Our Father Who Art in Heaven: Gimmee, Gimmee, Gimmee PRAYER Pt. 0.5

It seems that we have a lot of people who no longer pray. They have stopped praying because they do not get their prayers answered. The reason for this is that they are praying wrong. I know what you are thinking, that there is no wrong way to pray. But there is, and many have forgotten the how and why of it. Most of us start our prayer with our hands open and we end prayer with our hands open. We expect God to give, give, give and we are offering nothing in return.

Then there are the prayer habits that many of us have. We may only pray first thing in the morning or again in the evening, plus with our meals. Some of us may only pray at our meals if someone is watching, and others may only pray when people are not. We probably only set aside a couple of minutes every day to pray, never praying for long periods of times. Prayer is hard work and it is time consuming. If we only are praying when it is convenient for us or so that others may see us, we are praying wrong!

This is the beginning of a series on prayer that will be ongoing the next several weeks. Each week we will look at another piece of the prayer puzzle. Among what we will be looking at are: what is prayer, how are we to pray, how often are we to pray, why should we pray and why are my prayers not answered. That said, we will also look at the opposite of these questions. If there are things we should do, then there are things that we should not do.

My hope is that this coming series, although merely an overview, will be able to get you thinking about prayer. It will allow you to begin examining your prayer life, how and when you pray and the reasoning behind your prayer. We are not called to be comfortable, but to be ever vigilant. Prayer should be as needed for our spiritual life as air is for our physical life. If it isn't, then I am hoping that this series will make us question how we are living our lives and insure that we make prayer a major gear in our daily functioning.

What If God Answered Your Prayer (This is borrowed and humorous but true)

The Lord's Prayer (God's voice is Highlighted)

Our Father Who Art In Heaven .
Yes?
Don't interrupt me . I'm praying .
But -- you called  - ME!
Called you?
No, I didn't call you .
I'm praying . 

Our Father who art in Heaven .
There -- you did it again!
Did what?
Called ME .
You said,
"Our Father who art in Heaven"
Well, here I am . . . . What's on your mind?
But I didn't mean anything by it .
I was, you know, just saying my prayers for the day .
I always say the Lord's Prayer .
It makes me feel good,
kind of like fulfilling a duty .
Well, all right .
Go on . 

Okay, Hallowed be thy name .
Hold it right there . What do you mean by that?
By what?
By "Hallowed be thy name"? 
It means, it means . . good grief,   
I don't know what it means .
How in the world should I know?
It's just a part of the prayer .
By the way, what does it mean? 
It means honored, holy, wonderful .
Hey, that makes sense . .   
I never thought about what 'hallowed' meant before .
Thanks . 

Thy Kingdom come,
Thy will be done,
on earth as it is in Heaven .
Do you really mean that?
Sure, why not?
What are you doing about it?
Doing? Why, nothing, I guess . 
I just think it would be kind of neat if you got   
control, of everything down here like you have up   
there .   We're kinda in a mess down here you know .
Yes, I know; but, have I got control of you?
Well, I go to church .
That isn't what I asked you .
What about your bad temper?
You've really got a problem there, you know .
And then there's the way you spend 
your money -- all on yourself . And what about the kind of books you read ?
Now hold on just a minute!
Stop picking on me!
I'm just as good as some of the rest 
of those People at church! 
Excuse ME . .
I thought you were praying
for my will to be done .
If that is to happen,
it will have to start with the ones
who are praying for it . Like you -- for example .
Oh, all right . I guess I do have some hang-ups . 
Now that you mention it,
I could probably name some others .
So could I .
I haven't thought about it very much until now, 
but I really would like to cut out some of those things .
I would like to, you know, be really free .
Good .
Now we're getting somewhere . 
We'll work together -- You and  ME .  I'm proud of You .
Look, Lord, if you don't mind,
I need to finish up here .
This is taking a lot longer than it usually does . 

Give us this day, our daily bread .
You need to cut out the bread . . You're overweight as it is .
Hey, wait a minute! What is this?
Here I was doing my religious duty,
and all of a sudden you break in
and remind me of all my hang-ups .
Praying is a dangerous thing .
You just might get what you ask for .
Remember, you called ME -- and here I am .
It's too late to stop now .
Keep praying .   ( pause . . . ) Well, go on .
I'm scared to .
Scared? Of what?
I know what you'll say .
Try ME . 

