03 Oct 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: A Humble Heart, a lazy day Saturday, all these things shall be added unto you, all thy days, as thy father David did walk, asked for understanding to discern justice, asking for wisdom and understanding, bestow the blessing of peace and calm, consider our personal situations, deepen my breath, discern between ggod and bad, done according to thy words, faith, give therefore thy servant an understanding heart, given thee a wise and understanding heart, given thee both riches and honour, given thee what thou hast not asked for, go and pray unto me, God Checked the motives of Solomon's heart, hang all the law and the prophets, hit the nail on the head, holy spirit, I am but a little child, I know not how to go out ot come in, I marvel to think you can't be contained, I may know you all the more, I praise you for your unceasing nearness, I want to be with you now, I will hearken unto you, if thou wilt walk in my ways, in all sincerity and truth, increase my awareness of you today, it's of the utmost importance to keep God first place in our lives, Jesus Christ, Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer, lengthen thy days, like white on rice, LOVE, love the Lord with all thy heart soul and mind, make the irrevocable decision, mercy, not asked for long life nor riches, obeying God's commandments, on these two commandments, our finite minds cannot comprehend, quiet my soul, relax my muscles, salvation, seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, slow my thoughts, Solomon did not seek material things, Solomon turned to pagan wives and their gods, stick to Jehovah God, thank you for this tenderness, the first and great commandment, the greatest wisdom is to seek God sincerely and serve him faithfully, the Lord is ecstatic when we seek greater intimacy with Him, the number one requirement, the Sermon on the Mount, then shall ye call upon me, there shall not be anyone among the kings like unto thee, therefore get wisdom, thou shalt love the Lord thy God, thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself, to be on the safe side, to keep my statutes and commandments, truer words were never spoken, truth, whcih is the greatest commandment, when ye search for me with all your heart, who is able to judge so great a people, wisdom, wisdom is the principal thing, with all thy getting get understanding, ye shall seek me and find me, your love both surrounds and fills me, your peace and love are present
Today’s Scrip-Bit 3 October 2026 Jeremiah 29:13.
Jeremiah 29:13. And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.
Oh friends, our first lazy-day Saturday in October has opened somewhat cool but sunshiny and bright! And I’ve enjoyed some of it lazing in bed, that’s why I’m only now doing the Lord’s business, so I can’t complain. (smile) And with the Lord first and foremost in our minds, let’s offer up our Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer in all sincerity and truth.
As one strong and heartfelt 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 we all know that if our prayer was sincere and heartfelt, that the Lord will soon open up His amazing box of blessings and bestow the peace and calm that we asked of Him, a peace and calm that our finite minds cannot comprehend, but can surely appreciate. For the Lord is always ecstatic when His children come to Him seeking greater intimacy. Remember what He said through the prophet Jeremiah: ‘Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto (listen to) you. And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.’ (Jer. 29:12-13)
Yes my brethren, that’s what it takes to find the Lord and have Him hear you, then answer your prayer with awesome blessings. You must seek Him with all your heart! That’s the number one requirement! It’s like when the prideful Pharisee lawyer tried to get Jesus into an argument by asking which was the greatest commandment in all the law. Jesus simply answered: ‘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)
Jesus hit the nail right on the head there, for our number one duty is to LOVE and serve Almighty God with all that we have and are. It’s like Jesus also pointed out in the Sermon on the Mount, when teaching about worrying over all the things we need in this life, like food, clothing and shelter: ‘But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.’ (Matt. 6:33)
Oh my people, I don’t know how to make that point any clearer or drive it home any further, but keeping Almighty God first place in our lives is of the utmost importance. And we see the truth of that principle above there being played out in a big way in Cousin Sol’s life, when he became king of Israel after his father Bruh David died, and the Lord asked him what He desired. And what was his reply?
‘And now, O Lord my God, thou hast made thy servant king instead of David my father: and I am but a little child: I know not how to go out or to come in. And thy servant is in the midst of thy people which thou hast chosen, a great people, that cannot be numbered nor counted for multitude. Give therefore thy servant an understanding heart to judge thy people, that I may discern between good and bad: for who is able to judge this thy so great a people.’ (1 Kin. 3:7-9)
Yes mih bredrin, Cousin Sol humbled himself and asked for wisdom and understanding to judge God’s people. And what was the Lord’s response? The Bible says: ‘And the speech pleased the Lord, that Solomon had asked this thing.’ (1 Kin. 3:10) Obviously He had first checked out the motives of Cousin Sol’s heart, and finding them to be right, ‘God said unto Him, Because thou asked this thing, and hast not asked for thyself long life; neither hast thou asked for riches for thyself, nor hast asked for the life of thine enemies, but hast asked for thyself understanding to discern judgement (justice);
Behold, I have done according to thy words: lo, I have given thee a wise and understanding heart; so that there was none like thee before thee, neither shall any arise like unto thee. And I have also given thee that which thou hast not asked, both riches, and honour: so that there shall not be any (anyone) among the kings like unto thee all thy days. And if thou wilt walk in my ways, to keep my statutes and my commandments, as thy father David did walk, then I will lengthen (prolong) thy days.’ (1 Kin. 3:11-14)
Ah friends that’s the kind of largesse the Lord can and will provide if we sincerely seek Him, keep Him first place, and walk diligently in His ways. He made Cousin Sol both the wisest and richest man ever, because he had a humble heart and did not come seeking the material things of the world, but wisdom and understanding. No wonder Cousin Sol could later write in Proverbs: ‘Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding.’ (Prov. 4:7)
Truer words were never spoken my people. Notwithstanding that in Cousin Sol’s later years, he apparently forgot all of that and turned to pagan wives and their gods. Hopefully though, we won’t do like him, but to be on the safe side, let’s use this autumn lazy-day Saturday to consider our personal situations and make the irrevocable decision to stick to Jehovah God, like white on rice, faithfully worshipping Him, and obeying His commandments as best we can, for that’s the wisdom of the ages! Much LOVE!
