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My Prayer Life is Lacking

My prayer life is lacking. I find it hard to just sit there and pray.
Sometimes it goes weeks before I pray. How can I improve my prayer life?

Matthew 6:6 “But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have
shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your
Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.” (NKJV)

It never fails! I get the dumbest looks when I am driving in the car
because it looks like that I am talking to myself, when I am actually
talking to God. Go figure huh?

This is an excellent question and I am glad that you sent this one in
because it is something that I hear all of the time in the lives of
teenagers. A lacking prayer life is something that is very easy to talk
about how to fix, but putting it into practice is one of the toughest areas
of the Christian life. Mainly, Satan would like nothing
better than to have you be lazy in your talk and intimacy with God.

I think that the first thing that we need to do when it comes to having a
prayer life is to set aside time with God everyday. When Jesus was here on
the earth, we find in all four of the Gospels that Jesus took time to pray
and spend with the Father. (Matt. 14:23)

When He did that it was a time of intimacy with the Father, and Jesus made
sure that He was alone when He had it too. He made sure that He took time
to be with the Father and “regroup” if you will, and we need to do the same
too. Take time everyday to be with the Father and work on our relationships
with Him.

Next, I think that we sometimes think that we are so worried about how we
pray, that we are not going to say what needs to be said in the proper
fashion that we just quit. Jesus gave us the proper things to pray for
(Matt. 6), but He never told us that we had to give some type of “preacher
prayer” every time that we pray. Matter of fact since God knows our hearts
anyway, He would rather us be ourselves to come to His throne room of grace.
(Matt. 6:6) When we take time to pray, we just need to be ourselves, and
talk about what is on our hearts.

Finally, remember that you can pray anywhere. Maybe you are in your room
or in a special place alone by yourself. You can grow in the Lord no matter
if you are praying in the car like I do, or if you are praying while taking
a walk. God is everywhere and we can talk to Him anywhere about anything.

In conclusion, when it comes to our prayer time, we have to remember that we
need to make the sacrifice on a daily basis in order to grow and have that
relationship with God that He so longs to have with us. I would challenge
you to look in the Scriptures and see how people prayed. When you look at
it, ask what, where, when, why and how. When you do, I know that you too
can see your prayer life change for sure. May God’s Grace Abound in You.

Trials

"Though the fig tree may not blossom, Nor fruit be on the vines; Though the labor of the olive may fail, And the fields yield no food; Though the flock may be cut off from the fold, And there be no herd in the stalls-- Yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation. The Lord God is my strength; He will make my feet like deer's feet, And He will make me walk on my high hills." Habakkuk 3:17-19

Henry Dempsey, a pilot, was flying on a commuter flight from Portland, ME to Boston when he heard an unusual noise near the rear of his small aircraft. So he turned the controls over to the co-pilot to check it out. As he arrived at the tail section, the plane hit an air pocket, and Dempsey was tossed against the rear door, which hadn't been latched properly, and was quickly sucked out of the jet. The co-pilot requested an emergency landing and after landing Dempsey was discovered holding onto the outdoor ladder of the aircraft. He had somehow caught the ladder and held on for ten minutes as the plane flew 200mph at an altitude of 4,000 feet, and at landing he had kept his head from hitting the runway, which was a mere twelve inches away. It took airport personnel several minutes to pry Dempsey's fingers from the ladder. Henry Dempsey had a terrible and unexpected day but whatever happened he made sure he held on the thing that he knew could get him safely to the ground. In the trials of our life we must hold on to the only one who can get us through safely and despite how close we may get to death Jesus is still right there with us.

