praying effectively: Store Up Heavenly Treasures (gospels)

(Matthew 19:16-30)  And someone came to Him and said, “Teacher, what good thing shall I do that I may obtain eternal life?” 17 And He said to him, “Why are you asking Me about what is good? There is only One who is good; but if you wish to enter into life, keep the commandments.” 18 Then he said to Him, “Which ones?” And Jesus said, “You shall not commit murder; You shall not commit adultery; You shall not steal; You shall not bear false witness; 19 Honor your father and mother; and You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” 20 The young man said to Him, “All these things I have kept; what am I still lacking?” 21 Jesus said to him, “If you wish to be complete, go and sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.” 22 But when the young man heard this statement, he went away grieving; for he was one who owned much property.

23 And Jesus said to His disciples, “Truly I say to you, it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. 24 Again I say to you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.” 25 When the disciples heard this, they were very astonished and said, “Then who can be saved?” 26 And looking at them Jesus said to them, “With people this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”

(Matthew 6:19-24) “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20 But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal; 21 for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. 

22 “The eye is the lamp of the body; so then if your eye is clear, your whole body will be full of light. 23 But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light that is in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!

24 “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth.

(Luke 11:37-41) Now when He had spoken, a Pharisee asked Him to have lunch with him; and He went in, and reclined at the table. 38 When the Pharisee saw it, he was surprised that He had not first ceremonially washed before the meal. 39 But the Lord said to him, “Now you Pharisees clean the outside of the cup and of the platter; but inside of you, you are full of robbery and wickedness. 40 You foolish ones, did not He who made the outside make the inside also? 41 But give that which is within as charity, and then all things are clean for you.

(Luke 14:12-14) And He also went on to say to the one who had invited Him, “When you give a luncheon or a dinner, do not invite your friends or your brothers or your relatives or rich neighbors, otherwise they may also invite you in return and that will be your repayment. 13 But when you give a reception, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, 14 and you will be blessed, since they do not have the means to repay you; for you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.”

Reminder:  "praying effectively" involves knowing God's will.  When we pray in His will (in His name), He may choose to not answer those prayers in the time period that we would like, or HOW we would like - but He will answer those prayers!

It is God's will:

- that we obey God's commandments (Mt.19:17, Mk.10:19)

- that we do not murder (Mt.19:18, Mk.10:19, Lk.18:20)

- that we do not commit adultery (Mt.19:18, Mk.10:19, Lk.18:20)

- that we do not steal (Mt.19:18, Mk.10:19, Lk.18:20)

- that we do not bear false witness (Mt.19:18, Mk.10:19, Lk.18:20)

- that we do not defraud anyone (Mk.10:19)

- that we honor our parents (Mt.19:19, Mk.10:19, Lk.18:20)

- that we love our neighbor as ourselves (Mt.19:19)

- that we give to the poor (Mt.19:21, Mk.10:21, Lk.18:22)

- that we "give" everything, give our lives to follow Jesus, which is only possible through Him (Mt.19:21, 26, Mk.10:21, 27, Lk.18:22, 27)

- that we do not store up treasures here on earth (Mt.6:19)

- that we store up treasures in heaven (Mt.6:20)

- that we serve and are dedicated to the Lord, and not wealth (Mt.6:24)

- that we give our heart and soul to the Lord, and not just focus on external deeds (Lk.11:41)

- that we do not do nice things for specific people expecting something nice in return from them (Lk.14:12)

- that we reach out to the weak and the vulnerable and not expect anything in return (Lk.14:13-14)

- that we give and do good deeds with pure motives (Lk.11:41, 14:13-14)

Today's prayer:

Dear Lord Jesus, everything You ask of us would be impossible to do without You in our lives.  Thank You for saving and cleansing me.  Thank You for patiently changing me from the inside out.  

May we put our trust in You only.  May we respond to Your leading.  May we do all things without expecting anything in return.  May we serve You and others with Your holy love.  Thank You that You will reward us for all good deeds done with pure motives when we get to heaven, but may we focus on the joy that it brings right now.  Amen.

praying effectively: Share (Lk.3, 6, 12)

(Luke 12:16-21)  And He told them a parable, saying, “The land of a rich man was very productive. 17 And he began reasoning to himself, saying, ‘What shall I do, since I have no place to store my crops?’ 18 Then he said, ‘This is what I will do: I will tear down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. 19 And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years to come; take your ease, eat, drink and be merry.”’ 20 But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your soul is required of you; and now who will own what you have prepared?’ 21 So is the man who stores up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.”

(Luke 3:10-11)  And the crowds were questioning him, saying, “Then what shall we do?” 11 And he would answer and say to them, “The man who has two tunics is to share with him who has none; and he who has food is to do likewise.”

