Journal 1-24-14

Today we will look at ch. 3 "Why Pray Together". I like a quote at the front of the chapter by a St. Richard of the 13th century! I'll put it in Arkansas English for us to more easily understand: Day by day there are 3 things I pray, to see you more clearly, to love you more dearly, and to follow you more nearly.

Here are a few thoughts I want you to ponder that I enjoyed in Ch. 3

• Morning quiet time is essential to the Christian life. When we seek God in the a.m before anything else it helps us to tune our ears to hear Him throughout the day and little by little renews our spirit into the "new man" or "new woman" He intends for us to become. Also, I'm a firm believer that by giving Him this time He will more reliably turn His ear to us as well. 
• Read John 3:27, 1 Corinthians 10:12, 1 Samuel 1:19, 1 Corinthians 7:4-5, 1 Peter 3:7, Matthew 18:19-20, James 4:6, John 16:24
• "Prayer works, Prayer is work, Prayer works on you"
• They quote "We have never seen a couple we knew, one who prayed together regularly, encounter serious marital difficulties. It's that simple...and yet that profound."
• They quote and I agree "This difficult work the Lord has given me was His way of getting me close to Him."
• If the Lord has no other plans but to bring me, you, us, into deeper fellowship with Him, then this thing that seems so difficult to us we should accept and embrace as sweet time with Him. Whatever jail, loneliness, or valley you find yourself in, use it to glorify the Lord and see what happens to your life. 

So in reading all these scriptures and pondering this chapter and the things that stick out to me I am trying to ask myself why? Do? We? Need? Prayer? Daily? I think it's clear that prayer helps to get rid of the big ? mark in our lives. It brings us to a spot where we can have the needed communication with the Lord. It prepares us for the receiving of His gifts and blessings. It goes right along with my 4 most favorite life changing ideals! Which are pray, read the Bible, turn from sin, and surround yourself with people doing the same! Have you heard that before? If you do that earnestly, your life will change forever! Mine did in prison. It started about 90 days ago and I can't wait to get up every day to see what He has for me today! Thank you Jesus! 

Prayer: I pray today for closeness Lord. For you to be close to all my family and friends, for us to be close to one another. I pray that through those short studies we do everyday we all can come together, for your purpose, even when we are so far away. In Jesus name, Amen. 

Random thoughts: I am in love with Angela Brown. We spoke this morning and she said she kept our first 9 p.m. date of 5 minutes of prayer last night. So last night while in jail and her in N. Dakota we stopped what we were doing to pray for each other and for us as a couple. I hope we never let anything get more important in our lives than this.