“The only thing that will remain in Heaven of our earthly time is our prayers.” (Vesta Mangun.) “Yet, why do so many struggle with prayer? Prayer is the ultimate experience of life; it reaches into eternity. It is our opportunity to become a part of the eternal purpose of God. Prayer is often constricted to a narrow focus or it may sprawl in our mind without parameters. The ‘sweet hour of prayer’ becomes a dreaded responsibility instead of a privileged relationship. Prayer has been perceived as drudgery, when it is a pleasure- as a hard self-discipline, when it is a self-rewarding sacrifice – as a commitment you can never quite keep, when it is an unlimited communion with God. A lot depends on how our prayer life is conducted.” Teri Spears and Thetus Tenney, in loose-leaf (note/work) book, ‘…first of all…Prayer’ pg. 1 (Introduction). (Italics and bold added by me.)
Category: Faithfulness
Priceless, Efficacious Tears.
“In one of the six ‘Golden Psalms’ (michtam, in Hebrew), David describes how God values tears:
Psalm 56:8-‘You number my wanderings; put my tears into Your bottle; are they not in Your book?’ God is an avid collector of tears. Tears are the silent, eloquent testimonies to God’s nearness: “He remains close to those who are brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit” (Psalm 34:18).
Did you know what’s physiologically in our tears? A tear is comprised of more than ‘just’ water and includes proteins, enzymes, lipids, metabolites, electrolytes, and even our DNA! If our eyes get irritated, tears are more aqueous (comprised of water). If we are under high stress, our tears are filled with stress-related hormones.
But the chemistry of tears pales in comparison to their (spiritual) value (to God…and us): “There is a sacredness in tears. They are not the mark of weakness, but of power. They speak more eloquently than ten thousand tongues. They are the messengers of overwhelming grief, of deep contrition, and of unspeakable (hope and) love.” Unknown.
Contrition. Unspeakable love. Not ordinary, everyday words…nor occurrences, sadly, though tears might be.
Is that why God has a supreme interest in…and pays undying attention to…our tears? He is love personified and, therefore, “near to the brokenhearted.” The Psalmist said that ‘God collects tears, even stores them in his bottles.’ ” The Book on Prayer, pg. 248, by Psr. Ken Gurley (italics and words in parentheses, etc., added by me, dkb).
“Try Tears.” General William Booth, The Salvation Army.
“Grown men don’t cry. Again, life lies. Jesus wept. Shouldn’t I?” Ken Gurley, in The Book on Prayer, pg. 258 (italics added by me, dkb, and: I have, time and again, personally experienced powerful breakthroughs to Christ…when I’ve sought Him with all my heart, by His Grace!).
Perfecting Your Practice
“Practice (alone) does NOT make perfect (nor even does “perfect practice make perfect,” as I once heard a Ventura County Fire Dept. Captain teach us at a City of Simi Valley CERT training class); practice WITH EVALUATION makes perfect.” John Maxwell, in his (NKJV) Leadership Bible Commentary, pg. 1249.
Fast…or Feast?
“Like all the Spiritual Disciplines, fasting hoists the sails of the soul in hopes of experiencing the gracious wind of God’s Spirit. But fasting also adds a unique dimension to your spiritual life and helps you grow in Christlikeness in ways that are unavailable through any other means. If this were not so, there would have been no need for Jesus to model and teach fasting.” Donald S. Whitney, in his book Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life, pg. 171. See Isaiah 58 for Inspiration re. ‘Acceptable’ Fasting…and note that Fasting is Truly Feasting When You’re Focused on Jesus and His Call.
Cry Out to God
“Working harder and smarter is not always the answer. Since (true) life moves at the speed of relationships, those we try to change usually believe they work harder and are more intelligent than us. TRY TEARS.” Pastor/Author Ken Gurley, in The Book on Prayer, pg. 250.
Churchwork
“I don’t ‘go to church’ anymore; I go to…’assemble’.” Brother/Musician/Man-of-God/Friend-of-mine, Ron Wilson San Antonio, TX. (In other words, He IS {part of} the Church, Christ’s Bride and Body and People on Earth and, therefore, embraces ‘Lifestyle Christianity,’ living for God {not self}, by His Grace, every day!).
New Perspective(?)
People are searching more for experiences (good feelings) than knowledge (real wisdom) and belonging (community) more than truth and liberty, especially in these Last Days of deception we find ourselves in. Why is this? I believe it’s because truth is objective and confronts ‘our’ lies and waywardness. The Good News? If we’ll embrace it by accepting responsibility and partner with God (which includes His Word and His People), Who longs to write HIS-story with our everyday lives, we can get…and stay…powerfully free. Then others, who are also Hungry, will learn to “follow us, as we follow Christ,” which fosters ‘world-change’ and even greater joy! Epiphany to me, dkb 9/8-9/9/24.
Dreamin’ Reality!
Jesus is The Dream Instiller…and The Dream Fulfiller.
Character from Beyond…
Ultimately, I want for my (moral character and power, i.e. Christlikeness) ‘ceiling’ to be my worst enemy’s ‘floor.’ Heard by me 6/6/24 and Inspired UP from a similar comment made by Man of Jesus Bob Jones in his latter years (per Pastor Joe Sweet) re. where Bob wanted his ‘follower’s’ dedication to God/others (AKA ‘ministry’) to start.
Ponderings of a Sojourner 