The Anchor Holds

 Not one of all the Lord’s good promises to Israel failed; every one was fulfilled. Joshua 21:45

Change and decay and all around I see, the great hymn writer Henry Lutz sings. However, some things never fail, and some things never change. The everlasting promises of God stand sure, and God himself is eternally the same. In the days of sickness and trouble, we want to remember this. It is certainly an amazing statement that Joshua pens at the close of his life when he declares, Not one of all the Lord’s good promises to Israel failed.”

When you pass through the waters, I will be with you. Life holds for us troubles, sickness, sorrow, misfortune and death. God, however, gives us the assurance when these things come into our lives. I will be with you. The cable may give, but the anchor holds.

 All things work together for good to them that love God. Life holds many mysteries. We look through a glass darkly and cannot understand why many things have befallen us. But God assures us that all will turn out for good. He says all things, the big as well as the. Significant things, success as well as the failures. All things will work together for good, not merely measured by today, but by eternity. Not merely the things pertaining to the body, but above all the things that have to do with. Our soul.

The blood of Jesus Christ, His Son, cleanses us from all sin. Sin condemns. Sin blackens our soul. We need cleansing. The guilt must be removed. Someone has said. I wish that there were some wonderful place called the Land of Beginning again. Where all mistakes, and all our headaches and all our poor selfish griefs could be dropped like a shabby old hat at the door and never put on again.

We can be cleansed. There is for us a land of beginning again. Jesus Christ came into the world to pay the price of our redemption, and He has done so with his holy precious blood. In Christ we can begin anew. We can enjoy daily the forgiveness of all sins. What comfort! What peace!

Prayer

Lord, fulfill your promises to me today and lift me out of my distress. I am sorely tired and my spirit is greatly depressed. Troubles of this life are being heaped upon me are great in number. Where shall I go but to you who are the Almighty? Forgive all my sins. Let me start new today with your divine guidance and protection. Remember not my transgressions of yesterday and wash me thoroughly through Jesus Christ my Savior. Into your divine hands I place myself and all my house, for the sake of Him who has purchased that peace of heart and mind which passes all understanding. Jesus Christ my Lord and my Savior. Amen.

Teach Us to Pray

And it came to pass that as he was praying in a certain place when he ceased one of his disciples said to him Lord, teach us to pray. Luke Chapter 11:1.

Jesus was a man of prayer. His disciples were greatly impressed with his praying. When he was about to heal the sick, he prayed. Before he fed the hungry, he prayed. When he was perplexed, he went into the mountain to pray. Before he entered upon his great passion he prayed in the garden.

As the disciples observed their Lord in prayer they were filled with the desire to pray. Therefore, one of them asked Jesus, “Lord teach us to pray.” This same desire should fill our hearts especially as we note that prayer accomplishes so much for those disciples who had learned from Jesus to pray. We too should sit at Jesus feet in spirit and learn from him to pray for he has told us in his word how to pray.

Jesus tells us to pray in his name. “Truly, truly, I say to you whatever you ask the father in my name he will give it to you” John 16: 23. We have sinned and therefore have no right to come into the presence of God with our blackened hearts our sullied lips and our stained hands. Only through Jesus Christ is sin removed. He came into the world for this purpose that he might cleanse us from our sins and make us acceptable to his father in heaven. Therefore, the believer must approach God in prayer through Christ our savior.

Jesus to tell us to pray believing all things, “whatever you ask in prayer believing you shall receive” Matthew 21: 22. We are to believe confidently that God hears our prayers because he has promised. I am to believe that God can do what I ask. He is almighty. I must believe that God can change the course of things to answer my prayer. True God does not always do so because as they all wise, he knows that certain things for which I ask are harmful to me. But I should be confident that he can remove mountains if it needs be. He can do the humanly impossible.

Let us pray

 Lord, I ask you to teach me to pray with a believing heart. Give me grace to hold fast to your promises. Keep me daily and touch with your with you through your prayer. When you've moved all distractions and thoughts and worries and cares that want to hinder me in my prayers. I ask you to bless me by healing my body and by cleansing my soul. I thank you, gracious savior that you have taught me to pray and above all that you delight in hearing my prayers and are not weary as I continue day after day pleading for help and mercy. Amen.

