The greatest gift

**This is a blog post I did 7 years ago on my other blog when it was more than book reviews. A lot has changed since then about my beliefs in God's love and my state of mind, but I thought I'd re-post it here.

   There are some words and phrases in the English language that are sweeter than others. "I love you" are probably the best to hear. Another that is a biggie is "I'm praying for you".

Prayer has been on my mind a lot today. I was thinking about songs about prayer - pulled the word up on my Itunes and found that I have 58 songs with "pray" in the title. "What If His People Prayed" by Casting Crowns, "Take It To God In Prayer", by the Hoppers. There are two that have been on my mind the most. The first is  "Mention My Name" by The Hoppers - a Southern Gospel group, for those uninformed about Southern Gospel...... :-)

"Would you mention my name every day, when you pray
Would you mention my name when you pray
Would you stand with me, when your'e down on your knees
When your'e talking to Jesus, would you mention me?"

The other song has been on my mind even more is one titled "Somebody's Praying Me Through" by Allen Asbury - a really awesome song, for not being Southern Gospel. :-)

SOMEBODY’S PRAYING ME THROUGH

Pressing over me like a big blue sky
I know someone has me on their heart tonight
That's why I know it's gonna be alright
'Cause somebody's praying me through
Somebody's praying me through


It may be my Mother, it might be my Dad
Or an old friend I've forgot I had
But whoever it is I'm so glad that
Somebody's praying me through
Somebody's praying me through


Through the tears, through the rain
Through the sorrow, through the pain
It keeps bringing me through
Over and over again


So when you're drowning in a sea of hurt
And it feels like life couldn't get any worse
There's a blessing waiting to push back the curse
'Cause, somebody's praying you through.

  Anyone who regularly subjects them self to reading my blog is probably aware of the fact that not only have I really been struggling with believing God loves me and that I matter to Him, I have also had a lot of doubts and struggles in general lately. For weeks, it has seemed that my prayers have hit the ceiling and fell back to the floor with a thud, and just lie there, seemingly unnoticed by God. Woven in with it has been severe discouragement and depression, so bad that most of the time I walk around with an ache in mu chest and a feeling of impending doom and hopelessness.

I know of a few people who have been praying for me, and most likely some I don't know of. I can only give prayer the credit. This week I have been feeling a sense of hope, and last night I was able to pray like I haven't in ages. I woke this morning not dreading the coming day for a change, and had a really good day. Work didn't even go that great today - for anyone, not just me, and it didn't faze me.

  I am positive that the prayers of others is what helped me get to where I am right now - well not physically - I am in my computer chair- well Mom and Dad's (side note: if anyone has a computer chair they want rid of, I broke mine........).

  It makes me wonder if we truly realize what we have at our disposal with the tool of prayer. And do we really do enough of it? Oh sure, most of us remember to pray for our needs and wants, but what if we really and truly prayed for the needs of others. I could be wrong, but could it be that God leans more toward answering prayers that are made on behalf of others more than prayers for ourselves? If you look at motive, I may have something there. If I am praying for the needs of a Christian brother, my motives are completely selfless, whereas all too often, my own comfort is in mind when I pray for mine - spiritual needs being the exception, of course.

   I read a neat story a while back. A young lady was bemoaning the fact to her pastor that she didn't feel her life was touching anyone for Christ, that she was useless. In the course of the conversation the subject of her prayer life came up, and she said she took the newspaper with her to pray. The pastor was astounded and asked why. She replied that she would open to the obituaries, and pray for the friends and relatives of each deceased person listed there. Then she would open to the weddings and pray for the couples just married, then on to the births. The preacher pointed out to her that she had quite a ministry of prayer going on and only God knew what her prayers had brought forth.

  We don't have to take the newspaper with us when we pray, but I believe God is pleased when we focus on others in prayer. We should pray for not just our family, but all of those in our Christian family. A simple "I'm Praying For You" can be one of the greatest gifts that we can give to someone.

  If, every time someone came to mind, we said a prayer for that person, only eternity would reveal what our prayers have done - and I am not saying the power lies in us. The power lies in God answering, but I believe God is moved to action by our prayers.

  Often we have no idea who needs prayer. I am afraid in too many of our churches we have this idea that we need to keep our mask in place so that no one will know we are hurting and struggling and might possibly think less of us. So we cover our hurts and struggles when by admitting, we could receive prayer, encouragement, and help.

  I'm sure I am not out of the woods yet. Whether we fall from grace completely, or become so discouraged that we are of no threat to Satan, he will fight when we get back on our feet, so I'd appreciate any prayers sent my way, and in return, I will do my best to pray for others when I know they need it, or when God brings them to our minds. Who knows, by praying for someone God brings to our minds, we just may be doing what the song says.....praying somebody through, and giving them the best possible gift we have at our disposal. Prayer.

A tale of two young men, and two different paths

 **Names have been changed.

"Sean"

    I saw something on Facebook last night that made me sad. A young lady I am friends with had changed back to her maiden name. She was no longer "Shayla Brown", but was now "Shayla King". I knew what that meant. She and her young husband had divorced. I looked up his Facebook profile, and was further saddened by what I saw there.

   Shayla joined the Hope For Wholeness Facebook group a couple of years ago. HFW is a ministry for people with unwanted same-sex attractions. She didn't join because she was attracted to the same sex. She joined because her young husband of less than a year, "Sean",  had asked permission of her to experiment sexually with other guys. He was gay, and wanted to forsake his wedding vows so he could fulfill his sexual desires with other men.

 I prayed faithfully for this young couple for months. She disappeared from Facebook for a while, and then I found out from a mutual friend that Sean decided he didn't need his wife's permission, and had started having sex with random guys. He'd cry and apologize, and then go out and do it again.

 Last night, as I looked at his Facebook profile, my heart broke. He has dove head first into the gay lifestyle. There are pictures of him at gay pride events, all kinds of pro-gay posts such as ones claiming two lesbians do a better job of raising kids than a mother and father..... and more.

 Sean is a very nice-looking young man, and I know what it is like. Him being around gay guys is like waving red meat in front of ravenous wolves. As he tries to find fulfillment and happiness with other guys, he will be used over and over by other guys trying to find fulfillment in multiple sexual hook-ups with him and other guys. He won't find happiness and fulfillment, and has embarked on a dangerous path. The health and mental risks are much higher in active gay men than heterosexual males.... and the end of that path will be an eternity in hell if he does not repent.

 I've been thinking. How long has it been since I prayed for Shayla and Sean. True, I have never met either of them, and have never interacted with him at all. And true, me praying for them doesn't guarantee any different outcome..... but what if it did?

"Michael"

   And then there is "Michael", whom I have met and heard his testimony. He may not mind me using his real name, but since I made the above couple anonymous, I may as well stay with that. Micheal is close to the same age as Sean, though possibly  a year or two younger at age 20. Michael also is attracted to the same sex, and I believe he chose to give into those attractions and desires for a brief time. Since then, he has given his life to God and is living the very difficult life of a young man attracted to the same sex, but living for God instead of his desires.

  It isn't easy. I can attest to that, It also gets easier, in some ways. At my age, there is the loneliness factor, and the fact that guys my age are married with kids..... and then there is me. But it is still easier at my age than Michael's.

