Prayer - when was the last time you shut up and listened???

When Jesus taught the disciples how to pray, it didn't include a bucket load of tears, nor was it long-winded or rambling on just to fill the air, nor did it sound mournful or unintelligible!

5 "Whenever you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, because they love to pray while standing in synagogues and on street corners so that people can see them. Truly I say to you, they have their reward. 6 But whenever you pray, go into your room, close the door, and pray to your Father in secret. And your Father, who sees in secret, will reward you. 7 When you pray, do not babble repetitiously like the Gentiles, because they think that by their many words they will be heard. 8 Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. 9 So pray this way: Our Father in heaven, may your name be honored, 10 may your kingdom come, may your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. 11 Give us today our daily bread, 12 and forgive us our debts, as we ourselves have forgiven our debtors. 13 And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. 14 "For if you forgive others their sins, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15 But if you do not forgive others, your Father will not forgive you your sins.
Matt 6:5-15

What point is there in contriving fake emotions? Jesus Himself said that our Father knows what we need before we ask Him! So why do we need to pray in some fancy learned manner? Get to the point! Say what's on your mind, say what's in your heart! Be honest - Gods big enough - He can handle it! There is no need to fake it! There's no need to put on an act to keep others happy! Your meant to pray, not please humans!

And when you don't know what to pray - shut up and listen! The Holy Spirit is always speaking to us! Or trying to! When was the last time you shut up and listened to Him!??

Praying what God puts on your heart or in your head is far better and more effective than any prayer you could ever come up with on your own!

Example!
Person "a" has severe and life threatening health issues!

You can either jump right in and pray for healing! Proclaiming health and healing in the name of Jesus until you are blue in the face and half passed out from effort and exertion! And the result is that person "a" still has severe and life threatening health issues!

Or... You could apply a little common sense and shut up! Then, once you have successfully shut up, you can then turn your ears towards God and listen carefully to what He has to tell you! He could be telling you that person "a" has severe unforgiveness and bitterness, due to being abuses as a child. Person "a" thus needs to forgive the perpetrator of the crime, and receive healing for the damage  done ... and maybe, just maybe, there is a possibility, that when person "a" does this, their physical health issues will be healed, because unforgiveness and bitterness tend to (but not always) show up in the human body and physical symptoms!

In this case, jumping in and asking for physical healing is simply fastening a band aid over the wound! And when you have a festering wound, it is best to clean out the crap - that being the unforgiveness and bitterness!

So, when was the last time you shut up and listened to God?

May Gods blessings shower down upon you. And may you be coated in the dust of your Rabbi!

Is it the end or is it the beginning?

Many children these days grow up with a computer game version... Simply reset the game to the last save point and the main character is not dead anymore! They have no real understanding that when a human or animal is dead, there is no going back! There is no reset button!

I witnessed this in the few days before my cat needed to be put down! It wasn't until after the fact that my daughter actually realised that the cat wasn't coming back!

Reality is cruel sometimes!

For many, death is seen as the end! Once you're in the ground, that's it! Some believe in reincarnation! There are many different beliefs out there!

At my first born daughters funeral, I spoke to someone who believed that death was the end, and he wondered how we could celebrate and be happy and sad at the same time! He couldn't get his head around it!

It is simply this. Because of Jesus, I believe I will see my little girl in heaven! I don't know when, I don't know how, but I believe it and I have peace!

It hurts not having her, but I have peace!

I do not believe that death is the end! I believe death is the beginning! But it only starts with a relationship with Jesus! Simply having heard of Him won't cut it! And a regular attendance in church won't cut it either... Many have said that going to church won't make you a Christian, just like standing in your shed or carport won't make you into a car or motor bike (whichever you prefer)!

Now, God doesn't set the reset button with us, He does, somehow use what we have, and what we've done, for good for those who love Him!

I've had people question me on this! "How can anything good come out of the death of a 2 year old child?"

My answer is this, if it wasn't for my relationship with Jesus, then at that funeral, there would have been two coffins not one! So, the fact that I am still alive is good!
Also, Exaviers death brought about some strange happenings... I actually started to get to know the man she called her daddy (twice). I eventually married him, and we have a wonderful little girl!
My father has his own relationship with Jesus because of her death! He was at the "after party/celebration/funeral" and while we were sad and we all missed her greatly, we could still do crazy stuff and have fun!
Oh, and I started asking God more questions. Questions about Him, questions about me, questions about life in general! While not all of them have been answered, He has answered quite a few others!
For the two years, four months and one day that I had my little princess, I am thankful!

Its been an emotional rollercoaster! And a huge learning curve, but, her death wasn't the end! And it very well could have been!

Yes, life goes on after death. We adjust as best we can! And some of us, because of our relationship with Jesus, and our families relationship with Jesus, can have peace beyond understanding and a strange reassurance that we will see those past before us again!

