Praise His Holy Name...!

I posted my prayer journal on the wrong blog today by accident.

For today's daily devotional click here.

-Coach Sam

It's Getting Close To Halloween

Just as Satan has successfully veiled the true focus of Christmas by Santa Claus, reindeer, Christmas trees and presents, and the resurrection of Christ with Easter bunnies and Easter eggs, he has given the true pagan nature of Halloween a benign cultural veneer of respectability. Satan is the master of deceit and disguise. His favorite deception is to convince educated people that he really does not exist. What better way for him to perpetrate the illusion that neither his person nor power exist than to make it all "innocent fun."

-JW Williams, Author

I start today's commentary with a quote from a christian article that I read this morning. I always seem to go off on a tangent around Halloween. And that article has got me going a few days early! Now that I'm a parent I can appeal to other parents on a common ground, I think it is high time we christian parents stop Satan's unchallenged influence in the lives of our children. Halloween is just another one of those opportunities for him to work unhindered in an area that has been too long ignored.

In the past when I have spoken out against Halloween I have been called a narrow-minded religious fanatic. But Christ did not call us to be popular. He just called us to be faithful. I have always had a 'bad' feeling about halloween, even growing up in the 20 years before I accepted Christ as my personal Lord and Savior, I had a sense that dressing up and trick or treating on Halloween was 'wrong'. Looking back now I see that as God's tug on my heart to eventually join other christians in unmasking the true nature of Halloween.

The bible speaks out against imitating spirits and associating with things of the occult. As Christians, we must focus on Jesus Christ, the Light of the world, who has "shone into the darkness" (John 1:5).

And let's also heed Paul's admonition: "Be imitators of God, as beloved children ... for you were formerly darkness, but now you are light in the Lord; walk as children of light" (Eph. 5:1,8).

Dear Heavenly Father,

Help me to stand strong against the masking comercialism of the true nature of Halloween. Let my family and I be light in the darkness. Let our witness be strong, Father.

Lord, we want to honor You in every way, in all we do. I pray that my stand against celebrating halloween in the popular manner culture has become accustomed will touch many hearts this year and open eyes to what Satan is really up to here.

I love you Jesus and I give this day to You, Father. And I pray these things in Your precious, holy name. Amen.

Giving Thanks and Praise on Monday

Well, I made it through the tournament this past weekend...! I'm taking the day off today. I have virtually no voice due to a prolonged sore throat but I can take the next day or so to rest up.

The tournament went very well. There were only a few minor problems, but they aren't even worth mentioning. The point is: God is Good...!

Thanks Prayer Warriors for all Your Prayers these past few days.

Dear Heavenly Father,

Thanks for being my Rock. I truly can do all things through You. I believe that every good and perfect gift comes from You. Lord, You are my ever-present help in times of trouble. When I am weary I can rest in You. When I am happy I can sing Your name with praise from the roof tops..!

God, You are an Awesome God...! I Love You my Heavenly Father. You are always there for me when I need You. I sing Your Thanks and Praise today, My King.

I offer this day to You, Lord. Season my words to be salt and light to the lost. Lord I only want to serve You to the best of my ability and be a shining witness to my family, community, and the world.

I pray this prayer in Jesus' name, Amen

Prayer For My Health

While I normally seek to pray for other's needs, I find myself being very 'needy' this morning. Indeed, it seems that I am the one in need of lifting up today.

I have been struggling with a severe sore throat for days now. My immune system is most likely worn out due to lack of sleep. Last night and this morning have been especially troublesome. And I have to run a tournament pretty much by myself all day today.

I have everything planned out perfectly and I don't expect any problems at all. It's just that I will be have to be under the gun and 100% focused on customer service for about 12 hours today... I just hope that my voice holds out and I don't run out of Kleenex...!

Prayer Warriors, please lift mine and my family's health up to the Lord this morning. And pray for a good tournament experience for everyone.

Thanks, Coach Sam.


Dear Heavenly Father, I pray for a well run tournament weekend. I pray for the players and parents that are travelling great distances to participate in my event. I pray for the umpire who is helping me this morning.

Lord, I especially lift up my own personal health to you today. As You know I've been over-working myself. I need to just lay down and rest Lord, but that's not going to be possible today. Father help me get through today and tomorrow. Guard my health. Especially my throat and voice.