  I don't think people get how difficult it is to have same-sex attractions, and live for God instead of giving in. It is far more difficult than I can explain. And for a young man of Michael's age with the hormones and sex drive of that age......you truly have no idea how difficult it is for him to serve God and remain pure and celibate.

 Sure, he may be able to marry a woman at some point, but there is no guarantee. What does the church have to offer him? A pat on the back now and then? The struggle is real, and at times is more than we can bear.

   Sean nor Michael asked for this. It is not a choice. Neither they nor I woke up one morning and thought "I think I am going to be attracted to the same sex!" No, that isn't how it goes. No one knows for sure what causes it, though I have heard some credible ideas and I can see some of them in my own life.

 We need to be there for the Seans and Michaels of the world..... and yes,  the Marks also. All Christians need each other, but this is something in a class pretty much by itself. There is no God-approved way of someone with same-sex attraction to fill their sexual desires and attractions. Many today are trying to claim that God is OK with loving relationships between two people of the same sex, but they are wrong.

 Imagine being 20 years old, and it is wrong to be attracted to the opposite sex, to marry them, to have a loving relationship with them...... that is our reality every day with the same sex.

 My heart breaks for Shayla and Sean, and for Michael...though in a different way. I know what Michael is going through. I know the struggle and the difficulty of living for God and not always getting the support you need. I pray for Michael, but am resolving to pray more and harder. I believe this is a young man God can use if he continues to follow Him.

 In closing, this: A while back, over a year ago, Sean agreed to meet Michael. They live fairly close to each other, and Shayla got her husband to agree to meet Michael. Sean hadn't started down the wrong path yet. We prayed for that meeting, that God would give Michael the words to say, that Sean would listen and turn to God.

  Sadly, the meeting didn't seem to do any good..... but who knows the seeds that may have been planted that day as Michael shared his testimony of deliverance from homosexuality and showed Sean what his life could be like.

 This life is so fleeting, and we all so easily forget that we aren't living for this life. When Sean stands before God some day, he will wish he had followed God instead of his sexual desires, as he hears those dreaded words "depart from me." I hope and pray he finds God and follows Him before that day happens.

 But for Michael and all others who served God instead of living for our sinful desires here on earth, we will hear those words "well done, thou good and faithful servant, enter into the joy of your Lord".

 I want to hear those words, and I want Sean and Michael to hear those words. Say a pray for these two young men dealing with the same struggle, but in two very different ways. One is on the right path, so pray he remains on it and God gives him the strength he needs daily. The other is on a very wrong path. Pray he finds his way to God before it is too late.

 And if you know of anyone else dealing with this very tough struggle, pray for them, and reach out in love.

Driving like Jesus

     I saw a bumper sticker Monday that made me smile. It had "WWJD? - not tailgate."

   I am not sure when and how it happened, but I have turned into a very impatient driver. Slow people irritate me, people who pull out in front of me irritate me, people who cut me off irritate me. Common words from my lips are "idiot, moron, I hate semis, etc". I have been trying to do better, and when I do mutter these words of frustration, they are usually followed by "sorry God".

   Why is it when we ask for help in an area, it seems like we are given opportunities to practice what we prayed about? As I prayed yesterday morning before leaving work, I asked God to help me in this area. So of course God made sure no one irritated me on the way to work. Wrong. I had only gone one mile when it started. As I approached a 4-way stop, a semi turned towards me from the right, breezing right through the stop sign and forcing me to back up. That made me a tad bit upset, but I backed up and when there was room approached the stop sign again.....to find another semi breezing through the stop sign towards me, again forcing me to back up. I muttered "I hate semis" as I finally got up to the stop sign.

  That wasn't the end of it. As I drove through town, a car pulled out in front of me... and went slow. We came to a red light where I needed to turn right and sat. After it turned green, he turned right.... at a light where you can turn right on red. Sigh.

  The rest of the way to work was uneventful, but I remembered what I had prayed. It was like praying for patience, and then getting opportunities to put it into practice. I said a quick prayer asking God to forgive my impatience and started my work day in a better frame of mind.

 This morning as I had my early devotions, I decided God must surely have a sense of humor. I am reading a book that I just reviewed "365 Pocket Morning Prayers", which is set up like a yearly devotional with a prayer for each day. If you are reading through it day by day, the prayer doesn't always apply. The one for today was "a prayer for sickness"..... and I am not sick, so I flipped to the next one. It was titled "A prayer about Example: watching how I drive." I won't post the whole devotional here, but it was something I could have written, and in fact applied completely to my prayer the day before. I had to smile as I realized this prayer was indeed tailored perfectly for me.

Does God need us to accomplish answers to prayer?

  God works in mysterious ways, and we will never comprehend many of His ways while here on earth. I have had something bouncing around in my brain lately, and wanted to get it out on my blog, although I have no answer for the question.

  We have all heard stories, and many of us have experienced it ourselves: you get an overwhelming urge to pray for a person, and later find out they were in danger, having some kind of crisis,  or were making a life altering decision at that very moment. God lays an unsaved person on your heart and you pray hard and often see that person come to Christ. And there are other situations and examples that could be given where God nudges or urges us to pray for someone.

  But why? The missionary that was in danger at the very moment you felt you should pray for him, and God spared him....God could have spared him without your prayer, so why urge you to pray for him? The person you prayed faithfully for to become a Christian could have found God without your prayers, so why did God lay them on your heart?

  If we don't heed these urges to pray, would God still spare a life or work in the same way if we had?

  And if we believe that God loves us and we are His, why does it comfort us to know people are praying for us?

  God isn't some powerless puppet that has to be moved by the strings that would be our prayers. He doesn't need us to accomplish anything, including praying for someone. So why nudge us and urge us to pray like this?

  I am not sure there is an answer, but as I have thought on this I have come up with a couple of ideas:

1) He wants us involved. Of course He could and does work without us, but He loves us and evidently wants us involved in asking Him for things, and prayers for safety, salvation, etc for others is one way to do that.

2) To increase our faith. When God does give us these nudges to pray for someone and we see it answered, it is an amazing boost to our faith.

3) To help us be unselfish. It is one thing to ask God for things for ourselves, but another thing to ask God for things for other people.

4) To keep us praying. If God operated completely independent of us and was never moved by our prayers, what use would there be in praying? We'd figure He was going to do what He wanted anyway..... but the Bible indicates that He is moved to action by our prayers.

  It is awe inspiring and humbling to think that God uses us in this way and that He is moved by our prayers. I don't know the answers to the questions I asked, and maybe I am off base with my ideas, but the fact remains that He does urge us to pray for people, and uses those prayers to save lives and souls.

Praying for Milo

  I follow an interesting guy on Facebook and Twitter named Milo Yiannopoulos. Milo is a very outspoken conservative that is getting himself banned from liberal colleges and even Twitter because he dares speak out against liberals, Muslims, and liberal agendas. I don't agree with him on everything. For one, he is an avid Donald Trump supporter. For another: he is proudly and unabashedly gay.

