Category: Prayer

10/14/2022

PRAYER is ... and is not

For some time now I have been using The Lord's Prayer as my prayer model. After all, Jesus taught His disciples this prayer and it covers all the bases (adoration, service, needs, forgiveness, and avoiding temptation). The Lord's Prayer is wise also in that it keeps our prayers from becoming simply narcissistic endeavors.

Without structure, our prayers often meander down life's road while we mumble off and on to God who we have sitting in the way backseat of our prayer mobile (such as it is) Between songs on the radio and checking our Twitter feed we barely say "Hi" to God and so truly seeking Him is not on the radar.

Oh without a doubt we can turn to the Lord in times of need, we can cut to the chase nd cry "HELP ME LORD!" and know that He always hears us, and God's answers are wiser than our prayers.

But over the years I have from time to time treated prayer as if I was the center of the universe. I would not think that was true, but.. now that I model my prayers after 'The Lord's Prayer I realize my prayer life was weak.

Like a kid sitting on Santa's Lap with my Christmas list than I did someone who foremost desired to be a servant of God.

Q. So, am I in love with the creator of the world that loves me, or just a needy churchgoer looking for a Genie in the lamp with unlimited wishes?

So how should we pray?
Jesus instructed His disciples.. in Matthew 6:5-15
5 “And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. 6 But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. 7 And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. 8 Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.
9 “This, then, is how you should pray:
“‘Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name, (REALIZE HOW GREAT GOD IS)
10 your kingdom come,
your will be done,
    on earth as it is in heaven. (HOW CAN I SERVE YOU, GOD?
11 Give us today our daily bread. (LORD PLEASE PROVIDE FOR MY NEEDS)
12 And forgive us our debts, (FORGIVE ME OF MY SINS)
    as we also have forgiven our debtors. (BE FORGIVING OF OTHERS)
13 And lead us not into temptation,
    but deliver us from the evil one.’ (LORD KEEP ME FROM TEMPTATION)
14 For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15 But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.

I am curious what others of you use as a model for your prayer life. Please share as I would love to learn more from others. No matter the method I pray we all become men and women known for our prayers to our God who is deserving of our worship and adoration.

Love God, love others and the rest is details. ... AMEN

Blessings

Jeff

4 Comments

6/10/2022

1 Comment

The Resounding Silence of God

Max Lucado wrote a book in 1994 titled ''When God whispers your name'. It is a great read with his usual humor and spiritual insights, but my question is..

What happens when God whispers my name but .. I am hard of hearing, or maybe God simply remains silent? Truth is I do wear hearing aides.

Not so many years ago I weathered personal hurricane force storms in back to back years. My finances, health, and spirit were challenged and I didn't know if I would survive the first year's storm only to be windblown and tattered the next year too. I have never despaired more in my life.

Let me tell you I literally sobbed, and cried out to God for HELP. I wanted God to calm these storms, but my prayers were met with His resounding SILENCE.

Why, O Lord, do you stand far away? Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble? Ps 10:1

My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, from the words of my groaning? O my God, I cry by day, but you do not answer, and by night, but I find no rest. Ps 22:1-2

I admit my cries to God were not as eloquent as when David penned the above Psalms, but I shed enough literal tears to warrant flood insurance.

Side note on Crying:
When a woman cries we feel empathy as her deep emotions touch our hearts.
When a man cries it sounds like a wounded Badger caught in a trap trying to gnaw off his leg in a short sighted attempt to escape his pain. Those in ear shot want to put that badger out of his misery, and the crying men.. STOP IT!

but I digress..

Now back to my storms..
During these stormy days I discovered God's providence/answers were found in His silence. During my storms I needed to experience the full impact of my situation including my mistakes and their circumstances.

note: There is an infinite difference between God not ignoring my prayers and God being silent as an answer.

God was with me the whole time, but pain and reflection was important for me to grow on a true path of restoration. A genie in a lamp with three hot wishes available was NOT what I needed.

Life rains on the just and the unjust Mt. 5:45, the Jeffs and the unJeffs!

We all know the story of Peter walking on water until he took his eyes off Jesus and focused on those very real waves.. and began to sink.

Just like Peter those the very real waves in my life overwhelmed me because I did not put my trust in the man who walks on water and calms the seas.

