HAVE YOU EVER...heard of Jehoshaphat?

My last blog was about prayer.  I love praying.  I especially love praying for other people.  I have learned about prayer from God’s word, but also from other people in my life.  I especially remember my preschool teachers teaching us how to pray.  I remember how some of my friends prayed for me in high school and college.  I remember how Pastor Kellogg prayed.  You always remember those precious times when someone stops what they are doing and prays with you on the spot.  Awesome. 

In 1 Kings and 2 Chronicles, there are stories of one of the few kings of Judah who walked with the LORD.  He didn’t just walk with the LORD; he went to the LORD anytime he had a big decision to make.  We do that.  We bounce big decisions off of our spouse, friends, or other family.

In the 2 Chronicles 20, there is a big battle planned against Jehoshaphat by 3 other armies.  The Bible says that he was alarmed, proclaimed a fast, and brought all of his people together to seek help from the LORD.  Jehoshaphat then stands before his kingdom and God and says this beautiful prayer.

The Spirit of the LORD comes upon a man who stood in the assembly.  He tells them, “For the battle is not yours but God’s…You will not have to fight this battle…Take up your positions; stand firm and see the deliverance the LORD will give you.”  They all fall to their knees praising God.  Then they get out the instruments and praise him some more. 

The next day, they take their places and the LORD does exactly what he said he would do.  Three days later, they march home with their plunder.  They go straight to the temple and worship the LORD.

I love all of these Old Testament battle stories of King Jehoshaphat, Joshua, and Gideon.  They didn’t even have to fight.  I would not have wanted to live through one of these stories though.  We talk all of the time about these battles we are fighting in our own lives.  We do all of this talking.  We expect people to pray for us or tell us how to fix it or fix it for us.  Do we trust the LORD enough to bounce the decision off of him?  King Jehoshaphat did.

HAVE YOU EVER…trusted God?

Psalm 62:8, Luke 5:16

HAVE YOU EVER...prayed?

I know that probably even an atheist would say that they have prayed before.  We call out in times of need no matter what we believe in.  I am one of those people that says, “Praise the Lord” all of the time and I mean it.  I’ve been told that it is annoying.  I don’t always pray that way though. 

I have learned that there are types of prayer and they go in an order.  We are not just supposed to start asking for something.  We are to praise him first.  Here are the types of prayer.

Praise

Praise him for his acts of power, praise him for his surpassing greatness.  Psalm 150:2

Thanksgiving

Let them give thanks to the LORD for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for men.  Psalm 107:8

Forgiveness

You are forgiving and good, O Lord, abounding in love to all who call to you.  Psalm 86:5

Intercession (Praying for others)

Show the wonder of your great love, you who save by your right hand those who take refuge in you from their foes.  Psalm 17:7

Prayer for Yourself

Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.  Psalm 51:10

Praying is an old habit of mine.  I was blessed to grow up in a family that prayed together every day.  That doesn’t mean that I always do it with the respect I should have for our LORD.  God wants a relationship with us.  He wants to talk to us.  Don’t you want to come before our maker with true honor and glory?

You should notice that all of my references above were from the book of Psalm.  I think that besides Jesus praying himself in Matthew 6 and Luke 11, Psalm is a continuous example of prayer.  The word psalm means a song, hymn, or prayer given to God.  I suggest if you want to work on your prayer life, pray a psalm a day or at least look to them for motivation. 

HAVE YOU EVER…prayed a psalm?

Psalm 105, Psalm 150

HAVE YOU EVER...followed a recipe?

Give, and it will be given to you.  A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap.  For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.  Luke 6:38

I love baking and cooking and eating of any kind.  When I was reading “The Resolution for Women” by Priscilla Shirer and came across this verse, I had one of those ultimate A-HA moments.  I am not good at measuring or following recipes.  I like to tweak recipes.  I make up my own, or I lose the original recipe.  Priscilla was talking about a recipe for bread that needed to be followed to the “exact measurement.”  She got it from a friend and you all know that I love my friend Rachel’s chocolate chip cookies.  It is the ONLY recipe that I follow exactly!

