Review who and what you are praying for and about.

Are you the only one praying for that person, or that issue, or that opportunity?

You might be.

What implication does that have for the fervency of your prayers?

That possibility definitely helps me be consistent in my prayers, and heightens my sense of responsibility.

It is God, of course, who is sovereign over our world, but He has told us to pray.

If I am the only one praying, I want to make sure I am, in fact, praying.

How about you?

Let’s pray!

But, Lord, I don’t want to.

Have you ever said that to your Lord? I have. Ask yourself: “Is He Lord over your decision?” “Is He Lord over your life?”

Recently I talked about being on the shelf. (See On the Shelf) So, learning my new area of service should be—will be–wonderful. But what if I don’t like my new assignment?

It is God who decides our area of service. He gives each of us gifts that we are to use in His service, to build up the body of Christ. Some of us are feet, some eyes, some less presentable parts of Christ’s body.

So what if He gives me an area of service that reflects me as a lowly, less presentable part of the body? I am—you are—His, and in service to Him. It is His choice.

And it is GOD who rewards faithful service.

I wonder if Paul didn’t have his first choice of a ministry. Paul!

“For I could wish that I myself were accursed, separated from Christ for the sake of my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh…” (Romans 9:3)

Paul passion and anguish for his fellow Jews was deep and genuine, extending even to willingness for eternal self-sacrifice (which Paul knew wasn’t possible).

Yet God did not give Paul a ministry to the Jews for whom Paul had such devotion.

Instead, God sent Paul to the Gentiles, including to the Corinthians who gave Paul such heartache. Yet Paul was faithful in his ministry to them.

“Therefore, since we have this ministry, as we received mercy, we do not lose heart…” (2 Corinthians 4:1)

Has God given you an area of service that you really don’t want? Remember God’s mercy to you: He

1. Called you
2. Saved you
3. Justified you
4. Is sanctifying you
5. Will glorify you.

Let’s be conscious of His mercy towards you and me, thank Him for the opportunity to serve Him in whatever way He wants, and be faithful.

“Give us grateful hearts, our Father, for Your many blessings. Make us mindful of the needs of others. Through Jesus Christ our Lord.”

This Thanksgiving, take stock. Are you a grateful person? What are you grateful for? The Lord has given you and me many blessings–spiritual and earthly, eternal and temporal.

I once heard someone ask: “If the Lord removed everything for which you had not given thanks, what would you miss?”

This Thanksgiving, let’s take steps to become more grateful.

#1: Decide to become characterized by gratitude. Make up your mind.

#2: Ask the Giftgiver to give you a grateful heart.

#3: Spend time, at least 30 minutes, listing every spiritual and temporal blessing you can in that period of time. Thanksgiving Day is a great time for this, but pick additional days throughout the year as well. Your birthday. Christmas. New Year’s. Easter.

#4. Develop daily routines to reduce grumbling and increase gratitude:

– When you catch yourself grumbling, deliberately give thanks for something instead. (See Who are you grumbling at?)

– At the end of the day, every day, identify three things for which you are grateful. Think about what happened to cause those good things, and see God’s hand behind them. If you journal, write them down.

– Routinely share with others things for which you’re grateful. Sharing helps cement your thankfulness.

God commands us to give Him thanks (for example, Ephesians 5:20, ). We are told not to grumble (for example, Philippians 2:14).

(See Give thanks. Always. In everything.)

“Give us grateful hearts, our Father, for Your many blessings. Make us mindful of the needs of others. Through Jesus Christ our Lord.”

Happy Thanksgiving!

Employees are bombarded with distractions: email, messages, unscheduled visitors, phone calls. It is a huge productivity problem, with well-paid consultants and programs attempting to improve focus on the tasks at hand. Researchers have found that it takes some time, perhaps 25 minutes, to reengage after an interruption.

Distractions can be a spiritual problem as well.

Martha was distracted by her preparations and missed an opportunity to sit at Jesus’ feet.

“But Martha was distracted with all her preparations; and she came up to Him and said, “Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to do all the serving alone? Then tell her to help me.”” (Luke 10:40)

Solomon was distracted by his many foreign wives, and bad things happened.

