Prayer

Oh, magnify the Lord with me,

and let us exalt His name together!

I sought the Lord, and he answered me

and delivered me from all my fears.

Psalm 34:3-4

God gave it to us as a gift, and I think sometimes don't realize what an amazing blessing it is!

It is clear in God's Word that prayer is a vital, effective part of the Christian life.

Personally, I have found that it is very easy to get lazy about, but once I start making a point of praying regularly, I get into the habit and do it automatically through out the day. Like many other things (worship, loving people, reading the Bible), you have to just do it, even when you don't feel like it, and your emotions will catch up eventually. 

And this is the confidence that we have toward Him,

that if we ask anything according to His will,

He hears us.

1 John 5:14

Something that I think some people are jumpy about is asking God for "insignificant" things.

It seems that God delights in giving us the desires of our hearts, as long as they aren't contrary to His word, or things that would not be good for us.

I think one of the most important things that God tells us about prayer is that we have to trust Him to answer our prayers--whether it be in the exact way we want Him to, or in another way that is far better. If we're just praying out of duty, assuming that he's not really going to do anything about it, we aren't doing it right!

Confess your trespasses to one another,

and pray for one another, 

that you may be healed.

The effective, fervent prayer

of a righteous man avails much.

James 5:16

Good Friday

I just love this song, and it is very appropriate for Good Friday. It is a different perspective on Christ's death, and I think it is very moving.

Our Rock

For their rock

is not as our Rock;

our enemies are by themselves.

Deuteronomy 32:31

~Love~

Valentine's Day is this Sunday... so I decided to do a post on love.

Our culture says that romantic love is basically the most important thing... it's all you need, you won't be happy until you have it, etc. Yet it is also portrayed as a very inconstant thing. The majority of songs in many genres are about heartbreak--love that didn't last.

So it's the one thing you need in your life, but yet it is fleeting and inconstant?

Many love stories in songs, movies, and books are between two people who are completely obsessed with only each other. A girl is hopelessly in love with a boy, and she makes him her entire focus in life. He becomes a basically a god in her mind, and she thinks he is all she needs to be happy.

So guess what? When he lets her down, she is devastated because she has been essentially worshiping him. And I'm not saying this can only happen if she thinks he's perfect. You can make someone the focus of your life without thinking they are flawless.

In any kind of friendship, the people involved need to realize that the other person is human and will not always be there for them.

I remember in a Sunday school class several years ago, me and one of my friends were sitting with each other. Our teacher was talking about how every person in our life will let us down at some point, and that only God will always be faithful. Afterward my friend said, "You have never let me down!" Which was very sweet. :-) (She hadn't known me very long, LOL). And I remember thinking, "Not everyone will let me down."

Well... turns out, everyone did. And I'm sure I have let down my friend many times since then.

It seems like many of the love stories that are considered timeless, epic, etc, are really about two very selfish people who want to be together no matter what.

I think often, especially in romantic relationships, people want to be with the other person because it makes them feel good. "I want you because I want feel be comfortable, happy, and cared about." Obviously if both people are thinking in this way, it's not going to work out too well!

I believe the solution to these problems in relationships is realizing the fact that God should be the center of our lives, and our relationship with him will enable us to truly love others and not get things out of proportion. We all have the desire to be loved unconditionally, and unfailing. If we depend on people to give us the perfect love that only God can, we'll just end up bitter and disappointed.

Happy Valentine's Day!