Jesus tells us how to pray in Matthew 6. One of the lessons, in Matthew 6:7-8, he says, “And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.”

Many of us have something we have been praying for over and over for a long time, possibly years. As Jesus says, God knows what we need before we even ask, so rather than just asking over and over, why not pray for the wisdom and understanding to know why God has yet to answer our prayer. Maybe he is trying to teach us something; patience, trust, or maybe He is encouraging us to take a step of faith toward what we are praying.

I believe God hears and answers every one of our prayers in the way that is best for us based on his plan, though often we cannot see how.

Dear Lord, You know what we need and what we desire. Thank you for hearing and answering our prayers. Help us have the wisdom to learn the message you are giving us while we wait for your answers. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

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You probably know some people who always have a critique or fault to find with everyone, and everything. How we react to people like this is one of the challenges of life.

There isn’t much we can do to change people’s criticism, so we should just work on handling it well.

Proverbs 17:12 says, “A rebuke impresses a discerning person more than a hundred lashes a fool.”

As difficult as it may be to listen to criticism (rebuke) we can work on trying to learn and improve from the critic’s input. I am always incredibly impressed by people who can take criticism, whether it is fair or not, and not be defensive, but acknowledge the critique, and use it to make themselves better.

We know that God routinely disciplines and refines us, and sometimes this may come through critiques from other people. It would be great if we could work on overcoming our defensiveness, and find the lesson in the critique.

Dear Lord, it is always difficult to be criticized or rebuked, but this may be one way you are working on us to make us better. Help us have the confidence in your support, to avoid our defensive reaction and be the discerning person who learns from our critics. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

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You may have read this text before, “Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.” 1 John 4:7,8

I find mystery in this text. We probably all know people who do not profess to believe in God, but who are loving people, and take action to share their love and compassion for others. So based on John’s text, God is working through them.

I have also recently been reading and hearing comments from leadership experts and business thinkers who are not coming from a religious perspective, but are expressing the importance of love in leading people and sustaining business.

Maybe God is using this to provide fertile ground for us to plant the ultimate story of love, Jesus Christ. Something to think about.

Dear Lord, Help us be part of your love in our world. Help us look for opportunities to show others, who love but may not be Christian, the message of Jesus’ love and salvation. In his name we pray. Amen.

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In John chapter 21, Jesus appears to several of the disciples including Peter. It is the third time the Bible records Jesus appearing to them after the resurrection. This appearance was several weeks after the resurrection and unlike the other appearances, was not near Jerusalem.

In verses 15-19, Jesus asks Peter three separate times, “do you love me.” When Peter says that he does, Jesus says first, “Feed my Lambs,” then “tend my sheep”, then “feed my sheep.”

I have read this text many times, and overlooked a message that seems significant and very clear now.

When Jesus appeared to the disciples this time, they were fishing. Essentially, they had spent the last three years following Jesus, listening and learning and coming to believe he was the Messiah. They saw him crucified, and then saw him alive after being resurrected. After all that, what did Peter do?

He went back to work as a fisherman.

What I think Jesus is telling him in this story, is, “You cannot go back to being a fisherman, you have the message of Salvation. Go and share it with everyone.”

The story also describes how after fishing all night long and catching nothing, Jesus tells them to put the net on the other side of the boat, and they immediately catch many fish; showing that he will provide what they need.

Dear Lord, We can all learn from this story that the important thing in our lives is you. We need to share your love and feed your sheep. You will provide for us when we keep your priorities our priorities. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

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One limiting belief many of us have as Christians is that because we are not living a flawless Christian life, we cannot witness and evangelize. We think we have to have all the answers, and follow all the rules before we can be acceptable witnesses to lead others to Christ.

This is obviously not the case, and Paul makes it clear in Philippians 3:12-14 “I don’t mean to say that I have already achieved these things or that I have already reached perfection. But I press on to possess that perfection for which Christ Jesus first possessed me. No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us.”

It is not our “goodness” that saves people, but it is our witness that can open the door for the Holy Spirit to come to them. Our authentic enthusiasm for Chist is a better tool for evangelism than how good we are.

Dear Lord, help us always remember that we do not bring people to believe, we only bring them to the opportunity, and You save them. Our best witness is our joyful confidence in your guidance and protection, and our hope for eternal Salvation. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

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