Author Archives: Drew Haninger

Trust in the Lord

Trust in the Lord – lake in Montana

We trust in many things like food, our house, our job, our bank account, hard work, our family or society. When things do not work we sometimes drop all else and trust the Lord! But only because we have come to our end, at least we think our end. So now to try to trust the Lord everyday is a stretch for many of us. Our understanding of life and events is somewhat limited, so that’s why the verse says to not rely too much on our thinking or understanding. God knows better than us, even though we like to think we understand everything.

Proverbs 3:5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not rely on your own understanding; 6 think about Him in all your ways, and He will guide you on the right paths.

Look at the story of Joseph in the Bible. Joseph had a vision to be a governor in Egypt, yet God let him through all kinds of very difficult trials. If Joseph had not been Egypt’s prisoner, he could have never been Egypt’s governor.

Every difficulty we pass through prepares us for our future work for God. So right in the middle (but this is hard to do), we need to trust in the Lord.

Prayer and Supplication with Thanksgiving

Prayer and Supplication with Thanksgiving – Seagull, Cannon Beach, Oregon

Prayer starts with thanksgiving, thanking God for all He has done. Sometimes this is hard to do, but thanksgiving helps our prayer. But this verse starts by telling us to be careful for nothing, that is, don’t worry about anything, just pray. Then it says to just let God know what’s going on, just talk to God. Then after all these items, there is the peace of God that goes beyond what we think and feel. This peace guards our hearts by filling us with the peace of God.

Philippians 4:6-7 Be careful about nothing; but in everything, by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; 7 and the peace of God, which surpasses every understanding, shall guard your hearts and your thoughts by Christ Jesus.

Prayer is Talking to God

Prayer is simple. Prayer is just talking to God. Nothing formal is necessary.

Olive Trees In Jerusalem Israel – Prayer is Talking to God

God exists and listens, we just need to talk to Him. Prayer does not need to be formal or in some special place. Prayer is just talking to God in reality. So we don’t need make-up something, just start saying what is on your heart as you talk to God. Prayer is just a dialog between us and God. Prayer can be alone for with others. Prayer can be when we love God and when we hate God. Sometimes we are hurting because of something that happened, so tell that to God. Prayer can be what we feel when we are very encouraged and when we are very depressed and low. Prayer can be when we think we are perfect (only God is perfect), and when we are a sinner (and we all are sinners) and when we feel we are a saint. Prayer can be when we are happy and when we are sad. Sometimes after we pray we feel high and sometimes low.

The Spirit makes it easy, because He knows how and what to pray. Without the Spirit, prayer is hard. With the Spirit prayer us easy. Romans 8:26 And in like manner the Spirit joins also its help to our weakness; for we do not know what we should pray for as is fitting, but the Spirit itself makes intercession with groanings which cannot be uttered.

Look at the prayers of David in the Psalms where David just talks to God. David tells God just what he thinks and how he feels. When David is low, he says “God, I am depressed”.

When David was feeling great, He praises God. Sometimes when he is low is also praises God. Psalms 8:2 Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings hast thou established praise because of thine adversaries, to still the enemy and the avenger.

Also consider some of the points in the article on “What is Prayer”

More Spokane Moose Sightings

Moose Staring at Drew

Ok, so yesterday, one mile from the trailhead, as I am walking back to my car, I turned around and observed a large very black moose up the side of the hill. He was staring me in the face. I was going to change lenses on my camera, but decided to quickly get out of there. On the way back I met some other hikers, so I brought them back to the moose spot. As we turned the corner in the canyon, there is the moose, in the middle of the dirt road, looking straight at the three of us. I quicky put the telephoto lens on my camera and hid behind the other hikers and quickly took two pictures. Then I said “Bye” and headed down the trail! I just did not want to have to hide behind a tree as one is supposed to do when charged by a moose. One of the hikers was an experienced moose hunter! So did not feel bad leaving. We were near the Little Spokane River north of Spokane.

See more moose sightings. The moose below were not staring me in the face. These were photographed in the same area a few weeks ago.

