…for You have ears to hear and eyes to see…tarry with us just for a little while…
Welcome to Part 2 of the continuation of last week’s blog with the same title. You are invited to review Part 1 prior to embarking on Part 2. Just scroll down this page until you see last week’s post.
Also, please consider the contents of Part 2 only as an example dialogue in prayer for you to lift up to the Almighty when you devote deliberate solemn time in meditation.
Most holy and Everlasting Father; the Father of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob: The God who has ears to hear and eyes to see...Please hear our prayer this evening.
For these are troubling times, My Lord, and the world needs Your guidance, Your help and Your strength. We are asking that You look down on us as a people...as a nation...as a world in chaos and have mercy on us.
We are pleading that You remember the cries of a destitute flock of believers and accept our offerings of repentance. Oh, Lord, our God, please grant to us according to our hearts desires and within Your will and Your ways and fulfill all our needs. Within Your DNA and strength we will forever raise our banners high to give You all the praise, all the honor and all the glory in Christ Jesus' Name.
We beseech You, therefore Heavenly Father, to grant us Your peace, Your tenacity, Your true grit, Your steadfast determination and faithfulness by which abilities we will become more than conquers. For we are weak and You are strong.
So, Dear Lion of Judah, there is no doubt that You can save to the utmost...and save You will. Forgive us and hear our prayers and become our Strong Deliverer and save Your children!
All of our supplications this day have been directed upwards towards heaven...towards the All-powerful God of our strength. Forever, Lord, may Your mighty right hand reach out towards our enemies and render them discombobulated.
We stand in unison on these requests; bound together in love, determination, steadfastness and harmony. Being ever so careful to give You our praise and not to put our trust in chariots of fire, or swift horses, or human might. But remembering Your Name, Lord Jesus. The precious Name unto which every knee will bow and every tongue will confess. The matchless Name of Jesus. The Name that is able to cause our enemies to stumble and fall.
The Name that is able to raise up all those who call upon it! JESUS! Hallelujah to the Name of JEUS!!
SAVE, OF LORD. That is our warrior cry. Send down Your Holy Spirit and Waring Angels among us so that they may orchestrate Your commands and will in this sweet hour of prayer and praise.This is our petition unto Thee, this day. In the Precious Name of Jesus Christ, we pray...AMEN AND AMEN
And I/we don’t mind waiting, My Lord, on Your answers.
(Please just click the ‘red’ recording time below to be highly blessed in a mantra-style meditation hymn.
Scripture Lesson:“Since we have these promises, dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God.” 2 Corinthians 7:1
IS THIS YOU?Always saying things that do not deserve to be answered!
Do you need to work on your communications with God?
When you enter into your ‘Throne Room’ or ‘Prayer Closet’, do you barge in like gang busters and begin addressing the Almighty God without even acknowledging Him with an honorable-descriptive title as to Who He is and how He alone reigns over all the universe? Do you stay in a prostrated position long enough for our Savior to even answer you? Are you coming to Him with doubt, in frustration, little respect, or with an insincere attitude and no confession of your recent transgressions? But most of all…do you ever pray for a broader audience other than your own family and loved ones?
STOP!DON’T ANSWER THOSE QUESTIONS…WHY?
Mainly because it is none of my business. I am just trying to get your attention and to inform you that God does have a reputation that there are times when He does not desire to listen to nor answer the prayers of His children, namely you and me. So, if anyone is guilty of breaking faith with Jesus Christ, especially within an atmosphere of new or weak believers, then expect to be judged by the workings of the Holy Spirit. And His workings just could be total silence!
There are two recorded biblical examples when God said “STOP! Do Not Pray because I Am not listening.”…
Hopefully, you are familiar with the list of “Biblical Heroes who walked by faith and not by sight” mentioned in Hebrews 11:1-16. Moses’ name is not among them…yet he was used mightily by God to lead the sons and daughters of Israel out of bondage in Egypt and though the wilderness. Moses’ indiscretion is example number one. However, when Moses prayed to God to relent and allow him to cross over the River Jordan and enter into the Promise Land, God’s response to Moses was; “Enough! Speak to Me no more of this matter” (Deut. 3:25-27). God explained to Moses that he had broken faith with God in the wilderness because he had not treated God as holy and had been disobedient as a leader in the midst of the children of Israel, when Moses struck the rock to obtain water instead of approaching ‘The Rock‘ and treating it as God had commanded. Obviously, no amount of prayers would change God’s mind and He told Moses to stop praying about it.
The second example is found in Jeremiah 7:16; 11:14 and 14:11. God informed Jeremiah who was a Priest and a Prophet at least three times to stop lifting up prayers of intercession for His wayward children of Israel. God’s chosen people had repeatedly disobeyed Him and His commands. God declared to Jeremiah, “I do not hear you”.