We've all had so called "Mountain Top" experiences where we have truly experienced a move of God in our lives or the lives of others and we get a burden to spread the Gospel around the world. But sadly these coals in our spiritual fire are often the weakest and most easily extinguished. The simple fact is that the valleys are far more evident in our lives than these "mountain tops." So we as born-again believers must make it a priority to learn to live in the valley and to be able to take the boldness and excitement of the mountain top down to the ground with us. See God doesn't promise us life will be easy! He simply promises that "He is the one who goes before you. He will be with you, He will not leave you nor forsake you; do not fear nor be dismayed!(Deuteronomy 31: cool " See despite our utopian ideas of Christianity, it is not the easiest life in the world but God's word clearly makes it evident, that despite the trials we face Jesus is our partner and is right there with us no matter the circumstance.

Often times people are placed in terrible situations and our natural flesh response is to go into a state of paranoia and to attack our situation with a worriful spirit, but the manner of Christ is different. Despite how difficult the situation or circumstance God still through his word shows how God's servants have faithfully rejoiced in their trials despite how hard it has been. They weren't always jumping with happiness but despite the difficulty they were still able to be enveloped in joy! Job who lost everything still proclaimed, "The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; Blessed be the name of the Lord! (Job1:21b)" Despite that Job had never wanted anything in his life and was one of the most blessed people in the world he still was able to rejoice in the Lord even at the loss of absolutely everything. The title verse for today was written by Habakkuk who had just finished making a prophesy that Judah would be invaded, and as terrified as he was he still finished the book by praising God. "Yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation." How could he rejoice in such a manifold manner and at the same time know about this invasion? It's simple, he recognized that, "The Lord God is my strength." The very foundation of surviving the rocky trails of our Christian life is realizing that our only true strength is in the Lord Jesus Christ!! The very foundation of our success in surviving the God allowed storms of our life will rely wholeheartedly on whether we are just surviving the storms through our strength or we are embedding ourselves in the strength of the maker of the universe who has taken upon himself the title of our Father!!

Where are you today? Are you battling a trial with your parents? If so God says that you are to, "Honor your father and mother.(Ephesians 6:2)," but David shared this sentiment in Psalm 28:10 "When my father and mother forsake me, Then the Lord will take care of me." If you feel like you're all by yourself in the world, no matter how devastating the situation God says that He will take you up. He'll be your dad that you can talk to and abide safely with. When we pray to God it is vitally important to realize that the key to your prayer life is not some superficial reciting of memorized words! It is the exact opposite, see God is your Heavenly Father and is the best friend that you have whether you acknowledge it or not! Whatever trial you're in you can always rely on your Heavenly Father to listen closely to your cries, help you get through it, and guide you when the clouds of our storms attempt to inhibit our vision!

People often say that the trials of our lives make us stronger but that isn't quite true. The thing that makes us stronger in our trials are the choices we make! The key to coming out stronger in the long run is handling our trials in a God centered manner. Whether you are having a small problem with a friend or a devastating tragedy in your life remember that "All things work together for good to them that love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.(Romans 8:2 cool " Remember to rejoice in the Lord even in trials, stay in God's word, rely on God, and take refuge in Him no matter the circumstance!!

At the beginning of the devotion I told a little story about Henry Dempsey who went through a terrible situation but he still survived. Why did he survive? He held on and was determined to survive, he had light at the end of tunnel because he knew the plane would eventually land, and we can assume he had faith in the co-pilot to get him to the ground safely. Well Jesus is our co-pilot in life and he sits right at the control panel as we investigate parts of life, just as Dempsey went to determine the source of that mysterious noise. Not only is Jesus our co-pilot but he is our best friend and absolutely perfect! He never makes mistakes and he might just be waiting for us in the midst of our storms! Jesus will take over the controls for us and all we have to do is ask, and take refuge in Him understanding that all things do work together for good! No matter how difficult it may be we will still be able to faithfully rejoice in God by relying on his power which is holding the foundation of our lives even amidst the hurricanes that rock the buildings around us.

God doesn't promise life will be easy! He simply garuntees that He will be your partner and never leave you by yourself! Now you need to let Jesus be your co-pilot and when it gets rough just let Him take over the controls, but don't forget to thank Him for it!!

Are you attempting to navigate the storms of life on your own, or are you taking refuge in Jesus' ability to navigate you through the storm? Have you thanked Him for his help today?

