A Realization

See this post about another dream I had this week. God is speaking to me about dying to my old self!

Wierd Dream ... or was it?

Wednesday morning, I had a very strange and scary dream. I dreamt about my friend Tracy and her husband Glen, who has been sick, and the doctors haven't been able to figure out what's wrong for at least two years. Well, in my dream, he succumbed to his sickness. At that very moment, I felt a chill - a VERY strong chill - go up my back. At this point I believe I was awake, because the tingling feeling was real. But everything around me was very bright. I couldn't see anything, not even Jesus, in the light. At first I was scared, but as soon as I realized I couldn't do anything about it, I prayed for the Lord to make sure my children were taken care of in my absence. And then I woke up.

I'm really not sure what to make of this, except maybe that I still need to work on my relationship with Him. I know I'm not yet where I need to be.

Father, wake me up to your glory and peace. Open my eyes to what it is you want me to learn from this.

Week 4 Day 1: Sing Together

This week is all about music as prayer, a concept very close to my heart. I enjoy making music, singing (just between me, my children, and God!) and participating in just about any type of musical event. I love choir music, musicals, instrumental music, and contemporary Christian pieces.

The study says to “think about a time when you have participated in the excitement of group music making or singing.” Very well fitting at this time, as I am a member of the orchestra for Sidney High’s musical “Pajama Game.” I usually am asked to do two or three spring high school musicals in the area, and one or two community groups over the summer. I so enjoyed being a part of the orchestra in high school – it was my favorite part of the day, and taking part in musicals is a way for me to continue that love.

We were asked to choose a song that felt like a prayer to us, and to sing it to God. As I left Melissa’s Tuesday night, I was thinking about the coming week, knowing that I would want to choose a song to play on my viola at our next meeting (we will be asked to bring a song to the meeting). In the car, I suddenly remembered seeing some contemporary hymnals Melissa had laying on the coffee table, so I turned the car around and went back to ask if I could borrow one for the week. When I got home, I sat down and read through the whole book, looking for songs that meant something to me. I had found several, and decided to purchase them on iTunes.

Today, on the way home from school, those new songs were really speaking to me, energizing me, so when I sat down to do the study, it was a no-brainer for me – I chose to sing those songs right from the hymnnal. It felt so good (though I made sure nobody was around to hear me but God!)

After musical practice (dress rehearsal for opening night tonight!), I was pumped, as I usually am after doing a musical. A typical “spring in Ohio” thunderstorm was rolling in, and I just felt like sitting on the front porch (at 11pm!) and watching it. As I sat and the magic began, I again thought of the new music I had on my iPod, so I got it out and played those songs. I felt myself just being filled with the Holy Spirit and wanting to sing, so I did! I tried to keep it quiet, under the sound of the rain and thunder, anyway, as I was outside, right next to my children’s bedrooms. When my new music ended, it rolled around to my usual “Christian Favorites” playlist, and I continued to listen, sing, watch the storm, and be filled spiritually. At 12:15, I decided I better go to bed, or I’d never get up in the morning, but I didn’t want the music to end. So I ended up sleeping with my iPod playing my favorite Christian music all night long.

I just love feeling filled by the Holy Spirit – it brings such peace and joy to my life, and helps me to be the light to shine His glory to others!

Week 3 Day 1: Pray With All Your Heart

Deuteronomy 6:4-5 (New International Version)

⁴ Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. ^{[a] 5} Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.


***

Matthew 22:37 (New International Version)

³⁷Jesus replied: " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.'^[a]


***

Mark 12:29-30 (New International Version)

²⁹"The most important one," answered Jesus, "is this: 'Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one.^{[a] 30}Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.'^[b]


***

Luke 10:27 (New International Version)

²⁷He answered: " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind'^[a]; and, 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'^[b]"


***

Today’s activity was to spend 10 minutes praying the traditional form of this prayer “The Lord is Our God, the Lord Alone” according to my heartbeat.  However, while reading the article, I came up with my own breath prayer: “Inner Light, Shine in Me”. The article also said not to try every form suggested because I would only become frustrated trying to remember them all.

For a year, I have had an unexplainable feeling in my heart that resonates with the symptoms that the author had. My heart does not race as hers did, but instead feels like it’s being pulled out of my chest. In thinking about the events of the past year, and my desire to glorify God in all I do, I believe this feeling of pulling is the “Inner Light” being lit and shining through me.

As I am praying this prayer to the beat of my heart & breathing, I am feeling filled by the Holy Spirit. I am envisioning myself in His presence, glowing from the heart, and He is smiling.

Week 3

How has my image of God been shaped or reshaped over the course of my life?

 

As a small child, God was distant to me. Though I knew OF Him, I did not KNOW Him personally. He was the judge I would answer to at my life’s end.

 

As I experienced Him more, I felt closer to Him, and that I could ask for my needs. This came from my experiences at Tar Hollow, mostly. As Deanna put it, it was like I was getting a hug from Him, but I was not yet ready to hug back.

 

Then I began to realize God’s work in my life in little ways - “coincidences” that could only have been God.

 

Then He worked in such a huge way in my life a year ago that I was absolutely amazed and in awe.

 

***

 

From a list we were given, we were to choose a name for God that was unfamiliar to us, and journal about it.

 

I chose “Holy Partner.”

 

I think of a partner as an equal. But I am DEFINITELY not equal to God!  But, as Melissa said last night, she likes to use “Beloved” because “we both can use it for each other – I am His Beloved, and He is mine.” I will strive to love Him as He loves me. I feel Him growing me, cultivating me to be a “Holy Partner.” Make me beautiful in Your eyes, Lord.

Week 2 Day 5: Prayer Stretches

Genesis 32:22-32 (New International Version)

Jacob Wrestles With God

²² That night Jacob got up and took his two wives, his two maidservants and his eleven sons and crossed the ford of the Jabbok. ²³ After he had sent them across the stream, he sent over all his possessions. ²⁴ So Jacob was left alone, and a man wrestled with him till daybreak. ²⁵ When the man saw that he could not overpower him, he touched the socket of Jacob's hip so that his hip was wrenched as he wrestled with the man. ²⁶ Then the man said, "Let me go, for it is daybreak."
      But Jacob replied, "I will not let you go unless you bless me."
²⁷ The man asked him, "What is your name?"
      "Jacob," he answered.
²⁸ Then the man said, "Your name will no longer be Jacob, but Israel, ^[a] because you have struggled with God and with men and have overcome."
²⁹ Jacob said, "Please tell me your name."
      But he replied, "Why do you ask my name?" Then he blessed him there.
³⁰ So Jacob called the place Peniel, ^[b] saying, "It is because I saw God face to face, and yet my life was spared."
³¹ The sun rose above him as he passed Peniel, ^[c] and he was limping because of his hip. ³² Therefore to this day the Israelites do not eat the tendon attached to the socket of the hip, because the socket of Jacob's hip was touched near the tendon.


