Thoughts for the Day

I have debated what all to write on this blog. It's main purpose is to keep friends, family and faithful prayer partners up to date with what is happening in Czech. It is focused on ministry and prayer needs, but I decided it would still be ok to blog my thoughts and more personal, everyday kinda stuff. So, here I go. If you want to read go ahead if your not interested in my ramblings just ignore this and read the posts about the ministry aspect.

God has really been teaching me the blessing of fasting and praying. It is a spiritual discipline I have not practiced much before. I started fasting for prayer and worship every Monday night and it has been incredible. I learned in Worship class last semester that one of the principles of worship is that it calls for sacred time. Yes we can worship and pray anytime and it can be casual or everyday, but we also need to have those sacred times set aside. I am not talking about church or your weekly Bible study either. I am talking about sacred time for you and God. That is what Monday night fasts have been for me. God truly honors that time and is has been much more meaningful and significant than I ever expected. Yes, I set aside daily devotional time, but this time of fasting and praying is different. I have felt closer and more intimate with God during these times than I ever have before. I think that the church as a whole has moved so far towards the casual "free" end of worship that we often loose the "sacred." I believe we have also forgotten the power and significance of Spiritual discipline. There is just something about fasting that says to me, "God you are more important than my daily sustanance and I realize that man cannot live on bread alone." I think this puts us in a pure and humble attitude of worship. And believe if your intentions our pure God will honor your commitment and He will show up! I do not say this to boast or say look what I can do. I say this to encourage my fellow brothers and sisters to do likewise. I want anyone who reads this to experience the power and intimacy of praying and fasting before God. If I do not share with others what God is teaching me it has only done me good and no one else.

Prayer is powerful thing. God continues to remind me of this throughout my life. This time of prayer and fasting has been one of them. What an incredible feeling to be connected with our Father the Creator of the universe! In my time tonight I was also reminded of it in a different way. In light of the week of passion, I was reading about Jesus in the garden of Gathsemane before his betrayal. Jesus is "overwhelmed to the point of death" and he comes back to Peter, James and John, the three closest to him, and he finds them sleeping! He had asked them to stay and pray with him and they fell asleep in Christ's greatest need. I wondered what I would have done. Then I wondered how many times I have failed Christ when he needed me most. Taht's not all though, he then turns to Peter and says, "Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the body is weak." I thought how true that is of me. My spirit is so willing but my flesh is definitely weak. How do I change this? The answer is right there, pray. Christ is the only one that can change our flesh. Constant prayer is the only way to overcome the weak flesh and live in the willing spirit. I wish I would do this and live this out everyday.

Those are the thoughts that God has given me for today. I hope that they have spoken to you and challenged you. Again I do not say these things to bring attention or glory to myself. I share them because I believe God has shown me these things and that it is my responsibility then to share them with others that they too may benefit. Thank you for your many prayers God is truly blessing my time here and I have seen him work in amazing ways. He has done wonderful things in the lives around me and in my own. "And I pray that you, being rooted in and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ."