Joy, Prayer and Communion

May you always be joyful in your union with the Lord. I say it again: rejoice!

Show a gentle attitude toward everyone. The Lord is coming soon. Don’t worry about anything, but in all your prayers ask God for what you need, always asking him with a thankful heart. And God’s peace, which is far beyond human understanding, will keep your hearts and minds safe in union with Christ Jesus.

(Philippians 4:4-7) Good News Translation

We (that’s me and the Holy spirit) have communion with God through the Holy spirit. We’re in, essentially, a permanent state of prayer. The reason why we do this is to understand and experience joy. True joy.

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Hindered Prayer

worried girl in summer dress on train platform

Danby House

1 Peter # 9

Likewise, ye wives, be in subjection to your own husbands; that, if any obey not the word, they also may without the word be won by the conversation of the wives; While they behold your chaste conversation coupled with fear. Whose adorning let it not be that outward adorning of plaiting the hair, and of wearing of gold, or of putting on of apparel; But let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price. For after this manner in the old time the holy women also, who trusted in God, adorned themselves, being in subjection unto their own husbands: Even as Sara obeyed Abraham, calling him lord: whose daughters ye are, as long as ye do well, and are not afraid with any amazement.

Likewise, ye husbands, dwell with them according to knowledge, giving honour unto the wife, as unto the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life; that your prayers be not hindered.

(1 Peter 3:1-7) KJV

Hindered prayer is by far the most frightening thing that we (that’s me and the Holy spirit) can imagine. So what can hinder our prayers? Unconfessed sin.

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All Prayer

Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;

( Ephesians 6:18 ) KJV

Yesterday we considered Ephesians 6:13-17, in which the Bible describes us as being like well equipped soldiers ready to face the spiritual battles ahead. The passage goes on into the verse above. I have heard different people talk about this in different ways and I have always wondered:


Is all prayer a thing? As in, a noun?


I knew a brother in Christ many years ago who spoke of all prayer as if it was a thing that somehow stands alone from regular prayer. I’m not so sure. I tend to think that it means that we should be doing regular prayer all the time. The thing is, whether it is one or the other isn’t as important as the realization that the time we just spent thinking about it our mind was engaged in something of a positive spiritual nature which is along the lines of what Paul is telling us in this passage:

Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things. (Philippians 4:8)

So we may not understand all of the Bible all of the time, but if we are thinking about it then our mind is being kept from being distracted by other worldly things. I have to admit that I have a problem with covetousness. I desire things that I don’t need, things that are only ever going to be problematic rather than problem solving. Jaguar cars are the thing that comes to mind. I want a Jaguar. There are times when the desire is so powerful that I have taken myself off to a dealership to go drive one, and gotten into the discussion of buying it. Buying and maintaining a car like that would squander the resources I have that I’m using to get this ministry started, and possibly saddle me with debt again when I just got out of it. And for what? An unreliable and inefficient car. If I could have diverted my mind into something of a more spiritual nature I wouldn’t have wasted my time.

What else do I find my mind spending excessive amounts of time on? I’d rather not say. You may find that your mind spends a good part of the day caught up in thoughts which are not particularly helpful, useful, clean, spiritual or godly. If we allow our minds to wander unfettered it will not be long before our bodies follow right after them and we end up making bad decisions. What are we to do about this? Follow the advice above.

Are you allocating time for daily Bible reading yet? That is where a healthy mind starts folks.

Till I come, give attendance to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine. Neglect not the gift that is in thee, which was given thee by prophecy, with the laying on of the hands of the presbytery. Meditate upon these things; give thyself wholly to them; that thy profiting may appear to all. Take heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine; continue in them: for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself, and them that hear thee. (1 Timothy 4:13-16)

Read the Bible and meditate on it. You may not understand it. Meditating on it is how the Holy Spirit is able to form and shape it in you mind so that it will make sense.

September 11th

And shall not God avenge his own elect, which cry day and night unto him, though he bear long with them? I tell you that he will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?

(Luke 18:7-8) KJV

As we remember 9/11/2001 God continues to show us the exquisite harmony between His Word and our reality through faith in Jesus Christ.