Deep Tears

Out of the depths I have cried to you oh Lord, “ Lord hear my voice let your ears be attentive to the voice of my prayers Psalm 130: 1,2

We've all cried out of the depths to the Lord. We all staggered and stumbled. Many have fallen into the pit of trouble. Sickness and pain affect us, and anxiety and worry gripped our hearts. In such moments we have wrung our hands in agony and spent sleepless nights wondering where these troubles will lead us. Truly, these are depths that try our souls.

But this is not the depth of which the psalmist is thinking. Sin has cast him into the deep and dragged him down into the mire. We too, have sinned. We have not walked all day for the Lord nor glorified his name. We have not prayed from morning till night, nor our thoughts his thoughts. Sin puts us where we ought not to be. Sin makes us guilty and ashamed.  And like Adam who hid himself in the garden after he had transgressed, we too hid from the Lord God.

It is impossible for us to get out of this depth if we depend on our own strength. I can pull at my bootstraps and wear myself out doing so and yet not lift myself 1/16th of an inch from the ground. So, it is impossible for you and for me to lift ourselves out of the depth of sin. We cannot by our character, we cannot by one good turn a day, we cannot by any tears that we shed lift our souls out of the depths of our sin. This we must realize lest we perish.

The psalmist knows that he cannot save himself, yet he is not despairing. Neither should you nor I lose hope. With a triumphant conviction that nothing can shake, the sacred psalmist declares but with you there is forgiveness Lord.

To forgive means to cancel. Sin has been cancelled with the precious blood of Jesus Christ and not by ourselves. Christ hands us the cancelled bill upon which is written I even I have blotted out your transgressions and will remember your sins no more. This assures us of a perfect peace with God. It also fills us with a glorious hope.

Who is this man crying unto the Lord? I searched in vain to find the name of him who has written this Psalm. I could not find the author. Yet it seems that God wants us to make this Psalm our own. It is you and I who cry out of the depths unto the Lord. As we do, peace and hope and strength fill our hearts. God lifts us up out of the deaths, embraces us with his loving arms, that we might be his own for time and eternity.

Prayer

Lord, you are my refuge and my strength, my light and my salvation. I’m seeking you. In my helplessness I come to you. My sins solely distress me, but I hasten to your everlasting arms, seeking forgiveness. Lord, if you should mark iniquity, I should not be able to stand. But in you there is forgiveness with the precious blood of Jesus. Give me grace to believe your promises. I ask all this because of him who has in his great love given his life that I might live eternally who is Jesus Christ my Lord. Amen.

The Faith That Counts

Abraham believed God and it was counted to him for righteousness Romans 4 verse 3.

The faith that counts, the faith, that saves is ones faith in Jesus Christ. Jesus himself declared “he that believes in me has eternal life.”

The Christian faith is built upon Christ, not upon us, nor upon people, nor upon government. But it is built upon Jesus Christ, the son of God, who came into the world to seek and to save that which was lost. Abraham had such faith, a faith that believed the promise of God. This promise was given in the Messiah promise to come for all the nations of the earth. In this promised one, shall all the nations be blessed. Therefore, the verse tells that that “Abraham believed God and it was counted unto him for righteousness.”

When we have this faith in Christ Jesus, our sin is not counted against us. Every human being has sinned. Yes, day after day even we who believe are transgressing against God's holy law. We sin in thought, the word, and deed. These sins offend our Lord. These sins make us guilty before God. Therefore, our conscience accuses us, especially in the days when trouble comes upon our lives.

Yes, we have sinned, but in Christ Jesus we are forgiven. This assurance is given to me through the gospel. For this reason, I need not fear the judgment of God. Having this faith in Christ Jesus, I am righteous before God because all my sin is blotted out. “Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness.”