Rob & Cindy Mini-Series Part 2

Part 2
"Is Cindy Pregnant?"

After composing ourselves and getting our thoughts together, I decide to call my husband at work and ask him to come home early. “Sure, Honey. What is wrong?” I told him it was serious but it wasn't a life or death situation. All the while thinking, “Or was it?” I didn't want my husband to think someone died, but I am suddenly faced with the burning question of what Rob and Cindy are going to do if she is pregnant.

For a brief second, I visualize a cute little baby who looks like my Rob. I get sort of a kick out of thinking of this baby that I would love as if it were my own heart, born from my son and his girlfriend. My own grandbaby!

Then wham! Reality hits again. He is only seventeen, making her 16, both of them still are babies themselves! Very nervously, we sit down and discuss what to say to Cindy's parents. I told them they should approach the conversation as they did here with me. She says in a panicked voice, "NO! I can't do that!" She is scared to death. So, I suggested we wait until Rob's dad gets home and the four of us will talk.

After hearing the car door close to our family sedan, I met my husband at the door. After entering the threshold to our home, I told him what happened. I see the saddest face he has ever shown as buries his face in his hands and says "Oh, Lord, no." He goes into the bedroom to change clothes before coming out to the others. I go back to the living room to report to the expecting faces of my son and his girlfriend of my husband’s reaction. “He’s sad for the booth of you, but he’ll be okay, and we are here for both of you,” I answer. As my husband emerges from our bedroom, he comes out with red, swollen eyes—he had been crying.

My husband makes a call to Cindy's parents to ask them to come over right away. He explained we all needed to talk, that it was serious, but not life or death. “Or is it?” I thought again as a heard him hang up the phone. Cindy’s parents arrived soon after that and the six of us sit down to discuss the matter at hand. I was the one to tell them what Rob and Cindy told me. Upon hearing the news, Cindy's father stands up and walks in the other room. You could tell he was taking it pretty hard. Her mother just closes her eyes. By this time, I am crying again, and so is Rob and Cindy. In the quiet of the room I can sense such heartache and fear. What to do?

First of all, we have to know for sure if she is pregnant. Cindy said she took one of those home pregnancy tests and it was positive. “Sometimes those aren’t accurate,” her mother says. We all decide she should see a doctor to know for sure before making any plans. Cindy's mom quickly gets up and goes into the kitchen to call their family doctor. She demands an appointment right away, insisting that it is an emergency. As she returns to the room, she grabs her purse and urges her daughter and husband, “Let’s go.” So, in a moments notice they disappeared. Rob stands to go with the, but Cindy's dad places his hand on Rob’s shoulder and says, “You better stay here,” with solemn look in his eye.

An hour or so goes by, and the phone rings. It’s for Rob. He makes out, “I am pregnant,” through Cindy’s uncontrollable sobbing. “It’s okay,” he says trying to console her. Looking over his shoulder he says, "Right Mom?" I said, “Yes,” because he loves her, will marry her, and they will have their baby. More thoughts ran through my mind, “Wow married? With a baby? Living here I suppose.”

All of a sudden my husband and I hear Rob yell, "What? No way!" He then bangs the phone down on the counter. We are practically on top of him anticipating what Cindy had said. He looks at us with bewilderment, evidenced by the blank stare on his face and says, "Cindy's parents are making her have an abortion." He grabs his jacket and with a swift gait runs out the door to go to her house. This situation IS life or death!!

God forbids irresponsible sexual behavior, in order to spare us the disastrous consequences. "You saw me before I was born and scheduled each day of my life before I began to breathe." Psalm139:16. God created man in his own image, human life is sacred and no one can put a value on it because God who created it. "You made all the delicate, inner pares of my body, and knit them together in my mother's womb. Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex." Psalm 139:13 "Thou shall not kill" Deut. 5:17 BUT… “Confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness…”1 John 1:9.