  As I was shaking my head in amusement over his antics recently in ticking off liberals, I found myself thinking how sad it is that a brilliant young guy like him has bought into the lie that he can find fulfillment as a gay man. That was followed up with me wondering what the chances are of a guy like him ever finding God and walking away from his gay life. And then another thought hit me: I wonder if there is anyone who prays for him, that he would find God and serve him.....  That was followed by the thought, "maybe I should pray for him...."

   Much has been said about Christians being the only Bible some people may read. Some of us may be the only Christian in someone's life......and if someone like Milo crosses our mind and this idea to pray for them comes out of nowhere, maybe we will be the only person to pray for them.

  I read a quote recently that has stuck with me: “The greatest tragedy in life is not unanswered prayer, but un-offered prayer". Think about that for a second.....now obviously God can work in people's lives without us praying for them. He is God, after all and can do anything.... but for some reason, He seems to like using us to do His work. He could do things without us praying about it, and I am sure He does, but there is something about this medium of prayer that is a tool He likes to use. How can we expect Him to work in people's lives - including our own - if we don't pray and ask Him to?

  How often have people been prompted to pray for a person, only to find out later that the person was in extreme danger. Could God have still protected that person without that prayer being said? Of course.... and I am sure He has and does, but if He urges us to pray for someone, there is a reason He wants that prayer said.

  I am reading a great book on hearing God in every day conversation, and it has really opened my eyes to how much God speaks to me that I toss off and attribute to other things, including my own thoughts...... but what if this idea to pray for Milo Yiannopoulos came from God, and wasn't some random idea that my own mind came up with?

  If I don't pray for Milo, is there anyone who will?

  I believe God has offered salvation to everyone, and that His ways of getting that message to lost souls are endless.... but one of those ways is us. He uses our lives, our prayers, the things we say and do to reach lost souls for Him.

  So if some random person comes to your mind, especially if prayer also enters your mind... pray for that person. And if you're reading this, say a prayer for Milo Yiannopoulos...... that some day, somehow, he will find Jesus as His savior. If God could save you and me, He can save him.

This thing called prayer

 Prayer has always been a somewhat nebulous thing to me. We sang the chorus when I was a kid "read your Bible pray every day, and you'll grow, grow, grow".......and then the second verse, "neglect your Bible forget to pray, and you'll shrink, shrink, shrink". The song was coupled with a flower that could be raises slowly for the first verse, and lowered for the second. The message was clear: if you want to grow, read your Bible and pray daily; or you'll shrink.....spiritually. I think I got that part, but I can't remember.

  For most of my life, prayer has simply been something I felt I had to do. It was as if I had a list of chores to do daily as a Christian, and I had to do it and check it off of my chore list. The kid's chorus turned into preachers telling me how important it is to pray every day if you love God, and that you must "pray through" at least once in a while.....I still don't know what that means.

  My prayers have always been stilted, with an eye on the clock to try to fill in as much time as I could. The longer the prayer, the better Christian I am after all, even if I am doing it just so I can mark it off my Christian chore list for the day.

  And I have always hated praying in public. I am self conscious about what I say, how long my prayer is, what people are thinking about what I say and how long I pray.....I may as well be praying to the people around me, as they are the focus of how I pray.

  A few months ago, I watched a great movie called War Room. It was an amazing movie that was about the power of prayer. I was so moved and impressed by it, that I bought a Bible study with video sessions and have been working on it the last few weeks. I also bought a book by the producers called Battle Plan For Prayer. Between the book and the Bible study, I am learning so much about prayer that I never learned, or never "got". The study and book aren't written in some deep theological way that puts you to sleep, yet there is so much good and helpful things in them about prayer that it has really helped me and my prayer life..... and I am not even done with either the book or Bible study.

 What have I learned? Well, here are a few things:

I need to pray believing God WILL answer, not hoping that He might.

I need to have a specific time for prayer.

God sometimes starts answering our prayers long before we ever pray them.

There are different types of prayer - adoration, confession, thanksgiving, and supplication. We may at times focus on just one, but it is good to incorporate all 4 into our prayers.

We can pray without ceasing....pray about everything throughout the day that comes up or for people who come to our minds.

Prayer doesn't have to be a certain length of time.

Prayer is just talking to God, a conversation with our Heavenly Father.

There are hindrances to prayer, but there are also "keys" to prayer.

Prayer is a tool, just like we'd pick up a phone to call someone..... the emphasis is on the conversation and who we are talking to, not on the phone or prayer.

I don't need to overthink prayer.

  And I have learned a lot more than that. Those are the highlights.

   As I have studied and prayed about what I am reading and learning, my view of prayer has slowly began to shift. I don't view it as something I have to do, but something I can do and want to do. I don't worry about the length, and at the times when I fight sleep as I am praying, I feel like God understands if I cut it short and fall asleep. God isn't sitting up there with a timer, sighing in frustration if I don't pray as long as another Christian. He doesn't mind my rambling thoughts and sentences that sometimes barely make sense.

   I've gotten more comfortable praying. On one hand, there is awe and reverence that the King of Kings is paying attention to my ramblings..... but on the other hand is the knowledge that is my Heavenly Father who is delighted to hear from me. That is an amazing thought. Others might weary of my talking, but He never does.

  I've gotten more comfortable telling people I am praying for them... and I do my best to carry through on that promise.

 I may never "pray like a house on fire" as some people do. I may never pray for an hour a day, but I believe God is OK with that. I may never be comfortable praying in public, but I think He is OK with that also. He doesn't place qualifications on the length, volume, speed, or contents of my prayers..... He just wants to hear from me, and to speak to me.

If my people are angry and attack each other.....

   I have seen and heard it said over and over during this election cycle: The reason Donald Trump is doing so well in the polls and has such a large following, is he has tapped into a great anger people have due to the shape our country is in. I've watched this election cycle with growing dismay as anger and rudeness wins and are cheered on by supporters of all candidates.

   Last night, I watched part of the debate; the first one I have watched. I have seen clips of the other debates, but I am not interested in who out yells the others the best, or how many arguments there are. I am voting on a candidate's record and what they stand for,  not how rude or how much of a jerk they are in a debate..... but my dad was watching it on his Kindle, so I watched over his shoulder for a while.

   I'm not one to watch boxing, wrestling, or MMA fighting. For one thing, it seems weird for guys to watch half naked men fighting and/or writing around together on a mat. (seriously!)  For another, I don't like fighting. I don't want to do it and I don't want to see it. From what I have seen and heard of these debates, they aren't much different. The people keep their clothes on and don't get physical with each other, but the rest of the elements of a fight are there: violence (verbal), screaming fans incited by the sight of blood and violence of any nature, and anger.