This is all a means to an end where I can have a sane, God-Honoring life for myself and my family. Lord, speaking of my family please guard their health as well. Monica has been feeling poorly, too. Don't allow her to get sick like me. And I ask protection on Connor and Baby Elijah, too.

Father God, I will take better care of myself from now on... I'm sorry for wearing myself down like this, but I know You can heal me, Lord. I leave this in Your most capable hands, my King.

I love You Lord. And I am truly grateful for this day. I have an awesome opportunity to effect many lives for Your Kingdom. I pray for my witness this morning. Season my words to be salt and light. Oh Lord, this world needs more salt and light.

Jesus, I give this day up to You, for Your Glory. And I pray these things in Your precious Holy Name, Amen.

TGIF: Thank God It's Friday

Fridays are days that I try to kick back and just count my blessings. Even if I might have some urgent personal prayer requests I try to just be patient and let God be God on Fridays. I think about the apostle Paul a lot on Fridays. Paul was thankful even for his afflictions. He often wrote and preached about the fact that he had learned to be content in every situation. Now that's a mature spiritual life...!

I'm no where near the spiritual giant the Apostle Paul was... But I would have to say that he's one of my top biblical role models. One thing Paul and I do have in common is that we both like to write...! And we both love God! Anyway, I would like to start out this morning just thanking God for the life and witness of the apostle Paul.

And certainly rating high on my list of thanks and praise is the acquisition of this home in Columbia Lakes. It's looking more and more like it will become a reality. Moving closer to my work will mean such a tremendously different lifestyle for my family and I... That is a great and mighty blessing...!

Also on my list of thanks and praise has got to be my family. I have such an awesome family. My wife is a beautiful, Godly woman. My stepson Connor is turning into a fine young man, and baby Elijah just never ceases to amaze me. He is a joy beyond description.

My inlaws, Arno and Judy have been better to me than my own mom and dad. They are great role models to Monica and I in many ways as parents should be. I have an awesome sister who I love dearly and stay in touch with nearly every day...

And there's many more positive things going on in my life besides that, but hey... Isn't that enough? What an awesome life...! Truly, I am highly favored by God.

Of course, there's many aspects of my life that I would change in a heartbeat if only it were that easy, but it's not. And I know lots of people who have many good things going on their lives like myself, yet they're miserable. I can't say for sure, but I think people like that have 'heart' issues. I don't mean like heart attack, or anything like that. But, spiritual issues of the heart.

I am very thankful that God gave me the heart he did. I have the joy of the Lord in my heart. And the joy of the Lord is my strength. Like the apostle Paul, I am learning to be content. But I really and truly do have a great life. And I attribute that all to the Lord. Nothing I have is my own. Not even my life. I am just a steward of this life. God is the owner and the boss.

Dear Heavenly Father,

Lord, I just declare Your Power and Might this morning. You are a Great Big God. You are God alone. There is no one greater.

Lord I thank You for the bible and great witnesses of the bible like the apostle Paul. His writings have stirred the hearts of many for centuries. Thank you for blessing us with Paul.

And Father, I am completely blown away and humbled at Your tender mercies and blessings in my life. I know to those who have been given much, then much is expected in return. Well, I want to return those blessings, Lord. I want to witness You to my family, friends, colleagues, students, and even strangers in a powerful way.

Lord Jesus, I stand in victory with You today over the evil one, Satan. Although he may have his way with this world for awhile, He shall not prevail against the gates of Heaven...!

I thank You most of all my king, for Your precious blood that was shed for my sins and the sins of this world. Because of You I am saved. I love You, Lord. And I give You thanks and praise.

I pray all this today in the Name of Jesus Christ my Lord and Savior. Amen.

Praise Report...!

Dear Prayer Warriors,

As many of you know, we have been in prayer lately regarding the purchase of a home much closer to where I spend the bulk of my time coaching. This move will eventually eliminate 14 hours of commuting a week...! As of this past Monday evening, we had been pretty much resigned to the fact that the one particular property that we were especially interested in was not what God had in store for us.

But what an awesome God we serve...! In a dramatic turn of events yesterday afternoon it looks like acquiring that property is very much a reality once again...! There are still a few details to iron out, but the major bumps in the road seem to be overcome.

I would like to sincerely thank all of you who have lifted this situation up in your prayers lately. Keep those prayers coming as we aim for a closing date of October 31, or sooner if possible.

I will keep you updated. Thanks again and may God Richly Bless You...!

Your Brother in Christ,

Coach Sam


Dear Heavenly Father,

Lord, You never cease to amaze me. I guess that's why You are God. The big question for the past few years I've had for you is what is Your perfect will for my life...? I've always had my own personal will for my life but it's never seemed to line up with what You had in mind. For instance, it was never my intention to be a daddy, but You've honored me with a double portion blessing of becoming a father. And what a true blessing that is...! I can't imagine not being a daddy now. My life is irrevocably changed for the better (forever) because of Connor and Elijah. I can't believe how much my capacity to love has grown since April this year.

I know this home purchase is not completed yet, but it's looking more and more as if it will happen and that could only happen through You. I know that You are always at work in the lives of the faithful. And Your Power and Glory are clearly evident to my family and I...! God, You are an awesome God. And I give You all the Thanks, Praise, and Worship that is due to You: The King of Kings, and Lord of Lords. God, You are my personal savior. You are my Rock. My Redeemer.

Father God, I just continue to give this home purchase situation to You. I know that anything is possible with You, Lord. And I will witness that to the world.

Lord Jesus, I love You. You have already blessed me far beyond what I could ever have hoped for. Thank You for my family. What a joy it is to have a lovely, godly wife and two beautiful, healthy boys! But the family blessing doesn't stop there. I have gained an awesome mom and dad in Monica's parents. They have been nothing but a blessing and an inspiration to me since I married their daughter. I have a best friend in my sister, Becky. I have two brothers who I wish I was closer too, but I consider them a mission field for me and that in itself is a great opportunity and blessing.

Monica has many aunts and uncles and Connor has a huge family from his side of the family and they have welcomed me with open arms. Lord, as You know this extended family is planted all over Texas, California, New York, Utah, Arkansas, Missouri, Tennessee, and beyond. We are all blessed to have each other. Thank You Lord for bringing us all together, for being the author and master planner of our lives. It's amazing how all these lives all over the country are connected and touching. Lord thank You for this family. God Bless it...!

And Lord, thank you for the way things are progressing with the purchase of this new home. We will make good use of this home and use it to raise up Godly children and provide hospitality and an authentic Christian witness to our family and the community we live and serve in.

Once again, I just give You thanks and Praise. And I offer you my Life to Your Service, Lord. And I pray this in Jesus' Name,

Amen.

Still Making Tough Decisions

I've heard more than one person say that buying a house is the most stressful time in a person's life. I can't remember if those people were Christians or not. And that makes a big difference. Perspective is everything. If you look at life with a biblical world view it is a completely different picture from that of the secular world view.

Is it a sin to worry...? I think it is... The bible tells us on more than one occasion to NOT worry. And I'm trying my best to just faithfully put my trust in God. This is really a big test for me. You see, I come from a family of worriers. And I'm not blaming my mom and dad for the way they raised me, I'm just stating fact. My childhood years were not marked by placing faith in God regarding trials and decisions. And I think baggage from those growing up years does interfere with sound decision making. Dr Stanley reminded us this past Sunday that the Christian Believer has three Enemies: The World, The Flesh, and Satan. Here lately I feel like there has been a three pronged attack against my family. This has been spiritual warfare at it's bloodiest...! But Thank God and Praise God I am on the Victorious Team...!

Being a christian means having principles and standards different from the world. The simple question that must be filtered through decision making consistently is: Am I honoring God with the choice(s) I'm making...?

The bible speaks so much about finances. It speaks more about what we do with our money than just about any thing else. It came down to the final moments of our option period on the property at Columbia Lakes last night and I just did not feel 100% comfortable with the deal that was on the table, or the people we were dealing with.

Monica and I have been praying for clarity in all this and I think the Lord is telling us to put the purchase of this particular property on hold. -At least for now. It does seem like a 'dream-home' in many respects but there is also the potential for that dream to turn into a nightmare.

