If God was a dictator, He would do all of the talking! He would be the one Who would TELL us what we were to do. But He is not a dictator.

If God was a politician, He would just inform us that all of His policies were set out in the Bible, and if we don't read them and understand them, that wasn't His problem! The law is the law! And that is that! But He is not a politician.

God tells us that He is our ever loving Father! As a parent loves to hear the chatter of your little child, so God loves to listen to our chatter. It may not mean much to anyone else, but He understands what his little child is trying to say, and, as a loving Parent, He gives to us what He sees is best for us.

As a child grows, so he is better able to express his needs, his joys, and his love. And so, as we grow in our spiritual life, so our talking with our heavenly Father will reflect that growth. Although we still will not always understand why things happen the way that they do, as we mature spiritually, so our trust in our Heavenly Father will increase, and our love will grow.

As an adolescent goes through the stage of wanting to do his/her own thing, we, too, go through a stage of questioning, not because we do not love our heavenly Father, but -- just because!! And He patiently listens to our questions, endeavours to get His answers through -- and patiently waits for us to mature!

As we mature spiritually, so our relationship with our Heavenly Father becomes more like that of friends. We find ourselves conversing with Him as we do our work, as we drive the car, as we sit and watch a beautiful sunset, as we can only can only sit in silent wonder as we hear someone express their heart's desire to know Him more -- someone we had thought had turned away from Him -- and we thank Him silently for the wonder of Him using us to show His love to someone else.

Prayer! It is not just words. It is a loving companionship with the greatest Lover ever!

Come with me as we work our way through this wonderful chapter.

Beryl

So, we have prayer to the God of the Universe being portrayed as wanting us to come to Him, instead of him demanding our attention,

And, He is inviting us to come straight into His throne room! What a privilege!

Ever had trouble in opening your heart to a friend? Well, possibly -- when, maybe you felt that your friend may not fully understand, may think that you did a really stupid thing! And you were afraid of losing a friend, so you did not open your heart. Then one day that friend brought up the subject to you, and assured you that merely making what may have been a stupid mistake was not going to spoil a friendship. Relief?? Yes, and you wondered why you had not talked with your friend about it before!

It is like that with our relationship with Jesus. He is our very best Friend -- and we know that He already knows what we have done. So why not talk to Him about it?

The mere fact of talking with someone about our troubles immediately halves those trouble. We now have someone with whom to share the load. Jesus has already given us that wonderful invitation, "Cast all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you." 1 Peter 5:7. "Cast your cares on the Lord and He will sustain you; He will never let the righteous fall." Psalm 55:22.

That is an offer to good to pass by!

God bless,

Beryl

It is sometimes hard to understand that Jesus was here, as a human, with no more access to the Father than we have -- through prayer! So, what makes the difference between Jesus' ability to overcome and our ability/disability? His prayer life!

Jesus was twelve years old when he first made the trip to Jerusalem, and watched as the Passover lamb was slain. It was then, for the first time, that He realised His role in the salvation of mankind. There was then another 18 years ahead of Him during which He lived the life of an ordinary boy, subject to His earthly parents, and in communication with His heavenly Father. How precious must that prayer time have been!

I also have the privilege of prayer -- to be alone with God in His throne-room! When I can talk with Him, with no other listening ear around me. I can lay before Him all of my sins and weaknesses -- He knows them (and many more) already! I can ask for His help in overcoming. He is just waiting for my consent to be part of my life for that day, hour, second -- for ever! And that privilege is yours also.

God bless,

Beryl

Jesus, as a member of the Trinity, had been in constant touch with the other members of the Trinity. There was perfect harmony and understanding between them. Now Jesus was here on earth, a human, with prayer as His cord of contact with His Heavenly Father. In this fight against evil, He could not use His Own divine power, He had to ask His Father.

How Jesus must have guarded those times! It was like being away somewhere, and making that phone call home!

What about your prayer life? What about mine? Are those times just like a hurried "Hi, Dad, just thought I would say Hullo. Been busy lately. Can you send me some money? Got to go. Goodbye." Or can we spend a time just enjoying being in His presence? Prayer is as much about silence and meditation as it is about talking.

God bless

Beryl

Why should prayer seem to be a "must do"? What blessings we miss out on because we do not ask! No, God doesn't always give to us what we WANT -- but He sure gives to us what we NEED!

But is the purpose of prayer just to get what we ask for? No. I believe that the real purpose of prayer is to feel the quiet joy of a companionship with the Lord. It is not all about receiving -- it is all about love -- both in giving and receiving mutual love of God. And then, God loves to surprise us! Just try Him out!

