Today’s Scrip-Bit   26 December 2022 Ephesians 6:11.

26 Dec 2022 Leave a comment

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

Ephesians 6:11.       Put on the whole armour of God, that we may be able to stand against the wiles (evil schemes) of the devil.

Now this is one Monday that we all are going to LOVE! Yes, It’s Boxing Day, and a holiday for many of us, meaning an extension of the Christmas celebrations for another day. It’s always good when a Public Holiday falls on the weekend, because it gives us the next day off in lieu of the holiday. And since Christmas Day fell on this Sunday, and New Year’s Day will be falling on the next Sunday, lots of time off is in the offing. (smile) But please, let’s not use all our free time for physical celebrations, do spend some in valuable self-examination, looking back at what we did in 2022, and evaluating our goals and dreams for the new year of 2023, which will be another tough cookie. 

That means we have to buckle down in our faith, in our walk with God; either giving Him more of our time or simply digging deeper into His Word to find more of His eternal wisdom and understanding, for we will need those things even more in the turbulent days ahead. Why? Because life seems hell bent on getting more difficult and unnerving in the near future, than getting easier. And now is when believers need to strengthen their faith in Almighty God so that we can stand strong and steadfast in His name against the evil enemy who is putting up a stout fight, with no intentions of backing down. 

And with all the ungodly and negative stuff that’s happening in our world we must know that we’re in a fight for our lives, both spiritually and physically. But the good news is that we already possess the weapons to win that fight, provided we want to use them, and not simply give up in fear. NO! Not on your life! As soldiers in the army of Christ we must arm ourselves and fight the enemy mano a mano! That’s our God-given purpose, our bounden duty, which too many of us are currently shirking. 

But friends, this upcoming year of 2023 will separate the boys from the men, the sheep from the goats, and hopefully we’ll be numbered amongst the men and the sheep. But not unless we get serious about God, do like Bruh Paul says: ‘Put on the whole armour of God, that we may be able to stand against the wiles (evil schemes) of the devil.’ (Eph. 6:11) And please remember we’re not talking about physical warfare, but spiritual: ‘against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world (age), against spiritual wickedness in high places.’ (Eph. 6:12) 

That means you won’t see the demons and the powers of darkness that are coming against you, including Lucifer himself, but you’ll feel them invading your spirit, attempting to lead you astray, away from the straight and narrow path that leads to Jesus. And we cannot afford to make such a serious mistake, for the consequences of that are eternal. So, what do we do to prevent it? Like Bruh Paul writes: ‘Wherefore take unto you (take up) the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.’ (Eph. 6:13) 

Oh my fellow believers, it’s essential to avail ourselves of God’s provision for we are facing a formidable foe, an expert at mind bending, and if we’re without God’s armour, then he can destroy our Christian witness and ministry, his avowed goal. So, in ‘the evil day,’ that’s when we face those enemy onslaughts, we must do all we can, that’s dressed in God’s armour and staunchly resisting the enemy. And I know you’re anxious to recollect the six pieces of God’s armour. So here they are in a nutshell. 

The belt of truth; a knowledge of the truth of God’s Word that holds up all you believe. The breastplate of righteousness, which ‘represents a holy character and moral conduct. Obedience to the known “truth” produces a godly life (righteousness).’ Then, one’s feet must be shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace. That’s an eagerness or willingness to advance against the enemy, to take the fight to him, not just stand back and allow hm to come to you. Remember, the best method of defense is attack! And the gospel gives us peace from anxiety, which then allows us to advance fearlessly against Satan and his evil cohorts. 

Next, we need the shield of faith to protect us from the fiery darts of the wicked. That means trusting God, taking Him at His word, believing His promises. That trust will protect us from doubts induced by his satanic majesty. And we cannot go into battle without proper head gear, that’s the helmet of salvation; that’s the hope, or assurance of salvation! Neither can we enter a fray without a weapon to do damage to the enemy, and our weapon is the mightiest one in existence: ‘the sword of the Spirit, the word of God.’ 

Mama Mia! What awesome power! Remember how Hebrews describes God’s word: ‘For the word of God is quick (living), and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of (able to judge) the thoughts and intents (intentions) of the heart.’ (Heb. 4:12) Wow friends! Imagine the damage we can do with the word of God nuh as we wield it through the army of the evil doers! 

