Author: Dr. Mike

What is Prayer?

Dr. Mike 2022 , , ,

Psalm 42:8

“By day the Lord commands his steadfast love, and at night his song is with me, a prayer to the God of my life.”

Prayer is the direct means of communicating with your Heavenly Father. Jesus maintained direct contact with his heavenly Father through prayer. Jesus taught His disciples how to pray. Prayer was Jesus’ main staple throughout his life.

As his disciples, we likewise have the opportunity to keep in constant connection with our Heavenly Father throughout the day. The apostle Paul instructed us to be constant in prayer (Romans 12:12). Prayer is the prime activity of a mature Christ-follower. (Acts 6:4)

Below are a few Biblical examples which highlight the impact of a prayer life.  

  • Prayer strengthens faith (Luke 22:32)
  • Prayer heals people (James 5:16)
  • Prayer builds common ground (1 Timothy 2:1)
  • Prayer maintains your focus on God. (Jer. 29:12-14)
  • Prayer empowers people (2 Chronicles 7:14)
  • Prayer changes you (Eph. 3:14-19)
  • Prayer produces Godly outcomes (Jeremiah 42:4)??
  • Prayer opens doors where there are no doors. (Eph.3:20)
  • Prayer is worship. (Luke 2:37)
  • Prayer is offering yourself to God. (1 Kings 8:54)
  • Prayer is submitting yourself to God. (Ps. 86:1)
  • Prayer is our memorial to God. (Acts 10:4)
  • Prayer makes everything that is good in God’s creation holy (I Tim. 4:5)
  • Prayer personally reveals the power of God. (2 Kings 6:18)
  • Prayer opens God’s Spirit in you. (Romans 8:26)
  • Prayer is our incense to God. (Rev. 5:8)
  • Prayer reduces anxiety. (Phil. 4:6)

These came to me just this morning. You probably could list more yourself as you pray and meditate on the means of directly communicating with Him.

The bottom-line: Jesus was a praying rabbi and so are HIS students. Learn the value, honor, and privilege of directly praying with the Creator of the universe, your Heavenly Father who wants you to know HIM and learn to share your life with HIM as HE prepares an eternal home for you. In prayer, you will discover a whole new world and way of life when you unleash the divine relationship you have with the Almighty.

You find yourself participating with an Infinite God in HIS work. You slowly learn HIS view on many topics. You begin a personal journey with HIM sharing your life with HIM as HE shares HIS life with you. You find yourself enjoying HIS presence while you live out your everyday routines. And if you keep a journal of your prayers and record the outcome, you will strengthen your faith and become more assured that HE cares for you and wants what is best for you.

Prayer is your access to a Heavenly Dad who wants HIS child to live a meaningful life being prepared to serve in HIS Kingdom for eternity.

PS: You may want to check out my latest devotional prayer e-book “Overflowing Prayers Rooted in Jesus Christ” (see below) if you seek a way to jump start into a more effective prayer life.

Rooting For You in Christ!

Dr. Mike

Encourager, Faith-Integrator, Scribbler  

Available for Your Devotional Study: 

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Accountability

Dr. Mike 2022 , , , ,

Colossians 3:23-24

 Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ.

Paul writes the above passage addressed to bond-servants. The Greek word is Doulos which is translated as slave or servant in various writings. The word bond-servant is more appropriate as it relates to those who are under the authority of an earthly master whether as a paid laborer or an indenture servant.

In Christ’ time it is estimated that 1/3 of the population were slaves and another 1/3 were slaves at one time but became free later in life. So, when Jesus spoke about the greatest being a servant for all rather than lording over people, HE was stretching the cultural norms of the day. In fact, Paul and other church leaders including Jesus’ brothers James and Judas likewise acknowledged in their writings they were bond-servants to Jesus.

So as Christ-followers, we have chosen to become bond-servants of HIS. We have accepted the position to be ultimately held accountable by HIM. Though meanwhile we also have earthly associates to hold us accountable. Though they may not be perfect like our Lord, and may not even know our Lord, and may even be against our Lord, we accept their authority in our life to maintain law and order in the land. However, if they require us doing something against the authority of our Lord, then we defer to HIM first and accept the consequences of the matter.

Our reward comes from Jesus. He is our Lord, and we are citizens of HIS Kingdom. Paul writes elsewhere that you and I are only ambassadors in a foreign land. Whoever opposes us on Christ’s behalf, opposes HIM and will reap the consequences of their decision.      