(Luke 6:38)  “Give, and it will be given to you. They will pour into your lap a good measure—pressed down, shaken together, and running over. For by your standard of measure it will be measured to you in return.”

Reminder:  "praying effectively" involves knowing God's will.  When we pray in His will (in His name), He may choose to not answer those prayers in the time period that we would like, or HOW we would like - but He will answer those prayers!

It is God's will:

- that we are to be giving (6:38)

- that we are to share, and not be greedy and hoard things just for ourselves (12:21)

- that if we have extra, we should give to those who have nothing (3:11)

Today's prayer:

Dear Lord Jesus, You have given everything of Yourself for all people, and everything we have is from You - You are more than generous!  Help us to be more like You.  If we see someone in need, and we are able to help - pique our hearts to action.  

Even before we see someone in need - pique our hearts to search for valid organizations which will dole out the useful things stuffed into the corners of our closets collecting dust.  This should not be in lieu of our tithing.  This should be over and above our tithing.  

Help us to be productive, and to be generous in our giving, and trust that You will continue to provide for all our needs.  Amen.

praying effectively: Do Not Steal (Lk.3:12-14)

(Luke 3:13-14)  And some tax collectors also came to be baptized, and they said to him, “Teacher, what shall we do?” 13 And he said to them, “Collect no more than what you have been ordered to.” 14 Some soldiers were questioning him, saying, “And what about us, what shall we do?” And he said to them, “Do not take money from anyone by force, or accuse anyone falsely, and be content with your wages.”

Reminder:  "praying effectively" involves knowing God's will.  When we pray in His will (in His name), He may choose to not answer those prayers in the time period that we would like, or HOW we would like - but He will answer those prayers!

It is God's will:

- that we do not steal (3:13-14)

- that we do not falsely accuse anyone (3:14)

- that we are content with our income (3:14)

Today's prayer:

Dear Lord Jesus, thank You for providing us with what we need.  Keep us from the temptations of wanting more, by helping us be content with what we have, and being appreciative of everything You have given to us.  Keep us from the temptations of putting others down, by helping us be content in You for all things, and being appreciative of everything You have done for us.  Amen.

praying effectively: Practice Justice (Matt.23:23-24)

(Matthew 23:23-24)  “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint and dill and cummin, and have neglected the weightier provisions of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness; but these are the things you should have done without neglecting the others. 24 You blind guides, who strain out a gnat and swallow a camel!"

Reminder:  "praying effectively" involves knowing God's will.  When we pray in His will (in His name), He may choose to not answer those prayers in the time period that we would like, or HOW we would like - but He will answer those prayers!

It is God's will:

- that we should tithe with the right motives (23:23)

- that we should practice justice (23:23)

- that we should practice mercy (23:23)

- that we should practice faithfulness (23:23)

- that we should not pick and choose which commandments to follow and which ones to ignore (23:23-24)

Today's prayer:

Dear Lord Jesus, thank You for being such a loving Lord and Savior.  You deserve our very best efforts!  Thank You for being just, merciful and faithful.  Help us to be more like You.  Thank You for everything You have done for us and given to us - You are exceedingly generous.  Help us to be more like You!!!  

Your laws and Your will are perfect, and wholly beneficial.  Give us understanding, and help us to wholly trust in You, so that we will desire to be obedient to every aspect of Your commandments.  Change us from the inside out, so that everything we do is done with the right motive, in Your strength and in Your love.  Amen.

praying effectively: Respect Celibacy and Marriage (Mt.5, 19, Mk.10)

(Matthew 19:11-12)  But He said to them, “Not all men can accept this statement, but only those to whom it has been given. 12 For there are eunuchs who were born that way from their mother’s womb; and there are eunuchs who were made eunuchs by men; and there are also eunuchs who made themselves eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of heaven. He who is able to accept this, let him accept it.”

(Matthew 19:3-9)  Some Pharisees came to Jesus, testing Him and asking, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any reason at all?” 4 And He answered and said, “Have you not read that He who created them from the beginning made them male and female, 5 and said, ‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’? 6 So they are no longer two, but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let no man separate.” 7 They said to Him, “Why then did Moses command to give her a certificate of divorce and send her away?” 8 He said to them, “Because of your hardness of heart Moses permitted you to divorce your wives; but from the beginning it has not been this way. 9 And I say to you, whoever divorces his wife, except for immorality, and marries another woman commits adultery.”

(Mark 10:10-12)  In the house His disciples asked Him concerning this matter again. 11 He said to them, “Whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery against her. 12 And if a woman divorces her husband and marries another, she commits adultery.”

(Matthew 5:27-30)  “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery’; 28 but I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart. 29 If your right eye makes you stumble, tear it out and throw it from you; for it is better for you to lose one of the parts of your body, than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. 30 If your right hand makes you stumble, cut it off and throw it from you; for it is better for you to lose one of the parts of your body, than for your whole body to go into hell.