We have said continually that we are placing the situation in God's hands and that's where it is right now. I'm sure God has a better plan for us. Perhaps there's another property about to show itself that would be a better choice. Perhaps the sellers will come to us with a better deal if they really want to sell the property... All that remains to be seen. Meanwhile, We're going to focus on selling the property we're currently in. And of course, we're going to keep praying.

I want to thank all the prayer Warriors who read my posts every day and partner with me in intercessory prayer. I truly believe we are making a huge impact in the lives of each other and the world.

God Bless You.


Dear Heavenly Father,

You have spoken to our hearts in this particular matter. Thank You Lord for guiding our steps. We are still walking in faith since we really can't see what's on the horizon, but for the now the words are 'Patience' and 'Caution'... And we humbly yield to You, Our King.

Dear Lord I am considering some other options right now and I give those to You. Let Your Holy Spirit give me a sense of ease or dis-ease regarding these matters. Father God I just draw close to You in all this.

Lord I ask You to help me to not worry. Strengthen my Faith. I lay this all at Your feet. Everything I say and do I want it to be for Youe Glory, Lord. I know that You lead us safely to where You would have us be.

I love You Lord. You are so many things to me. You are a kind, gentle and caring Father. You are a True Friend. You Love Me. You Love my Soul. You have good things in store for me and my family. I rest in You, most holy Father.

And in Jesus' Name I pray,

Amen.

Prayer Requests For Coach Sam

I have way too much going on this week... And I'm feeling the pressure of over-commitment. I took a light day, a day of rest yesterday. And I was greatly inspired by Dr Charles Stanley's sermon yesterday morning. Among other things he encouraged believers to get to bed early so they could wake up early and spend time with God in the morning...

Of course, that's part of normal routine anyway. But I've been very short on sleep for weeks. So I'm quite a bit behind in the sleep department. Well, this morning I had set my alarm for 3:45 AM to get up and pray. My alarm went off faithfully, and I started praying, but accidentally fell back to sleep. To make matters worse, I overslept and now I have to cancel my 8 AM group tennis lesson. Now, not only have I let God down, I've also let down four country club ladies, too... I'm not sure which is worse. I never want to offend God, But I DO KNOW HE WILL FORGIVE ME....

We're getting very close to the time to finalize this deal on our home at Columbia Lakes and there are still a few financial issues to iron out. We definitely need prayer in that regard. Then I have a big tournament at Columbia Lakes this weekend. I need prayer that all goes smoothly with that as well.

Dr Stanley said we'd have failures. I guess oversleeping is one of them... All I can do is ask forgiveness and try to do better. I'm not going to dwell on it because this is something that hasn't happened in about 20 years. So I won't be due to over sleep again until I'm sixty years old. I guess if it happens then I can just take early retirement!

Dear Heavenly Father,

Lord, I'm so sorry for falling asleep in my conversation with You this morning. I'm shocked and disapponted at my behavior. I know even some of Your apostles fell asleep on You at a crucial time once long ago. I don't even deserve to be catagorized with them but I know You forgave them. Lord, I ask Your Forgiveness. And Please help me with my schedule. Help me to say 'No' more often. 'Busy-ness' is the most effective fiery dart in the enemy's arsenal where I'm concerned.

I want to get caught up and stay caught up. I think moving to Columbia Lakes is one answer to prayer. Once we're there it will such a better life style for my family. Oh Lord, we long for that time. I pray that is Your will for me. Help me to be patient. Help me to be wise in my financial decisions. I feel I'm making the most important decisions of my life right now. The decisions I make now will affect my life and the lives of my family and many others for years to come.

I yield to You Father. You are the Lord of My Life. You are my King. My Savior and Redeemer.... Jesus, I love You. You have done such great things in my life. And because of Your sacrifice I can taste eternal life.

Lord I give these concerns to You. (The house, finances, my schedule, and the tournament...)

I will not worry. My life is safely in Your hands. I give this day and every day to You My Heavenly Father.

And I pray this prayer in Your Holy Name, Jesus Christ. Amen.

Thanks and Praise Friday

Fridays are days that I count my blessings. I try not to ask God for one single thing on Fridays.

