Acknowledging the Totally Awesome and Most Important Power of Prayer in a Christian’s Life! Part 3.

04 Feb 2026 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Philippians 4:6.          Be careful (anxious) for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your request be made known unto God.

Oh friends, the Lord has turned our damp and cloudy Tuesday into a bright and sunshiny Wednesday! Give Him much praise and thanks, for although it’s still pretty cold, the sunshine comes like the light of Jesus and lifts our spirits and our souls, enabling us to bear the brunt of the winter weather. It’s just so amazing what light can do to darkness. That’s why Jesus is the light of the world! He raises us up from the darkness of sin and sorrow and breaks the chains that the world system tries to shackle us with. And it’s indeed a nice day to catch our second wind, so that we can continue working for Jesus, fighting the good fight for the rest of the work week. 

Unfortunately though, we’re on a late bus today because the ole fella went to bed late, and thus got up late. (smile) Anyway we’re going to continue talking about ‘PRAYER’ that marvellous privilege we have of communicating with our heavenly Father. Now, yesterday we saw where Jesus prayed for himself, the disciples and us, the future believers, but the most important thing is that He regularly got up early and went out to a deserted place and prayed, as Mark tells us: ‘And in the morning, rising up a great while before day, he (Jesus) went out, and departed into a solitary (deserted) place, and there prayed.’ (Mark 1:35) 

That brought up the question, if Jesus the Son of God needed regular prayer time with His Father, how can we mere mortals, creations of His hands, not require the same, if not more prayer time with the Lord? And it’s not only early in the morning that Jesus prayed, but throughout the gospels we see where every so often, He would go away by Himself to pray. And what Jesus was doing there was both seeking the Father’s strength to renew His spirit, as well as guidance and direction for the day or days ahead. 

And we also need those things, especially in these trying times, and the only way we can get them is by communicating with the Lord God Jehovah, sincerely asking Him to strengthen us like He did His Son Jesus. As Bruh Paul says in his letter to the church at Rome: ‘He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?’ (Rom. 8:32) Yes my faithful brethren, if the Lord gave up His Son Jesus Christ for our benefit, why then wouldn’t He be willing to give us the things we need eh? 

He obviously would not, but like Christ did, we have to go to Him and petition Him for the desires of our hearts. Granted, He will fulfill some of them without our asking, but the majority of the time we need to go to Him and ask for them, like Bruh Paul wrote to the Philippians: ‘Be careful (anxious) for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your request be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep (guard) your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.’ (Phil. 4:6-7) 

Yes my people, when we take everything to God in prayer, with supplication and thanksgiving, He releases a flood of peace in our bodies and souls that’s way above our mortal understanding, but which keeps us rooted and grounded in Christ. And the wonderful thing about prayer is that it can basically take any form that the person praying desires. However, Jesus laid down certain basic rules for prayer, when He taught on prayer in the Sermon on the Mount. 

‘And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites (pretenders) are: for they LOVE to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward (being seen by men). But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet (inner room), and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly. But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking. Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him.’ (Matt. 6:5-8) 

Now we have to be very careful about some of those stipulations, for they tend to be used in wrong ways, or out of context. Granted, a lot of pray ought to be done in secret. However, there is nothing wrong with public prayer. In fact it’s a necessity in the Christian faith when we gather to worship. But as the scholars tell us: ‘The principle here is that the believer should not make a show of his prayer nor of the answers he receives to prayer in such a way as to call attention to himself. Our attitude is of the utmost importance. Praying, like giving, is to be done to the Lord, not to man.’  

Yes my people, we’re not to make a show of our prayers, or keep repeating them as the heathen do, because they think that the more they talk, the greater the likelihood they will be heard.  But that’s a fallacy. The Lord will hear once our hearts are sincere and right towards Him. And now, with all of that good stuff percolating in our hearts, minds, bodies and souls, (smile) let’s go home declaring our Wednesday Wail, letting the whole world know of our wonderful position in Christ Jesus. 

As one strong and sincere voice: ‘Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: I’m so glad to be alive on this Wednesday! Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday: Thank God the breath of life is still flowing through me on this Wednesday! I am halfway home. My hands are fixed securely on the plough, and I’m not turning back. I’m not looking back at the past, not focusing on what has gone before. But my eyes are fixed straight ahead; straight ahead to a glorious future with Jesus. Glory Hallelujah!’ 

And if we want to enjoy an even more glorious future, then we must endure to the end with Jesus, where one that boggles our imagination will be available. So let’s endure to the end so we can  enjoy it together nuh! Much LOVE!

…prayer is such a big and wonderful privilege…that mankind cannot afford to overlook it…he does so to his own detriment…

Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien

The Importance of Giving God Thanks for His Awesome Goodness and Mercy!