The good news is I endured those stormy years and learned over time how faithful and loving God was and is.

The details of my storm(s) are not important except to share a lesson learned when God seems silent. “Be still, and know that He is God." Ps 46:10

This is my prayer for you too. Be still, be faithful, be listening, be prayerfully try to remain peaceful even when you experience God's Resounding Silence.

Blessings

Jeff (wearing my Hearing Aids) Larson

1 Comment

5/11/2022

2 Comments

Stay in your Lane bro..

As a guy.. I am a TV Commercial aficionado. While I respect my wife.. when it comes to TV Commercials hands-down I have a deeper appreciation for their .. art.

Case and point is a TV commercial by AT&T where a tattoo artist tells his client he is just an ok tattoo artist but not good one. Then the concerned client questions the tattoo artist not drawing the image before inking the real tattoo.. and this 'just ok' tattoo artist tells him "Stay in your lane bro."
Funny stuff, and it makes me smile every time it pops up on TV.

Message of this commercial? Don't settle for just ok.

But hidden in this TV ad.. I have gleaned a spiritual correlation. OK, you have to look very very closely but I swear there is one.

When I talk to (aka pray) God, I am not talking with a just an OK deity.. I am talking with the 'only' Creator of this World. Omniscient, Omnipresent, and our perfect loving Heavenly Father.

So when I vent (aka pray) to God my busy mind fretting about never ending pandemics, inflation, midterm elections, my family, friends, and mix it all up in a big bowl of worry with more than a splash of media hype.. I tell God "I don't know how this is going to all work out."

And this is when God whispers to me.. "Stay in your lane bro."

But unlike a 'just ok' deity our God is sovereign. He has this bowl of worries of mine along with everyone else's favorite rage or anxiety recipe and though mankind has again made such a mess of things.. He was not caught off guard. He is not surprised, and NEWS FLASH none of this is a ripple in God's great plan.

Note: I do want to be clear there are consequences for anyone and/or nation's actions and/or rejections of God, but still there is peace in knowing God is sovereign.

Another NEWS FLASH.. this life, our moment in time is not about us.. it is about each of us being faithful in word and deed as we hear God say "stay in our lane bro, I got this".

I will confess, I struggle in understanding this. It's not that I doubt God is sovereign but that He allows the free will of mankind to make a mess and so what am I to do.

So with this in mind, I will pray to our God who is good. I pray we then love Him with our words and deeds knowing God answers our prayers.

And finally, I pray..

Heavenly Father bless and use each of us for your glory in ways that only can be described as beyond our dreams.

Remember God loves us.

Jeff (changing lanes often) Larson

2 Comments

10/28/2021

1 Comment

What I really really.. WANT

Ha ha ha ha ha
Yo, I'll tell you what I want, what I really, really want
So tell me what you want, what you really, really want
I'll tell you what I want, what I really, really want
So tell me what you want, what you really, really want
I wanna, (ha) I wanna, (ha) I wanna, (ha) I wanna, (ha)
I wanna really, really, really wanna .. - Spice Girls Worship Band?

note: Just so you don't worry more about me I do know the above song lyrics are neither deep, or a worship song with a catchy tune.

I am at a crossroads of sorts in my life. Looking for how to segue into the semi-retirment years of my life, as my wife and I are settling into the stage in our lives. So in discussing our future the phrase "what I really want" seemed to come up often.. and my caffeinated brain 'logically' jumped into the lyrics from the 1996 song 'Wannabe' by the Spice Girls. Not that I was a fan of the Spice Girls, but it was a catchy tune.

But I also know it is OK to talk to God about what I want what I really want because He cares about what I want what I really really want. So I tell Him what I want what I really really want.

Come and hear, all you who fear God, and I will tell what he has done for my soul.
I cried to him with my mouth, and high praise was on my tongue.
If I had cherished iniquity in my heart, the Lord would not have listened.
But truly God has listened; he has attended to the voice of my prayer.
Blessed be God, because he has not rejected my prayer
or removed his steadfast love from me! -- Psalm 66:16-20 (ESV)

Our God is better than any Genie in a Lamp where our every wish/prayer is granted. Our God is our personal loving Heavenly Father hears our cry and desires what is best for each of us.

