August 9, 2009

Matthew 6: 5-15

Praying

And now about prayer.  When you pray, don't be like the hypocrites who love to pray publicly on street corners and in the synagogues where everyone can see them.  I assure you, that is all the reward they will ever get.  But when you pray, go away by yourself, shut the door behind you, and pray to your Father secretly.  Then your Father, who knows all secrets, will reward you.

When you pray, don't babble on and on as people of other religions do.  They think their prayers are answered only by repeating their words again and again.  Don't be like them, because your Father knows exactly what you need even before you ask him!  Pray llike this:

Our Father in Heaven,

may your name be honored.

may your kingdom come soon.

May your will be done here on earth, 

just as it is in heaven.

Give us our food for today

and forgive us our sins,

just as we have forgiven those who have sinned against us.

And don't let us yield to temptation, 

but deliver us from the evil one.

If you forgive those who sin against you, your heavenly Father will forgive you.  But if you refuse to forgive others, your Father will not forgive your sins.  

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Thoughts...

Those of you who have kept up with this web church for a while know that if I give a long 'thought', I usually, out of mercy for those reading, follow it with a short one.  Today it is indeed short.  I apologize that I needed to rely on ALL the scholars to get the point across last week.  But I hope you did get the fine points. 

It has not escaped my attention that when people pray what is commonly called 'The Lord's Prayer' that when it is prayed, it sounds in unison much like a canned answering machine going off....'Leave your message after the tone."   Droning tone....click.  I don't think that is how Jesus would have relayed this prayer.  'Blah, blah, blah.'  I believe he would have spoken it with passion, much like a Shakespeare (spelling?) drama.  Remember the part that is spoken, "Wherefore art thou, Romeo?"  PAUSE.  And then Romeo responds to the fair maiden that he's in the garden.  PAUSE.   There was feeling, emotion, passion, embrace just in the words spoken.

You know, and I know, that God hears all prayers.  But if we are mindless in our devotion to him and careless in our approach to request his love, his life, his gifts, why in the world should he think we are serious about loving him, and why would he think we are saying anything important worth listening to?  On the other hand, do not run home to pray and start sounding passionate right away, as if you have had a dawning revelation.  TALK to him...he's right in your heart...or should be.  He is your closest neighbor, next to your family.  Ask his forgiveness first for being flippant, or careless, or not respectful towards him and disregarding HIS emotions, as you pray to honor him.  And are you honoring him out of love and respect or are you speaking the prayer because it is the plan of the moment and everybody else is doing it?  Don't forget to ask those around you for forgiveness for being flippant, or careless, or not respecting them and disregarding their emotions, too.  Remember, if Christ lives in your family members' hearts, you are offending Christ in them as well.   They are not just your son, daughter, brother or sister or parent.  They are the embodiment of God Almighty.  "...faith, hope and love...and the greatest of these is love." 

When the scriputure says to not go to street corners, it means don't be showy about your praying.  Some people do want to sound as if they have special authority.  We all have the gift to be able to pray and be heard because of the love of our Heavenly Father, Jesus and Holy Spirit.  And as the Trinity lives in our hearts, so you can pray from the heart and should.  Not just 'The Lord's Prayer' or derivatives of, but for all our prayers.  Don't always pray for something, but pray to give something....your heart to your God.  

We seems stuck in a rut of 'I want' in life.  Ever wonder what HE wants?  You have to give love to get love 'they' say.  He gave us his love first when he gave us life.  What are you giving him today, tomorrow, forever?   Ask him into your heart today...and give your heart to him today and everyday.  And to your family members as well....with LOVE.    

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Let Us Pray  

God, Jesus, Holy Spirit help me....please.  I want to love you and give to you just like you love and give to me.  And I want to be obedient to you and love others.  Some days it is only because of obedience that I can.  But because MY heart is not right.  It should not matter if they are good or bad.  It matters whether I am good or bad.  If I am not loving you AND my family members, and neighbors as myself...as I should love you within me, then I am not honoring, loving or obeying you.  Help me to fully understand how important this is to understand and why.  AND do it!!!  It's hard, I'm not perfect, but you are in me, so I don't know why I feel inadequate and I fail.  Heal me, Lord, and let me not use as an excuse ANYTHING that keeps me from loving you, others, or myself.  Like the song says, "I've got the music in me."  You, Lord, are my music.  Let my heart sing!   Come into my life, forgive me of my sins and make me whole.  Thank you, Lord.  Thank you.  Amen.              

