Pieces of the Puzzle

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. For as we share abundantly in Christ’s sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too. If we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation; and if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which you experience when you patiently endure the same sufferings that we suffer. Our hope for you is unshaken, for we know that as you share in our sufferings, you will also share in our comfort.

For we do not want you to be unaware, brothers, of the affliction we experienced in Asia. For we were so utterly burdened beyond our strength that we despaired of life itself. Indeed, we felt that we had received the sentence of death. But that was to make us rely not on ourselves but on God who raises the dead. He delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us. On him we have set our hope that he will deliver us again. You also must help us by prayer, so that many will give thanks on our behalf for the blessing granted us through the prayers of many. ~2 Cor. 1:3-11 (CEB)

“Many of us have absorbed tacit or explicit taboos about what we are permitted to bring into prayer. We may have learned, for instance, that doubt, anger, hatred, or despair were inappropriate to express to God. Yet we know what happens to human relationships when negative feelings are suppressed. Communication becomes artificial or breaks down; the two parties become emotionally estranged; intimacy becomes impossible. Why should we imagine it is different with God? In prayer, we need to speak whatever truth is in us: pain and grief, fear and disappointment, yearning and desire, questions and doubt, hope and faith, failure and weakness, praise and thanks, despair and sorrow, anger and yes, even hatred.” ~From Soul Feast by Marjorie J. Thompson

Help me O Lord to speak from my heart. Help me to remember that feelings just are, they are not right or wrong. Help me to be real in this time of prayer so that there will not be a wall between You and me. Amen.

And when the Gentiles heard this, they began rejoicing and glorifying the word of the Lord, and as many as were appointed to eternal life believed. And the word of the Lord was spreading throughout the whole region. But the Jews incited the devout women of high standing and the leading men of the city, stirred up persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and drove them out of their district. But they shook off the dust from their feet against them and went to Iconium.  And the disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit. ~Acts 13:48-42 (CEB)

“Prayer is larger than any of us. It is less a question of bringing prayer into our hearts than of bring our hearts into prayer; not drawing water from the sea to fill a bath, but being immersed in an immense ocean and becoming one with it.” ~From Toward God by Micheal Casey

Almighty God, this day may I feel that my heart is connected to Yours. Fill me with Your presence. Empower me this day and guide me along the path I am to go. Amen.

Now when Herod was about to bring him out, on that very night, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains, and sentries before the door were guarding the prison. And behold, an angel of the Lord stood next to him, and a light shone in the cell. He struck Peter on the side and woke him, saying, “Get up quickly.” And the chains fell off his hands. And the angel said to him, “Dress yourself and put on your sandals.” And he did so. And he said to him, “Wrap your cloak around you and follow me.” And he went out and followed him. He did not know that what was being done by the angel was real, but thought he was seeing a vision. When they had passed the first and the second guard, they came to the iron gate leading into the city. It opened for them of its own accord, and they went out and went along one street, and immediately the angel left him. When Peter came to himself, he said, “Now I am sure that the Lord has sent his angel and rescued me from the hand of Herod and from all that the Jewish people were expecting.” ~Acts 12:6-11 (CEB)

“Prayer is not controlled. We are the ones controlled, called upon to submit to a mysterious inward process, to be carried beyond ourselves without ever knowing clearly what carries us or where we are going” ~From Toward God by Micheal Casey

May I be guided by the Holy Spirit this day, O Lord. May I be sensitive to It’s promptings to go this way or to go that way. Help me ever to submit to Your will. Amen.

Finally, brothers, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may speed ahead and be honored, as happened among you, and that we may be delivered from wicked and evil men. For not all have faith. But the Lord is faithful. He will establish you and guard you against the evil one. And we have confidence in the Lord about you, that you are doing and will do the things that we command. May the Lord direct your hearts to the love of God and to the steadfastness of Christ. ~2 Thes 3:1-5 (CEB)

“What the world longs for from the Christian religion is the witness of men and women daring enough to be different, humble enough to make mistakes, wild enough to be burned in the fire of love, real enough to make others see how unreal they are. Jesus, son of the living God, anoint us with fire this day. Let your Word not shine in our hearts, but let it burn. Let there be no division, compromise, or holding back. Separate the mystics from the romantics, and goad us to that daredevil leap into the abyss of your love.” ~ From Reflections for Ragamuffins by Brennan Manning

Almighty God, help me to daring enough to take chances for You. Help me to be more real in all I do and say this day. May my heart reflect Your love through my actions this day. Amen.

So Peter was kept in prison, but earnest prayer for him was made to God by the church. Now when Herod was about to bring him out, on that very night, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains, and sentries before the door were guarding the prison. And behold, an angel of the Lord stood next to him, and a light shone in the cell. He struck Peter on the side and woke him, saying, “Get up quickly.” And the chains fell off his hands. ~Acts 12:5-7 (CEB)

“It is an answered prayer which brings praying out of the realm of dry, dead things, and makes praying a thing of life and power. It is the answer to prayer which brings things to pass, changes the natural trend which brings things to pass, changes the natural trend of things, and orders all things according to the will of God. It is the answer to prayer which takes praying out of the regions of fanaticism, and saves it from being Utopian, or from being merely fanciful. It is the answer to prayer which makes praying real and divine.” ~From The possibilities of Prayer by Edward M. Bounds

Almighty God, I thank You for the power of prayer. I thank You for this sacred moment where I find myself in Your presence. May I take this moment with me and cherish throughout this day. May it help equip me to do Your work. May it help me to see with Your eyes and to love with Your heart. Amen.