Beryl

Our only strength against sin is to be close to God. Why not "practice His Presence" throughout the day? Imagine that God is with you, right by your side. Because He can read our thoughts, you can pray to Him in your mind, whenever you want to.

We need to have His presence with us. He has promised that He will never leave us or forsake us -- just try Him out!

God bless,

Beryl

So this is one of the battle grounds of the devil! Yes, we know the scene so well! We are just about to have that "quiet time" alone with the Lord when [insert here any interruption you can think of] and with the best of intentions we take time to deal with that one thing! Halfway through the day we suddenly remember that we had not managed to return to that quiet time! Is that true?

What do you do when faced with this situation?

Your suggestions are welcome!

Or, am I the only one who gets caught like that?

God bless,

Beryl

Tried to post but got the error message "All the required fields are not complete" Since I had filled the box with text I am not sure what they meant..... No time to reconstruct it all now...

Just ignore that error message...Happens to me all the time

I have been drifting away from prayer. I know which ones that cause me to drift away and yes, I have no will to overcome it. It's sad to know this because I know what's wrong but I still end up letting it happen to me.

Is it simply because I am away from fellowship? I grew up where a church can be accessed in less than a five-minute walk, but I am isolated now, church is an hour's drive and I don't know any SDA near me.

But when I think about it somehow, the thought "It is God's will" that causes me to stumble and think "what can prayer do when it is His will to happen?"

I don't know..is my trust in Him misplaced? Or do I simply think too much?

It's been two years now that I've been trying to establish a personal devotional but I always end up not making a habit out of it.

What should a person do when he knows what's wrong, tries to do something about it but ends up empty?

Miahnie.

What was/is your relationhip with your parents like?

I think that happens to sll of us. Its deffenitly (spelling) being away from others to help encourage each other. Your trust in God is never misplaced. And I think that we all get discouraged on and off. You just need to remember that God will never abandon you, even though we think that. just keep the faith. Continue to read your bible, and even if you think that praying isn't helping, pray anyway.

Happy Sabbath

pkrause

Hi, Miahnie and all the others!

Sorry that I have been out of touch for so long. I have been (and still am) in an isolated place, but can access my email where I am tonight. I will be home again in a couple of days, and then I will be back and talking. So glad that you have been having a bit of a conversation during my absence -- and I hope that you will continue on my return!

Miahnie, I understand the situation that you are in. Being isolated can be very disheartening, but God still loves you, and longs to hear from you. Hang in there! I will write to you more as soon as I get settled again at home.

God bless

Beryl

Jesus told us to find a quiet, secluded place when we pray. Prayer is supposed to be a very private communication with the LORD. We may share our thoughts, feelings, needs, and concerns for others. We are, of course, already connected to him via our Spirit/Angel/Messenger, and that's how our thoughts and needs are already known and recorded.

Those who are chosen for the next life will have a private, 2-way telepathic communication with our Master who will tell us what to do and where to go. Private prayer in this life points us to what will be possible in the next life.

Public prayer today probably isn't worth much because it's performance is contrary to what Jesus told us to do. Maybe a moment of silence in a church service would be much more appropriate than a long or grandiose sermon-in-a-prayer.

Just knowing that we are continuously connected to the LORD may be enough to influence us to chose to be obedient servants to him rather than obedient servants of the Evil One. The realization that our minds are being constantly monitored can give us the motivation we need to be faithful servants of the LORD.

Hi, everyone! I'm home!! Not yet unpacked, but I am home, and the computer is unpacked and set up. Why would I ever want to unpack anything else first???

Miahnie has raised the question of unanswered prayer, of not "feeling" the presence of Jesus. I am sure that each of us has gone through times like that. Yes, they have all been different, and yet they happen.

This same feeling has been expressed in the Bible. So, let us all think for a while of Bible characters who felt that God had abandoned them because they couldn't feel His nearness. And yet, He was with them all of the time.

Psalm 13. "How long, O Lord? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me? How long must I wrestle with my thoughts and every day have sorrow in my heart? How long will my enemy triumph over me?

"Look on me and answer, O Lord my God. Give light to my eyes, or I will sleep in death; my enemy will say, "I have overcome him," and my foes will rejoice when I fall. But I trust in your unfailing love; my heart rejoiced in your salvation, I will sing to the Lord, for He has been good to me."

David knew what it was like to talk with God, but he also knew what it was like when he felt that God had forgotten him.

