Everything Depends On The One For Whom We Pray

John 10:1-18, 27-30

John 10:11 “I am the good Shepherd”

If we are the sheep everything depends on whom we have for a shepherd. There are hired hands who are in it only for the money, or their selfish benefit, and the moment being a shepherd get tough, dangerous or a little inconvenient they resign and the sheep are left to wolves and thieves. The question worth answering is: Which is worse – hired hands or wolves? Wolves are honest and, they only do what comes naturally to them. Hired hands are profoundly dishonest and pretend to do what they don’t. God hates pretenders (Isaiah 56:9-12; Ezekiel 34). They can be any number of wolves licking their chops, wanting to eat the sheep, but if the shepherd is good, the sheep will be safe. If the shepherd is bad, it only takes one wolf to destroy the whole flock.

Jesus is the Good Shepherd, in every way opposite of the hired hand. He is the gate. He keeps the sheep secure; no one can get to them except through him. He makes the sheep free; so they can “come in and go out, and find pasture” (John 10:9). The Good Shepherd knows the sheep by name, each one of them; everyone matters (John 10:14). Above all, Jesus is good because he lays down his life for the sheep. (John 10:11, 15)

When we pray, everything depends on whom we pray to. What is God like? Can we trust him? Will our lives be safe in his hands? Does he love us? When putting him to the test we will find that he listens because as the Good Shepherd he knows our name. He cares about us and laid down his life for us. He has plans for us and his purpose is to give us life in its fullness. God is no pretender, he hates pretenders. He is the real thing. We can go to him with confidence and joy.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, God Almighty, please protect and guide me. Good Shepherd, forgive my sins, heal my wounds and refresh me, not because I deserve it bet because you are the Good Shepherd. In Jesus’ name I pray today, Amen

A Castle And A Garden

Teresa of Avila was a woman who possessed plenty of what we would today call “grit”. She and others like her needed a lot of grit to navigate their way spiritually though the tumultuous years of the 16th century Europe. The Protestant Reformation had ushered in a new age of religious freedom with an emphasis on Biblical, personal faith – an idea embraced by many. People like Teresa agreed with some of the Reformers’ critique of the Roman Catholic Church. But, she remained within the church as a Carmelite nun to work for internal renewal.

Teresa’s major work began when she was over 40 years old. One day while deep in prayer, she had the first of many heavenly visions, in which an angel pierced her heart with a flame-tipped spear, leaving her pierced with great love for God and a renewed passion to serve Christ. She wrote this prayer:

“Thine am I. I was born for Thee.
What wouldst Thou, Master, make of me?
Tis Thou alone dost live in me.
What wilt Thou I should do for Thee?”

Teresa’s best known work is “The Interior Castle”, and allegory in which the soul moves from the outer courtyard to the innermost sanctuary of the castle’s seven mansions. Along the way, prowling beasts, symbolizing the hindrances to prayer, seek to waylay the pilgrim. Each mansion is a stage along the way to union with Christ, which is beautifully pictured as the emergence of a silkworm from a cocoon to the life of a white butterfly. Beyond the mansion of union with Christ is the dark night of the soul, and finally that of spiritual marriage to Christ.

Through the mystic, Teresa was very practical and uncomplicated in her advice about prayer. She compared the cultivation of prayer to the cultivation of a garden in which Christ himself pulls the weeds and we with his help water the flowers so they will delight our Lord with their fragrance. “Pray as you can”, she advised “for prayer doesn’t consist in thinking a great deal, but loving a great deal.” She believed God could lead the simplest Christian using only the words of the Lord’s Prayer into the heights of contemplation. For her, the bottom line was that we must “never, for any reason whatever, neglect to pray.”

By the time of her death, Teresa had founded 20 new Carmelite convents and had spread mysticism as a practical method of reform throughout Spain. She and her friend St. John were criticized and even imprisoned by the church they loved for their reform efforts. Today they are considered by many Christians of diverse traditions to be the preeminent authorities of the theology of spiritual life.

Teresa’s Prayer:
“Govern by all your wisdom, O Lord, so that my soul may always be serving you according to your will and now as I desire. Do not punish me, I pray by granting what I want and ask, if it offends your love, which would always live in me. Let me die to myself that I may serve you, let me live to you, who in yourself are the true life.”

Psalm 84:1-2
“How lovely is your dwelling place, O Lord Almighty? My soul yearns, even faints; for the courts of the Lord; my heart and my flesh cry for the living God.”

Forgive as You Have Been Forgiven

This picture is of my little kitten Pellinore praying with me for those who read this blog.

