Do Your Best and Trust God for the Rest

(Repost)
While Leonardo da Vinci, a famous painter, was still a pupil something happened. His old and famous master, because of his age, felt he had to give up his own work. One day he asked da Vinci to finish a picture for him that he had started. The young man had such reverence for his master's skill that he refused. The old artist wouldn't accept any excuse. He persisted, saying, 'Do your best.'
Finally Da Vinci told hold of the brush with trembling hands and knelt down by the easel and prayed: 'It is for the sake of my beloved master that I implore skill and power for this undertaking.' As he started painting, his hand grew steady and his mind was inspired. He forgot himself and was filled with enthusiasm for his work. When the painting was completed, the old master was carried into the studio to judge the result. What he was looking at was a picture of art. Throwing his arms about the young artist, he exclaimed, 'My son, I paint no more!'
We often shrink from starting the work which our Master gives us to do. We are not worthy; we have no skill or power for the great work. But the Master's gentle yet urgent word is, "Do your best.' We only have to kneel in reverence and pray, for the beloved Master's sake, for skill and strength for the job we are given to do, and we will be inspired and helped to do it well. The power of Christ will rest upon us and the love of Christ will be in our heart. And all work done under this inspiration will be acceptable unto God.
God told the Israelites that he had given them the land of Canaan and they needed to go and possess it. Because of the giants, and the big walls of the city, they were put off. Instead of trusting in God to help them, they disobeyed and never got to see the promised land. They were right; they couldn't do it. But God could do it through them.
"Through God we shall do valiantly: for he it is that shall tread down our enemies." Psalm 108:13

Scars of Love

(Repost)

A little girl grew up with a mum and dad who loved her very much. Of course, she loved her parents too. As she got older and went to school, the other children noticed that her mother's hands were terribly scarred and disfigured, and not nice to look at. They teased her about this and the little girl began to feel ashamed of her Mum's hands. She wished that they were smooth and beautiful like other girl's mums.

As time went on, the mother began to notice a change in her daughter's behavior whenever they neared the school gate; she seemed to not want to be seen with her. Saddened and hurt, she asked what was the matter. Embarrassed, the little girl looked down at her feet and then blurted out, “It's your hands, Mum! The other girls always laugh at your ugly hands and tease me about them. Why have you got such ugly hands?”

Sitting the little girl down on a bench-seat nearby, the mother gently asked her, “Would you like me to tell you why?”

“Oh yes!” replied the little girl. Quietly her mother began.

“A few years ago when you were just a baby, I woke up in the middle of the night. I could smell something burning. I rushed into your room and found that the heater I put in there to warm the room had set fire to your little cot. I didn't have time to think of anything, but you, lying so near those terrible flames! I beat them out with my hands and rushed out of the room with you to safety. It was then I realised I had burnt my hands terribly, and that is why they are so scarred and ugly today.”

The little girl listened very quietly until her mother had finished her story. Then, with tears in her eyes, she flung her arms around her mother's neck and said, “Mummy, I love you all over—but I love your hands best of all.” From that day on she was never ashamed of them again. In fact, whenever the girls would foolishly taunt her about her Mother's scars, she would always reply, “They are scars of love!” and tell them the story.

Did you realise that Jesus too, has scarred hands?

He was nailed to a Roman cross and died there, so that we might have our sins forgiven and receive eternal life. Remember that first Easter, He appeared to all the disciples to show them He was alive. Thomas wasn't there, and he refused to believe it until he saw the scars in Jesus' hands and side where the nails and cruel spear had pierced him on the cross. Shortly afterwards, Jesus did appear to Thomas; “Look at my hands and side” He said to him. Thomas saw the scars and immediately believed. “My Lord and my God!” he said. We too, will one day see those same scars when we stand before Him. Will you be able to say, “My Lord and my God. I love you and those are scars received in my place when You died for my sin. They are 'Scars of Love' for me!”