  A while back, I did a post on why I don't believe Christians should support for and vote for Donald Trump. As I watched him screaming over the other candidates when it wasn't even his turn to talk and watched his face grow redder and redder with rage, my stomach churned at the thought that there were people cheering him on and delighted that he was acting like a jerk and an immature spoiled brat. Then this morning, I saw that a Drudge poll had given him the debate win. I don't comment on every news story on Facebook, but I did on that one, "Really? Is this what wins today? Rudeness and acting like a jerk? (Rubio is not my first choice, but I thought he won the debate by finally giving back to Trump what he has been dishing out)

   I have been trying to back off from the political stuff. I found myself getting angry by the antics of Donald Trump supporters. Supporters of all of the politicians are being rude, obnoxious, and too radical about their candidate; but the Trump supporters seem to have cornered the market on rudeness and nastiness..... but then, they love it in their candidate; so it makes sense they'd emulate him. But they are not alone. I have seen a lot of nastiness from Rubio supporters.... I have friends posting outright lies about Cruz, and they don't care - I have seen some rudeness from Cruz supporters also. About the only ones I haven't seen rudeness from is Ben Carson's.......maybe because there aren't as many, or I just haven't seen them.

  I don't want to be sucked into this anger anymore. Yes, I am upset and concerned about what Obama has done to this country. Yes, I am disgusted  with the Republicans who stood back and let him do what he has wanted. Yes, I am upset with conservatives and Christians who are throwing their support behind a godless candidate who has spent his life supporting the politicians and issues that are the very ones we conservatives are against, and who I believe is in cahoots with Hillary to insure her the presidency. (Yes, I believe that)

  This is aimed at supporters of all candidates: what does it say about us as conservatives, and more importantly as Christians; if we are part of the anger being tapped into? What does it say about our Christianity if we cheer as any candidate yells and screams at another? What does it say about us if we foam at the mouth as our favorite candidate attacks another and "brings blood"? What does it say about us if we declare the rudest candidate  - and the one who acted most like a jerk - the winner? What does it say about we Christians if we have to get the last word in an argument about politics?

  Should any true Christian be part of the viciousness and anger that is resonating through this election cycle? Isn't there a better way? Yes, we need to defeat Hillary Clinton. Yes, we need to stop Donald Trump, and Donald Trump supporters want to stop the other candidates.... but at what cost are we willing to pay for our candidate to win? I cannot imagine God being pleased with our anger, our bickering, our cheering of ungodly rhetoric and character assassination. I can't imagine Him being pleased as we post things about candidates that are not true, being delighted that we can post something that makes a candidate look bad, not caring to take the time to find out if it is true and being angry when someone informs us that it isn't.

 And speaking of God......who do you think God views as the winner of last night's debate? Would He really pick the one who was the angriest and acted the worst as the winner? No way. He'd probably pick the one who acted the most godly and kind...... which would probably be Ben Carson. There we had a stage full of men who claim to be Christians..... granted, one of them claims he has never needed to ask God's forgiveness for anything since he has never done anything wrong - but all of them claim to be Christians.......... and they treat each other like THAT? Does that line up with what the God commands of us?

  I posted something last night in a Facebook group I am in, the theory I mentioned above.  I was wondering if I am the only person to have this theory. I got several comments agreeing, and I got some comments that disturbed me. One Hispanic man told of the nasty remarks he got for disagreeing with a certain candidate. This candidate's supporters called him an illegal,  and said he needed to go back to where he came from. Another was called a carpetbagger. And there have been more vile and vulgar things said to people who disagree with a candidate. One man told me I needed to go get my GED after I took issue with his candidate of choice. In the same thread, another called me a crazy fool.

  Is this the year that all reasonable disagreement has flown the coop? Is this the year that anger rules over reason, even among Christians? Is anger going to be the deciding vote in who wins the GOP nomination?

  I was listening to Sean Hannity on the way home for a bit, until I wearied of his defense and gushing about one certain candidate. He loved  the fighting in the debate and was raving about how great it is, how it is needed, etc...... really?? Is it necessary to have the hateful vitriol being thrown around by professing Christians?

  Barack Obama has divided this country like it hasn't been divided for years, and I don't believe it was by accident. This election is further dividing this country, led by Donald Trump; though the other candidates are not blameless.

   At the end of the day, can we honestly come before God and tell Him we reacted the way we should have about a debate, a Facebook post, something someone said in conversation related to politics? Or would we have to admit we were angry, we cheered on anger and rudeness, and that we did not react well?

  Politics is a dirty business, and I fear too many of us are getting down and rooting in the mud with the politicians. There are no perfect politicians, though some are better than others. My candidate has the best record and has stood up to the establishment more than any other, and has had the most godly actions and attitudes in this race for the most part. But even he is not perfect and has acted in ways that I don't like.

  Our country needs a change, and we need God. No politician is the answer to our moral problems and will get our country back to God, but some will help in that area more than others.

One of my favorite verses in the Bible is II Chronicles 7:14:
"If my people, which are called by my name, will be angry, and yell, and cheer on rudeness and personal attacks, then I will hear from Heaven and will heal their land."

  That isn't how that verse goes. It actually goes like this:

If my own people will humbly pray and turn back to me and stop sinning, then I will answer them from heaven. I will forgive them and make their land fertile once again. (CEV)

  Can we do what that verse says while a candidate taps into anger we have? Can we do what this verse says as we cheer on anger and personal attacks from our favorite candidate? Can we do what this verse says as we attack people who dare disagree with our candidate of choice? Can we follow this verse as we post articles that are not true, but we are OK with because they make a candidate look bad?

Are we even praying? And if so, how are we praying?

  The King James version renders this verse "if my people will humble themselves...." Are we humbling ourselves, or are we proud that we bested someone or our candidate bested another candidate?

Are we turning to God, or are we turning to Ted Cruz, Donald Trump, Marco Rubio, or another?

   Are we sinning with our anger and attacks on candidates.... the Bible doesn't exempt politicians when it tells us to love everyone and do to others as we would have them do to us.

  I challenge anyone who is reading this to take this verse and pray about it. Do what the verse says. Imagine if we all humbled ourselves and prayed, put away our anger, and sought God on behalf of our country and this election. Can we do it, or are we too busy tapping into our anger and cheering on the anger of a candidate? Are we too radically following a politician to take time to find out what God's will might be for out country and for how we vote? If you felt God wanted you to vote for another candidate other than who you like, would you do it? Could  you do it? Are you even interested in God's will or opinion on who you support and vote for?

   We who serve God say we want to be like Jesus. I imagine most or all of pray to be like Jesus. But are we setting politics aside as a special area we don't have to be like Jesus? I am afraid too many of us are, and I am asking God to help me do better. I have pretty much decided on who my pick is, and will most likely post some positive things about him occasionally, but I don't want to be part of this anger, this vitriol, these vicious personal attacks on candidates and their supporters. Our country is in trouble, and we need God..... not a businessman, not a politician, not a doctor... we need God. Let us humble ourselves, call on God, as forgiveness for our anger, hateful attitudes and words,  and vitriol, and ask Him to give us the president that will be best for our country.

Does God get tired of it?

  I am doing a great Bible study on prayer right now on my own, and am getting a lot out of it. It has covered a lot, including the different things that should be in our prayers: praise, thanksgiving, adoration, supplication, and more. Today's was an interesting lesson on another thing we need to makes sure we include in our times of prayer: complaining. Right after the adoration and sometime in between supplication and thanksgiving.... we need to make sure we have our time of complaints. This is the most important part of prayer, and we need to really focus and spend time on it.

  That isn't in the Bible study, and I hope you know I was kidding.