God’s word rather tells us that we all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. Yet the Christian takes God at his word that Christ has removed all his sin. And this faith of his that holds fast to Christ, who has cleansed us from all our sins, makes him righteous. Jesus has paid the full price of his redemption.

In Jesus Christ, we are justified. Justified means acquitted because another has paid the sin debt. This another is Jesus Christ. A believer’s stakes all upon his Savior. As such we know that there is therefore now no condemnation to them who have faith in Christ Jesus. We are acquitted or justified, solely and alone because we hold fast to the work of Jesus Christ, who has redeemed us, a lost and condemned creatures. This is the faith that counts. In the days of trouble and sickness, let us in faith look upon Jesus Christ and finding in him hope and certainty. Believing in him gives us the blessed assurance that, though we have sinned, we are saved, and we are heirs of eternal life.

Prayer

My faith looks up to Jesus for in Him alone,  I am certain of my salvation. Remove all rebellious thoughts from my heart and teach me to trust in your promises. Bless our home with your divine presence and keep us faithful to the holy Christian church that we may share with all the faithful the glories of the eternal kingdom where all the faithful will worship of you as lamb who was slain for our eternal life period amen period

The Sparrow's Great Discovery

Yes, the Sparrow has found a house and the swallow a nest for herself where she may

lay her young even your altars O Lord of hosts, my king and my God “ Psalm 84 :3

The Sparrow made a strange discovery, and the swallow also knew to be true that the

nest built into the side of the altar of sacrifice meant safety and peace. Although the

sacrifices were made daily at the temple and blood was flowing down from the altar as

the lamb and goats were slain. No one harmed nor touched the sparrows or the

swallows as they nested in the sacred place. Amid death and destruction, they found

peace and security.

Oh that we were always as wise and trusting as the swallow and the sparrow. You and I

can always be certain and sure of salvation and eternal life at the altar of Calvary. There

too was shedding of blood. Their Satan and sin did their worst. Yet despite all that they

did to our Lord, at the cross we still have forgiveness and peace along with safety and

life. Our faith tells us that if I build there nothing can harden me. Not even God

condemns me. One thing God cannot do and be true to himself is to condemn a Sinner

who hides in the wounded side of Christ. There is no condemnation for those that

believe. As sin vexes us, as death knocks at our door, as misfortune troubles us, we do

not we need not become panic stricken people. God does not let us down by faith when

we build an altar on Calvary.

Truly building on calvary’s cross where Christ bled and died makes for a life filled with

composure and calm. It also makes us unafraid. When this truth gets into our heart and

our daily thinking then we have become wiser than the swallow. We have also become

more at ease in life than the sparrow. In Christ Jesus, we have found peace, joy, and

salvation now and for eternity.

We pray

Lord Jesus gracious savior, I come to you with the burdens of my day. Look on me with

your grace and let your divine hand touch me with healing of body and soul. Permit not

the many troubles and the distressing pain to make me afraid and anxious. Keep me

calm, composed and unworried. Speak peace into my soul and keep alive in me the

glorious hope of heaven where suffering, worry and sin find no place. Cleanse me of all

my sins and bless me with a restful sleep this coming night. Hear my cry and help me O

my Redeemer. Amen.

The Power of Prayer

He shall call upon me, and I will answer him Psalm 91:15

Not too long ago it was thought that if anyone was able to split the atom that it would cause tremendous chaos in our world. Some even went so far as to say that the world would be destroyed if a man succeed in smashing the atom.  Yet nothing happened. The releasing of this new energy has changed nothing in the world.

In the spiritual world there is likewise a power that is tremendous, it can produce rain and cause the wind to cease. It is the power of prayer. Prayers can accomplish much. God says so. Prayer can lift trouble from our shoulders for God says, “call upon me in the day of trouble and I will deliver you,” again “whatsoever you ask the father in my name he will give to you.”