But wait, there’s one more important and powerful addition to all that armour, that’s the power of prayer. Yes my people, we must wrap up all that stuff in ‘prayer and supplication in the spirit, watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints.’ And all that about the pieces of armour can be found in Ephesians 6:15-18. Please remember to read it occasionally so we don’t forget it and get caught napping by the enemy. And I know that some of you might not think this Christmas season a good time to talk about armour and warfare, but it is in fact the best time, when we have let our guards down to celebrate, and the enemy is just licking his chops and moving in for the kill. 

Now, to wrap it all up in prayer, let’s go to God with our Monday Morning Battle Hymn sincerely seeking His divine assistance. As one strong voice: ‘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. We desperately need Your divine help, for You are the ONLY ONE with the power to solve our many problems. 

Heavenly Father, we admit that we have all sinned and seriously disobeyed Your Word, but we know that 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. That’s why we come to You now, with sincere repentance in our hearts, pleading with You to give us wise guidance and direction to alleviate our problems. 

And Father, we pray that you will ease the pain of the many who are suffering from negative situations. Please show them Your awesome grace and mercy, and keep Your promise that You’ll hear our prayer, forgive us, and heal our land 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!’ 

Now, let’s look to turning from our evil ways if we expect to see God’s grace and mercy! Much LOVE!

…Christmas is not only a season to celebrate…but also one to raise the level of our faith… 

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

Today’s Scrip-Bit 30 April 2018 2 Chronicles 7:14.

30 Apr 2018 Leave a comment

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

2 Chronicles 7:14.    If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.

And then it was Monday again…so I guess most of you readers are already at work, struggling after a partying weekend…but not my people, because we know better than that. (smile) Uncharacteristically though, I’ve been sleeping through most of the day. I guess the ole bod needs the rest. I’m not doing badly though, should be out of here tomorrow. 

But let’s do what we have to do, let’s sing out our Monday Morning Battle Hymn, because it’s prayer and is useful at any time of day or night. As one voice now: ‘Oh Lord God Almighty, Creator of the universe and all therein! We, your humble servants, praise your Holy Name and thank you that this Monday morning we have jobs to go to; jobs we don’t like, jobs that are unfair, difficult and even dangerous, but which serve a useful purpose here on earth; keeping lives and families together. 

We also thank you Father for the renewed vitality and enthusiasm you’ve wrought in our weary souls over the last two days. It’s that rejuvenation of Spirit which allows us now to sally forth with confidence into the evil, ungodly world that surrounds us, to begin a new week of work, constantly buffeted and bombarded by the enemy’s wicked taunts, wiles and lies. 

But heavenly Father, we’re not afraid, for we know we’re invincible, sure conquerors, once we’re wearing your powerful, protective spiritual armour. We surrender our all to you, and humbly ask that you let your incredible aura of LOVE, the Holy Spirit, lead and guide all your servants as we go out to meet the enemy in battle. Fill us with steadfast faith, so that we can make worthwhile inroads into the enemy’s ranks, and thereby further your glorious kingdom. We pray this in the Holy Name of your Son, and our Saviour, Jesus Christ. AMEN!’ 

Glory be my people! Prayer is such a wonderful thing! It not only connects us to our Triune God Head, but it also uplifts our souls and spirits at the same time. What could be better than that eh? That’s why it’s the most important weapon in a believer’s arsenal. And it’s possibly why I am still alive and kicking today; because of all the pleading prayers you all made on my behalf. 

So please, let us never belittle or downplay the power of prayer, especially since it’s the method the Creator chose for us to communicate with Him. As He says in our Bit today: ‘If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.’ 

And the scholars tell us: ‘7:14-15. While this promise was originally given to Solomon regarding the people of Israel, it is certainly applicable to all who will call on the Lord in repentance and faith. These verses stand as a high expression of God’s LOVING readiness to hear the prayers of a repentant people (cf. 6:37-39; James 4:8-1).’ 