15 Jul 2024 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Psalm 107:1.        Oh give thanks unto the Lord for he is good: for his mercy (LOVING-kindness) endureth for ever. 

Another Monday…another day of work, bordered by morning and evening traffic jams! Yes, unfortunately that’s the sad reality in many big cities nowadays; not enough roads to handle the large volume of vehicular traffic. And don’t talk about that concrete jungle called Toronto! Right now, it’s even worse than normal with the daytime repairing of two lanes of the Gardener Expressway which leads into the heart of the city. Then to make matters worse, almost every street is barricaded due to building construction or street repairs. 

Sometimes the confusion of construction and repairs in the summer months, makes you long for the relative peace of winter. (smile) But that’s how our world is set up; cram vehicles and people into the cities in the morning for work, then watch them try to rush out in the evening, without much success. And sadly the process contributes to the loss of a great number of man hours, severe frustration, physical and emotional strain. 

One would have thought that with the magnitude of wisdom supposedly entrenched in our society, a more efficient, less stressful system would be employed. However, that’s the way it currently is, and it won’t change for the foreseeable future, so let’s just say thank you we have a job to go to, despite all the frustration involved, for many of our fellow humans don’t have jobs and are facing much more severe hardship than us. 

That brings us to these most encouraging words from Psalm 107: ‘Oh give thanks unto the Lord for he is good: for his mercy (LOVING-kindness) endureth for ever.’ (Ps. 107:1) And that’s as it should be my fellow believers! For although we will encounter unforeseen negative circumstances in this rough and tumble life, our faith in Christ Jesus will enable us to face them from a position of strength rather than one of weakness. 

As Moses said to the Israelites: ‘And the Lord shall make thee the head, and not the tail; and thou shalt be above only, and thou shalt not be beneath; if that thou hearken (heed) unto the commandments of the Lord thy God which I command thee this day, to observe and to do them (be careful to observe them).’ (Deut, 28:13) And what does that mean? Exactly what it says. If you obey the Lord’s commands you will never be inferior or the tail, but always superior or the head. 

And that leads us to this prayer based on Deuteronomy 28:3-14. ‘In the Name of Jesus, I declare…. I am blessed in the city and blessed in the country. I am the head and not the tail in my finances, my family, my health, my job and my ministry—not just sometimes, but all the time. Every day, in every way, I am the head and not the tail.’ Now that’s an interesting prayer we should offer up everyday. 

Then let us not forget these marvellously encouraging words of Bruh Paul to the church at Rome. ‘What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us? He that spareth not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?…Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that LOVED us.’ (Rom. 8:31-32, 37) 

Yes friends, if our great God, who willingly broke His own heart, gave up His most treasured relationship by crucifying His Son Jesus Christ for our benefit, why wouldn’t He give us lesser things than that eh? No reason whatsoever! 

And as this commentary further explains: ‘Nothing that enters our life is able or sufficient to separate us from God’s LOVE demonstrated at the cross. God’s LOVE allows the believer to be a conqueror in adversity. God walks with us through every adversity and hardship. We do not merely survive or squeak by. We do not just succeed.’ 

No my brethren, with God in our corner, we don’t just succeed, we overcome with flying colours.  As Jesus says: ‘These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.’ (John 16:33) And if we are His true disciples, then we too can overcome the world. 

Friends, it’s all a matter of faith, of belief. For as Jesus also says: ‘If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove (move); and nothing shall be impossible to you.’ (Matt. 17:20) Oh my people, Jesus was just highlighting that it doesn’t take much faith for God to work in a person, but the disciples needed to believe it, and so do we. 

Yes, we can know the Bible verbatim from cover to cover and don’t believe what it says, and then put it into action, then all our effort to learn it was a waste of time. The Bible is only useful when we believe it, then action it. Now let’s go to the throne of grace, through our Monday Morning Battle Hymn, seeking help with out many earthly problems. 

Altogether: ‘Our Father, who art in heaven, we, Your humble servants, praise Your Holy Name and thank You this Monday morning for life and strong faith in Christ, despite the mass confusion in our world. Heavenly Father, You are the ONLY ONE with the power to solve our many problems. Yes, we have all sinned and seriously disobeyed Your Word, but You are a merciful, forgiving and gracious God, who has faithfully promised to hear and answer our prayers when we humble ourselves, pray, and sincerely seek Your face. 

So, we come to You now, with sincere repentance in our hearts, pleading for wise guidance and direction to alleviate our problems. Oh Father, please ease the pain of the many suffering from negative situations, show them Your awesome grace and mercy. And faithfully keep Your promise to prosper us if we turn from our evil ways. Show this evil world that You are indeed Jehovah Rapha; the God who heals! We pray this in the holy and blessed name of Your Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! Amen! And again, we say: Amen!’ 