***

What would I say if God asked, “What is your name?” When I looked up my name in my mother’s book of baby names, the meaning of “Kendra” was listed as “knowing woman.” I prefer to think of it as “one who knows God.”

During our discussion last week, we talked about the fact that many people use different names for God in their prayers, based on what they were asking for. Such as “Almighty Healer” when asking for healing, “Holy Protector” when asking for protection, etc.

Week 2 Day 4: God Reveals

Luke 18 (New International Version)

Luke 18

The Parable of the Persistent Widow

¹Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up. ²He said: "In a certain town there was a judge who neither feared God nor cared about men. ³And there was a widow in that town who kept coming to him with the plea, 'Grant me justice against my adversary.'
⁴"For some time he refused. But finally he said to himself, 'Even though I don't fear God or care about men, ⁵yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will see that she gets justice, so that she won't eventually wear me out with her coming!' "
⁶And the Lord said, "Listen to what the unjust judge says. ⁷And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? ⁸I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?"

The Parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector

⁹To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everybody else, Jesus told this parable: ¹⁰"Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. ¹¹The Pharisee stood up and prayed about^[a] himself: 'God, I thank you that I am not like other men—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. ¹²I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.'
¹³"But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, 'God, have mercy on me, a sinner.'
¹⁴"I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted."

The Little Children and Jesus

¹⁵People were also bringing babies to Jesus to have him touch them. When the disciples saw this, they rebuked them. ¹⁶But Jesus called the children to him and said, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. ¹⁷I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it."

The Rich Ruler

¹⁸A certain ruler asked him, "Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?"
¹⁹"Why do you call me good?" Jesus answered. "No one is good—except God alone. ²⁰You know the commandments: 'Do not commit adultery, do not murder, do not steal, do not give false testimony, honor your father and mother.'^[b]"
²¹"All these I have kept since I was a boy," he said.
²²When Jesus heard this, he said to him, "You still lack one thing. Sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me."
²³When he heard this, he became very sad, because he was a man of great wealth. ²⁴Jesus looked at him and said, "How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God! ²⁵Indeed, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God."
²⁶Those who heard this asked, "Who then can be saved?"
²⁷Jesus replied, "What is impossible with men is possible with God."
²⁸Peter said to him, "We have left all we had to follow you!"
²⁹"I tell you the truth," Jesus said to them, "no one who has left home or wife or brothers or parents or children for the sake of the kingdom of God ³⁰will fail to receive many times as much in this age and, in the age to come, eternal life."

Jesus Again Predicts His Death

³¹Jesus took the Twelve aside and told them, "We are going up to Jerusalem, and everything that is written by the prophets about the Son of Man will be fulfilled. ³²He will be handed over to the Gentiles. They will mock him, insult him, spit on him, flog him and kill him. ³³On the third day he will rise again."
³⁴The disciples did not understand any of this. Its meaning was hidden from them, and they did not know what he was talking about.

A Blind Beggar Receives His Sight

³⁵As Jesus approached Jericho, a blind man was sitting by the roadside begging. ³⁶When he heard the crowd going by, he asked what was happening. ³⁷They told him, "Jesus of Nazareth is passing by."
³⁸He called out, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!"
³⁹Those who led the way rebuked him and told him to be quiet, but he shouted all the more, "Son of David, have mercy on me!"
⁴⁰Jesus stopped and ordered the man to be brought to him. When he came near, Jesus asked him, ⁴¹"What do you want me to do for you?"
      "Lord, I want to see," he replied.
⁴²Jesus said to him, "Receive your sight; your faith has healed you." ⁴³Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus, praising God. When all the people saw it, they also praised God.


***

Which images of God does Jesus challenge?

God as an unjust judge; God as an exalter of the self-righteous; One who sees babies and children as lesser; One who rewards the rich.

What fresh images of God does Jesus present?

A God of justice; A righteous God who exalts the humble; A God who exalts children and those with childlike faith; A God of the poor who gives eternal life in heaven; A God who would sacrifice His only beloved Son for the sake of man; A God who will heal if we only believe in Him.

Which images do I tend to resist? I definitely resist giving all I have to the poor. My life has become so dependent upon the comforts I have – a beautiful home, a warm bed, clean clothes, food always available, a computer with internet at my beck and call. a cell phone also with internet, a brand new car, a full-time job with benefits.  Lord, reveal to me what you would say to me, show to me, or give to me as I offer these things to you.

Week 2 Day 3: God Appears

Colossians 1:15-20 (New International Version)

The Supremacy of Christ

¹⁵He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. ¹⁶For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him. ¹⁷He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. ¹⁸And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy. ¹⁹For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, ²⁰and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.

***

Genesis 2:4-9 (New International Version)

Adam and Eve

⁴ This is the account of the heavens and the earth when they were created.
      When the LORD God made the earth and the heavens- ⁵ and no shrub of the field had yet appeared on the earth ^[a] and no plant of the field had yet sprung up, for the LORD God had not sent rain on the earth ^[b] and there was no man to work the ground, ⁶ but streams ^[c] came up from the earth and watered the whole surface of the ground- ⁷ the LORD God formed the man ^[d] from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.
⁸ Now the LORD God had planted a garden in the east, in Eden; and there he put the man he had formed. ⁹ And the LORD God made all kinds of trees grow out of the ground—trees that were pleasing to the eye and good for food. In the middle of the garden were the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.


***

Genesis 19:13 (New International Version)

¹³ because we are going to destroy this place. The outcry to the LORD against its people is so great that he has sent us to destroy it."