Use Your Talents for God

by Ruth Lauridsen

This is something that I have/am learning.
A couple of months back, a girl said to me something like this. “ It had taken me a while to realize that if I enjoy doing something I should do my best and do it unto the LORD.” That has stuck with me. If I enjoy doing something I should do it to the best of my ability. For example I really like to sing. But instead of singing only just so people can hear my voice. I should be singing to the LORD. So now I don’t need to be afraid to sing my best in case people think I am showing off. But I can sing by best and sing it to my LORD. If you  have an ability to do something, use it. Find out ways to use the talent God has given you and do it the best of your ability, to the LORD.
But don’t get proud about it and make it become your idol. Just use the talent God has given you and for His glory.

“Neglect not the gift that is in thee,………… give thyself wholly to them; that thy profiting may appear to all.
                                                                    1 Timothy 4:14a & 15b

“ As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of  God. If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God; if any man minister, let him do it to the ability which God giveth: that God in all things may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom be praise and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.”      
                                              1 Peter 4:10-11  
 

“ And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men; Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ.”
                                                Colossians 3:23-24

              Give of Your Best to the Master       

     Give of your best to the Master; Give of the strength of your youth; Armed with the sword of salvation, Join in the battle for truth. Jesus has set the example; His life for others He gave; Give Him your loyal devotion, Give Him the best that you have.

    Give of your best to the Master; Give Him first place in your heart; Give Him first place in your service, Fully surrender each part. Give, and to you it shall be given; God, His beloved Son gave; Gratefully seeking to serve Him, Give Him the best that you have.

    Give of your best to the Master; Naught else is worthy His love; He gave Himself for your ransom, Gave up His glory above: Laid down His life without murmur, You from sin’s ruins to save; Give Him your heart’s adoration, Give Him the best that you have.
                                         - Howard Grose -

 

Lessons from Ants

We have a problem with ants in our kitchen at the moment, so they've been on my mind a lot!
Here a few lessons I've learned from them.
*If one ant finds food in my kitchen there will soon be hundreds of ants eating the food.
You need to squash any ant you see, otherwise they'll bring many more. It's easy to think, 'Oh, a few ants don't matter!' But it doesn't stay that way for long.
It's the same way with sin. One sin leads to more sin. Little sins lead to big sins. If you think, 'Oh, one lie won't hurt!' before long you'll be telling lies out of habit. Every lie you tell will make the next one easier.
You need to deal with sin straight away or it will start to control you.
Learn to notice sins and confess them straight away to God. Memorize verses that help you in that issue. Depending on what the sin is, try and avoid being tempted.  For example if wasting money is a strong temptation to you, don't go shopping 'just for fun!' Or if gossiping is your weakness, don't call people 'just for a chat!'
*Ants somehow share with others where the food is they've found.
They don't just enjoy it all for themselves.
We all share something with others, but what? Gossip? Complaints?
What about blessings? Do we share what God has done for us? Do we share what we're learning? Do we share the Gospel?
Do we share food or rubbish?
*An ant trap is made to attract ants.
My husband brought home some ant traps. A sweet smelling liquid is poured into a small well in the center and there are lots of ways for ants to crawl in and drink the poison. We put one on the bench in the evening. The next morning the little trap was black with ants. I thought, "Man, if you guys only knew that liquid is poisonous you wouldn't all be flocking to drink it." Or would they??
It made me feel sad, NOT because the ants were being poisoned, but because it reminded me of sin.
Satan likes to make sin look attractive, just like the ant traps had sweet smelling liquid. People flock into his poisonous traps. Sin often looks fun or exciting. The forbidden fruit in the garden of Eden looked nice especially when the serpent kept talking about it.
Hebrews 11:25 talks about enjoying the pleasures of sin. But it actually says 'the pleasures of sin for a season.' It's only fun for a while before it poisons and destroys you.
Satan is out to destroy you, just like we were out to get rid of the ants. But God loves you and cares about you. Will you listen to God or Satan?