Needless to say, God does not deserve nor does he desire to listen to ‘Mickey Mouse’ prayers!Those hollow words that do not edify our Lord and Savior…
Below is a list of world headline events that deserve our sincere intercessory prayers. Look the list over. Come to an agreement that God is aware of all the disasters, namely: campus shootings, wars and rumors of wars, government leader misdeeds domestic and foreign, environmental disasters worldwide that are occurring throughout the world. And of course, it is God’s design that the universe should be a safe place of refuge. Yet the Holy Spirit is whispering into my heart that God also wants us to be alert watchmen and watchful women who know how to pray for the peace of Jerusalem and cities and nations every where. There is no need for us to be afraid for God is our refuge.
Mickey Mouse Prayers will not get you to the next level in God…so pray earnestly and sincerely.
Suggested list of current events in today’s news to pray for:
OhioTrain Derailment in East Palestine
China says U.S. balloons have flown over their continent before, too
Russia and Ukraine have been at war for over one year with no end in sight
Michigan State University’s mass shooting…3 students needlessly killed and several wounded
A Black Hawk airliner jet crashed in Alabama, killing everyone on board
The 2019 Covid-19 Virus is still causing havoc around the world
The whole world is going to Hell in a hand basket
Scripture Lesson: “God is our refuse and strength, a tested help in times of trouble. And so we need not fear even if the world blows up, and the mountains crumble into the sea. Let the oceans roar and foam; let the mountains tremble!
There is a river of joy flowing through the city of our God–the sacred home of the God above all gods, God himself is living in that City; therefore it stands unmoved despite the turmoil everywhere. He will not delay his help. The nations rant and rave in anger–but when God speaks the erth melts in submission and kingdoms totted into ruin.” Psalms 46:1-6
Let’s pretend that the gentleman featured on the front of this card was given a nomenclature, that is, a system for giving names to things within a particular profession or field. The name this gentleman was known by was Valentine of Rome. His initial particular profession was that he lived under the rule of the Roman Empire and the dictates of Emperor Claudius II and false pagan gods. However, if you examine the image closely you will ascertain that Mr. Valentine of Rome disputed that assessment and clandestinely places his hand over his heart to indicate that that chamber rules him under the guidance of the Holy Spirit. And it was in that field of thought he later became a priest under the Catholic Order of faith.
After the short lived life of Mr. Valentine of Rome, antiquity records his persona as a saintly man who aided and abetted persecuted Christians that lived under the rule of the Roman Empire; as an advocate of teaching, preaching and endorsing agape love which demonstrated the highest form of a fatherly love of God for all human beings. This form of teaching was in contrast to what his pagan government taught and lived by. It transcended the norms of promoting erotic love, philia, promiscuous or eros love which paganism endorsed.
Saint Valentine of Rome was Canonized by the Catholic Church in the 5th Century A.D….
It goes without saying, the antics of Cleric Valentine of Rome far surpassed the lifestyle of his fellow countrymen. The feats of Father Valentine of Rome irked Emperor Claudius II and it landed this mortal man in prison. Legend has it that the Emperor, who viewed himself as a god, was impressed with Valentine’s fetes and agreed to release him from prison if only he would convert to Roman paganism, but Valentine refused to save himself. Rather, he attempted to convert Claudius to Christianity instead. That invitation was not heeded. But while awaiting execution in prison, SaintValentine performed a miracle by healing the blind daughter of his Jailer. This miracle alone caused the Jailer, his healed daughter, the Jailer’s servants and 46 additional family members of his household to believe in Jesus Christ and they all were baptized.
The birth of celebrating St. Valentine’s Day on February 14th every year…
Sometime during the 4th Century on February 14, Saint Valentine was executed. Antiquity records that Julia, the daughter of the Jailer, planted a pink-blossomed almond tree near his grave…an agape demonstration of love. Today, in some countries, the almond tree remains a symbol of abiding love and friendship. Another embellishment suggests that during his priestly duties, Saint Valentine performed clandestine Christian weddings for soldiers who were forbidden to marry by the Emperor Claudius II. Also, according to legend, in order to remind these men of their vows and God’s love, Saint Valentine is said to have cut hearts from parchment paper, wrote encouraging notes on them and gave them to these soldiers and persecuted Christians, as a possible origin of the widespread use of hearts and valentine cards sent on St. Valentine’s Day.
Today we have an extra Valentine’s Day treat for you!
My prayer for you…
Thank you Lord for creating ways to incorporate eternal meaning into nomenclatures. The name Valentine is such a befitting name to apply to a human who displayed love and unabashed protection for his fellow human beings. It truly was ordained by You that Saint Valentine’s name be canonized as an example to show generations to come how to demonstrate enthusiasm, undying energy and love to their fellow man.
We earnestly pray that our life’s contributions towards society will bring honor, glory, respect and lasting reverence to your Name. Amen and Amen!
