prayer – Page 9 – Be Still…

1 Peter 4:7-11 – End Times

People have been talking about end times for centuries. Even here in our passage today we see, “the end of the world is coming soon.” Over the years, there have been those who have tried to crack the code to figure out when it is actually going to happen. There are some who have been so sure they knew, they based their whole life on being prepared. Then the time came and went without incident. The sun rose and set once again. Life goes on.

The Bible tells us only God knows when. Yet, we know the end is coming, it always has been. What do we do about it? Live expectantly. We should be living our life, preparing for something greater. Whether we see the end of the age during our lifetime or not, we can have the assurance that a much better future awaits us. We can be living and preparing now. Continue reading “1 Peter 4:7-11 – End Times”

1 Peter 3:1-6 – For Wives Especially

Read 1 Peter 3:1-16

This passage is similar to one we read in Ephesians 5 (I’ll have to grab link or you can search for that passage if you want to see how I dealt with the instructions to wives from that perspective.) In Ephesians, Paul was speaking, this is Peter. Peter seems a little more positive for women, in general. It seems as if his instructions could apply to all women. Lest, married women would look dumpy and frumpy, while unmarried women would look dressed and polished, lipstick and all. For wives then, we have an “extra” duty from other women.

This spoke to me having been a battered wife for fifteen years. You begin to wonder if something is wrong with you. If I had read this verse during that time, I think I would have found a lot of comfort and strength. I was at least trying my best to be pure, but it wasn’t working. There was much more emphasis on looking nice with extra jewelry, makeup, etc. That isn’t the right focus! I wish I could have lived without fear. But that was a lifetime ago. Continue reading “1 Peter 3:1-6 – For Wives Especially”

Luke 18:1-8 – Persistence with Patience

Read Luke 18:1-8

I absolutely love this passage! Persistence with patience is a beautiful pair. We are reminded that sometimes our prayers are not a once and done sort of thing. God doesn’t necessarily just jump to justice when we first ask. We need to patiently wait for his answer and be persistent in our asking. Jesus gives us this example for a reason.

Now if you are a parent or have taken care of children at any time in your life, you have witnessed persistence at its finest. Children have a fantastic knack of asking and asking for things, like a cookie before dinner, or another glass of water at bedtime. Do we cave in? Do we stand firm? Do we look at the justice being served, or the harm being done, in responding to the request? Continue reading “Luke 18:1-8 – Persistence with Patience”

Luke 11:1-13 – Prayer

Read Luke 11:1-13

Seeing Jesus praying would be a common thing for those close to him. Jesus would clearly set aside time to communicate with his Father. So it doesn’t surprise me that the disciples would want to know more about it, and how to do it themselves.

You’ll probably recognize a portion of the Lord’s prayer here. Some churches don’t regularly recite this prayer, and other churches do so as routine practice in their worship services. The Lord’s Prayer is the perfect example of prayer for us to follow. There is a longer version in the book of Matthew. Continue reading “Luke 11:1-13 – Prayer”

Luke 7:18-35 – God’s Way

Read John 7:18-35

Today’s reading was a bit perplexing to me. John knew who Jesus was. Or so I thought. They were related. So why was John sending his folks to Jesus to ask if he was the Messiah they had been waiting for?

John had spent his life in the wilderness, following God’s plan for him to prepare the way for the Messiah (for Jesus). It seems odd to me that he had to ask. Perhaps he was hearing stories about Jesus that weren’t entirely accurate. Maybe he had doubts and had to be sure. Continue reading “Luke 7:18-35 – God’s Way”