…the greatest wisdom is…to seek God sincerely…and serve Him faithfully…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
26 Sep 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a beautiful autumn day, a fool's wisdom, a future and a hope, a peace that surpasses all understanding, be with him in trouble, because he hath known my name, because he hath set his love upon me, calamity, call unto me and I will answer thee, call ye upon him while he is near, christianity, deepen my breath, faith, flowery speech, gave up some of my lazy time, go and pray unto me, greater intimacy with God, have mercy on him, he shall call upon me, he will abundantly pardon, hearts not in sync with God, holy spirit, honour him, honoureth me with their lips, I have refused him, I know the thoughts I think toward you, I marvel to think, I may know you all the more, I praise you for your unceasing nearness, I want to be with you now, I will answer him, I will deliver him, I will hearken unto you, I will listen to you, in all sincerity and truth, in vain do they worship me, increase my awareness of you today, Jesus Christ, lazy-day Saturday, Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer, let him return unto the Lord, let the wicked forsake his way, like Jesus, look not on his countenance, LOVE, loving God is what man was created for, man looks on the outward appearance, mercy, no rain, not rocket science but common sense, offer lip service to God, on the other side of the equation, our hearts conveyed the right motives, our motives inner thoughts and love are completely disconnected from God, pretending to honour God outwardly, quiet my soul, relax my muscles, right motives in our hearts, sacrificing for you, salvation, saying the right religious words, search for me with all your heart, seek ye the Lord while he may be found, set him on high, shew him my salvation, shew thee great and mighty things, slow my thoughts, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men, thank you for this tenderness, that surpasses all understanding, the BIBLE, the height of his stature, the Lord doesn't make empty promises, the Lord is his name, the Lord looks on the heart, the Lord sees not as man sees, The Lord will bless us, the Lord's in our court, the unrighteous man his thoughts, their heart is far from me, then shall ye call upon me, therefore will I deliver him, this people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you an expected end, truth, turn to God for the help that only He can give, we expect Him to hear and positively answer our reqyest, which thou knowest not, wisdom, wisdom for the ages, with a sense of calm and peace, with long life will I satisfy him, ye hypocrites, ye shall seek me and find me, you are here with me, you can't be contained, your love both surrounds and fills me, your peace and love are present
Today’s Scrip-Bit 26 September 2026 Jeremiah 33:3.
Jeremiah 33:3. Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and shew thee great and mighty (inaccessible) things, which thou knowest not.
It’s our lazy-day Saturday my brethren, another warm and sunshiny autumn day. We certainly have been blessed with quite a few good days recently, but on the other side of the equation, we haven’t seen any rain, which is also necessary for things to run smoothly. And by the way friends, you’ll notice that we’re on a much earlier bus today, that’s because I’ve given up some of my lazy time to come down and write the Bit. Yuh see, like Jesus, I’m sacrificing for you. (smile)
Anyway, enough talk, let’s offer up our Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer in all sincerity and truth. As one strong 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 always, if our hearts conveyed the right motives, then the Lord will soon bless us with a sense of calm and peace that surpasses all understanding, for He just LOVES it when His human creation comes a calling for greater intimacy with Him. It’s something that He’s entreated us to do several times in His Word. Listen as He says through the prophet Jeremiah while he was imprisoned. ‘Thus saith the Lord the maker thereof, the Lord that formed it, to establish it; the Lord (Yahweh, Jehovah) is his name; Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and shew thee great and mighty (inaccessible) things, which thou knowest not.’ (Jer. 33:3)
And we know the Lord doesn’t make empty or useless promises, so if He says that something good will happen when we do something, then we ought to do it, if we’re wise. Earlier on in Jeremiah,, the Lord also made it clear that He was in our court, when Jeremiah proclaims on His behalf. ‘For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil (calamity), to give you an expected end (a future and a hope). Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto (listen to) you. and ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.’ (Jer. 29:11-13)
That’s plain and straightforward my people. But please note the importance of that last verse. Before we can find the Lord, we have to seek Him, and not just seek Him, but seek Him with all of our hearts; that’s right motives. And that’s something many of us don’t do. We cry out to the Lord for help, but our hearts aren’t in sync with Him.
It’s as Jesus quotes Isaiah, (29:13) when talking about the Jewish traditions as opposed to God’s law. ‘Ye hypocrites, well did Esaias prophecy of you, saying, This people draweth nigh (near) unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me. But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.’ (Matt. 15:7-9)
Ah friends, that’s so prevalent nowadays! Yes, too many of us simply offer lip service to the Lord, saying the right religious words, and pretending to honour God outwardly, while our motives, inner thoughts and LOVE are completely disconnected from Him. But yet we expect Him to hear and honour our requests. That’s a fool’s wisdom my brethren!
