Got Prayers?

Jesus said, “And whatever you ask in prayer, you will receive, if you have faith.”
(Matthew 21:22)

As we can all see by the many comments in the last article – prayer works! We recently, created a new website that will support ongoing prayer requests. It was mentioned in the article below, but no one has commented about whether it seems like a good idea or not.

There a lot of things that you can do on this new web site; you can create your own blog, participate in forum discussions, as well as asking for prayer support. To get started all you have to do is register and then you are set to go!

Many of you have shared how you have personal experienced how prayer has worked in your life and the new prayer forums is a good place to share more of your stories.

Here are the titles of some of the prayer forums that I have posted already:

Need a Prayer?
Jesus said, “Again I say to you, if two of you agree on earth about anything they ask, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I in the midst of them.” (Matthew 18:19-20) Jesus is here right now! There is no question group prayer works! What prayer would you like us to help you with?

Global Prayer ?
Now more than ever there is a need for prayers for everyone in the world. What prayer to you want to share with the world?

How has prayer worked in your life?
If you are like me, you know that prayer works! How has prayer worked in your life?

Atheists Praying?
Atheists say prayer does not work. They claim there is a scientific explaination for everything. What do you think?

Does God hear you?
How do you pray? Do you have a special prayer method you would like to share?

Please let me know if you like this site or not. I am open to suggestions! Also, please stay tuned. I am working on a new anniversary article that I will post soon.

Dare to Dream

Jesus said, “Blessed are you when men revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so men persecuted the prophets who were before you.” (Matthew 5:11-12)

The angry voice on the phone said, “Listen, nigger, we’ve taken all we want from you; before next week you’ll be sorry you ever came to montgomery.” This horrifying phone call is documented in one of the hand written notes of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr, from his famous “Our God is Able” sermon written in 1956 and recently posted on the cnn website. It reveals a moment in time when he was exhausted, increasingly fearful, and ready to give up leading the civil rights movement that was becoming exceedingly dangerous. His notes continue – “I hung up, but I couldn’t sleep. It seemed that all of my fears had come down on me at once. I had reached the saturation point. I got out of bed and began to walk the floor. Finally I went out to the kitchen and heated a pot of coffee. I was ready to give up. With my cup of coffee sitting untouched before me I tried to think of a way to move out of the picture without appearing a coward. For this state of exhaustion, when my courage had all but gone, I decided to take my problem to God. With my head in my hands, I bowed over the kitchen table and prayed aloud. The words I spoke to God that midnight are still vivid in my memory, ‘I am here taking a stand for what I believe is right. But now I am afraid the people are looking to me for leadership, and if I stand before them without strength and courage, they too will falter. I am at the end of my powers. I have nothing left. I’ve come to the point where I can’t face it alone.’ At that moment I experienced the presence of the Divine as I had never experienced Him before. It seemed as though I could hear the quiet assurance of an inner voice saying, “Stand up for righteousness, stand up for Truth; and God will be at your side forever.”Almost at once my fears began to go. My uncertainty disappeared. I was ready to face anything. The outersituation remained the same, but God had given me they inner calm to face it. Three nights later, on January 30, as you know, our home was bombed. Strangely enough, I accepted the word of the bombing calmly. My experience with God a few nights before had given me the strength to face it.”

Jesus said, “So have no fear of them; for nothing is covered that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known. What I tell you in the dark, utter in the light; and what you hear whispered, proclaim upon the housetops. And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul.” (Matthew 10:26-28) On April 4th 1968 Dr. Martin Luther King Junior was assassinated in Memphis Tennessee - USA. Although his life was cut short, the power of his resonant voice echoes in eternity as a true demonstration of a man who had the courage to put into practice the words and commandments of Jesus Christ. It is clear from his notes that, like anyone whose life is being threatened, he was afraid, but he had the courage in that moment to recognize he could not face it alone and he prayed to God for help. I wept when I read these hand written notes of Martin Luther’s – his personal struggle is an inspiring demonstration of complete surrender to God! It is as if he is still standing here speaking directly to my heart, to your heart, and to the heart of humanity ecouraging us with his eternal voice, “Stand up for righteousness, stand up for Truth; and God will be at your side forever!” Wow! What is it about the words and presence of Dr. King that has inspired so many both before as well as after his untimely death? And what can he teach you about applying the teaching of Jesus in your everyday life?

Inspired by Love

Jesus said, “Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brethren, you did it to me.” (Matthew 5:19)

Juan Mann was living in London when his world turned upside down and he did the one thing that we all do in a time of crisis – he went home. Unfortunately, his family had moved away from the town he grew up in and when he arrived at the airport in Sydney Australia he realized, perhaps for the first time, he was alone, with no place to call home. As he was standing alone in the airport watching other passengers being greeted by family and friends he thought, ‘I want someone out there waiting for me, happy to see me, similing at me, waiting to give me a hug.’ It was a defining moment – a moment that is timeless in time. How many of you have had moments like that? Has there ever been a time when you felt alone, or afraid, or sad, or lost while you were standing in line for a cup of coffee or waiting for a bus on a busy street corner? Have you ever had a moment while you were walking down the street watching other people being greeted with a hug and wished someone was there to to give you a hug in that moment? Like the rest of us who have experienced these moments, Juan could have shrugged his shoulders and moved on with his life, but instead he decided to make a sign that said FREE HUGS on both sides. After making his simple sign, he walked to the busiest pedestrian intersection in the city and held it up for eveyone to see. What unfolded after that is nothing short of miraculous.

Jesus said, “Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brethren, you did it to me.” (Matthew 5:19) At the core of your being is the eternal light of God – the eternal presence of the beloved Jesus Christ. Beyond what you are doing, believing, feeling, or experiencing in this moment the unmoving light of God is within you. It is within everyone. This eternal light is the common thread that unites all of us. Regardless of your religion, country, or life experience, this eternal presence within you unites you with all of humanity. When Juan Mann held up that sign that day, on a busy street corner, he brought out the true spirit of humanity – the spirit of love and compassion for one another. The first person that tapped him on the shoulder to ask for a hug was a woman whose dog had died that morning and to make matters worse it was the heartbreaking one-year anniversary of the death of her only daughter who had been killed in a car accident – she really needed a hug. That hug and the YouTube video (see next page) that captures those first hugs was the beginning of what has become a global movement called the Free Hugs Campaign. How can something as simple as a hug reveal the deepest truth that Jesus is eternally revealing? And how does Juan demonstrate the timeless power of his eternal words?