Prayer
Prayer Requests
04/May/
We speak of the importance of prayer. Let's stop and think about that for a moment.
If I got what I prayed for, would I be happy? Do I know what is best for me? Do I try to bargain with God or try to give Him instructions?
I need to get one thing through my thick skull: I often don't know what I really want, and I usually don't know what would be best for me. Such knowledge is in God's hands. That is why I should limit my prayer requests to pleas for guidance, an open mind to receive it, and the strength and courage to follow through.
—Anonymous
Thorns Have Roses
07/April/
There are times when we're in over our heads, when life seems to be a long, drawn-out crisis. We can't solve it. There seems to be no escape. Such problems will weigh on our minds continually, going round and round in our heads until we become engulfed in despair.
This is a time to pray. It might be the Serenity Prayer. Or perhaps, "Thank You, God, for reminding me that thorns have roses." There is good even in the darkest troubles. Romans 8:28 tells us that "... we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose."
Painful experiences come from the thorns that wound us; they cause us to to forget the roses. Yet, we cannot expect to enjoy life's beauty, fragrance, and color without life's thorny challenges.
—Anonymous