[Faith-talk] Daily Thought for Friday, July 19, 2013

[justin williams]

So you think these are the last and evil days?

-----Original Message-----
From: Faith-talk [mailto:faith-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Paul
Sent: Friday, July 19, 2013 2:40 PM
To: SereneMountain at yahoogroups.com
Subject: [Faith-talk] Daily Thought for Friday, July 19, 2013

Hello and good day on this last day of the workweek, for those of us who are
fortunate enough to be gainfully employed, and a hello to the rest of you.
Here's hoping that we in North America are keeping cool to the best of our
ability, AC-wise.

The article presented for you today hopefully will engender some thoughts in
your mind, if not an e-mail discussion on the various lists that receive
these messages.  The author in question, Heather Campeau, lives in
Massachusetts and her submission is entitled "What Running Teaches About
Prayer," rendered as follows:

In college, I began a diet and exercise regimen to eliminate the "freshman
fifteen." At the time, my mother remarked, "You exercise _religiously." As I
was not walking as closely with the Lord at that time, her comment pricked
my conscience.  Now, about 20 years later, I have learned some parallels in
these disciplines.  The Bible says, "Train yourself to be godly.  For
physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things,
holding promise for both the present life and the life to come" (1 Tim.
4:7-8 NIV).


Discipline
Running requires great discipline.  In my hometown, there was a teacher that
regularly ran the Boston Marathon.  She would run before school started, in
the dark, in the capricious New England weather, and then teach middle
school students for the rest of the day.  Like running, the discipline of
prayer must be top priority in our lives.  Often it means that one must rise
early in the morning and take time alone to seek God's will.


Passion
Runners are crazy people.  Runners run in all types of weather because they
love it.  I have completed three marathons, and all types of people
participate.  Some participants wear costumes; some don mullet wigs for the
course.  There is an annual 5K in which everyone dresses as Santa Claus.  I
read an article about a woman who wore a wedding gown through a mud run.
Recently, ultra marathons have become the rage where individuals run
hundreds of miles, twenty-four hours a day.  Eric Liddell is famous for
saying, "When I run, I feel God's pleasure."

I knew a woman who was passionate about prayer.  Debbie Erickson served
behind the scenes at church, singing in the choir, making the world's best
whoopee pies, making crafts for Vacation Bible School, and praying for
others.  Although a prayer warrior, Debbie was a humble woman and did not
have her driver's license.  She relied on others to take her to the grocery
store, doctors' appointments, church, and social events.  She became so
passionate about her prayer ministry for incarcerated youth that in her
40's, she decided to get her driver's license so she could minister to the
forgotten boys in juvenile prisons.  Debbie was a creative, passionate
Christian who died more than a year ago.  I know she is enjoying the
presence of Jesus, because she passionately served Him during her life.


Perseverance
Runners need perseverance to continue running and stay in top form.  Often
in prayer, we need to persevere to see a situation through.  An area that I
have been persisting in prayer is my husband's work.  He is continually
seeking his niche, and as a result, he has had more than 25 jobs during his
lifetime.  I often get discouraged and wonder if God is listening; we have
to remember that God's timing is different from ours.  Another area in which
I need perseverance is praying for my children.  Daily I go to the Lord and
ask for His protection and guidance as my children grow.  The Lord has seen
us through surgeries, braces, school, growing pains, vacations and
friendships.  As they continue to grow and change, I will continue to pray
for their concerns.


Cross-training
Runners supplement their training with a variety of sports, including weight
training, bicycling and swimming.  In the same way, there are different
types of prayer and changing our prayers can have great impact.  I like to
journal my prayers so that, when I look back from time to time, I can see
God's answers.  There is great value in praying Scripture-based prayers.  As
I read my Bible, I take note of verses that apply to my life situations and
prayers.  I enjoy great prayer time as I exercise daily.  It is important to
remember that an important part of prayer is listening and waiting for God
to respond.  Prayer is communication with God, and often we need to take a
break from our "wish lists" and listen to God's voice.


Strength in numbers
Identifying with a group makes running or other activity more exciting.
Although running is an individual sport, it can be more fun when training
with a friend.  Likewise, praying with others has great power.  Jesus said,
"If two of you agree on earth about anything you ask for, it will be done
for you by My Father in heaven.  For where two or three are gathered in My
name, I am there among them" (Matt. 18:19-20).  Recently, a young boy
suffered severe brain damage during a bike accident.  Hundreds of people
prayed for him daily and he had a complete recovery.  Amazing technology is
available today with email, Facebook, Twitter, and Iphones.  Information
travels instantly, and we can use social networking to heighten our
awareness of others' needs and increase our prayer list.


Lifetime pursuit
There is a T-shirt for runners that says, "My sport is your sport's
punishment." Running is not a fad; it is a discipline that can be pursued
for a lifetime.  Prayer is also a life-long commitment.


Celebration
When I completed my first marathon, I stepped across the finish line and
heard my name called over the loudspeaker while a volunteer placed a medal
around my neck.  It is so rewarding to cross the finish line! After a race,
runners get well-deserved rest, seek medical attention, and enjoy good food.
Sometimes they win rewards.  Prayer is a rewarding pursuit as well, as we
see God answer our requests.  I am so grateful for the ways God has been
faithful to me.  Sometimes God answers differently than we would like, but
we know He works all things together for good.  Most important, when we
pray, we grow closer to God, and He changes us to be like Him, so that when
we finally meet Him, He can tell us, "Well done, good and faithful servant!"
(Matt. 25:21 NIV).

Well, as I said earlier, there is food for thought here as well as food for
discussion on the various lists, hopefully without any rancor or backbiting.

And now may the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob just keep us safe,
individually and collectively, in these last evil days in which we live.
Your Christian friend and brother, Oil of Gladness
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