Priscilla continues to tell this story about baking bread with her kids.  It is a labor and time consuming effort that yields the best homemade bread.  There is an exact science to the process of adding flour and kneading the dough. She taught her kids the shaking action to eliminate air pockets from forming in the measuring cup.  Even her six year old son has mastered the “scoop, shake, press down” of the flour.

Luke 6:38 tells us that God’s good measure recipe for us is running over.  Priscilla says, “a good measure…brimming over, unable to be contained by its recipient.”  God is SO good.  When we give willingly of our own resources, he gives us a lap full.  This is a sweet teaching promise in His word about having a content spirit. 

Priscilla Shirer’s book, “The Resolution for Women” has been full of A-HA moments for me.  Each page seems to have the Spirit speaking directly to me.  Every woman should read this book.  It is so relatable.  This is why I am so excited to see Priscilla Shirer Live March 1-2, 2013 at First Baptist Church Raytown, MO.  This is a LifeWay Women’s Event that will hold close to 3,000 women!

I am thrilled to be attending and learning from Priscilla’s teaching.  Her brother, Anthony Evans, will be leading in worship.  (They are two of Dr. Tony Evan’s children.)  If you have not attended a LifeWay Women’s Event before, this is your chance!  Go to lifeway.com/priscillashirerlive and get your tickets today!  I am already praying for you to experience God pouring an immeasurable, overflowing amount into your lap. 

Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine according to His power that is at work within us, to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever!  Amen!  Ephesians 3:20-21

HAVE YOU EVER…been to a live LifeWay Women’s Event?

Matthew 7:2, 2 Corinthians 9:7-8

HAVE YOU EVER...had road rage?

What is it about cars?  These 2 ton transportation vehicles are a necessity.  I use to find driving therapeutic.  Then we moved to the city.  Do you think they had road rage when people were driving horse drawn wagons?

My husband becomes a totally different person when he gets behind the wheel of a car.  He is usually one of the most patient people I know.  Now, 95% of the time that we argue, is in the car.  It just makes both of us so impatient.  You always want to be going faster.  The other car is always the irresponsible and reckless driver.  And why do I have to stop at every light?  One of my husband’s famous sayings is, “We can put a man on the moon, but they can’t get traffic lights to change when they need to!”

Please don’t think that I am putting my husband down here.  He is a wonderful, godly man who loves me.  He loves me in spite of my anger issues.  I have the self control of a bull in a china closet.  Believe me!  I have my own patience issues.  I often tell my own children, “Patience is a virtue!”; with a high pitched happy voice.  Hypocrite!

But now you must rid yourselves of all such things as these:  anger, rage, malice, slander and filthy language from your lips.  Colossians 3:8

In my Bible, Colossians 3 is titled “Rules for Holy Living.”  Paul is speaking to God’s chosen people.  As followers of Christ, sometimes we forget all of the “rules” we need to be following because we are to prideful to admit that God calls us to “Holy Living.”  We are “good” people.  We don’t break any of the “major” 10 commandments.  God doesn’t expect us to be perfect! Blah!  Blah!  Blah!  More lies we tell ourselves.

The biggest lie I tell myself when I am confronted with my husband in the car is that I am allowed to have my own feelings and spew them out all over the car as well.  Yes, we are human.  God wants us to have feelings, but God also delights in our self control.  Especially, when the kids are always in the back seat listening.  I am also really good at, “Honey, you need to relax and have more patience.”  This in my holier than thou voice.

I encourage you to read all of Colossians 3.  Remember that we are imperfect in an imperfect world, but that is no excuse.  We are still God’s chosen people.

Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace.  Colossians 3:15

HAVE YOU EVER…shown real patience?

Isaiah 29:13, Philippians 2:3

HAVE YOU EVER...asked for trouble?

