Imperfect People, Forgiven People

 

if my people who are called by My name will humble themselves and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.

2 Chronicles 7:14 (NKJV)

In this scripture passage, God gives us a path to reach Him. Let’s look at that path and see where it leads us.

God tells Solomon that those who are called by His name are to HUMBLE THEMSELVES first. In order to do this we have to admit that we are NOT perfect. Only God is perfect.

If we slip up and say bad things (words, thoughts, or phrases), or if we do hurtful things to others, we have to ADMIT them to Him and ASK FORGIVENESS. By doing this we tell God that we know or thought or action was wrong and that we are sorry for our behavior, That means we MUST present ourselves before Him with clean hearts.

He then tells Solomon that we are to SEEK HIS FACE. What does this mean? I take it to mean that we are to search for God and pray, no matter how long it takes. We are to spend Quantity time with God in prayer; get to know Him. This requires spending time in prayer and not praying “on the run.”

Next, God tells Solomon, and us, we need to REPENT, to turn away from our evil, sinful, and wicked ways. We are to turn completely around and get away from those influences that cause us to disobey His Word.

God then tells Solomon that when believers do these four things, God will HEAR OUR PRAYERS, FORGIVE OUR SINS, and HEAL OUR LANDS.

As I sit here in my living room, I think of all the nations that are entrenched in war. I think of all the threats to yet other nations.

All we can do is pray and ask God to forgive us of our past sins and seek His guidance during these upcoming days.

What Are You Thankful For?

 

                                Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, 

                                with Thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. 

                                                                                                            Philippians 4:6

Have you ever kept a Thankfulness Journal? I have in the past. I believe I am going to again for 2025. Sometimes, we take things for granted that God has given us. Ann Voskamp wrote a book about her learning about Jesus by following a friend’s suggestion and listing three things she was thankful for each day.

When I did it before, I had to be alert and look for things that I could record in my journal. I found myself giving thanks to God for things that, at one time, I took for granted. When I pray, there are times when I find myself giving thanks to God for the simple things that a lot of people take for granted.

I write this post on Thanksgiving Day. My list of items for which I am thankful is very special to me. Just yesterday, I received a call from a lady who asked me if I would be interested in filling a position that she needs to vacate on a district prayer network that I represent our local church on. I am honored that the lady over her has remembered me. After talking with my husband, I have decided not to accept the position.

Asking God

 

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 Ask, and it will be given to you, seek, and will find; knock, and it will be opened.

 Matthew 7:7 (NKJV)

 As children of God, we can repeatedly ask Him to do or bring about something for us. We can approach His throne any time we need to about any need we have. On the day I polished this essay, I had called a friend and left a message. She called me back. In the course of our conversation, she told me she had a prayer request to share with me. She asked that I make the request to others without using the person’s name. I understood the prefaced her petition to me. I will make this request anonymously when I contact others for prayer. 

 Yet, you do not receive because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss. James 4:2 (NKJV) 

 There are times we lack something we desire because we either don’t know how to ask or we forget to ask. Then, there are times we may ask wrongly. Sometimes, a person might not know that he or she can ask God for what is lacking in their lives. 

 When I was growing up, I had a favorite singer. He was going to be at the Indiana State Fair for a second year. I asked my parents if we could go. My dad told several of his friends that I wanted to go see that singer. These friends asked the same question, “Why didn’t you go last year?” Every time, his answer was the same, “She didn’t ask!” My mother, my grandmother and I went to see my favorite singer (at that time) perform. What I didn’t know was my parents would have taken me the year before, had I asked. Sometimes, we assume we know the answer to what we would ask. However, we really don’t know how God is going to answer. We have to learn to rely on His love to do what He believes is beneficial for us.

How Do We Pray?

 

gethsemaneeclc.org 

if My people who are called by My name

will humble themselves, and pray

and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways,

then I will hear from heaven,

and will forgive their sin and heal their land.

2 Chronicles 7:14 (NKJV)

When we pray to God, do we ask Him to approve our plans or do we ask Him to guide us in the way He wants us to go?

According to what I read in the above scripture:

1.) We must humble ourselves. Admit that we are imperfect, and we do not know it all.

2.) We must pray to Him, seeking <I>His</I> guidance.

3.) We must spend quantity time talking to God. We are not to make it a practice of praying “on the run”. We are not supposed to have an attitude of “catch You later, God.”

4.) We must repent (turn away) from our sinful, evil ways.

5.) God tells us if we take these steps, He will (a) hear from heaven, (b) forgive our sins, and (c) 

 heal our land.

The above thoughts have become more real to me recently. I find that these thoughts and this question confront me when I have an issue with a topic or an issue that is close to my heart.

Father God, We Trust You

 

'''Trust the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. Acknowledge Him in all you do and He will direct your paths. Proverbs 3:5-6 (NKJV)

On the afternoon of January 29^th, 2024, our church office put out a prayer request for our pastor who was in the ICU. His wife had taken him to the ER. The entire church received the same message.

I texted his wife with a prayer that evening. I called my best friend for prayer. I received a call from a young woman who had heard of the pastor’s circumstance.

On Tuesday, January 30, the pastor’s wife texted me to with an update. Pastor had had a mild stroke.

Since last July, we are in a new denomination. During our Mustard Seed prayer time, I was told to add a certain name to our prayer list. It was a name I did not recognize. I asked who he was. He is going to be our interim pastor. (In one day’s, time the district had arranged for someone to come in and carry out Pastor Rick’s duties.) I like the way this has been handled.

One of the men in our local church volunteered to bring us a message this past Sunday. So, things are going on.

I found myself telling God that I knew we had to trust Him for the outcome, and we will. I find myself telling Him that for some of my personal issues and now for this circumstance facing the church.

