Saturday, August 12, 2017

God won't let us drown

in Mark 4:35 the Bible talks of a storm that comes in the evening. it's a furious squall with the waves breaking over the boat and nearly swamping it. Jesus was on the boat sleeping. the Disciples rushed to wake Him. "Teacher, don't you care if we drown?" they ask. Jesus got up, rebuked the wind and the waves and then turned to His disciples. "Why are you so afraid?", He asked them. "Do you still have no faith?"

with Jesus right by their side they were still terrified.

and so it is with us.

when the storm comes in the middle of the night we get scared. we see the lightning. we hear the howling wind. we feel the crashing waves. and we focus on the storm.

though Jesus is right next to us we run to Him. we shake Him awake. we ask Him if He sees the storm. we ask Him if He even cares if we drown.

and Jesus responds, "Do you still have no faith?"

if you change the position of one letter in the word scared...you get the word sacred. one has you doubting your faith, the other has you trusting it.

God doesn't promise there won't be storms. but He reminds us not to be afraid. because our faith shouldn't be in the storms. our faith should be in the One who never lets us go through them alone. 



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tIZitK6_IMQ

Thursday, August 10, 2017

A Prayer for the lost


Dear Lord,

I come to you today with a prayer for all those who are lost.

For all those who have been beaten down by the selfishness of others.

For all those who have seen too much and can't forget the pain.

For all those who have been told they were useless...that their sins were too great...that nobody would...or could ever love them.

For all those who are sinking in the pit of discouragement.

For all those who have been blinded by hatred.

For all those who think their failures are fatal.

For all those who have looked for peace in alcohol, drugs or sex and only found more despair.

For all those who are searching for something...for anything...to make them feel like they have value, that they have worth, that they belong in this world.

I bring them all before you today Lord. I ask you to heal their broken hearts. I ask you to clear their cluttered minds. I ask you to remove all evil influences in their lives.

Lord, I pray you become so real to them that they see their wounds are a way to reach others who are lost. I pray your peace gives them a reason to keep pushing past the darkness so that more than one life might be saved from the lies satan has led them to believe.

Lord,  I pray you put just the right people in their path to help them believe they are not alone...that they do have a purpose...that they are loved.

And when today slips into tomorrow Lord, I pray this very prayer again, for all the ones who find themselves among the lost and alone.  

In Jesus Name I pray.

They had done everything right. They observed all the Lord’s commandments. They followed His regulations blamelessly. Zechariah was a priest...