Rob & Cindy Mini-Series Part 4

"Rob and Cindy Fear"

As Rob and Cindy sit reading the information on abortion tears run down their cheeks and drop onto the brochure they are holding in their hands. "We can't do this," they both agree. "So what do we do?" After praying, they both decide that they don't want anyone to know about the pregnancy. They decided that the best thing to do was to go talk to their youth pastor, Brad. He is a great man and is married with a baby, he will understand. He will keep their secret and help them find a way to deal with this while they are deciding what to do. Rob goes to the phone and calls Brad. He makes an appointment to go see him.

So now what? They are still expected to go to school, work, play basketball, do homework, and do household chores. Life has to keep going on, even though they feel life has just abruptly stopped. Cindy started to ask herself questions, “Should I stop playing basketball for school? Should a pregnant person play basketball?” Concerns about work start to consume her thoughts. She works part time at a nursing home where she occasionally lifts heavy things. She wondered if it would be best to quit. These things seem so simple, but yet were so complicated now. Their thoughts were filled with fear—fear of the future, fear of the unknown.

Rob and Cindy decide to look for comfort in the scripture, they discover, "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus?” (Philippians 4:6 and 7) Knowing this verse Rob and Cindy could not understand how to not be anxious about Cindy and the pregnancy? How could they give thanksgiving about this? “How can God give us peace about all of this? There is no peace in any answer here,” they thought, “Can He give us peace, which transcends all understanding?” Rob says to Cindy, “We only know we must trust in the Lord with all of this, there is no other way.” She knows that he’s right, but looking at him through teary eyes says, “I’m so scared.”

“The Lord will show us the way here, and we must, no matter how difficult it is trust Him and wait on His strength and guidance,” Rob says to reassure both of them. “So we pray to God to take away the fear and show us what to do. At least we both know we have a Lord who loves us, and He will give us comfort and strength while going through all of this. He will show us a way other than abortion, we pray. Remember the verse, ‘Fear not, for I have redeemed you: I have called you by name; you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned,’ (Isaiah 43:1 and 2)? He will not let us burn.”

"For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." (Jeremiah 29:11)

Rob & Cindy Mini-Series Part 6

"Rob and Cindy listen to what others have gone through."

Rob and Cindy walked out of their Youth Pastor’s office feeling somewhat comforted in what the verses and advice Brad shared with them. Both of them felt that God was with them. They sit in the car and talk. Every scenario they could think of zooms through their head. “What do we do? How can we do it?” Cindy and Rob would both like to get married and have their baby. But they both know it is not going to be that easy.

Brad suggested they meet with a group across town that deals with family issues. It is a circle discussion of Christian parents and teens working for Godly solutions to problems. He gave them an address and phone number for the group. “They meet tomorrow night, and I it would be best if your parents attend with you,” Brad said handing them the card as they exited his office.

The next night, everyone was in agreement to attend the group. Rob, his father, and I got there first and found some seats; they saved three seats for Cindy and her parents as well. Looking around the room, Rob observes many people, young and old, standing around chatting with each other. A man comes to the center of the circle of chairs to address the group, “Before the meeting gets started, I just wanted to inform everyone that there are sodas and coffee in the back. Thank you,” he says with a melancholy tone. Cindy and her parents haven’t arrived yet, and Rob stares at the door in anticipation for her arrival, while I go get us some soda.

The meeting begins and members start sharing their personal stories. We sit and listen, without saying a word. All kinds of thoughts and feelings are rushing through us at a million miles per hour. A father of a teen girl tells how his daughter is pregnant and they are having a hard time trying to decide what to do about it.

One-member shares that she had an abortion when she was eighteen and still to this day she still regrets it and thinks of that baby everyday. She says that not only is it wrong to have aborted it but that the baby did not ask to be brought into the world. The parents should stand behind her and guide her along the way not work against her, and do what GOD would want. Another member shares she got pregnant at twenty years old. She had to determine whether she should have an abortion or not. God spoke to her and said no. She had her son and he is a wonderful kid. The father ran away. She is a single mom, but is very blessed each time she looks at her son.