 God's children have experienced this to be true when the children of Israel under the leadership of Moses were in the wilderness fighting against the Amalekites. Moses placed Joshua at the head of the army while he himself went to the top of a mountain to pray. The Bible records that Israel prevailed while Moses held up his hands in prayer. However, when he let them down and cease praying the Amalekites won. For this reason, Aaron and Hur got a stone upon which Moses sat. Then each of them took hold of Moses's arms and held them up while he prayed. This was done until Joshua had defeated his enemies

But in our time this power of prayer is seldom used. We are living in a prayerless age. We cannot deny this. The church is not a praying church. If the prayers go beyond two or three minutes, we become impatient, wondering how soon we will get to say, “Amen”.  Many homes are not praying homes. How often do families, spouses, or friends pray together within our homes?

Yet prayer accomplishes much and by ignoring it we are closing the door upon the mightiest force we have as God's people, as a Christian Church, and as a nation. “We have not because we ask not.” After all, let us remember that Christ has made God pleasing prayer possible through Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross. He has reconciled us to God. Being justified through the blood of Jesus Christ we now have access to the throne of grace. When we are distressed then let us go to God in prayer and we shall find immediate help and every trouble

Let us pray

Lord with heavy heart and troubled mind I come to you this day and ask you to be my helper in my distress. You know all the trials and afflictions of my life, and you can help me. Therefore, I will take refuge in you today. I confess that I have not always prayed to you Lord nor praise you for your goodness and your mercy. Forgive me all my sins and blot them out for Christ precious blood. Give me grace to trust you. Strengthen my faith in your promises. Let your continual presence and your divine forgiveness remain with me each hour of my day. I ask this in the name of Jesus Christ my Lord.  Amen.

Home at Last Scripture: Isaiah 9:6-7

For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

Merry Christmas! We’ve made it, friends.

We’ve made it! It’s finally here, with the presents, the food, the family traditions, and the precious memories we get to make.  Now, I don’t want to rain on our Christmas Day parade, but if past Christmases are any indication, we should be honest: this day is going to fly by. The magic of the moment always feels so fleeting, doesn’t it?  

Which is why it’s good for us to remember that while the celebration may feel transient, the gift we’ve received today in the birth of Jesus is anything but. What he brings with his arrival is a Kingdom (which is nothing other than our true Home) that is good, that is growing, and that is, best of all, unending.

For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace” (Isa. 9:6). The Home Jesus has established in his arrival—and into which you’ve been welcomed through your baptism—is better than even the best moments of today Yes, Christmas Day may feel as though it’s already slipping through our hands, but the Household of Jesus, the Kingdom of Christ, will continue to expand, and it will last forever.

And here’s the part we often overlook: you are a part of that enduring work, that unending Kingdom. You, by virtue of your baptism and your identity as God’s chosen child, are part of what Jesus has established and what he promises to uphold forever. You might wonder, “How can that possibly be true, with all the evil and decay I see around me and at work within me?” It’s true because this same Jesus, born on Christmas Day, is at work this Christmas morning, and every morning, renewing, restoring, and revitalizing you.

So yes, the cinnamon rolls will get eaten. The wrapping paper will be tossed. The tree will drop needles, and eventually, the decorations will come down. Like every year before, this day, this beautiful, chaotic, joy-filled Christmas morning, will pass. Because that’s what happens with good things in this life: they come to an end. But not the ultimate gift of Christmas. This King and his Kingdom, this Prince of Peace and the Home he’s establishing, is the one good thing that doesn’t fade, spoil, or slip through your fingers.

Remember, on the Christian calendar, Christmas isn’t just a day. It’s a season! Christmas has twelve days to savor the songs, stretch out the celebration, and keep the joy going. Twelve days to remind yourself that what we’ve received is something that lasts. So let your joy linger. Let your praise keep rising. Because in Jesus’s House, Christmas has only just begun. And the party never ends.  Merry Christmas. Amen.

No Place Like Home Scripture: Isaiah 55:1-5

What’s your favorite Christmas comfort food, the go-to holiday treat you can’t wait to dive into? Is it the spread of homemade cookies: snickerdoodles, gingerbread snaps, and those irresistible rice crispy treats? Maybe it’s the popcorn; you know, the caramel and cheese kind that comes in that giant tin. Or perhaps you’re more into the savory stuff: grandma’s glazed ham, your husband’s famous sweet potato casserole. When it comes to food, there really is no place like home during the holidays.