And if that’s what we’re currently doing, then there is a way to change it all, as Isaiah says when he talks about God abundantly pardons. ‘Seek ye the Lord while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near: Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.’ (Is. 55:6-7) Yes mih people, all we have to do is sincerely turn back to the Lord, and He will pardon us. It’s not rocket science but simple common sense.
And if you still don’t believe, then listen to what the Lord says through the psalmist in Psalm 91. ‘Because he hath set his LOVE upon me, therefore will I deliver him: I will set him on high, because he hath known my name. He shall call upon me, and I will answer him: I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him, and honour him. With long life will I satisfy him, and shew him my salvation.’ (Ps. 91:14-16) Oh my fellow believers, that’s what the Lord does for those who sincerely LOVE and care for Him!
And just in case you forgot, like the Lord told Samuel when He sent him to anoint the next king of Israel from among the sons of Jesse, and he saw Eliab, the eldest son’s pleasing outward presence: ‘Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused (rejected) him: for the Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart.’ (1 Sam. 16:7)
Yes friends, just a little reminder that we can go to the Lord with all the flowery speech we want, but the first place He looks at is our hearts, and if that isn’t right with Him, then we’re wasting our time. So, as we experience this first lazy-day Saturday of autumn, let’s take a look at our hearts and see if they are truly right with God. And if they are not, then lets turn to Him for the help that only He can give to make them right! That’s wisdom for the ages! Much LOVE!
…LOVING God…is what we were created for…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
01 Aug 2026
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: bad planning, being obedient to God's will, bringing shame and disgrace on the name of Jesus, Calypsonian Shadow, Caribana celebrations, Caribbean Carnival, costumed revellers, deepen my breath, faith, feeling the feelings, find them sincere and true, full value for their money, go and pray unto me, gospel truth, grow in spiritual maturity, growing in godliness, hearken unto you, holy spirit, I may know you all the more, I praise you for your unceasing nearness, I want to be with you now, if any man will come after me, in all sincerity and truth, in the middle of the band's performance, increase my awareness of you today, invigorating sounds of West Indian musci, Jesus Christ, Lamport Stadium, Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer, leggo beast behaviour, let him deny himself, living for God, LOVE, Love the Lord thy God, mercy, not growing in spiritual maturity, Pan Alive Steelband Competition, Pan Fantasy, quiet my soul, RBC Redemption Sound Setters, relax my muscles, sacrifice, salvation, search for me with all your heart, seeking sincere intimacy with God, self-discipline, shut off the lights, sincere love for God, slow my thoughts, take our faith for granted, take up his cross daily and follow me, thank you for this tenderness, the first and great commandment, the great commandment, the Lord checks the state of our hearts, the wee hours of the morning, then shall ye call upon me, truth, unfulfilled lives, using small bands as filler, warmed the cockles of God's heart, wisdom, with all thy heart soul and mind, ye shall seek me and find me, you can't be contained, your love both surrounds and fills me, your peace and love are present
Today’s Scrip-Bit 1 August 2026 Matthew 22:37.
Matthew 22:37. Thou shalt LOVE the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.
And what a gorgeous summer’s day is this first Saturday in August; well suited to the Caribana, sorry, the Caribbean Carnival Parade taking place right now down on the lakeshore of Toronto, with the bright costumed revellers jumping down the street to the sweet, invigorating sounds of West Indian music. Ah mih people, I remember the days when I use to be front and centre down on University Avenue, and later Lakeshore Boulevard behaving like leggo beast.
It’s interesting though that this is the 59th version of Caribana – and you can call it want you want, it will go down as Caribana in the annals of history. It seems like I missed the first five, but was very present at the next thirty, and probably haven’t seen one in the last twenty, because of my reduced physical condition, and the watering down of the celebration in my opinion.
But I do attend one function of the celebration each year; that’s the Pan Alive, or Steelband Competition on the Friday night, and although I wasn’t feeling up to scratch, nonetheless dragged myself out to it last night. And it wasn’t bad, although not up to the standard of some earlier years, when you had more big and serious bands, participating, without the small bands being used as filler. But most of them sounded good, although the surprise of the evening was the guest band from Bethel, Tobago, the RBC Redemption Sound Setters, who played after the competition was over, that’s after midnight, when they rudely shut off the lights in Lamport Stadium in the middle of the band’s performance.
Only in Toronto you say! And that happened because of bad organization. The show was billed to start at 7 p.m. but did not get going until after 8; a regular occurrence. Then they had too much stuff before the bands began to play, necessitating the show to go till after midnight. And sadly it happens every year; poor planning and execution. But this is the first time I’ve seen them turn off the lights.