  This past Sunday morning, a lady from my church and her husband were chatting with me before Sunday School. We did the usual "good mornings" and "how are you." She replied to the latter, "I'm doing good, but who would want to hear me complain anyway?" I laughed and said "God." She replied, "Maybe... but what if He gets tired of hearing complaints? Do you think He ever does?" I gave a reply, and she told me I should blog about it..... so I am.

  It is an interesting thing to think about: Does God get weary of our complaining? I am thinking that He most likely does. If  you go way back in the Bible to when the Israelites were wandering around in the wilderness, you can find some times when God got frustrated with their complaining:

Numbers 11:1-2: One day the Israelites started complaining about their troubles. The Lord heard them and became so angry that he destroyed the outer edges of their camp with fire.

2 When the people begged Moses to help, he prayed, and the fire went out. 3 They named the place “Burning,”[a] because in his anger the Lord had set their camp on fire.

  Later in the same chapter, they complained about only having manna to eat and made God angry again. He sent quails and made many of them sick unto death.

  It is true we are under a different dispensation now than they were under, but if complaining angered God back then; I wouldn't imagine He is excited and happy about it now.

  Philippians 2 says to do all things without grumbling and complaining. There are verses that talk about being happy wherever we are, and many that talk about being thankful.

 And there is the rub. Can we be thankful and complain? I joked about making a time of complaining during our prayers, but does it make sense outside of prayer if we are trying to live a life pleasing to God and being thankful to Him for all He has done for us? "Thank-you God for saving me..... I really, really am tired of my neighbor blowing their cut grass in the driveway, my wife is really getting on my nerves God, and thank-you for your protection this week......I am so tired of this weather. Can't you give us something better?"

  It seems ludicrous to pray like that, but it can be just as ludicrous to complain to the God who has given us so much and has done so much for us. We all need to be more thankful. The poorest of us is compared rich to many people in other countries. Most of us have family and friends to love us..... and we can have God.

  We set aside a day in November to be thankful, but that doesn't mean the other 364 are left for us to complain in. Christians should be the most thankful people in the world.

  In The Hiding Place, Corrie Ten Boon relates something that happened to her and her sister at the one prison they were in. Their cell block was infested with fleas, and her sister decided since the Bible says to be thankful in all things; they should thank God for the fleas. Corrie found the idea crazy, but finally agreed to do so. Later, they found out that the guards would go in the other cell blocks and rape the female prisoners, but never went into their cell block to do it because of the fleas.

  That is an extreme example, but none of our lives are perfect. We all have things that discourage us, that we struggle with, and things happen to us all that we don't understand and make us wonder why they are happening to us.

  Take my personal struggle. I prayed for years to be "normal" (whatever that is!), and begged God to take these feelings away....... and He didn't. It took me a long time to get to where I am now, but I have found I can be thankful in this. It has made me more compassionate, it has helped me make friends I never would have made, and I can see it has helped me become stronger in many ways. I could still complain to God about it, but I have chosen not to and to be thankful.

  True Christianity cannot contain a complaining spirit and attitude. And if God wearied of and was angered by the complaining by the Israelites way back then, He surely must be wearied by our complaining. This side of the cross, we have so much mercy and grace, we have the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ to make a difference in our lives..... and we dare to complain? We American Christians should be the most thankful people in the world, but we so easily overlook our blessings and the many things to be thankful for, and find the one fly in the ointment, the one bad thing out of a million good....... and complain.

 God does not have a complaint department. Let us all work harder to find reasons to be thankful and praise Him, and cut out the complaining. Even God doesn't want to hear that.

More than moved

 

 There have been many times in my life when I found myself moved by something in a sermon, something in a book I read, something in a DVD, something someone said in a conversation, by God Himself,  or a myriad of other things.

  Sadly, all too many times I have been moved; but did nothing about it. I'd read something in a book that would emphasize the need to help others. I'd be moved, but do nothing. I'd read something or hear a song that would move me to my need to do something about my spiritual condition, and do nothing. I'd find myself stirred to do more for God, but just let it go.

  I doubt I am alone. If we all did something when we were moved, there would be a whole lot more being done for God and in our own spiritual lives than there is. In fact, maybe "moved" is the wrong term to use......for all to often, we don't move. We just stay where we are at, and forget about whatever it was that stirred us.

  David Platt, author of Radical and Follow Me; pastors a large church in Birmingham, Alabama. A few years ago, he went to his church about the need for foster parents in their area. 160 families adopted and fostered children as a result of being moved/stirred by his plea. No, that isn't a typo. 160 families. He also went to his church about the need for a car for a woman who had no car and couldn't afford to buy one so she could get to church...... they had 5 donated, if I remember correctly. People were moved, and actually moved to do something.

  Last month, I purchased and watched the War Room movie on DVD. It is a movie that emphasizes  the need for prayer, and the need to believe in prayer. The movie does an excellent job of showing what prayer can do. I was stirred, moved, convicted.... and decided to do something about it. I started reading about prayer, started a Bible study on prayer, started working on my prayer life more. I can honestly say that this movie has made a difference in my life because I didn't just let myself be moved and then forget about it. I worked and am working to change things.

  And it isn't the first time. I struggled to believe that God loves me for years, and then read something in a book that moved me enough to fight that disbelief and work on believing God loves me. I didn't do it all on my own, God really helped........ but it was a result of being moved and doing something about it.

  Maybe too many of us are apathetic and lazy Christians. Imagine what our churches would be like if when we were moved, we did more than be moved. What if we did something about it? What if we changed, what if we sought God on what to do and did it? What would our relationship with God and others look like if we were more than moved and got off of our butts and did something about it? How much more could we accomplish as Christians if we were more than moved? How much more could I do for God if I did more than just be stirred or moved?

 I want to be more than moved and stirred. I want to do something about it, change what needs changed, reach out to those who need encouragement and help, and whatever else I am stirred and moved to do. I don't want to be a lazy, apathetic, or shallow Christian. I want to be more than moved.

More Than Moved by Michael Boggs

I felt your Spirit moving, calling out to me
To shine the light of Jesus for a broken world to see
The cross that I've been carrying often feels too light
'Cause the ones You call the least of these are the ones I've left behind
Oh Lord I could sing to you, lift up my voice to You
But worship's more than sweet melodies

I want to be more than moved
More than inspired
More than a notion, I need the motion
To follow after you, to run in pursuit
Give me the passion, urge to to action
I want to be more than moved by You

I want to make a mark for you, I want to take a risk
'Cause the years are washing over me and all I have to give
Are hands that offer hope and love
And a heart that longs to rise above
To lead the scarred and weary ones to life
Lord I could sing to you, lift up my voice to You
But worship's more than sweet melodies

I want to be more than moved
More than inspired
More than a notion, I need the motion
To follow after you, to run in pursuit
Give me the passion, urge to to action
I want to be more than moved by You

'Cause one day I'll stand before Your throne
And this will be my only hope to know that I brought glory to Your name
The rich and poor will stand as one
The faithful hear “my child, well done”
So let me live a life that brings You praise 
Hear me now when I say

I want to be more than moved
More than inspired
More than a notion, I need the motion
To follow after you, to run in pursuit
Give me the passion, urge to to action
I want to be more than moved by You

Praying for the hurting

I didn't see her when she first walked into the hospital. I glanced over just in time to see her more or less collapse onto the steps of the staircase in the main lobby. I walked over and asked her if she needed a wheelchair. Between sobs, she replied that she probably would. I grabbed one and helped her into it as she cried and thanked me. Having no idea what was up, I quickly grabbed a box of tissues and offered her a couple of them. She again thanked me, then said something that sent a stab of sympathy through me "our son just lost his baby", and she started crying harder.

