Coming to the Still Waters

  The disciples wanted to pray like Jesus.  They have heard Him pray; they have watched Him pray; they have seen Him go away by Himself to pray; and they have been in His presence when He taught on prayer.  Disciples sound and act like their rabbi so the disciples want to pray like Jesus prays so He starts with an address like He would do, " Our Father... " The " Father " part signifies a relationship with Him that only comes through the redemption action of His begotten and beloved Son, Jesus Christ.  The " our " part signifies other relationships with those who also call God their Father.  I am in relationship with God and also in relationship with the family of God. I have always looked at the Lord's Prayer through the lens of personalizing it.  What do I need today from the Lord?  What sins do I need to forgive as I have been forgiven by Him?  What tests and temptations require me to resist with Scripture as Jesus did in the desert?  The Lord'

  Hannah has a problem .  The Lord has closed up her womb and she is childless.  It will take an act of God for this to change, so Hannah goes to the Lord in prayer. Hannah makes a promise .  She tells God that if He would give her a child then she would give that same child back to the Lord to serve in His tabernacle.  Hannah is asking not only for a child but a male child.   Hannah takes a pause .  God has answered her prayer but she gives a pause to her end of the bargain.  She is waiting for the child to be weaned, probably into the toddler stage of life.   Hannah follow thorough with a presenting .  After the child, the boy Samuel, is weaned she brings him to God's tabernacle and leaves him with the high priest Eli.  She will most likely see him on future trips but she comes to Jerusalem with her firstborn son and she leaves without him. How many times have you bargained with God?  Have you ever prayed, " God if you do this then I will do this? "  Did God answer the

  This is the classic picture signifying prayer.  We have started our 5 month series on looking at the practices that Jesus did with His disciples.  One of them was prayer.  Jesus prayed; He taught on prayer; and He taught His disciples to pray sayin, " Our Father,... " Each month will be one or two of Jesus discipleship practices along with some application/engagement points and a follow-up session to share our experiences of implementing this discipleship practice.  If we are to make disciples then we need to first be disciples and follow in the steps of our Master Teacher Jesus Christ. Our text for this Sunday was 1 Timothy 2:1-8.  Paul is instructing younger Timothy to be a man of prayer for all men (v.1) and also to encourage  the men in every place to pray (v.8).  So Timothy is being a disciple in v.1 and he is making disciples in v.8.  This discipleship practice of prayer is good and acceptable in the sigh of God our Savior (v.3).   In the midst of this instruct

  We have come to the end of these two letters from the Apostle Peter.  He has spoken to us about this salvation provided by God, purchased by Jesus and being polished by the Holy Spirit in our lives.  He has given us extensive instructions on how we are to live these saved lives even in times of persecution.  He has warned us about false teachers coming among the flock of God to draw disciples to themselves.  Finally, Peter tells of the great and glorious 2nd coming of Christ for those who are saved but the judgment to fall upon those who are not.   Again I am amazed at the transformation in Peter from his demeanor in the Gospels to his admissions in these letters.  He goes from prideful Peter, telling even Jesus what to do, to unpretentious Peter, referring to himself having a hard time understanding Paul's letters.  Peter mentions Paul as his " beloved brother ."  One he dearly loves and part of God's family with him and this is assumedly after Paul had called him