I have to say that I am truly grateful for 40 years of life. I've only walked with God for the past 20 and it's been up and down, but I definitely know enough to know that I don't know much of anything.

I know that anything good that happens is not because of something I've done, but it's all about what God's already done or is currently doing in my life and the lives of Believers around the world. I'm happy and grateful to be celebrating my 40th birthday today. I'm sad that my mom (or dad) isn't around to share it with me. After all, that was a big day for them, as well...

I always used to like to call my mom on my birthday and acknowledge how much I loved her and how I recognized that I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for her... I realize now that in a way, kids' birthdays are probably bigger days for the parents than for kids. I'm realizing this after being present for the amazing birth of my precious baby boy Elijah...

To be continued.... Please check back again...

POST SCRIPT 10/16/05: Unfortunately I never made it back to my blog on Friday... It's now Sunday and I'm sitting down catching up.... Let me go ahead and wrap up this entry with a prayer of thanks and praise:

Dear Heavenly Father,

Lord God, thank You for an awesome birthday. You are so good and faithful and I am so very blessed. I love You Lord with all my heart, mind, soul, and strength. I pledge my life to being a witness to others. And I pray these things in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

John 15:12 My Command is This: Love Each Other As I Have Loved You.

The book of John in the bible is often referred to as the 'Love' Chapter. We're all familiar with John 3:16... That verse explains how much God loved each and every one of us. But John15:12 very succintly tells us how we're supposed to feel about each other. If God loved us so much that he sent His Son to earth to die for us, and then 12 chapters later God commands us to love each other as He has loved us, does that mean that we should be prepared to die for each other...?

I would have no difficulty laying down my life for certain people. But others...? How about the meanest person I know...? (I won't name any names...) How about that person who has cheated me in business...? What about some of the really rude drivers I sometimes encounter on the road during my commuting...? How about the person who has spread false rumors about me...?

How in the world could I love them, let alone lay down my life for them...? Sorry I I can't answer that. This is why I'm writing about this topic hoping someone else can disciple me...

Perhaps I'm off base here and drawing an incorrect analogy... I don't know. But I do believe that Jesus once died for the lost. And that includes myself and all those other people I just mentioned.

The only conclusion I can draw right now is that God is God and I am not. And that's a good thing. Because I'd make a lousy God. I still have a lot of growing left to do. (sigh)

Perhaps God places difficult people in our lives because difficult relationships tend to stretch us and conform us more in his image. Are there some people in your life that You would have trouble loving as Jesus loved us...? Join me in praying about that today. I hope I get some commentary on this post because I have some really serious burdens on my heart right now and need some suggestions from someone who is walking closer with God than I am.

Dear Heavenly Father,

Lord You have such an unfathomable capacity to love. It's really amazing. I know the depth of my own love for my wife and family, (and for You, Lord). But Your Great Love for mankind surpasses all that by leaps and bounds. There's just no comparison.

You died for the entire world. You died for the ones who beat You, tortured and humiliated You. You died for the ones who hated You and cursed You. You died for the most rotten sinners who ever lived. You even asked Your Dad to forgive them for being so dispicable to You. I'm just in awe of your ability to love the unlovavble. And You've commanded us to love each other as we love ourselves and to love each other as You have loved us. This seems humanly impossible, to me.

But it's also a moot point for me because right now there are certain people in my life that I'm just having trouble liking at all, let alone love them. Now, I don't hate them, or wish them ill, But I'd definitely prefer to not be within a certain distance of them. And I'm sad to say that loving them is out of the question.

Will that effect have an effect on my salvation...? I suppose it will certainly effect how I'm judged in the end to some degree. Oh Lord, I lay this at Your feet this morning. I need Grace and Mercy.

Help me to love like You. Help me to be more understanding, more patient, kind and gentle. I know that it will take a supernatural love to break the chains of this bondage. I know that love conquers all. I just need to keep working on it, praying about it, and leaning on You, Jesus!

Suppose You consider that I only love You as much as I love the least of my brothers...? If that's the case, I'm in a heap of trouble. Because I do love You, Lord. And I'm asking You to help me with my heart for the un-lovable and the difficult.

Father I ask this today in Jesus' Name, Amen.

Prayer For my Boys

Dear Heavenly Father, I want to lift up Connor and Elijah to you this morning. I am so grateful to have the responsibility of raising this young man and little baby. I pray that Monica and I always provide a stable, safe, Godly home for them. I want to constantly bathe them in healing, protective prayer. Guard these boys and keep them safe from the snares of the Enemy!!!

Connor has just turned 13, and Eljah is almost 10 weeks. That's quite a gap, Lord. And many times I don't know if I'm being a good parent or not. I just lean on You for guidance and direction. I know I need more patience with Connor. And patience doesn't just come naturally. It's a spiritual gift. I've always thought I had plenty of patience but I think I could use another portion at times. I'm just giving that area of my life to You, Lord.

I believe that being called to Fatherhood is a Sacred Trust and I want to Honor that Trust in all my words, thoughts and deeds. Father God, please help me to be a better parent. Help me raise up these boys to be all that they can be in You. Help me help them realize their potential. Help me to be the best daddy I can be. I want do my best for You, Lord. It's all about You, Jesus.

And I lift up my sweet wife today, too Lord. Thank You Father for bringing Monica and I together. I pray that I always provide inspiration and motivation to her to love and grow in You as well. I have been so blessed by my family. Thank You, Lord.

Father God, I love You. I can't believe what a tremendously awesome life You've given me. I want to show my gratitude by living as perfect a life I can in Your honor. I want to model you, Jesus. Let these boys always see the You in Me.

Lord, I give these boys to You today. Bless them Father. And I pray these blessing in Jesus' Name, Amen.

Encouragement, Prayer, and Petition...!

Normally on Sundays my prayer routine is to pray for a church or ministry and lift up that particular pastoral staff. Today there is so much going on and so much on my heart that I have much more than that to comment on and pray about today.

First of all, regarding my commentary a day ago about trying to witness to one person a day for the next 20 years... My confession is that so far I haven't actually discussed salvation with anyone yet, but I have spoken to numerous persons about Jesus and or the bible. I'm working on trying to turn conversations 'in the right direction'. That's one of my topics of prayer this morning, is that the Lord will bless the words of my mouth to be salt and light to others.

I have a calendar that has a new bible scripture verse every day. A recent verse in the past few days was from the writings of the Apostle Paul.

...For God is not a God of disorder but of Peace....

-1 Corinthians 14:33

I've noticed a pattern in my life. You know how I complain about being busy all the time...? Well the 'busyness' seems to ebb and flow. But I think I can see that when I am especially grounded in The Word, my life is much more at peace. Take right now, for instance. I'm at the most absolute busiest time of my life right now. I am juggling the activity of two or three men at the moment. I have to awaken at 3 or 4 AM every day to get my daily routine accomplished. Yet I do have a great peace about me. Conversely, if I skip my morning prayer time a few days, or fail to pray at all throughout the day I most absolutely feel disorder in my life.

God is most definitely a God of Peace...! And I do want to step up the witnessing my faith into high gear. My goal is to witness to one person a day every day for the next 20 years. So far I'm two days behind schedule, but I can make that up easily by witnessing to a small group every now and then. That's very much a possibility. Meanwhile, I'll just keep praying for opportunities to share my faith.

Today I want to lift up a church I don't even know about. I don't know the name of the church or the name of the Pastor, but I do know that there is a church that God has in store for us join after we move to West Columbia. I haven't really thought about it much until now. But I do want to start praying regularly that God will lead us to the church that he would have us join.

And lastly, I ask all You Prayer Warriors to please pray for the sale of our house here in Houston. We love our house, but we know that God is providing a great opportunity at Columbia Lakes for a better life for our family. Certainly, it's all in God's hands. We have great faith that things will move along quickly. But please be in prayer regarding this matter. Pray that God's will be done and that all go smoothly in the sale of our house and our ultimate move to Columbia Lakes.

Dear Heavenly Father,

God You are an Awesome God and I exalt Your Name today...! You have worked so many miracles in my life. Thank You Jesus for blessing me in so many ways.

Father, I want to lift up a church this morning. I don't know which church it is or who the Pastor is, but I do know that church is waiting for us. I'm looking forward to finding that church and will be in daily prayer to that end from now on. Meanwhile I also lift up Metropolitan Baptist that has been such a blessing to us this past year.

Lord, I also pray this morning that You strengthen my witnessing skills. I want to tell others about You. I want to lead others to Salvation in You. Help me recognize opportunities that lay before me. Season my words. Soften my heart of prejudices. I want to be an ambassador for You, Jesus.

Gentle Savior, You have done so much for me and my family. I praise You Lord. My life is about glorifying You. I pray that Your will be done in regard to the sale of our house and the purchase of the new house. To sell quickly is the desire of my heart but Lord if You have something else in mind I yield to you. And I just pray for Your guidance and wisdom as Monica and I make one of the biggest decisions of our lives.

Lord I Love You. I offer this day to You. Thank You for another day. Another opportunity to impact this world for Your Kingdom.

I pray these things in Jesus' name, Amen.

Thanks and Praise Friday: Psalm 96

As You know, I take Fridays as days of thanks and praise, I try to just be thankful, content, and proclaim God's Glory rather than be in petition of Him.

I love to read the Psalms to get me in the mood of Praise and Worship. Psalm 96 Verse 1-2 is a great psalm of Praise:

Sing to the Lord a new song;

Sing to the Lord, all the earth.

Sing to the Lord, praise His name;

Proclaim His salvation day after day.

These verses are urging all living beings to communicate to the Lord. They are telling us to praise His name. What is praise...? Praise is lifting up, building up, and encouraging. Praise is giving credit where credit is due. Praise is good. Praise is positive. Praise is affirming.

The last verse tells us to proclaim His Salvation every day. Proclaim means to make an announcement, to tell people something. In this case the something is 'salvation', the Good News. 'Every Day' denotes the frequency to which we are to proclaim salvation.

Although I try to live a Godly Christan life day in and day out, and I want my very life, my actions and the words that come out of my mouth to proclaim the Kingdom, I wouldn't say that I proclaim salvation every day. Oh I do to a certain extent in my daily commentaries, but wouldn't it be cool if I literally told someone about Jesus every single day...? At least one person...? What kind of impact would that have on the Kingdom. How many lives would that impact..?

I'm going to be 40 years old next week. If I told one person about Jesus every day for the rest of my life and I lived another 40 years that would be 14, 600 people I have spoken to about Jesus. And what if those people went out and told just one person a year about salvation...? If you multiply 14,600 by 40 that's 584,000 people. I could impact over half a million people in 40 years if I told one person about Jesus a day for the rest of my life starting today.

If those half a million people all told 1 person a year about Jesus for the next 40 years how would that change the world...? And finally, what if a couple of people reading this journal decided to commit to proclaim His salvation every day for the next forty years...? The impact is staggering. I'm going to be thinking on that the rest of the day.

The Lord put me in a position to meet and interact with many people every day. It would be very easy for me to speak to one person about Jesus every day for the rest of my life.

Dear Lord,

Father I just praise You today. Lord, You are speaking to me thses days like You never have before. Thank You Lord. Thank You for blessing me and my family. We have all been touched by Your Grace and Mercy.

Father I just want to lift You up today. I do proclaim Your Glory, Lord. and I want to spread the word of Your Salvation, Your Saving Grace. I want to spread the word with my lips, not just my actions. You have done great things, Lord. You are Good. You are God. I owe everything to You, Father.

I love You Jesus, And I do give this day back to You. I live to worship You, Lord. Thank You Father for Your Salvation. Thank You for going to the cross for my sins and the sins of the world. I'll never forget that. And I will proclaim Your Good News every day for the next forty years. (or more if You still have work for me to do...!)

And I pray these things in Jesus' Name,

Amen.

The Pop Tests Of Life

For Those who Believe in God... For those who have put their trust and faith in Jesus Christ... For those who have asked Jesus into their Hearts to dwell forever... Those who call themselves Christians...

We must watch our witness very closely. The whole world is watching even when we don't know it. Especially in the area of Faith. Do we profess to have Jesus dwelling on the inside of us but then say things and act as if He is not present...? I know I am guilty of that at times.

-Especially in the area of worry. And Worry is a sin. We mustn't worry about things. Worry says that our faith is weak. Worry says 'I'm not sure if God can handle this situation.