So to be clear I can count on God wanting his best for me, and even better yet He KNOWS what is best for me. Not so many years ago we were house shopping and made offers on three homes but each time the offer of another potential buyer was chosen. The last offer we were the runner up to the buyer who was chosen. I guess we were like the Miss Congeniality of home buyers.. and were still disappointed.

But after this moment (ok, it was a half a day) of disappointment. We turned back to trusting God in this process an actually excited about it realizing God really wants what He really really wants is our best. We now live in a home that is close to our kids and grandkids and we feel God's care and blessing in this home.

I believe He is personally involved with our lives and this home buying process. This is what I believe and where my hope is.

No matter if you are buying a home, single and looking for Mr or Mrs Right, choosing a career path, or the church you attend I pray you put your trust in the God who loves you. He is not indifferent, he is not detached. So pray to God and tell Him what you want.

Psalm 139:7-8 I can never escape from your Spirit! I can never get away from your presence! If I go up to heaven, you are there; if I go down to the grave, you are there.

So one last time.. Tell God what you want, what you really really want.. and seek His will. The best is yet to come.

Jeff (really really wanting a donut right now) Larson

1 Comment

7/3/2021

1 Comment

This Speck on a Blue Ball

I have this prayer prep that I use when my mind is busy and unfocused. I slow my mind to take a glimpse of my place in this Universe.

Specifically, I am a speck on a blue ball (Earth) that spins at 1000 mph orbiting around our sun in our Solar System of 8 (or 9) planets, which is one of countess galaxies in our infinite Universe. ..

AND this existence.. my existence is just a microscopic blip on the timeline of .. eternity!

So while I admit I should lose like 25 (or so) pounds I also am feeling very small. Then to think of the intricacies of the human body, the human condition, that I have a free will, and I believe His spirit makes me a very special speck on this blue dot.

While I attempt to grasp this perspective of significance.. I pray Psalms 8:4 Who am I that you are mindful of me? .. and I am in awe of creation and more importantly our creator and His inexplicable love for each of us. Better yet, y'all best read all of Psalms 8

Now .. I am ready to pray as the world slows down.. I am an awe of God, and thankful for this day (even the bad ones), and pray that my life, my family, my friends, church, community, state, nation, and world come to realize the significance, purpose, and place as their own speck like roles on this blue dot.

Love God, love others and all glory to God on this day! Cuz ya know, the rest is speck on a blue ball trivia by comparison.

Blessings!

Jeff (Big Speck) Larson

1 Comment

11/1/2020

1 Comment

Pathetic Prayers 2020

A while back my wife Mary and I were reading Max Lucado's book He Still Moves Stones. Let me paraphrase the words of Max.

The honest prayer of a hurting man, the feeble prayer of a righteous man.. the awkward prayer of the average joe/jane, the timid prayer of those emotionally/spiritually broken down.. the sincere prayer of a sinner, EVEN a 'pathetic prayer of Jeff' .. HAS GREAT POWER and WONDERFUL RESULTS.

This is my rambling paraphrase of..
James 5:16.Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective. , and gleaned from the truths found in ..
Mark 9:14-29 where the power of God is found not in what we can do but instead when we pray.

Max also writes ..Our prayers may be awkward, our attempts may be feeble. BUT since the power of prayer is in the one who 'hears' it and not the one who 'says' it, our prayers make a difference.

That is great news for folk like me who can get lost in my real or perceived problems juggling them in my head all while I pray.. awkwardly. These sincere prayers are highlighted with fumbling words sounding confused, anxious, and kind of pathetic.

So do you ever say pathetic prayers. I am sure you don't, it's only me right? But I would like to suggest when we feel lost and/or pathetic simply cry to God "HELP! I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO!" That's OK, because God does.

I actually have my prayer list hanging on a bulletin board in my office. This simple list of very few words is mostly family, friends, my church, our country, and this tumultuous world.. and gives me a visual perspective that my issues pale by comparison.. LIFE IS NOT ABOUT ME and when I pray for others and trust God I find a peace that was not there when my prayers revolved around ME.

Philippians 4:6-7 do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

So let's all agree to bring our prayers to God even when our words are fumbling and our spirit is weak. Speak to God when you feel forsaken, alone, desperate, when your thoughts are riddled with doubts.. AND when life is good (do not let your guard down) . Our perfect Heavenly Father hears our word and His spirit intercedes for us.