Thankfully though, one spotlight remained on the band and they gave the small remaining crowd full value for their money. Everybody was surprised at how good they were and how different their pans sounded to ours up here. I myself was surprised, although I had visited their pan yard a few years ago when I was in Tobago and heard them playing well. And if they were still playing after midnight, that tells you I did not get home until the wee hours of the morning, thus I am somewhat late on this lazy-day Saturday. (smile)
By the way, my side, Pan Fantasy did not win the competition this year…you can’t do so every year, else it won’t be a competition, (smile). And although I don’t agree, the Judges and many of the audience agreed that PanMasters Steel Orchestra won the competition with a rousing rendition of the song ‘Feeling the Feeling ‘ from the amazing repertoire of the now departed, but still dearly LOVED Tobago born Calypsonian Shadow.
Anyway, enough talk, let’s offer up our Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer in all sincerity and truth. As one strong 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 I know that when the Lord checks the state of our hearts, He will find them sincere and true, thus He won’t hesitate to fill us with the peace and calm that we’ve asked for, because the cockles of His heart were warmed by our seeking sincere intimacy with Him. And that’s all the Lord really desires of us yes; sincere intimacy with Him. And He says it several times in His Word, as in this instance through the prophet Jeremiah. ‘Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto (listen to) you. And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.’ (Jer. 29:12-13)
Yes friends, that’s what the Lord desires of us; seeking him with all of our hearts! And it’s like when the arrogant Pharisee lawyer said to Jesus: ‘Master (Teacher),which is the great commandment in the law? Jesus said unto him, 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.’ (Matt. 22:36-38) And if Jesus says it, then we know it’s the gospel truth!
That just goes to show how important seeking and LOVING our wonderful God is. The problem though, seems to be that we don’t take those words as seriously as we ought to, and therefore don’t seek the Lord or LOVE Him as much as we should. And I believe our failure to do that shows up in the evil and ungodliness of our world, and the unfulfilled lives that so many of us are living, even supposed believers. Too many of us either take our faith for granted, or don’t pay sufficient attention to the things we ought to do to grow in spiritual maturity and LOVE for God.
And that’s all we are really about down here yuh know; living for God by being obedient to His will for our lives, while growing in godliness and sincere LOVE for Him. And it’s not rocket science, but it does require some sacrifice and self-discipline. But that’s where too many of us seem to draw the line; we’re not prepared to sacrifice ourselves or our possessions, neither are we willing to give up our right to behave as we so desire. But then how can we call ourselves, Christians or true followers of Christ eh, when that’s exactly what He requires of His people?
And under those circumstances, I believe it’s important that we close with Jesus’ basic requirement for His followers. He says: ‘If any man will (desires to) come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.’ (Luke 9:23) Yes my brethren, that’s what we signed up for when we decided to be a Christian. So let’s not forget it and do otherwise, thus bringing shame and disgrace on the name of Lord Jesus Christ! Much LOVE!
…God LOVES us… and all He asks…is that we LOVE Him back…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
05 Jul 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a Sunday afternoon stroll, an attitude of prayer, ask and it shall be given to you, be patient in tribulation, communication with God, continuing instant in prayer, deepen my breath, delve into God's Word, everyone that asks receives, everyone that seeks finds, eye-opening scripture, faith, for our benefit, frequent prayer, go and pray unto me, He spake a parable unto them to this end, holy spirit, I love them that love me, I may know you all the more, I praise you for your unceasing nearness, I will hearken unto you, in Christ Jesus concerning you, in everything give thanks, in the face of adversity, in the morning, in the Spirit, increase my awareness of you today, intimacy with god, Jesus Christ, Jesus went out into a solitary place and prayed, knock and it shall be opened unto you, Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer, LOVE, maintain gratitude, make time to be intimate with our heavenly Father, meditate and pray, men ought always to pray and not faint, mercy, not lose heart, patient in tribulation, perseverance, pray without ceasing, praying always, put the word into action, quiet my soul, refreshing ourselves, rejoice evermore, rejoicing in hope, relax my muscles, relieve frustrations, rising up a great while before day, salvation, search for me with all your heart, seek and you shall find, slow my thoughts, spiritual success, thank you for this tenderness, the armour of God, the BIBLE, the Christian life, the wronged woman seeking justice from the unjust judge, then shall ye call upon me, this is the will of God in Christ, those that seek me early will find me, to everyone that knocks, to him that knocks it shall be opened, truth, watching thereunto, wisdom, with all perseverance and supplication for all saints, with prayer and supplication, ye shall seek me and find me
Luke 18:1. And he (Jesus) spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint (lose heart).
And finally we come to another Saturday, our lazy-day Saturday, where we dare to lie about doing as little as possible, in the opening rounds of refreshing our tired selves and spirits from a mediocre and unpleasant week. And the best way to begin relieving our frustrations is by offering up our Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer in all sincerity and truth.
So, as one strong voice, let’s pray. ‘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 there’s nothing better at relieving frustrations than seeking intimacy with our heavenly Father, because it lightens our spirits and renews our souls. Remember that eye-opening scripture we read yesterday from the prophet Jeremiah? ‘Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto (listen to) you. And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.’ (Jer. 29:12-13)
Yes friends, anytime we’re disheartened, discouraged, fearful, worried, lost or even just tired, the best way to relieve our anxieties is by sincerely seeking Jesus in prayer with all of our hearts. souls, bodies and minds. Cousin Sol also offer his two cents worth on the subject in Proverbs, when he writes of the Lord: ‘I LOVE them that LOVE me; and those that seek me early (diligently) shall find me.’ (Prov. 8:17)
This brings to mind this ever so important verse of the Bible, where it says: ‘And he (Jesus) spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint (lose heart).’ (Luke 18:1) Then He told them about the wronged woman who kept seeking justice from the unjust judge, until he finally got tired of her and gave her the justice she desired and deserved. And prayer, sincere and steadfast must always be number one in our lives.
