Greetings to you in the name of Jesus Christ! I trust that you are excited about the day that lies ahead of you…there is something special about a beautiful late summer morning. Today I will be praying for you, asking Father to make his presence known to you in ways that you will understand and can respond to.
This morning I need to clarify what “prayer” is, as I have been talking about it as of late. The point of reference is not “corporate praying” – with a group or in worship gatherings. I am talking of prayer as it relates to the conversations we have with God when we are alone with him – in his presence, talking and listening and being still. I think it is far too easy to mix the two ideas together and miss the beautiful dynamics of both.
Today, I also want to give you an exercise involving a phrase that appears only six times in the New Testament. It is a phrase that is tied to maturity in our faith and having an impact on other lives. The phrase “make every effort” is connected to six disciplines that I’ll give you, with the New Testament address…but you will have to look it up. Here goes: [1] make every effort to maintain integrity – 2 Peter 3:14 [2] make every effort to forgive those who hurt you – Hebrews 12:14-15 [3] make every effort to relax and trust God – Hebrews 4:11 [4] make every effort to be an encourager – Romans 14:19 [5] make every effort to be a peacemaker – Ephesians 4:3 [6] make every effort not to stop growing – 2 Peter 1:5-8. I think this will be a positive exercise.
Enjoy the blessings of this day!