  I rested my hand on her shoulder and told her I was sorry. Her husband walked in from parking the car, and I asked them if they were heading for labor and delivery. They weren't sure where they had to go,  so I got the mother's name and had the lady at the front desk to look her up. I got the room number, and was about to tell them how to get there; but I felt I should just walk them down. It is a long walk, and an elevator ride from the first floor down to the basement floor..... a far walk for grief stricken grandparents to find their way. So I told them I'd take them down.

  It was a silent walk as we proceeded  most of the way down the 1100 foot hallway to the last set of elevators. The only sound was the woman's soft crying. We rode the elevator down, and I guided them through the two sets of doors to the labor and delivery desk. I stepped over and softly told the ladies at the desk that they were family of the baby that had just died. I turned to go, and the man grabbed my hand and thanked me. I told him he was welcome, and then the woman grabbed my hand and thanked me. I put my other hand on her shoulder and asked, "Is it okay if I keep your family in my prayers?" They nodded and thanked me, and I patted the lady on the shoulder and headed back to the elevator. As I got on, I found tears coming to my eyes. How sad to have something like that happen.

 Later, the man walked through the main lobby and shook my hand and thanked me again. I asked if it was their first grandchild, which it was not. However, it was their son's first child. I don't know what happened, or how far along the mother was.... or even if the father and mother are married; but I knew this was a hurting family.

 I have been praying for God to use me. I don't know if going out of my way today and offering sympathy and prayers will make a difference for that family. I hope it offered them a small sense of comfort. I may never see them again, but I have done as I promised. I have prayed a few times today for the family, and will try to do so in the next few days.

 This wasn't written to toot my own horn, but to point out how we need to take these opportunities God puts in front of us to be kind and offer prayer for people. We never know what a difference it could make.

4 words

 I have said them a few times recently, and have had them said to me many times over the years. They are four simple words, but they can pack a punch and mean so much: "I'm praying for you", or as a promise "I'll pray for you."

  It isn't much fun to feel you're all alone with your battle, whether it be spiritual, physical, emotional, sexual, financial, or whatever else we have to face and deal with as we travel this earthly sod. To have someone say those four words to you can make a world of difference.



 It connects you to someone else

 It shows you that someone cares

 It gives you hope

 It helps you know you're not alone

  That doesn't begin to address what God can and will do with more people praying. There is something to be said for more than one person praying for one thing and being in agreement in prayer.

  And sometimes things are so bad, God seems so far away, that one can't pray; or if they can pray it seems their prayers are hitting the ceiling and falling back to the floor. The Gaither Vocal Band recorded a song a few years ago that says:

When you can't think, you can't even pray
Please hear me when I say
You may not have the words, but until you do
I'll pray for you.

  I fear too many of us don't take this praying for others seriously. The picture above is satire, and hopefully not many Christians have that attitude, but I am sure many do whether or not they intend to: "Sure, I'll pray for you when I have time and if I remember."

 The promise to pray should not be one made lightly. If we tell someone we will pray for them, we are making a commitment. We should pray for that person's need at least daily, or more often depending on the severity of the problem and how often the person comes to our mind.

  Imagine how we'd feel if someone promised to pray for us and we found out later that they never did. It wouldn't be a good feeling, yet how many of us carelessly promise to pray for another and never do it?

  I don't understand prayer much, or how God answers, and why He doesn't seem to answer some..... but what if our prayer is the one that would make a difference, and we never prayed for that person?

 I'm thankful for those who pray and have prayed for me. As I have been working on my prayer life, I have been striving to pray for those who I have promised to pray for, and to tell people occasionally that I am praying for them whether or not I promised to.

Praying for a car

  One year ago this month, I decided it was time to start looking for another car. My Sunfire had been a good car, but after hitting 4 deer with no insurance to cover deer, and with the muffler falling off; it was on its last leg.... or tires.

  I don't know that I had ever prayed about a car before, but I started praying that I'd find the right one. I began looking on craigslist, and one of the first vehicles I found in my price range seemed promising: a 2004 Chevrolet Malibu for $4500.00, 68,000 miles, and it looked in great condition. It was at a very small used car dealership. I called and got more information about the car, and felt more confident that this was the car for me. I made arrangements to go look at it after work.

 As I drove to the dealership, I prayed a prayer that if it was the car for me; the man would take $4000.00 for it. I got there, checked the car over, and test drove it.... it was as good as the pictures had indicated. We got back to the dealership and chatted about the car. I expressed interest. During the conversation, the man remarked about how low their prices were and they tried to price them low. I thought "there's no way he'll take less", but finally at one point I asked him. He said to let him do some figures. After doing some things on paper and the computer, he agreed. He even offered to give me a very small amount for my wreck I was driving, which I feared I couldn't get rid of.

  When all was said and done and taxes and fees added, the final amount was $4200.00. I planned on putting $1500 from my savings account on it, and borrowing the rest....... then my parents surprised me. They offered to loan me the rest of the money - $2700.00, and I could pay them $200.00 a month. There were a few months I paid more, so this past week I paid them the final $100.00.

  I've had the car a year now, and it has been a great vehicle........ one I am sure that God helped me find.

  Prayer has been on my mind a lot lately since watching the War Room movie. I am more and more convinced that it is something I have not been using enough in decisions like car buying and other things that I assume I know what I am doing and don't need to bother God about. This is one time when I did pray, and the results have been good.

Unanswered prayers, guest post by Anthony Martin

 I had originally asked for volunteers to blog about what the church needs. My friend Anthony volunteered, then asked if he could blog about unanswered prayers instead. Since prayer has been on my heart and mind a lot lately, I was more than OK with it. Thanks Antony for helping me out, Mark

From Anthony:

For a while I've felt the Holy Spirit asking me to share on how to continue trusting the Father when our prayers are unanswered. Recently my friend Mark asked if someone would be willing to contribute by writing an article for his blog. I saw this as a great opportunity to share what the Holy Spirit has been laying on my heart! Thank you Mark for allowing me to share my thoughts on your blog!

     We all have unanswered prayers. Many people have been praying for weeks, months, and even years on certain things that have not been answered in the way they desire. For me it's been same-sex attraction. I am a born again believer who loves Christ, but I'm still tempted to lust after the same gender. I became a born again believer when I was 15 and I am now almost 19. I have prayed more times than I can count that God would deliver me completely from homosexual temptations. To this very day I've not seen this prayer answered. Many other believers can relate to this dilemma of having unanswered prayers. It can frustrate and discourage a follower of Christ. So how can we continue to trust God when we are confronted with the reality that we have unanswered prayers?