So, have you "made peace" with your maker? Or are you hoping on a broken wing and a misguided prayer to get you into heaven? A place where only Jesus can get you to!

May Gods blessings shower down upon you. And may you be coated in the dust of your Rabbi!

Do not be deceived

My husband and I watched a comedy movie last night! It was about how the world was going to end!

Based on the Mayan calendar, the world was going to end!

The reason that I call this movie a comedy is because its not based on reality! An airplane simply can not out fly an erupting super volcano! But aside from that!

This movie was about lots of little gods trying to survive in a world they couldn't control, yet they obviously had some power to pull off "miracles"!

Putting the movie aside... I do actually have a point!

Firstly, there is a lot of "end of the world" hype! And some are deceived into believing it and the Mayans have obviously gotten it wrong!

Even Jesus doesn't know when its going to happen! How could the Mayans know? Or are they closer to God than even his own son?

How much end time rubbish is out there? How many authors write about it? And how many people actually know what exactly is going to happen and when? I don't think anyone really knows! And you know what else I think?! I think it doesn't matter!

We know that at some point in time God is going to do His thing and the world as we currently know it will end! What happens after that - we have a guide from John, being Revelation! But, I have heard many sermons on this book! Some match up with each other, some couldn't be more weird! I'm no scholar, so I don't know who is right or who is wrong and who is just plane up the pole!

But, even then, with all the preaching and teaching, I think we've missed the point! The churches in Revelation have letters written to them... What they did wrong is listed, and what they did right! It is a guide for how to live!

The point of it is relationship! The general list of do and do not, is a guide to keep us on the right track! The point is Jesus. The point is relationship! Put the two together and the point is relationship WITH Jesus!

If we cling to Him, we will come through whatever is in store for us, good or bad!

Only the Father knows when the "shit will hit the fan"! And Jesus and the Holy Spirit will get us through it!

I don't need a shelf full of end times books to know that!

Jesus said to not be deceived, for many will come! There have been many who come claiming they know the date and time, and many others have come claiming to be Jesus! Yet Jesus said, do not be deceived! Many have written books, they line up with scripture with some fanciful imaginings thrown in! Some of these go amazingly deeply into scripture, and there are people who hold onto these as legitimate teachings of Revelation, they're books, written by humans with a humans understanding of Gods word, and thus should not be relied on! We don't know when or how! We have a guide! God knows the details! Can't we just trust Him, put aside end times crap and get on with doing what the Father planned for us to do?? God has it all in hand! He knows the story from beginning to end, and all the details in the middle! We just have to trust Him!

And, if we cling to Jesus, we can't go wrong!

May Gods blessings shower down upon you. And may you be coated in the dust of your Rabbi!

Give thanks

Isn't to be thankful, the point? To shut up the grumbling about what we don't have, what we lost, or what someone has taken from us, and just be thankful! "For I have learned to be content in ALL things."! While we might not like our circumstance or situation - we can still be thankful!

Thankful that the planet has atmosphere that we can live! Thankful that the sun is always shining even if we can't see it! Thankful that God has given us salvation! Thankful that Gods hand is holding us and He is sustaining us even though the world is turning to shit! Thankful for a slow computer that does what it is supposed to do and has a bonus "teach my owner to relax and practice patients!"!!

We have so much to be thankful for. Change your perspective! Open your eyes!

May Gods blessings shower down upon you. And may you be coated in the dust of your Rabbi!

Of those who refuse to listen

A message from the Lord (please do not shoot, tar or feather the messenger!)

Of those who refuse to listen to Me, let them go! Give them enough rope and time and they will hang themselves! Then they will either turn from Me or turn to Me.

Those you know who give humanistic teachings, saying that your prayers should start in the heart of flesh have it wrong. Your prayers should start in the throne room, where you should be watching and listening to see and hear what I say and do, just as I watched and listened to what My Father said and did!

You are to follow the leading and teaching of My Holy Spirit.

As for these who refuse to listen to Me, they have become like festy pools of stagnant poison. They will feel jealousy when they see others around them performing miracles in My name. And once they come to the end of themselves, after being jealous, and some having tried the dark arts to do the same miracles, they will turn to Me. Then and only then will I be able to use them! Once they have decided to let go of religion and false beliefs, idolatry and false doctrine, I can use them! Once they have fallen off the cliff called self, or hung themselves with the rope called self, then I can use them.

Until then, all You can do is pray that their eyes be opened to Me, that their hardened hearts be softened by Me, that their ears be open to hear Me, and that their understanding will be enlightened by Me.

Praying these blessings for any and all who refuse to listen to Me, will not make the path you walk any easier! You will still get ridiculed, despised and in some cases, hated, for listening to Me. Keep walking. Keep seeking My face. I will lead you on paths of righteousness, I will lead you beside quiet waters, I will lead you.

Daily seek My presence. I will instruct you. Ask for wisdom and discernment.

May Gods blessings shower down upon you. And may you be coated in the dust of your Rabbi!