Tag Archives: Prayer Journal

Heaven and Hell

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Luke 12:4-5. (NASB)
4 “I say to you, My friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body and after that have no more that they can do.
5 But I will warn you whom to fear: fear the One who, after He has killed, has authority to cast into hell; yes, I tell you, fear Him!

Matthew 4:3 (NASB)
3 “ Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Jesus spoke about both heaven and hell. I find it interesting that many today dismiss the concept of hell, saying that it doesn’t exist. Rather they focus on the idea of heaven only. I know of a pastor in a reformed church that didn’t believe in hell. He had no particular reason for believing that, but rather decided that it didn’t exist.

Our image of heaven and hell are somewhat determined by scripture, but God has only given us a small glimpse of these places from the Bible. Images of heaven and hell in our culture tend to be clouds and floating angels for heaven and fire and constant torture for hell.

While Jesus talked about hell, He didn’t tell us that we should believe by the fear of avoiding something bad. In the verse in Luke, He was simply stating the power and authority of God. More often He spoke about the blessings of the gospel and the promise of heaven when we have submitted to His authority.

Over the years, my idea of heaven and hell have changed from the images of our culture to something more basic. I think it came about when meditating on the crucifixion. Jesus was in agony when the Father turned His back on Jesus. He cried out “why have You forsaken me?” This was when my image of hell became the absence of God. Even on earth, all people are blessed with the common grace of God. But in hell, the presence of God is completely absent for eternity. I can’t think of anything more terrifying or agonizing than that.

Jesus, thank you for your words. I cannot image the pure and perfect beauty of heaven, for it will be much more than I can fathom. I look forward to living in Your presence for eternity. Thank You for calling me into Your kingdom. I pray for the salvation of the nations. I pray that all people will come to a saving faith in You. I pray this in the name of Jesus. Amen.

Always praying for the glory of God,

Jesus and the Bible

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“Let me know that he is dear to me by his Word;
I am one with him by the Word on his part,
and by faith on mine;
If I oppose the Word I oppose my Lord
when he is most near;
If I receive the Word I receive my Lord
wherein he is nigh.
Oh thou who hast the hearts of all men in thy hand,
form my heart according to the Word,
according to the image of thy Son,
So shall Christ the Word, and his Word,
be my strength and comfort.
From “The Valley of Vision” page 31.

2Peter 1:20-21 (NASB)
20 But know this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture is a matter of one’s own interpretation,
21 for no prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God.

James 4:4-5 (NASB)
4 You adulteresses, do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.
5 Or do you think that the Scripture speaks to no purpose: “He jealously desires the Spirit which He has made to dwell in us”?

There has always been a tendency by some Christian churches and individuals within them to accept Jesus as Savior, but selectively accept the Holy Scriptures. One of the major purposes of the scriptures is to establish the Law handed down by God and then point us to the grace of Jesus because we cannot perfectly keep the Law. It doesn’t remove the requirements of the Law as some have attempted to do. A well known actor, when traveling, would find the Bible in the hotel room and tear out pages that he didn’t like. He was attempting to lower the standard of the Law, so he would feel better about his sin.

We don’t become acceptable to Jesus by trying to change the law. We become acceptable to Jesus by accepting His free gift of salvation and believing in Him as Lord and Savior. That includes accepting the truths written in the Word, repenting when we sin, knowing that we cannot perfectly meet those requirements. Instead we accept the law, pray that God would give us the power to follow it, and praise God for His mercy and grace.

Heavenly Father, I praise You for not only the sacrifice of Jesus to pay for my sin, but for the Bible. Even though You have given to us a large volume of scripture to let us know about You and what you expect from me, I understand that it is a minuscule fragment of the glory that You are. I repent when I sin against the Law and ask that you point me toward Your perfection. I pray that I would not be tempted to reject anything within the Bible. When I accept Jesus, I accept the Bible, for Jesus is the Word. I pray this in His name. Amen.

