Today’s Scrip-Bit   28 October 2023 Mark 1:35.

28 Oct 2023 Leave a comment

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

Mark 1:35.        And in the morning, rising up a great while before day, he went out, and departed into a solitary (deserted) place, and there prayed.

And is it ever a beautiful lazy-day Saturday, with bright sunshine and blue clouds, but somewhat chilly temperatures. Unfortunately, it won’t be as warm as yesterday, when the sun wasn’t only shining brightly but also releasing intense heat, thankfully allowing me to sit on my porch in the afternoon in shirtsleeves and soak up some of the warm rays. (smile) I believe the temperature got up to around 23 yesterday, and except for the strong breeze, it was a perfect summer day. Possibly the last one we’ll also have for some time. (smile) Today, we’ve gone back to more seasonal temps, around the low double digit figures. But there’s wonderful sunshine, so everything’s right with the world! 

That means it’s time to turn to our Lazy-Day Saturday Prayer. So please pray with me: ‘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 if that heartfelt prayer doesn’t bring us into God’s presence, and calm our souls and spirits, then I don’t know what will. 

Ah friends, prayer is such an important aspect of a believer’s life, that you can’t put a value on it. It’s the awesome way we communicate with our heavenly Father. Without prayer, we’d be lost, merely existing in an empty space. But with that amazing ability to commune with the Creator of the universe and all therein, we’re elevated to a special place; a place a little lower than the angels, but much higher than the rest of His creation. And for those of us who don’t think that prayer is important, just look at the example set by our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. 

Although He was the Son of God, when He was here on the earth in human flesh, communing with His Father was one of the most important and regular things He did. There are so many instance in the Bible where He left the crowds, even His disciples behind and went to a deserted place to pray, to renew His spiritual strength. For, though He was fully God, in His human state, the earthly journey was indeed taxing and He couldn’t do it on His own, but every so often needed divine help to refresh and rejuvenate Him. 

And it’s the very same way with us my brethren. We cannot get through this taxing earthly journey on our own either. We too need divine help to assist us in just keeping on in these troubled times, and even more so in keeping on the straight and narrow path that leads to Jesus. And prayer is a mighty big part of the answer. But let’s look at a few of the specific times when the Bible tells us that Jesus prayed. We see one occurrence when He was baptized. Luke writes: ‘Now when all the people were baptized, it came to pass, that Jesus also being baptized, and praying, the heaven was opened. And the Holy Ghost descended in a bodily shape like a dove upon him, and a voice came from heaven, which said, Thou art my beloved Son, in thee I am well pleased.’ (Luke 3:21-22) 

Then, before Jesus chose the twelve disciples, He also enveloped Himself in prayer. The Bible says: ‘And it came to pass in those days that he went out into a mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God. And when it was day, he called unto him his disciples: and of them he chose twelve, whom he named apostles.’ (Luke 6:12-13) He also regularly went off to pray after preaching to the crowds, as His fame spread and more people came to Him for help and healing. ‘And he withdrew himself into the wilderness and prayed.’ (Luke 5:16) Meanwhile, it also seems like Jesus made it a habit to begin His day with prayer, as Mark tells us. ‘And in the morning, rising up a great while before day, he went out, and departed into a solitary (deserted) place, and there prayed.’ (Mark 1:35) 

Now friends, if the Son of God could make it a habit to get up early every day and begin His day with prayer to His heavenly Father, who are we, mere creations, not to do the same eh? We are foolish creations if we don’t begin our day with even a short heartfelt prayer for wisdom and guidance as we face the day ahead of us. Jesus knew He couldn’t handle the day without divine help, but so many of us consider ourselves above prayer and asking for help, that we just rush out each day into the evil and toxic world without the guarantee of the Lord’s favour and protection. That’s certainly not wise my people, for it’s the God of heaven who protects us and gives us favour and grace to do and get whatever we need in this earthly life. And until we truly realize that and begin utilizing it, we will never reach our full potential. 

And we have one of the best examples of prayer in Jesus’ life on the night before His crucifixion. When the enormity of the situation hit Him, the realization of the terrible suffering, and the loss of communication with the Father, He went into the garden of Gethsemane and prayed. He said to the three disciples with Him, Peter, James and John: ‘My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death: tarry (wait) ye here, and watch with me. And he went a little farther, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless, not as I will, but as thou wilt.’ (Matt. 26:38-39) 

Yes friends, three times, Jesus fell on His knees and asked for the cup to be removed from him, that is, the crucifixion be cancelled. However, on each occasion, He ended by saying, ‘not my will but thine.’ Deep down He knew that it would not be cancelled, because that was the very purpose for which He was born; to die on the cross so that our sins could be paid for and thus forgiven. And it wasn’t so much the physical ‘sufferation’ that He would undergo which had His soul so sorrowful, but more the imminent separation from the Father, when He became the bearer of all the world’s sins. They had never been separated before and Jesus certainly wasn’t looking forward to it. But, like the obedient Son He was, He accepted His fate and went like a lamb to His slaughter, all for our sakes. 

Ah mih people, even in severe pain on the cross, Jesus prayed. First, he cried out to the Father: ‘Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?, that is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?’ (Matt. 27:46) That was the very thing that Jesus had been afraid of; separation from the Father because of his then sinful condition. But He bore it all like a man! Prayer was so important to Jesus, that on the cross, He even prayed for those who were crucifying Him. ‘Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do. And they parted his garments and cast lots.’  (Luke 23:34) 

Then, finally, when the end was near, after crying out again in a loud voice, He said, ‘Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit: and having said thus, he gave up the ghost (he breathed his last breath).’ (Luke 23:46) So, my fellow saints, I do hope on this lazy-day Saturday, with all the examples of Jesus’ praying, that the overwhelming importance of prayer has been brought home to us, and that from here on in, we will endeavour to improve, and increase our prayer lives, the way Jesus desires of us. Please remember, it’s all for OUR benefit, not Christ’s. Much LOVE!

