensuring we will not experience pain. I've learned to know better.

[B5150]

Praise:

Today my wife was lucky caller #12 for a local news channel Diamondbacks ticket contest - 4 tickets to the game Friday night.

A long awaited insurance claim finally came to closure today. A decent sized settlement check is on its way. We're grateful that my wife was not injured (whiplash - very seriously exaggerating existing migraine issue) worse than she was and is starting to get to a completely recovered status.

My 6 yo first grade daughter is in an advanced reading program. She went in initially evaluated at a 2.1 reading level. After only one semester (it started up after the Christmas break) she was just reevaluated today and is assessed at a 4.1 reading level. I am so grateful she is a reader. I was not and am still not much of a reader.

This morning at 4:30AM AZ time my 18 yo son called me. For no reason.

†

[atjnutrition2]

good for you B for all the good news!!!

[swole210]

Just picked up on this thread, and would like to say that this is an AWESOME thread which you have started here B! I am one which like Reaper said, has kind of an intermittent relationship with god, allthough I do not want it to be as so! I think my major abstacle and one for whcih I allways pray for strength against, is lust as well! Allthough I am not on the right path, I do believe in god and have faith in him as he has proven to me many a times that nothing is impossible for him! I shall keep everyone here in my prayers, and ask that you keep my mother and father(which are both ill but thanks to gods grace are recovering VERY well) in your prayers! Thanks, and again great thread brother!

[B5150]

Good Morning!

In case some did not notice, it is speculated that up to 50,000 lives may be lost in the China earthquake.

I think Florida is on fire too.

[ReaperX]

The worst was in maynamar (sp). The cyclone has destroyed parts of Burma, and the inability to get supplies to the people is ridiculous. There is only so long that those people can surivive until nature starts to take its course.


It is truely tragic how these events happen, esp with the one in Maynamar with very poor economic conditions.


As atjnutrition2 was saying, nowhere in the bible does it say anything about happiness. I'm going to go further and say, I don't really recall seeing anything about 'guaranteed' healing either. Not to say that God dosen't heal, as he often does, but there is no guarantee of the power of healing which is often times the most difficult thing to overcome depending on the circumstances of each individual.

Despite my own challenges, I am quick to dismiss the things going RIGHT in my life and have a tendency to focus on this going wrong instead. Not to single out Beau, but if **** like that happen to me, I don't know if I would be able to cope with that or even recover........ever. I think a lot of people could say the exact same thing as well.


Here's a link to a website I like to read. I don't agree with 100% of everything that Ralph says, however I find it still good material to ponder over.

Behind the Badge of a Deputy Sheriff

[B5150]

It is when we are willing and able to admit and surrender to the fact that WE can't do it is we have the opportunity to INVITE Him to did it for us.

The weak are made strong...in Him.

I am trying to avoid being 'preachie" because I assure you I FAIL too.

Pray

[Beau]

For those who have issues with lust, maybe a few thoughts might help:

• God made men to be very visual.
• We are responsible with what we look at/for, and the thoughts that we have when we find something visually pleasing.
• There is nothing wrong with acknowledging that someone is attractive.
• Lusting isn't the same as acknowledging that someone is attractive.
• Lusting is really a measure of where your heart and mind are. So, the issue becomes are your thoughts glorifying God?
• We all face temptations to look, leer or lust.

Here is what I try to do - I deflect my eyes when faced with an opportunity to look at someone that I believe will lead to anything other than an assessment of the extent to which they are (she is) attractive. For example - last night I went to dinner, and at one point went to the restroom. Upon exiting the men's room, I saw a waitress bending over a table, reaching to get something in the far side of the booth. As she did, her skirt rose up her hips - to the point I could have very easily "seen her stuff". As soon as I realized this (i.e, in a split second), I deflected my eyes away from her rear end. Now, everything within my red-bloodedness told me to stay there and look. That would have only normal (and lustful). But I made myself look away because I didn't have the right to take advantage of her. So despite having what I believe is an extraordinary high libido, I made myself look away and felt pleased, rather than feeling seedy or embarrassed.

That approach takes practice, and will power. It sure as heck doesn't "feel right", but it is.

[B5150]

Like yourself it is a choice. If I give in, it stokes a smoldering fire that is unquenchable.

I have become intimately familiar with the 'pray without seizing' concept. It's like a bluetooth signal from me to him