Always praying for the glory of God,

Reminded of Grace

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1 Corinthians 13:4-7 (NASB)
4 Love is patient, love is kind and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant, 
5 does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered, 
6 does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; 
7 bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

This week, as I was with fellow golfers after a round, someone brought up the name of one of our group that wasn’t there at the time.  I am ashamed to say that I spoke ill of that person.  As I was tempted to speak ill and as the words came out of my mouth, I could feel a twinge, knowing that what I was doing was wrong.  And yet, the words came out anyway.  I had forgotten about grace.  I had let pride propel me into saying something about another in order to elevate myself in the eyes of others.

I had forgotten that Jesus, although He could had let me have it about the sinful pride in my life, didn’t.  He instead said that I was forgiven.  I don’t deserve it, but freely accept it from God.  It should be so easy for me to do the same for others, yet I fail so often.  Praise God that He never forgets about grace.

Heavenly Father, I repent of my cold heart.  I pray that when I am tempted to speak ill of others, you would remind me of your grace.  Remind me before words are spoken.  Remind me as the thought comes into my mind and remove it.  Remind me that pride is a sin.  Remind me that I am no better than any other person.  I pray my actions and words would always bring glory to You.  I pray in the name of Jesus.  Amen.

Always praying for the glory of God.

The Prayer of Christ

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Dietrich Bonhoeffer wrote:”Prayer does not mean simply to pour out one’s heart. It means rather to find the way to God and to speak with him, whether the heart is full or empty. No man can do that by himself. For that he needs Jesus Christ.”

“When our will wholeheartedly enters into the prayer of Christ, then we pray correctly. Only in Jesus Christ are we able to pray, and with him we also know that we shall be heard.”

According to Bonhoeffer, Jesus is integral to our prayer life. It is only when we surrender to the Son and allow Him to bring us to the throne room, can we truly be in communion with God.  

And so, we must learn to pray, it is not something that we automatically know how to do. Thankfully, God has given us prayers in scripture. Bonhoeffer called the Psalms the prayer book of the Bible and they are the key to learning how to pray. Luther felt that the Psalms penetrates the Lord’s Prayer and the Lord’s Prayer penetrates the Psalms. So much so that by praying both we can bring them into perfect harmony.

I often find that as I read and pray through a Psalm, it doesn’t always reflect my need at the time. Maybe that is because I am more focused on me than I am on what Christ wants to communicate to me and through me.  

If you haven’t done this before or for some time, pick a few Psalms this week and pray through them and see what God has to reveal to you.  

Always praying for the glory of God,

Chris McKean

Like a Fetter

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“Let that grace now, like a fetter, bind my wandering heart to thee.”
From “Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing” Hymn

1 Peter 2:16 (NASB)
16 Act as free men, and do not use your freedom as a covering for evil, but use it as bondslaves of God.

As a child, I can remember singing in church the hymn “Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing”. When it came to the verse that contained the word “fetter”, I can recall how I would pause because I didn’t know what that word meant. Later when I did know the meaning, I thought it a rather odd word to use. I thought we received freedom from sin when we believed. Why would we need to be bound to God? It seemed to be the opposite of what was taught as the gospel.

But the old hymns have rich truth in them. As I sang this hymn in church last Sunday, I realized that it was so true that I need to be bound to Jesus. I need His strength to keep me on the right path and only when my heart is sealed with His, can I follow Him faithfully. And the words of the old hymn became my prayer.

Heavenly Father, O to grace how great a debtor daily I’m constrained to be; Let that grace now, like a fetter, bind my wandering heart to thee. Prone to wander – Lord, I feel it – prone to leave the God I love: Here’s my heart, O, take and seal it, seal it for thy courts above. These things I pray in the name of Jesus, my Lord and Savior forever. Amen.

Always praying for the glory of God,

The Host of Heaven

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Luke: 2:13-14 (ESV)
13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying,
14 “Glory to God in the highest,
and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!”