And in these modern times where sin and evil are so prevalent, do we ever need to pray for help to overcome our numerous problems. That’s why in the New Testament we’re told so often about prayer and praying. Like Bruh Paul told the Thessalonians: ‘Pray without ceasing.’ (1 Thess.5:17) That doesn’t necessarily mean every minute of every day, but on a regular basis. Prayer should just be a thought away from our minds. And Bruh Paul told Timothy that ‘I will therefore that men pray every where, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting.’ (1 Tim.2:8) 

Meanwhile James admonishes: ‘Is any among you afflicted (suffering)? let him pray. Is any merry? Let him sing psalms. Is any sick among you? Let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with the oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him. Confess your faults (trespasses) one to another, that ye may be healed. The effectual (effective) fervent prayer (supplication) of a righteous man availeth much.’ (James 5:13-16) 

Yuh see friends, prayer is helpful in every situation of our daily walk with Christ! Be it in the church or out of it. And Bruh Paul reminds us in Ephesians, that even when we put on the life-saving armour of God, we still need prayer to help us along. ‘Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints.’ (Eph.6:18) 

And the scholars explain: ‘6:18. Praying is grammatically linked to “stand” in verse 14. Without prayer, God’s armour is inadequate to achieve victory. Prayer is indispensable. Always means “on every occasion,” that is, when Satan attacks. In the Spirit signifies that with the Spirit’s help such prayer for divine aid is to be made. Watching thereunto means ‘being vigilant in this very matter” of prayer. They are to pray not just for themselves but also for all saints; spiritual combat is both and individual and corporate matter.’ 

Oh my people, I couldn’t have put it any better. And I believe the best way to end this refresher course on prayer is with the prayer that our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ taught us. ‘After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil (the evil one): For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen!’ (Matt.6:9-13) 

Please friends and fellow believers, let’s remember to never belittle the power of prayer, instead, let’s wisely lift it up to the great heights that it is supposed to take in our lives nuh, because it’s all for our benefit. Much LOVE!

…to pray…and yet to pray…and to keep on praying…that is wisdom of the highest order…

 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 4 November 2014 Psalm 4:1.

04 Nov 2014 Leave a comment

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

Psalm 4:1.      Hear me when I call , O God of my righteousness: thou hast enlarged (relieved) me when I was in distress; have mercy upon me (be gracious to me), and hear my prayer.
 
Ah Friends, can you believe it’s already Tuesday? Wow! The days are certainly flying by quickly, which means we have no time to lose in getting to know our wonderful Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ!
 
We need to make our peace with Him ASAP; in fact RIGHT NOW, for who knows if He will come without warning today and pluck His people from wherever they are, and from whatever they are doing. And once He comes, heralded by the sound of the mighty trump, all bets are off, or as they say, who don’t win lose.
 
And I’m sure you don’t want everlasting separation from God to be your eternal lot and destiny. So please get a move on, give your all to Jesus Christ! It’s the best decision you can ever make as a mortal being!
 
Now here is another excerpt from the One Year Book of Bible Promises, one that’s rather appropriate for our current, modern-day lifestyle. It’s titled ‘Busy Day,’ and says: ‘Lord, this is one of those days I must ask You to preserve my sanity In the midst of turmoil. I’m so pressed by commitments– Plus a thousand trivial tasks- That I can scarcely see over my head.
 
So I plead for enough wisdom To sort my priorities carefully. Regardless of my frenzied schedule May I keep my sense of humour And even enjoy a hearty chuckle or two. Calm my quivering nerves With mental flashes from Your Word. Help me to maintain At least a semblance Of Mary-Martha balance.
 
And tonight when we’re together again Should my husband confront me with “What have you been doing today?” May my answer be genuine and gentle: “Part of the time, darling I’ve thanked God for you.’
 
Yes Friends, that definitely sounds like many of us! And the accompanying scripture is: ‘And Jesus answered and said unto her, Martha, Martha, thou art careful (worried) and troubled about many things (the little details).’ (Luke 10:41)
 
Ah mih people, balance is so sadly lacking in so many -too many- of our lives, that most days we don’t know whether we’re coming or going! And balance is ever so important, if we want to live fruitful and faithful lives.
 
And the best way to achieve balance is by keeping Jehovah God in first place in our lives, and giving ourselves to continual prayer, which brings us to our Bit. ‘Hear me when I call, O God of my righteousness: thou hast enlarged (relieved) me when I was in distress; have mercy upon me (be gracious to me), and hear my prayer.’
 