I say it all of the time.  "I was just asking for trouble!"  This phrase seems to occur mostly when my parenting skills backfire.  I did not think through something with my boys and everything falls apart; too quickly to recover.

Travis Cottrell wrote this song called, "Refine Me".  One of the phrases in the song always gets stuck in my throat..."Do what you need to.  Help me to trust you.  Even if your love brings me suffering."  Now, that is just asking for trouble.  Who says stuff like that to God?

In Psalm 26:2, David said, "Test me, O LORD, and try me, examine my heart and my mind."  Testing.  Purifying.  Refining.  Coming before the Lord and asking him to examine you heart and mind.  This should not be taken lightly.  When you go before the Lord this way, I believe God will answer you prayer.  He will move in your life.  It won't be easy, but God also rewards.

If what he has built, survives, he will receive his reward.  1 Corinthians 3:14

HAVE YOU EVER...asked to be refined?


Isaiah 48:10, 2 Corinthians 13:5

HAVE YOU EVER...experienced a miracle?

I easily believe that good things happen to bad people and bad things happen to good people.  The hard thing for me to believe is miracles.  I see them happen in other people's lives and I definitely believe all of the miracles of the Bible.  I guess I am a pessimist.  My husband calls it being realistic.

I see my two healthy children as miracles.  I guess being married for 15 years is a miracle.  I just don't feel like my life has called for any amazing miracles.  Other than my salvation, I don't believe miracles really happen in my life.  Writing this down now, kind of sounds absurd.

A miracle is a miracle - big or small.  I don't believe in coincidences.  I believe that God is always at work.  Maybe I do believe in miracles in my life.

The New Testament is full of Jesus' miracles.  God also allowed many of the disciple to do miracles.  Isaiah even prophesied that Jesus would do miracles.  Matthew 13:58 says, "And he did not do many miracles there because of their lack of faith."  This was Jesus' hometown.  Sad stuff!  They missed it!

Remember the wonders he has done, his miracles, and the judgments he pronounced.
1 Chronicles 16:12

Am I walking around experiencing God intervening continuously in my life and I'm missing it?  In the Old Testament God's chosen people kept forgetting all of his work in their lives.  I don't plan on trying to create any of my own miracles, but Jesus told his disciples that they could do certain miracles when they had faith filled prayers.  I guess I lack faith sometimes.  I'll keep praying about it.

He replied, "Because you have so little faith I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there' and it will move.  Nothing will be impossible for you."  Matthew 17:20

HAVE YOU EVER...lacked faith?


Isaiah 35:5-6, John 20:30-31

HAVE YOU EVER…been sick?

I have a weird immune disorder.  My major issue is chronic sinusitis.  I do not have allergies or asthma.  I am constantly dealing with coughing and snot.  I am always on guard against germs and I have many preventative steps I am always taking.  Even so, 50% of my year is spent sick with some type of sinus or bacterial infection.  I really get tired of being sick.

I am also a musician.  I am a music teacher.  I enjoy singing and playing instruments.  Mainly, I play the clarinet and piano.  It is very difficult to sing or play my clarinet when I am sick.  Frustrating.

We have very little control over illness.  You can exercise and eat right, but still end up with a disease that kills you.  I do believe in miracles and divine healing.  I also believe Genesis 1 and 2 that says that God created man and woman.  We belong to him. 

Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God?  You are not your own; you were bought at a price.  Therefore honor God with your body.  1 Corinthians 6:19-20

I may be physically sick a good amount of the time, but I pray that I am not spiritually sick.  I want my body that Christ paid for in full with his blood to be flowing continuously with his grace and bursting forth for others as well.  When Jesus was in the garden with his disciples he said, “…The spirit is willing, but the body is weak.” (Matt.26:41)  When we know the Lord, we have the Holy Spirit to guide us.  He is willing to lead us, but our human body and mind are weak. 

HAVE YOU EVER…been spiritually sick?

Psalm 51:10-12, Mark 14:38