Day 338 - Here is why we pray

"God is a God of order and not chaos. He is a God of the fullness of time and of plans from ages past. He patiently waits to bring forth all things in their time and season."

Yesterday's tragic events in our city were on my mind as I woke up today. I prayed. I gave all my concerns and cares to God. I asked God for His peace and comfort for the families of the victims and for those traumatized by the events. I prayed for protection and blessing for our city. 

There are people who don't understand why authorities and others are saying that thoughts and prayers are going out on behalf of San Bernardino. I don't expect them to. They don't understand spiritual things because they aren't spiritual people. Spiritual things can only be spiritually discerned. Of coarse they wouldn't think prayer would do anything because they see it as foolishness. So they post that God isn't going to fix the gun control problem. 

God forgive them. 

This is why we pray. God is the only one who can fix anything. We are barking up the wrong tree if we think that laws or government can renew a mind or soften a heart. It simply won't. It may keep some order and help the common good but it will never save a soul. One little prayer can change the course of history. One prayer can bring down empires. One prayer can get past armies into the inner chambers and secret places and thwart the best laid plans of generals and kings. 

The reason prayers work is because God works with them. We pray because as God hears us ask His will on the earth it is His good pleasure to carry it out. God knows what we are going through. He knows the pain and suffering better than we do because He sees and knows it all fully. He even sees the things we cannot like motives and hearts. 

So we pray. I am thankful to those around the world who have reached out and offered prayers, love and support for our city and our people. I pray for you as well. I still am praying for Ukraine, for Paris, for Iraq and Syria, for Israel and for the areas all over affected by war and violence. There is far too much unjust activity on the earth and only God is the answer. So we pray. 

Feel free to offer any thoughts or even write a prayer in the comments section. 

Day 336 - Let it Rain

"A rainy day at last. It feels like ages since we have had a full day of rain."

Living in Southern California we don't get much rain. I remember as a child we had a huge storm where it rained for three days straight. At the end of the storm we went outside to play and found a huge puddle. We splashed and played for what seemed like hours. My dad even came and played in the puddle with us. He would take his foot and kick the water at us making waves that towered over our heads. We ended our play time with a hot shower to warm back up since we were wet and cold. 

The past few years we have been in drought. A few years ago the trees never dropped their leaves and last year the strawberries never stopped producing fruit. While I enjoyed having fresh year round strawberries I am hating the water restrictions we currently have now. I would much rather have a rainy season. 

Dry seasons in life can be tough. I have experienced times where I was spiritually dried up. Many of you reading know that feeling. You feel like you are in a dark place and wish you could hear God's voice or experience His presence. 

For a year I interned at a church in the San Diego area. I was spending time on the road, money on gas and energy on ministry. The problem was I only gave out and never filled back up. After my savings dried up, my time was all spent and I was spiritually dry I knew something had to change. I found a church service on a Sunday night and sat in the back. The moment the guy on the guitar strummed the first note I was in tears. God ministered to me through those songs and moments with him by myself in the back of that church for a few months while I finished my internship. 

If you are in a dry season then it is time to identify the factors that have dried you up. Mine was from doing ministry but not being ministered to. Receiving was (and is) as important as giving. Maybe for you it is something different. Pray and ask the Holy Soirit what it is and how you can deal with it. It could be forgiving an offense, getting back to church, spending time with God in prayer and study of His word or something else that God reveals to you. Whatever it is be diligent with it and as you do expect God to send the rain! 

Have you ever experienced a dry season in your life? How did you come out of it? 

Day 234 - Spiritual Things

And we are setting these truths forth in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the [Holy] Spirit, combining and interpreting spiritual truths with spiritual language [to those who possess the Holy Spirit]. (‭1 Corinthians‬ ‭2‬:‭13‬ AMP)

"'Combining and interpreting spiritual truths with spiritual language'. Makes sense. That is why the natural man cannot receive the things of the spirit. It is a spiritual truth not to be perceived by the natural mind. You can't calculate or reckon it. It is spoken in a foreign language to the natural mind. It is spiritual language defined and understood by a spiritual mind."

My dad is a computer programmer. He was self taught for the most part and would spend hours with his nose in books while tinkering with computers in our garage. 

At times he would start talking to one of the family members about what he was learning. He would use terms we didn't understand. As he would talk our eyes would slowly glaze over. 

Sometimes those of us who are spiritual wonder why people don't get what we get. We talk about the love of God, Jesus sacrifice or the present relationship we enjoy with the Holy Spirit and people look at us like we are crazy. They don't get it because it has to be discerned spiritually. It cannot be understood in the natural. The only way they ever will get it is if their minds are renewed by the Word of God. 

Have you ever been talking to someone in spiritual terms and their eyes glazed over? What spiritual truths do you know today that once were foolish to you?