PRAY IT! Mountain5

I’ve never seen Titanic.  I don’t really have a reason why.  My joking response is “I know what happens.”  [Keep reading, I come back around to this in a bit…]

This week’s passage [Read it here!] can be a bit much to wade through (at least for me), but if I were going to boil it down to what was most important, my own summary would be “It’s all about Jesus.” 

So… the Old Testament… all about Jesus. 

The New Testament… all about Jesus. 

This crazy journey we’re all on called life… it’s all about Jesus (or should be)…

This life is made possible by Jesus… brought to you by Jesus… best when focused on Jesus…

So simple.  So complex. 

It’s all about Jesus.

When pursuing reading the Bible, the simple, practical tip that Jesus gives us in this passage is that we should see all texts pointing to Him.

Did I mention that it’s all about Jesus?

So, what does this have to do with prayer? 

Reading the Bible and prayer go hand-in-hand.  They both kind of involve Jesus.  (And when I say "kind of" I mean it like I "kind of" like chocolate or coffee...!)  Our prayer life can enhance our Bible reading, and our Bible reading can enhance our prayer life.  They’re both important, necessary slices of the same sandwich, with Jesus in the middle… leave out any one and it stops being a sandwich.  It just can’t happen.

How is your Bible reading, honestly?  I feel like Jesus is asking me to take a longer look at my time in His Word and see if it is where He would like it to be.  I don’t think He does this to be condemning (after all, Jesus came to fulfil and not abolish/destroy on several levels, and His gentle, loving correction is meant to leave us more fulfilled and filled with Him).  Jesus is calling me to spend time with Him and to know Him better. 

Sometimes I go through seasons where I am so excited to read God’s Word.  Other times… eh… Just like with Titantic, I can and have faded into the routine response of “Well I know what happens.”  Or “Well I’ve read that part before.”  Or maybe even “Well I don’t want to read that… some of it is unpleasant… it is calling me to surrender… to be transformed… to change… and… maybe I don’t wanna!”

PoC, as we spend time with Jesus today, praying through this passage, let’s pray that Jesus would reveal to us, out of kindness, what we need to hear, and equip us to make changes that He calls us to do.  It's because He loves us...

Dear Jesus,

Thank you for Your Word.  Please give me the motivation, the abilities, the focus, and the obedience to be in your Word more.  Please reveal to me any excuses I have and let me see them as just that… excuses… and move on toward change so that my relationship with You can deepen and grow.

Amen.

Thursday night prayer service is on hiatus as it undergoes a “Re-Visioning” – we will keep you posted on updates.  See you at 9:30 am on Sunday mornings for prayer! 

Blessings,

Pastor Celia