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Benediction

Let us hear from Paul once again as he prays:  

When I think of the wisdom and scope of God's plan, I fall to my knees and pray to the Father, the Creator of everything in heaven and on earth.  I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resouces he will give you mighty inner strength through his Holy Spirit.  And I pray that Christ will be more and more at home in your hearts as you trust in him.  May your roots go down deep into the soil of God's marvelous love.  And may you have the power to understand, as all God's people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love really is.  May you experience the love of Christ, though it is so great you will never fully understand it.  Then you will be filled with the fullness of life and power that comes from God.

Now glory be to God!  By his mighty power at work within us, he is able to accomplish infinitely more than we would ever dare to ask or hope.  May he be given glory in the church and in Christ Jesus forever and ever through endless ages.  Amen.  Ephesians 3:14-21 NLT         

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Scroll down to read Jesus' Prayer of Thanksgiving...'The Unforced Rythms of Grace'.

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Definition of a Christian:  Anyone who believes in God, Jesus and Holy Spirit, and accepts Jesus as Lord and Savior.  Regardless of church name or religious affiliation.  

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If you feel that the Church of the Holy Spirit has inspired or helped you, we'd like you to prayerfully consider tithing regulary to us or gifting us, so that we can further the work and carry out the will of the Father as proclaimed in Matthew 28:16 NLT

 to

 "Go and make disciples out of all the nations

baptising them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.

Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you.  And be sure of this:

I am with you always, even to the end of the age."

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  Our NEW Current Cause

My family and I, and the church, are in crisis and could desperately use your prayers and financial support.  Due to medical concerns, employment crisis, and economic devastation,  I do not have funding to meet everyday expenses right now for the church, or home, nor those necessary to keep this website afloat, for those shut-in or needing spiritual support, nor the ability to help others along the way.  But I am confident that, with your help, balance can be achieved.  As God touches your heart, I hope you will pray earnestly for the church, my family and me, and send any amount of money you can to help.  Please note 'Church and Family' on your check, and, I will see that all funds get divided appropriately.  The church, I and my family, as well as to those to whom we reach out, will be sincerely grateful for anything you can do to help.  

Please accept my sincerest thanks....and may God bless you!

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 Checks can be made out to

Church of the Holy Spirit

and sent to

Church of the Holy Spirit

P.O. Box 86076

Tucson, Arizona

85754-6076

If you have any questions, we can be reached at:

1-866-402-GIFT

10 a.m. - 6 p.m.

Mountain Time

As we grow, you will have options for allocating your gifts.

In the meantime, we hope you will trust us to direct them to where the need is the greatest.

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    One last thing....

 Jesus' Prayer of Thanksgiving

'The Unforced Rythms of Grace'

 "Abruptly Jesus broke into prayer:  "Thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth.  You've concealed your ways from sophisticates and know-it-alls, but spelled them out clearly to ordinary people.  Yes, Father, that's the way you like to work."

Jesus resumed talking to the people, but now tenderly.  "The Father has given me all these things to do and say.  This is a unique Father - Son operation, coming out of Father and Son intimacies and knowledge.  No one knows the Son the way the Father does, nor the Father the way the Son does.  But I'm not keeping it to myself; I'm ready to go over it line by line with anyone willing to listen."

"Are you tired?  Worn out?  Burned out on religion?  Come to me.  Get away with me and you'll recover your life.  I'll show you how to take a real rest.  Walk with me and work with me - watch how I do it.  Learn the unforced rhythms of grace.  I won't lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you'll learn how to live freely and lightly.

  Matthew 11:  25-30

  The Message

And the people said,

"Amen."

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I now write most prayers in the position of ' I ' (first person) because most people are sitting at their computer alone, not in groups, and it allows those reading and praying to personalize the prayer as coming from them going to God.  Variations may appear on holidays when families may wish to use the prayer provided.

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Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright 1996.  Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189.  All rights reserved.

Scriptures may be taken from the New Living Translations website.

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