Daily Prayer 10/22/07

1 John 2:7-11 Beloved, I am not writing a new commandment to you, but an old commandment which you have had from the beginning; the old commandment is the word which you have heard. On the other hand, I am writing a new commandment to you, which is true in Him and in you, because the darkness is passing away and the true Light is already shining. The one who says he is in the Light and {yet} hates his brother is in the darkness until now. The one who loves his brother abides in the Light and there is no cause for stumbling in him. But the one who hates his brother is in the darkness and walks in the darkness, and does not know where he is going because the darkness has blinded his eyes.

Father- Thank You for immediately hearing our prayers. You do not always answer them right away but You do answer them surely, according to Your will. In these verses we again see the pattern of life. Holy Spirit work on our hearts and open our eyes to the truth about ourselves. This is between what is in the depths of our heart and You. Is the pattern of our life growing in Christ with sin decreasing or do we continue in sin even though Your name is on our lips? A tough question. We must examine our hearts before You Lord. If we say we belong to You, yet we continue sinning....we do not belong to You. We are not following Christ. Father You know how I called myself a Christian while I followed whatever made me happy. I sinned not even seeing my sin. I lived for my happiness and gave little thought to how You viewed my life. Let us examine ourselves in the light of Your Holy Perfection. What John is describing here is a hypocrite. They say one thing and do another. In public and at church and around certain people they say the right things and act the right way but at home behind closed doors they sin openly, freely and willingly. It's You we should fear not the eyes of man. Your eyes see all things and all things are recorded for the day of judgment. How often in my mind or in private have I sinned without worry knowing no one knows my thoughts or my actions or my angers or complaints? Father that only shows me I fear man more than You which is SO backwards! I am so foolish to think I can sin these sins in front of Your face! How could I think or do such things before a good person, yet I will sin freely before the eyes of my Lord. Forgive me Father! I am a foolish man who sins like a child without understanding. So what is our answer? Only the Holy Spirit given when we have placed our faith in Christ for the forgiveness of these sins can convict us and change us. Holy Spirit we do not want to be foolish and sin before the eyes of the Father and bring shame to the Great Savior who died for our sins! Please purify our hearts from these sins. Help us to overcome them. We sin willingly and we choose to sin. Such rebellion against God and we prove each day a heart that is sick with sin....yet we think we are good enough to go to heaven or that God is lucky to have us! What a joke, we need to be humbled by You and reminded that we are nothing and deserve nothing, yet You have given us all things through Christ! How can this be? You are a Great God, our Great King who has died for us and will bring us to You into the home You have prepared for us who sin against You every day.....again we look at the pattern of our lives. Are we hypocrites Lord or by Your power are You giving us growth and victory over sin as You make us more like Christ each day.

Like a tree planted by streams of living water (Pslam 1) we are either growing or dying. Spirit show us which we are.

I pray for Thad's heart growth and the aorta that it is healed. May the next appointment increase Your glory as we praise You for Your work.

For Meeja in Hawaii, heal the pain in her hand or give her good doctors that can take care of the pain. I also pray Lord that You would bring her a full time job. I know they can be hard to find, but I also know that You have control over all circumstances of life. May You bring a good full time job soon.

Our life is Yours to do with as You please. In Christ's Name we pray, amen.