It’s a fitting way that Scripture speaks of the arrival of Jesus with images of food and feasting. God’s people–who’ve been entrenched in a centuries-long struggle with conquest, exile, and the fallout of their unfaithfulness are called to envision a day when the promised Savior-King finally arrives. According to Isaiah, this King will come with an invitation to a marketplace overflowing with life-giving nourishment, a buffet of truly satisfying foods. “Come, everyone who thirsts,” the prophet proclaims (Isa. 55:1).

Throughout time the religious thought of mankind has been centered on the fact that mankind must somehow strive for salvation, to earn your place at the table of your god. That’s what makes the work of Isaiah King so astounding. Isaiah tells us, “Come to the waters; and he who has no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without price” (Isa. 55:1–2). How can this be? Is it free because it’s worthless? No–it’s free because it’s already been paid for. No payment is needed, assumed, or accepted. It’s a gift, plain and simple. Its amazing Grace.

It’s true, isn’t it? You long to be right with God, to be seen, known, and approved by the One who made you. But instead, you reach for second-rate food. You chase the applause of your peers, hoping it will satisfy. You idolize your children, living through their grades and goals, hoping that will make you feel full. You spend time and money on what Isaiah would call “bad bread.” You toil for food that does not satisfy, forgetting that what you truly hunger for you already have, in full, in Christ.

This time of year, it feels like there’s a feast waiting on every dining room table and every kitchen island piled high with snacks and sweets. And it’s the best, isn’t it? But don’t forget it’s just a glimpse of what’s already yours in Jesus. Jesus has paid for our eternal life. And in faith we have a place at God’s table where we may enjoy all the blessings that God wishes to share with us not just this Christmas, but forever.

May we enjoy these glimpses, drawing deep comfort from them, such as when we gather around the Lord’s table in Holy Communion. In that feast of Jesus’ flesh and blood we commune not only with Christ himself, but we are delivered to God’s eternal table—in the here and now!—around which sits the church we see but also the saints we miss: your spouse, your son, your best friend, your grandmother. We can dine together as family, today, in a foretaste of the unending celebration to come.

Friends: Christ has come to make his home with us, and with him comes a feast like no other: free, satisfying, overflowing with promise, and meant to be shared. And there's a seat at the table for you! Let us enjoy it. Because it’s true—when it comes to food, there really is no place like home. Amen.

A Home Unbroken

Isaiah 66:18-23

For I know their works and their thoughts, and the time is coming to gather all nations and

tongues. And they shall come and shall see my glory, and I will set a sign among them…..

“For as the new heavens and the new earth that I make shall remain before me, says the Lord,

so shall your offspring and your name remain. From new moon to new moon, and from

Sabbath to Sabbath, all flesh shall come to worship before me,” declares the Lord.

One of the best parts about being home for the holidays is being surrounded by family. There’s

something deeply comforting about having the kids at home, nieces and nephews running

around, and aunts and uncles filling every corner of the house. It’s a blessing.

But if we’re being honest, being surrounded by family is also one of the most difficult parts of

the holidays. Like any good gift, the blessing of family comes with more than a few burdens. The

people who love you the most, and know you the best, also have the ability to aggravate, annoy,

and wound you like no other. No one can cut deeper or bring you to tears faster than someone

you love.

It’s hard to admit, especially in a season where we try to lean into the warm and fuzzy, but family

life is often tangled with tension. And being home for the holidays has a way making celebrating

Christmas, well, kind of complicated.

It’s important to remember that what we anticipate in Advent and look forward to at Christmas is

not just the birth of Jesus, but also the return of Jesus. The same Jesus who arrived in weakness

on Christmas morning to save the world from sin and death has promised that he will come again

in glory, to raise the dead to new life and to re-create the world. And in that re-created world, in

the new and everlasting Home he’s preparing for us, all that’s bad and broken in our earthly

families will be made right.