Romans 8:26-27 In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God.

May God bless all of you today with the promise of .. when life is difficult.. God says, "Don't worry, I got your back.

Blessings

Jeff (praying in the Back Pew) Larson

ps - With the 2020 elections upon us.. our prayers are needed. It matters how we vote, and who we vote for BUT our trust is in God alone, not in any man or woman.

So I pray for the people of our nation to return to God. I pray that the Christians of this nation stand strong for God's law, and become more concerned about offending God than offending man.

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10/16/2020

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Ants in my Picnic Basket

For most everyone living in a city of any size.. RUSH HOUR is a part of your day commute. Bumper to bumper traffic with each car filled with people from all over the city living their own lives in their own neighborhoods, their own way but sharing this joint experience on the roads and rails traveling to and from their jobs. They are EVERYWHERE like ants descending on an unprotected picnic basket each there for their take, then back to home sweet (ant hill) home.

But in this moment of rush hour madness I pondered the complexity of our 'ant farm like' society. On just one city road (in a world of countless other roads just as busy as this one), carrying so many drivers and passengers in this great big TERARRIUM called Earth... and I am just ONE of the many ants living in a northern city/ant-hill suburb of Minneapolis Minnesota. This ant hill sits right next to another big ant-hill/city St Paul.

Are you feeling SMALL and INSIGNIFICANT YET and maybe a bit creeped out by this bug analogy? Sorry, my bad.

It is mind boggling to grasp in contrast to any colony of ants.. each of our lives are important and significant in God's eyes. So during this rush hour moment with all of God's people, I prayed a broad prayer for everyone so busy in rush hour in all directions for safe journeys, a successful day, blessed and led by God. I took time to ponder the significance of each life in the eyes of God. This moment of prayer was peace, perspective and thanksgiving for me in recognition of all God's people.

This was admittedly a strange analogy, but you are reading a blog by Jeff the cartoonist not C.S. Lewis... that sorta rhymes.

My prayer today if for all of you out there. May the realization of your significance to God, and the blessings of God be in ways that are truly beyond your dreams.
and..
may He keep you safe from those who would attempt to step on your ant hill, and that kid with the magnifying glass trying to burn you up.

But I digress

Jeff (Ants in the Back Pew) Larson

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8/30/2020

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Distracted Prayers

I love Matthew 6: 5-15, where Jesus teaches how we should pray, and I return to it often to remind me how I could better pray.

5 “And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. 6 But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. 7 And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. 8 Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.
9 “This, then, is how you should pray:
“‘Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
10 your kingdom come,
your will be done,
    on earth as it is in heaven.
11 Give us today our daily bread.
12 And forgive us our debts,
    as we also have forgiven our debtors.
13 And lead us not into temptation,
    but deliver us from the evil one.’
14 For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15 But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.

Those are the beautiful calm words of Jesus on prayer and the power of prayer. In contrast this world plows forward without purpose like an rusty old truck without a muffler, blowing it's horn, leaking motor oil while all ready being two quarts low. This world is distracting, and without prayer, without our Lord this life does not go well.

So this brings me to a lazy Saturday morning where I was discussing life with my wife while eating an egg with toast, and drinking my daily allotment of coffee. Mary is a school teacher anxiously preparing for school that starts next week. Also in our conversation Mary shared about a little baby boy born last week with some serious health unknowns. With this in mind and other issues in life we decided we should pray.

As I started to pray out loud, our dog Cooper sniffed over to Mary's breakfast plate she was holding and started licking it. Mary moved the plate across her body, but Cooper was happy to move too. So she then stacked it on the table out of reach. As we chuckled I continued to pray only to be drowned out by loud engine sounds like on a race track from not too far away. There are no race tracks near me but a classic car show was being held that day, and while a classic car show sounds like fun, it was distracting. We chuckled again, then Cooper heard a neighbors car, a chipmunk crossing our yard, and/or maybe a gathering of 'nefarious cat lovers' up to no good at the end of the block. No matter what it was he ran to the door barking. We chuckled again, calmed our dog, and continued to pray.. finally my wife inserted. AMEN.