And some of you will be glad to hear that this is the last day for that particular Bit. (smile) And as usual, we’ll get into the scriptures with a story about Jesus on the subject; the one where He cleanses the temple.
 
The Good Book tells it thus: ‘And they come to Jerusalem: and Jesus went into the temple, and began to cast out them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew (overturned) the tables of the money changers, and the seats of them that sold doves;
 
And would not suffer that (allow) any man should carry any vessel (wares) through the temple. And he taught, saying unto them, Is it not written, My house shall be called of (for) all nations the house of prayer? But ye have made it a den of thieves.’ (Mark 11:15-17)
 
Yuh see Friends, the constant desecration of the Lord’s house, His haven for prayer, was one of the few things that made Jesus so angry that He resorted to violence.
 
Meanwhile, the awesome power of prayer is shown in Acts, where Bruh Paul is in Macedonia. ‘And on the Sabbath we went out of the city by a riverside, where prayer was wont to be (customarily) made; and we sat down, and spake unto the women which resorted thither (met there).
 
And a certain woman named Lydia, a seller of purple (purple dye), of the city of Thyatira, which worshipped God, heard us: whose heart the Lord opened, that she attended unto (took heed of) the things which were spoken of Paul.
 
And when she was baptized, and her household, she besought (begged) us, saying, If ye have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come into my house, and abide there. And she constrained (compelled) us.’ (Acts 16:13-15)
 
Oh my people, how great indeed is the power of prayer, because it works through the omnipotence of the Creator of the universe and all therein!
 
And I don’t believe that there’s anybody who cried out to Jehovah God as much as Bruh David did. Listen to his plea from the opening verses of Psalm 5 – a prayer for protection. ‘Give ear to my words, O Lord; consider my meditation (groaning). Hearken unto the voice of my cry, my King, and my God: for unto thee will I pray.
 
My voice shalt thou hear in the morning, O Lord; in the morning will I direct my prayer unto thee, and will look up. For thou art not a God that hath pleasure in wickedness: neither shall evil dwell (sojourn) in thee.’ (Ps.5:1-4)
 
And we’ll close this series of messages on prayer; its uses and its amazing power, with the moving and memorable words of Jesus’ half brother James, who only came to faith after the resurrection.
 
‘Is any among you afflicted (suffering)? let him pray. Is any merry (cheerful)? let him sing psalms. Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord;
 
And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him. Confess your faults (trespasses) one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual (effective) fervent prayer (supplication) of a righteous man availeth much.
 
Elijah was a man subject to like passions as we are (with a nature like ours), and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain: and it rained not on the earth by (land for) the space of three years ans six months. And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth brought forth her fruit.’ (James 5:13-18)
 
Oh my fellow believers, those are indeed words of awesome wisdom! It is ever so important that prayer occupies a central place in our daily lives. As such, we ought to be devoted to prayer, because it’s the strong lifeline, the umbilical cord between our mortal selves and the divine God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob!
 
If it’s broken, then we perish, like a baby in its mother’s womb when its lifeline breaks. So please, I implore us to be wise and not break that very tenuous connection, reach out to God with prayer, in hungry hope and expectant faith. Much LOVE!
 
…continue in prayer…and watch in the same…with thanksgiving… (Col.4:2)

 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 12 April 2014 Psalm 66:19

12 Apr 2014 Leave a comment

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

 Psalm 66:19.    But verily God hath heard me; he hath attended to the voice of my prayer.
  
Good morning, good morning! Yes Friends, we’re wishing you a good morning and a wonderful day on God’s great earth!
 
And although life might not be all that we want or expect, it sure beats anything else that we currently know. So let’s put aside the fear, the worry, the anxiety, the anger, resentment or whatever other negative thing is troubling our tender souls.
 
Remember that God is always working on, in and for us, trying to make us better people, more Christ-like in character and that includes all sorts of testing, trials, tribulations and being passed through the fire so that we can be refined and brought to the state that He’s prepared for us. 
 
Wow! What a speech! (smile) But it’s all true. So this Saturday morning, regardless of whatever is wrong, let’s not get down on ourselves. Let’s not lose confidence in Almighty God, who LOVED us so much that He sent His Son Jesus Christ to die for us on the cross at Calvary, so that we could be brought back into His ever-loving fold, reconciled to Him.
 