But our God is a God who spoke this entire universe into existence. He made us and formed us out of clay. Our God breathed life into our nostrils. There is nothing our God can not do.

'Therefore, do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will take care of itself...' Matthew 6:14

Dear Heavenly Father,

Lord I feel anxious at times. (Like right now...) But I know that life is just a big test for we believers. Strengthen my faith, Lord. Help my to make wise, correct, informed decisions. I suppose I get anxious at times now because decisions I make effect more than just Monica and Myself. The lives of Connor and Elijah hang in the balance of the results of the decisions I make.

Father I am sorry for my lack of faith. I sincerely apologize to You, Dear Lord. For You always have been there, You have come through for me time and time again. I will trust in You, My King. And I recognize that Life is a trust. We are trusted to make the most of it. And I know that Life is a test. We will constantly be tested. The Enemy lurks around every corner waiting to devour the weak of faith and faint of heart.

Lord Jesus, I will trust in You. I will hold on to the promises of the bible. You are a Strong and Mighty God. You are a Fortress. You are my shelter in the wilderness. Father God I love You and I give this day to You. I pray that Your Word be on my heart and lips all day today and that others may see the You in Me.

Jehova I lift up my family to You today. I especially lift up my sweet wife who works every waking hour to help me provide a better life for our family and to mentor our children in Godliness. Thank You for the blessing of my baby Elijah and stepson Connor. God, You are an Awesome God.

I am at Your service, Lord. All day, Every Day, 24 hours a Day. And in Jesus' name I pray... Amen.

Commentary Regarding Personal Prayer Life

Way back when I started this prayer journal several years ago on AOL Journals Monica and I were members at a church inside the 610 loop in Central Houston. We joined that church in the midst of a bitter division between two factions. The church hadn't had a pastor for a year and was currently utilizing a temporary interim pastor. In spite of how terrible that sounds, it was a good experience in that we did meet some dear Christian people who we are still close to now. And my prayer life really blossomed as a response to the stimulus of the situation at that church.

Back in October, 2003 I started that blog for the men of that church. I wanted it to be a prayer ministry that would bring fractured parties closer together. My plan was to organize the men to pray for each other and the church. I wanted to establish a system where the church staff and it's members and the surrounding community were lifted up in prayer every minute of the day, 24 hours a day.

My plan never got completely off the ground as the two factions just would not come to agreement with each other. In the end, many people left the church, including Monica and myself.

Two years later the church has a new pastor and is doing better now. I still pray for that church. And I want to lift them up today. And I thank God for that turbulent time in mine and Monica's spiritual lives because during that time I really felt my calling to intercessory prayer. It was during that time when I really started praying in earnest for things other than those that effected just myself and my immediate family.

What got me thinking about all this was a radio program I heard on Christian Radio yesterday. The topic was prayer and the speaker commented that very few Christians who pray ever get past the mode of praying for themselves and their needs and the needs of their family and possibly the needs of other Christians. The speaker then asked a poignant question: How many of us pray for the souls of the lost...? I mean how many really pray for the lost every day...? How many spend concentrated time praying for the lost, unsaved souls in this world...?

For some reason that brought me back to square one thinking about my own prayer life. I feel called to pray for others. Many people from all over the country now send me prayer requests every day. And I pray for them. And I see evidences of God's Glory nearly every day in the form of answered prayer.

Where am I going with all of this...? I'm just asking everyone who reads this blog today to examine their own prayer life and ask God to show them what he would have them pray for.

Draw closer to God and he will absolutely draw closer to You. That's a promise from the bible...!

Let us pray:

Dear Heavenly Father,

Lord, prayer is such a gift. Thank You for allowing us the privilege to communicate wth You in such an intimate way. Thank You for listening. Thank You for the answered prayers and thank You for the unanswered prayers, too. Because we don't always know what's right for us, But You've got everything in a perfect plan for our lives.

I know You have a plan and a will for my prayer life, Jesus. And I just ask that You reveal to me what it is You would have me pray for today and in the weeks and months to come. Lord Jesus You are such a wonderful and awesome God. I love You, Lord. I thank and praise You for my blessings. I give this day to You, Jesus. And I pray these things in Your Holy Name,

Amen.