Growing Up in Hope

I grew up in Hope- literally.  I spent all my childhood in Hope, Texas.  But as I turned another year older last week and reflected on that this week, there is even a more real sense that I was conceived, born and grew up in hope.

I had an older brother who died as an infant.  He did not reach his first birthday.  I never knew much about him because when I would ask about him, it would make my parents cry.  As I look back on my life as an adult, I have found it somewhat amazing that I am here.  My parents already had two healthy daughters when my brother died.  They were no longer a young couple.  It sure could have been understandable and easier for them to say, 'We have two healthy girls, let's not try this again,' but they did.  And 53 years ago I was born - in hope, because of hope, out of hope and grew up in Hope.

My parents were not wild eyed optimists but I now have a great appreciation for the hope they somehow found - that was in someway given - that makes it possible for me to be here today and write these words.  God must have given them a hope that came out of losing a son.

We will look at hope this Sunday (not Hope, Texas) but the hope that God can give even in our losses - the hope also found in the Christmas story.  It may be that we discover that the greatest hope we can have is the hope that God gives; his hope that he puts into us when we face a situation where we have lost all of ours.

For the journey...
Tim

Five Minutes of Thankfulness

Today is the one of the busiest travel days of the year.  I have already seen some of the results on Facebook.  A friend posted that "Every crazy person in Texas is traveling (the road she was on).  Just shoot me now."

I remember traveling I-35 on this day years ago when we were in seminary in Ft. Worth and headed south for home and Thanksgiving.  We sat in stop and go traffic for hours north of Waco.  We thought there must be a bad accident because all the southbound lanes were diverted onto the feeder road.  It turned out to be there was a patch of broken concrete about 10 feet across in one of the southbound lanes.  It cost us and thousands of others, hours in drive time.

It's funny how many things can happen on Thanksgiving weekend to cause us not to be thankful.  I once heard the insight that the fruit of the Spirit are all grown in circumstances that could produce just the opposite.  In other words, love is more likely grown in place where it is difficult to love.  The same is true of the rest of the fruit - joy, peace, patience and the rest.

I know that thankfulness is not one of the fruit of the Spirit but it too can be grown in the situations that could cause us to become ungrateful and grumbling.  Are you going to let something rob you of your gratitude this weekend?  Why not try this experiment with me.  Can you give God five straight minutes of gratitude?  Can we just pray and thank God for five minutes without a request or intercession - just thanks?  Would you try that with me this weekend?  You can even do it while stuck in traffic.  Let's see what difference it makes.

For the journey...

Tim

Looking Back, Lessons Learned

I asked people to share what they had learned from praying for our country for 40 days.  Here are some of the comments I have received back about what God is teaching us:

 I feel Prayer is the only thing that will heal our country.  We Christians MUST stay in Prayer.  – V.

Praying for our country and its leaders over the last 40 days has made me less cynical towards people and decisions I don't like being made. It has driven me to pray more often for those who need God as their foundation. Why should I expect people to make decisions that don't line up with Scripture when they don't give heed to Scripture or the God I love and serve? They need Him first! God can and does work around their blindness to do His will but I want to be a person who cares for those I find tough to love (ex: someone who thinks differently than me) instead of only those who are like-minded. I see no way our country will be unified without God's people standing for what God says and praying for those who don't, without giving breath to hateful and sarcastic remarks.   - L.

I feel that we as a country have been more united in praying regardless of the outcome.  I believe that a spiritual turnaround will not happen without true repentance.  I believe that we as a country need to pray for true repentance and not tolerance.  – E.

 Conviction: to pray daily for President Obama, Michelle, and their daughters as I pray for my own family.  – K.

As we have prayed for our country and leaders, we were reminded of the many times God intervened for Israel but only when they repented. We began to realize it is not easy to repent as a Nation. As individuals, we need to encourage people to turn to God and to depend upon HIM not our feelings.  – M&J

While praying for our nation during the past 40 days, I was often confronted with the thought of what happens if my candidate doesn't win.  And then I received some amazing blessings through His word.  Old verses I have read many times like Eph 3:11-14, Phil 4:1-7, John 14:27 and Col 3:15 opened a new truth for me.  This truth is that no matter how much I may want the peace of this world, it cannot and will not ever give me the eternal peace of God.  World and human peace can never exist in conflict and there will always be conflict.  However God's peace is given to me as a free gift through the blood of Christ.   His peace exists in all times, good and bad, in fear and trouble.  I learned that if I will let the peace of God rule my heart by allowing the word of God to dwell in me, then this election is no longer a worry for me.   I choose to live in God's peace and not depend on this world for my peace. – G.Forty days of prayer for our country--we need to continue it for the next 325 days.  The USA prayer from Max Lucado really touched my heart.  I will continue to use it each day I pray but with the last line revised.