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George Muller of Bristol

and his witness to a prayer-hearing God

by Arthur T. Pierson (1899)

I, who am an elder myself, appeal to the church elders among you. I am a witness of Christ’s sufferings, and I will share in the glory that will be revealed. I appeal to you to be shepherds of the flock that God gave you and to take care of it willingly, as God wants you to, and not unwillingly. Do your work, not for mere pay, but from a real desire to serve.

(1 Peter 5:1-2) Good News Translation

Here then we have a threefold witness to the secret of true prosperity and unmingled blessing: devout meditation and reflection upon the Scriptures, which are at once a book of law, a river of life, and a mirror of self—fitted to convey the will of God, the life of God, and the transforming power of God.

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Chapter 28

Rachel dragged herself to the door and braced to meet the day. There was no way to avoid being late, since it would take an hour to get to Salt City. Excuses would be needed. Excuses that would be better received if she was contrite as opposed to bitchy. She sighed deeply, kicked off her shoes and went into the bedroom. She dropped onto her knees beside the bed and rested her head on her clasped hands in the position of prayer.

“Oh God,” she groaned. Her thoughts tumbled madly. She was so tired. Her mind felt like a strobing fluorescent light, nothing was clear. She let the thoughts careen around for a while until one image solidified. It was Carlton.

“Oh God,” she breathed. Carlton. What an idiot. But since he was there in her head she prayed for him. Her thoughts began to line up in a more orderly row now, and she prayed for her parents, her brother, she remembered to ask forgiveness for her sins, gave thanks for… but then she got lost again and the images came in a rush.

“Oh God,” she cried plaintively. Dunning and Kruger. Her security detail in the unmarked sedan downstairs. Those guys definitely needed prayer. Salt City. Utah. The United States of America. The world.

“Oh God,” she sighed deeply, feeling the blood pulse in her temples. She wondered if her blood pressure was up. By now her body was relaxing and she sank lower, parting her knees, sliding back from the bed, lowering her head and stretching out her arms above her still resting on the edge of the bed.

“Oh God,” she whispered, then she remembered the elevator.

“Oh God!” panic rose up but she quelled it by remembering the situation. Friday was D-Day. She only had to make it to Friday. There was a reason for everything, God was in control. She only needed to have faith in Him.

“Oh God,” she prayed for her pastor and her church in Salt Lake City, then her church back in Washington DC. She prayed for the many friends and people she knew of who had quietly dropped out of society and made their way to camps like the one in southern Utah. Camps for people who rejected the World Monetary Union system and the registration tattoo.

“Oh God,” she thought again about her upcoming appointment on Friday afternoon. It would be Dunning and Kruger’s job to get her to the appointment as soon as possible after the linguistics conference ended on Friday afternoon. She prayed that God would intervene in some way that would mean that she didn’t have to do anything drastic. Killing them was an option, but, let’s face it, she reasoned, how could that be part of God’s will for her life?

“Oh God,” she was going to have to simply trust Him. She turned sideways, parallel with the edge of the bed, and stretched out her hands on the floor. She was still kneeling, and she spread her knees as far apart as she could as she lowered her body. Her hip popped in a satisfying way and she relaxed, prostrate, her forehead touching the cool floor.

“Oh God,” she sighed as she thought with swelling passion of the work she was doing with Biblio, the library computer. There was a reason for everything. If nothing else she was going to make sure that the Word of God lived on the mind of the most spiritual computer ever made. She prayed that she was right about Biblio, that the nature of his system being blood meant that he had a soul. The life is in the blood. She prayed fervently that she had understood right the scriptural teaching about the spirit and soul, that Biblio, even though he had been made by a man, could have a saving faith in Jesus Christ. It was a long shot she knew, but a sense of total peace calmed her mind.

“Oh God,” she whispered again, thanking Him for the Holy Spirit that had guided her to the place and the work that she was doing for the Lord.

“Oh God,” she breathed. She gave thanks for His mercy and grace, praised Him for the bird she could hear singing outside the window, and dozed off.

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