My love-hate relationship with Pinterest

Pinterest.  It's either the coolest idea-spreader/resource known to man or the most intense grief-inducer known to woman.

I love it.  Recipes, home décor ideas, gift suggestions - all at the tip of my fingers. 

And I hate it.  Before Pinterest, I probably knew there was a better way to fold fitted sheets but I didn't know anyone cared.  I was just supremely proud that I had eventually washed them.  Impressive folding?  Not on your life.

And when I get a notice that someone is "following" me on Pinterest, I don't know if I should be happy or embarrassed.  If anyone is looking for a source of great inspiration,I can assure you that I will sadly disappoint.  I don't even know how to use it properly.  I think I fit appropriately in the "Don't" column of Glamour magazine when it comes to Pinterest-savvy.  And probably a few other categories as well....

All I can say is that I am eternally grateful that Pinterest didn't exist when my children were tiny.  Oh, the pressure of a beautifully decorated (and clean, mind you!) home, a delicious - and healthy - dinner on the table every night, and daily DIY crafts to enhance the development of each child at each stage.  Sigh.  Not to mention the themed birthday parties!  oh my!!!  I thought it was a success that each child had a birthday each year --- that meant I hadn't killed anybody.  Now I realize what all they missed out on.

Oh well.  I take comfort in the fact that my parenting (or lack thereof...) will make some counselors really rich one day.  My kids are all gonna need them when they grow up and figure out how I cheated their childhood.


Before we say "amen"....

We've looked at the prayer Jesus gave us as our model and unpacked the topics to cover in our communication with the Father. Worship, allegiance to God's Kingdom, submission to His perfect will, petition for what we need (on a daily basis!), confession/forgiveness, supplication for help in trials.  Great stuff.  I hope it's helped our prayer lives, remembering that prayer is not to inform God of what we need (He already knows - see Matthew 6:32) but rather to strengthen our relationship with our Heavenly Father, increasing our intimacy with Him so that we are transformed into the image of His Son.

Looking at James 5:16b, The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working, I find myself wanting to address a few more things.  The familiar King James translation of this verse says "The fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much".  We want to "avail much" through our prayer life - what are some other things we need to know?

Scripture tells us at least 4 things, I think, that reveal what it means to be fervent and righteous:
1.  Right reason - James 4:2,3 You do not have because you do not ask; 3 you ask and do not receive because you ask wrongly, so you can spend it on your passions.  Pretty straightforward.  No need for me to expound.

 2.  Right request - John 14:14  If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it  and I John 5:14  This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us.  A righteous person will ask God for things that are consistent with His Word, i.e., according to His Will.  That's why they get answers...."availeth much".

3.  Right relationships - with God (as in sins confessed - John 9:31 We know that God does not listen to sinners, but if anyone is a worshiper of God and does his will, God listens to him and Psalm 66:18 If I had cherished iniquity in my heart, the Lord would not have listened) and with others (Matthew 6:14,15 For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, 15 but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses  and Matthew 5:23,24  So if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you,  leave your gift there before the altar and go. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.) 

4.  Right requirement - "fervent prayer" is one of faith and persistence.  James 1:6-8 tells us the key ingredient is faith - But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind.  For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.  And we are told of the importance of persistence in Matthew 7:7-11, lest we think a casual thought tossed heavenward would yield great fruit.

Prayer.  God's chosen method of getting His will done on Earth...conforming His saints to the image of His Son.  Amen.

Pray on, Sisters, pray on!

Come boldly????

Today's thought on prayer is brief.  But significant.  Sometimes we act as though we are bothering God and we practically apologize for coming to Him.  We approach prayer as though we need to beg Him to grant our request. 

That's baloney and I want to help you change that stinkin' thinkin'.  God is the one that thought up the whole idea of prayer anyway!  It's His chosen means of communicating with us, of forging an intimate bond, of sharing His goodness, and of letting us participate in what He's doing. 

His plans for you and me are good, better than we could dream up ourselves.  And He possesses all power and controls all things so He can engineer anything He wants in order to accomplish His plan.

Do you need to make a decision?  Ask Him for wisdom.  Do you have a strained relationship?  Ask Him to show you how to repair it.  Is someone you love living dangerously?  Ask Him to show Himself strong on their behalf.   

Don't be deceived.  Come to Him, knowing the truth.

Matthew 7:11
If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!

Hebrews 4:16
 Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
 
PRAY!!!


     

     
     

    Comments

    Two different people have asked me about how to post comments.  So I thought I'd answer via post in case other folks had the same question.  You can post on my Facebook page or directly on the blog.  If you get the posts through email and try to reply to that, they do not make it to me or to the blog.  I suppose they are wandering around in cyber-space!!!

    Thanks for taking the time to respond - I love hearing from you!  And if you have responded to the blog email and I never replied, now you know why!!

    Blessings,
    Suzanne

    Closing prayer

    The final topic that Jesus instructed us in prayer says And do not lead us into temptation but deliver us from evil.  That sounds confusing, doesn't it?  Because elsewhere in Scripture, we are told that God doesn't tempt anyone (James 1:13).  Not just confusing, that sounds contradictory!!  Is it?

    No, because Scripture doesn't contradict itself. Remember, the best commentary on Scripture is Scripture.   So let's unpack it in order to understand what we are to pray. 

    A helpful amplification of the verse in translation might be something like this - "Lord, I am prone to sin and I know it.  But I don't want to!  So please don't answer any of my prayers in a way that would result in increased temptation to sin.  And, if you see fit to bring trials or temptations my way, I ask you for the grace that I need not to sin in them."

    This phrase is an acknowledgement of our fallibility, our tendency to sin when temptations and trials come, and of Satan's desire to "sift us like wheat" (Luke 22:31)  It's like an admission of our need to pray so that we don't fall, such as Jesus exhorting the disciples in the hours before His death to watch and pray. (Matthew 26:41)  What an appropriate reminder to end our prayer time -- our need to depend on Him continuously and our inability to live life victoriously in our own strength.

    The final phrase  For Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory, forever Amen  is like an exclamation point of worship on our prayers.  Let's end there today -- Hallelujah to His Name!