¹⁶ Rejoice always, ¹⁷ pray continually, ¹⁸ give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.1 Thessalonians 5:16-18New International Version (NIV)

 

“Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.” Romans 12:12 NIV

And don’t forget the rewards from turning over things is praying.  The payback when we leave our anxieties with the Christ is tremendous.

 ^6-7Don’t fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God’s wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It’s wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life. Philippians 4:6-7 The Message (MSG)

I think today may be a good day to reap some of those, don’t you?

Well, in this story, there are of course, enemies, and detractors.  Those detractors constantly beat on him with words, taunts, threats, and other mischief.  Just think about them like the Occupy movement. But instead of killing the grass at your local courthouse, consider if those guys where camped, well, on you.  And the fact is, we all have detractors that are camped on us. It may not be a person, it may be an idea, or a habit, or thought pattern, or behavior.  But there is it is day after day, wearing you down.

And so, during his spiel last Sunday my eyes wandered over to this one verse in Nehemiah, as he responds to an advance from his detractors.

 ⁹ They were all trying to frighten us, thinking, “Their hands will get too weak for the work, and it will not be completed.”

¹⁴ Turn from evil and do good;
   seek peace and pursue it.   Psalm 34:14 New International Version (NIV)

I just want to be peace in storms.

I was sick – sick of the frustrating battles with my teenager, sick of the constant striving at work, sick of the ridiculous distractions that wrap me up and warp my viewpoints – sick of not just letting the spirit do what the spirit does.

That day was not the first time this thought was in my mind, but since that day I have prayed that prayer almost every day at some point in the day. And you know what – it has helped me grow is so many uncountable ways.!

So this past weekend as I cruised through Colossians I rediscovered this verse that I just love.  I hope it helps you as well.

Be peace, be thankful, be Christ.

So here is an interesting verse to ponder today

⁶ Lord, the LORD Almighty,
may those who hope in you
not be disgraced because of me;
God of Israel,
may those who seek you
not be put to shame because of me. (Psalm 69:6, New International Version, ©2011)

It’s just a reminder of the fact that what you do and how you act impact those around you.  This is a pretty good prayer to pray today as  you interact with those around.  May your actions impact others for good!

3 Set a guard over my mouth, LORD;
keep watch over the door of my lips.
4 Do not let my heart be drawn to what is evil
so that I take part in wicked deeds
along with those who are evildoers;
do not let me eat their delicacies.

That coupled with a very stanzas of Psalm 143 combine to make a pretty good thought for the day.

9 Rescue me from my enemies, LORD,
for I hide myself in you.
10 Teach me to do your will,
for you are my God;
may your good Spirit
lead me on level ground.

As you get out there in the world today and let your light shine, continue to watch your heart and find shelter in the Creator!

To get this week started off correctly maybe we should remember that our Savior and leader, the Son of God, Jesus Christ prayed for us before he left this world.  And he didn’t just say I’ll pray for you, or “Lord, remember them”.  He was very explicit in his words and they show his love for us and the desire of this hearts for us.

^20-23I’m praying not only for them
But also for those who will believe in me
Because of them and their witness about me.
The goal is for all of them to become one heart and mind—
Just as you, Father, are in me and I in you,
So they might be one heart and mind with us.
Then the world might believe that you, in fact, sent me.
The same glory you gave me, I gave them,
So they’ll be as unified and together as we are—
I in them and you in me.
Then they’ll be mature in this oneness,
And give the godless world evidence
That you’ve sent me and loved them
In the same way you’ve loved me. (John 17, MSG)

And what is so cool is that earlier in the prayer as he is prayer for his disciples,  he added this:

Holy Father, guard them as they pursue this life…

and this

I’m saying these things in the world’s hearing
So my people can experience
My joy completed in them.

and this

I’m not asking that you take them out of the world
But that you guard them from the Evil One.
They are no more defined by the world
Than I am defined by the world.
Make them holy—consecrated—with the truth;

Wow,   What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us? (Romans 8:31 (New International Version)) Live boldly for him today, and let others experience the love that you have experienced.

This is really a thought provoking way of looking at the day.  So that’s really it today.  Can you look at today and say, God, how do you want me to serve you today?  How do you want me to glorify you.. with the next customer, the next conference call, the next problem ,the next child, the next class….?

Approach you day and realize he is with you.

⁹Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. ¹⁰Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers. Galatians 6:9-10New International Version (NIV)

I have mentioned several times that I spend most of my days on the telephone and in conference calls. I have been very stressed about some other tasks that I have been asked to complete that I have been kept away from because of these calls.  The stress from that has just been ridiculous, and so I have often been praying for ways to handle it.

Well, I think today is a gift and an answer.  We like to point out the big things God does for us- the healings, new jobs etc- but today I want to emphasis a small little thing.  Its a day on the calendar without any meetings! 

I think this is an answer to prayer – a gift, a simple gift, a special day.

Today, I will do my best to use the day given to me to reduce the stress that was creeping into other areas, other more important areas, of my life.  You probably have been given some simple gifts today as well.  Take the opportunity to use those – take advantage of them, treat them well! and give Glory where it is due.

Psalm 103:1-5 (New International Version)

¹ Praise the LORD, O my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name.

² Praise the LORD, O my soul,
and forget not all his benefits-

³ who forgives all your sins
and heals all your diseases,

⁴ who redeems your life from the pit
and crowns you with love and compassion,

⁵ who satisfies your desires with good things
so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.

Although the comments after the post debate some of the findings,  the writer of the post, Penelope, refers to a Harvard Business Review article entitled The Making of an Expert, where research points to this conclusion

that there is no correlation between IQ and expert performance in fields such as chess, music, sports, and medicine has borne out his findings. The only innate differences that turn out to be significant—and they matter primarily in sports—are height and body size.

Essentially suggesting that to become an expert at something it takes time, training, and desire.  The article also points out the importance of a mentor and guide  in developing expertise.

I find this interesting to apply to work, but I also find it interesting when we think about ourselves.  I can’t remember how many times I have heard people pray to be a “better Christian”.   We expect that we can utter a single prayer, and boom the character trait or temptation that we struggle with just disappears!  It’s not going to happen like that.  Mastery take time.  Author Malcolm Gladwell has make famous – ( apparently, as I have not personally read this yet, only references to it, although I have heard him speak, so I think that makes it ok for me to quote him!?!)- a 10,000 hour rule to becoming a expert.  That’s 5 years!

So today realize that the world is changing fast around us, but don’t be discouraged if you don’t see the mastery in your life overnight.  It takes time.  But not just clock time.  It takes time working at the problem. It takes time working with a mentor, it takes time studying, praying for change, focusing on the issue.  You can change, you can attain mastery.

1 Timothy 4:7 (New International Version)

⁷Have nothing to do with godless myths and old wives’ tales; rather, train yourself to be godly.

What do you think?