Look at how often Jesus prayed. Before and after almost every event He went away by Himself to pray, to seek intimacy, strength, renewal and direction from the Father. And this scripture verse on the subject just touches my heart. Mark writes: ‘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)
Now, if Jesus, the Son of God, thought it necessary to make time to be in the Father’s presence, how much more do we, miserable and sinful creations that we are, need to make time to be intimate with our heavenly Father eh? Much, much more! And there are a number of scriptures that do encourage, admonish and exhort us to pray.
So let’s look at a few of them now nuh, beginning with this famous one from 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 of those verses. ‘The three imperatives, ask, seek, knock are in the present tense of the original language, suggesting both perseverance and frequent prayer. Fervent and continual 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.’ And that’s something we ought to grab hold of and hold on to quite tightly: we have no excuses for spiritual failure, because God has already given us what we need, and shown us the way to succeed.
Now here is another verse of scripture that encourages us to pray, from Bruh Paul to the Romans. When talking about overcoming evil with good, he says a part of our behaviour to enable us to do that, must be: ‘Rejoicing in hope, patient (persevering) in tribulation; continuing instant (steadfastly) in prayer.’ (rom. 12:12)
Then to the Ephesians, when talking about the armour of God, Bruh Paul ends with this most important verse. ‘Praying always with prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for the saints.’ (Eph. 6:18) What he’s saying there is that despite all the godly armour you might have on, prayer is still very important, for without it, the armour won’t work.
And finally, to the Thessalonians, Bruh Paul exhorts them thus: ‘Rejoice evermore. Pray without ceasing. In everything give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.’ (1 Thess. 5:16-18) Yuh see how he throws in that li’l gem in the middle: ‘Pray without ceasing.’ The scholars tell us that means we ought always to have an attitude of prayer, although we might not be praying audibly, and that constant attitude of prayer will help us to maintain gratitude in the face of adversity.
No friends, living the Christian life is not easy, definitely not a Sunday afternoon stroll in the park,, but as we saw earlier on, our wonderful God has given us everything we need to live the successful Christian life, so it’s all up to us to delve into His word, meditate and pray on it, then put it into action in our lives. And there’s no better time to begin doing that than right now. So, let’s take some time on this lazy-day Saturday, the first one in July of 2025, and spend it in true and sincere intimacy with our marvellous God. That can only be to our benefit! Much LOVE!
…without prayer…there’s no communication with God…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
19 Apr 2025
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: anxious, be of good courage, blessed is the man that trusts in God, crucifixion of christ, desperately wicked, Easter Saturday, empty words, ensure our hearts are right and sincere, faith, go and pray unto me, good advice, greater intimacy with God, holy spirit, I may know you all the more, I praise you for your unceasing nearness, I test the most secret parts, I the Lord search the heart, I try the reins, I will hearken unto you, impatient, increase my awareness of you today, incurably sick, Jesus Christ, Joseph of Arimathea, Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer, like a tree planted by the rivers of water, look not on his countenance, LOVE, make a positive difference, man looks on the outward appearance, mercy, on the height of his stature, outward doings, quiet my soul, relax my muscles, rise in victory, salvation, seek God with all thy heart, sincere prayer, slow my thoughts, strengthen thine heart, thank you for this tenderness, the death knell of Satan, the fatal blow, the heart is deceitful above all things, the imminent demise of Satan, the joyful expectation, the Lord looks on the heart, the Lord sees not as man sees, the waiting kills us, these things understood not the disciples, to give every man according to his ways, to the fruit of his doings, truth, wait I say on the Lord, wait on the Lord, who can know it, wisdom, ye shall call upon me, ye shall seek me and find me, you search for me with all your heart, your love surrounds and fills me
1 Samuel 16:7b. for the Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart.
Oh my people, it’s Easter Saturday and the waiting ensues. Christ was crucified and buried yesterday, so today we wait with bated breath for the upcoming miraculous transformation. Like a butterfly waits for its chrysalis (hard outer shell) to crack and allow it to spread its beautiful wings and fly, so too, we wait for Jesus to arise majestically and victoriously from the grave. While alive, He sounded the imminent demise, the death knell of Satan, hell, death and the grave, and He finally applies the fatal blow in His death! And all of God’s people shouted a loud and grateful, ‘Glory Hallelujah!’ in glorious expectation.
Yes friends, it’s ofttimes the waiting that kills us; we know that something good is coming, or about to happen, but we get so anxious and impatient that we lose the joyful expectation of what’s to happen. That’s why Bruh David so wisely advises us in Psalm 27: ‘Wait (expectantly, in faith) on the Lord: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait (expectantly, with faith), I say, on the Lord.’ (Ps. 27:14) And that’s good advice my brethren this Holy, lazy-day Saturday (smile) that’s fairly warm, but looks rather cloudy and dreary.