Appearance of angels on earth is a rare occurrence in scripture. And when it happens, they are often sent as one or two messengers of God for a particular purpose. But the birth of Jesus was so anticipated and important to the host of heaven that they all came to earth to witness and to glorify God. This was the fulfillment of a promise foretold many times by prophets. The incarnation was the first step on earth for the salvation of man. No wonder all the angels wanted to be present.

This Christmas season my wife and I are spending it home, just the two of us. It has given me time to reflect on past Christmas’s. I was blessed to be brought up in a loving family. As a child, I loved and was loved by parents, grandparents, and siblings. Christmas was a time of rejoicing, exchanging gifts, and praising the birth of Jesus. And as I raised my own family, I was blessed to have many Christmas’s with them. Great memories of times with my two sons as they anticipated and enjoyed this time of the year. Many late nights with “assembly required” gifts for them in preparation for Christmas. Wiring the front doorbell, so I could ring it from within the house after we carefully put presents on the front porch. The look in their eyes was priceless. Then in recent years, watching four grandchildren grow to adulthood as they had the same wonderful time during Christmas. The angels must have had the same feeling of joy when they witnessed the birth.

Heavenly Father, what joy there is in the birth of your son. I know that many have sadness during Christmas with their personal circumstances, but I pray that You would give them joy as they reflect on the birth of Jesus. Without this event, their salvation and the salvation of the world would not be possible. Thank you Jesus for that amazing gift. I am filled with joy. Praying all these things in Your matchless name. Amen.

Always praying for the glory of God,

Eternal Love

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Jude 24-25 (NASB)
24 Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to make you stand in the presence of His glory blameless with great joy,
25 to the only God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen.

Psalm 107:1 (ESV)
1 Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good,
for his steadfast love endures forever!

God’s love for us has been and will always be eternal. It is an unconditional love, regardless of how we respond to Him. It is agape love.

I don’t know about you, but that kind of love is hard for me to comprehend. It is a love that is expressed by the Creator for His creatures. We humans find it difficult to love another unless that love is returned. True unconditional love is not something that we can express; not without help from the Holy Spirit.

God wants us to love Him in return, but His love for us does not depend on a response from us. He simply loves us anyway. But when we, prompted by the Holy Spirit, understand how we have failed Him; truthfully express our sorrow, and ask for forgiveness, God makes us a child of His. We are no longer just a loved creature, we are His family and will spend eternity with Him.

Only then are we able to stand in the presence of His glory blameless with great joy.

Heavenly Father, I am thankful for your eternal love. It is without bounds. Even though my steps often waver, you are able to keep me from stumbling. I look forward to the day when I can stand before You; not because of anything I have done, but only because of what You have done for me. Praise the Savior, Jesus Christ, my Lord. I pray in His name. Amen.

Always praying for the glory of God,

Times of Drifting

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Hebrews 2:1-4 (MSG)
1 It’s crucial that we keep a firm grip on what we’ve heard so that we don’t drift off.
2 If the old message delivered by the angels was valid and nobody got away with anything,
3 do you think we can risk neglecting this latest message, this magnificent salvation? First of all, it was delivered in person by the Master, then accurately passed on to us by those who heard it from him.
4 All the while God was validating it with gifts through the Holy Spirit, all sorts of signs and miracles, as he saw fit.

Have you noticed that the cacophony of the world can drown out the whisper of the Holy Spirit? As I am tutored and sanctified by the Holy Spirit, I have learned that I must guard my heart – for I will drift. Sanctification will only happen when we open our hearts to the Holy Spirit. And our hearts are open most often when we worship, read/study the scriptures and pray.

God wants us to enjoy His creation. We enjoy it the way it was intended when we have a world view that is consistent with His plan. When we view it any other way, then we drift.