***

Exodus 3:1-6 (New International Version)

Exodus 3

Moses and the Burning Bush

¹ Now Moses was tending the flock of Jethro his father-in-law, the priest of Midian, and he led the flock to the far side of the desert and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. ² There the angel of the LORD appeared to him in flames of fire from within a bush. Moses saw that though the bush was on fire it did not burn up. ³ So Moses thought, "I will go over and see this strange sight—why the bush does not burn up."
⁴ When the LORD saw that he had gone over to look, God called to him from within the bush, "Moses! Moses!"
      And Moses said, "Here I am."
⁵ "Do not come any closer," God said. "Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground." ⁶ Then he said, "I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob." At this, Moses hid his face, because he was afraid to look at God.


***

Exodus 13:21-22 (New International Version)

²¹ By day the LORD went ahead of them in a pillar of cloud to guide them on their way and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, so that they could travel by day or night. ²² Neither the pillar of cloud by day nor the pillar of fire by night left its place in front of the people.


***

Psalm 23 (New International Version)

Psalm 23

A psalm of David.

¹ The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want.
² He makes me lie down in green pastures,
       he leads me beside quiet waters,
³ he restores my soul.
       He guides me in paths of righteousness
       for his name's sake.
⁴ Even though I walk
       through the valley of the shadow of death, ^[a]
       I will fear no evil,
       for you are with me;
       your rod and your staff,
       they comfort me.
⁵ You prepare a table before me
       in the presence of my enemies.
       You anoint my head with oil;
       my cup overflows.
⁶ Surely goodness and love will follow me
       all the days of my life,
       and I will dwell in the house of the LORD
       forever.


***

Psalm 131 (New International Version)

Psalm 131

A song of ascents. Of David.

¹ My heart is not proud, O LORD,
       my eyes are not haughty;
       I do not concern myself with great matters
       or things too wonderful for me.
² But I have stilled and quieted my soul;
       like a weaned child with its mother,
       like a weaned child is my soul within me.
³ O Israel, put your hope in the LORD
       both now and forevermore.


***

Song of Solomon 2:16-17 (New International Version)

Beloved

¹⁶ My lover is mine and I am his;
       he browses among the lilies.
¹⁷ Until the day breaks
       and the shadows flee,
       turn, my lover,
       and be like a gazelle
       or like a young stag
       on the rugged hills. ^[a]


***

Isaiah 6:1-3 (New International Version)

Isaiah 6

Isaiah's Commission

¹ In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord seated on a throne, high and exalted, and the train of his robe filled the temple. ² Above him were seraphs, each with six wings: With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying. ³ And they were calling to one another:
       "Holy, holy, holy is the LORD Almighty;
       the whole earth is full of his glory."

***

Isaiah 49:15-16 (New International Version)

¹⁵ "Can a mother forget the baby at her breast
       and have no compassion on the child she has borne?
       Though she may forget,
       I will not forget you!
¹⁶ See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands;
       your walls are ever before me.


***

Jonah 1 (New International Version)

Jonah 1

Jonah Flees From the LORD

¹ The word of the LORD came to Jonah son of Amittai: ² "Go to the great city of Nineveh and preach against it, because its wickedness has come up before me."
³ But Jonah ran away from the LORD and headed for Tarshish. He went down to Joppa, where he found a ship bound for that port. After paying the fare, he went aboard and sailed for Tarshish to flee from the LORD.
⁴ Then the LORD sent a great wind on the sea, and such a violent storm arose that the ship threatened to break up. ⁵ All the sailors were afraid and each cried out to his own god. And they threw the cargo into the sea to lighten the ship.
      But Jonah had gone below deck, where he lay down and fell into a deep sleep. ⁶ The captain went to him and said, "How can you sleep? Get up and call on your god! Maybe he will take notice of us, and we will not perish."
⁷ Then the sailors said to each other, "Come, let us cast lots to find out who is responsible for this calamity." They cast lots and the lot fell on Jonah.
⁸ So they asked him, "Tell us, who is responsible for making all this trouble for us? What do you do? Where do you come from? What is your country? From what people are you?"
⁹ He answered, "I am a Hebrew and I worship the LORD, the God of heaven, who made the sea and the land."
¹⁰ This terrified them and they asked, "What have you done?" (They knew he was running away from the LORD, because he had already told them so.)
¹¹ The sea was getting rougher and rougher. So they asked him, "What should we do to you to make the sea calm down for us?"
¹² "Pick me up and throw me into the sea," he replied, "and it will become calm. I know that it is my fault that this great storm has come upon you."
¹³ Instead, the men did their best to row back to land. But they could not, for the sea grew even wilder than before. ¹⁴ Then they cried to the LORD, "O LORD, please do not let us die for taking this man's life. Do not hold us accountable for killing an innocent man, for you, O LORD, have done as you pleased." ¹⁵ Then they took Jonah and threw him overboard, and the raging sea grew calm. ¹⁶ At this the men greatly feared the LORD, and they offered a sacrifice to the LORD and made vows to him.
¹⁷ But the LORD provided a great fish to swallow Jonah, and Jonah was inside the fish three days and three nights.


***

Matthew 5:48 (New International Version)

⁴⁸Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.


***

Mark 1:11 (New International Version)

¹¹And a voice came from heaven: "You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased."


***

Luke 15:20-24 (New International Version)

²⁰So he got up and went to his father.
      "But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.
²¹"The son said to him, 'Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.^[a]'
²²"But the father said to his servants, 'Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. ²³Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let's have a feast and celebrate. ²⁴For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.' So they began to celebrate.


***

John 4:13-15 (New International Version)

¹³Jesus answered, "Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, ¹⁴but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life."
¹⁵The woman said to him, "Sir, give me this water so that I won't get thirsty and have to keep coming here to draw water."


***

1 John 1:5 (New International Version)

Walking in the light

⁵This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all.

***

1 John 4:7-12 (New International Version)

God's Love and Ours

⁷Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. ⁸Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. ⁹This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son^[a] into the world that we might live through him. ¹⁰This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for^[b] our sins. ¹¹Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. ¹²No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.

***

The images of God which I most forcefully respond to are that of God as Love, God as our Light, God as our Water, and God as our Forgiving Father. These images fill me with peace and hope; comfort and strength. I know that if I seek Him in all that I do, He will carry me through. His presence here in my home is like a sweet fragrance.

Week 2 Day 2: God Has Many Names

Psalm 145:1-3 (New International Version)

Psalm 145

A psalm of praise. Of David.