God referred to David as "a man after my own heart", and yet He allowed David to go through these times of testing, and that resulted in the building up of David's faith, because he realised that, although he seemed alone, God was still there for him.

Can any of you recall a time when God seemed far away from you? Would you like to share your experience to help Miahnie keep her faith in God? I hope that you will do so.

God bless,

Beryl

Hi, Aliensanctuary, I couldn't help noticing this sentence from your post:-

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Those who are chosen for the next life will have a private, 2-way telepathic communication with our Master who will tell us what to do and where to go. Private prayer in this life points us to what will be possible in the next life.

We won't need to have a private, 2-way telephathis communication system to talk with our dearest Friend, Jesus. We will be able to speak with Him face to face! David said in Psalm 17:15, "And I -- in righteousness I will see Your face: when I awake [from death] I will be satisfied with seeing your likeness.

Jesus said (Matthew 5:8, "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God."

Before Adam and Eve sinned they had the privilege of talking with God face to face. When they disobeyed God, and sinned, they became afraid (Genesis 3:6-24) and we have the sad story of how God could no longer talk with them face to face because of sin.

On Mount Sinai Moses talked with God, but, because Moses was one of us, he could not see God's face, but we have a wonderful promise in Revelation 22:5 that, speaking about the New Jerusalem, John tells us that "The throne of God and the Lamb will be in the city, and His servants will serve him. They will see His face, and His name will be in the foreheads." That will be a wonderful day -- to be able to sit down with Jesus, and talk with Him face to face!

God bless,

Beryl

Well, finally I am REALLY home! Not just for a few nights, but home until???? OK, no known appointments away until the beginning of June!

In the meantime, let us pick up from where we had left off in the study of "Steps to Jesus", in the chapter "The Privilege of Prayer".




When Jesus came to this earth, He did not come as a heavenly being -- He literally became part of the human race through birth. Jesus had to learn to walk, to talk, to pray -- just as we do. And, in a way, I guess He had to get to really know His heavenly Father.

Jesus was 12 years of age when He made the trip to Jerusalem with His earthly parents, and realised that He was the One represented by the lamb that was sacrificed.

Jesus' time on earth was guided by the Holy Spirit -- and He is also willing to guide us, if we will allow Him to do so.

Jesus spent much time in prayer, talking to His heavenly Father -- and we have access to the same Father in heaven. It is only as we spend time with a person here on earth that we really get to know them -- and it is only as we spend time with our Heavenly Father that we really get to know Him.

God has given to us His Word -- the Bible, so that we can get to know Him. It is only by reading the Bible that we can see the God Who is there for EVERYBODY!

There are times when it seems that He is not listening -- but He is. There are times when our faith is stretched to the utmost -- because He loves us and needs to allow that faith to be stretched in order for us to grow in faith.

It is when He doesn't SEEM to be listening that we need the power of prayer more than at any other time.

God bless,

Beryl

Ever been convicted of some enjoyable "sin"? I have. No, it was nothing major, just something that I found enjoyable and relaxing, but became aware that it was putting a barrier between me and time I should have been spending with God. I acknowledged the problem, and, with God's help, broke the habit. I now enjoy extra time with the Lord, in prayer and His Word. I am glad that God valued me enough to point out to me that failing.

Does that mean I am now perfect? OH, NO! I know that God still has a lot of work to do in me, but I know also that I can trust Him to do that work in me when He knows that I am ready to make the next step.

I am so glad that God will not only point out our sins, but will give to us the overcoming strength, because He loves us each one, and wants us to spend eternity with Him. And I want that, too!.

God bless,

Beryl

This is such an important subject ... I could feel a sermon coming on. Thank you for bringing this up.

What happens to us on this earth is NOT Gods will. His will is for us to be in Heaven and have no suffering. But He allows the bad to happen because of the greater good. Yes, The Great Controversy. This book is the answer to so many of these kinds of questions. If you want some good study ... keep studying this topic.

Prayer is so misunderstood. It is not about getting things. God is not going to stop the entire Great Controversy theme to ease your pain. Prayer should draw us to Christ and help us commune with God. It is not for getting things that we wish for. Yes, no matter what we pray for ... God's will ... will be done. Hopefully prayer will draw us to that will if we don't keep making a list of demands.

We are here on this earth to Glorify God. That means we are to suffer for His sake. Why would we pray to not do so? What we need to do is to welcome the suffering and show that we can praise Him during that suffering. To suffer is to gain.