But re the waiting, yuh know what? We’re in a much better position than those early believers who watched Jesus crucified on the cross, then buried in the wealthy Joseph of Arimathea’s tomb. Why? Because we know that on the third day, He will rise again in victory! But the early Christians did not pay a lot of attention, or even understand when He mentioned that amazing situation as His time wound down. And at the actual crucifixion they were too afraid and terrified to remember such a seemingly inconspicuous incident.
The gospel of Mark tells that Jesus, after casting out a dumb and deaf spirit from a child, ‘And they departed thence, and passed through Galilee; and he would not that any man should know it (didn’t want anybody to know). For he taught his disciples, and said unto them, The Son of man is (being) delivered into the hands of men, and they shall kill him; and after that he is killed, he shall rise again the third day. But they understood not that saying, and were afraid to ask him.’ (Mark 9:30-32) So it was no surprise that they were terrified at Christ’s death wondering what would happen to them.
And as John says after Jesus’ marvellous kingly entry into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday. ‘These things understood not his disciples at first: but when Jesus was glorified (resurrected and ascended), then remembered they that these things were written of him, and that they had done these things unto him.’ (John 12:16) But we know better because it happened long ago and was written down for our benefit. And to help us wait with faith, let’s offer up our Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer with all 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 we know that if our prayer was sincere then our spirits will soon be much calmer and more peaceful that they were before. That’s because our God just LOVES it when we come to Him seeking greater intimacy, and simply cannot refuse our requests. That’s why we have these verses from Jeremiah to remind us of the fact. ‘Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto (listen to) you. And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.’ (Jer. 29:12-13)
Yes friends, it says it right there in spades; when we seek God with all of our heart, we will find Him, and He will listen to our prayer. Now, that can mean sometimes our prayers are not heard, or not answered because we didn’t seek God with our whole heart. As Jesus said when lambasting the Pharisees for their hypocrisy. ‘Ye hypocrites, well did Esaias (Isaiah) prophesy of you, saying, This people draweth nigh (near) unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me.’ (Matt. 15:7-8) And Isaiah did prophecy that in Chapter 29:13-16)
However, with the world having become as material and carnal as it currently is, no doubt many of us fall into that same trap; turning to God, with only our lips and mouths, while our hearts are far from Him. That obviously won’t get us anywhere with Him, for it’s our hearts He looks at, not our outward show, or the insincere words we mouth. And we have at least two examples of the Lord saying this.
First, when He sent the prophet Samuel to Jesse’s house to anoint the next king of Israel, Samuel saw Eliab, who looked physically great and thought that he must be the one. ‘But the Lord said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused (rejected) him: for the Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart.’ (1 Sam. 16:7)
Then, when the prophet Jeremiah talks about blessed is the man that trusts in God, and he shall be like a fruitful tree planted by waters, etc. etc. (Jer. 17:7-8) he also says these very astute and mindful words. ‘The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked (incurably sick): who can know it? I the Lord search the heart, I try the reins (test the most secret parts), even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings (deeds).’ (Jer. 17:9-10)
Yes my fellow believers, this lazy-day Holy Saturday, appears to be a very appropriate one to remember that the Lord looks at our hearts and not our outward doings or empty words, and therefore when we turn to Him, let’s ensure that our hearts are right and sincere. For that could make a whole lot of positive difference in our lives! Much LOVE!
…sincerity is one of the most valued of Christian attributes…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
28 Sep 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a double minded man is unstable in all his ways, all is vanity, an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled, avenues of growth, cannot serve God and mammon, carnal nature, covenant, draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, driven with the wind and tossed, enamoured with the things of Satan, enquired early after God, eternal separation from Almighty God, for all this they still sinned, futile, go and pray unto me, he that wavereth is like a tossed wave in the sea, honoureth me with their lips, Hurricane Helene, I may know you all the more, I will hearken unto you, in heaven we'll find everything, increase my awareness of you today, indisputable truth, inheritance, Jesus Christ, Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer, lied unto him with their tongues, LOVE, lustfully wallow in, made available by our heavenly Father, maturity, mercy, neither were they steadfast, no man can serve two masters, our Christian journey, our sinful nature, quiet my soul, reserved in heaven, salvation, sinful pleasures, slew the fattest of them, slow my thoughts, smote down the chosen, terrible consequences, thank you for this tenderness, the high god their redeemer, the ungodly things of the world, the wrath of God, their days did he consume in vanity, their heart is far from me, their heart was not right with him, their years in trouble, they flattered him with their mouth, they remembered that God was their rock, they returned, this people, this people draweth nigh, truth, uncorruptible, undefiled, vanity of vanities, we came with nothing, we will leave with nothing, when he slew them then they sought him, when ye shall search for me with all your heart, wisdom, ye shall call upon me, ye shall seek me and find me
Matthew 15:8. This people draweth nigh (near) unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me.
Well, it seems like this lazy-day Saturday won’t be sunshiny like the last few days of this past week, for it has opened dark and cloudy after some precipitation precipitated during the early morning hours. (smile) And according to the weather people, we might get some of the remnants of hurricane Helene sometime today. Please don’t forget to pray for those unfortunate souls whom Helene ravished over the last few days, while giving thanks for our own well-being.
