Teach Us to Pray

 I found great encouragement to pray when we looked at Luke 11 at the women's bible study the other night. (See Luke 11:1-13 below)

The disciples requested, “Lord, teach us to pray..."

Jesus gives them a model:

“Father, hallowed be your name.

Your kingdom come.

3 Give us each day our daily bread,

4 and forgive us our sins,

    for we ourselves forgive everyone who is indebted to us.

And lead us not into temptation.”

 ...which encourages them to pray.

Then he tells the story of the man asking his friend for bread for his friends in the middle of the night, and his persistence in asking (Luke 11:5-8)...encouraging them to pray.

Then he tells them to ask, seek, and knock. And as if that were not enough he says again,"'For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened.'"(verse 10), which encourages them to pray.

Finally, he says:

What father among you, if his son asks for a fish, will instead of a fish give him a serpent; 12 or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? 13 If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”

If we too are His disciples, how much more encouragement do we need to pray to our heavenly Father?

Luke 11:1-13  ESV

11 Now Jesus was praying in a certain place, and when he finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, as John taught his disciples.” 2 And he said to them, “When you pray, say:

“Father, hallowed be your name.

Your kingdom come.

3 Give us each day our daily bread,

4 and forgive us our sins,

    for we ourselves forgive everyone who is indebted to us.

And lead us not into temptation.”

5 And he said to them, “Which of you who has a friend will go to him at midnight and say to him, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves, 6 for a friend of mine has arrived on a journey, and I have nothing to set before him’; 7 and he will answer from within, ‘Do not bother me; the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed. I cannot get up and give you anything’? 8 I tell you, though he will not get up and give him anything because he is his friend, yet because of his impudence[c] he will rise and give him whatever he needs. 9 And I tell you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 10 For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. 11 What father among you, if his son asks for[d] a fish, will instead of a fish give him a serpent; 12 or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? 13 If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”

Fight Songs

When I am aware that I am fighting a significant battle against sin and idolatry,  I'm very intentional about the music that I listen to. It's not so much choosing to listen to Christian music versus secular, more listening to music that contains the truth that will help me fight the battle that I am facing right now. So I made a very specific playlist, and this is the song I've probably been listening to most lately. I share first the lyrics that are really impacting me. Following are the lyrics in their enirety.
My One Thing

Who have I in Heaven but You Jesus?
And what better could I hope to find down here on earth?


Save me from those things that might distract me
Please take them away and purify my heart
I don't want to lose the eternal for the things that are passing
Cause what will I have when the world is gone
If it isn't for the love that goes on and on...


Every night and every day
You hold on tight
Or you drift away
And you're left to live
With the choices you make


My One Thing by Rich Mullins

Everybody I know says they need just one thing
And what they really mean is that they need just one thing more
And everybody seems to think they've got it coming
Well I know that I don't deserve You
Still I want to love and serve You more and more
You're my one thing
Save me from those things that might distract me
Please take them away and purify my heart
I don't want to lose the eternal for the things that are passing
Cause what will I have when the world is gone
If it isn't for the love that goes on and on with

[Chorus]
My one thing
You're my one thing
And the pure in heart shall see God
You're my one thing
You're my one thing

And the pure in heart shall see God
Who have I in Heaven but You Jesus?
And what better could I hope to find down here on earth?
I could cross the most distant reaches
Of this world, but I'd just be wasting my time
Cause I'm certain already, I'm sure I'd find

[Chorus]

Every night and every day
You hold on tight
Or you drift away
And you're left to live
With the choices you make
Oh Lord please give me the strength
To watch and work and love and sing and pray
Cause who have I in Heaven but You Jesus?
And what better could I hope to find down here on earth?
Well I could cross the most distant reaches
Of this world, but I'd just be wasting my time
Cause I'm certain already I'm sure I'd find

You're my one thing
One thing
You're my one thing
The pure in heart, the pure in heart
One thing
And I know that the pure
That the pure in heart that the pure in heart shall see God
[Repeat]

My One Thing

Hedges

I was reading this recently:
6 Therefore I will hedge up her way with thorns,
    and I will build a wall against her,
    so that she cannot find her paths.   Hosea 2:6  (ESV)

I was thinking about the hedge.

A hedge is also mentioned in Job when Satan is talking to God :
10 Have you not put a hedge around him and his house and all that he has, on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land. 11 But stretch out your hand and touch all that he has, and he will curse you to your face.”    Job 1:10-11 (ESV)

I just found it interesting that in Hosea, the hedge is used to block the path of Israel, but in Job, the hedge is a barrier that has been protecting Job from the attacks of the evil one. Boundaries!

Is the God of the Old Testament Just Angry All the Time?

43 But now thus says the Lord,
he who created you, O Jacob,
    he who formed you, O Israel:
“Fear not, for I have redeemed you;
    I have called you by name, you are mine.
2 When you pass through the waters, I will be with you;
    and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you;
when you walk through fire you shall not be burned,
    and the flame shall not consume you.    Isaiah 43 (ESV)

You may have noticed that I have been enjoying Isaiah lately. I think one of the reasons is seeing the tender display of God's love for His people. I know that people often think of the God of the Old Testament as a God of wrath and judgment, and the God of the New Testament as a God of love. One of the problems with this are scriptures that state otherwise (see below*). But I do remember the first time I read through the Old Testament. I felt like God was killing people left and right, and it made such an impression on me! But I think I needed to see how serious God was/is about sin. But then the next time I read it, I felt like I saw His love all over the place! Here are some more verses from Isaiah:

6 “I am the Lord; I have called you in righteousness;
    I will take you by the hand and keep you;
I will give you as a covenant for the people,
    a light for the nations,"  Isaiah 42 (ESV)


4 Because you are precious in my eyes,
    and honored, and I love you,
I give men in return for you,
    peoples in exchange for your life.  Isaiah 43 (ESV)


2 Thus says the Lord who made you,
    who formed you from the womb and will help you:
Fear not, O Jacob my servant,
    Jeshurun whom I have chosen.  Isaiah 44 (ESV)


*10 And, “You, Lord, laid the foundation of the earth in the beginning,
    and the heavens are the work of your hands;
11 they will perish, but you remain;
    they will all wear out like a garment,
12 like a robe you will roll them up,
    like a garment they will be changed.
But you are the same,
    and your years will have no end.”  from Hebrews 1 (ESV)

Hebrews 13:8 (ESV)
Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.