Another member shares that there is no easy way out of this. Someone will definitely be hurt no matter what! He was a father at seventeen without God and now at forty-seven has no idea where his son is. A day never goes by that he doesn't think of him and pray for him. He feels that someday the Lord will bring them together. A woman stood up crying. She said she was given up for adoption thirty-six years ago and has never regretted that she was. She said God had a plan for her while she was in her mother's womb. He gave her to the most awesome parents she could have had. She ended up leading her parents to Christ. She did search for her biological parents. She found her biological mother and father. Her mother wanted nothing to do with her. She was able to witness to her father about Christ right before he died of lung cancer. She considers the parents who raised her, the ones God gave her to and she thanks God for them daily.

An eighteen year old girl stood up and shared that she was conceived when her mom was seventeen. Her mom and dad got married about two and half months before she was born. They are still married to this day. She feels that God had a plan, now eighteen years later, she and her three other siblings are with their parents as a family. She says they aren't the richest people in the world. Her mom dropped out of school. Her dad barely finished high school. But, her parents work hard to love and care for them. She hopes one day she can marry a great man of God and have wonderful kids that will bond her to her husband in a very special way.

Another older woman got up crying also; she shared at the age of fifteen she, too, found herself in the same situation. Her parents were Christians, never missed a Sunday or Wednesday service. They were youth ministers, so when they found out her "secret," they were devastated! At first her mother told her it would be ungodly to abort it. She was relieved. She didn't want to kill her unborn baby. She wanted to find a way to have and raise her baby.
Unfortunately, when her dad heard the news, he had a different plan in mind. Her mother
went along with him. In December of 1973, she went in for a Therapeutic abortion, the "nasty" one, as she was beyond the five-month period. They injected her with very large needles and fed her baby saline. The "procedure" as they called it, was unsuccessful. She prayed that her parents would change their minds, but 10 days later, she was put through the same ordeal. She spent the entire time in tears. The abortion was one of the MOST painful experiences she has ever gone through. She delivered a beautiful baby boy, DEAD. He was green from the saline they ran through his little body. She says she will never forget it! After that she suffered major depression and wanted to end her life. She said it has been almost twenty-six years since that awful day. She truly believes that God has forgiven her of her sin. But she still thinks about that baby. She still has a hard time believing that her parents felt that this was the best they all could do in that situation.

[The stories above are real stories from TDDM members used for this devotion.]

Everyone in the room is crying, Rob looks up and sees Cindy and her parents sitting behind them. They were in shock, with tears running down their faces. Cindy stands up and shares her story of how she and Rob had sex and she is pregnant and they are here to discuss what they should do. She sits down and Cindy's mom holds her hand. Rob knows now that things will be better and they will be able to work it all out without an abortion. He feels a total sense of peace and comfort. He thanks God.

"Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him." (James 1:2,3 and 12)

"And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose." (Romans 8:2 cool

To Be Continued….

Rob & Cindy Mini-Series Part 8

"Cindy's Love"

A few months have gone by now since Cindy found out she is pregnant. Things have gotten much better with her parents. They are still hurt and upset over it all, but they are giving her love and support. Rob has been working everyday after school and on the weekends, putting all his money away for the baby expenses. Although they don’t have much time to see each other, Rob does make time for Cindy everyday. Rob’s father and I have been very supportive of Rob, Cindy, and Cindy’s parents. We have gotten together a few times to talk over what they should do about the baby. Rob's father and I have offered Cindy and Rob to live in our house, get married and have the baby. I said that I would help out with the baby while Cindy goes to school. Cindy's mom is a writer for a local newsmagazine and works from home. So she has also found a way to adapt to the baby’s arrival. It seems that everyone is adjusting and ready to do whatever needs to be done for the baby.

