Prayer is unique to humans.
Prayer is the highest spiritual activity.

Pray in moments of joy

”Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever...” - Psalms‬ ‭136:1-26‬ ‭ESV‬‬

Pray in moments of distress

“...Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble, and he delivered them from their distress.” - ‭‭Psalms‬ ‭107:23-28‬ ‭ESV‬‬

Prayer should be persistent, tenacious

“And he told them a parable to the effect that they ought always to pray and not lose heart..." - ‭‭Luke‬ ‭18:1-8‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“...I tell you, though he will not get up and give him anything because he is his friend, yet because of his impudence he will rise and give him whatever he needs.” - Luke‬ ‭11:5-8‬ ‭ESV‬‬

Prayer should be simple and humble

“... For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.” - Luke‬ ‭18:10-14‬ ‭ESV‬‬

The Lord's Prayer shows our prayer focus

”Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.” - Matthew‬ ‭6:9-13‬ ‭ESV‬‬

• God - "Our Father..."
• His Kingdom - "Your Kingdom Come..."
• His Glory - "Your Will Be Done..."
• Our Need For His Forgiveness - "Forgive our debts..."
• Our Need For His Daily Support - "Our Daily Bread..."
• Our Need For His Daily Deliverance - "Lead Us Not into Temptation..."

The Early Church was be marked by Prayer

”And they devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.” - Acts‬ ‭2:42‬ ‭ESV‬‬

Prayer deepens or faith in Christ and increases our our appreciation in God's Love

”For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.” - Ephesians‬ ‭3:14-19‬ ‭ESV‬‬

Prayer is unique to humans.
Prayer is the highest spiritual activity.
Pray in moments of joy
* “Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever...” - Psalms‬ ‭136:1-26‬ ‭ESV‬‬

Pray in moments of distress
* “...Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble, and he delivered them from their distress.” - ‭‭Psalms‬ ‭107:23-28‬ ‭ESV‬‬

Prayer should be persistent, tenacious
* “And he told them a parable to the effect that they ought always to pray and not lose heart..." - ‭‭Luke‬ ‭18:1-8‬ ‭ESV‬‬ * “...I tell you, though he will not get up and give him anything because he is his friend, yet because of his impudence he will rise and give him whatever he needs.” - Luke‬ ‭11:5-8‬ ‭ESV‬‬

Prayer should be simple and humble
* “... For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.” - Luke‬ ‭18:10-14‬ ‭ESV‬‬

The Lord's Prayer shows our prayer focus
“Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.” - Matthew‬ ‭6:9-13‬ ‭ESV‬‬ * God - "Our Father..." * His Kingdom - "Your Kingdom Come..." * His Glory - "Your Will Be Done..." * Our Need For His Forgiveness - "Forgive our debts..." * Our Need For His Daily Support - "Our Daily Bread..." * Our Need For His Daily Deliverance - "Lead Us Not into Temptation..."

The Early Church was be marked by Prayer
* “And they devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.” - Acts‬ ‭2:42‬ ‭ESV‬‬

Prayer deepens or faith in Christ and increases our our appreciation in God's Love
* “For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.” - Ephesians‬ ‭3:14-19‬ ‭ESV‬‬

1. Lower Your Voice and Speak Slowly

2. Typically, the raised voice and rapid speech are telltale signs that we are out of control — that super-heated emotion is taking over. In those frames of mind, we usually come across as angry, hostile, controlling, but not in charge even of ourselves and our own emotions. A cool, calm low voice sends the message that we are not only in control, but that we have something of significance to offer the stressful situation.2. Say You Care

3. Conflict arises when needs are not being met or when wants and desires are at cross-purposes. The underlying message is that the offending party “really doesn’t care.”  One is not concerned about how the other feels. It’s “My way or the highway.” “He/she never considers what I would like to do.” “He and I never seem to be on the same page. He always gets his way!” The conclusion drawn from such statements is that the other doesn’t care. Conflict is moderated when there is affirmation that one is truly loved and cared for.3. Communicate Commitment

This afternoon, I spoke with Governor Malloy and FBI Director Mueller. I offered Governor Malloy my condolences on behalf of the nation and made it clear he will have every single resource that he needs to investigate this heinous crime, care for the victims, counsel their families.

We’ve endured too many of these tragedies in the past few years. And each time I learn the news, I react not as a president, but as anybody else would as a parent. And that was especially true today. I know there’s not a parent in America who doesn’t feel the same overwhelming grief that I do.

The majority of those who died today were children — beautiful, little kids between the ages of 5 and 10 years old. They had their entire lives ahead of them — birthdays, graduations, weddings, kids of their own. Among the fallen were also teachers, men and women who devoted their lives to helping our children fulfill their dreams.

So our hearts are broken today for the parents and grandparents, sisters and brothers of these little children, and for the families of the adults who were lost.

Our hearts are broken for the parents of the survivors, as well, for as blessed as they are to have their children home tonight, they know that their children’s innocence has been torn away from them too early and there are no words that will ease their pain.