And don’t think the hurricane business is over nuh, for there seems to be two more hurricanes brewing; one in the Atlantic ocean and one in the Caribbean. I’ve forgotten their names, though more likely than not, we’ll eventually hear from them. But to turn our eyes from the negativity of all that the hurricanes stand for, let’s get positive and raise our faith by sending up our Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer to heaven.
As one sincere 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 is that ever so reassuring, since the Lord likes nothing better than His people seeking His presence in their lives. Remember His words through the prophet Jeremiah? ‘Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto (listen to) you. And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.’ (Jer. 29:12-13)
Yes friends, our God desires that we devotedly and sincerely seek Him with all of our heart, meaning in total truth, not like what Jesus says of the people of His day. ‘This people draweth nigh (near) unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me.’ (Matt. 15:8)
It’s like the psalmist Asaph declares in Psalm 78, in the section titled ‘A Plea for God’s Mercy.’ He writes: ‘The wrath of God came upon them, and slew the fattest (stoutest) of them, and smote down the chosen (choice) men of Israel. For all this they sinned still, and believed not for his wondrous works. Therefore their days did he consume in vanity (futility), and their years in trouble (sudden terror).
When he slew them, then they sought him: and they returned and enquired early (sought diligently) after God. And they remembered that God was their rock, and the high God their redeemer. Nevertheless they did flatter him with their mouth, and they lied unto him with their tongues. For their heart was not right (steadfast) with him, neither were they steadfast (faithful) in his covenant.’ (Ps. 78:31-37)
Unfortunately friends, many of us supposed believers are still engaging in those same rebellious, and unfaithful acts today! We say we LOVE God and use all the right words and terminology, but our hearts are far from Him, as we lustfully wallow in the ungodly things of the world. And that’s sad, because if seek after God and His righteousness first, as Jesus says, in Matt. 6:33, then most of the very same things we’re running down on our own, will be made available to us by our heavenly Father.
The problem though is that because of our sinful and carnal nature, we are more enamoured with the things of Satan rather than those of God, and if we sincerely follow God, we won’t get those ungodly and lustful things that we truly desire. But please remember my brethren there are consequences to every action, and if we disobey God and follow after the enemy, then we will receive the same terrible consequences like he will receive; that’s eternal separation from Almighty God.
And I keep repeating that’s the worst thing that can ever happen to a human soul! Please believe me, and do your best to renounce the things of the enemy, and accept those of God. For, all of us know that the things of the enemy, the sinful pleasures that he encourages only last for short while then they vanish into thin air. As Cousin Sol would say of them: ‘Vanity of vanities (futility of futilities), all is vanity (futile).’ (Eccl. 1:2)
And that’s the indisputable truth! For nothing of the enemy is really worth anything, because we leave it all here when we die. But when we live for God, we amass rewards in heaven. As Peter puts it: ‘An inheritance incorruptible and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you.’ (1 Pet. 1:4)
Oh friends, let’s also remember Jesus’ warning that the earthly treasures we accumulate down here are susceptible to ruin and loss through moth and rust and thieves, but the heavenly treasures we accumulate don’t have any of those shortcomings, but are securely stored, waiting for you to come and receive them. (Matt. 6:19-20)
Thus as Jesus so rightly says: ‘No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and LOVE the other; or else he will hold to (be loyal to) the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon (earthly riches).’ (Matt. 6:20) And that’s the gospel truth my people! We cannot serve God and the earthly wealth advertised by Satan.
There are only two roads in this world; the straight and narrow path that leads to Jesus and everlasting life, and the wide and winding one that leads to destruction, hellfire, damnation and eternal separation from Almighty God. And we cannot ride the fence; that’s one moment with God, the other with Satan. For as James so correctly advises; ‘For he that wavereth (doubts) is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. For let not that man think that he will receive any thing of the Lord. A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.’ (James 1:6-8)
More indisputable truth friends. Truth that we should seriously ponder on this dark and cloudy lazy-day Saturday, and see how, or if any of it applies to our personal circumstances. And it’s a known fact that all of us have room for improvement, so, today, let’s sincerely consider avenues of growth and maturity in our Christian journey and worship God with both our mouths and our hearts. That can only stand us in good stead! Much LOVE!
…we came with nothing…and will leave with nothing…but in heaven…we’ll find everything…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
15 Aug 2024
by randyobrien50
in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living
Tags: a few tears fell, A Friend Observed, a future and a hope, a strong will, abundance, accepting Christ as Lord and Saviour, affirmations, confessions, creativity, curse, eternal separation from Almighty God, experience the same problems, faith, favour, for our ears only, give thanks for seeing another day, go and pray unto me, God will whisper secrets to you, God's plans are always the best, good friends, good health, groping and intense struggles, home to heaven, I know the thoughts that I have toward you, I will hearken unto you, in general our lives are pretty similar, in the name of Jesus, inner life and journey, Jesus Christ, listen -really listen, LOVE, memories encircled the room, negative word, One Year Book of Bible promises, planet earth, record of life, Ruth Harms Calkin, search for me with all your heart, seek me and find me, spiritual encounters, sweet little nothings, talent, the rising sun, the terrible place, thoughts of peace and not of evil, Thursday Blessings, to give you an expected end, truth, went home to be with Christ, what a beautiful day, where Satan holds saway, ye shall call upon me
Jeremiah 29:11. For I know the thoughts that I have toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil (calamity), to give you an expected end (a future and a hope).
