Tag Archives: prayer

Only One God . Period

Posted on by

An overheard discussion about there being more than one God really caught my interest. How can that be? Coming from an unexpected source, the conversation threatened to collapse my whole system of belief…a belief that has been an integral part of my life since I was four years old.

Without getting into the nitty-gritty of what other religions, atheists, agnostics, or even Christians believe about God, let me just say that after pondering this weighty question, here is what I came up with.

I knew God before ever laying eyes on a Bible or becoming a Christian (which isn’t a criteria for believing in Him). How? Because when I was four years old, an elderly lady told me about him and taught me the “Now I lay me down to sleep” prayer which at age seventy-eight, is still in my psyche, word for word. I was told about him and I believed.

It is generally perceived that the Ten Commandments (which I learned in high school when I was thirteen) were written by God and given to Moses to benefit the Israelites. Following is the first Commandment:

“I am the Lord your God…You shall have no other Gods before me…” (the Torah)

“There is no God except one God” (the Quran)

“I am the Lord your God…You shall have no other Gods before me…(the Bible)

“Thou shalt have no other gods before me” (Book of Mormon)

God created all people, but there are those who choose not to acknowledge him, or to disown him altogether.

Let me put it another way. Suppose one of my children decides they don’t want me for a mother. Suppose they choose to ignore me and my rules and regulations for their lives. Suppose they choose to instead, adopt a friend’s mother or a mother-in-law to replace me. They have the free will to do that, but it does not change the fact that I am their mother. Nothing will change that.

So with God; we can ignore him, misinterpret him, disown him, put our own spin on him, but the fact remains…He is God…the One, the Only…God. Period.

Courage of Our Convictions

Posted on by

A wonderful program just aired on CBC radio. It seems that the Supreme Court of Canada has ruled that The Lord’s Prayer is no longer allowed in political arenas.

However, Oshawa’s mayor, John Henry, continues to begin Council proceedings with that prayer, along with the singing of Oh Canada.

Many cities who followed the practice have ceased to do so.

Mr. Henry said most council members were in favour, and those who weren’t could spend that time in whichever reflection they chose.

God bless John Henry for having the courage of his convictions.

God keep our land glorious and free!

Sometimes Being Smart Just Isn’t Enough

Posted on by

God, Give Me Wisdom. This is prayer number eight in Ten Prayers God Always Says Yes To. Here is  today’s excerpt from Anthony DeStefano’s book:

When you ask God for wisdom, you are essentially asking him to give you the gift of himself. And as we’ve seen elsewhere in this book, that’s something he’s always eager to do. Remember, the goal of authentic spirituality is to be in union with God. That’s what the whole spiritual life comes down to. When you’re in union with God, you have direct and immediate access to all of the things that God is, and that includes peace, courage, love wisdom and truth. God wants you to have these things; he wants to shine his light on humanity, to speak his word unceasingly. Therefore, he wants to pour out wisdom on all of us. This is not profound theological thinking, it’s simple common sense. Have you ever heard it said of anyone that they had “the wisdom of Solomon”? Solomon, according to scripture was the wisest man who ever lived. There are several whole books of the Bible devoted to him. When King David died, Solomon became ruler of Israel. One night the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Ask me for anything you want.” Solomon thought hard about all the different obligations he had to fulfill as king and how overwhelmed he felt, and he decided to ask God for discernment so he could govern better. The Bible says that God was very pleased that he had prayed for this. He told him, “Since you have asked for wisdom and not long life, or wealth, or death of your enemies…I will grant your request and give you a discerning heart.” God was happy when Solomon asked for wisdom–and he’s happy when we ask for it.

I’ll have to admit that I don’t always remember to pray for wisdom, but when I do, somehow my days seem to go a little better. Sometimes my prayer is for the wisdom of Solomon, the faith of Mary, and the patience of Job…or as Jabez said, “Oh, that you would bless me, indeed.”

Monday: Will I Ever Be Happy Again?…God, Bring Good Out of This Bad Situation

His Name is Jason

Posted on by

“His name is Jason. He is fifteen years old and has been diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumor.”