As a country, we have been through this too many times. Whether it is an elementary school in Newtown, or a shopping mall in Oregon, or a temple in Wisconsin, or a movie theater in Aurora, or a street corner in Chicago, these neighborhoods are our neighborhoods and these children are our children. And we’re going to have to come together and take meaningful action to prevent more tragedies like this, regardless of the politics.

This evening, Michelle and I will do what I know every parent in America will do, which is hug our children a little tighter, and we’ll tell them that we love them, and we’ll remind each other how deeply we love one another. But there are families in Connecticut who cannot do that tonight, and they need all of us right now. In the hard days to come, that community needs us to be at our best as Americans, and I will do everything in my power as president to help, because while nothing can fill the space of a lost child or loved one, all of us can extend a hand to those in need, to remind them that we are there for them, that we are praying for them, that the love they felt for those they lost endures not just in their memories, but also in ours.

May God bless the memory of the victims and, in the words of Scripture, heal the brokenhearted and bind up their wounds.

Posted with Blogsy

My amazing god-daughter posted the bolded portion of the prayer of benediction. I was intrigued by it and after some research found out it was a prayer given by the Franciscan Monks. I thought I would share it with all of you.

May God bless you with discomfort at easy answers, half truths, and superficial relationships so that you may live deep within your heart

May God bless you with anger at injustice, oppression and exploitation of people so that you may work for justice, freedom and peace

May God bless you with tears to shed for those who suffer pain, rejection, hunger and war so that you may reach out your hand to comfort them and to turn their pain into joy

And may God bless you with enough foolishness to believe that you can make a difference in the world so that you can do what others claim cannot be done to bring justice and kindness to all our children and the poor. (St. Francis of Assissi) Have a great weekend and great services at church.

I know why you're here, Neo. I know what you've been doing... why you hardly sleep, why you live alone, and why night after night, you sit by your computer. You're looking for him. I know because I was once looking for the same thing. And when he found me, he told me I wasn't really looking for him. I was looking for an answer. It's the question that drives us, Neo. It's the question that brought you here. You know the question, just as I did.During the last Men of Zebulun meeting, my churches men's group, I shared about how powerful questions are. They can either build up a belief system or tear it down. Early in the Bible Satan used questions to challenge the belief system of Adam and Eve (Genesis 3:1-5 Message), The serpent was clever, more clever than any wild animal God had made. He spoke to the Woman: "Do I understand that God told you not to eat from any tree in the garden?"

The Woman said to the serpent, "Not at all. We can eat from the trees in the garden. It's only about the tree in the middle of the garden that God said, 'Don't eat from it; don't even touch it or you'll die.'"

The serpent told the Woman, "You won't die. God knows that the moment you eat from that tree, you'll see what's really going on. You'll be just like God, knowing everything, ranging all the way from good to evil." Satan knew that he wouldn't be able to attack their belief in what God had said directly. He started the discourse with a question, "Did God really say..." This allowed the conversation dwell on a topic that didn't need additional discussion. God said should be the end of it but by focusing on it the trap had been set. Adam and Eve, notice I put Adam in there too, spent time on a subject that had been closed by God and succumbed to temptation.

In the Matthew Jesus uses words to challenge, inspire and motivate. (Matthew 5:43-47; 6:25-26 Message)
Power in Prayer

Jesus was matter-of-fact: "Embrace this God-life. Really embrace it, and nothing will be too much for you. This mountain, for instance: Just say, 'Go jump in the lake'—no shuffling or shilly-shallying—and it's as good as done. That's why I urge you to pray for absolutely everything, ranging from small to large. Include everything as you embrace this God-life, and you'll get God's everything. And when you assume the posture of prayer, remember that it's not all asking. If you have anything against someone, forgive—only then will your heavenly Father be inclined to also wipe your slate clean of sins."Get Busy Loving Everyone> "You're familiar with the old written law, 'Love your friend,' and its unwritten companion, 'Hate your enemy.' I'm challenging that. I'm telling you to love your enemies. Let them bring out the best in you, not the worst. When someone gives you a hard time, respond with the energies of prayer, for then you are working out of your true selves, your God-created selves. This is what God does. He gives his best—the sun to warm and the rain to nourish—to everyone, regardless: the good and bad, the nice and nasty. If all you do is love the lovable, do you expect a bonus? Anybody can do that. If you simply say hello to those who greet you, do you expect a medal? Any run-of-the-mill sinner does that.Why Worry> "If you decide for God, living a life of God-worship, it follows that you don't fuss about what's on the table at mealtimes or whether the clothes in your closet are in fashion. There is far more to your life than the food you put in your stomach, more to your outer appearance than the clothes you hang on your body. Look at the birds, free and unfettered, not tied down to a job description, careless in the care of God. And you count far more to him than birds.This morning I ask you to use your words to create a vision for you and your family. Here are some questions that will help to trigger your thinking. Have a great week.

When you dream, how grand is the vision you create? If you had NO LIMITS, what would you envision for yourself and your family? What really big and meaningful dream would you like to visualize achieving next?Go Go Go