Are you mis-praying?

The prayers

1. Lord, forgive me where I fail you, or forgive me for ____________.

2. Dear Jesus, forgive me for all my sins.

What if I said...stop!

Christians should stop praying these prayers.

I find it interesting that Christians often ask God for forgiveness (me too), but after Jesus' death, burial, resurrection, and ascension, we are not instructed to ask God to forgive us of our sins.

Further, asking God to forgive "all your sin" is a generality that keeps us from dealing with any.

Why stop?

"In Him (Jesus), we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace, which He lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight making known to us the mystery of His will according to His purpose which He set forth in Christ." (Ephesians 1:7-9)

"He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of His believed Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins." (Colossians 1:13-14)

The payment is complete (it is finished) for ALL sins through Jesus Christ on the cross. 

Past. 

        Present. 

                    Future.

Once you have been redeemed, you have been forgiven.

If someone were so kind as to pay off your debts and provide an abundance that would never run out, would you continue asking the creditors to erase your debt? That would be unfruitful (and laughable).

Yet, we do the same when we pray these prayers. It would sound like, "Lord, forgive me for what you have already forgiven me. I am just not sure Jesus took this all into consideration."

What then?

How do we change our prayers?

1. Thank you, Lord, for forgiving me!

2. Lord, I agree with you concerning my sin of ______________ (confession). I have acted in rebellion, and it does not bring you glory. You are holy and worthy of my life, so I turn from this sin (repentance) and rely on you to guide and strengthen me in your way.

Conclusion

If you are redeemed, be thankful for the forgiveness already given, confess your sins (specifically), change your mind about your sin and His holiness (repentance), and change your ways in the power of the Holy Spirit.

If you have not been redeemed, humble yourself before God and confess your sin and your desperation for His forgiveness. Confess openly that Jesus Christ is the boss of your life and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, and you will be saved.

If you surrender your life to His authority and follow Him, He will redeem you from the penalty of your sins, reconcile you to Himself, and forgive you for all your sins (past, present, and future).

Thank you, Lord!

Leftovers

I have not always been a big fan of leftovers, but I can make an exception as grocery prices increase! While I enjoy leftovers, I would not provide them to guests. 

What is the point? Read on...

Why did God have regard for Abel's offering but not Cain's?

Cain brought an offering of the fruit of the ground.

On the surface, there is nothing disrespectful about this offering. However, the Hebrew word for Cain's offering is one of any produce or harvest.

Abel brought the firstborn of his flock and their fat portions.

On the surface, nothing is exceptional with this offering. However, the Hebrew word for Abel's offering means multiple of the choicest animals with their finest cuts.

In all the fields Cain had, he did not bring the best or worst. 

Nor did he bring a proportionate amount. 

Cain gave little regard for his offering and brought leftovers.

From all the firstborns of Abel's flocks, he gave God his best with all their finest pieces.

They both brought an offering, but what they offered reveals something about their hearts toward the Lord.

Does God have regard for your offering?

Your offering is not a response to the sermon, music selection, or staff. 

It is a heart response to the living God!

As you prepare to give God your offering:

Reflect on God's holiness and goodness toward you.

Thank Him for the ability and opportunity He has given you to earn money.

Give Him your first and best!

Why?

"For our sake, He made Him to be sin who knew no sin so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God." (2 Corinthians 5:21)

A PERSONAL RECORD (PR)

They don't come easily.

I am sure weather, shoes, weight, diet, music, and rest contribute to a personal record, but it is impossible without commitment and consistency.

Usually, a PR comes when you are faster than a previous run by a few seconds. You pat yourself on the back and keep working. However, when you compare your PR to a previous run (3, 6, or 12 months earlier), there is a HUGE difference!

How did I achieve a PR this morning?

• Getting up when I did not feel like it.
• Going when it was freezing, windy, humid, or wet.
• Setting a goal and keeping it.
• Being consistent.
• Recording along the way.