Turning Babyish Again

1 Corinthians 13:11

When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things.

In the last few months, it's been quite funny watching our 2 year old, Hannah, react to having a younger sister. Hannah can walk and she is learning to talk. But as a result of being around Esther, she will often crawl around the floor! She also likes to make 'ga ga' noises instead of trying new words. Hannah used to always lie still while I changed her nappy. But now, since she's seen how wriggly Esther is, she sometimes decides to try rolling over while I'm changing her.

Hannah is older and knows better, yet she likes to be babyish so she will be like Esther.

Esther is still a baby, so I don't expect her to walk and talk already. But I do expect Hannah to because she can!

There is a good life lesson we can learn from this.

Like Hannah,we so easily start acting or talking like the people we are around because we don't want to be different. And even though we know better because of our background or what we have been taught, we will act in a way we know is not good.

For example, if I am around someone who talks negatively about their children a lot, the next minute I find myself talking negatively about mine too. Instead, because I know that children are a blessing, I should be talking positively and maybe they'll learn from me.

If you are from a Christian home or have some Christian background, you know better than a lot of other young people. Not because you are any better than them, but because you've been privileged to learn more in that way. But when you are around others who aren’t Christian or who haven't been taught like you have, how do you act? Do you talk a certain way so that you sound like them? Do you act how you usually wouldn’t because you want them to like you?

The next time you catch yourself copying people, remember the story of Esther and Hannah. Instead of turning 'babyish' again, set an example of how to act and talk right. Who knows? Maybe they'll be the ones to change!

Also, be careful who your closest friends are. We can't live in a bubble so no one influences us in the wrong way, but we can choose to have close friends who will have a positive influence on us.

1 Corinthians 15:33 Be not deceived: evil communications corrupt good manners.

Proberbs 13:20 He that walketh with wise men shall be wise: but a companion of fools shall be destroyed.

If I was a teen girl again.... part 2

7.Learn to be content.

If you're not content where you are right now, you probably wouldn't be content somewhere else. If you're not content being a daughter, you probably wouldn't be content as a wife.

8.Learn to be hardworking.
Enough said!

9.Memorize Scripture.
You'll never regret memorizing the Bible.

10.Learn to serve.
In order to be happy as a wife and mother, you need to be happy to serve!
"It is more blessed to give than to receive."
11.Be a good example to your siblings.
If you want to be a good mother one day, start by learning to be gentle and kind to your younger sisters and brothers or other young children you know.
"The light that shines the furtherest shines the brightest at home."

12. Keep your heart for your future husband.
Just remember that every guy will be some girl's husband (if they get married, of course) someday. Be careful to think about and treat every guy with purity.
If you do this, you will never regret it when you are married.

If I was a teen girl again.... (part 1)

If I was a teen girl again, there are some things I would do differently. But there are other things that looking back now, I'm very glad I did do.
Here is a list of 12 things I would make sure I would do if I could live my teen years over again.
Whether you marry and have children like I have or whether you stay single, I'm sure all these things will come in handy!
1. Learn how to keep your room in order!

This is one regret I have from my teen years. Up until I was about 15 or 16 I kept my room neat and tidy most of the time. But then I started to get very busy---teaching Sunday School. being a leader at Girl's Brigade etc.-- so I decided that my room wasn't a priority. I got married with the mindset that keeping your house clean and tidy is not a priority because spiritual things are far more important. Now I have a whole house to keep in order, a husband and 2 children with all their things not to mention myself! I have learned that keeping your house in order is a priority (not the first priority, of course) and I am trying to relearn how to keep things organized.
But if I had gotten into the habit when I only had my own little room to look after, I think the change would have been much easier.
2. Learn to treat your father with respect.
 If you get married, you will discover Mr. Right is Mr. Right not Mr. Perfect! All men have their faults and make their mistakes. So if you learn to respect your father in spite of his faults it will be easier to respect your husband with his faults. And if you never marry, you will always be under some authority, whether it's your pastor or your boss etc. So learn to show respect.
3. Learn practical skills like cooking.

