The poem below was discovered in the collections of Fannie Crosby. You may know Fannie Crosby through various songs in many songbooks, but here is a poem she wrote regarding an “Unanswered Prayer.”
“For What His Love Denies.”
God does not give me all I ask,
Nor answer as I pray;
But, O, my cup is brimming o’er
With blessings day by day.
How oft the joy I thought withheld
Delights my longing eyes,
And so I thank Him from my heart
For what His love denies.
Sometimes I miss a treasured link
In friendship’s hallowed chain,
And yet His smile is my reward
For every throb of pain.
I look beyond, where purer joys
Delight my longing eyes;
And so I thank Him from my heart
For what His love denies.
How tenderly He leadeth me
When earthly hopes are dim;
And when I falter by the way,
He bids me lean on Him.
He lifts my soul above the clouds
Where friendship never dies;
And so I thank Him from my heart
For what His love denies.
Each one knows that the world is continually watching our actions when they know that we are Christians; with this in mind, what is the most significant action a Christian can take each day?
All of us are to let our light shine before men so they can see our good works and glorify God in heaven (Matthew 5.16), but what if we took that answer a little deeper. While our example is important to the world, what is the driving force behind your example?
If you had to describe the driving force behind your example, what would it be?
What is the greatest act of a Christian?
Jesus, being asked, “What is the greatest command?” The question was valid, and the response was godly. Jesus answered, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment.” (Matthew 22.37-38)
The great and first command is the greatest act a Christian can do each day – “Love the Lord.”
The second act of a Christian is the second command mentioned by Jesus, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” (Matthew 27.39)
I am sure each one understands this, but communication is important. Whether it is verbal or non-verbal, communication affects everything. For a Christian, our communication is not only towards our brothers and sisters, but it is toward God. Christians have what many consider to be a vertical communication style (our communication with God) and a horizontal communication style ( our communication with each other).
In the end, we know that your communication with God affects all of our other relationships. So, to improve our other areas of communication, we need to first start with our communication with God.
Below is the PowerPoint from Sunday evening. Take a moment and feel free to view it and see what you think.
Thank you for stopping by and seeing the newest Powerpoint lesson. Stop by each week for more.
Not every Christian is the same. We have come from different backgrounds, different physical families and many times, different church backgrounds. While we are different, there are many things we can all do to enhance our spiritual lives and to encourage the people around us each week.
Below are four quick things every Christian can do every weekend. Take a moment and see how you can make your weekend, and even your life a little greater.
Plan to Attend Service
I know this seems like a given, but it isn’t. Some people, know that Sunday is coming, still miss it. I figure they know that the start of every week is Sunday, but they fail to make plans to be at services. Failing to make plans has resulted in them missing services. So, this weekend, plan to attend services on Sunday.
Surround Yourself with Christians
To make your weekend go better, especially, your Sunday, surround yourself with Christians. As you plan for services, plan to meet with your church family after services. Be the one to step up and invite people to gather together. A quick example is inviting people to eat together following services. If money is tight, invite everyone to chip in and have them at your house. (think of it as a potluck meal)
Pray
This weekend, schedule four times to offer quick prayers. Set an alarm on your phone to remind you of your scheduled prayer time. The weekends give us more time or more relaxed time, and this can be a great moment to pray.
Sleep.
Yes, I said it…sleep. I have already proclaimed 2018 as “The Year of the Nap,” and I am planning to stick with it. There is a benefit to rest; plus, our bodies need it. For years, researchers have told us our bodies will function better with rest, and many of us are starting to realize it.
Final Thoughts:
Today is Friday.
For many, your weekend is already beginning, or it will begin after work. What steps will you take this evening to prepare yourself for Sunday?
Each one of us can begin today for a greater Sunday.
The title above is a question posted on my Facebook page every day at 3 pm, and the comments are growing and the private messages are interesting. There have been requests from family, friends, acquaintances and even friends of friends I do not know. Each request is important because someone needs prayer in their life.
Many times, people complicate religion and its actions, when many times they are very simple. The question, “How can we pray for you today?” is a simple question, but it can bring powerful results.
I started asking the question because there is a need for more prayer in our world. While Paul tells us to make our supplications and requests known to God (Philippians 4.6), we can also petition him on behalf of others:
Prayers for those who persecute and mistreat us (Matthew 5.44; Luke 6.28; Acts 7.60)
Prayer for the sick (James 5.16)
Prayer for other Christians (Ephesians 1.15-21; Hebrews 13.18-19)
Prayer for governmental leaders (1 Timothy 2.1-2
As God’s lights in the world, our lives should be filled with prayer (1 Thessalonians 5.17; Ephesians 6.18; Luke 18.1). Prayer is our communication with the Creator to share our joys, praises for Him, our woes and our burdens as well as requests for others.
I challenge you to ask others how you can pray for them. It might be a Facebook post, a text message or a face-to-face question, but ask them who you can pray for them. Who knows, it might lead to many powerful opportunities.
Maybe you can ask the question on Facebook, Twitter and other social media as well.