It was funny, but we did persevere though if there was an angel nearby my wife and I could have been pulled over and ticketed for 'Praying while Distracted'. Sorta like distracted driving for our prayer lives.

Now while this distracted prayer did not fit nicely into the Lord's teachings in Matthew 6 I know this sometimes is how our prayers look. I confess too often my prayers are fit into my day without setting aside a time to be QUIET. Yes this world's dogs may bark, the engines roar, there is 24/7 entertainment and news available to us on our literal fingertips via our smartphones, TV, and the internet calling for our attention, but I know I should do a better job of being quiet, and pursuing God in this quiet.

Again read.. Mt 6:6 But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.

I am not at all saying, those quick prayers, and impromptu conversations with God are wrong. I am simply wanting to encourage us to seek our Lord in the quiet without distractions using Matthew 6 as our model. Let the dogs bark, phones rings, and the world rage all while finding God's people quietly pursuing to be obedient to the Lord, and not man.

May God bless each of you with a relationship with Him where your prayers become adoring conversations with our creator. May we seek and are blessed with the quiet alone times with our God knowing He hears our prayers.

Jeff (distracted in the Back Pew) Larson

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8/27/2020

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My Freaky Fast Faith 2020

Supersized and drive through meals ... delivered freaky fast your way that are finger lickin' good. These are a few fast food 'conveniences' for our fast paced lives in the fast lane. I am guilty of participating in both ordering my share of supersized McArtery Clogger Value Meals, and using the drive through for lunch, lattes, and my banking needs. Life is busy and there is a time and a place for fast food, and fast service but there is a time and a place to SLOW DOWN.

Now as I segue to my faith journey.. I find awkward parallels to our fast food society.
1. I want the blessings on my life supersized now please,
2. I sometimes pray like I am using a drive thru window. I don't even slow down to say hello to God but place my order/prayer list with the angel stationed at my drive thru prayer window. And..
3. my patience for His answers rivals my belief that microwave popcorn still takes waaay too long.

Moral of this blurb is.. God does listen to and answer my freaky fast faith moments (sometimes that is all I have), BUT how much better my perspective is when ..

I slow down and savor quiet times with my Heavenly Father.
My Prayers are not distracted and hurried, and
My devotions/Bible reading is not fit in just before I go to bed and can hardly keep my eyes open. To slow down is good for my soul is like a great meal prepared for me.

Just like a home cooked meal prepared by my wife is something I savor, in the same way.. slowing down to listen to God and truly meditate on Him is delicious for my soul. Think .. Thanksgiving Dinner for the Soul Psalms 23:5

There will be those times where freaky fast faith is all we have time for, but let's purposefully slow down and make time with God that is more than a microwaved/reheated moment of spiritual nourishment. Maybe a home cooked God's Family Meal... with desert.

Hmm.. I am getting hungry.

May God bless and use each of you for His glory in SUPERSIZED ways

Jeff (McBack Pew) Larson

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7/25/2020

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AIR breathing, BLOOD pumping, PRAYERS unceasing

I like to read from Oswald Chambers classic devotional 'My Utmost for His Highest'. This is one of the VERY BEST daily devotionals that I would highly recommend to anyone needing focus for each day.

Today’s reading was titled ‘Thinking of Prayer as Jesus Taught’. Let me share the first two sentences from this devotional ..

“OUR THINKING ABOUT PRAYER, whether right or wrong is based on our own mental conception of it. The right thinking is to think of prayer as the breath in our lungs, and the blood from our hearts. Our blood flows and our breathing continues without ceasing. This is how prayer should be in our lives.

This message spoke volumes to me on the place of prayer in the midst of this summer 2020 of turmoil. I spend so much effort thinking about Covid-19, masks, elections, racial tensions, closed churches schools and businesses, and worrying about tomorrow without taking time to breath/pray. Being one with God, being in tune (or in my case toon) to His Spirit is where I should be.

I do not want to be living in this fallen world hindered by it's pitfalls, my limitations, or hyper focused circumstances. Instead I want my thoughts, prayers, and actions to be in sync with God’s will. Easier said than done, but this is my prayer today.

May God bless and lead each of you in a way that makes a difference with a life that loves God and others as intended. and... live full and satisfying lives where PRAYING is as natural function as your lungs breathing and hearts pumping.

Jeff (prayerful today) Larson