If you are able to, learn how to cook! You don't automatically know how to cook the day you have your own house to look after.
One newly married man was asked how he was enjoying his married life. "Great!" he replied. "My wife really worships me. She puts before me three burnt offerings every day!"
4. Learn to find enjoyment in monotonous work.

Being married, being a mother or having your own house isn't all fun and games. There's plenty of monotonous work to do--washing dishes, folding washing, dusting, changing nappies to mention a few. If you learn to find enjoyment in work, life is so much more fun and enjoyable! There are different ways to make boring jobs more interesting like listening to music, memorizing Scripture or praying for people while you work.

One Proverbs says "In all labour there is profit."
5.Learn to be cheerful always.
This is something I'm trying to learn from my husband! Cheerfulness is one of his strong points.
Bad days can be so much better if we have a cheerful attitude.
6.Learn to look for the good in people.
If you are always finding fault with your family, guess what? You will find fault with your husband and your children or whoever else you are around. It's important to learn to focus on people's good points.

A Stumbling-block or a Stepping-stone

by Amy Carmichael
 
"To each is given a bag of tools,
An hour-glass, and a book of rules;
And each must build ere his work be done,
A stumbling-block or a stepping-stone."


Our bag of tools--our body with all its various powers, the "tools" God has given us to use; the hour-glass--time; the book of rules--our Bible; the stumbling-block--that which will hinder others; the stepping-stone--that which will help them nearer Heaven--so far all is clear.
Is this clear too? We cannot build both a stumbling-block and a stepping-stone. We must choose which we will build. Once built it stands; we cannot pull it down and begin over again. Is not this an awful truth? Think of what it would be if, when the day is over and the work is done, we looked at it and saw a stumbling-cbock. God save us from that.
Every true, loving, faithful thought, word, or deed, helps to build the stepping-stone. Every untrue, unloving, unfaithful thought, word, or deed, helps to build the stumbling-block over which others will fall.
God help us all to build stepping-stones.
 

A Ruined Dinner

This week I was cooking dinner. I decided to throw in a few of what I thought were little capsicums which we are growing in our greenhouse. (Before this we had had the suspicion that maybe they were spicy, but my husband had tried one and that one wasn't.)

So after adding them to my dinner, I was cutting up a few other vegetables when somehow I got this spicy taste in my mouth. I thought, 'I hope those 'capsicums' aren't actually chillies.' I took out one piece and tried it. Whew!! Yes, they definately were chillies.

I grabbed a little spoon and spent about 5 minutes trying to fish them all back out. 'I'm glad I realized,' I thought with relief, 'Otherwise our whole dinner could have been spoiled.'

My husband arrived home and I thought I would quickly have a taste of the dinner as it was a new recipe. I put a spoonful in my mouth and immediately my mouth was on fire! Oh dear, I didn't realize that the seeds were the spiciest part of all and there was no way I could get them out.

So we sat down to eat our dinner. I thought 'I should be able to eat it. I'll just have to have lots of water.' But no! After about two mouthfuls I had to stop. It was sheer torture! My husband managed to get through his dinner but not me! ( I think he'd make a better missionary than me!) The only good thing about it was that we were having visitors for dinner the next night and not that night!

The reason I'm putting this story on here is that I thought it shows us how chillies are like sin. There are seven similarities I found.

1) They're very small but they have a big taste.

I only put a few very small ones into my dinner, but it was like we were just eating chillies! You couldn't taste the rest of the dinner. Little things can make a big difference.

Isn't that like sin? Think of what a big thing a little lie can turn into? Or what about the damage a little bit of gossip can do?

2)They hurt!