   The answer is embracing the truth of God's Word and His Promises rather than depending on our feelings and emotions. Feelings and emotions change, but God's Promises are eternal! Jeremiah 29:11 tells us that God's plan for us is to prosper and to have a future and hope! Even when our prayers are going unanswered and it seems God isn't there, we can embrace this verse and realize His plan for us is a future and hope, not disaster! Another truth of Scripture is Romans 8:28 which states, "And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to His purpose for them." I find this so encouraging that even though I have prayers that are not getting answered, I can trust that He is working everything together for my good because I am His child and He loves me! Romans 8:37 states that overwhelming victory is ours through Christ because He loves us! We need to latch onto this promise when we are discouraged and frustrated that our prayers are not getting answered. His Truth has the power to break into any hopeless situation! Ephesians 3:20 says that God in His power can accomplish infinitely more than we can ask or think! So we need to continue trusting Him and believing in faith that He will answer our prayers that are according to His plan! And even if we never see certain prayers answered, we need not lose hope and be discouraged! If He gave up His own Son for us, how much more is He willing to give us as His children!

   My prayer is that no matter how many unanswered prayers you have, you would not give up on the One who loves you so much! He has the power to change anyone and anything for His Glory! And I am confident that He who began a good work in you will be faithful to complete it!


For His Glory,

Anthony Martin

Pray first

 

I'm a slow learner. I fret and worry about things that usually don't have the outcome I fear. I was reminded of this by an incident that happened at work on Wednesday of this week.

  In the afternoons, I am stationed in the main lobby of the hospital to help with wheelchairs, escort people in wheelchairs, and whatever else is needed of me. I had just come around the corner from the bathroom to stand by the main desk. I looked over toward the doors where there is a semi-circle of sofa-like seats facing some chairs and piano. There were 4-5 people gathered around a lady sitting on one of the seats trying to get her into a wheelchair. I started over, saw they had plenty of help, and stepped back to the desk. A few minutes later, some of the people exited the building, and one of the ladies pushed the wheelchair with the woman in it past the desk. As they passed, I smiled at them and the lady in the chair said "Thank-you". Surprised, I said a quick "you're welcome", and forgot about it.

  Around 2:30, the ladies came back from wherever they were at and stopped at the desk. The woman pushing the chair asked my name. Wondering why she wanted it, I told her. She then started towards the door. I asked "What did you want my name for ma'am?" She replied "So I can report you!" Me:
"Uh, what for?" Her:"Because my sister fell and you just stood there and didn't help." I replied that I didn't see her sister fall, and she insisted that I did.  Shocked, I decided to head this off at the pass, and called my supervisor to come over. By this time, the ladies were outside the door getting the woman in the wheelchair into the car. I stepped out and told the angry lady that my boss was coming over for her to talk to. She told me to leave her alone and to "go to hell, my sister is dying and I don't need you bothering me". I raised my hands and said "ma'am, I didn't do anything". She shot back with "That's the problem!"

  By this time, John had come over; so I left them to talk. She claimed that her sister fell, and I watched it happen and laughed. The lady at the front desk verified that I wasn't out there when the lady fell. My boss said the lady kept changing her story, and to not worry about it.

But I did. I fretted about it the whole way home. I called my best friend and vented to him. I was upset, furious, worried, and feeling like a powder keg.

  I went to work yesterday, to find out that the lady did indeed call in to report me. My top boss, Mark; told me not to worry about it. She said it happened in the parking lot and I and another guard stood there and laughed; yet they found the incident on the security cameras and it happened in the lobby by those seats. No guard was around. Again, she kept changing her story.

  Today is two days since the incident, and one day since my other boss updated me and told me not to worry. Just as my immediate supervisor had told me the day before not to worry. Just as Jesus said not to worry.

  I could have saved myself a lot of worrying and fretting if I had prayed about it and left it in God's hands. I knew I was innocent. I knew the lady was angry because her sister was dying so she was taking it out on me. But I bypassed prayer and worried, got upset, probably got my blood pressure up, was cranky, short-tempered, depressed, felt like quitting my job, and more. (Yes, I was that upset).

  I had another frustrating incident happen this morning. I left for work, earlier than I need to as usual - I was raised to be early, plus I like to get a good parking place. After I was on my way, I realized I had forgotten my lunch bag at home. The lunch wasn't the problem. I keep my work tie and my name badge in the outside flap. I had 2 problems: My bosses wouldn't be happy if I didn't have my tie. And I use my badge a lot during the day to let people into the Emergency patient rooms..... it would be a huge inconvenience on me and others without it. I had gone far enough that it was a bother to turn around, yet not so far that I would be late for work if I went back home to get my lunch bag. I sighed, said a quick prayer, turned up my Amy Grant hymns CD, and headed back home.

  It was snowing. That kind of snow that if you have your high beams on, you get dizzy and nauseous. Since I hit 4 deer with my previous car, I like my high beams on to see out ahead further..... but then I did pray (as I pray every morning now) that I wouldn't hit any deer, so I drove on my way with low beams, praying more.

  Normally, I'd have been frustrated, angry, calling myself an idiot, etc..... but I decided not to fret and enjoy the music.

  I got home, grabbed my lunch bag and one of my favorite Praise and Worship CDs, jumped in the car and put the CD on and left for work. Again.

  I hate running late... or almost late, but I immersed myself in the music, prayed some. and kept calm on my way to work. I clocked in right at 7, something I never do, and had a busy, but great day. Had I let myself get frustrated and upset, it would have affected my whole day... but I'd like to think I learned a lesson with the incident earlier in the week.

  Am I the only person who instead of going to God right away and leaving it in His hands, worries and works myself up? We have such an awesome tool at our disposal, but some of us forget to use it. We can have an immediate audience with the King of Kings, but we worry and blow the problem out of proportion. He is there to listen and help us through big or small problems.

  Two days, two frustrating incidents, two different reactions from me, and two different outcomes. I hope I learned my lesson.....

What if His people prayed?

 This blog post is a continuation of something I posted on Facebook this morning. Ever since I watched the movie The War Room, prayer has really been on my mind. And I feel God convicting me of not using it in a very important area: politics. More specifically, who I vote for.

  There is a lot of rhetoric and debating going on. I myself have been very vocal (perhaps too vocal) about one candidate who I strongly believe is bad for our country, and I have watched in disbelief as Christians defend him and support him in spite of what he has stood for and still stands for. There is no way to describe my incredulity without sounding rude, so we will just leave it at that.

  I have a candidate who I am most likely to vote for, there are a few I wouldn't have a problem voting for, and some that are "no way Jose'" candidates.

But who does God want me to vote for? I haven't prayed about that. I have prayed that God would put the right man in. I have prayed that God would help get the person I think is best in there. But I haven't prayed for God's direction on who to vote for.

  And it is kind of crazy if you think about it..... to pray for the right person to get in that office, yet not consult God's direction. It is similar to going down to the car lot and buying the car you like best,  and then pray that God helps you buy the right car. Or.... asking that special someone to marry you, and then asking God to help you get the right spouse. In either situation, you have made up your mind.


  This voting thing is similar to that. How can God put the right person in as president if His children don't bother consulting Him on who to vote for? How can He have anything to do with our election, if we make up our minds using everything but Him and His Word to make our decision?