 My version:

Unite us!

Strengthen us!

Anoint our now appointed president, abundantly!

 Thanks for all the memory verses. We do know who really reigns!!

 My God reigns, my God reigns!!

- M.

Thanks to all of you who responded,  We do need to continue to pray for our country.  Our country needs it.  We need it.

For the Journey...

Tim

40 Days of Prayer for Our Country Wrap Up

Let me thank all of you who have prayed with me for our country over these last forty days.  I don't know about you but I have come to the realization that I need to keep praying for the spiritual renewal of our country.  Going into this, I realized beforehand that a spiritual turnaround  was not going to happen just because of an election, I now realize the burden of praying for my country is not going to end just because of an election. 

There is much I have learned in this process and I have a feeling there is still a lot more that God needs to teach me.  Perhaps a lesson might come from you.  I usually don't expect comments to my blog and I appreciate the occassional comment, but let me ask today, to hear from you.  We don't need to talk about what we like or dislike about who was elected or not elected.  I do want you to reflect upon what God may have showed you or told you in these 40 Days of Prayer. 

Reflecting on what we have learned and writing it down is always a healthy exercise, but it is exercise.  I would really appreciate your effort to give this question some thought and reply as you feel led, "What did you learn from praying for our country for 40 days?"  I look forward to hearing from you.

For the journey...
Tim

Day 40

Forty Days of Prayer for Our Country- Day 40

Thought for the day:

"Prayer penetrates doors we will neve enter.  Prayer breaks hearts that have been hardened by the most ruthless pursuit of position.  Prayer bridges the gap between the modest den of the meek and the highest places of government. where laws are made and bills are signed and officials wrestle against impossible odds."  Beth Moore

Scripture:

The first thing I want you to do is pray. Pray every way you know how, for everyone you know. Pray especially for rulers and their governments to rule well so we can be quietly about our business of living simply, in humble contemplation. This is the way our Savior God wants us to live.  He wants not only us but everyone saved, you know, everyone to get to know the truth we’ve learned: that there’s one God and only one, and one Priest-Mediator between God and us—Jesus, who offered himself in exchange for everyone held captive by sin, to set them all free. 1Timothy 2:1-5 (Message)

Prayer Points for Today:  (as we prayed through the ballot, let us pray through some of our newly elected).

President Obama/Vice President Biden
Senator Ted Cruz
Congressman Blake Farenthold
State Congresswoman Geanie Morrison
(Who else comes to mind as needing prayer)?

Prayer:
Father, teach us to pray for those in authority over us as Paul was inspired to instruct the people of his day.  You are a God who cares about everyone - powerful or powerless - the same.  Teach us your love to guide our prayers.  In Jesus name, Amen.
Memory Verse for the Week:

God reigns over the nations; God is seated on his holy throne.  Psalm 47:8

Challenge:  Read Max Lucado's response to the election below.

Let others lose sleep over the election.  Let others grow bitter from party or petty rivalries.  Let others cast their hope with the people of the elephant or the donkey.  Not followers of Jesus.  We place our trust in the work of God.

How many kings has he seen come and go?  How many nations has he seen stand and fall?  He is above them all.  And he oversees them all.  So, while others get anxious, we don’t. Here is what we do:  we pray.
“First of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people— for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness.  This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth.”  (1 Tim.2:1-4 NIV).
It is time to take this job seriously.  Over the next hours and days ahead, turn your heart toward heaven and ask God to:

• Unite our country
• Strengthen us
• Appoint and anoint our next president

God’s promise is clear:
“If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.”  (2 Chron. 7:14 NIV).

