Ever since City challenge last year I have been thinking about prayer much more than I ever did before, but as of recent I have thought about how different people pray differently. The result of a different kind of prayer can be influenced by many things, age, how they grew up, their vocabulary, how they think, what they are praying about, and how they view God.
One thing that struck me one day was how the prayer of a faithful and trusting child and the prayer of a revering and proper priest or saint are both beautiful in their own ways.
The prayer of a child can be so amazing because it can be simple, worded wrong, and the child probably doesn't even understand all that he should, but still his heart is for the Lord. He sees God on His throne in heaven which is a beautiful palace where everything is fantastic. The child does not understand how awful and unholy his sin makes him, but he knows that God loves him and we wants that love. The child has a very simplistic understanding that is just so raw and real in his heart.
The prayer of a saint inside of a great cathedral is very proper, revering, and understanding. The saint doesn't know everything about God or the whole Bible, but he understands that he doesn't know everything and therefore knows much. A saint can understand how unworthy of God's grace or love he is. The saint sees God as the highest being in this world and himself as one of the lowliest. From that understanding comes the reverent, praising, and humble prayer a of saint. The saint presents himself before God as a servant would to his king because God is his king and he is God's servant.
One of the prayers is simple and innocent the other is long and revering, but I think both are equally beautiful. Both are accepted by God and neither one is greater than the other. No matter how well you say what you pray God will see your heart. A ''good sounding" prayer doesn't mean much if you don't mean what your saying in your heart.
We should profoundly understand that when we pray we don't have to be perfect or say the "right words" its about the heart. The immaculate and extensive prayer of a priest isn't any better than the simple and fervent prayer of a child.
Tuesday, September 24, 2013
Tuesday, September 17, 2013
Verseinsanity II
Awhile ago I posted a post called Verseinsanity that showcased some really good, meaningful, and profound verses. The reason behind this showcasing is to offer verses to think about and hopefully relate to. Versinsanity II is merely more of these meaningful verses.
James 1:19-25
My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires. Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you.
Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it—not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it—they will be blessed in what they do.
Galatians 5:24-25
Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.
Psalm 33:4-5
For the word of the Lord is right and true;
he is faithful in all he does.
The Lord loves righteousness and justice;
the earth is full of his unfailing love.
James 1:13-15
When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.
Matthew 15:46
“Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.”
Proverbs 15:33
Wisdom’s instruction is to fear the Lord, and humility comes before honor.
Isaiah 55:8-9
“For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
neither are your ways my ways,”
declares the Lord.
“As the heavens are higher than the earth,
so are my ways higher than your ways
and my thoughts than your thoughts.
Jonah 2:8-9
“Those who cling to worthless idols turn away from God’s love for them.
But I, with shouts of grateful praise, will sacrifice to you.
What I have vowed I will make good.
I will say, ‘Salvation comes from the Lord.’”
Daniel 4:37
Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and exalt and glorify the King of heaven, because everything he does is right and all his ways are just. And those who walk in pride he is able to humble.
James 1:19-25
My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires. Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you.
Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it—not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it—they will be blessed in what they do.
Galatians 5:24-25
Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.
Psalm 33:4-5
For the word of the Lord is right and true;
he is faithful in all he does.
The Lord loves righteousness and justice;
the earth is full of his unfailing love.
James 1:13-15
When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.
Matthew 15:46
“Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.”
Proverbs 15:33
Wisdom’s instruction is to fear the Lord, and humility comes before honor.
Isaiah 55:8-9
“For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
neither are your ways my ways,”
declares the Lord.
“As the heavens are higher than the earth,
so are my ways higher than your ways
and my thoughts than your thoughts.
Jonah 2:8-9
“Those who cling to worthless idols turn away from God’s love for them.
But I, with shouts of grateful praise, will sacrifice to you.
What I have vowed I will make good.
I will say, ‘Salvation comes from the Lord.’”
Daniel 4:37
Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and exalt and glorify the King of heaven, because everything he does is right and all his ways are just. And those who walk in pride he is able to humble.