Honestly, eating that dinner was like eating fire (well, what I can imagine eating fire would be like, anyway!). It really hurt my mouth.

Sin hurts. It hurts the people that it effects, it hurts us and it hurts God.

3)They spoil things.

Those chillies completely ruined my nice dinner.

Doesn't sin spoil things? It spoils our fellowship with God. It can spoil our relationships with others, our reputation, our career, our purity, our marriage, and even our whole life. Sin spoils everything!

4)They can't be ignored.

Chillies flavor the whole meal. You can't just eat around them--you still taste them. You can't ignore them.

You can't just ignore sin. Do you watch movies with bad language or other sin on there and think, 'I'll just ignore those things?' Do you read books you shouldn't read or go to places on the internet that you shouldn't? That sin will affect us. We can't just ignore it. Before long we'll be doing those things ourselves. Sin flavors everything.

5)They leave a strong flavour when taken out.

I took out all the chillies within a few minutes of putting them in, but it didn't do any good. The taste was just as strong when they were gone.

Sin leaves behind painful consequences. When all is confessed and forgiven there is still some price to pay. That's just the way it is with sin; that's why we need to count the cost. Sin is the most expensive thing in the world.

6)The taste stays in your mouth for a long time.

The taste of chillies aren't gone the moment they're swallowed. You need to drink lots and lots of water!

Sin leaves behind a feeling of guilt. We can't just forget about what we've done.

7)You can get used to the taste of chillies.

There are lots of people who do like hot spicy chillies. They are used to it. Maybe they grew up eating them.

We can get used to sin. The more we tells lies or do something else wrong, the more we will get used to it and not feel so guilty.

         If you can learn something about the horribleness of sin from this devotion, then our spoiled dinner had a good purpose! 

My lost child

 And when he hath found it, he layeth it on his shoulders, rejoicing. And when he cometh home, he calleth together his friends and neighbours, saying unto them, Rejoice with me; for I have found my sheep which was lost.

I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons, which need no repentance. Luke 15:5-7

I had a scary experience this morning. It was a beautiful warm sunny day. Esther was asleep so Hannah and I went outside. I was pulling out some long weeds along the fence line and Hannah was 'helping!'

The fence we are building out the front of our property is only half up. The fence is high enough at the moment to keep Hannah in, but we don't have a gate. So I rigged up a homemade 'gate' . For a long time that was all Hannah needed to keep her in.

But on this day I went inside when I heard Esther was awake. I left Hannah outside and got washed up. I got Esther out of bed and was about to feed her, but for some reason I went to check on Hannah.

I couldn't see her anywhere. Then I looked down the driveway and the gate was down. Oh no! I quickly ran to the road and looked up and down but couldn't see any sign of her. I looked all around our property and checked in all the rooms in the house but no Hannah. I put Esther in the pushchair and walked quickly down to the end of our road. There was absolutely no sign of Hannah anywhere. At the end of our road is the busy main road of town. I was scared of Hannah getting run over by a car. I saw a lady running down the road and into a Salvation army building. I thought maybe she had seen Hannah but Hannah was no where in sight. So I walked back to the house and looked there again. Then I jumped in the car with Esther and drove to the other end of the road. Nothing. I decided to go back to the Salvation army building and check there. So I drove to the end of the road and was waiting for a chance to get across the busy road, when I saw 2 ladies come out of a shop with Hannah on my side of the road. I waved at them to get their attention then quickly backed up and parked the car. I rushed out of the car and across the road to where Hannah was. These ladies had found Hannah walking up the road. One of them had gone over to the Salvation army to check that Hannah hadn't come from there, because they have playgroup there sometimes. Can you imagine my relief and joy at finding my precious little Hannah alive and safe?

I was so relieved I cried!!

This experience reminded me of the parables Jesus told about lost things—the lost sheep, the missing coin and the prodigal son. In each story there was so much joy when what was lost was found. In the same way there is much joy in heaven when one lost sinner returns to God.