And if we truly desire divine aid, then we need to turn from our evil ways and sincerely seeks God’s face. Much LOVE!

…head knowledge is of no use…unless it’s accompanied by heart action

Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien

Today’s Scrip-Bit   10 February 2024 Romans 8:32.

10 Feb 2024 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Romans 8:32.        He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?

Another blessed day of glorious sunshine in my area, friends! Glory be! I got up earlier than usual on this lazy-day Saturday, because sleep was eluding me, and when I opened the window blinds, I was greeted by a burst of sunshine that prevented me from seeing outside. What a glorious moment! And though it’s not going to be as warm as yesterday, it’s still going to be better than a normal February day. And are we ever grateful for that…although we might have to pay for it later on with a big snowfall. But we’ll take small mercies now and worry about the consequences later. (smile) 

So, to be grateful and give thanks, let’s turn to our Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer and offer it up with sincerity and truth. As one voice: ‘Lord, I want to be with You now. Please slow my thoughts and quiet my soul. Let my muscles relax, my breath deepen. You are here with me – Your peace and LOVE are present. I marvel to think You can’t be contained, that Your LOVE both surrounds and fills me. Thank You for this tenderness, Lord. I praise You for Your unceasing nearness. Increase my awareness of You today, that I may know You all the more. Amen!’ 

And as usual, when we ask our good God for something with sincerity of heart, if it’s His will, we get it. And how could wanting to be in His presence and knowing Him more, that’s being more intimate with Him, not be in His will eh? That’s why I know, all of us who sincerely prayed that prayer were warmed by the deepening presence of God moving in our souls and spirits. That reminds us of this most valuable scripture from the mouth of Jesus. ‘Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.’ (Matt. 7:7-8) 

And the scholars offer this explanation on those verses. ‘The three imperatives ask, seek, and knock are in the present tense of the original language, suggesting both perseverance and frequent prayer. Fervent and continued prayer is to be made on behalf of those for whom we are concerned. God promises to answer all genuine prayer (vs.8). Everything we need for spiritual success has been promised to us. God leaves us no excuse for failure.’ 

Yuh hear that mih people! We have no excuse for failing to do God’s will, because He’s given us everything we need to succeed, and has promised to do whatever we need. That means it now depends strictly on us. We must now pray fervently, listen for His answers, seek His will, and ask, seek and knock for whatever we need to fulfill His divine desires. Remember, our God doesn’t make idle promises. And, as the Sons of Korah so kindly inform us in Psalm 84: ‘For the Lord is a sun and shield: the Lord will give grace and glory: no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly.’ (Ps. 84:11) 

Oh friends, if we want to walk successfully on this earth and end up in heaven with Christ, then we need to believe that in spades, and write it indelibly in our hearts. For as Bruh Paul concurs when he wrote to the Roman church: ‘He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?’ (Rom. 8:32) And this commentary succinctly explains why God would give up His only Son for a bunch of ungrateful sinners and keep looking after them so wonderfully. It says: ‘The main point of the verse is to emphasize the sacrificial LOVE of God for the World. This LOVE is so powerful that He offered up His one and only Son, the most precious and beloved Person to Him, for the sake of the World.’ 

Now doesn’t that make you feel honoured and LOVED? It ought to, since it means that Almighty God, our Creator, who gave up His beloved Son to save our sinful souls, highly values us. And that should raise up a flame of sincere gratitude within our beings, that makes us want to LOVE Him back with all our hearts, souls, bodies and minds, and sincerely and efficiently do His holy will. For yuh know friends, the most important thing the Lord desires of us is our LOVE…to LOVE Him like He LOVES us. 

Jesus acknowledged it when He said: ‘Thou shalt LOVE the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt LOVE thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.’ (Matt. 22:37-40) Now, there are no grounds whatsoever for disputing those awesome words of Jesus, for they are the very foundation of our faith. 

And I like how this commentary puts it. ‘To LOVE the Lord is the most important thing that God asks of us. The sum and the substance of everything that God has said is simply to LOVE Him. This has been and will continue to be the central issue of life. The heart of the matter is always the matter of the heart.’ 

Now that’s the gospel truth! I especially like that last sentence: ‘The heart of the matter is always the matter of the heart.’ Yes my fellow believers, with Christ, it’s always about the heart; the state of our hearts. Let’s remember that, and with His awesome help, endeavour to keep our hearts in good shape, pure and true, because it’s then, and only then, that we will truly be able to live and enjoy the abundant life that He sacrificed His sinless life on the cross of Calvary for us to have. Much LOVE!

…it’s simply LOVE…that made God do it…and it’s simply LOVE…with which we should reciprocate…

Hear our podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/3aVfqIC1CqwGybISs9dZ