The Lord has given me a specific spiritual project to complete during my weeks of quarantine. I am loving it and working diligently with His anointing to accomplish it. It is to re-write our book Prayers That Heal the Heart so it is much more user friendly.
Solomon said that the day of one’s death is better than the day of one’s birth. How could someone so wise make such a statement? Does this seem counterintuitive to you? Don’t you celebrate new arrivals and mourn the departed? Every life starts full of potential, but will that potential be fulfilled? At the end of life there is no more potential, but there is a lifetime of achievement. There are usually more people on hand to commemorate the passing than the arrival. Will the opening statement above be true of you? Live your life and make choices every day so that it is.
If you hear someone yelling and screaming about something, do you conclude that they feel strongly about it? Do you also conclude that there must be some substance to what they say? You are more likely to be right about the first conclusion than the second. What do you expect truth to sound like? I came alone, with no form or comeliness or recognized office. I was an outsider without the backing of any organization. My words were not amplified, and they were not spoken in rage. Yet those who listened said that no man ever spoke like I did, and that I had the words of life.
When you go to a restaurant, do you expect to receive a menu and choose from it whatever you please? A cafeteria is a special type of restaurant in which you can pick or pass by individual dishes in a buffet line. You live in a culture in which individual choice is highly prized. Do you see your spirituality the same way, and consider yourself to have the same freedom of action in choosing a church? But your spirituality is an engagement with the transcendent and is not entirely on your terms. Is it on your terms at all? Do you choose your spirituality or does it choose you?
I received this request to pass on - Global Day Of Prayer - Christians Unite Against COVID-19.
A day of World Prayer is announced for THIS SUNDAY (TODAY) Sunday 22nd March 2020 at 12:00 local time. All Christians are invited to join FROM HOME from 12:00 - 13:00 hrs so the whole globe is covered for 24 hours. Obviously many of you will receive this on Monday, so make Monday your focused time of prayer. And praying continuously concerning this is wise for all of us.
Praying for:
An end to the spread of the virus
Do you consider yourself to be a sensitive person? Are you more aware of your surroundings and situations than others? Do you see this as a blessing or a curse? Does this make you more sensitive to slights and insults? You may take offense at the statements of others when there was no intention to insult. Can you overlook thoughtlessness in others and say Father forgive them for they know not what they do? This requires a measure of grace but it may serve you better than other approaches. How can you apply your sensitivity for the benefit of others to advance my redemptive purposes?
Are you familiar with the commandment that you are not to seek vengeance because vengeance is mine? I will repay. Do you take comfort in this thinking that I am more capable of executing vengeance than you are? After all, you do have to concern yourself with following the law of the land. But what if the vengeance I perform is not as severe as you would like? What if I am more willing to grant your enemies mercy than you are? Will you be satisfied? If not, then maybe the problem is with you rather than them. My intention for your life is that you become more like me.
Do you ever reason by yourself? Do you ever consider an offense that is disturbing you at length alone and get into an endless loop of what they said and what you said and what you should have said, rehearsing your comeback speech in your mind? Did this leave you feeling righteous and justified? Was it ultimately helpful? What is the alternative to self-justifying thought patterns? In my word I invite you to come and let us reason together. This was presented in the context of forgiveness of sins, but it isn’t limited to that.
Do you have control issues? Do you know anyone who does? Is it easier to recognize in other people than in yourself? Is there a price to pay for having control issues? Does it appear to be something without cost? After all, everything is under control. Yet there is a cost for this, and it is easier to see in other people. Can you see how they damage relationships, miss opportunities, and generally lead diminished lives, having control over a smaller and smaller domain? This is what happens when you are in control instead of me.
Are you familiar with the idea of sacred space? Sometimes this is called holy ground. People use these terms to refer to church buildings, but the concept is not limited to that. Are you familiar with the concept of safe space? This term applies to places where you are accepted and can be yourself without being threatened or defensive. Do you think of sacred space and safe space as the same thing? They should be, but this depends on your image of me. If you are absolutely certain of my love for you, then you know that you are safe in my presence, and sacred spaces are safe spaces.