Are you lost? Are you going your own way like Hannah was going her own way? Hannah didn't think of herself as being lost. She also didn't know that she was in danger. She just knew she was free and having a good time!

If we are not following God we are lost and in danger. Just like a 2 year old needs an older person when going for a walk, every human needs God to guide them through life.

Can you imagine the joy God feels when one lost person He  loves dearly is found?

Just Say No

There's a two letter word that's easily heard
When temptation comes your way
If you think you may stray
Just remember to say
That two letter word N-O!
In the Monopoly Card game there is a card called "Just Say No!" If another player tries to steal your property or make you pay money, you can put this card down. The Just Say No card cancels their action against you.
We need to use this card for the 'game' of life! There are many times we need to just say no.

I don't like to say no! For me it's a real weakness that I am learning to overcome.

I remember a person calling on the phone once, asking for money for the charity they were representing. I didn't want to give them money, but I didn't want to say no. So, to get out of saying no, I asked them to send me a pamphlet about it and then I would decide. They presumed then that I was going to give them money. So they sent me a pamphlet. A while later, I got a reminder in the mail. Then somebody rung up to see if I was still going to pay. If  I had just said no, I would have missed a lot of hassle! 

The Bible teaches us to say no to sin.

Proverbs 1:10 says "My son, if sinners entice thee, consent thou not."

In another words, if people try and tempt you to do wrong, just say no!

As a teenage girl you must learn to just say no.

Say No to anything that is wrong

Say Yes to Jesus all day long.

No Room

Luke 2:7 And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.

2012 years ago, on a cold evening, Jesus Christ was born in a manger… he was rejected at the inn - it was too full. Instead he was pushed outside into the cattle shed and born in a manger…. How often people do the same to Jesus today. We put him in the ‘manger’ of our lives … we don’t want him in the ’Inn’ where all the publicity is…

There is no room for him in our everyday life… we are too busy, and we can’t be bothered with him.

Is this the treatment Christ deserves?

He gave up his entire life for people… right from the young age of twelve years old he was about “His Father’s business” and then in the middle of his life he died for us… he laid down his life completely for our sakes ..and it only right that we do the same, if fact he tells us to do the same.

　

Mat 16:24 Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.
Mat 16:25 For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it.
　

Don’t put Jesus in the manger of your heart, that is limiting what God can do through you.
Instead let him in to the ‘inn’ fully surrendered to His will and let Him use your life for His Glory.
The world has yet to see what God can do with a man totally committed to doing his will.
-D L Moody.

All Gone!

Sometimes Hannah will have a bad day and cry alot. It's like everything goes wrong for her. Everything she tries to do ends up in frustration. When you're a mother those times are very unpleasant.By the end of the day there are two grumpy people!!
But there have been a few times when she was crying away.....when suddenly she'd stop and say "All gone!" Then she would go on her merry way and forget about her tears!
She chose to stop crying and get on with her day.
We all have bad days sometimes and we all feel down every now and again. We feel like moaning and groaning and being miserable, just like Hannah!
When those times come, we can't always make ourselves feel better. But we can choose to be cheerful anyway and look for the positive things. When we do that, we often feel better before long.
We need to say "All gone" to our sad faces, and choose to be thankful and cheerful and get on with our day!
The Bible is full of verses about rejoicing and being thankful. I seem to notice them more and more!
 

Missing the Point

   One thing I've been learning in the last few years is that it's very easy for Christian girls/women to miss the point!
   One particular area I've noticed is with clothes.

The Bible teaches us that girls should dress modestly. As a result some people have particular guidelines for how they dress... like wearing skirts etc. And I have no problem with that, because I usually wear skirts myself! But it's easy to miss the point! Some people who wear skirts can be very immodest! But they're wearing a skirt, so they think they're ok.