Two Moose in Little Spokane River area

Sunflower in San Diego

While with my wife, son, daughter, and grandson I took this photograph in San Diego. No special close-up lens and no special lighting, just standard sunlight on a beautiful day in San Diego.

We get depressed, but God is never depressed. We get low, but God is not low. We get worried, but God is not worried. Our anxiety and concern level gets high, but God is not worried.

God is very confident that He can finish the work He started in You. Philippians 1:6 being confident of this very thing, that he who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Jesus Christ: God does not get discouraged when He looks at us and observes us. God is not discouraged when we fail. He already knows we will fail. He knows the purpose He created each of us for and never gives up on us.

Evening at Sunset

seagull into the sunset – soaring while resting

We should soar in the Lord while we are resting in Him.

Deuteronomy 16:6 …at the place that the Lord your God will choose, to make his name dwell in it, there you shall offer the Passover sacrifice, in the evening at sunset, at the time you came out of Egypt. 7 And you shall cook it and eat it at the place that the Lord your God will choose. — a great verse on the place the Lord chooses.

The photo taken on the Oregon coast at Cannon Beach. One seagull standing on railing of our seaside patio.

The Lord’s Prayer – The Sermon on the Mount

The Lord's Prayer given within the Sermon on Mount maybe given on the west side of the Sea of Galilee

The Lord’s Prayer, a Bible Prayer, was given in the Sermon on Mount. Jesus may have given this talk on the north-west side of the Sea of Galilee, Israel.

Here is another Bible Prayer, a model prayer, an example prayer for us to follow.
The Lord’s Prayer was given by Jesus while teaching on the Sermon on Mount. The supposed location is on the north-west side of the Sea of Galilee.

The Lord’s Prayer is in Matthew chapter 6, the sermon on the mount is in chapters 5, 6 and 7. So the model prayer was given within this three chapter sermon on the mount. The main points of the prayer is the following short quick points: Thy Name, Thy Kingdom, Thy Will, daily bread, forgive and keep us from evil.

The passage on the Lord’s prayer is right in the middle of the Jesus Christ giving the three chapter sermon on the mount. The location is supposed to be on the north-west side of the Sea of Galilee, Israel as shown in the picture above.

See several articles on the Lord’s Prayer on this blog

The large building in the picture above is the Church of the Beatitudes or Sermon on the Mount Church. The church was built by the Byzantines. This is considered the traditional location of the sermon on the mount.

Matthew 6:9 After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. 10 Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. 11 Give us this day our daily bread. 12 And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. 13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.

The Lord’s prayer is a model prayer. It has two sections: towards God and toward man. In the first section towards God we learn to pray (1) in His name, (2) for His Kingdom, and (3) for His will.

When we take care of God, He takes care of us. Consider the verse in Matthew 6:33
“But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.” There is quite a promise here, we seek the Kingdom, that is take care of God’s interests and He (God) helps us.

Morning Prayer – Encouraging Bible Verses

Morning time is the best time to connect with God in the Bible and prayer – encouraging Bible verses

Morning time is the best time to connect with God in the Bible and prayer – encouraging Bible verses.

Just before the day gets started, the crazy things come, stresses come, the emails come, the twitters come and then the other billion things that fill a day. Take time in the morning to connect and contact God the source of our life and our strength. He is the one to strengthen us through the whole day.

Here is an awesome morning prayer time animation video.

Consider these wonderful encouraging Bible verses on prayer in the morning.

Psalms 30:5 For his anger is but for a moment,and his favor is for a lifetime. Weeping may tarry for the night,but joy comes with the morning.

Revelation 2:28 and I will give him the morning star.

Mark 1:35 Now in the morning, having risen a long while before daylight, He went out and departed to a solitary place; and there He prayed. Jesus really liked the morning time for prayer and Bible reading.

Sunrise over the Dead Sea, Israel

Psalms 55:17 Evening and morning and at noon I will pray, and cry aloud, And He shall hear my voice.

p.s. The first picture above that looks like a sunrise, is actually a sunset in the Pacific Northwest.

Multnomah Falls, Oregon

Christian Bible Study

Bible Study and Devotions