^{1 [a]} I will exalt you, my God the King;
       I will praise your name for ever and ever.
² Every day I will praise you
       and extol your name for ever and ever.
³ Great is the LORD and most worthy of praise;
       his greatness no one can fathom.


***

Exodus 3:14 (New International Version)

¹⁴ God said to Moses, "I am who I am . ^[a] This is what you are to say to the Israelites: 'I AM has sent me to you.' "


***

Exodus 33:17-23 (New International Version)

¹⁷ And the LORD said to Moses, "I will do the very thing you have asked, because I am pleased with you and I know you by name."
¹⁸ Then Moses said, "Now show me your glory."
¹⁹ And the LORD said, "I will cause all my goodness to pass in front of you, and I will proclaim my name, the LORD, in your presence. I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion. ²⁰ But," he said, "you cannot see my face, for no one may see me and live."
²¹ Then the LORD said, "There is a place near me where you may stand on a rock. ²² When my glory passes by, I will put you in a cleft in the rock and cover you with my hand until I have passed by. ²³ Then I will remove my hand and you will see my back; but my face must not be seen."

***

Psalm 144:1-2 (New International Version)

Psalm 144

Of David.

¹ Praise be to the LORD my Rock,
       who trains my hands for war,
       my fingers for battle.
² He is my loving God and my fortress,
       my stronghold and my deliverer,
       my shield, in whom I take refuge,
       who subdues peoples ^[a] under me.

***

Isaiah 9:6 (New International Version)

⁶ For to us a child is born,
       to us a son is given,
       and the government will be on his shoulders.
       And he will be called
       Wonderful Counselor, ^[a] Mighty God,
       Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

***

Isaiah 45:15 (New International Version)

¹⁵ Truly you are a God who hides himself,
       O God and Savior of Israel.

***

Matthew 1:23 (New International Version)

²³"The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel"^[a]—which means, "God with us."

***

Luke 2:21 (New International Version)

Jesus Presented in the Temple

²¹On the eighth day, when it was time to circumcise him, he was named Jesus, the name the angel had given him before he had been conceived.

***

John 14:16-17 (New International Version)

¹⁶And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever— ¹⁷the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be^[a] in you.

***

I Am

Glory

Goodness

Lord

Trainer

Rock

Fortress

Stronghold

Deliverer

Shield

Refuge

Subduer of my enemies

Wonderful Counselor

Mighty God

Everlasting Father

Prince of Peace

Savior

Immanuel

Jesus

Spirit of Truth

Alpha & Omega

Redeemer

Holy One

Father

There are many names for God; each one describes a way God works in our lives, if we move over and give Him the chance; let Him “take the wheel.”

Week 2 Day 1: God is Far and Near

Genesis 1-2:4 (New International Version)

Genesis 1

The Beginning

 ¹ In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.  ² Now the earth was ^[a] formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.
 ³ And God said, "Let there be light," and there was light. ⁴ God saw that the light was good, and He separated the light from the darkness. ⁵ God called the light "day," and the darkness he called "night." And there was evening, and there was morning—the first day.
 ⁶ And God said, "Let there be an expanse between the waters to separate water from water." ⁷ So God made the expanse and separated the water under the expanse from the water above it. And it was so. ⁸ God called the expanse "sky." And there was evening, and there was morning—the second day.
 ⁹ And God said, "Let the water under the sky be gathered to one place, and let dry ground appear." And it was so. ¹⁰ God called the dry ground "land," and the gathered waters he called "seas." And God saw that it was good.
 ¹¹ Then God said, "Let the land produce vegetation: seed-bearing plants and trees on the land that bear fruit with seed in it, according to their various kinds." And it was so. ¹² The land produced vegetation: plants bearing seed according to their kinds and trees bearing fruit with seed in it according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good. ¹³ And there was evening, and there was morning—the third day.
 ¹⁴ And God said, "Let there be lights in the expanse of the sky to separate the day from the night, and let them serve as signs to mark seasons and days and years, ¹⁵ and let them be lights in the expanse of the sky to give light on the earth." And it was so. ¹⁶ God made two great lights—the greater light to govern the day and the lesser light to govern the night. He also made the stars. ¹⁷ God set them in the expanse of the sky to give light on the earth, ¹⁸ to govern the day and the night, and to separate light from darkness. And God saw that it was good. ¹⁹ And there was evening, and there was morning—the fourth day.
 ²⁰ And God said, "Let the water teem with living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the expanse of the sky." ²¹ So God created the great creatures of the sea and every living and moving thing with which the water teems, according to their kinds, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. ²² God blessed them and said, "Be fruitful and increase in number and fill the water in the seas, and let the birds increase on the earth." ²³ And there was evening, and there was morning—the fifth day.
 ²⁴ And God said, "Let the land produce living creatures according to their kinds: livestock, creatures that move along the ground, and wild animals, each according to its kind." And it was so. ²⁵ God made the wild animals according to their kinds, the livestock according to their kinds, and all the creatures that move along the ground according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good.
 ²⁶ Then God said, "Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, ^[b] and over all the creatures that move along the ground."
 ²⁷ So God created man in his own image,
       in the image of God he created him;
       male and female he created them.
 ²⁸ God blessed them and said to them, "Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over every living creature that moves on the ground."
 ²⁹ Then God said, "I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food. ³⁰ And to all the beasts of the earth and all the birds of the air and all the creatures that move on the ground—everything that has the breath of life in it—I give every green plant for food." And it was so.
 ³¹ God saw all that he had made, and it was very good. And there was evening, and there was morning—the sixth day.

Genesis 2

 ¹ Thus the heavens and the earth were completed in all their vast array.
 ² By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested ^[c] from all his work. ³ And God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done.

Adam and Eve

 ⁴ This is the account of the heavens and the earth when they were created.

***

Adjectives that describe God: Good, Holy Spirit, Creator, Blessor, See-er, Giver, Provider, Trinity (Let us make man in our image...).