Forgive us our sins, 
as we forgive those who sin against us . 
What about Ann?
See? I knew it!
I knew you would bring her up!
Why, Lord, she's told lies about me, spread stories .
She never paid back the money she owes me .
I've sworn to get even with her!
But  -- your prayer --What about your prayer?
I didn't -- mean it . .
Well, at least you're honest .
But, it's quite a load carrying around all that  bitterness and resentment isn't it?
Yes, but I'll feel better as soon as I get even with her .
Boy, have I got some plans for her .
She'll wish she had never been born .
No, you won't feel any better .
You'll feel worse .
Revenge isn't sweet .
You know how unhappy you are -- Well, I can change that .
You can? How?
Forgive Ann .
Then, I'l l forgive you;
And the hate and the sin,
will be Ann's problem -- not yours .
You will have settled the problem as far as you are concerned .
Oh, you know, you're right .
You always are .
And more than I want revenge,
I want to be right with You . . (sigh) .
All right, all right . .
I forgive her .
How do you feel?
Hmmmm . Well, not bad .
Not bad at all!
In fact, I feel pretty great!
You know, I don't think I'll go to bed uptight tonight .
I haven't been getting much rest, you know .
Yeah, I know .
But, you're not through with your prayer, are you?  Go on . . . .
Oh, all right . 

And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil .
Good! Good! I'll do that .
Just don't put yourself in a place where you can be tempted .
What do you mean by that?
You know what I mean .
Yeah . I know .
Okay .
Go ahead . . . Finish your prayer . 

For Thine is the kingdom,
and the power,
and the glory forever .
Amen .
Do you know what would bring me glory --  What would really make me happy?
No, but I'd like to know .
I want to please you now . .
I've really made a mess of things . .
I want to truly follow you . . .
I can see now how great that would be .
So, tell me . . .
How do I make you happy?
YOU  just did . 

Bible Readings: Joshua Chapter 1 - 5

Today I read Joshua Chapters 1-5. It discussed the tribes of Israel coming into the promised land after the death of Moses. They are now being led by Joshua. I really liked the first chapter, as it is God talking to them and telling them what they need to do. He tells them that He has given them the laws that they must follow. In Joshua 1:8, “Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it.” We are to keep His laws always, and we should be careful to do what He has asked us to. This is a great example of how often we should think about God, when the Bible says to “meditate on it day and night.” There should not be a time when Christ is not in my thoughts. When Christ is out of my mind, He is also the last thing that I am thinking of. If I put God and his commandments first in all that I do, it will help me in all aspects of my life. I will be a great husband, a great father, a great worker and a better human being.

In Joshua 1:9 it states, “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.” This is the first time in my reading for this section entitled Bible Readings (which are me picking up the Bible and doing a random reading) that I have came across what I know I will come across many times, which is to put your trust and faith in God and He will always be there with you. He will not always answer prayers, and everything may not always make sense to us but that is how it should be. My God is all knowing and has the ability to see all time at once. He lives beyond time. Due to that He can see the ripples, where they go and what they affect and I cannot. Due to this, it will not always make sense to me what happens. I just know that my focus needs to remain on God, and to try my best to keep my chin up and keep my faith!

In Joshua 2 we are introduced to Rahab, the prostitute. As a recovering addict and criminal, I can relate to the moniker she has been given and how it has stigmatized her. Many of us know that stigma, whether it is from addiction, divorce, mental health, etc. We need to realize that when God sees us, He sees one of His creations. He does not judge us by our past, but by our present.  Rahab was not judged harshly by God, but was instead used by Him for a higher purpose. We too, no matter who we are or what we have done, can also be used for a higher purpose. Paul once killed Christians, then became one of the biggest Christian advocates there ever was. Many would have discounted the prostitute, but not truly "holy" men. Men who love God know that it is not wise to judge others, because we are only human and see the outside appearance. God can see the heart. In Hebrews 13:2 it states,  "Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it.” This is something to definitely be aware of in our practices with others. How we treat others can come back and bite us in the end (no pun intended).

Then we have the crossing of the River Jordan, which is at flood stage yet miraculously dries up to allow the Israelites to cross. I had forgotten that the Jordan was crossed, much like waters were parted in the Red Sea when the Israelites left Egypt. God told them several things. To keep focused on the Ark of the Covenant, which was indicator of the presence of God. We now have the Holy Spirit, which resides in us much like the Ark of the Covenant resided among the Israelites. We should keep our focus on the Holy Spirit today! They were told to consecrate themselves first, in order to be prepared for the amazing thing God was to do for them. They were told to keep focused on the Ark and cross the Jordan and after they got across they were to put up a memorial to remember the event.

We are aked to do the same as the Israelites, but it is easier now. The Holy Spirit guides us on a daily basis. We know what we should and should not do. We must focus on where the Holy Spirit is leading us. Next, we are to consecrate ourselves, through prayer, reading, fasting, and communion. Next we are to go where God asks us to go, with no questions and no doubts. We should fully follow where the Spirit leads us. Finally, we must build our faith upon our victories and other’s victories. That is why she share testimonies in our lives, to testify and remember what God has done for and in us. This should be shared with Christians and non-Christians alike. This is done to bolster the faith of the Christian. It is also done to let everyone know that the Lord is ALL POWERFUL!!!!!