…to pray, to pray…and yet to pray…that is the answer… 

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Today’s Scrip-Bit 28 July 2017 Psalm 55:16.

28 Jul 2017 Leave a comment

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

Psalm 55:16.   As for me, I will call upon God; and the Lord shall save me.

‘Alive! Still alive! Still alive and kicking! Give God the glory!’ Yeh friends, the ole fella is still alive and kicking! What an honour! 

That means God still has some plan for me to accomplish. And though I might not be kicking as healthily and actively as I’d like, once I’m alive, I have hope that things can get better. But if I’m not alive, things can’t get any better here on earth. (smile) 

So let’s praise our wonderful God and give Him much, much thanks for everyday we open our eyes to a bright new morning with Jesus the focus of our lives. Glory to God! 

So it’s Friday and the workingman is overjoyed at his short stint of upcoming freedom, and understandably shouts: ‘TGIF! Thank God is Friday mih breddren! No more labour till Monday! We going to laugh and sing and party like there was no tomorrow…

For who knows if there’ll be a tomorrow anyway! So let’s party up a storm and enjoy the fruits of we labour nuh like Cousin Sol, the wisest man ever, advised. Thank God for Fridays and the weekend oui!’  

And Cousin Sol did advise that my friends, but I don’t think he meant for us to go overboard with it, as the workingman seems to advocate. I believe he would have liked to see some boundaries, boundaries that did not allow the enemy to get into our lives. 

He’d much prefer a statement along the lines of our Friday Chant, which advocates a tad more circumspection. So let’s give voice to our Friday Chant nuh…declare it like we truly mean it. ‘Oh Lord, thanks for getting me safely through another week of work! It hasn’t been easy, but with your generous help, I made it through. 

Now, please help me to get sufficient fun, fellowship, rest and relaxation in these two short days off, so that I can be renewed and refreshed in soul, body and mind, to go back out and do it all over again next week, furthering your glorious kingdom with each step I take. I pray this in Jesus name. Amen!’ 

Ah mih people, I guess that’s what you’d call erring on the safe side (smile). But there is an enormous benefit to it; spending more time with God and less with the enemy! And anytime we can do that, we’re winning the battle of life. 

That brings us to our Bit; the proclamation of Bruh David from Psalm 55 – the cry against deceitful friends. In the midst of it all, he faithfully and boldly declares: ‘As for me, I will call upon God; and the Lord shall save me.’ 

What awesome faith my brethren! How many of us boldly make such declarations when the trials and tribulations of life are coming against us eh? Not as many as should, I’d dare to say. 

When times are good, we talk a good talk, but when they get rough, the exact time when we desperately need God, too many of us forget Him, give up hope and allow the ever-lurking enemy to confuffle us even further. That’s foolish, unproductive and ungodly behaviour my fellow believers, which severely detracts from our faith walk. 

Instead, we should be declaring powerful acclamations like Bruh David did after our Bit: ‘Evening, and morning, and at noon, will I pray, and cry aloud: and he shall hear my voice.’ (Psalm 55:17) Yeh precious people of God, when our prayers are constantly being floated up to heaven, we are assured of more assurance in our faith walk. (smile) 

That’s why Bruh Paul told the Thessalonians: ‘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) And the scholars tell us that ‘the constant attitude of prayer, mentioned in verse 17, will help the believer to maintain gratitude (even) in the face of adversity.’ 

What more can we ask eh friends? Not a whole lot. To be grateful in the rough times is the mark of a true believer. And Bruh Paul also exhorted Timothy to prayer when he wrote. ‘I will therefore that men pray everywhere, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting.’ (1 Tim.2:8) 

So again we see that prayer should not only be constant, but it can be done anywhere, preferably ‘with a pure life without disputes.’ 

And we won’t forget to mention Jesus’ advice on the subject. ‘And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint (lose heart).’ (Luke 18:1) 

And the scholars explain that verse thus. ’18:1. To faint means to “lose heart.” Precisely when tempted to give up, men ought to be strong in their resolve to pray.’ Exactly the message I’ve been trying to covey my fellow believers. 

Now we’ll close with a powerful example of what we’re talking about. It’s about Daniel, when his enemies plotted against him and had the king sign a law that forbade anyone to ‘ask a petition of any God or man for thirty days, save (except) of thee O king, he shall be cast into the den of lions.’ (Dan.6:7b). 

They knew that the only way they could get to Daniel was through his God. But Daniel was not perturbed. The Good Book tells us: ‘Now when Daniel knew that the writing (written decree) was signed, he went into his house; and his windows being open in his chamber toward Jerusalem, he kneeled upon his knees three times a (that) day, and prayed, and gave thanks before his God, as he did aforetime (had been doing all along). 

Then these men assembled and found Daniel praying and making supplication before his God.’ (Dan.6:10-11) 

And we all know the story how Daniel was thrown into the lion’s den but the Lord stopped them from harming him. 

Oh friends, examples like Daniel have been placed in the Word to encourage and uplift us, so that we too can take courage in the efficacy of prayer. Please, let’s use them productively nuh, like our caring and compassionate God intended. Much LOVE!

…to pray…and yet to pray…and still yet to pray…that is the answer…