Like I have shared before ... Morris Vendon calls those who suffer and endure ... God's Honor Guard. It may be hard ... but that is the view we should have. If we are not suffering then obviously the Devil thinks that we are on his side and so he doesn't need to attack.

Just my thoughts. More were resisted. But I try to let my wife do most of the preaching. Perhaps I should interview her on the subject. She is a much better authority than I.

By the way ... I need to give a disclaimer .... I am not infallible .... but I AM INSPIRED.

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But when I think about it somehow, the thought "It is God's will" that causes me to stumble and think "what can prayer do when it is His will to happen?"

Hi, Miahnie and Redwood (and any other readers!)

I think that today's quote from "Steps to Christ" may shed some light on this subject, but firstly let us look back a little.

We are in the midst of a "great controversy" -- and God fights fairly. God could, if He so chose, wipe Satan off the map, and say, "There, I have had enough of you pestering my people" -- but that wouldn't solve the problem, because that was part of Satan's gripe -- he accused God of not allowing His Creation to think for themselves!

Yes, we are the ones who are "caught in the middle" of this war, but God has promised us that He will provide us with the strength that we need. No, He doesn't promise that all of our troubles will cease -- that doesn't happen in a war zone. Let me remind you of one of the recent quotes from this same chanpter, "Satan is always trying to block the path to God. He does not want us to receive grace and power through prayer to resist evil."

So, that is the answer. We must "hang in there", and be willing to follow God's leading -- even if that leading is through a "rapid fire zone"! He has promised to see us through if we just keep hold of His hand!

Be back later with some more.

God bless,

Beryl

We so often think that if we have enough faith, we will get what we have asked for, but that is not necessarily the answer. As I understand it, if we have enough faith in God, we will accept the answer that He gives, because of our faith in the Person Who is answering our prayers .

We believe that it is God Who is answering our prayers, and that is true. Why doesn't He give us what we ask for? Because He can see the end from the beginning, and He knows what is best for us, He knows our real needs. Maybe He WILL give us what we have been asking for -- but He may see that our faith muscle needs some exercise, and we get that exercise while we wait patiently for His answer.

Maybe He sees that, getting the answer we want will lead us away from Him -- but rest assured He WILL answer your prayers -- maybe He will give you something else that will suit your needs better.

I have lived a good few years on this planet, and my faith has been tested many times, but I can assure you that God has always provided for my NEEDS (not always my wants), and, in hindsight I can see His leading through many rocky paths, and my only regrets have been when I thought He was too long in answering a prayer -- so I rushed ahead and did it anyway!!

Put your whole faith in God, He will lead you in the right paths, and you will never regret waiting for Him.

God bless,

Beryl

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God is faithful in keeping His many promises. We may sometimes ask and not receive at once the things we ask for. But we are still to believe that the Lorde hears and that He will answer our prayers.

We cannot see the future, and sometimes we ask for things that would not be a blessing. Our heavenly Father in love answers our prayers by giving us what is best for us. He gives us what we would ask for if we could see all things as they really are.

We are to hold to God's promises even when it seems that our prayers are not answered. At the right time we will receive the blessing we need most. But we cannot demand that a prayer will be answered in just the way we desire. God does not make mistakes. He is so good that He will not keep from us anything that would help us. Do not be afraid to trust Him, even though you may not see an answer at once. Believe His promise, "Ask and you will receive" (Matthew 7:7).

OK, parents. Did you have a "whinging child"? You know, pester, pester, pester, until at last, through sheer frustration, you give the child what he/she has been whinging for! Did that solve the problem? NO IT DIDN'T! It just meant that the child had learned another way to "twist you around his little finger" -- in other words, to get his/her own way!

So, when that answer does not come straight away, what are we to do? Keep trusting, ask God to do what He sees best for you, and leave the decision to Him.

God bless,

Beryl

What a wonderful picture of our loving Saviour -- bending over us -- so interested in all of our thoughts and actions --willing and ready to aid us in our feeble endeavours to live the life that He desires us to live, for our own benefit.

Do I/you need to make a New Year's Resolution regarding our prayer lives?

God bless,

Beryl

Wow! There are two personal challenges to me in that quote! "be persistent" -- are you like me in this? After a while I tend to think, "I guess His answer is 'No'" -- and give up praying for that. It seems to me that I must continue in prayer -- being persistent!

The other challenge that I have is "keep alert as you pray" -- hmmmmmmm! It is just SO easy for the mind to run off to other things. I think that I may have to return to a practice of taking notes as I read, and then writing out the points that I want to make in my prayer time. That worked. Why did I stop it? I don't remember, but I must start that again.