That, my Friends, is the greatest gift that mankind has ever been given, and it’s set to all play out in the coming week, Holy Week, beginning with Christ’s crucifixion and ending in a blaze of glory with His resurrection!
 
And all God’s people gave a joyful shout of ‘Praise be to Almighty God, the giver of all good things to His chosen people!’
 
So let’s not hang our heads down like Tom Dooley and cry, (smile) – the old Everly Brothers song of the same name – but let’s lift up our heads and hearts proudly, with confidence, faith and trust in our faithful leader and Saviour Jesus Christ because that’s why He sacrificed His sinless life for our sinful ones. If we just give in to the negative forces and circumstances around us, then we’ll be doing Him a great disservice, making a mockery of His sacrificial death.
 
Right now is possibly the best time of year to be a Christian, just before Easter, when Jesus turned the whole world upside down with His wondrous doings! It’s a real confidence builder and booster! So sit up, look up, put a smile in your heart and on your face, and take pride in being a child of the ONE and ONLY TRUE GOD, Creator of the universe and all therein!
 
And in this calamitous and ungodly world, we need to get even closer to God than we currently are. That means going to Him in prayer, the most effective way of communicating with Him. And it still surprises me that many Christians don’t truly believe or understand the power of prayer! That’s why, as I said a couple of days ago, so many supposed Christians still lead sub-par lives. That’s why we have been inspired to write these messages on the positive power of prayer.
 
And our Bit is a wonderful example of the workings of prayer in a Christian’s life. The psalmist showed no doubt or hesitation when he declared: ‘But verily God hath heard me; he hath attended to the voice of my prayer.’
 
Yes my brethren, God does hear and answer our sincere prayers! And today we’ll share one unbroken passage of scripture which encapsulates all that prayer is and does.
 
Listen to James enunciate on the benefits of prayer. ‘Is any among you afflicted (suffering)? let him pray. Is any merry (cheerful) let him sing psalms. Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord.
 
And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, (the prayer produced by that faith will heal), and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him. Confess your faults (trespasses) one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual (effective) fervent prayer (supplication) of a righteous man availeth much.
 
Elijah was a man subject to like passions as we are (with a nature like ours), and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain: and it rained not on the earth (land) by the space of (for) three years and six months. And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth brought forth her fruit.’ (James 5:13-18)
 
What a testimony for prayer my people! And I’ll add my own small testimony here. Before I began writing the Bit, I was feeling lousy both emotionally and physically, and knew I couldn’t write the Bit in that condition, so I read some uplifting stuff and floated some prayers up to heaven asking for strength and guidance to write a good Bit.
 
And Friends, though I expected a positive response, I was truly surprised when I began writing and everything just flowed like water from a fountain – a heavenly fountain that is. I didn’t even need to do a rough draft, as I do most of the time.
 
Now that couldn’t have been just my natural powers. And though I’m still feeling the effects of the cold, Friends, I’m here, and very happy to tell you, that all is now well with my soul! (smile) Please believe in prayer, for it does work wonders in a believer’s life! Much LOVE!
 
…to pray…to pray…and yet to pray…that is the only way…
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 15 January 2014 Psalm 5:3

15 Jan 2014 Leave a comment

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

Psalm 5:3.   My voice shalt thou hear in the morning, O Lord; in the morning will I direct my prayer unto thee, and will look up.
 
Oh Friends, once again we have been blessed with God’s wonderful grace, enabling us to see another new day on His great planet earth! Wow! How thrilling that is!
 
And I know that you all will agree with me, for despite all the problems in the troubled world and our individual lives, very few really are ready to leave here and go over to the other side. There’s something about earth, with all its faults and foibles that still holds us captive.
 
Perhaps it’s simply because we know what’s here, but aren’t truly sure about what’s on the other side, although they claim it’s much better there.
 
In any case, since we’re here, and most likely want to be, let’s be happy, and like the psalmist, joyfully declare: ‘This is the day which the Lord hath made; we WILL rejoice and be glad in it.’ (Ps.118:24) That positive attitude certainly helps more than a negative, sorrowful, poor-me-one behaviour.
 