“Now King Solomon loved many foreign women…and his wives turned his heart…away after other gods; and his heart was not wholly devoted to the Lord his God…Solomon did what was evil in the sight of the Lord, and did not follow the Lord fully…Now the Lord was angry with Solomon because his heart was turned away from the Lord, the God of Israel, who had appeared to him twice, and had commanded him concerning this thing, that he should not go after other gods; but he did not observe what the Lord had commanded. (1 Kings 11:1–13)

Interruptions and distractions must be managed if they cannot be eliminated.

Solomon could have obeyed the Lord and not taken many foreign wives.

Martha could have made more simple preparations and focused on the Lord.

We all are susceptible. A friend who has a child with ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder) talks about ADOS: Attention Deficit…Ooooh….Shiny.

But we can learn to recognize distractions, and keep our focus where the Lord wants it…But not without prayer and His help. And not without practice.

I think this is a tough problem in busy lives. Do you have suggestions for me?

I love to give and receive encouragement. And encouragement is—can be—a spiritual gift. (See A Little Help FOR Our Friends.)

But it is possible to encourage evil, and that is not good.

“Because you disheartened the righteous with falsehood when I did not cause him grief, but have encouraged the wicked not to turn from his wicked way and preserve his life…” (Ezekiel 13:22)

And the end of the chain of depravity in Romans 1 is:

“Although they know the ordinance of God, that those who practice such things are worthy of death, they not only do the same, but also give hearty approval to those who practice them.” (Romans 1:32)

We must be discerning to know when encouragement is good, or not.

We must prayerfully consider:

How and when to encourage

AND how not to encourage evil in others.

Let’s consider “how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds,” (Hebrews 10:24)

“These things speak and exhort and reprove with all authority.” (Titus 2:15)

Let’s consider how to encourage God’s children.

And let’s pray how to respond to the evil in our midst.

“The Lord has put me on the shelf.”

That is “Christian-ese” for “I am not in service”; “I’ve been set aside.”

Be careful. You may be in the Lord’s place of service, even though it isn’t how you want to be used.

Watch how you interpret “on the shelf.”

How about: “He is preparing me for something.” “He is giving me an opportunity to rest.” “I need to watch for opportunities in the place He put me.” “My time hasn’t come.” “Wait.”

Think about two people who might have felt they were on the shelf and forgotten:

John the Baptist

John the Baptist was about six months older than Jesus (Luke 1).

Eight days after he was born, his father prophesied: “And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High; for you will go on before the LORD to prepare His ways…” (Luke 1:76)

Then there was a loooonnnnggg delay:

“And the child continued to grow and to become strong in spirit, and he lived in the deserts until the day of his public appearance to Israel.” (Luke 1:80)

His public appearance didn’t come until he was about 30.

Moses

Moses fled Egypt when he was 40 and settled in Midian where he pastured the sheep of his father-in-law for 40 years. Forty years!

During those 40 years, he married, had children, and tended the sheep.

And then, one day, out of the blue, the angel of the LORD appeared to Moses in a blazing fire from the midst of a bush. (Exodus 3:2)

The time had come for the LORD to send Moses back to Egypt in order to deliver His people.

Our Shelf Time

John the Baptist, no doubt, knew about the prophecy and was waiting for the Lord to tell him, “Go!”

There is no indication Moses thought he would have anything to do for the Lord. He probably thought he would continue to tend sheep, year after year.

What about you? Me?

We do not know the future. We do not know the Lord’s specific plans.

But we do have the present, and need to use our time wisely.

Continue to grow in knowledge of God.

Study the Bible

Worship

Pray

Be obedient to Him.

Watch for His orders

Trust

I shouldn’t bother God with that little thing… I’ll just pray about the big stuff.

Huh?!

“For the want of a nail the shoe was lost,

For the want of a shoe the horse was lost,

For the want of a horse the rider was lost,

For the want of a rider the battle was lost,

For the want of a battle the kingdom was lost,

And all for the want of a horseshoe-nail.”

            Benjamin Franklin

What, exactly, is “big stuff” to God?

Nothing is too difficult for Him. Jeremiah 32:17

With God all things are possible. Matthew 19:26

God is almighty over all…including the “big stuff” and the “little stuff.”

Everything is easy for God, so even the “big stuff” is “little stuff.”

If it’s important to you, it’s important to your Father.

Pray about the “little stuff.”

So… Lord, should I upgrade my operating system?