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TEACH US TO PRAY

The disciples approached Jesus one day with an important request.   They said to the Lord, “Teach us to pray.”   Jesus gave to them what has become known as the Lord's prayer.   Churches and Christian believers the world over recite this prayer, both privately and congregationally.   Jesus did not mean for this prayer to be something they memorized and repeated every time that they spoke to God, though.   He meant for it to be a model, a pattern, from which they could shape their own prayers, expanding on it, and making it personal and an expression of themselves.   Studying the various elements of the Lord's Prayer, and understanding the intent behind them, can breathe new life into our own prayers and make them much more focused in the will of God.   On days when my mind wants to wander and I find myself thinking about my grocery list, or the errands I need to run, rather than my prayer, I often use the Lord’s Prayer as a springboard to focus my own ...
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SENT

"After these things the Lord appointed other seventy also, and sent them two and two before His face into every city and place, whither He Himself would come.  Therefore said He unto them, The harvest truly is great, but the labourers are few: pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that He would send forth labourers into His harvest.  Go your ways: behold, I send you forth as lambs among wolves.  Carry neither purse, nor scrip, nor shoes: and salute no man by the way.  And into whatsoever house ye enter, first say, Peace be to this house.  And if the Son of Peace be there, your peace shall rest upon it: if not, it shall turn to you again.  And in the same house remain, eating and drinking such things as they give: for the labourer is worthy of his hire.  Go not from house to house.  And into whatsoever city ye enter, and they receive you, eat such things as are set before you: and heal the sick that are therein, and say unto them, The kingdom ...
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HOLY GROUND

After fleeing from Egypt because he killed an Egyptian who was beating an Israelite, Moses went into the land of Midian, and there kept the flocks of Jethro.  While leading the flock to the backside of the desert, he was drawn to an incredible sight: a bush that burned with fire, and yet was not consumed.  Moses said to himself, “I will now turn aside, and see this great sight, why the bush is not burned.” (Exodus 3:3).  When the Lord saw that Moses turned aside to see, the Lord spoke to him from the bush and instructed him not to approach until he had removed his shoes, for he was standing on holy ground.  After Moses met God there, he was prepared to return to Egypt and loose the Israelites from the bondage that they suffered under Pharaoh.   There is a basic lesson to our whole relationship with God revealed in this simple account.  It speaks to the very essence of Christianity and reveals the true nature of the Christian walk.  By embracing th...
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