Luke 6:32 (NASB)
32 If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them.

1 Corinthians 13:13 (NASB)
13 But now faith, hope, love, abide these three; but the greatest of these is love.

John 13:34 (NASB)
34 A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another.

Of all the things that Jesus commanded, the hardest for me is the command to love.  We love our families, our friends, those that we are close to, but I struggle with loving others.  Do you?  It really is a challenge to love those that don’t love you.  Why is that?  Jesus loved us when we weren’t worthy of any love.  Jesus loved us when we didn’t love Him.  Jesus loved us when we weren’t a part of God’s family.  

We are called to love our enemies.  I need Jesus to change me to do that.  Only He can do what seems to be impossible to me.  All I need to do is trust in even the things that are difficult for me.  Trust, yield, believe.  It should be simple if we don’t get in the way.

Jesus, I pray that You would change my unloving heart for others.  Draw me away from my normal tendencies and show me how to love even my enemies.  I don’t know how to do that.  But You have said that I need to, so I am willing and I need Your Holy Spirit to show me how.  Give me a willing heart and one that will do anything for You.  I love You, Jesus.  Amen.

Always praying for the glory of God,

Have you ever uttered those words when you have felt unable to pray?  The barber of Martin Luther asked Luther for that help.  Luther’s response was to use the example prayer that Jesus provided to His disciples in the gospel of Matthew, chapter 6.  It is commonly known as the Lord’s Prayer.  

In his letter to the barber, Luther separated the prayer into seven petitions.

1. Hallowed be thy name.
2. Your Kingdom come.
3. Your will be done on earth, as it is heaven.
4. Give us today our daily bread.
5. Forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors.
6. Lead us not into temptation.
7. And deliver us from the evil one.

The first petition is one of praise.  Petition two and three are kingdom prayers, asking God’s plan to be fulfilled.  The fourth is a supplication, asking for our daily needs.  The fifth is a prayer of confession and a call to forgive others.  Petition six asks God to maintain peace in our lives always pointing to Him.  Petition 7 acknowledges that there is evil in the world and that we need God’s protection.

Although Jesus doesn’t specifically say that these are in order of priority, it is interesting that the first three petitions are prayers of praise and kingdom prayers.  These petitions come before asking for our needs.

Luther asked his barber not to recite the petitions, but to use them as a starting point to pray.  Each petition can be expanded to wherever the Spirit leads you in your time of prayer.

Many books have been written over the centuries on prayer.  Why not use the template that our Lord Jesus gave us?  I think God would be pleased that we used His example.

Heavenly Father, You are perfect and Your words are perfect too.  Thank You for giving us an example to communicate with You.  I pray that I would use it in a way that is pleasing to You.  I pray this in the name of Jesus.  Amen.

Always praying for the glory of God.

Psalm 62:5-8 (NASB) 
5 My soul, wait in silence for God only,
For my hope is from Him.
6 He only is my rock and my salvation,
My stronghold; I shall not be shaken.
7 On God my salvation and my glory rest;
The rock of my strength, my refuge is in God.
8 Trust in Him at all times, O people;
Pour out your heart before Him;
God is a refuge for us.

“I need You more than the next heartbeat”
From the album “Presence” by Klaus, song “I Need You More”

I was listening to the song above early this morning and when this verse came up, it made me pause and think about it.  As the years have gone by, the Holy Spirit has been teaching me just how much I need God.  I wonder though how often I am desperate for the Savior, but don’t fully honor Him as my Lord.  For If He isn’t both to me, then it is hopeless.  If He isn’t more important than my next heartbeat, if all I need Him for is to be saved from my current situation, then I don’t have a clear understanding of the importance of falling down before an almighty, sovereign God.

I have realized that God’s Lordship is even more important than His work of salvation.  Even if Jesus hadn’t taken on our sin in our place, we would still owe God all the honor and glory He deserves.  He is King of all, Lord of all, creator, and sovereign.  When I look to Him only as Savior, then I am not honoring Him as I should.  He really is more important than my next heartbeat.

Heavenly Father, all honor and glory to You.  Forgive me when I selfishly desire to be saved from my circumstances and don’t put You first as my Lord.  I need You as my Lord.  I praise You that You are also my Savior, but even if that were not so, You still deserve to be my Lord.  Amen.

Always praying for the glory of God,

Psalm 141:1-2 (NASB) 
1 O Lord, I call upon You; hasten to me!
Give ear to my voice when I call to You!
2 May my prayer be counted as incense before You;
The lifting up of my hands as the evening offering.

Revelation Chapter 5

Everyone dreams about what heaven will be like.  The Bible gives glimpses, like the one described in Revelation Chapter 5.  But the view is limited.  C.S. Lewis posited that this was by design by God.  If we really knew how beautiful heaven is, we wouldn’t want to stay on Earth to fulfill the plan God has for us here.

However, no matter what heaven is like, it is our relationship with God that really matters.  In Revelation 5, John is given a vision of heaven, but the focus is on God (the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit).

What can we extract from Revelation Chapter 5 about heaven?  Here are a few that I see.

1. Victory by God is assured.  Even with all of the tribulations of the end times, the final outcome is already set.  God wins and His children will live with Him forever in heaven.
2. Everything will be new.  Every song will be a new song.
3. All creation will focus on God.
4. Worship will be like nothing we have ever experienced.
5. Our prayers are important to God.  They are held in a precious, special place – golden bowls offered as incense to the Lamb.

All the prayers that we have or will offer will be there:  our praises to God, our prayers of thanks, our confessions of sin, and the prayers of supplication.  Our prayers today do not expire, but live for eternity. 

“To Him who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb, be blessing and honor and glory and dominion forever and ever.”  Amen and Amen.

Always praying for the glory of God,