Maybe it's the top they wear with the skirt that is immodest, or maybe it's the skirt itself! Wearing a skirt isn't a magic way of being modest. Some skirts are too tight. When skirts get too short, you can't sit decently in them. Some people who always wear skirts will go to the beach and think it's normal to wear not much more than their underwear. Does modesty only matter in some places? Can you see how that's missing the point?? I don't mean to hurt you if that's what you do, but you really need to think about it. Are you missing the point?

      There are lots of other ways we can miss the point with clothes. Modesty doesn't just mean not being rude. I used to think that's all it meant. Modesty also means not drawing attention to yourself. It's possible to be very careful about not wearing revealing clothes, but also draw attention to yourself by dressing out of date etc. Now I know in this world today, it's nearly old-fashioned to not draw attention to your body by how you dress. So if you dress modestly, you will be seen as different. But it is still possible to be modest and modern! 
   So.... just make sure you're not missing the point!

A Good Name

“Now there was at Joppa a certain disciple named Tabitha, which by interpretation is called Dorcas: this woman was full of good works and almsdeeds which she did.

 And it came to pass in those days, that she was sick, and died: whom when they had washed, they laid her in an upper chamber.

And forasmuch as Lydda was nigh to Joppa, and the disciples had heard that Peter was there, they sent unto him two men, desiring him that he would not delay to come to them.

A Blind Man's Prayer

“And they came to Jericho: and as he went out of Jericho with his disciples and a great number of people, blind Bartimaeus, the son of Timaeus, sat by the highway side begging.

And when he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out, and say, Jesus, thou Son of David, have mercy on me.

And many charged him that he should hold his peace: but he cried the more a great deal, Thou Son of David, have mercy on me.

 And Jesus stood still, and commanded him to be called. And they call the blind man, saying unto him, Be of good comfort, rise; he calleth thee.

And he, casting away his garment, rose, and came to Jesus.

 And Jesus answered and said unto him, What wilt thou that I should do unto thee? The blind man said unto him, Lord, that I might receive my sight.

 And Jesus said unto him, Go thy way; thy faith hath made thee whole. And immediately he received his sight, and followed Jesus in the way.” Mark 10:46-52

Blind Bartimeus is a good example of how to pray!!

First of all…

He was very humble

When he called out to Jesus, he said, “Have mercy on me”. He asked God to have mercy on him, rather than giving Jesus all the reasons why he really should heal him. Do we have that attitude when we pray? Or do we tell God all the reasons why we should be getting what we’re asking for?

“But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.” James 4:6

He was very believing

For one thing, he wouldn’t have prayed if he didn’t believe Jesus could heal him. From reading this story, I can tell that Bartimeus believed with all his heart that Jesus could heal him. God honored his faith. Jesus said to him, “Your faith has made you whole.” Is that how we pray? Or do we doubt that it could ever really happen? Do we pray knowing that God will answer us in his own way and time? Maybe we don't know for sure if God will give us exactly what we are asking for, but we can have faith that God will answer us in a way that's best.

“And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.” Matthew 21:22

“Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.” Mark 11:24

He was very earnest

The story says that when he heard that it was Jesus, he began to cry out. And when the others tried to make him quiet he cried the more a great deal. There was nothing half hearted about his prayer, was there? He was dead serious about what he was asking for. Do we pray like that? Or do we just rattle off the same prayers every night that we don't really mean?

“ The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.” James 5:16b

To pray fervently means to pray passionately with your whole heart. That's how Bartimeus prayed!

He was very persistent

Nothing could put him off! In fact, when people tried to shut him up, he got louder than ever! That’s being persistent.

Notice Jesus' reaction to this persistent prayer. He stood still, and commanded him to be called. Persistent prayers get God's attention. Are we persistent when we pray or do we just give up when we don't see an answer straight away? Jesus taught the disciples to be persistent in prayer in Luke 11:5-8 and 18:1-8.