In the closing chapters of Isaiah’s sweeping prophecy, the prophet lifts his eyes toward that

future, painting a vivid picture of the Home the long-awaited Savior-King will establish at the

end of time. It’s a Home overflowing with the very gifts that those wounded by sin-soiled

relationships long to receive. Isaiah describes a world marked by justice for the wronged,

reconciliation in even the most broken relationships, and joyful unity with your forever family.

Friends, the Jesus who came once at Christmas will come again. And when he does, he will bring

you home to a feast that truly satisfies, to a family without fracture, and to a joy that never fades.

And on that day, your praise, your peace, and your Home will be unbroken. Amen.

The Longing for Home

Fort the next several weeks our message will be taken from a selection of sermon written by Pastor Matt Popovits. These messages will form the bases for the midweek theme and sermon during our Advent season. Here is a preview of your invitation to come home for Christmas here at St. Peter’s  

The Longing for Home
Isaiah 11:1-10

There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse, and a branch from his roots shall bear fruit. And the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him,

Welcome to the busiest time of the year. In the days and weeks leading up to Christmas, we are all over the place. We spend long hours at work. We have the obligatory parties, school performances, Advent services at church, and a terribly long list of errands to run. In the run-up to Christmas, we are bouncing here, there, and everywhere, spending time far from the one place we long to be. And where is it that we want to be at Christmas? You know the answer: home. We all just want to be home at Christmas, with no agenda other than enjoyment, dwelling with the people we love the most in the place that brings us peace.

The Promise of Home

And this is what makes the true story of Christmas so amazing, so worthy of our attention. Christmas says that exile in our sin isn’t the end of the story. God is coming to bring you home. To him, you have been restored, with him, you have been reunited, and in him, you have rest. He brings us from our sin-earned exile and makes us to dwell with him. He is our home.

The God Who Leaves Home

Mary and Joseph were on a road trip for a census. And then it’s suddenly time for Jesus to be born, and they cannot find a house but are stuck with a stable. Their child is not simply a child chosen by God to rescue his people, but is the incarnate, enfleshed Son of God himself. He is coeternal with the Father, “very God of very God,” born as one of us to save us. Talk about far from home.

Redeeming Hurry
There’s no getting around the busyness of the holidays. You’re going to spend more time in the car than on the couch. That’s life. But there may be a way to redeem it. Maybe all that movement can be a reminder of what this season is about. May every ache for home remind you of the One who left his throne for you. May it remind you that this world—with its busyness—is not our home. But in Jesus, our true home is not far off. It’s come to us. And one day, soon, we will dwell in it fully and forever.

Praying with Confidence

And this is the confidence that we have in him, that if we ask anything according to his will, He hears us

1 John 5 verse 14

The best way to ascertain whether prayer is answered is to try it. The testimony of thousands of Christians bear witness to the fact that God hears us as we call upon him in the day of trouble. For this reason, the scriptures urge us to be diligent in prayer. Since most of us are daily facing vexing and trying problems, we are often discouraged and disheartened. Yet we have at our very door a power that can accomplish mighty things for us. Therefore, Saint John writes: “this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us.” to pray successfully, we must pray with confidence.

To pray with confidence, we must be certain that we are addressing the right person. The Bible tells us to pray to the Lord of heaven and earth, who has revealed himself in the scriptures. God alone can hear our prayers, and to him we should go. If I am sick, I call a physician and not a lawyer. The lawyer may offer me legal advice, yes, he may even give me some hints on health. But when I am critically ill, I go to a trusted physician and let him examine me and prescribe something for me. If I want my prayers to accomplish something, I must go to God, the true and living God, who has spoken to me through his divine word.

To pray with confidence, we must furthermore be certain that we are addressing this our Lord God in the right manner. “This is the confidence that we have in Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, “He hears us.” To pray according to his will, we must pray in humility of heart. The man or woman who struts into the presence of the Lord, proud and haughty, finds the door closed. The scriptures say, “a broken and a contrite heart, Oh God, you will not despise.”