Reminder:  "praying effectively" involves knowing God's will.  When we pray in His will (in His name), He may choose to not answer those prayers in the time period that we would like, or HOW we would like - but He will answer those prayers!

It is God's will:

- that a life of celibacy is something someone has to understand and choose for themselves (Mt.19:11-12) 

- that when a man and a woman gets married, they become one flesh (Mt.19:5-6)

- that no one should divorce (Mt.19:8, Mk.10:5-9)

- that divorce is only allowed if there has been sexual immorality (Mt.19:9)

- that no one should try to break up someone's marriage (Mt.19:6, Mk.10:9)

- that no one should commit adultery, and this includes divorcing their spouse and remarrying, unless the other spouse has committed adultery first (Mt.5:32;  Mk.10:10-12)

- that we do not lust, which is emotional adultery (Mt.5:27-28)

- that we set up protective measures to keep ourselves from sinning and keep ourselves accountable (Mt.5:29-30)

Today's prayer:

Dear Lord Jesus, You have created us, and You know how we work, and what is best for us - help us respect that and obey Your commandments!  You do not make mistakes, but we do!  Help people to realize that our identity can only be found in You.  Give us wisdom in knowing how to set up accountability measures in order to keep our minds and actions pure, whether we are single or married.  

Help us to respect others.

If they are single, may we be supportive and encouraging, so that they can focus on being content and pure in their celibacy, keeping their focus on You.  Help people realize that marriage isn't the answer to loneliness or feeling whole.  Wholeness only comes from a relationship with You.

If they are married, may we be supportive and encouraging, so that they can focus on building their marital relationship on a godly foundation.  Help those who are married to be faithful.  Marriage isn't the answer to loneliness or being happy.  Wholeness and eternal joy is only found in a relationship with You.

Help keep our minds focused on You and Your will for us.  Amen.  

praying effectively: Be Pure in Heart (Matt.5:8)

(Matthew 5:8)  “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God."

Reminder:  "praying effectively" involves knowing God's will.  When we pray in His will (in His name), He may choose to not answer those prayers in the time period that we would like, or HOW we would like - but He will answer those prayers!

It is God's will: that we are pure in heart (5:8)

Today's prayer:

Dear Lord Jesus, thank You for making salvation so simple.  All we have to be is pure - - - sinless... which is impossible for us to do if it were up to us.  So - THANK YOU - that You made salvation possible through Your work on the cross!!!  Until we reach heaven, guide and help us strive towards having pure thoughts and living pure lives, through Your love and strength.  Amen.

praying effectively: Bear Fruit (John 14:15-26, 15:1-10)

(John 14:15-26)  “If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.

16 I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever; 17 that is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not see Him or know Him, but you know Him because He abides with you and will be in you.

18 “I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. 19 After a little while the world will no longer see Me, but you will see Me; because I live, you will live also. 20 In that day you will know that I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you. 21 He who has My commandments and keeps them is the one who loves Me; and he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and will disclose Myself to him.” 22 Judas (not Iscariot) said to Him, “Lord, what then has happened that You are going to disclose Yourself to us and not to the world?” 23 Jesus answered and said to him, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our abode with him. 24 He who does not love Me does not keep My words; and the word which you hear is not Mine, but the Father’s who sent Me.

25 “These things I have spoken to you while abiding with you. 26 But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you.

(John 15:1-10)  “I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. 2 Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit, He prunes it so that it may bear more fruit. 3 You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. 4 Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me. 5 I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing. 6 If anyone does not abide in Me, he is thrown away as a branch and dries up; and they gather them, and cast them into the fire and they are burned. 7 If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. 8 My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be My disciples. 9 Just as the Father has loved Me, I have also loved you; abide in My love. 10 If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love; just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love.

Reminder:  "praying effectively" involves knowing God's will.  When we pray in His will (in His name), He may choose to not answer those prayers in the time period that we would like, or HOW we would like - but He will answer those prayers!

It is God's will:

- that after we allow Jesus to live in us, we should live in Jesus (15:4)

- that we love Jesus (14:21)

- that we live in Jesus' love (15:9-10)

- that we keep God's commandments (14:15, 21, 23, 15:10)

- that we bear much fruit through Jesus' living in us and allowing Jesus to work in us (15:5, 8)

- that through our fruit we prove we are Jesus' disciples (15:8)

- that as we have Jesus living in us and allowing Jesus to work in and through us, whatever prayers we pray, they should be answered (15:7)

Today's prayer:

Dear Lord Jesus, thank You so much for Your love, Your Holy Spirit, and Your commandments.  Thank You that when You ask us to be obedient and be productive - You are right there to do it for us - when we ask and allow You.  Let us live confidently in Your will and allow You to pray for us so that our prayers will always be answered.  Amen.