As many of you know from a previous post I wanted a truffle last weekend but did not want to go to the Galleria. My husband not knowing about the desire for a truffle; stopped at Buc-cees on the way home from the deer lease and bought fudge for me. What a guy, stopping to buy fudge at the service station. Buc-ees have not been around all that long, but has a loyal following. One of my friends has been known to drive to Buc-ees to buy jerky, it's 1/2 way to San Antonio. Thankfully they have opened a few locations around the greater Houston area and one will open soon in Richmond. You can pull in pump gas, go in grab a Coke, buy freshly baked cookies, have some jerky and get back on the highway. Buc-ees is basically a massive convenience store. I love them.
It can be very easy to treat God like a convenience store. We just utter a prayer which is like a fast food order and go on down the highway of life. I am not talking about when a crisis pops up or we need a quick refreshment from the Lord. I am talking about this kind of prayer:
Lord, Did you see what Susie Q did to me? I am glad you saw it and know I don't need to forgive her. I hate my boss. Lord, the sermon was so boring Sunday, and the choir - did you hear the choir!!! Did you put your hand over your ears? I am going to buy a lotto ticket, please bless it. In Jesus' Name. amen (I did take some of this from a prayer I heard someone pray.)
Not to be legalistic and say there is a right and wrong way to pray or a set amount of time and a set place to pray, I will say pray when you have time to listen to the Lord's response. He has a lot to say to us, He will impress our hearts with answers, He may answer through other people, and He will speak to us through His word. I normally begin prayer with praises and establish Who He is, Yaweh - the Great I Am, enthroned in Heaven, then I confess my sin (I do make confessions through out the day, especially as I drive down the road, I tend to have a problem with my thought life concerning other drivers.), I then talk to Him about situations or incidents in life and pray for people with needs, and end with thanking Him. This is not the only way to pray, it's just how I pray. I also spend some time sitting quietly. Sometimes I journal. I have not journaled in a month or so, I want to be intentional about it in the New Year.
The Bible gives us the model prayer we call the Lord's Prayer. So much has been written about it, that I will sum it up in a nutshell - Jesus began by establashing God's sovereignty, asking for provision, asking for forgiveness, asking for protection and ending in praise.
If I were going to pray the convenience store prayer for real, it would be similar to this:
Heavenly Father, I know You are the Father of Lights, You are my Abba Father, enthroned in Heaven, You never change. I would then confess my sin. I would talk to Him about Susie Q. I would ask Him if I should talk to her about whatever hurt my feelings or drop it. I would ask Him to fill my heart with love for her and would pray for forgiveness because I was angry with her. I would ask the Lord to grant me favor and grace with my boss, I would pray to be the Light of Christ in the office at all times. I would pray for the Lord to anoint my minister and pour out His message through the minister in the sermon. I would thank Him for the choir and the time they give Him and the church. I would ask Him to bless them and anoint them. I don't think I would pray over the lotto ticket! I would end the prayer thanking Him.
Make time for Him. He loves you! He loves you so much, He sent His Son Jesus - Emmanuel, He trusted humans to raise Jesus. Jesus thought it was worth leaving His Father to live on earth and ultimately be our Passover Lamb.
In the same region, shepherds were staying out in the fields and keeping watch at night over their flock. Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, "Don't be afraid, for look, I proclaim to you good news of great joy that will be for all the people: today a Savior, who is Messiah the Lord, was born for you in the city of David. This will be the sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped snugly in cloth and lying in a manger." Suddenly there was a multitude of the heavenly host with the angel, praising God and saying: Glory to God in the highest heaven, and peace on earth to people He favors!
It can be very easy to treat God like a convenience store. We just utter a prayer which is like a fast food order and go on down the highway of life. I am not talking about when a crisis pops up or we need a quick refreshment from the Lord. I am talking about this kind of prayer:
Lord, Did you see what Susie Q did to me? I am glad you saw it and know I don't need to forgive her. I hate my boss. Lord, the sermon was so boring Sunday, and the choir - did you hear the choir!!! Did you put your hand over your ears? I am going to buy a lotto ticket, please bless it. In Jesus' Name. amen (I did take some of this from a prayer I heard someone pray.)
Not to be legalistic and say there is a right and wrong way to pray or a set amount of time and a set place to pray, I will say pray when you have time to listen to the Lord's response. He has a lot to say to us, He will impress our hearts with answers, He may answer through other people, and He will speak to us through His word. I normally begin prayer with praises and establish Who He is, Yaweh - the Great I Am, enthroned in Heaven, then I confess my sin (I do make confessions through out the day, especially as I drive down the road, I tend to have a problem with my thought life concerning other drivers.), I then talk to Him about situations or incidents in life and pray for people with needs, and end with thanking Him. This is not the only way to pray, it's just how I pray. I also spend some time sitting quietly. Sometimes I journal. I have not journaled in a month or so, I want to be intentional about it in the New Year.
The Bible gives us the model prayer we call the Lord's Prayer. So much has been written about it, that I will sum it up in a nutshell - Jesus began by establashing God's sovereignty, asking for provision, asking for forgiveness, asking for protection and ending in praise.
If I were going to pray the convenience store prayer for real, it would be similar to this:
Heavenly Father, I know You are the Father of Lights, You are my Abba Father, enthroned in Heaven, You never change. I would then confess my sin. I would talk to Him about Susie Q. I would ask Him if I should talk to her about whatever hurt my feelings or drop it. I would ask Him to fill my heart with love for her and would pray for forgiveness because I was angry with her. I would ask the Lord to grant me favor and grace with my boss, I would pray to be the Light of Christ in the office at all times. I would pray for the Lord to anoint my minister and pour out His message through the minister in the sermon. I would thank Him for the choir and the time they give Him and the church. I would ask Him to bless them and anoint them. I don't think I would pray over the lotto ticket! I would end the prayer thanking Him.
Make time for Him. He loves you! He loves you so much, He sent His Son Jesus - Emmanuel, He trusted humans to raise Jesus. Jesus thought it was worth leaving His Father to live on earth and ultimately be our Passover Lamb.
In the same region, shepherds were staying out in the fields and keeping watch at night over their flock. Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, "Don't be afraid, for look, I proclaim to you good news of great joy that will be for all the people: today a Savior, who is Messiah the Lord, was born for you in the city of David. This will be the sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped snugly in cloth and lying in a manger." Suddenly there was a multitude of the heavenly host with the angel, praising God and saying: Glory to God in the highest heaven, and peace on earth to people He favors!
6 comments:
You know... this was good. I don't think some people think about how they approach God. I am sure God knows each heart...and no matter how we word our prayers He knows what is within, but there is a model after all...Jesus. Praise and adoration should always be a component and preferably first! I journal too...my prayer life is so much better when I do...keeps me consistent. Don't fall asleep so much...and my heart pours out more readily! Blessings to you this day!
I love me some Buc-ees! Always fun headed down I-10. I will see you day after tomorrow!! Love, Annette
Your blog keeps getting better and better! Your older articles are not as good as newer ones you have a lot more creativity and originality now keep it up!
You have to express more your opinion to attract more readers, because just a video or plain text without any personal approach is not that valuable. But it is just form my point of view
No matter what others say, I think it is still interesting and useful maybe necessary to improve some minor things
Not sure where to post this but I wanted to ask if anyone has heard of National Clicks?
Can someone help me find it?
Overheard some co-workers talking about it all week but didn't have time to ask so I thought I would post it here to see if someone could help me out.
Seems to be getting alot of buzz right now.
Thanks
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