Doing it Right

DOING IT RIGHT.

Do you ever feel that you must be missing something or not doing something right when you hear people talking about God answering their prayers or leading them each step of their lives? This used to really bother me because when I prayed I was never quite sure that God heard me, that I was saying the right words, that I had persuaded Him to my way of thinking.

 I always thought of Him as something or someone outside of me, “up in the clouds” who would hear everyone’s prayers and then decide which ones were worthy to be granted. If I was particularly concerned about something, I would create in my mind every imaginable “augment” I could think of before I finally went down on my knees. Nothing was more discouraging  that to think that God might answer some prayers and not others, that He might care more for one person than another, might be kind one day and cruel the next, that He created us with free will and then might punish us eternally for making the wrong choices.

But God made promises; Jesus gave us the example of how to pray when he gave us the “The Lord’s Prayer”. All we need is the faith to believe these things that God has promised and each day through prayer accepts His promise to lead, guide, and direct us in everything we do. God can do for us only what God can do through us. It is done unto us as we believe. Putting God first gives me the confidence and self-assurance that each step I take, each word I speak and each thought I make is the right one. I just know it!

God’s Promises

“God is the same yesterday, today and forever”

“The Kingdom of God is within you.”

“If you abide in me and my words abide in you, you shall ask what you will and it shall be done unto you.”

“Whatsoever you shall ask in my name, that will I do.”

“Pray Believing”

Pray without ceasing……1Thessalonians 5:17

Pray for one another………..James 5:16

FountainLady.com: Doing Your Part

FountainLady.com: Doing Your Part

Doing Your Part

If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways: then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sins, and will heal their land.  2 Chronicles 7:14

    We are reminded in this scripture how important it is to stand up for what we believe in and acknowledge it in all ways. We should remember that our forefathers, at the risk of losing their very lives, but with strong faith in God, wrote the Declaration of Independence on Christian principles, asking for God’s blessing and leadership for our country. The Declaration of Independence declares freedom FOR religion, not freedom AGAINST religion, as some would interpret it today.

    Our criminal court system is set in place to uphold God’s laws (the Ten Commandments.) Our physical world was created and is sustained by God’s law. Isn’t it time that we as Christian individuals take responsibility and ask God to heal our land? We must then love, trust, and obey him enough to do our part as he directs us.

An analogy:

A mountain climber, after reaching a height of 50 feet lost his footing, went tumbling and sliding down the side of the mountain about 20 feet before he was able to grasp a branch and stop his fall. He yelled for help, “Is there anyone up there?" he cried. The Lord answered, “Yes, I am here.”

               Climber: “Lord, please help me or I will surely die.”

               LORD:    “Son, do you love me?”

               Climber: “Yes, Lord, I love You.”

               LORD:    “Will you repent and follow my ways?”

               Climber: “Yes, Lord, I’m asking forgiveness for my sins, and I promise I’ll follow You.”

               LORD:    “Will you obey me?”

               Climber: “Yes, Lord, I’ll do anything You say.”

               LORD:     “Alright, Son, I’ll save you….just turn loose of the limb.”

The climber looked down at the 30 foot drop below him and after a few minutes he replied, “Is there anyone else up there?”

   What would your answer have been?

FountainLady.com: Asking the Right Way

FountainLady.com: Asking the Right Way

Asking the Right Way

When Jesus gave us the Lord’s Prayer he was giving us the information we need in order to have our prayers answered. Right after He praised God’s name, the next line was “Thy will be done on earth as it is in Heaven.”
The Bible tells us Jesus said, “If you abide in me and my words abide in you, you shall ask what you will, and it shall be done unto you.” John 15:7
Of course we cannot literally abide in the man Jesus. He wants us to abide in the spirit of His teachings. The whole spirit of his teachings is that God’s work is manifest through us as individuals. We must always ask in our prayers for things that are good and right. Our prayers are answered when they are in true harmony with God and how do we know when they are in true harmony with God? When the prayer is “Thy will be done” not..”my will be done.”
If there is a financial need is your prayer “God, please help me find a better job making more money to cover my bills?” You have to ask yourself, would that really solve the problem? Maybe the condition you are in is because you haven’t learned how to manage money. So God’s lesson is for you to learn how. In that case the prayer should be, “This is the need, Your will be done.”
If the need is health is your prayer, “God, please make me well?” Maybe the condition was caused because you haven’t developed healthy “habits” and God’s less is for you to learn to be healthier in your lifestyle. Your prayer should be, “This is the need, Your will be done.”
Believe me, in God’s infinite wisdom, He does not need us to make the plan, all He wants us to do is ask believing and he will not disappoint us.
If a “plan” does come to you and you are not sure that it’s God’s guidance, simply take the first step, always praying that if it not God’s will He defeat you in carrying out the plan. This really works and when it happens that it was not God’s plan but your plan and you are left thinking, “ok, that wasn’t right so now what do I do?” God’s way will open up for you and it will be much easier and better than you could ever devise with your own thinking. Maybe God will bring into your life will someone who can help you be a better money manager or someone (even a stranger) who has the same health problem as you and has seen a doctor who specializing in that health problem.
Many of you have already experienced and know “letting go and letting God” really works, so keep praying, believing. Maybe if you haven’t tried it, you will. Thanks letting me share.

FountainLady.com: How Can I Help You?

FountainLady.com: How Can I Help You?: "The particular need to have concern for one’s neighbors regardless of family connection or religion came from Jesus’ example. Actually it wa..."

How Can I Help You?

The particular need to have concern for one’s neighbors regardless of family connection or religion came from Jesus’ example. Actually it wasn’t part of his teaching, it was central to what is unique in Christ’s message and the whole story that his life represented, that GOD became flesh and dwelt among us. In Christ’s message all materiality and everyone - saint and sinner is God appearing. Unless we honor strangers as well as our own families, that message has no meaning to us, and we cannot call ourselves followers of Christ.
In the parable of the Good Samaritan, the Jews saw a Samaritan, their enemy, take time, money and effort to help a disabled Jew. That represents another principle that is unique to Christianity, forgiveness. We are all off springs of one God and until we help each other, pray for each other, and forgive each other, family or foe, we deny charity and deny that we are all a part of GOD.
Sometimes it is easier to forgive a stranger than to forgive our closest love one. We alienate ourselves from family because of some perceived slight or words spoken and interpreted in the wrong context. These hurts build and build until they reach insurmountable heights. If we have a problem with forgiving others, we can begin to solve the problem in a way that has nothing to do with forgiveness…appreciation. The best way to forgive is to start appreciating, appreciating the good in others. Everyone has some virtue, because we are all made in the image of GOD.
Perhaps throughout his whole life, Jesus’ message was “Appreciate yourself, add to yourself by seeing the good in your brother. Then you will see it in yourself. Then will you include everyone in your love.”