  I'm guilty. I admit it. I will most likely vote for Ted Cruz in the primary.

  But what if God wants Carly Fiorna in as president? What if He wants Ben Carson, Marco Rubio.... Donald Trump (surely not!).... what if He wants me to not even vote...unlikely, but what if? What if God wants me to vote for Rand Paul, Bush, Chris Christie?

  What if God wants me to vote for Hillary Clinton? OK, I'd pull a Gideon and ask for a fleece or two on that one..... but seriously.... what if God's plan is for her to be president? Yes, it would hurt our freedoms. Yes, she would further ruin this country. Her daughter said that her mom would write executive orders to help gay people... which means what she does wouldn't be good for religious freedoms.... but what if that is all part of God's plan?

  American Christians are shallow. We worry more about current movies, musicians,  our favorite politician, who Blake Shelton is dating, who won an Oscar, who is going to be in the Super Bowl, how church makes us feel, and more. We are self-centered and have made God a part of our lives, and not made Him our life. We think we know what is best for us in regards to marriage, a job, how many kids we have, when to retire, how to spend our money, what house to buy..... and who should be president.

  Granted, my one vote isn't going to make a difference..... but what if every person who serves God sought His direction and followed it? What if we ignored who wins or doesn't win the debates, who endorses or doesn't endorse a candidate, ignore what Sean Hannity, the Dixie Chicks, Jerry Falwell jr, James Dobson and everyone else.... and instead went to God?

  But Trump is a business man! We need a business man to turn this country around! Cruz has stood up to the establishment and has a great record! Rubio acts and looks presidential and other than immigration, seems solid! We need a woman president, we must elect Hillary or Carly!

  But who does God want?

  Revival breaks out most often when things are bad. Christianity flourishes best when Christians are persecuted, not when everything is going just peachy. Hillary Clinton will most likely put policies in place to further anti-Christian agendas. She and Donald Trump will most likely put liberal judges on the Supreme Court - not just bashing him, but he has a very liberal pro-choice sister who is a judge - the chances are great. The Supreme Court is even more important than the presidency, but are affected by who is president. If we get a liberal majority on the bench, they could shred our freedoms and rights way beyond people getting sued for not doing something for a gay wedding.

  But what if that is God's plan to wake us up, to truly bring America back to God and shake us out of the shallow Christian lives we live?

  And no, I am not a defeatist or someone who wants things to get worse so Jesus comes back sooner.

  But the more I examine my attitudes, read news stories, see what candidate people are pushing, endorsing, and supporting.... it makes me realize how arrogant we are to think we know who is best for president. I seriously doubt I am the only Christian making up my mind about candidates based on what they say or do, their past, or what others say about them. Who says I am right? Who says you are right?

  The biblical account of Israel fascinates me. They went for years with no king, and finally God gave them one to shut them up (basically). They thought that would make them happy and that was what they needed. And so began the cycle. They would have a bad king who would lead them away from God and into idol worship, even sometimes sacrificing their own children. A new king would reign and lead them back to God, only to have another king go back to idol worship. Over and over again, the cycle repeated.

  We are in a similar place. The USA has had some decent presidents. We have had some who at least tried to serve God and serve as a godly leader, and we have had some who claimed to serve God yet fought against anything good and right and tried to further causes God calls sin. The Obama administration has tried to further the cause of killing babies, and has done much to further gay "rights". They are responsible for many Christians facing a level of persecution not equal to what Christians in other countries face, but still persecution.

  So here we stand on the verge of electing another president. And like Israel, many Americans are looking for a messiah. A lot of Christians want a godly president who will help turn our country back to God. Other Christians want someone who is a good businessman and they say we don't need a pastor as president, but a money person.

  The list of things people are concerned about and are looking for in in a president are endless:
Immigration

Gay rights

Abortion

Healthcare

The economy

Religious freedoms

  And many more

  But what is truly important? What is important to God? I would imagine abortion would be important, to stop the murder of innocent babies. We all think we know what is most important and assume what is most important to Him.

  I truly am concerned about the direction of our country, about who we will elect, who could be on the Supreme Court, and how this could all affect our freedoms and rights.

  So I have totally let God out of the picture. And most of us have. I am not judging when I say the majority of voting Christians have picked their candidate on everything but God's direction. I have, but am going to start praying about it. No one endorsing and supporting Donald Trump has said "I have prayed and feel God wants me to vote for Trump." No one has said they are voting for Ted Cruz because God impressed them to do so. No one has stepped forward and said they had prayed through on voting for Hillary.

It all comes down to me. I think candidate A will be best. I am concerned about my freedoms and rights. I am concerned how a president will affect my finances. I like this about that candidate and dislike that about that candidate. Could it be we have made even voting a selfish act? Of course we should be concerned about our country and what kind of country our kids will have, but what if God has a plan to bring this country back to Him, what if revival will only come under a candidate we are not planning on voting for?

  What if you and I are not supporting God's choice?

  I'll admit I have ideas of all Christians voting for the best candidate to protect our freedoms and who is godly... but that is putting my hope in a man. And I admit if God asked me to vote for a pro-abortion candidate, I'd definitely be making sure it was God. Regardless of who becomes president, it is time we Christians started praying and seeking God's will and direction in this coming election. He might want you to vote for the candidate you want.... and maybe not.

  I do believe we are so far from God as a country, that only God can bring us back... no man or woman in the presidency, though they could influence and help that move toward God.

  Case in point: At a town hall meeting Marco Rubio held recently, an atheist stood up and asked Rubio a question that he answered masterfully and showed he has true depth and a relationship with God. On the other hand, you have Donald Trump saying he doesn't need God's forgiveness because he has never done anything wrong. As a Christian, I am drawn more to Rubio because of his reply; even though he isn't my first choice..... and am alarmed at what Trump said.

But only God knows who should be president. If Christians all ignored what was said in debates, who won or didn't, tuned out people trying to influence us for or against; and sought God's direction. Extreme? Maybe, but it is a heavy thought. As I said, if we are praying for the right person to be president but make up our minds ahead of time all on our own....we may as well not pray about the election at all.

  We don't pray enough. We don't pray about enough things nor seek God's direction on enough. Does He care what color of shirt I wear to town? No. Does He care what kind of pillow I have? No. But I do believe He cares about who I vote for, and a lot of other things in life we assume we know best.

Perhaps one way to stop being shallow and self-centered Christians is to seek God's will and direction for more things in our life and stop assuming that we know best. Voting would be a great start.

  Now in closing, I really don't think God would ever ask us to vote for a godless politician, one who supports abortion, or other sins......but  it is possible that He would direct us to vote for someone different than we are planning on by our own decision making.

 Who will be the GOP candidate for 2016? No one knows, except God. Predictions are made, people seem to have a psychic ability to say who can and cannot beat Hillary.... if she is even the Democratic candidate.

   I have always tried to vote for the candidate who comes as close to Biblical values as possible...... and the last couple of elections, that wasn't very close. This election, there are a few good choices who do more closely come to Biblical values.... but I truly want God's direction on who to vote for..... if I vote.

  It is time we Christians sought God's will on more things in life. Politics is one of those areas.