He was very specific

He had a specific prayer request. He definitely knew what he was asking for. Do we pray like that? Do we ask for specific things? Do we pray for specific people, or do we just pray that God will bless, help and save everyone in the whole wide world? If we're not specific, we won't see answers to our prayers, will we?

He was straight to the point

When Jesus asked Bartimeus what he could do for him, what did Bartimeus do? Launch into a big long prayer that would impress Jesus and all those listening? No! He just got right to the point. 'Lord, that I might receive my sight.' We can learn a lesson from him. It would be better for us to pray short prayers that are very humble, believing, earnest, persistent, specific and straight to the point, than to pray big long prayers that mean nothing to us or are just a sermon to those listening.

I heard a message once where the preacher was talking about being straight to the point in prayer. He used Peter walking on the water as an example. When Peter started to sink, he cried out, saying, “Lord, save me.” The preacher pointed out that Peter just said what needed to be said. His didn’t start off saying, “Lord, we come to Thee this beautiful moonlit night...”

There's a good quote that says, “Some people's prayers need to be cut off at both ends and set on fire in the middle.”

I'm not saying, don't pray for a long time. But just make sure you are serious and wholehearted about everything you are praying about.

Give It All You've Got

“And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men; Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ.” Colossians 3:23-24

“Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou goest.” Ecclesiastes 9:10

A group of people in the United States spread out in a huge, busy train station and at a certain time they all totally froze. They stood there like statues! The people around them were most astonished. After a few minutes, the frozen people started moving again. Meanwhile, another person from their group got it all on video camera, including people's responses! It is quite funny to watch.

This group has made many videos of pranks like that. What struck me was how much time and effort they put into them! Apart from having fun, there is absolutely no point to the videos, but they give it their best shot.

I felt ashamed. Do I put as much effort into things that are important?

“Whatsoever ye do, do it heartily as to the Lord and not unto men.”

If you are at school or homeschooled, learn all you can. If you're learning an instrument, practice! If you have a job, work the best you can. If you get opportunities like teaching Sunday School, singing an item or helping out at a Children's Programme, put effort into it because it's important. Whatever you can do, do it the best you can for God's glory.

If people can put so much effort into having a little fun, shouldn’t we put so much more effort into doing something important for God?

Do we love God enough to give Him our best?

 

Follow Me

 

“And Jesus, walking by the sea of Galilee, saw two brethren, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea: for they were fishers.

And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.

And they straightway left their nets, and followed him.

And going on from thence, he saw other two brethren, James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, in a ship with Zebedee their father, mending their nets; and he called them.

And they immediately left the ship and their father, and followed him.” Matthew 4:18-22

“Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.” Matthew 16:24

The Call

Jesus called Peter, Andrew, James and John to follow him. In order to obey and follow him, there were things that had to be left behind. Can you imagine the disciples following Jesus while still clutching onto their nets? Imagine them having to lug their nets around everywhere! Or what about their boats? No, they had to leave them all behind if they wanted to follow Jesus.

Jesus is calling us to follow Him. But in order to do that, there are things we have to leave behind. It's different for every person, but we all have to leave our dreams and the things we want, and we have to learn what God wants. Some people may have to leave their home, country, family or friends. Some may have to leave their career. Some may even lose their life. But we all have to leave our own way and follow after Christ and His way. It costs to follow Christ, but it costs far more not to. I'm sure the disciples had no regrets for what they left when it was time to die and meet God.

Since Jesus isn't literally on earth anymore, we can't follow Him around like the disciples did. But we have Jesus' Words (the Bible) that we are to follow.

The Promise

Jesus promised the disciples “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men”. The call or command is to follow Him. The next half of the verse is a promise that he will make us fishers of men. He will teach us how to win other people for God. If we follow Christ, He will teach us how to be soul winners.

Are you following Christ or are you doing what you want to do?

Are you a follower of Christ or are you following everyone around you?