Surprisingly (or not), my Christian walk is the same way.

It requires more than attending church once or twice weekly 

and hoping for transformation.

How will it happen?

• Studying the Bible daily when you do not feel. like it (and doing what it says).
• Setting spiritual goals of giving, serving, and sharing (and keeping them).
• Being more consistent in spiritual pursuits than worldly ones.
• Recording and telling what God is doing in my life TODAY!
• Being accountable to other followers of Christ.

"I, therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you were called." (Ephesians 4:1)

I pray that through commitment and consistency, 

in cooperation with the Holy Spirit abiding in me, 

I will be more like Jesus today than I was before, 

walking in a manner worthy of my calling.

What about you?

What are you going to do about it?

IF My People...

You know the verse.

THE verse for revival.

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

To avoid conflict or pain, it is advisable to skip to the part about forgiveness and healing. But that is not how it works. 😁

God said IF MY PEOPLE...

Humble themselves,

pray,

seek,

and repent

THEN, there will be forgiveness and healing.

Humility: it is all about You, Lord.

Prayer: it is all about Your heart and mind, Lord.

Seeking: I want to know You more, Lord.

Repentance: I want to be more like You, Lord.

Therefore (in humility), confess your sins to one another and pray for one another that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working. (James 5:16)

Genuine change must begin IN you (and me).

If you are serious about the change you are praying for,

• deal with your sin appropriately and quickly.
• seek the Lord with all you heart.
• and pray with GREAT POWER!

Side note: The great power of prayer is in accomplishing God's will, not yours. 😉

How did we get to this?

I have read many posts about the recent decision in NY. and personally ask myself, 

"How did we get to this?"

Why do we fight for life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness while fighting for the right to take life, remove individual rights, and eliminate the pursuit of happiness?  It is insanity.  

We are living life upside down, giving more rights and protection to animals than we do to our unborn babies!

If we were to look at the argument from the outside, we have Group 1 condemning Group 2 for wanting to end life up to the point of birth and calling for them to repent, while Group 1 is perfectly fine with ending life up to 8 weeks in the womb.

In either case, we, as a culture, are ending more than 880,000 lives in the womb every year, which makes abortion the LEADING CAUSE OF DEATH in the US! 😢. 

This is a LOW estimate because California, Maryland, and New Hampshire do not report abortions to the CDC.  For perspective, "we the people" have successfully taken the lives of more than 61 million Americans since 1973 - that is nearly the population of California and Texas and far more than we have lost in war since the American Revolution! (which makes the greatest war for life in the womb.)

Take a look at this site for a reality check by the numbers: Abortion Counter

But what about rape and incest?  They account for less than one percent of all abortions.source

But what about the mother's right to choose? She chose intimacy with a man (86% of the time outside of marriage).  As a result, the mother has a responsibility for her choice. source. Unfortunately, we assist in eliminating her responsibility for a mere $480.

Fifty-four percent of women having abortions (that are reported) identify themselves as protestant and catholic!  So, there are more women declaring their faith in God AND killing the unborn than those who do not acknowledge God at all.  Unbelievable.

Honestly, where do you believe God, the creator of EVERY life, stands on abortion?
"You shall not murder" (intentionally taking the life of another). Exodus 20:13

At what point will we stand with the One in whom we claim faith?
When will our hearts be broken for the lives that are taken EVERY day?
When will our hearts be compassionate toward those who are blinded to the truth, sharing with them the forgiveness and love offered through Jesus Christ?

"always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect," 1 Peter 3:15

What tools do I use?

Now that you spend time in God's word, what tools are available to dig deeper in your study? You can purchase books or computer programs or use something FREE! Preference? I thought so. A free tool that is available online and as an app is www.Biblehub.com.

I like this tool for a couple of reasons. 

First, it provides multiple translations for the same verse. Years ago, I was told that if you studied King James, the New American Standard, and the New International Version together, you would have a pretty good idea of the original intent of the Hebrew and Greek manuscripts. So, this site provides that availability.

