In Psalm 50:15 it says “and call upon me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall glorify me” Here God is motivating us to pray at any time especially when there is trouble. So God is encouraging us to pray. Sometime we do not feel like praying, we want to do something else. But it is so simple to pray, just say “God I come to you right now!”
Idaho Sunset
Luke 2:3 And all went to be registered, each to his own town. 4 And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, 5 to be registered with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child. 6 And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth. 7 And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.
Merry Christmas
The Church of the Nativity, Bethlehem, Israel
Matthew 6:33 But seek ye first his kingdom, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. 34 Be not therefore anxious for the morrow: for the morrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.
Lots of Colors from a Computer
Hebrews 7:25 Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.
Trail near Little Spokane River
Faith always moves us forward. Even when Peter failed, the Lord prayed that Peter’s faith would not fail. The Bible even records failures and restoration.
Deschutes River, Sunriver, Oregon
Prayer can just be simple, not complex and not formal. God is real, He is a living person and can be talked to with short simple words any time and in any place. He is not limited by His schedule, but He is limited by our schedule. Just talk to Him and make your concerns and requests known in any words you feel to use. We sometimes wait for a good time to pray, but anytime is always great.
Little Spokane River and Reflections
Grape Vines in Washington State
Wow, look at prayer, with Jesus as the vine, and we as the branches in John 15, chapters 14, 15, 16, and 17. In these four chapters, Jesus was trying to comfort His disciples and at the same time get them to just abide in Him. So right in the middle of that, in chapter 15, Jesus was talking about abiding. He was talking about how we need to be like branches on a vine. He was the true vine. Some people say this describes kind of an organic, living and real relationship between Jesus and us, or between us and the Father. Without getting into the rest of the context, there, John 15:7 says, “If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.” That seems kind of like a blank check where you can expect God to do anything you ask of Him. Some people look at that verse and they wonder why God doesn’t answer when they pray for something. There is a condition in this verse, though. It says, “If you abide in Me and My words aide in you”. The “asking” is prayer.
Grape Vines in Eastern Washington
Well, the first condition, there, is, “If you abide in Me… “ Without getting into the context,there, one way to abide is to stay in the Lord, to rest in the Lord, or to remain in the Lord. So how does one abide in the Lord, it simply means to trust and rely on Him. I would even say it means to do the things God wants you to do, to obey the Lord. He says, “If you abide in Me”. Then He says, “And if My words abide in you”. This passage in the book of John says, “If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you”, you can ask whatever you will and I will do it. What words is He talking about when Jesus says, “And My words abide in you”? I believe He is specifically talking about the word He is speaking. Oh, and by the way, what ever Jesus says is the Word of God. I believe it also has to include the words of the Bible from Genesis to Revelation.
Grape Vines in Eastern Washington
The video this text is taken from is on Drew’s YouTube channel. This portion is at YouTube.
Luke 5:5 But Simon answered and said to Him, “Master, we have toiled all night and caught nothing; nevertheless at Your word I will let down the net.”
Luke 4:36 Then they were all amazed and spoke among themselves, saying, “What a word this is! For with authority and power He commands the unclean spirits, and they come out.”
The theme is simple “Following Jesus”, He, that is Jesus, has the power and He knows where the fish are. So don’t follow someone or something else, just follow Jesus.
Reflection on the Spokane River