To pray with confidence, we must also be certain that we are addressing the Lord God about the right things. When I know that I am asking for the right things, then I can be certain that he hears me. Now, there are certain things which positively oppose the will of God. In His Word He tells me that they are sinful. They are harmful to my body and dangerous to my soul. On the other hand, I know that there are certain things that God desires very much. He wants all mankind to be saved. “as I live says the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turned from his way and live.”

When God wants us to pray for spiritual things. He wants you and me to pray for ourselves that we may grow in grace and the knowledge of our Lord and savior Jesus Christ. We are to ask God to fill us with patience in the days of sickness, with cheerfulness admit adversities, and fill with faith throughout the week then we know in all confidence that our God, will, "hears us.”

Prayer

Lord, heavenly Father, I approach you today, asking You to let your grace and your mercy rest upon me. Assure me of your divine presence. In your tender mercy forgive me all my sins with which I have grieved you and fill me with the blessed peace which comes to all believers. Let me grow in grace and in the knowledge of my Lord and savior Jesus Christ. In Jesus name we pray Amen.

Prayer Opens The Door

Knock, and it shall be opened unto you. Luke 11, verse 9.

Jesus urges us to pray. We are not merely to ask to God now and then, but to be persistent in prayer. Therefore, Jesus says knock. “Which of you”, he urges, “shall have a friend, and shall go unto him at midnight, and say to him, Friend, lend me loaves. For a friend of mine is in his journey, has come to me, and I have nothing to set before him. And he from within shall answer and say, Trouble me not, the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed, I cannot rise and give you. I say unto you, though he will not rise and give him, because he is his friend, yet because of his insistence, He will rise and give him as many as he needs.

In short Jesus is saying in this text that if you and I give beggars something merely to get rid of them, how much more will God give us what we need if we plead and beg as His children? Therefore, Jesus says, Knock, and it shall be opened unto you.

The Lord invites you to come to Him with all your problems, cares, and worries. You can always come, knocking at the door in prayer, and He will open.

On the other hand, we are to knock at the door and ask for help ourselves. We are to make known to Him our needs. We are to seek His help both for body and soul. Physical hunger we feel at once. Many of us, however, do not long for spiritual food for the soul. However, Jesus encourages us to seek first God's help for the needs of the soul, and He will likewise give us daily bread to support and sustain our body.

We are also encouraged to knock at the door and ask for others. The Bible speaks of making intercession for all men. That is, we are to pray for others. Our prayers should be all embracing the world in our field of prayer. One moment we can pray for some missionary pleading with God to encourage him in the performing of his difficult tasks, and the next moment we can pray for some lost soul living next door.

Whether we pray for ourselves or for others. Christ Jesus gives us the assurance it shall be opened unto you. The Lord hears our prayers. How encouraging to us in the days of troubles and trials. This promise fills us with hope. This promise teaches us to pray diligently and then wait upon the Lord with confidence. Let us continue instantly in our prayers. Always knocking know that in grace and mercy Jesus will answer.

We pray.

Gracious and merciful Father, I come to you as the very present help in trouble. You have promised to open the door to me as I pray. You have given me blessed assurance that you will abide with me whenever all other comforts fail. Lord, I put my trust in you. I ask you and seek you forsake me not. I am unworthy of divine grace. I am mindful of my many sins, but Lord, according to Your grace, blot them out and remember them no more. Created in me a clean heart and renew in me a right spirit that I may daily seek you in prayer and live in blessed communion with you and with my neighbors. Protect us from all dangers of body and soul. Let’s not the cares and worries of life rob me of my hope. In Jesus name. Amen.

Making My Prayers Count.

The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working. James 5:16b.

 God's children of all ages have prayed. Only as we become older and get caught up in the things of the world that our prayers become careless and indifferent about our soul salvation. In sinful distraction our prayers become mere forms and if we are not careful, we will cease to pray altogether. Yet, in faith we understand that prayer accomplishes much. Following Christ we learn that as God answers our prayers, He give us strength to face the trials of life and to withstand the temptations of Satan. If only we would come to Him as a child comes to their loving father.