This came through our prayer chain last night.

He is someone’s son, grandson, brother, nephew, friend…someone who needs our prayers. Jason.

I don’t know this boy, nor do most of you, but I do know that most of the people I do know, and the many bloggers I have met in the past few months are empathetic, compassionate, praying people.

His name is Jason. Please pray for him.

Thank you for reading and caring. Thank you for praying. His name is Jason.

 

 

It’s Called Alzheimer’s

Posted on by

Being in a pastoral care environment, dementia is one of the major issues we see. It has also touched my life personally, and inspired the following poem.

IT’S CALLED ALZHEIMER’S

My love, where did you go?

How many times were you warned

that you would make yourself sick with worry?

And you did.

Not that worry robbed you of memory,

but it left little room for enjoying your life

before it was claimed by dementia.

I look at the shell that is left of you and my heart hurts.

Your eyes are still sky blue,

but the twinkle is gone…replaced by a vacant stare.

When a hint of recognition breaks through,

my heart soars, only to plummet

as the flash of memory disappears once again

into the distance of the disease.

It’s called Alzheimer’s.

It has robbed you of your life, and me of my life partner.

©2006

To all whose partners have succumbed to this disease, and to those who are caring for loved ones while watching them disappear little by little, my heart and prayers go out to you.

The Great I AM

Posted on by

Many years ago,1977 to be exact, while on vacation in Trinidad, I was introduced to a Pastor who gave me this very short but powerful prayer for use in times of need; any kind of need; spiritual, physical, emotional, to name a few.

“Jesus Christ, the Great I AM, have mercy on me.”

It is a prayer to be repeated over and over until the peace of Christ is felt in body and soul.

The prayer has been a huge blessing to me and several others over the years. Following are a few scriptures introducing “I AM”:

I am the Bread of Life (John 6:35)

I am the Light of the World (John 8:12)

I am the Door (John 10:9)

I am the Good Shepherd (John 10:11,14)

I am the Resurrection and the Life (John 11:25)

I am the Way and the Truth and the Life (John 14:6)

I am the Vine (John 15:1,5)

I am the First and I am the Last (Isaiah 44:6)

I Am who I Am (Exodus 3:14)

I am the Alpha and the Omega (Revelation 1:8)

I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End (Revelation 21:6)

My prayer is that this prayer will be valuable to all who use the Lord’s name not in vain.

A Prayer for the Depressed

Posted on by

Dear God, there are those among us whose life is a struggle each day due to the darkness of depression. We know that this malady can be caused by an imbalance in brain chemistry and the hormone, serotonin. We know it can be triggered by life’s problems; by some medications or by dementia-causing diseases. Through no fault of their own, many people slip into the abyss of depression, and can’t find their way out. Be their guiding light, Lord. Lead them into the paths of those who can help them in their struggle. Give their lives meaning, and where there is darkness let there be light. Give those of us who are free from this battle, the compassion and the wisdom to be the channel for your healing love. Amen.

A Prayer for the Lonely

Posted on by

Dear God, because of death, there are those who are living their lives without their partners of many years. Their most voiced lament is, “I’m lonely.” They now live alone, eat alone, sleep alone, and venture out alone. Their heartbreak is keen; their grief tear-filled. Lord, may they come to know that when they feel most alone, you are with them. May they feel your presence as surely as they once felt the presence of their loved ones. May they know that although they are lonely, they are still loved. Help us to realize our neighbour’s plight and to reach out to those who need a tender touch. Amen.

When Too Much is Too Much

Posted on by

Last night a man who has lost his wife, sister and son within the past seven months came through our prayer chain. My heart is hurting just hearing this news; I can’t imagine his grief. Here is a person who needs all the prayers he can get.

A Prayer for Patience

Posted on by

Dear God, it seems that the times I need the most patience are when I have the least. Help me to recognize that I first need to be patient with myself and my own shortcomings before I can be patient with others; that it is from these shortcomings that I am short with others. Remind me daily that your unending patience with me is a gift to treasure, to learn from, and to share when and where most needed. Amen.