Second, it provides an interlinear Hebrew and Greek source. This source shows the original Hebrew or Greek word, its grammatical form, and its meaning. From there, we can gain a greater understanding of the passage's intended meaning.

As an example... go now and read John 21:15-17. 

For real. 

Go read it and come back. I will wait.

(If you did not, shame on you!)

Forgetting any sermon you may have heard in this passage, what is happening here? Jesus asks Peter if he loves Him three times. Peter responds and actually gets a little upset at the repeated question—as if Jesus did not believe him.

What do YOU love? Jesus, spouse, children, family, pizza, a good steak, dessert, the beach, golf, etc...

Do you find it odd that we use the exact same word for our love of food as we do for our love of Jesus? 

So, reading this passage, regardless of how much time we meditate on it - we will NEVER understand its intended meaning without looking at the original language. Therefore, we assume meaning and insert our thoughts. 

"Jesus must have asked Peter three times because Peter denied Him three times." (There is nowhere in Scripture that states that!)

By looking at the interlinear Greek source, we see the difference. 

Jesus asked twice, "Do you agapao me?" 

Peter answered, "I phileo you." 

Defining those words will bring a deeper meaning to the conversation.

Agapao - showing love through obedience by God's power and direction. It is an expression of loyalty and devotion.

Phileo - to love like a brother. It is an expression of emotion.

"Peter, do you follow me in obedience more than the other disciples do?"

"Jesus, I love you like a brother."

Now, we begin to see what is going on here. 

Jesus was asking for an expression of loyalty to accompany Peter's expression of affection.

In verses 15 and 16, Jesus asked the same question. 

In verse 17, Jesus matched Peter's word for love in His question.

In each verse, Jesus commanded an action (Greek imperative) to express love.

My takeaway: It is not sufficient to simply SAY I love Jesus. My love for Him is expressed when I do what He says to do in His word.

What is He teaching me in His word through personal devotion, Sunday school, discipleship, and worship?

Am I doing what He taught me as an act of love and loyalty to my Lord and Savior?

Are you Flying?

Suppose you want to fly to LA (not sure why, but stay with me here). You spend the afternoon searching Kayak, CheapOAir and Expedia. Finding the best prices and the best days for travel, you purchase the ticket to LAX.

At this point, you have made a decision to enter into a contract and have even made a personal sacrifice. The day finally arrives, but you decide to go to the movies instead. Even though you made an agreement, sacrifice and a decision– you did not get on the plane.

Are you flying to LA?

I agree that is a simple question of logic with a simple answer, but might the same process be applicable spiritually?

1 John 2:4-6 Whoever says “I know him” but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him,5 but whoever keeps his word, in him truly the love of God is perfected. By this we may know that we are in him: 6 whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked.

Your loving obedience to the Lord’s commands is you "getting on the plane".

It really does not matter what you claim, how much you have given or where you hang out on Sunday's – loving obedience in your daily life is the evidence of a genuine personal relationship with God through Jesus Christ.

John said if you claim it, yet do not live it - you are a liar and God's Word is not abiding in you.

Obedience to God’s Word is proof of our love for Him. There are three motives for obedience. We can obey because we have to, because we need to, or because we want to.

A slave obeys because he has to. If he doesn’t obey he will be punished.

An employee obeys because he needs to. He may not enjoy his work, but he does enjoy getting his paycheck to feed and clothe his family.

But a Christian obeys his Heavenly Father because he wants to out of love for Him.

Therefore, we have 2 questions to ask ourselves.

1. Do I keep His commands?

2. Why?

You can use John's teaching above to determine where you are spiritually.

Thankfully, the grace of God is extended to everyone who would receive it! In our humility, we surrender to Him as Lord and Savior, committing to follow Him and obediently doing what He says. It is because we experience His love that we choose to obey and it is through our obedience that He is made manifest in the world today. Are you flying?