where should we pray?

There are many times and places and reasons to pray. As we continue our series PRAY. at our church I am encouraged by the many times that Jesus taught His disciples to pray. But looking deeper there were many who prayed throughout Scripture.

Matthew 6:6 NASB

But you, when you pray, go into your inner room, close your door and pray to your Father who is in secret, and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you.

One of the things that sticks out to me is that our relationship with God is the same when we are seen and when we are not. It is important that when we are alone that our connection is strong.

Find that quiet place and pray. Hear from God. Share with God. Enjoy those times alone with God as He pours in to your life and hears your heart.

1 Timothy 2:8 NASB

Therefore I want the men in every place to pray, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and dissension.

Our prayers need to be strong in private and also strong in public. God says we are to pray lifting our hands in every place.

The people I admire the most seems to have an ongoing conversation with God. Their prayers are not scripted or fake. Their prayers are intimate and more like a conversation with a close friend.

Matthew 6:5 NASB

“When you pray, you are not to be like the hypocrites; for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and on the street corners so that they may be seen by men. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full.

Too often we hear people pray who are just praying to be heard or to be seen. As this verse says those people have their reward and shouldn’t expect anything else from God.

Strengthen your prayers in private. Continue your prayers in public. Stay connected to God all the time.

James 4:7-10 NLT

So humble yourselves before God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8 Come close to God, and God will come close to you. Wash your hands, you sinners; purify your hearts, for your loyalty is divided between God and the world. 9 Let there be tears for what you have done. Let there be sorrow and deep grief. Let there be sadness instead of laughter, and gloom instead of joy. 10 Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up in honor.

Pray. This is one thing we cannot neglect or overlook. When we are not connected to God, our lives will be void of what matters most. When we are connected to God, we will struggle, but we are not alone.

Where should we pray?

Catalyst ticket arrived

My ticket to the Catalyst Conference, in Atlanta Oct 8-10, just arrived. I'm excited!

Have you heard of EDITH BURNS?

Edith Burns was a wonderful Christian who lived in San Antonio, Texas . She was the patient of a doctor by the name of Will Phillips. Dr. Phillips was a gentle doctor who saw patients as people. His favorite patient was Edith Burns. One morning he went to his office with a heavy heart and it was because of Edith Burns. When he walked into that waiting room, there sat Edith with her big black Bible in her lap earnestly talking to a young mother sitting beside her. Edith Burns had a habit of introducing herself in this way: "Hello, my name is Edith Burns. Do you believe in Easter?" Then she would explain the meaning of Easter, and many times people would be saved. Dr. Phillips walked into that office and there he saw the head nurse, Beverly. Beverly had first met Edith when she was taking her blood pressure. Edith began by saying,"My name is Edith Burns. Do you believe in Easter?" Beverly said, "Why yes I do." Edith said, "Well, what do you ...

wash feet, sharing hope

John 13:4-5,14 NLT So he got up from the table, took off his robe, wrapped a towel around his waist, 5 and poured water into a basin. Then he began to wash the disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel he had around him… 14 And since I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you ought to wash each other’s feet. Jesus set the example we follow. He served. He valued and gave value to others. That is why we choose to serve. For 18 years our church has shared an outreach called back2school, and for 16 of those years we have chosen to give students brand new shoes and socks as well as washing their feet. It is one of the most important parts of this event. Washing feet is a humbling experience where both the give and the receiver learn how to share some moments that might change their lives. Jesus said we should do this. See the verse above. Follow His example, do what He did, and give far more than you will ever know....

Michael Harrison's e-devotion

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