Christian Reflection and Prayer

Scripture:

Psalm 15
A Psalm of David.
1 LORD, who may abide in Your tabernacle?
Who may dwell in Your holy hill?

2 He who walks uprightly,
And works righteousness,
And speaks the truth in his heart;
3 He who does not backbite with his tongue,
Nor does evil to his neighbor,
Nor does he take up a reproach against his friend;
4 In whose eyes a vile person is despised,
But he honors those who fear the LORD;
He who swears to his own hurt and does not change;
5 He who does not put out his money at usury,
Nor does he take a bribe against the innocent.

He who does these things shall never be moved.

Reflection:

I often have heard many a Christian say the following
statement, "Always walk close to God".  That's really
basically what David is asking here."What kind of person
dwells close to God?" It seems to me that is a pretty
important question to ask.  What kind of person is close
to God?
Well we are to be the kind of people who walk uprightly and
and do the right thing.  Even through "doing the right thing" may
not be PC anymore. We are to speak the truth that comes from
our hearts. We are to refuse to backbite or gossip,
"Wow when's the last time I did that".  As a matter of fact we
are not to do any evil to our neighbor.  We are not to speak
badly or reproach a friend.  We are to honor and
respect those who love the lord, and we are to keep their
promises even when it hurts.
And we are to be the type of people who lend money
without charging interest, in other words we don't have to
be out to make a buck. And we cannot be bribed to lie
about the innocent.
That's the kind of person who walks close to God!  A good
and kind person who cares deeply about the people around
them, Who loves the truth and does all they can to help others.
DOES THAT SOUND FAMILIAR TO YOU?
Remember:  The closer we get to God, the more like Him
we will become.  — David H. Roper

Prayer:

Just a closer walk with Thee,
Grant it, Jesus, is my plea,
Daily walking close to Thee,
Let it be, dear Lord, let it be.

AMEN

DON'T TAKE LIFE SO SERIOUSLY!
DANCE
KISS A LOT
RELAX IN NATURE
HAVE FUN
AND BE HAPPY!!!!!

I want you to remember:

Every sixty seconds you spend angry,
upset or mad, is a full minute of happiness
you'll never get back.
Life is short, Break the rules, Forgive
quickly, Kiss slowly, Love truly, Laugh
uncontrollably, And NEVER,
NEVER REGRET ANYTHING THAT
MADE YOU SMILE.
REMEMBER GOD LOVES YOU!!!!!!

Whitney Hopler

There are many ways to pray -
many paths of communication that
can lead you closer to God.

Here are some different paths you
can take to prayer:

"Paying attention":  When you meditate
on Bible passages, you can listen to the
themes of your own life as you notice the
connections.  Ask yourself: "How is God's
Word intersecting in my life?", "Am I
meditating on a portion of God's Word that
is actually coming to life right now?", and
"How is Jesus leading me to follow Him
through these circumstances?".  As you
pay closer attention to God's work in your
life, you'll start to notice it at all times and
in all situations.

"Feeling God's heartbeat":  When you're
feeling sad or lonely, imagine yourself hugging
God so closely that you can feel His heartbeat. 
Rest in His presence, enjoying His company
without any agenda to pursue with Him. 
Contemplate the powerful reality that His Spirit
lives in you.  Thank God for His great love for you. 
Set aside time in your busy schedule to spend
with God in silence regularly.  You'll receive more
peace from Him that will carry over into all of
your activities.

"Love":   When you pursue intercessory prayer,
you become immersed in God's ongoing community
of love.  Praying for others and allowing them to pray
for you invites God to pour His love into all of your
lives, drawing you all closer to Him in the process.

(final entry for Paths to Prayer)

Adapted from The Folly of Prayer: Practicing the
Presence and Absence of God, copyright 2009 by
Matt Woodley. Published by IVP Books, a division
of InterVarsity Press, Downers Grove, Ill.,
www.ivpress.com.
Matt Woodley is the senior pastor of Three Village
Church, Long Island, New York. He is the coauthor,
with his wife Julie and H. Norman Wright, of Surviving
the Storms of Life and the author of Holy Fools. He
has also written a number of articles published in
Discipleship Journal and Leadership Journal as well
as The Mars Hill Review.

Original publication date: February 3, 2010

(And remember to keep God in your life and talk
to Him often, HE IS THERE FOR YOU)