What a beautiful day…what a beautiful Thursday! Yes friends, we’ve been blessed to experience another of God’s beautiful days on his wonderful planet Earth! Wow! But sadly, many didn’t open their eyes this morning to the rising sun, and we hope and pray that they went home to be with Christ, and not to that terrible place where Satan holds sway.
And though our present circumstances might not be all peaches and cream, it still behooves us to give thanks for seeing another glorious day, and also make sure that if we don’t open our eyes tomorrow, we’ll be going home to heaven and not to hell. And we can only ensure that by accepting Christ as Lord and Saviour and living the way He desires His followers to live, like the salt of the earth and the light of the world! For remember, the worst thing that can ever happen to a human soul is eternal separation from Almighty God, which is what will happen if we end up with Satan and his evil cronies in the fires of eternal damnation! End of Sermon! (smile)
Now, today, I want us look at an interesting writing from our One Year Book of Bible Promises, with writings by Ruth Harms Calkin, titled, ‘A Friendship Observed.’ And I’m not sure if I’ve ever shared it before, as it doesn’t look familiar to me, but previously shared or not, it’s still worthwhile sharing today. (smile)
So please read with me: ‘After my father’s death, I sat in his quiet office sorting through years of sermons and journals. A few tears fell on the pages. My task was very personal. Hundreds of memories encircled the room. I was amazed, yet pleased, when I began to compare my journals with my father’s. Our groping and intense struggles, our affirmations and confessions were so often interlaced. It would never have occurred to us to share our journals while Dad was alive. Diaries, letters, journals, and even phone calls were private.
Today I reflect upon my own record of life – page after page of spiritual encounters. Anguish, questions, purging, joy, discipline, insights, ecstasy, faith – God’s whispered secrets. Suddenly the early beginning became very much alive: A little girl, seven or eight, hearing her father say, “If you’ll listen – really listen – God will whisper secrets to you!” My father had said something very beautiful and strange. How did he know that God would whisper secrets to me? But as I sorted through my father’s careful recounting of his inner life and journey, it suddenly became very clear: He, too, had heard God’s secrets!’
Yes my people, if we listen carefully, we will hear God whisper secrets to us, because that’s His style. Throughout our lives, He always has something specific to say to those who LOVE and live for Him. Sweet little nothings that no one else can, or need to hear, because it’s only for our ears. And as children we don’t always know what our parents are going, or went through, especially the tough times, because they try to keep them from us, not wanting to burden us with more than we already have. And it’s not until their passing that we finally discover some hidden truths about their lives.
I gained personal experience in that area some years ago after my mother Molly went to be with the Lord, and I began going through some of her papers. I discovered certain tough things that she had experienced, but never shared with me, although we were quite open with each other, simply because she did not want me to worry. And believe me, knowing those things made me understand a whole lot of other things that I previously did not understand, and made me appreciate her even more, although I was also somewhat annoyed with her for not sharing them with me at the time.
But the truth is that all of us, parents and children, go through strange and difficult times, but oftentimes we all encounter some of the same problems and solutions, we just don’t share them, so we don’t realize how similar our lives are in general. Let’s hope that when my children go through the oodles of paperwork that I’ve accumulated over the years, they will be pleasantly surprised to find some insights in my life that will correspond to theirs, and allow a tear to fall in my memory. (smile)
Anyway, the Bible verses for our writing today, which come from the prophet Jeremiah, are some that we know right well and quote pretty often, but who knows whether or not we action them. ‘For I know the thoughts that I have toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil (calamity), to give you an expected end (a future and a hope). Then ye shall call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto (listen to) you. And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.’ (Jer. 29:11-13)
Oh my people, that’s a most important scripture in our lives! The Lord has a plan for each of us, one to give us hope and a good future, but we have to go to Him individually and find our His special plan for our life. And it must be a sincere seeking, through prayer, and with all our heart! That’s the only way we will ever discover His plan for our individual life. And I pray this Thursday morning, that those of us who don’t know God’s plan for their life, will get themselves together and seriously and sincerely seek Him to find it. That’s because His plans for us are always the best, and if we don’t discover them in a timely fashion, then we’ll simply live a second rate life.
Now let’s declare our Thursday Blessings so we can activate the underserved blessings that the Lord has so generously bestowed on us to do his earthly work. As one voice: ‘I declare that I am blessed with God’s supernatural wisdom and receive clear direction for my life! I declare today that I am blessed with creativity, courage, talent and abundance! I am blessed with a strong will, self-control and self-discipline!
I am blessed with a great family, good friends, good health, faith, favour and fulfillment! I am blessed with success, supernatural strength, promotion and divine protection! I am blessed with a compassionate heart and a positive outlook on life! I declare that any curse or negative word that’s ever been spoken over me is broken right now in the name of Jesus! I declare that everything I put my hands to, will prosper and succeed! I declare it today and every day! Amen!’
Now, it’s our duty to use those blessings for the benefit of others, just as generously as the Lord shared them with us! Much LOVE!
…on the outside…our lives might seem different…but on the inside…they’re usually the same…
Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien
