Goodbye, Stale Prayers

Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18  (New Oxford Bible)

While driving to an appointment, I was listening to the Bott (Christian) radio network. The pastor was teaching on the topic of prayer. He caught my attention when he asked the following two questions: 1) “Are your prayers becoming stale”? 2) “Do you find yourself praying for the same things and using the same words over and over”? 

If the answer was yes, he suggested we try praying the scriptures. I wasn’t sure I wanted to listen anymore as that idea had been introduced to me several years ago and after trying it for a week or so I went back to praying in my own words. Somehow praying scripture made me feel I had lost the intimacy I feel when talking to God in my own words.

However, the next morning, I decided to give it a try. I did as the pastor suggested and prayed from the book of Psalms because as he said the whole book of Psalms is a book of praise. I started with Psalm 23 because the words are familiar and I am comfortable saying them.

After I prayed the first line: “The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.” I stopped. Then in my own words I praised Jesus for shepherding me through a difficult time. I moved on to the next sentence: “He makes me to lie down in green pastures; he leads me beside the still waters; he restores my soul.” Then I thanked Him for the necessities of life especially a home in which to find solace.

With each line of the 23rd Psalm, I found that I could stop and add my own words of praise, thanks or petition. This was definitely a new way for me to pray. It allowed me to maintain that closeness that I had missed in my previous attempts to pray the scriptures.

My long-range plan is to choose each morning one of the many names there are for Jesus and the scripture describing that name, i.e., Shepherd, Light of the World, Savior, etc. Now I’ve said good-bye to stale, repetitive prayers.

If you find that your prayers have become stale and repetitive, perhaps praying the scriptures would be of help to you, too.

Prayer: Father, we praise you for the beautiful words in the Holy Bible, and we thank you for hearing our prayers in whatever words we say them when they come from our hearts. In your Son Jesus’ holy name we pray. Amen.

Judy Welch (reprinted from the 2017 Eastridge Lenten Devotional)

Rest

And God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done. Genesis 2:2-3

Sometimes it is right and appropriate to do absolutely nothing. Even God chose to conclude his work by resting. Every living thing needs its rest. Sleep reverses the tiring activities of the day. Energy and vitality return to us after a rest. Industrious, highly productive people sometimes feel guilty about doing nothing. The last thing most people want to be is lazy. Some say, "the devil finds work for idle hands," but God himself has set us an example of rest. Sometimes with our work, rest cannot always come on Sunday. But each of us needs time when ordinary works gives way to God, the Word, and our families.

Prayer: Lord God, teach us that it is our duty to work and also to rest. Amen.

Peg Olmsted (from the 2008 Eastridge Daily Devotional Book) 

Facts in the Bible

To whom also he showed himself alive after his passion by many infallible proofs, being seen of them forty days, and speaking of the things pertaining to the Kingdom of God. Acts 1:3

I am continually amazed at the experts who run the Institute for Creation Research (ICR) in Dallas, TX. It is an amazing place in a quiet neighborhood which I have visited many times and brought family and friends with me. Their writers Henry Morris, Ph. D, Henry Morris III, D. Min, John Morris, Charles C. Morse, D. Min. and Brian Thomas, Ph. D, put out the “Days of Praise” every three months. It is sent to me free and they are so greatly written. I cannot bring myself to throw any of them away.  

Today I read from the March, April and May publication written in 2020. It tells of the 40-day periods which occur 17 times in the Bible. They write that it is noteworthy that 40 days is one-ninth of the original (and prophetic) lunar/solar year of 360 days. There are nine 40-day periods mentioned in the Bible. Six of the periods are finished by Kings 19:8 at page 596 in my “The Message Bible” and the seventh one doesn’t occur again until page 1676 with the last being page 1972 at Acts 1:3. What is remarkable to me is that God continually has reasons to have this happen 9 times. I read them this morning. Do you wonder why God used the same size period of time nine times? The oldest Henry Morris wrote this and points out all were stories of great stress and intense testing for one or more of God’s people except the last one. This last one is the 40 days of triumph Christ spent with His disciples. These writers continually point out items to me that make me understand the miracles of Jesus Christ and the connections of the New Testament with the Old Testament.  

(1)Genesis 7:12, 17  

(2)Exodus 24:18          

(3)Exodus 34:28  Deuteronomy 9:18   

(4)Numbers 13:25,14:34          

(5)1 Samuel 17:16                 

(6)1 Kings 19:8     

(7)Jonah 3:4          

(8)Matthew 4:2, Mark 1:13, Luke 4:2        

(9)Acts 1:3  

Prayer: Dear Lord, thank you Lord that all of our periods of stress can end because of the triumph of Christ in his last 40 days when we ask Him to be with us and guide us. Amen.

Sandra Hilsabeck                                                                                      

Let There Be Light. And There Was.

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters. And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. God saw that the light was good, and he separated the light from the darkness. God called the light “day,” and the darkness he called “night.” And there was evening, and there was morning—the first day. Genesis 1:1-5

Sunshine warms our bodies and makes us feel better was how Kris Adler-Brammer began her children’s sermon on April 12. Those words made me sit up and take notice because when the sun shines, I often find myself seeking its warmth. In Texas, I can find a lounge chair sitting by the side of the pool, arm myself with a jug of water, a few veggies and some fruit and a soft pillow in case I need a nap and begin my day by watching and listening to the birds and sounds of the out of doors. This is what I saw and heard one morning not long ago.  