***

Genesis 2:4-25 (New International Version)

Adam and Eve

 ⁴ This is the account of the heavens and the earth when they were created.
      When the LORD God made the earth and the heavens- ⁵ and no shrub of the field had yet appeared on the earth ^[a] and no plant of the field had yet sprung up, for the LORD God had not sent rain on the earth ^[b] and there was no man to work the ground, ⁶ but streams ^[c] came up from the earth and watered the whole surface of the ground- ⁷ the LORD God formed the man ^[d] from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.  ⁸ Now the LORD God had planted a garden in the east, in Eden; and there he put the man he had formed. ⁹ And the LORD God made all kinds of trees grow out of the ground—trees that were pleasing to the eye and good for food. In the middle of the garden were the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
 ¹⁰ A river watering the garden flowed from Eden; from there it was separated into four headwaters. ¹¹ The name of the first is the Pishon; it winds through the entire land of Havilah, where there is gold. ¹² (The gold of that land is good; aromatic resin ^[e] and onyx are also there.) ¹³ The name of the second river is the Gihon; it winds through the entire land of Cush. ^{[f] 14} The name of the third river is the Tigris; it runs along the east side of Asshur. And the fourth river is the Euphrates.
 ¹⁵ The LORD God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it. ¹⁶ And the LORD God commanded the man, "You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; ¹⁷ but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die."
 ¹⁸ The LORD God said, "It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him."
 ¹⁹ Now the LORD God had formed out of the ground all the beasts of the field and all the birds of the air. He brought them to the man to see what he would name them; and whatever the man called each living creature, that was its name. ²⁰ So the man gave names to all the livestock, the birds of the air and all the beasts of the field.
      But for Adam ^[g] no suitable helper was found. ²¹ So the LORD God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep; and while he was sleeping, he took one of the man's ribs ^[h] and closed up the place with flesh. ²² Then the LORD God made a woman from the rib ^[i] he had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the man.
 ²³ The man said,
       "This is now bone of my bones
       and flesh of my flesh;
       she shall be called 'woman, ^[j] '
       for she was taken out of man."
 ²⁴ For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh.
 ²⁵ The man and his wife were both naked, and they felt no shame.

***

Adjectives: Holy Creator, Master Artisan, Maker of All.

God made the Earth and everything in it, space, and heaven - it is unfathomable to me how expansive His Creation is; yet, He can also work on something as relatively minute as a person - a baby, even.

Holy Creator, You amaze me at the things You can do, both large and small. You know the heart of every single person on this great Earth, yet You answer even the smallest prayer for a sinner like me. Thank you for being a part of my life. Amen.

The Nature of God

Before anything else, above all else, beyond everything else, God loves us. God loves us extravagantly, ridiculously, without limit or condition ... God does not love us "in spite of who we are" or "for whom God knows we can become." ... God loves us, the very people we are; and not only that, but, even against what we ourselves sometimes find plausible, God likes us." -Roberta Bondi

Week 1 Day 5: Prayer Risks

Psalm 139 (New International Version)

Psalm 139

For the director of music. Of David. A psalm.

 ¹ O LORD, you have searched me
       and you know me.  ² You know when I sit and when I rise;
       you perceive my thoughts from afar.
 ³ You discern my going out and my lying down;
       you are familiar with all my ways.
 ⁴ Before a word is on my tongue
       you know it completely, O LORD.
 ⁵ You hem me in—behind and before;
       you have laid your hand upon me.
 ⁶ Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,
       too lofty for me to attain.
 ⁷ Where can I go from your Spirit?
       Where can I flee from your presence?
 ⁸ If I go up to the heavens, you are there;
       if I make my bed in the depths, ^[a] you are there.
 ⁹ If I rise on the wings of the dawn,
       if I settle on the far side of the sea,
 ¹⁰ even there your hand will guide me,
       your right hand will hold me fast.
 ¹¹ If I say, "Surely the darkness will hide me
       and the light become night around me,"
 ¹² even the darkness will not be dark to you;
       the night will shine like the day,
       for darkness is as light to you.
 ¹³ For you created my inmost being;
       you knit me together in my mother's womb.
 ¹⁴ I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
       your works are wonderful,
       I know that full well.
 ¹⁵ My frame was not hidden from you
       when I was made in the secret place.
       When I was woven together in the depths of the earth,
 ¹⁶ your eyes saw my unformed body.
       All the days ordained for me
       were written in your book
       before one of them came to be.
 ¹⁷ How precious to ^[b] me are your thoughts, O God!
       How vast is the sum of them!
 ¹⁸ Were I to count them,
       they would outnumber the grains of sand.
       When I awake,
       I am still with you.
 ¹⁹ If only you would slay the wicked, O God!
       Away from me, you bloodthirsty men!
 ²⁰ They speak of you with evil intent;
       your adversaries misuse your name.
 ²¹ Do I not hate those who hate you, O LORD,
       and abhor those who rise up against you?
 ²² I have nothing but hatred for them;
       I count them my enemies.
 ²³ Search me, O God, and know my heart;
       test me and know my anxious thoughts.
 ²⁴ See if there is any offensive way in me,
       and lead me in the way everlasting.

***

I believe the Lord knows that I am playing catch-up here, and placed my previous prayer to "search me and know my heart" in the forefront of my mind to let me see the connection, knowing I wouldn't have the time to complete this last activity in the manner it should be completed before our meeting. Thank you, Lord!

Week 1 Day 4: Silence Speaks

Matthew 6:6 (New International Version)

⁶But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.

Psalm 46:10 (New International Version)

 ¹⁰ "Be still, and know that I am God;
       I will be exalted among the nations,
       I will be exalted in the earth."

1 Kings 19:11-13 (New International Version)

 ¹¹ The LORD said, "Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the LORD, for the LORD is about to pass by."
      Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake. ¹² After the earthquake came a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. ¹³ When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave.
      Then a voice said to him, "What are you doing here, Elijah?"

Luke 5:16 (New International Version)

¹⁶But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.

***

As I returned home from work, I came in the house only to find that Aidan was outside playing, Morgan was at musical practice, and Bob was still at work. The perfect opportunity for some silent time! Instead of starting dinner as I had planned, or hopping on the computer as usual, I sat on the couch, eyes closed, in silence. When my mind wandered to the events of the day, I just said, "Be still." My quiet time lasted about 10 minutes, and I did end up asking the Lord to make the hard parts of my heart clean and soft again. I also asked Him to "search me and know my heart." The moment before my quiet time was interrupted, I heard the faintest sound of the windchimes outside. I would never have heard them if it weren't for the silence. And then the tornado that is my son entered the house ... ;-)

Week 1 Day 3: Actions Pray

Micah 6:8 (New International Version)




8 He has showed you, O man, what is good.

And what does the LORD require of you?