God bless,

Beryl

"...ask God for what you need" -- isn't that a wonderful invitation? What is it that you need just now? Money? Goods? Help? -- or is it a need for a closer walk with Jesus? Then -- ASK!

My favourite of all favourite hymns is No. 306 in our hymnal, "Draw Me Nearer".

I am Thine, O Lord, I have heard Thy voice,
And it told Thy love to me;
But I long to rise in the arms of faith,
And be closer drawn to Thee.

CHORUS
Draw me nearer, nearer, nearer, blessed Lord,
To the cross where Thou hast died,
Draw me nearer, nearer, nearer, blessed Lord,
To Thy precious, bleeding side.

Consecrate me now to Thy service, Lord,
By the power of grace divine;
May my soul look up with a steadfast hope
And my will be lost in Thine.

O the pure delight of a single hour
That before Thy throne I spend,
When I kneel in prayer, and with Thee, my God,
I commune as friend with friend.

God bless,

Beryl

Isn't that a wonderful picture of our relationship with God! We know that we are sinners, and we find ourselves struggling so often with our human brokenness -- but here we have a picture -- not of our lives, but HIS life-- flowing through to us, and then flowing back to Him as though it was OUR purity and holiness!

That is truly being covered with the robe of HIS righteousness! Praise God for that!

Beryl

2008 is here! It is almost hard to believe! Has the Lord delayed His coming? No -- but I do believe that over the years WE have delayed His coming, because our FIRST priority has not always been "the Gospel to all the world". It has always been a priority in our talking, but, at a local church level, anyway, it has not always been a priority in fact. This we must change. Perhaps our reading for today is what we need.



May you all have a wonderful New Year, with God's richest blessing.

Beryl

Thank you Beryl. While God's purpose knows no haste and no delay ... I think you are right that we are not doing our jobs very well. What are our "priorities"? This is a good time of year to think that out.

Thank you Redwood for your comments. If we can be kept so busy with the things of this life, (even squabbling over women in ministry!!) then we are losing time that could be spent in God's service.

God bless,

Beryl

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Families should pray together. But praying by oneself is important. Praying to God alone keeps our spiritual lives alive. It is impossible for a Christian life to be healthy without prayer. Family and public prayer is not enough. A person should open his heart to God alone in a prayer heard by Him only. No other ear is to hear these secret desires.

We are free from other influences when we are alone with God. We can reach out quietly to Him, and a sweet influence will flow from Him who sees in secret. His ear is open to hear our prayer as with quiet, simple faith we share our thoughts with Him. We receive rays of divine light to help us in the battle with Satan. God is our tower of strength.

A secret rendervous with the King of Glory! We are free to discuss with Him even those "secret sins" with which we struggle. No-one else needs to know the struggles we have. He knows how we have been tempted. He knows the struggles that we have. He wants us to be completely free to talk with Him about the good, happy things in our lives -- but also to freely confess to Him the struggles we are having.

No need for us to feel fearful or ashamed -- He knows, and He cares. He is the One who will give you the strength to break the chains that bind you. He will set you free.

Have a wonderful day -- if you live the other side of the world! As for me -- I am going to bed!.

God bless,

Beryl

Thank you Beryl for all that you have said. It is so good. Focus Focus Focus.

This really is the secret of prayer -- "practicing the presence of God!"

Ever been for a walk with a trusted friend? As you walk along, you chatter, chatter, chatter! About anything and everything. It is easy to open your heart to a real friend as you walk along.

Your very best friend is Jesus! You can trust Him with the worst secret of your life! He won't tell a soul! You can rant and rave about how someone has treated you -- get it all out, then let Him pour His soothing oil of kindness into your heart, and help you heal the rift. You can "cry on His shoulder" -- and He will comfort you.

Enjoy your walk with Jesus today!

God bless,

Beryl

Nehemiah was in trouble! As the cupbearer he was in close proximity to the king. For someone to be sad in the presence of the king was to ask for trouble -- even execution if the king chose. Nehemiah offered up a silent prayer for help. He NEEDED to go to Jerusalem! He felt the call of God -- and God gave to him the right words to say to the king.

Imagine the relief that came to him as the king answered, "How long will your journey take, and when will you get back?" The bible doesn't say, but I can imagine Nehemiah breathing a quiet "Thank You, my God!"

So, very quickly the time for Nehemiah to go to Jerusalem was planned, and Nehimiah courageously asked for required letters to ensure safety, and for materials needed for the repair of Jerusalem.