It is possible to pray and still be far from God. When Cain brought his offering to God, he was full of anger and hate. His heart was revealed by his actions toward his brother Abel when Abel’s offering was accepted and Cain’s was refused. (Gen 4:1-8)

The Pharisee praying along side the tax collector was also far from God, though he imagined himself to be standing in God’s presence. (Luke 18:9-14) These two examples from Scripture indicate that there’s a direct connection between our relationship to others and our relationship to God. If things aren’t right between us and others, we can be sure they aren’t right between us and God.

This powerful principle is especially true in the area of forgiveness. Jesus is alarmingly blunt. If you forgive others, God will forgive you. If you refuse others forgiveness, God will refuse you forgiveness. There is a profound logic here. It goes like this: Question: What do we most need from God? Answer: His mercy. Question: How can we expect to receive what we most need from God if we refuse others the thing they most need from us?

What are we saying to God when we refuse to forgive others? Do we think their sin against us is so bad that it is beyond mercy? Or worse, do we think the sin God forgave us wasn’t really so bad after all or that we in some way deserved his forgiveness? Either way, the cross is emptied of its power, God’s mercy is trivialized and we make ourselves little gods.

To forgive requires humility and to be forgiven is very humiliating. Jon Newton the author of the hymn “Amazing Grace” was a slave trader and libertine before his conversion. He never forgot what is meant to God to forgive him, and what that forgiveness meant in his attitude toward others. He wrote, “A man, truly illuminated, will no more despise others, than Bartimaeus, after his own eyes were opened, would take a stick and beat every blind man he met.”

My Prayer: As we pray, may we remember to forgive those who have sinned against us if need be, and ask God to forgive our lack of forgiveness. In Jesus name I pray this day, Amen.

Song Lyrics – Amazing Grace
Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound,
That saved a wretch like me.
I once was lost but now am found,
Was blind, but now I see.
T'was Grace that taught my heart to fear.
And Grace, my fears relieved.
How precious did that Grace appear
The hour I first believed.
Through many dangers, toils and snares
I have already come;
'Tis Grace that brought me safe thus far
and Grace will lead me home.
The Lord has promised good to me.
His word my hope secures.
He will my shield and portion be,
As long as life endures.
Yea, when this flesh and heart shall fail,
And mortal life shall cease,
I shall possess within the veil,
A life of joy and peace.
When we've been here ten thousand years
Bright shining as the sun.
We've no less days to sing God's praise
Than when we've first begun.
Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound,
That saved a wretch like me.
I once was lost but now am found,
Was blind, but now I see.

God Always Responds To Our Prayers

God always responds to our prayers. He never ignores us. He is the perfect parent. 1 John 3:1 says, “How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God!” Because of your faith and salvation in Jesus, you are a child of God.

The Lord is delighted with you as any loving parent is with his or her child. He longs to give you good things. Matthew 7:11 says that earthly fathers love to give good things to their children; think how much more your perfect, Heavenly Father longs to give good things to His children when they ask.

Sometimes God cannot answer our prayers and give us everything we ask for; because it is not always best for us. Sometimes we have to wait longer than we would like for the answer to come. God is so much wiser and knows things we do not. We may not understand why we can’t have something that seems so good and right. We must trust God is in control of our lives and is working according to His perfect plan.

There should be no doubt that when we pray, God hears us. The question is, do we hear God when we pray? Do we stop and listen for Him to answer? What would happen if we gave God a chance to talk back? What might happen if, at the end of our prayer, we waited to hear what He had to say in response? After all, don’t we pray so that God will respond with an answer or word of encouragement?

Isaiah 55:8-11 “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. As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth, and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes out from my mouth. It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.”

God can be very creative when He answers our prayers. Imagine what King Hezekiah must have thought when God answered his prayer by sending the angel of the Lord into his enemy’s camp, slaying thousands! We must be totally surrendered to God, allowing Him to answer our prayers however He wishes. When we lay down our requests before God, we must also lay down our own expectations of how God should answer them.

God love us and wants the very best for us. He promised to hear us when we pray. No request is too small or personal. God even pays attention to requests made by small children for what we would consider insignificant things.

True Store:
“Four year old Katherine begged her mother for her favorite boxed macaroni and cheese dinner. Katherine’s mom told her they didn’t have any in the cupboard. “Can’t we go to the store and get some?” Katherine asked her mother. Katherine’s family was very poor at the time, so her mom told her they couldn’t by that particular brand until it was on sale.

Even at four years old, Katherine know her family always prayed about everything. “Why don’t we pray for a sale?” Katherine asked.

The next day, Katherine’s mom opened the paper looking for the food ads. On the front page of the circulars was a sale on Katherine’s favorite brand of macaroni and cheese, one of the cheapest prices the family had ever seen.”

Encouraging People Through Prayer

Words and prayers of encouragement are so vital for our life of faith. Proverbs 18:21 says, “The tongue has the power of life and death.” When we speak words of encouragement to one another, we speak words that bring life; words that nourish and strengthen our spirits, enable us to “run with perseverance the race marked out for us.” Heb 12:1

When we encourage others with our words and prayers, we hearten them – inspire, cheer, reassure, comfort, fortify, and embolden them.

Encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.
1 Thessalonians 5:11

You know you have given me great joy and encouragement, because you brother; have refreshed the hearts of saints. Philemon 7

It is important to pray for others. It is also important to let other know you are praying for them and how you have specifically prayed for them. When you pray for people, you bring their needs before God. You show God that you care about other people as much, if not more, than you care about yourself and your own needs.

A true story: When a three week old baby needed eye surgery, people from churches in six different states prayed for that baby and her family. The dad was out of work, the family had no insurance and the medical bills amounted to ten thousand dollars. The baby came through the surgeries fine, and God helped the family pay the medical bills in a marvelous way.

The prayers of so many people were so encouraging to this family.

“Let not your heart become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Therefore as we have opportunity let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers”. Galations 6:9-10

My Prayer: Dearest Father God, I just wanted others to know that I am praying for them today. I thank God for the people that He has made them to be. I love them dear Lord and I pray that they all know that you love them too. In Jesus’ name I pray this day, Amen.

James Taylor: Song Lyrics - You've Got a Friend


When your down and troubled
And you need a helping hand
And nothing, whoa nothing is going right.
Close your eyes and think of me
And soon I will be there
To brighten up even your darkest nights.
You just call out my name,
And you know whereever I am
I'll come running, oh yeah baby
To see you again.
Winter, spring , summer, or fall,
All you have to do is call
And I'll be there, yeah, yeah, yeah.
You've got a freind.
If the sky above you
Should turn dark and full of clouds
And that old north wind should begin to blow
Keep your head together and call my name out loud
And soon I will be knocking upon your door.
You just call out my name and you know where ever I am
I'll come running to see you again.
Winter, Spring, summer or fall
All you got to do is call
And I'll be there, yeah, yeah, yeah.
Hey, ain't it good to know that you've got a friend?
People can be so cold.
They'll hurt you and desert you.
Well they'll take your soul if you let them.
Oh yeah, but don't you let them.
You just call out my name and you know wherever I am
I'll come running to see you again.
Oh babe, don't you know that,
Winter Spring summer or fall,
Hey now, all you've got to do is call.
Lord, I'll be there, yes I will.
You've got a friend.
You've got a friend.
Ain't it good to know you've got a friend.
Ain't it good to know you've got a friend.
You've got a friend.

John 1, 2, & 3

The two most difficult things to get straight in life are love and God. More often than not, the mess people make of their lives can be traced to failure or stupidity or meanness in one or both of these areas.

The basic and biblical Christian conviction is that the two subjects are intricately related. If we want to deal with God the right way, we have to learn to love the right way. If we want to love right way, we have to deal with God the right way. God and love can not be separated.

John’s three letters provide wonderfully explicit direction in how this works. Jesus, the Messiah, is the focus: Jesus provides the full and true understanding of God; Jesus shows us the mature working-out of love. In Jesus, God and love are linked accurately, intricately and indissolubly.

But there are always people around who don’t want to be pinned down to the God Jesus reveals, to love Jesus reveals. They want to make up their own idea of God, and make up their own style of love. John was pastor to a church or churches disrupted by some of these people. In his letters we see him reestablishing the original and organic unity of God and love that comes to focus and becomes available to us in Jesus Christ.


My Prayer: Heavenly Father, God Almighty help us as your children to know You from a personal experience. May your word reach our minds and hearts so that we will be revitalized and strengthened to gain vistory over the evil one. Teach us dear Father not to love the worlds ways and that doing so squeezes out your love dear Lord. In Jesus' name I pray today, Amen.

The Stone

1 Peter 2 (Message Translation)

The Stone

“Welcome to the living Stone, the source of life. The workmen took one look and threw it out; God set it in the place of honor. Present yourself as building stones for the construction of a sanctuary vibrant with life, in which you’ll serve as holy priest offering Christ approved lives up to God. The Scriptures provide precedent:

“Look! I’m setting a stone in Zion, a cornerstone in the place of honor. Whoever trusts in this stone as a foundation will never have cause to regret it.”

To you who trust him, he’s a Stone to be proud of, but to those who refuse to trust him,

“The stone the workmen threw out is now the chief foundation stone. For the untrusting it’s “a stone to trip over, a boulder blocking the way.”

They trip and fail because they refuse to obey, just as predicted. But you are the ones chosen by God, chosen for the high calling of priestly work, chosen to be a holy people, God’s instruments to do his work and speak out for him, to tell others of the night and day difference he made for you – from nothing to something, from rejected to accepted.

My Prayer: Dearest Father, God Almighty, we put our trust in you. You have planted our feet on a strong foundation. In you we will belive and not man. We will honor, trust and believe in you this day, Amen.