Tuesday, September 10, 2013
I'm Ready to Meet You
So I had gotten an album from my brother this summer, but never really listened to it much because it was a band I didn't really know. However, recently I was listing to one of the songs and near the end of the song the lyrics hit me, hard. Now every time I listen to that part of that song I have to stop and sing because there is something inside of my heart that that just longs for what the lyrics say.
Parachute band - Run To You ( + Meet You )
You will chase me
No matter where I run to
So I’m ready to meet you, I am
Ready to meet you, I am
You will chase me
No matter where I run to
So I’m ready to meet you, I’ll be
Ready to meet you, woho
I know I have written about this subject often like in post I Just Want to go There and others, but this subject keeps on coming up. For some reason I'm just so ready to meet my maker and Lord. Yea I guess "life is good", but there is sin plaguing this life. To meet God face to face will be incredibly amazingly indescribable! I just want to meet God! What more do I need to say? I just hope that all of you reading this want to meet God as much and more.
God profoundly desires to meet us, do we want to meet Him?
Parachute band - Run To You ( + Meet You )
You will chase me
No matter where I run to
So I’m ready to meet you, I am
Ready to meet you, I am
You will chase me
No matter where I run to
So I’m ready to meet you, I’ll be
Ready to meet you, woho
I know I have written about this subject often like in post I Just Want to go There and others, but this subject keeps on coming up. For some reason I'm just so ready to meet my maker and Lord. Yea I guess "life is good", but there is sin plaguing this life. To meet God face to face will be incredibly amazingly indescribable! I just want to meet God! What more do I need to say? I just hope that all of you reading this want to meet God as much and more.
God profoundly desires to meet us, do we want to meet Him?
Tuesday, September 3, 2013
My Hypocriticalness
So I must admit my hypocriticalness to you who read this blog. I often write about how we should be doing something more, less, differently or whatever else. Well even though I say we should do these things and that includes me I often don't. Even though they are sometimes my thoughts and ideas I forget about them. Its not that later on I disagree with what I have written, but that I have so many ideas and things to try to keep in line I often forget them. Firstly there are God's laws for me to obey, then there are my thoughts written about on here so don't always get around to acting my ideas out.
Yes I am a hypocrite to my own writings because there are a lot of them to act out and remember. This is one of my faults that helps to remind me of how much I am flawed. You can read about that in Fault-Full.
Sometimes I just can't believe how much of a hypocrite I am. One week I have an amazing life changing learning experience or realization and around two weeks later I'm doing pretty much the exact opposite of what I learned. I guess what I'm trying to say is that I make mistakes, I forget, often times I am very hypocritical, but God isn't any of those things.
We are all hypocrites in our own ways regarding different things, but most importantly we must not be hypocrites when it comes to our relationship with God. Either we are for God or against Him, there is no middle ground. Its ok to mess up and make mistakes, but whether your for God or not is not something you want to be unsure about.
Andy Mineo - Every Word
Want to know the fast track to look stupid?
Talk about obedience and never go do it
Lord I'm a hypocrite and I'm sick of it
I need Your spirit to come help me live different
We must all learn from our mistakes and try to not be hypocrites. Profoundly throw away hypocriticalness with the help of God. I say that not just to you, but to myself.
Yes I am a hypocrite to my own writings because there are a lot of them to act out and remember. This is one of my faults that helps to remind me of how much I am flawed. You can read about that in Fault-Full.
Sometimes I just can't believe how much of a hypocrite I am. One week I have an amazing life changing learning experience or realization and around two weeks later I'm doing pretty much the exact opposite of what I learned. I guess what I'm trying to say is that I make mistakes, I forget, often times I am very hypocritical, but God isn't any of those things.
We are all hypocrites in our own ways regarding different things, but most importantly we must not be hypocrites when it comes to our relationship with God. Either we are for God or against Him, there is no middle ground. Its ok to mess up and make mistakes, but whether your for God or not is not something you want to be unsure about.
Andy Mineo - Every Word
Want to know the fast track to look stupid?
Talk about obedience and never go do it
Lord I'm a hypocrite and I'm sick of it
I need Your spirit to come help me live different
We must all learn from our mistakes and try to not be hypocrites. Profoundly throw away hypocriticalness with the help of God. I say that not just to you, but to myself.
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