There are still some major hurdles we have all had to overcome. Cindy still isn't showing, and none of her friends know about the baby. She’s disappointed that she can’t share this with them. She could really use their love and support right now. She and Rob didn't go to the Spring Dance and all their friends have been wondering why? They have had to continue to make up petty excuses for not hanging out with their friends like they used to. Things have changed drastically, but they are adjusting. Rob and Cindy have not been out together on a date since she found out she was pregnant and they both long to be together and spend some time with each other. They miss the days when they were happy, carefree teens. Seems like all at once, they had to skip the rest of their teenage years and become adults.

They have visited Brad, their Youth Pastor, several times for counsel. Cindy and her parents have gone to talk about adoption. Her parents think the best thing for everyone would be for them to give the baby up for adoption to a good Christian family. Cindy is just so thankful she didn't have an abortion that she really hasn’t thought much about what will happen after she has the baby. She is consumed with the actual pregnancy and what is happening to her body and to her emotions, and insecurities about her relationship with Rob start to develop. “Will he still love me when I’m big and pregnant? Will he get bored because I can't go out like we used to? Will he get tired of me and all of this? Will he resent the fact that he has greater responsibility now?” she asks herself full of doubt. But she decides that she can't be worried about all of that right now, she must concern herself with the baby.

Although she is going through an emotional rollercoaster right now, Cindy begins to feel an emotion different from all the others. She has begun to really love this baby. She has begun to know real love. She loves God, her parents, Rob and her friends, but this is different. She feels the love of God in her baby. This love for her baby says, "I respect you. I care for you. I am responsible for you. God gave you to me."

Real Love says:

I Respect You: I see you, as you are, a unique individual. I accept you as you are and will permit you to develop as God purposes for you. I Care For You: It matters to me what happens to you. I am concerned for your life and growth. My desire is to promote your interests, even if it means sacrificing my own. I Am Responsible For You: I will respond to you, not out of a sense of duty, which obligates me, but voluntarily. Your needs will motivate me to pray for you. I will protect you.

"A new commandment I give unto you. As I have loved you, that ye also love one another" (John 13:34)

"God is love. This is how God showed his love among us: He sent His one and only son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us?” (1John 8:8-10) NIV

The Conclusion, Part 9, Next…

Friends are the Flowers of Life

"Friends are the flowers of life." Those are the words of someone who was very close to me, and very wise.

When you are young, you meet your friends in the sand box at the neighborhood park. You find your first puppy love at your first day of kindergarten.

Eventually as you keep moving up into 3rd grade, then junior high, and eventually into high school, you develop relationships. Relationships that are not romantic, but relationships that mean the world to you, true friends.True friends are what make you smile on days when you are gray. True friends are what made you realize when you are wrong. Friends are those who understand and don't make you explain. True friends are those who you can look at across the room and they will know exactly what you are thinking. Friends are those who you share your secrets with, and those who you have inside jokes with. Friends are those who let you cry on there teddy when you are just sad. Your friends are those who you will never forget, who you will share the most memorable times of your life with. Weather they be fun, joyous, surprising, sad, or heartbreaking, if you have true friends, you will always have a shoulder to lean on.

God gave us these special people, to bring us joy and happiness. He put these earth angels here for us to grow with and learn from.


"A friend loves at all times" Proverbs 17:17a NIV
Not only did God send you friends, but he sent you to be a good friend, a good Christian friend. One who will love and care for others. Sometimes our friends can be hurtful, and plane out mean, and its so easy to snap back at them, and sometimes we want to hurt them more than they did us. But that is not what God tells us, he says that a friend loves at ALL times. That doesn't mean just on Mondays, or just at parities, not just when you are at school or when you are having a good day, but ALWAYS.

"A man of many companions may come to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother." Proverbs 18:24 NIV

A friend that sticks closer than a brother... In Christ we are all brothers and sisters in Him. To your friends you can be closer than a brother, or closer than a sister. You can remind them on days that they are bumming, that our God is there for them, just as you are, and he love you always. You can be there earth angel.
May your friends be as numerous as the stars in the heavens.