Our Manner of Speaking
By Jean A Sturgill | February 8, 2010
As I cast my eyes toward the sky, I exclaimed, “I could use a little help here!” It’s amazing to see how God answers that prayer. Yes, it’s a prayer. It’s also one that I pray often. I pray it for big things, but I also pray it for little things. I even pray it when battling a clogged drain!
Today we are going to talk about our speech. What do we say to God? What is our attitude toward Him? What do we say to others about Him?
What do we say to God? Maybe a better question is what can we say to God? When I was a lot younger, I used to pray at meals & bedtime. I would also pray when I saw a need. God was distant. I had a hard time getting to know Him. Our conversations were short and to the point. They were one way. I talked, and He listened.
Over time, I started looking at what scripture said about prayer. I started talking to God more, and I started expecting an answer. As my prayers were answered, I started praying more and listening more. I had more answers. And guess what? My relationship with God grew. I found that I was no longer talking at God, but with Him.
Now I will show you in scripture what I did.
Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.
Philippians 4:6
Be careful for nothing means be anxious about – well – nothing! Then it says but in every thing by prayer and supplication. Supplication means to petition or request. We could understand this verse to mean: don’t be anxious, by prayer and petition with thanksgiving take your requests to God.
Another verse:
Pray without ceasing. In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.
1 Thessalonians 5:17-18
God would have us have the mindset of prayer and thanksgiving. The more we pray and give thanks to God, the closer we get to Him. This closeness shows – or it should – in our walk and in our speech.
Let your speech be alway with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man.
Colossians 4:6
If you are obeying Philippians 4:6 and 1 Thessalonians 5:17, it makes obeying this last verse a lot easier.
If we have a mindset of prayer and thanksgiving, it is easier to extend grace – to be kind to others. It makes it easier for us to hold our temper because we are becoming more surrendered. As we surrender to Jesus, we will have more opportunities to witness.
LIFE APPLICATION
Key Focal Verse:
Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.
Ephesians 4:29
As Christians, if what is coming out of our mouths is corrupt, does not edify, and it does not minister grace to the hearers, then we are disobedient. We are not representing God well.
Our challenge today is to consider how often we are talking with God. Are we listening for Him to speak? What message about God are others getting from us?
Topics: Fundamentals, Learning to Walk | Leave a Comment »
The Importance of National Obedience
By Jean A Sturgill | February 5, 2010
Was God trying to get our attention with 911? Do you think all the snow after the Copan Hagen meeting discussing global warming or climate change was God trying to get our attention? What about earthquakes? How about the mudslides in California?
Do you think God set this world in motion and walked away? Maybe you have not ever stopped to think about it.
It’s hard if not impossible for us to know why God allows any particular current event to happen. However, there are events in the Bible that we know were God’s punishment.
And God said unto Noah, The end of all flesh is come before me; for the earth is filled with violence through them; and, behold, I will destroy them with the earth.
Genesis 6:13
We know that after that, God sent the flood.
Then the LORD rained upon Sodom and upon Gomorrah brimstone and fire from the LORD out of heaven;
Genesis 19:24
We know from the Bible that Sodom and Gomorrah were wicked.
Now let’s talk about more recent history. Did you know that our first congress, the Continental Congress, read the Bible together? They spent a lot of time in their Bibles. They also attended worship services together. They believed in seeking God’s direction.
Now, let’s jump ahead to the future. Will God judge any of the nations?
And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.
Revelation 19:15
Let me ask you something. We know God punished entire nations in Genesis. We know that the flood covered the whole world. Noah and his family were the only survivors. We know that God will be judging nations in the future.
Do you believe our nation, which was founded on Judeo-Christian beliefs, is still walking in obedience? If not, what can we do about it?
If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.
2 Chronicles 7:14
To me, that sounds like a plan!
I want to ask you today to pray for revival – and not just in our local communities – but in our country as a whole. We need to draw closer to God. We need to repent, and pray, and seek Him in all things.
We need to spend more time in our Bibles. Recently, I have had several folks make statements to me about God. It is amazing to me that they believe what they believe because it was either not in the Bible, it was directly opposite what scripture teaches, or it was not the whole picture of God.
Scripture out of context and half-truths are hard to pick out unless you know your Bible. Sometimes they get repeated and passed from one person to the next until someone shows them what the Bible really says.
LIFE APPLICATION
Key Focal Verse:
And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. Romans 12:2
I want to challenge you today to seek God not just in prayer, but also by opening the Bible and following along as your pastor brings the message. We get so much more from God’s Word when we read the scripture ourselves.
One final thought – of all the books on our selves that we have read – sometimes more than once – what book could be more important to us than our Bible?
Topics: Fundamentals, Learning to Walk, National Concerns | Leave a Comment »