 In prayer, God calls upon us to be fervent in speaking to Him. What is a fervent prayer? A fervent prayer is a heartfelt prayer. It rises from the depths of our innermost soul and is stripped of all pretenses. Such prayer is made thoughtfully. We do not hasten to the throne of God and make our requests at random. We consider first what we are going to say. As we call upon God we remember to whom we pray. God is the creator of the heaven and earth. Yet, at the same time he is our heavenly father who loves each of us. Understanding this we do not let our words fall from our lips thoughtlessly. In prayer we are calling upon the King of kings. Therefore, we should give much thought to the things that we want to take up to Him.

If we pray thoughtfully, then we should have something specific in mind. We know of men and women who are sick. We have friends who are indifferent to the gospel call. We know that our church has missionaries in foreign fields that we pray for by name. We shall pray more fervently. Such definite prayers make us confident as we can check up on our prayers and know whether they have been heard. Finding that they are answered gives us greater confidence in the future knowing that God does answer prayer.

Fervent prayer is made by the righteous. That which makes us righteous before God is the removal of our sin, but sin can be removed only through the blood of Jesus Christ. The righteous in the sight of God have been cleansed and washed from all their sins and are reconciled to God through our Lord and Savior. The believer makes this approach through Christ, for God is his Father only in Christ Jesus. Now such as pray in Jesus’ name fervently accomplishes much to the glory of God and the welfare of the immortal souls  

Go ahead by friends, pray. God is listening. He is waiting for you to call on Him. Likewise, He is waiting to lovingly provide you with all that you need for this world and for the world to come.

We pray.

In the name of Jesus Christ who has purchased us with His holy precious blood, I come to you Heavenly Father, asking you to hear my prayer. I need you every hour to protect and to shield me against sin which constantly assaults my soul. I need you to protect me against the forces of unbelief which seek to rob me of my faith. I need you in these days of sickness and affliction. I come to you because you have so often upheld me when every other help has failed. Therefore, I put my trust in you. I ask all this for the sake of Him who has promised to be with us always, even unto the end of the age, Jesus Christ, my Lord, Amen.

Our Burden Bearing God

Our burden bearing God.

Cast thy burdens upon the Lord, and He shall sustain thee.

Psalm 55: 22.

“Cast thy burden upon the Lord”. Here God admits that we have burdens. He does not tell us that we struggle throughout life and face the hardships of the week, as hallucinations of the mind. They are real, but these burdens should not become worries.

We are to cast all our burdens upon the Lord. Sadly, thousands of people are lost in their troubles. They worry about things that can never come to pass. They always see shadows on the walks, scarecrows in the fields, and ghosts in the gloomy halls of life.

Whatever our burdens may be, God asks us to cast them upon Him. There is no other way of ridding ourselves of them. We cannot remove them, our friends cannot take them away, and the devil will not stop attacking us.

“And he shall sustain you” is the promise God makes to all of us. If we believe this, we need not worry. In fact, we have no right to worry, no more than the Lily of the field, the sparrows on the housetop, and the ravens which have no barns. By our worries, we offend God, we sin and shows our lack of confidence in our Lord.

Above all, we are to cast upon the Lord the burdens of our sin. Sin robs us of hope, and where there is no hope, there is no peace of heart and mind. The burden of sin is taken away only through Jesus Christ, who went to the cross and paid the price of our redemption. If we cling to Christ, trust in Him as our Savior, then day after day our sins are removed. If we cast these burdens of life upon our burden bearing God, we have nothing to worry about.

We pray.

We are your people, gracious Lord, for you have called us out of darkness to the gospel, into the marvelous light of your Son Jesus Christ. As our Lord and Heavenly Father, you have promised to keep us. Therefore, I come to You with the burden of my life, asking that you would remove them if it be your will. Teach me to trust in you. Forgive me and give me courage to carry on. I ask this for the sake of him who has given his life, that I may have peace, Jesus Christ my Lord. Amen.