Quote from Forum Archives on January 3, 2002, 8:50 pm

Posted by: masinick <masinick@...>

Dear friends,

There is a woman named Tina Rosario who faithfully sends me
regular prayer messages, based on scripture, along with various
ohter short devotional messages and scripture passages. She
happened to send me this one today.

For those of you from the "old school" who are familiar with
different translations, the passage of scripture cited comes from
the New Living Translation (NLT). As such, it might take just a
moment to recall the words that many people memorize (either in
the first old English translation that was authorized by King
James of England (King James Version, KJV), or by the
considerably newer New International Translation (NIV). In any
language or translation, the meaning is clear - no matter what
your worry or concern may be, give the concern to God and allow
Him to provide the answer for you, while you patiently and
eagerly, with humble expectation, wait for Him.

The prayers are also paraphrases of scripture, and brings a sound
concept to our attention - pray the words of scripture, putting
the words we learn from our regular study of scripture directly
into the things we think and pray about - this is what God
intends for us - to read His Word and respond to it in agreement,
including our praise for what He has done for us, requesting our
needs according to the ways He has told us, and each of us
developing our own personal relationship with Him.

I don't know why we make such a big thing about our faith, about
this or that Bible translation, about this method of worship or
that. Each of those things, while they certainly have value, are
really nothing more than tools to help us cultivate our
relationships - with God and with one another. Why we complicate
and mess things up so badly is beyond me, but I know the reason
from my OWN situation: without God at the center of everything I
think, say, and do, I am prone to go my own way and separate
myself - often without even realizing it, from the One who loves
and cares for me SO much!

Therefore, today, I encourage and even urge each of you to
cultivate your relationship with God. Read your Bible every day,
not to "achieve" something, but to continually remind yourself
what God is like. Balance what you read, making sure to include
prophesies and history, words of what God has done, what He IS
doing, and what He WILL do. God will surely help each of us to
understand it, if we are only faithful to read, then ask for His
wisdom (His Holy Spirit) to direct our understanding of what we
have read.

Dear Lord, with all of my heart I want to know You more each
day. I recall that Jesus told His followers that when someone
else wants to harm us, instead pray for them, and even give,
knowing that others will take advantage of what we offer. Our
reward is not what THEY give, but what YOU give. I remember
reading this in Luke's Gospel (chapter 6) and the prayer of my
friend echoes the very same words!

I believe all of Your promises, and I ask today that You would
strengthen the faint-hearted, support the weak, help the
afflicted, honor all those who serve You, and use me in each of
these ways, for I desire to love and serve You, rejoicing in the
richness and power of Your goodness! I humbly ask all of these
things in the Name of Jesus Christ, who was, and is, and is to
come! Amen.

Your Brother in Christ,
Brian

Give all your worries and cares to God, for He cares about
what happens to you. 1 PETER 5:7 (NLT)

Father, though I live in the world, I do not wage war as the
world does. The weapons I fight with are not the weapons of
the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to
demolish strongholds. I demolish arguments and every
pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of You,
and I take captive every thought to make it obedient to
Christ.

In the name of Jesus, I ask You, Father, to bless those who
have despitefully used me. Whenever I feel afraid, I will
trust in You. When I feel miserable, I will express
thanksgiving; and when I feel that life is unfair, I will
remember that You are more than enough. When I feel ashamed,
help me to remember that I no longer have to be afraid; I
will not suffer shame. I am delivered from the fear of
disgrace; I will not be humiliated. I relinquish the shame of
my youth.

It is well with my soul, for You have redeemed me. You have
called me by my name. I am in Your will for my life at this
time. I am being transformed through the renewing of my
mind. I am able to test and approve what Your will is-Your
good and acceptable and perfect will. You have good things
reserved for my future. All my needs will be met according to
Your riches in glory. I will replace worry for my family with
asking You to protect and care for them. You are love, and
perfect love casts out fear. In Jesus' name, amen.

=====
--
Brian Masinick, "The Mas", mailto:masinick@yahoo.com
Home page: www.geocities.com/masinick/

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