Meanwhile, we are all accountable to someone in this life. Whether our mates, parents, friends, employers, clients, HOA’s, or governments, there is someone we are answerable too. Even the hermit living alone is still accountable to some authority in their world. For example, the land they reside on is under some governmental jurisdiction. Without accountability, we are left alone with our human tenancies which eventually will lead to ugly and destructive consequences. Most human-to-human destructive actions are the result of human leaders left alone without accountability for their actions. Any person without a stronger accountability source is playing god without the innate character to manage the situation.

As a Christ-follower, we have a proven leader who conquered his human desires, established a government which allows all to flourish in freedom, and paved the way for all to participate. Our highest priority is to first serve HIM and introduce others to HIM. Our reward is from HIM. In every situation, we first seek HIS will. Whenever we fail HIM, HE disciplines us. But HE also showers HIS grace upon us and restores us in HIM. We serve HIM in all matters, even when we hold ourselves accountable to others.  

Count it all joy to have an accountability partner or group who helps you through the maze of life.

Rooting For You in Christ!

Dr. Mike

Encourager & Author of e-Books 

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Governmental Trap

Dr. Mike 2022 , ,

1 Samuel 8:7, 10-18

 And Samuel prayed to the Lord. And the Lord said to Samuel, “Obey the voice of the people in all that they say to you, for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected me from being king over them…So Samuel told all the words of the Lord to the people who were asking for a king from him. He said, “These will be the ways of the king who will reign over you: he will take your sons and appoint them to his chariots and to be his horsemen and to run before his chariots. And he will appoint for himself commanders of thousands and commanders of fifties, and some to plow his ground and to reap his harvest, and to make his implements of war and the equipment of his chariots. He will take your daughters to be perfumers and cooks and bakers. He will take the best of your fields and vineyards and olive orchards and give them to his servants. He will take the tenth of your grain and of your vineyards and give it to his officers and to his servants. He will take your male servants and female servants and the best of your young men[a] and your donkeys, and put them to his work. He will take the tenth of your flocks, and you shall be his slaves. And in that day you will cry out because of your king, whom you have chosen for yourselves, but the Lord will not answer you in that day.”

Governments are ultimately accountable to God (Romans 13:1). Christ-Followers are subject to governmental institutions per Peter’s letter to the Church (I Peter 2:13). When he wrote the letter, the emperor was a dictator ruling Rome. Yet Peter instructed the Church to enjoy their freedom to do good and put to shame the ignorance of foolish people. Christ-followers should be the most favorable citizens of a free world.

Yet governments are led by people. And people have the tendencies for corrupt behavior. As governments grow, corruption becomes more and more difficult to identify.

Back when Israel was a tiny nation being self-governed by the decree of one person (Samuel), the people enjoyed freedom and prosperity. However, when they complained that they wanted to be like the other nations around them with a King and his cohorts managing national affairs, God adhered to their request. But before then, HE instructed Samuel to outline the consequences of their decision.

Today’s Scripture shows what happens when one exchanges their personal responsibilities to a governmental body and how their individual freedom and prosperity dissipates. There is nothing new under the sun but technology and fashion. Governments have always existed in one form or another. But like Israel discovered, it was better for the people with less government and the acceptance of more personal responsibility rather than paying the price for a large overseeing body to manage national affairs.

The governmental trap is thinking the institution can do a better job than the collective individual who has personal investment in the outcome.

When the country’s workforce supports an incompetent and corrupt bureaucracy, it is only a matter of time for the nation to collapse.

Moral fiber is the glue that keeps relationships ongoing. When governmental distrust and bullying becomes the norm, than a revolution is waiting to occur. People will only tolerate mistreatment for a while. Then it gets ugly.

Personal freedom requires accepting personal responsibility for the outcome. Governments promise utopia and operate from a position of fear. Those who have found a leader in Jesus Christ as their King understand the difference between serving others or lording over others. Serving others is God’s way of leading. Lording over others is man’s inferior attempt to play god.

Allow God’s Kingdom to rule from your heart and set the boundaries of your actions and relationships and watch how your little world flourishes while those around you are burning with hatred and anger. God’s government is what we all need. But you first need to make the decision of accepting Jesus Christ as Lord in your life. When you do, and begin to imitate HIM and HIS ways, you will discover the difference between human governmental power and God’s gracious acts of justice, mercy, and forgiveness to engage people into a world that flourishes with freedom and fulfillment for all.

More God, less bureaucracy is a better form of governance for all.  

Rooting For You in Christ!

Dr. Mike

Encourager & Author of e-Books 

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