Sanctification is not only a step of salvation, it is a proof to us of our salvation. Is our faith and trust in Him today greater than last year? Last month? Yesterday? As we glorify God by sharing His good news, it sanctifies us. When we seek out and study with others that are farther along in their faith walk, it sanctifies us. God wants us to make disciples and to be disciples.

I fear the church is full of drifting Christians. I grieve for them. I pray for them. I pray that I will resist the temptation to drift. And I repent when I do.

Heavenly Father, help me to keep a firm grip on Your good news. I repent that I drift sometimes and miss out on the glories of the sanctification of the Holy Spirit. Save me from my silliness. Help me to look to the Father, for we are the crown of His creation. I pray this in the name of Jesus, who saved me from an eternity without Him. Amen.

Always praying for the glory of God,

When Hearts Grow Cold

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2 John 1:5-6 (NASB)
5 Now I ask you, lady, not as though I were writing to you a new commandment, but the one which we have had from the beginning, that we love one another.
6 And this is love, that we walk according to His commandments. This is the commandment, just as you have heard from the beginning, that you should walk in it.

Matthew 24:12(NASB)
12 Because lawlessness is increased, most people’s love will grow cold.

2 John is a letter to a noble Christian woman and her children, encouraging them in the faith. John reminds her of the commandment that Jesus gave to us – to love one another.

Yet Jesus in his own words in the Gospel of Matthew tells us that our love will grow cold as we drift away from His commandments.

I was thinking recently about the impact that social media has had on our generation. There are those that believe that the technology itself has caused us to be less kind, less loving of others. We offer our opinions about various issues on-line, but then rather than having a civil discussion about the merits of the topic, we often take aim at the person. The impersonal medium of communication is blamed – but it is not that – it is our cold hearts.

A person’s heart is no different today than it was when Matthew wrote the words of our Lord. When we stop loving others as we are commanded by Jesus, our hearts grow cold. It is not the technology that changes us – it is the condition of our hearts when we fail to love others as He has loved us.

Heavenly Father, I confess that my heart is not full of the love for others that You have taught us. I confess that I too easily withhold love for others based upon their thoughts and ideas. Yet, your teaching tells me to love them as Jesus does, even if I disagree with them. I know I have a long way to go. I pray that the Holy Spirit will fill my heart with love for others. I pray this in the name of Jesus, who loved me first when I was not worthy of His love. Amen.

Always praying for the glory of God,

Imperfect Human Sight

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2 Corinthians 5:5 (NASB)
5 Now He who prepared us for this very purpose is God, who gave to us the Spirit as a pledge.
6 Therefore, being always of good courage, and knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord—
7 for we walk by faith, not by sight—

The truth of the life beyond life is a matter of faith not of sight. For our human senses and observation of the universe is imprecise. Understanding the world around us from human terms even requires faith. As a child our sight tells us that as someone walks away from us they become smaller. Yet we learn that this is not true. The earth looks flat to us, yet we know that this is not the case. Our sight deceives us when we use it alone to discern the world around us. Insight, or faith in other important facts corrects our imperfect human sight.

I have a friend, one who attends church regularly, who told me that he was a scientist and just wasn’t sure that Christianity could be believed. Yet the science that he holds fast to, requires much faith. He, like many assert that if it cannot be “proven” scientifically, then it cannot be believed. Yet, the very basic postulates that all science is built upon cannot be proven, but have to be assumed.

The fact that our senses can deceive us – that we must accept on faith, even the universe around us – I find to be a beautiful plan orchestrated by an Almighty and Holy God. He wants us to love Him, not because our physical senses tell us so, but because the faith that He gives to us convicts us. We walk by faith – and when we do, He reveals Himself to us in mighty ways.

Father, we praise You for the universe that You have created. We thank You for the faith that You have given us to walk by, for the revelation of scripture that gives us an understanding Your plan. I pray that You would open the eyes of those with faith that cannot see You. I pray for my friend that he would come to a saving faith in You. I ask this in Jesus name and it is in His precious name I fervently pray. Amen.

Always praying for the glory of God,