I love this next bit --"And because the gracious hand of my God was upon me, the king granted my requests" -- and, not only that, but "The king had also sent army officers and cavalry with me." God had seen to it that not only the materials for rebuilding were supplied, but that protection was given Nehimiah, and he was not just going to Jerusalem as a returning captive, BUT WITH THE FULL SUPPORT OF THE KING, INCLUDING ARMY OFFICERS AND CAVALRY! God was certainly working -- and He would do the same for us

God bless,

Beryl

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We need to understand more clearly why Jesus became a man, and understand better the value of eternal life. The beauty of holiness is to fill the hearts of all Christians. We must ask God to open our eyes that we may better see this beauty.

Our minds should turn to God so that we may breathe the air of heaven. We may keep so near to God that no matter what happens, our thoughts will turn to Him. They will turn as easily as the flower turns to the sun.

Breathing the air of heaven! WOW!! I wonder what that will be like!! During this past week I have been studying quite a bit about our need for air -- fresh, oxygenated air. Part of a report that I read stated, "In the beginning the air was made up of, maybe as high as thirty-two to thirty-four percent oxygen. Today it is down to nearly half that figure at somewhere around eighteen percent. In cities like Los Angeles, New York and Chicago on a hot summer day, you will find that the oxygen level can be as low as eight percent."

Fresh air outdoors is essential to health, but just as important, if not more so, is the necessity of a constant supply of pure air indoors.

So we need a full supply of the Holy Spirit, received fresh each day. It is our only protection in a sinful world.

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We may keep our wants, our joys, our sorrows before God. We may share with Him our cares and fears. We will not make Him weary. He is able to count the hairs of our heads, and He cares about the needs of His children. "For the Lord is full of mercy and compassion." James 5:11

Yes, the Lord IS full of mercy and compassion, and He DOES take care of our needs -- and we can't out-give the Lord. His blessings are so much greater than our giving! James gives us the example of Job. If ever there was someone who had an "excuse" to walk away from God, it was Job! But, despite his pain -- both his heart pain and his physical pain -- Job believed in God. Yes, he asked questions, but he did not give up on God.

Maybe you are going through a testing time. Maybe everything is going wrong. Maybe it seems that no-one is listening, the heavens are shut, and you are asking, Why, Lord, and getting no answer.

I can personally testify that God IS there -- right through the dark days, and He IS listening. We may never know the reason why this side of eternity, but brighter days will come, and you will realise that He has been there all of the time!

God bless,

Beryl

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God's heart of love is touched by our sorrows and even by our telling Him about them. We may take everything that troubles us to Him. Nothing is too great for Him to bear, for He holds up the worlds and rules the universe. Nothing that happens to us is too small for Him to notice. Nothing in our lives is too sinful for Him to know about. No problem is so great He cannot solve it. He shares our joys and our worries. He hears every sincere prayer and is always ready to answer. "He heals the broken-hearted and bandages their wounds" (Psalm 147:3). God knows His people perfectly, and He treats each one as though there were not another person for whom He gave His dear Son."

WOW! How much is wrapped up in that paragraph! This tells me that I have a personal God, Who treats me as an individual, giving me a personal interview each time I ask! I can tell him about my aching big toe and He listens! I can talk to Him about that little willie wagtail who comes to me every time he sees me working in the garden, and how wonderful I find it to have so close a relationship with a "wild bird"! I can tell Him about my friend who is dying of cancer. And I can talk to Him about things that I would never share with anyone else -- and He listens.

He never interferes without cause, without my consent. He likes me to share my joys as well as my sorrows with Him. What a wonderful Friend!

God bless.

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Jesus said, "When that day comes, you will ask Him in my name; and I do not say that I will ask Him on your behalf, for the Father Himself loves you" (John 16:16,17. "I chose you...and so the Father will give you whatever you ask of Him in My name" (John 15:16). Jesus tells us to pray in His name. But to pray in His name means more than saying His name at the beginning of the prayer and again at the end. It means to pray in the mind and spirit of Jesus. It means that we believe His promises, depend upon His grace, and do His work.

Just think for a moment. To whom are you praying? Don't we often start our prayers with "Dear Jesus"? But what is He telling us here? We are to pray DIRECT TO GOD THE FATHER -- in the name of Jesus. It is really that Jesus, by His death and resurrection, opened the way right in to the Throne Room itself, and, because of the love that the Godhead has for us, God will give to us anything for which we ask -- except those things which they know will not be in our best interest.

God bless,

Beryl