Christian Reflection and Prayer

From "God's Daily Promises"

Scripture:

Jesus said…"I came to bring truth to
the world. All who love the truth recognize
that what I say is true."
John 18:37 NLT

A wife prays for her husband's salvation

After a rather gentle talk [one evening]
about Christianity, [my wife Davy] went
to bed, leaving me lying upon the sofa
in front of the fire reading.…A half hour
passed. I let the book fall and switched
off the lamp. Gazing upon the glowing
coals, I wondered with a strange mixture
of hope and fear whether Christ might be
in very truth my God. Suddenly I became
aware that Davy was praying beside me—
she had stolen into the room in her
nightgown and knelt down by the sofa.
I looked at the quiet figure for a few
moments. I have never seen her pray.
Then she spoke.

"When I was in bed," she said very softly,
"it seemed to me that God was telling me
to come to you. I have prayed to God to
fulfill your soul."

She paused a moment, and then she
whispered: "Oh, my dearest—please believe!"

Moved almost to tears, I whispered back—
a broken whisper, she wrote in the Journal
[the book we both kept of our searching for
God and truth]—I whispered, "Oh, I do believe.
" I was shaken by the affirmation that swept
over me.
"Hold to this moment," she murmured.
"Hold to it when doubts come. This is the
truth—I know it it."
Sheldon Vanauken in A Severe Mercy

Adapted from The Prayer Bible Jean E.
Syswerda, general editor, Tyndale House
Publishers (2003), p 1657.

HAS YOUR SPOUSE EVER SEEN YOU PRAY?
HAVE YOU EVER PRAYED TOGETHER?
PLEASE DO SO AND HOLD ON TO THE MOMENT

Read your Bible every day. Don't cuss.
Attend worship services at church at
least once each week. Don't drink alcohol.
Volunteer for lots of service projects. Don't
watch certain movies, etc., etc., etc....
The demands and pressures of trying to
keep up with religious rules will only frustrate
and burn you out - no matter how hard you
try. The good news is that God doesn't require
you to follow any rules; he invites you to pursue
a relationship with Him. In the process, he'll
empower you to live a faithful life that leads to
real freedom.

Scripture:

"We are surrounded by so great a
cloud of witnesses. (Hebrews 12:1)

Reflection:

Along the old Oregon Trail in Idaho there is a marker—
a giant lava boulder known locally as Register Rock.
It’s located in an area which was one of the favorite
overnight camping areas for westbound immigrants
who traveled the trail in the 19th century.
Travelers often inscribed their names on the rock as
a memorial to their passage. Register Rock stands
as a monument to their courage and tenacity.

When I think of Register Rock, I think of other people
who have passed by me on their journey.
Hebrews 11 lists some of those hardy souls—
Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, and
Samuel, to name a few.

But there is one recent person, whose name is not
inscribed on register rock but is written in my heart
and my memory.  "Lillie Marie Olson", my mother
who went to her father May 21, 2009. 

My mother was a Christian.  She spent her life speaking
and doing the Word of God. Because of her Christian
example I have always considered the outcome of my
conduct throughout my life.  My mother was and is my
Life.  Her presence is always within me.  Most importantly,
my mother brought me to my faith in Christ and encouraged
me to follow that faith.
My mother's name may not be inscribed on Register Rock,
but it is written in the heavenly book of the living God, and
her name is written in my heart, forever inscribed, forever
loved.

THANK YOU MOTHER YOU ARE WITH ME ALWAYS

Prayer:

Oh Lord thank You for my mother.
Thank You for the path of leadership she
walked. 
Thank You for her beautiful always fixed
eyes on you.
Thank You for her steadfast spirit that
pointed Your way to me. 
Thank You because of my mother I
follow You day by day.
In Jesus Holy Name,  AMEN

Remember:

People who follow Christ lead others in the right direction.