To act justly and to love mercy

and to walk humbly with your God.

***
 

In what areas of my daily life lately have I walked with God? In my friendships, in answering His call to come to the aid of a family of children, and in my designing. In what areas of my daily life lately should I have walked with God, but didn't? At work. I do my best to be firm yet not lose my patience with my students, and I think I do well with that. However, I know I have lots to work on with regard to relationships with my colleagues.

 

Dear Lord, What activity would you be present in with me today? Open my ears to hear you, my eyes to see you, and my heart to feel you throughout the day in every situation. I want to lift up those precious children and ask for their safety and well-being. I pray that I have not seen the last of them. May I continue to be a part of their lives in whatever capacity You would have. Please bless every woman who will be at Prayer Group tonight with open hearts and minds, and I pray that Melissa is feeling much better. As these wonderful little ones enter my room, I pray for each and every one of them today. May we all enjoy each others' company and may they learn lots today! In Jesus' Precious Name, Amen.

Week 1 Day 2: Nature Prays

Psalm 148 (New International Version)

Psalm 148

 ¹ Praise the LORD. ^[a]
       Praise the LORD from the heavens,
       praise him in the heights above.
 ² Praise him, all his angels,
       praise him, all his heavenly hosts.
 ³ Praise him, sun and moon,
       praise him, all you shining stars.
 ⁴ Praise him, you highest heavens
       and you waters above the skies.
 ⁵ Let them praise the name of the LORD,
       for he commanded and they were created.
 ⁶ He set them in place for ever and ever;
       he gave a decree that will never pass away.
 ⁷ Praise the LORD from the earth,
       you great sea creatures and all ocean depths,
 ⁸ lightning and hail, snow and clouds,
       stormy winds that do his bidding,
 ⁹ you mountains and all hills,
       fruit trees and all cedars,
 ¹⁰ wild animals and all cattle,
       small creatures and flying birds,
 ¹¹ kings of the earth and all nations,
       you princes and all rulers on earth,
 ¹² young men and maidens,
       old men and children.
 ¹³ Let them praise the name of the LORD,
       for his name alone is exalted;
       his splendor is above the earth and the heavens.
 ¹⁴ He has raised up for his people a horn, ^[b]
       the praise of all his saints,
       of Israel, the people close to his heart.
       Praise the LORD.

The instruction today was to experiment with a prayer position seen in nature, such as a swaying tree, flower facing the sun, or puppy curled up in a ball. I chose a modified version of the curled up puppy. I sat indian-style with two pillows in front of me, and leaned my head and arms on the pillows. This served two purposes - as a prayer position, and also to stretch out my back!

I thank you Lord for giving me the good health and talent to be able to have such a busy weekend. I also thank you for the message I caught from you yesterday - to keep practicing my designs, and I will eventually become a designer for the right store. Amen.

Week 1 Day 1: People Pray

Genesis 18:16-33 (New International Version)


Abraham Pleads for Sodom
16 When the men got up to leave, they looked down toward Sodom, and Abraham walked along with them to see them on their way. 17 Then the LORD said, "Shall I hide from Abraham what I am about to do? 18 Abraham will surely become a great and powerful nation, and all nations on earth will be blessed through him. 19 For I have chosen him, so that he will direct his children and his household after him to keep the way of the LORD by doing what is right and just, so that the LORD will bring about for Abraham what he has promised him."


20 Then the LORD said, "The outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is so great and their sin so grievous 21 that I will go down and see if what they have done is as bad as the outcry that has reached me. If not, I will know."


22 The men turned away and went toward Sodom, but Abraham remained standing before the LORD. [a] 23 Then Abraham approached him and said: "Will you sweep away the righteous with the wicked? 24 What if there are fifty righteous people in the city? Will you really sweep it away and not spare [b] the place for the sake of the fifty righteous people in it? 25 Far be it from you to do such a thing—to kill the righteous with the wicked, treating the righteous and the wicked alike. Far be it from you! Will not the Judge [c] of all the earth do right?"


26 The LORD said, "If I find fifty righteous people in the city of Sodom, I will spare the whole place for their sake."


27 Then Abraham spoke up again: "Now that I have been so bold as to speak to the Lord, though I am nothing but dust and ashes, 28 what if the number of the righteous is five less than fifty? Will you destroy the whole city because of five people?"
"If I find forty-five there," he said, "I will not destroy it."


29 Once again he spoke to him, "What if only forty are found there?"
He said, "For the sake of forty, I will not do it."


30 Then he said, "May the Lord not be angry, but let me speak. What if only thirty can be found there?"
He answered, "I will not do it if I find thirty there."


31 Abraham said, "Now that I have been so bold as to speak to the Lord, what if only twenty can be found there?"
He said, "For the sake of twenty, I will not destroy it."


32 Then he said, "May the Lord not be angry, but let me speak just once more. What if only ten can be found there?"
He answered, "For the sake of ten, I will not destroy it."


33 When the LORD had finished speaking with Abraham, he left, and Abraham returned home.

[Abraham spoke directly to the Lord, and the Lord answered him. Though we can speak our own words to the Lord, we do not have the opportunity to hear his answer as though he were standing next to us.]

***

Genesis 32:22-32 (New International Version)


Jacob Wrestles With God
22 That night Jacob got up and took his two wives, his two maidservants and his eleven sons and crossed the ford of the Jabbok. 23 After he had sent them across the stream, he sent over all his possessions. 24 So Jacob was left alone, and a man wrestled with him till daybreak. 25 When the man saw that he could not overpower him, he touched the socket of Jacob's hip so that his hip was wrenched as he wrestled with the man. 26 Then the man said, "Let me go, for it is daybreak."
But Jacob replied, "I will not let you go unless you bless me."


27 The man asked him, "What is your name?"
"Jacob," he answered.


28 Then the man said, "Your name will no longer be Jacob, but Israel, [a] because you have struggled with God and with men and have overcome."


29 Jacob said, "Please tell me your name."
But he replied, "Why do you ask my name?" Then he blessed him there.


30 So Jacob called the place Peniel, [b] saying, "It is because I saw God face to face, and yet my life was spared."


31 The sun rose above him as he passed Peniel, [c] and he was limping because of his hip. 32 Therefore to this day the Israelites do not eat the tendon attached to the socket of the hip, because the socket of Jacob's hip was touched near the tendon.

[Jacob met and interacted with someone whom he thought was an equal. However, it turned out to be the Lord himself. Jacob overcame the trial brought on by this test of his faith, and asked the Lord to bless him.]

***

1 Samuel 1:9-18 (New International Version)


9 Once when they had finished eating and drinking in Shiloh, Hannah stood up. Now Eli the priest was sitting on a chair by the doorpost of the LORD's temple. [a] 10 In bitterness of soul Hannah wept much and prayed to the LORD. 11 And she made a vow, saying, "O LORD Almighty, if you will only look upon your servant's misery and remember me, and not forget your servant but give her a son, then I will give him to the LORD for all the days of his life, and no razor will ever be used on his head."


12 As she kept on praying to the LORD, Eli observed her mouth. 13 Hannah was praying in her heart, and her lips were moving but her voice was not heard. Eli thought she was drunk 14 and said to her, "How long will you keep on getting drunk? Get rid of your wine."


15 "Not so, my lord," Hannah replied, "I am a woman who is deeply troubled. I have not been drinking wine or beer; I was pouring out my soul to the LORD. 16 Do not take your servant for a wicked woman; I have been praying here out of my great anguish and grief."


17 Eli answered, "Go in peace, and may the God of Israel grant you what you have asked of him."


18 She said, "May your servant find favor in your eyes." Then she went her way and ate something, and her face was no longer downcast.

[Hannah prayed with her whole heart. Though her lips mouthed the words, she was silent. She had a heartline connection with the Lord.]

***

Psalm 19 (New International Version)


Psalm 19
For the director of music. A psalm of David.
1 The heavens declare the glory of God;
the skies proclaim the work of his hands.


2 Day after day they pour forth speech;
night after night they display knowledge.


3 There is no speech or language
where their voice is not heard. [a]


4 Their voice [b] goes out into all the earth,
their words to the ends of the world.
In the heavens he has pitched a tent for the sun,


5 which is like a bridegroom coming forth from his pavilion,
like a champion rejoicing to run his course.


6 It rises at one end of the heavens
and makes its circuit to the other;
nothing is hidden from its heat.


7 The law of the LORD is perfect,
reviving the soul.
The statutes of the LORD are trustworthy,
making wise the simple.


8 The precepts of the LORD are right,
giving joy to the heart.
The commands of the LORD are radiant,
giving light to the eyes.


9 The fear of the LORD is pure,
enduring forever.
The ordinances of the LORD are sure
and altogether righteous.


10 They are more precious than gold,
than much pure gold;
they are sweeter than honey,
than honey from the comb.


11 By them is your servant warned;
in keeping them there is great reward.


12 Who can discern his errors?
Forgive my hidden faults.


13 Keep your servant also from willful sins;
may they not rule over me.
Then will I be blameless,
innocent of great transgression.


14 May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart
be pleasing in your sight,
O LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer.

[A song. I am reminded of the song "Hallelujahs" by Chris Rice.]

***

Psalm 22 (New International Version)


Psalm 22
For the director of music. To the tune of "The Doe of the Morning." A psalm of David.
1 My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?
Why are you so far from saving me,
so far from the words of my groaning?


2 O my God, I cry out by day, but you do not answer,
by night, and am not silent.


3 Yet you are enthroned as the Holy One;
you are the praise of Israel. [a]


4 In you our fathers put their trust;
they trusted and you delivered them.


5 They cried to you and were saved;
in you they trusted and were not disappointed.


6 But I am a worm and not a man,
scorned by men and despised by the people.


7 All who see me mock me;
they hurl insults, shaking their heads:


8 "He trusts in the LORD;
let the LORD rescue him.
Let him deliver him,
since he delights in him."


9 Yet you brought me out of the womb;
you made me trust in you
even at my mother's breast.


10 From birth I was cast upon you;
from my mother's womb you have been my God.


11 Do not be far from me,
for trouble is near
and there is no one to help.


12 Many bulls surround me;
strong bulls of Bashan encircle me.


13 Roaring lions tearing their prey
open their mouths wide against me.


14 I am poured out like water,
and all my bones are out of joint.
My heart has turned to wax;
it has melted away within me.


15 My strength is dried up like a potsherd,
and my tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth;
you lay me [b] in the dust of death.


16 Dogs have surrounded me;
a band of evil men has encircled me,
they have pierced [c] my hands and my feet.


17 I can count all my bones;
people stare and gloat over me.


18 They divide my garments among them
and cast lots for my clothing.


19 But you, O LORD, be not far off;
O my Strength, come quickly to help me.


20 Deliver my life from the sword,
my precious life from the power of the dogs.


21 Rescue me from the mouth of the lions;
save [d] me from the horns of the wild oxen.


22 I will declare your name to my brothers;
in the congregation I will praise you.


23 You who fear the LORD, praise him!
All you descendants of Jacob, honor him!
Revere him, all you descendants of Israel!


24 For he has not despised or disdained
the suffering of the afflicted one;
he has not hidden his face from him
but has listened to his cry for help.


25 From you comes the theme of my praise in the great assembly;
before those who fear you [e] will I fulfill my vows.


26 The poor will eat and be satisfied;
they who seek the LORD will praise him—
may your hearts live forever!


27 All the ends of the earth
will remember and turn to the LORD,
and all the families of the nations
will bow down before him,


28 for dominion belongs to the LORD
and he rules over the nations.


29 All the rich of the earth will feast and worship;
all who go down to the dust will kneel before him—
those who cannot keep themselves alive.


30 Posterity will serve him;
future generations will be told about the Lord.


31 They will proclaim his righteousness
to a people yet unborn—
for he has done it.

[Another song. I need to reread and process this one when I have a little more time.]

***

Psalm 23 (New International Version)


Psalm 23
A psalm of David.
1 The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want.


2 He makes me lie down in green pastures,
he leads me beside quiet waters,


3 he restores my soul.
He guides me in paths of righteousness
for his name's sake.


4 Even though I walk
through the valley of the shadow of death, [a]
I will fear no evil,
for you are with me;
your rod and your staff,
they comfort me.


5 You prepare a table before me
in the presence of my enemies.
You anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.


6 Surely goodness and love will follow me
all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the LORD
forever.

[A song sung directly to the Lord.]