Now the full number of those who believed were of one heart and soul, and no one said that any of the things that belonged to him was his own, but they had everything in common. And with great power the apostles were giving their testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was upon them all. There was not a needy person among them, for as many as were owners of lands or houses sold them and brought the proceeds of what was sold and laid it at the apostles ‘feet, and it was distributed to each as any had need. Thus Joseph, who was also called by the apostles Barnabas (which means son of encouragement), a Levite, a native of Cyprus, sold a field that belonged to him and brought the money and laid it at the apostles’ feet. ~Acts 4:32-37 (CEB)

“Remarkable things happened when the early church prayed. The fourth chapter of the book of Acts records just one of those audacious prayers and the nearly unbelievable events that followed a time of very bold prayer. The threat of opposition was real; the disciples knew they faced the same dangers that had taken the life of Jesus. So they prayed for boldness to speak the gospel truth and for the active healing presence of God to be evident in their midst and in their ministry.

The scripture says that signs and wonders gave evidence of God’s activity in the midst of this new community of followers of Jesus Christ. One of those dramatic signs was the incredible community that forms around Jesus Christ. ‘Not a needy person among them’ (Acts 4:34) is a sign and wonder that we long for in every community. Many sold land and goods then brought the proceeds and laid it at the disciples’ feet. The disciples ‘distributed to each as any had need’ (Acts 4:35). Such love and generosity were certainly additional remarkable signs of God’s activity in the midst of the early church.

The miraculous healings brought about as the apostles declared the gospel also revealed God’s presence and action in the church community. The willingness to relinquish property and wealth for the good of all was even more compelling than the healing received by the sick who were brought to the apostles. The results of the apostles’ prayer was evident to those within the church and astounded observers from afar, who were then drawn to this contagious and joyful community. May our prayers to be as audacious and God’s response in our midst as dramatic and transforming.” ~From A Guide to Prayer for All Who Seek God, Rueben P. Job

Lord Jesus Christ, pour out Your spirit upon your church so that she may faithfully and constantly serve you and your children. In the name of Christ. Amen.

And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us. And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of him. ~1 John 5:14-15 (CEB)

“God is active in the world and in our lives in many ways. We may feel the mystery of God as we view storm clouds brewing over a blue ocean. We may experience the love of God when we are comforted by a friend. We may be filled with the compassion of God as we attend a conference on the plight of the homeless. We may be blessed by the peace of God as we study the Bible. God comes to us in both our conscious and our unconscious experiences for God is in all of life.” ~From Journaling by Anne Broyles

O God, from whom all holy desires, all good counsels, and all just works do proceed: Give me that peace which the world cannot give; that my heart may be set to obey all Your commandments, and also by Your power, I am defended from the fear of my struggles, able to rest in quietness; through the merits of Jesus Christ my Savior. Amen.

When the days drew near for him to be taken up, he set his face to go to Jerusalem. ~Luke 9:51 (CEB)

“Biblical spirituality inspires acts of courage born of commitment to God. Such courage does not call persons to do the impossible but faithfully and selflessly to do what they can when they could have chosen otherwise. Lent recalls the courage of Jesus who ‘set his face to go to Jerusalem’ (Luke 9:51), in of understanding what awaited him there. Jesus’ example invokes courage today as you and I translate words of commitment to God into freely chosen actions that place others above self- and God above all, for trust of God opens the door to courage.” ~From Neglected Voices by John Indermark

Almighty God, through the power of your Holy Spirit you enable me to do and be more than I can think or imagine. Come now, dwell within me and give me strength to do your work and will. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. Or which one of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him! ~Matt 7:7-11 (CEB)

“How beautiful it is to see relationships in which asking and receiving are a joyful and loving way of life. Often we see those who cherish one another each seriously or playfully trying to out give the other. That is how relationships should be. Of course we must never eliminate the asking side of the relationship. Balance must be kept, for giving is not the same as imposition. That is why God does not just five us what we need without being asked. Prayer is nothing but a proper way for persons to interact. Thus Jesus very naturally moves in Matt. 7:7-11 from asking for what you want of others to asking for what you want from your Father, the one in the heavens. /these two relationships, he clearly taught, are on a continuous line.” ~From The Divine Conspiracy by Dallas Willard

Almighty God, you have called the church into being and have gathered us into one family. By the power of your Holy Spirit help us to live in unity and peace with all of you children. May our actions this day be fruit of our faith in your kingdom. In the name of Christ. Amen.

LORD, you are my God. I will exalt you; I will praise your name, for you have done wonderful things, planned long ago, faithful and sure. ~Isaiah 25:1 (CEB)

“There can be no substitute, no rival for prayer; it stands alone as the great spiritual force, and this force must be imminent and acting. It cannot be dispensed with during one generation, nor held in abeyance for the advance of any great movement- it must be continuous and particular, always, everywhere, and in everything. We cannot run our spiritual operations on the prayers of the past generation. Many persons believe in the efficacy of prayer, but not many pray. Prayer is the easiest and hardest of all things; the simplest and the sublimest; the weakest and the most powerful; its results lie outside the range of human possibilities- they are limited only by the omnipotence of God.

Few Christians have anything but a vague idea of the power of prayer; fewer still have any experience of that power. The Church seems almost wholly unaware of the power God puts into her hand; this spiritual carte blanche on the infinite resources of God’s wisdom and power is rarely, if ever, used- never used to the full measure of honoring God. It is astounding how poor the use, how little the benefits. Prayer is our most formidable weapon, but the one in which we are the least skilled, the most averse to its use. We do everything else for the heathen save the thing God wants us to do; the only thing which does any good- makes all else we do efficient.” ~From Purpose in Prayers by Edward M. Bounds

Heavenly Father, Forgive me when I brush off prayer time with You. Forgive me when prayer is the last resort for a problem. Nudge me to start all things with prayer. Help to remember that the best thing I can do for someone in need is to pray. Lord, I step forth day determined to utilize this power You allow us. All things I now turn over to you in prayer. Amen.