Romans 1:8 ~ "First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ ..."
1 Thessalonians 5:17 ~ "... pray without ceasing."
Psalm 5:3 ~ "In the morning, O Lord, You will hear my voice; In the morning I will order my prayer to You and eagerly watch."
Clear Line of Communication (God's Daily Word)
Communication is a key part of any relationship. Without proper communication, a relationship will slowly drift apart and feel isolated. This is true of friends and married couples, and certainly true in our relationship with God.
Without communication, we begin to drift and will soon be unable to even recognize His voice. When faced with sudden burdens we will feel alone. We may awkwardly call out to God but find our communication line has become noisy, filled with distractions. It's difficult to receive direction or comfort when we can't even hear or understand what God is saying.
To keep the communication lines clear, we must develop the habit of continually talking with God; "Pray continually" (1 Thessalonians 5:17). We cannot limit prayer to those times of great need. David was in the habit of morning prayer; "In the morning, O Lord, You hear my voice; in the morning I lay my request before You and wait in expectation" (Psalm 5:3). But we must also learn to talk with God throughout our day so we are prepared for those times of extra need.
Jesus never suffered from a breakdown in communication with His Father; "I and the Father are one" (John 10:30). And yet, when faced with major decisions or burdens, Jesus still set aside special time to talk with God.
Luke 6:12-13
"One of those days Jesus went out to a mountainside to pray, and spent the night praying to God. When morning came, He called His disciples to Him and chose twelve of them, whom He also designated apostles."
There are always going to be times in our Christian walk when we urgently need dedicated time with God - times which involve "critical" or "crisis" situations. These times are greatly enhanced if we have already been walking in daily communion with the Father. Our "crisis" prayers will need to be more intense and require us to intimately know the One to whom we pray; require us to know His voice and understand His ultimate plan for our life; require a relationship!
Our Heavenly Father desires to light our path by giving daily guidance. Let's develop the habit of continual prayer so we will follow His leading and walk each step in praise. Let's KNOW Him during the trivial and mundane portion of our day so we will be prepared to know Him during the urgent. Let's prioritize our life to ensure we have a free and clear line of communication.
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Christianity: The Religion of the Possessive Pronoun (The Pocket Testament League - "Pocket Testament")
Romans 1:8a
First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ...
Thoughts for Today:
"I thank my God," Paul says. Thomas said upon touching the wounds of Jesus, "My Lord and my God" (John 20:28). Martin Luther once said, "Christianity is uniquely the religion of the possessive pronoun." In other words, you can be a Buddhist without knowing Buddha; you can be a Hare Krishna without knowing Krishna; but you can't be a Christian unless you know Jesus. Christianity is unique because it is not a religion -- it is a relationship.
Marriage is a great example of this concept. [Spouses] do not live under a set of rules which someone else created for [them] to follow. For example, what time to have dinner, who is to make dinner, clean the house, do yard work, or anything else. [Spouses] have freedom in [their] marriage because it is a relationship between [them] as individuals -- governed by love -- not laws or regulations created by others [or by some religion].
Many people misunderstand Christianity when they place it in the category of a religion. I have had people say to me, "Oh that's right, you don't do ______________ because it's against your religion." It's sometimes hard for people to understand that my choice to not do something is not because it violates a religious rule -- rather I might consider it to be disrespectful or harmful in my relationship with Jesus.
Questions to Ponder:
How has your relationship been lately? And I'm not talking about your spouse or friends. Relationships are built because of time spent together sharing, learning, and in fellowship. How much time are you spending with the Lord? He always has time for you; will you make time for Him? Is Christianity just your religion or is your relationship with Jesus growing stronger and deeper?
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