Just A word About Prayer

Have you ever sat at a meal where everything is hot and the smell of food has you so hungry you could taste it. Then someone is asked to pray over the food and you don't mind praying, in fact you always pray and feel you should  pray before you  eat and express how grateful that you have this opportunity to do this. But, there are those that feel that prayer time is a time to preach and babble on and on. At first you are happy to pray and then your mind wanders away and anger sets in. Your thoughts go to the food and and how it is getting cold, and you lose all thankfulness through this small amount of anger. Did Jesus warn us about this of course he did. Read Matthew 6:7-8 Sadly many still believe that God only hears long prayers and that we have to express our needs in prayer. Jesus said God knows our needs so why waste time with all this babble when a simple thank you is all that is needed. God does not need to be informed of all your sins and especially not at the dinner table. If you feel this need, take it to a private prayer spot and have some quality time with God and share everything. Don't take a beautiful thankyou prayer and turn it away from its purpose by lingering so long that everyone is calling you a fool in their minds. Don't use the dinner table as a pulpit you will lose all that thankfulness through anger because no one likes to eat cold food.

Wisdom Verses Strength

Solomon was a very wise man who drew many conclusions from his life. He told a  story of the wise man who saved a city and no one remembered him.  The lesson Solomon was trying to get across is that wisdom is better than strength. Wisdom is better than jewels or precious metals. Wisdom is stronger  than any weapon.  Yet wisdom does not get treated better than strength, riches or weapons  and rarely finds honor and respect. People with wisdom seem to be outcasts or despised. Take Jesus for example his wisdom was never got him recognition. He was despised and killed for his wisdom.


 

There are many wise and poor people who make up a church and who do more than the outside world knows, yet they don't do it for praise or reward. They hear with the ear of their spirit. They depend on the wisdom of God and his strength. They are the mighty silent armies with the ultra powerful shield of God's wisdom.

Trust

We should trust God no matter what the outward appearances are. If you remember the story of Abraham then you see the contradiction he was put in. He was told to sacrifice Isaac yet all of God's promises to Abraham lay in the son Isaac. This must have been quite confusing to a man who had waited years for this son and now he was being told he must sacrifice him. It must have grieved him so yet he trusted God and knew that whatever the outcome that God knew best. He obeyed God to the end. God tests us all to prove our faith. Faith is trusting God to provide even when we cannot see how he can.  With true faith we hold nothing back from God. He provides what we need when we need it and intervenes at the right time. "Now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son from me" (Genesis 22:12).