Oh by the way, a service man did come yesterday to look at our freezer problem, at an exorbitant service charge. Hn!
 
Apparently there’s a small plastic cup – no surprise there, for everything’s plastic now – where the water runs through to the icemaker. But whenever that cup gets clogged with ice, and the icemaker calls for water, the water cannot run into the cup and into the icemaker. So as water is wont to do, it finds other channels to run into.
 
Consequently, by the time he checked it yesterday, everything was clear and free, and the only thing we can do is keep a close eye on it, because there’s no finding out why it happens. Ah Lord eh! And last night we had to turn off the icemaker because the bucket was already full of ice.
 
And the techie agreed with my contention that the earlier appliances worked much better than these new fangled ones, neither did they have as many complications when something went wrong. Although it gave him more work, he wasn’t thrilled with the new stuff, and suggested that we complain to the manufactures themselves, not to the service people.
 
But which big manufacturer listens to the small man eh, unless there’s a big ground swell and a serious threat of boycotting their products?
 
Anyway, that’s enough preamble for today. (smile) Yesterday’s Bit was one of the longest, if not the longest one I’ve ever written, and I promise today’s definitely won’t be as long. So in keeping with that promise let’s get to our Bit from Bruh David’s prayer for protection. 
 
‘My voice shalt thou hear in the morning, O Lord; in the morning will I direct my prayer unto thee, and will look up.’
 
And I was up early enough today to do my prayer thing and still get the Bit to you at a reasonable hour. Glory Hallelujah! And we’ll continue looking at scriptures that show us the importance of prayer, as well as encourage us to get more involved in it.
 
And there’s lots of truth in the advice to begin each day with prayer. Bruh David and Daniel (6:10) did it, and in Psalm 88, a Maschil (Contemplation) of Heman the Ezrahite, a cry for deliverance from death, the psalmist also proclaims: ‘But unto thee have I cried, O Lord; and in the morning shall my prayer prevent (come before) thee.’ (Ps.88:13)
 
Now we already know that Jesus got up very early every morning to go out into a quiet place and pray. (Mark 1:35) But that wasn’t the only time He availed Himself of the power of prayer. And we have a good example of that after He fed the five thousand, (Matt.14:15-22) and sent His disciples over to the other side of the lake by ship, then went off by Himself to pray.
 
‘And when he had sent the multitudes away, he went up into a mountain apart (by Himself) to pray: and when the evening was come, he was there alone.’ (Matt.14:23)
 
Apparently after using up all that spiritual energy, He needed some recharging of His batteries, some rejuvenation of His Spirit. And believe me Friends, nothing recharges or rejuvenates us like sincere prayer!
 
Now let’s move on to Bruh Paul. Oh my brethren, I don’t know if anyone has spoken about the importance of prayer more than him! In every epistle he encourages his readers to pray. And his most astounding pronouncement on the subject is simply this: ‘Pray without ceasing.’ (1 Thess.5:17) Plain and straightforward my people!
 
The scholars dissemble the verse thus: ‘The Greek word here rendered without ceasing is used in secular literature to denote a man suffering from an intermittent cough – one that is not continuous, but occurs at intervals. Just as the individual has the tendency to cough, though does not always do so audibly, so the believer ought to remain in the attitude of prayer though not always praying audibly.’ 
 
Therefore Friends, as true believers, we ought always to have that attitude of prayer about us, though not necessarily praying aloud. It’s a most wonderful behaviour to cultivate. And as promised, we won’t ramble on any more today.
 
But my brethren, that’s only the tip of the iceberg concerning prayer in the Good Book. However we’ll leave you to ponder those few verses today. Don’t want to complicate your busy minds and lives more than they’re already complicated. (smile) .
 
But please, please, let’s get serious about prayer in this important year of 2014 nuh, both for others and ourselves, because it’s the greatest power on planet earth, when entered into with heartfelt sincerity. Much LOVE!
 
…there’s nothing like prayer…to lighten the believer’s soul…  
 
P.S. Aye mih people, the Bit will most likely be plenty late tomorrow, because I’m going out of town this evening, and I don’t know when I’ll find the time to write it. But rest assured that once I’m alive and kicking, you will receive it. It’s just a matter of when. And as they say; better late than never. (smile) Much LOVE!