Dear Heavenly Father,
You have given us this promise: “If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.” (2 Chronicles 7:14)
So, we pray to you. We turn from evil and look to you, our God. Please:
         Unite us
                 Strengthen us
                         Appoint and anoint our next president
In the name of Christ we pray,
Amen

Day 39

Forty Days of Prayer for Our Country- Day 39

Scripture:

Here then is my charge: First, supplications, prayers, intercessions and thanksgivings should be made on behalf of all men: for kings and rulers in positions of responsibility, so that our common life may be lived in peace and quiet, with a proper sense of God and of our responsibility to him for what we do with our lives.   In the sight of God our savior this is undoubtedly the right thing to pray for; for his purpose is that all men should be saved and come to realize the truth. And that is, that there is only one God, and only one intermediary between God and men, Jesus Christ the man. 1Timothy 2:1-5 (Phillips)

Prayer: 

Lord, when Paul wrote these verses to Timothy on how to pray, he was telling the church to pray for those that they had not elected.  Teach us how to apply this instruction in our day for those we have had a voice in electing.
Prayer Point for Today:
- Pray for those who have been elected nationally, on the state level and on the local or regional level by using Paul's instruction to Timothy.  (Tomorrow we will take this a step further).

Memory Verse for the Week:
God reigns over the nations; God is seated on his holy throne.  Psalm 47:8

Challenge:  Read Dr. Jim Denison's commentary from yesterday.

We the Purple

Now that President Obama has been reelected, I'd like to offer some reflections on [the] election.  The Washington Post called the day our "civic holiday." Whether your candidate won or lost, what America accomplished Tuesday is truly remarkable.

Our country is the world's oldest democracy.  Today, nearly three-quarters of the world's nations elect their heads of state through some kind of democratic process, but it wasn't always so.  The vast majority of people in human history had no opportunity to do what you and I did yesterday.  Many still cannot.

I have been to Cuba seven times; its Communist Party must approve all candidates and controls all elections.  I was in Beijing two years ago; the world's most populous nation has never held free elections for its national leaders (except for a brief period in the 1920s).  Many of the countries that make headlines today, including Iran and much of the Middle East, have no free elections for their heads of state.

By contrast, we held [our] election with decorum.  Republicans are not mounting a coup; Gov. Romney has conceded rather than contesting the results.  Such behavior places America in the distinct minority of nations in world history.

Now that our election has been decided, how do we move forward?

As of today, we are no longer red or blue states—combining the two colors, we are now purple ("We the purple," to rephrase the Constitution).  Unity is possible without unanimity, a fact proven by Christians when we gather for worship every seven days.  Democrats, Republicans, and Independents share space in our sanctuaries.  If we can find fellowship on the weekend, we can find it during the week.

I pledge to pray every day for President Obama, in obedience to Scripture: "I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone—for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness" (1 Timothy 2:1-2).  I pledge to work for spiritual awakening and moral renewal in this nation I love.  And I pledge my highest allegiance not to any president but to our King.

I recently read the autobiography of Ignatius of Loyola, the founder of the Jesuits.  When the group held its first vote for the leader of their order, Ignatius was the unanimous choice of the members, with a single exception—Ignatius voted for "whoever gets the most votes."  That's who gets my vote this morning.

What about yours?

Day 38

Forty Days of Prayer for Our Country- Day 38

"With malice toward none, with charity for all, with firmness in the right as God gives us to see the right, let us finish the work we are in, to bind up the nation's wounds, to care for him who shall have borne the battle, and for his widow and for his orphans, to do all which may achieve and cherish a just and a lasting peace among ourselves and with all nations."  Abraham Lincoln, Second Inaugural Address, March 4, 1865

Lincoln spoke those words in the aftermath of the Civil War.  It is strange how appropriate those words still are after a contentious election.

Scripture:

Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities.  For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God.  Render therefore to all their due: taxes to whom taxes are due, customs to whom customs, fear to whom fear, honor to whom honor.  Romans 13:1,7

Prayer: 
Lord we believe that you still reign over the nations, now bind our divisions because we confess we are a divided people this day.  Many are happy with this election, many are unhappy.  We have many disagreements.  Help all of us who call upon your name to be brought to unity in calling upon you to rule in our land and in our hearts.  We pray Lord, that we may be the messengers of your peace in our nation and among the nations.  In Jesus' name, Amen.

Prayer Points for Today:
- Pray for our president and his advisors.  Pray for the divisions we face as a country and the problems we must address together regardless of how we voted.
- Pray for President Obama and the difficulties he faces and the challenges that remain in our nation's future.
- Ask God to bring a spiritual revival to our nation that would begin in the churches of America and spread to those who are not now a part of the body of Christ.

Memory Verse for the Week:

God reigns over the nations; God is seated on his holy throne.  Psalm 47:8