***

Isaiah 6:1-8 (New International Version)

Isaiah 6

Isaiah's Commission

1 In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord seated on a throne, high and exalted, and the train of his robe filled the temple. 2 Above him were seraphs, each with six wings: With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying. 3 And they were calling to one another:

"Holy, holy, holy is the LORD Almighty;

the whole earth is full of his glory."

4 At the sound of their voices the doorposts and thresholds shook and the temple was filled with smoke.

5 "Woe to me!" I cried. "I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the LORD Almighty."

6 Then one of the seraphs flew to me with a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with tongs from the altar. 7 With it he touched my mouth and said, "See, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for."

8 Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, "Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?"

And I said, "Here am I. Send me!"

[Isaiah admitted his sin before the Lord, and was forgiven.]

***

Matthew 4:1-11 (New International Version)


Matthew 4
The Temptation of Jesus
1Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert to be tempted by the devil. 2After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. 3The tempter came to him and said, "If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread."


4Jesus answered, "It is written: 'Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.'[a]"


5Then the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. 6"If you are the Son of God," he said, "throw yourself down. For it is written:
" 'He will command his angels concerning you,
and they will lift you up in their hands,
so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.'[b]"


7Jesus answered him, "It is also written: 'Do not put the Lord your God to the test.'[c]"


8Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. 9"All this I will give you," he said, "if you will bow down and worship me."


10Jesus said to him, "Away from me, Satan! For it is written: 'Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.'[d]"


11Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended him.

[Jesus refused temptation by quoting scripture. Satan then left him alone.]

***

Matthew 6:5-14 (New International Version)


Prayer
5"And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. 6But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. 7And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. 8Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.


9"This, then, is how you should pray:
" 'Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
10your kingdom come,
your will be done
on earth as it is in heaven.
11Give us today our daily bread.
12Forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
13And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from the evil one.[a](for yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.)' 14For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.

[Do not use prayer to be noticed and revered by man, but instead to petition your needs to the Lord. He already knows what you need before you even ask.]

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Mark 14:32-42 (New International Version)


Gethsemane
32They went to a place called Gethsemane, and Jesus said to his disciples, "Sit here while I pray." 33He took Peter, James and John along with him, and he began to be deeply distressed and troubled. 34"My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death," he said to them. "Stay here and keep watch."


35Going a little farther, he fell to the ground and prayed that if possible the hour might pass from him. 36"Abba,[a] Father," he said, "everything is possible for you. Take this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will."


37Then he returned to his disciples and found them sleeping. "Simon," he said to Peter, "are you asleep? Could you not keep watch for one hour? 38Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the body is weak."


39Once more he went away and prayed the same thing. 40When he came back, he again found them sleeping, because their eyes were heavy. They did not know what to say to him.


41Returning the third time, he said to them, "Are you still sleeping and resting? Enough! The hour has come. Look, the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. 42Rise! Let us go! Here comes my betrayer!"

[Jesus asked for what he wanted, but also added that he wanted God's will to be done, whether or not it matched with what Jesus wanted.]

***

Luke 18- (New International Version)


Luke 18
The Parable of the Persistent Widow
1Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up. 2He said: "In a certain town there was a judge who neither feared God nor cared about men. 3And there was a widow in that town who kept coming to him with the plea, 'Grant me justice against my adversary.'


4"For some time he refused. But finally he said to himself, 'Even though I don't fear God or care about men, 5yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will see that she gets justice, so that she won't eventually wear me out with her coming!' "


6And the Lord said, "Listen to what the unjust judge says. 7And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? 8I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?"
The Parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector
9To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everybody else, Jesus told this parable: 10"Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11The Pharisee stood up and prayed about[a] himself: 'God, I thank you that I am not like other men—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. 12I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.'


13"But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, 'God, have mercy on me, a sinner.'


14"I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted."
The Little Children and Jesus
15People were also bringing babies to Jesus to have him touch them. When the disciples saw this, they rebuked them. 16But Jesus called the children to him and said, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. 17I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it."
The Rich Ruler
18A certain ruler asked him, "Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?"


19"Why do you call me good?" Jesus answered. "No one is good—except God alone. 20You know the commandments: 'Do not commit adultery, do not murder, do not steal, do not give false testimony, honor your father and mother.'[b]"


21"All these I have kept since I was a boy," he said.


22When Jesus heard this, he said to him, "You still lack one thing. Sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me."


23When he heard this, he became very sad, because he was a man of great wealth. 24Jesus looked at him and said, "How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God! 25Indeed, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God."


26Those who heard this asked, "Who then can be saved?"


27Jesus replied, "What is impossible with men is possible with God."


28Peter said to him, "We have left all we had to follow you!"


29"I tell you the truth," Jesus said to them, "no one who has left home or wife or brothers or parents or children for the sake of the kingdom of God 30will fail to receive many times as much in this age and, in the age to come, eternal life."
Jesus Again Predicts His Death
31Jesus took the Twelve aside and told them, "We are going up to Jerusalem, and everything that is written by the prophets about the Son of Man will be fulfilled. 32He will be handed over to the Gentiles. They will mock him, insult him, spit on him, flog him and kill him. 33On the third day he will rise again."


34The disciples did not understand any of this. Its meaning was hidden from them, and they did not know what he was talking about.
A Blind Beggar Receives His Sight
35As Jesus approached Jericho, a blind man was sitting by the roadside begging. 36When he heard the crowd going by, he asked what was happening. 37They told him, "Jesus of Nazareth is passing by."


38He called out, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!"


39Those who led the way rebuked him and told him to be quiet, but he shouted all the more, "Son of David, have mercy on me!"


40Jesus stopped and ordered the man to be brought to him. When he came near, Jesus asked him, 41"What do you want me to do for you?"
"Lord, I want to see," he replied.


42Jesus said to him, "Receive your sight; your faith has healed you." 43Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus, praising God. When all the people saw it, they also praised God.

[The disciples were told parables in order that they would learn about the importance of prayer. We can equate this to attending church/Bible study and studying the Bible in private.]

The most meaningful practices for me include song and quiet prayer alone. Of course, I had never considered listening/reading or resisting temptation as forms of prayer, per se, but more as commandments we must follow.

Heavenly Father, thank you for reaching out to me. Thank you for your constant desire to have a relationship with me. I know that I repeatedly fall away from you, yet you always are there waiting for me.