Scripture Lesson: “As for me, it is good to be near God. I have made the Sovereign LORD my refuge; I will tell of all Your deeds.” Psalm 73:28
Sometimes we are all asked to perform a task that we just wish could be delivered by another person. And generally, those assignment requests involves grievances or controversial situations. Such an assignment fell on me when my baby brother died a few years ago. What concerned me was the fact that I was not the oldest sibling and I thought our oldest sister should have stepped up to the occasion. However, since she was the matriarch of the family and ruled the roost, her decision prevailed.
Needless to say, I delivered the Eulogy for our brother!
The sadness and sorrow I felt for carrying out this assignment was mainly because of my personal feelings for the deceased. You see, my brother went home to be with the Lord at an early age of 74 years old. He had never married, nor did he have any children. Immediately after his High School graduation in 1963, he was drafted into the Army and assigned to a 3-year tour of duty in North Viet Nam. He came home from the war wounded and 100% disabled. He became a ward of the Veteran Administration and remained in their medical and hostel care until his demise.
I felt he had lived such a shallow life full of loneliness, sadness, and broken dreams. Now, perhaps you can sympathize with me as to why I was reluctant to deliver my brother’s Eulogy. So, what I did was to go to God in fervent prayer. I asked him to give me the right words, ideas, and uplifting content to compose a light-hearted and information message that would be uplifting to our family members, friends and acquaintances that would be in attendance at the funeral services.
The results of the Holy Spirit’s intervention in assisting me with composing the Eulogy was phenomenal. And just in case you (my readers) are ever put into this kind of situation, it is my prayer that you can apply some of these heavenly ideas that I received that led me to deliver a very short two minute speech that brought the funeral attendees to their feet with resounding accolades at the conclusion.
Below is an excerpt of the advise I received from a conversation with God to help me prepare a befitting Eulogy for a brother ‘less traveled’ in life then most people…
KISS – Keep it simple (my) servant.
Collect anecdotes from correspondence sent to others or harmless pranks he did to others that brought lasting memories.
What life-lessons did you and others learn from him as an adult or as a young child.
What gleeful mannerism did he play on people.
What made your brother unique and a cut above his peers?
Avoid dwelling on any sad life-long memories or events he may have suffered or did nothing to show the love of God.
Use this time to express any message that can alleviate guilt, sadness, shame or sorrow for the future.
A Eulogy Befitting My Brother
I am sure that there is no one gathered in this assembly today that has not heard of the bible verse I am about to quote. And it does not matter if you are a Believer in Christ Jesus or a believer in yourself or some other gods. Somewhere in your upbringing I know you have run across John 3:16.
"For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life."
You know, Brother died unexpectedly and alone...without any relatives, friends or loved ones at his bedside. And that has bothered me to no end...so naturally I prayed about it!!!
And for comfort, during these past two weeks, the Holy Spirit has continued to give me reassurance that a host of angels were around Brother's hospital bed on that final night of his earthly residency to remind him of those most cherished words from John 3:16.
I was also comforted with the thought that those heavenly messengers were also singing praises and giving thanks for a mere mortal soul who had at an earlier age surrendered to the call of his country and had offered his life so that other generations to come might remain free. He honorable severed in the US Army and suffered life-threatening wounds which permanently left him handicapped for the rest of his life.
The Heavenly Host had an extended conversation with me about how this mortal man was so thoughtful during his lifetime. They were amazed at how generously after his tour of duty, he shared his remaining life with others while knowing that he himself was without wife or children to hold, provide for and to love.
And finally, the Angels concluded that although Brother was the baby of his family and resided in his home town, his surviving brother and 2 sisters lived far away in other states. And with the urgency for my brother to answer the call and be taken up to his new celestial residency, they would not have time to get to the hospital to deliver their last 'goodbyes'.
So as I close this tribute to Brother, I believe us 3 remaining siblings have been vindicated. Our guilt for not being at Brother's bedside has been removed.
We, the remaining siblings also hope that our brother sees us officiating now and that he has searched our hearts and realizes that without a doubt, we beg him for forgiveness for being absent from his bedside in a time of need. We also hope that this Home-going celebration has been a worthy tribute for his journey to his celestial home.
So on behalf of Brother's immediate family members, his extended clan-family members, all his friends, loved ones, caregivers, and guests in attendance, we say 'thank you' for helping us celebrate the life of Brother, a child of the King.
My final request is to everyone under the sound of my vice...I invite you to stand and shout out in a loud voice, "Fare ye well, beloved Brother". Then, blow a kiss to the wind and give a resounding hand clap of love in appreciation for Brother's life and his suffering for so many others.
May our Lord and Savior richly bless and keep all of you.
May Our Brother Rest In Peace
My Prayer For You:
Dear Holy Spirit, We humbly come and ask You to give us the right words to use to proclaim Your message to the masses so that the good tidings of Jesus Christ can be heard all over the earth and for every occasion under the sun. Amen
Scripture Lesson:“Pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints. Pray also for me (Paul), that whenever I open my mouth, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel.” Ephesians 6:18-19
Conversations With God Using Scripture 