I believe God knew Pastor and his wife, Cheryl would have this circumstance enter their lives. I also believe that they will trust the Lord, implicitly.

My best friend once told me she trusted God implicitly. I am learning that I can, like her, trust God without reservation. As I have shared with some in a Facebook group, I believe God chose this word “trust” for me for this year. I learn something about it each week.

January Reflections

 

Slow Start

January always seems to be a time where I have ‘settled in’ after a somewhat busy time in December. Early in the month, we experienced colder temps which added to my slowness. On Saturday after New Year’s, we awoke to see three inches of snow flurries on the ground. What we were supposed to receive was not supposed to stick.

Taking Down Christmas

I took down our new-this-year Christmas tree on Epiphany. This new tree, being bigger than the older tree, required more attention. I was used to NOT undecorating the smaller one. However, the new one had to have the decorations removed. I could get it in the box I had used for the other one. I just happened to have some boxes I had saved that were just the right size for what I needed.

Newness In Our Lives

Our local newspaper changed the method of delivering our newspaper to us. In the past, it was delivered by carriers who had motorized routes. As of January 2, the newspaper company has utilized the United States Postal Service to deliver the copies to the subscribers. In order to do this effectively (same day delivery), The company had to alter their print schedule to Tuesday through Saturday. A friend who is on Facebook really does not like the new system. A lot of people commented negatively about the new delivery system.

At least, now, I don’t have to go on a “scouting expedition” to find the paper. Only one day, we did not receive that day’s edition. I called and asked why. The young woman could not tell me. She could have given me a credit for that missed paper; however, I wanted the paper. The next day we received the missed one as well as the one for the correct day.

Writing Efforts

In searching for a paying market that I may submit to, I found one that appealed to me. I chose a topic for their Spiritual Growth section. One email letter told their word count was 1,000 words. The website of the magazine said the requirements were 800-1250 words. At first, I had a difficult time reaching either of those word counts.

I asked a question on a Christian Writers group about how strict a publication could be about a word count. I remembered the woman who started the writer’s group I was in telling us when she taught creative writing, she told her students to “just writ their story” and not worry about the word count. I included that memory in my question. The moderator told me that those word count guidelines were firm. And what I had been told was incorrect. Another member agreed with the moderator. I believe he knows that she is correct; he publishes books.

I submitted that manuscript to that market. I received a response in two weeks. They didn’t believe it would fit their needs. I had a private little “pity party” and realized they may be correct in their thinking. I started reading it again and found some typos. I wound up responding to their notification by thanking them for their time.

A Friend’s Grief

I received a phone call from a friend early one evening. I had just called and talked to her, asking how her middle son was. He had been in the hospital since Christmas, just over two weeks. About a half-hour later, she called me back. Her son had passed away. Her granddaughter had called from the hospital to let her know. He was a few months younger than our son. My friend has a younger son who also is in precarious health. Please pray for my friend; her name is Vicki.

Brrrdy, Brr, Brr, Brr

That is my expression for January cold weather. I haven’t had to use it lately until now.

For about two weeks, we had windchill temperature readings, at least three different times of snow, with accumulation. We have rarely seen the sun. When all this started one of the forecasters said the temperature that night would be the lowest since December 2022. I have a friend who is wheelchair bound and works in our church office. On one particular Friday, she chose to stay home rather than risk something happening to place her in a perilous situation.

A Time of Concentrated Prayer

On the last Monday of the month, our congregation received a prayer request via phone call from the church office. Our pastor was in the ICU at one of our local hospitals. His wife took him to the ER. I knew it was serious. I texted a prayer to his wife that night. On Tuesday morning she gave me some details. A little later, she talked to the neurosurgeon. Our pastor had a mild stroke. On Sunday, February 11^th we will have an interim pastor. We are in a new denomination and did not know how the presiding elder would deal with this circumstance. I am impressed that she acted in such a timely manner. One man in our congregation will fill-in this coming Sunday. 

Please pray for Cross Roads Global Methodist Church and our pastor and wife as God takes us through this circumstance.

How A Friend Sees Forgiveness Part One

 

Albrecht Durer

I took my best friend out to lunch to celebrate her birthday. (It was almost two weeks earlier.)

I had printed off the questions about my word and forewarned her I needed help with something. Here are the questions and her answers.

What does the word forgiveness mean to you?

God forgives us and renews us.

What do you think is the opposite of forgiveness?

Unforgiving or hard-hearted.

Do you think about the word forgiveness rarely or often?

Every
day, I ask God to forgive me.

Where does the word forgiveness pop up in your everyday life?

I think of this in prayer and living with others. It is a daily practice.

Can you give me any suggestions for better experiencing or practicing the word forgiveness?

Read God’s Word. Study devotional books. Talk to God and see what He tells you.

The instructions I received were to ask a couple of friends their thoughts on my word. I haven’t seen anyone but this lady. I will be asking another friend when I see her. Hence the designation of “Part One”

Our Focus on Prayer

                   

One of my favorite devotion writers is Oswald Chambers. I recently read a short quote of his in another devotional type of book.

The last two sentences of the short quote have opened a new prayer path for me.

“We look upon prayer as a means of getting things for ourselves. The Bible idea of prayer is that we may get to know God better.” (1)

What does prayer that asks nothing for the pray or look like? Strictly as I see this, prayer is an avenue of giving praise to Him, of confessing or shortcomings to our Lord.

I wondered, is intercessory prayer, prayers said on behalf of others, considered asking to receive things for us?

I concluded that praying for another person was the Christian thing to do. When I share with another person that I am praying for him or her, that person seems to respond most appreciatively.

*(1) My Utmost For His Highest by Oswald Chambers, edited by James Reimann, Our Daily Bread Publishing. August 28 entry, first paragraph.