A small bird opened its beak and gave a long song. To my amusement, the mockingbird in the front yard repeated the song. Tall grass hid the identification of a small bird but her tail appearing above the grass told me it was a small wren.  Suddenly, all chatter ceased and a hawk filled the sky. Even the squirrels hid in the leaves of the live oak. Then the enemy was gone again and the cardinal called and joined his mate at a bird bath nearby. It was a busy time in the back yard that day but the birds and animals and I enjoyed every ray. 

God did see a need for light in our world just as Genesis says. He did make the light but it is our responsibility to not only enjoy the light but to take care of the light and the world he made for us. We need to appreciate and worship the world we have been given. Our state is a low water state so it will be up to us to grow plants that thrive in near drought conditions. We need to enjoy the rain if and when it comes instead of grousing about what a nasty day it is. We can practice being content with what we have not always wishing for more. Amen 

Carolyn Olsen

 

 

Built for This

"For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” Ephesians 2:10

“Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.” Jeremiah 1:5

“I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.” Psalm 139:14

Sometimes when the winter temperatures are subzero and the wind is whipping about, I think of the barred owl and other creatures I enjoy photographing. Are they staying safe and warm? Are they surviving? Not all do, of course, but these creatures are usually just fine in cold weather. They are “built for it.” Unlike ours, their bodies are made to withstand severe temperatures.

Birds, for example, can drop their metabolic rate to conserve heat, while they use their feathers as insulation and a means to trap warm air close to their bodies.

In the liturgy I used for a recent family funeral, I used some clippings from {her} journal. From this scrapbook, a portion of a letter-to-an-advice-columnist included this response/advice: “Remember, though, that we are built for this. We are meant to die and we are meant to witness death. We are meant to love, too.”  

A similar phrase (“made for this”) appeared in an article I just read in Better Homes and Gardens. The interview was with a homeowner who lost everything in the Pacific Palisades fires in 2025. Or maybe not everything: when sorting through the rubble, she discovered a set of bowls from her wedding china: inexplicably preserved, when everything else had been incinerated. A friend who had marveled along with her about the timing of the fires and the discovery of the plates: she had been practicing meditation and they both felt this was central to her survival and perspective: “it’s almost like you were made for this.” She (the homeowner) says that we don’t survive difficult things in our lives without breaking somewhere. “We’re more fragile than we look, and also so much stronger than we ever imagined.” It all becomes part of our stories.

Prayer: Dear Lord, we are “built for this”. We are created in your image, as your beloved children. Help us to use this knowledge to strengthen us spiritually. Amen.

Donna Gustafson

(I couldn’t miss an opportunity to share photos of a barred owl (since I referenced them above!) and a golden-crowned kinglet, famous for withstanding cold temps.)

Good and Faithful Servant

The last several months we have struggled with my Mom's health, and last week she went to be with Jesus. As her daughter I thought of all the things she did for me and what I would miss about her the most. When we met with the pastor of the Broken Bow Berean Bible church he said what would you like me to preach about during the service? My sisters and I all said Salvation. 

My Mom lived in a town of about 4,000 people and everyone knew her; she was vibrant, outgoing, kind, and never knew a stranger. But what we want her to be remembered for is her love for Jesus and being a faithful servant. She became a Christian at a young age, but as she matured and especially when she retired we saw incredible changes in the way she served her community, church, and her family. She had always been involved but once she had time she made it her #1 priority. The verse says "you have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things". 

Every day God is working in our lives to help us become the best disciple that we will allow Him to make us. We all need to volunteer a little more, help with VBS, work at the Food Pantry, the list could go on and on. God has created us to serve him, and by being servants we are able to touch others so they can see the Face of Jesus!

Becky Rankin (reprinted from 2018)

Keeping it Real

Blessed is he whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man whose sin the Lord does not count against him and in whose spirit is no deceit. When I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long. For day and night your hand was heavy upon me; my strength was sapped as in the heat of summer. Selah Then I acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my iniquity. I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord”—and you forgave the guilt of my sin. Selah Psalm 32:1-5

The commentary in The CEB Study Bible points out that David’s penitential prayer in Psalm 32 clarifies “that true happiness derives not from being sinless but rather from being forgiven” and “the psalmist’s problems result not from divine wrath but rather from the failure to confess sin, and perhaps from the energy expended in pretending to be perfect.” What a poignant reminder for us in the age of social media. The pressures created by hyper-competitive work or school environments are daunting, to say the least, and functioning in a culture that celebrates image above substance creates its own set of adversities. Indeed, it is exhausting—and mentally unhealthy—to maintain a deceitful image of perfection. As taxing as this deception is online, how much more so is it to struggle in a vain effort to withhold our most intimate failings and wrongdoings from God?

 

Prayer:

Creator God,

“This morning

and all mornings,

as we face the day

daunted by expectations

others place upon us,

weighed down by burdens,

unsure of outcomes,

opposed,

alone,

afraid,

remind us that you faced all this and more,

that we might loose

the chains that bind us,

rise above and beyond

the troubles of this world,

and know peace

in your embrace.”*

Amen

*© John Birch, 2016, www.faithandworship.com 

Barry and Alinda Stelk (reprinted from 2018)