What is a Christian Life..?

Living a Christian life is more than just being 'good'...! Of course before I dive too far into this thought I need to state that the prerequisite for living a christian life is first being a christian.

That may sound kinda strange, but when I was a child I thought I was a Christian just because I went to church. And the church that I was raised in did not emphasize 'being saved', or accepting Jesus Christ as one's personal savior.

I was taught that I needed to be good to go to heaven. It wasn't until I was in college that I learned to trust in Jesus alone. Then, it was through my relationship with HIM that my life was transformed.

I have learned through years of study, trial and error, and just plain living that the Christian life is an expression of God's Grace rather than a check list of do's and don'ts. It is an overflow of God's grace. Christianity is about the freedom to enjoy the life God has given us, and freedom to share this truth with others.

And I'll repeat this again for emphasis: Unless you have trusted Jesus as your Savior, you have never experienced true freedom. I thought I was a Christian but found out that I wasn't.

Today I pray for the lost. I pray for the seekers. And I pray for the deceived.

Dear Heavenly Father,

Lord Jesus, as we enter in the Thanksgiving season I am taking inventory of my many blessings and am astounded at Your wonderful, incredible, grace and mercy. Father God, thank you so much for this life. Lord I want to make the most of it. Who knows how much time we have left in this existence...? You very well could take me home this morning and these are the last words I will ever type... That is always a possibility.

Lord help me to live in expectation of leaving this world. Help me to make every moment matter for eternal consequences. Lord, I want to live a Godly Christian life for your Glory and to model the changed life of a man who was once terribly lost.

Father help me to recognize opportunities that come before me to disciple seekers and for me to have kind, gentle interaction with the hurt and the lost.

Lord I pray that I am able to minister to everyone within my sphere of influence by living an authentic, Godly, Christian life. Lord, eternal security matters. And I want to help as many get into heaven as I can through influencing one life at a time.

I give this day to You, my King. I love You. And I pray these things in the power of the name of Jesus Christ, my Lord and Savior, from whom all good things come, AMEN.

Prayer for the week

Dear Heavenly Father,

Lord, I thank you for an awesome weekend. Thank You too, that everyone in my family is feeling better.

Father God I just pray blessings on the week ahead. I pray for Connor who will be traveling to Missouri to visit his grand parents. I pray for my Thanksgiving tennis activities. And Lord I lift up the owners, management, and all my coworkers at Columbia Lakes.

Lord Jesus. help me to be obedient to You. Help me to be the Godly husband, daddy, coach, and community leader you have called me to be. I know that I am nothing without You Lord and I can do nothing under my own power.

My life is in Your hands, Lord. And I give that life to You. I pray these things in Jesus name, Amen.

Lifting up Brother Kraft Again...

We've prayed for him before and I feel another burden by the holy spirit to lift up Brother Kraft again. Bob Kraft is a missionary in Hong Kong. He's a tennis professional and ministers to world class players on the mens and womens tour. His website is www.tennisministry.com. Pastor Kraft and his wife were recently blessed by the birth of a baby girl...!

I have never met Pastor Kraft in person but have corresponded with him several times via email. I do hope to meet him in person one day.

Today I want to pray specifically for his financial needs and how I might be able to use my contacts and resources to help fund his ministry in some way.

Dear Heavenly Father,

Lord I stand in the gap for Pastor Kraft, his family, and his ministry today. Thank You for Pastor Kraft and the work he does to bring Your light into dark places. Father God, he is an inspiration to me.

I pray for Pastor Kraft to be blessed financially so that he might continue his work and reach more and more souls for You. Father God I believe that I have been called to make an impact on those in my profession as well. Perhaps I can help Pastor Kraft in some way.

That is also my prayer this morning, my King. Show me how can be most effective to influence those in my profession for the Kingdom.

Lord Jesus, I love You. I recognize You as my Lord and Savior and that I can accomplish nothing apart from You. Lord, I lean heavily on You today...!

I give this day to You for Your Glory and I pray these things in the power of the name of Jesus Christ, Amen...!

Another Praise Report...!

We've all had a flu-like virus over the weekend. It started with Elijah getting sick. Then Monica and I started fading. We've been on anti-biotics since Friday. Elijah and Monica are doing better. I'm still a little behind in my recovery, but I'm definitely heading in the right direction.

God is Good. Today I praise God for his healing...!

Dear Heavenly Father,

Thank You God for healing my family. We can always count on You, my King. You are an awesome God. I praise You with the highest praise. I love You, Jesus.

I give this day to You. I totally surrender to Your will. I can accomplish nothing apart from You. You are my God and I will forever praise You.

Lord Jesus I pray these things in the power of Your holy name, Amen.

Prayer for Monica

Elijah seems to be doing a little better, praise the Lord...! Monica, on the other hand is feeling a little bit worse. Her fever is up and her sore throat is pretty bad now. And I have to confess that I'm getting a bit of a sore throat now, too...

I can't sleep so I'm just going to blog a little earlier than normal this morning. Whenever I awaken in the middle of the night, or early in the morning, (how ever you want to look at it...) I always feel that God's waking me up so that I can spend extra time with Him in prayer...!

I definitely need to pray for my sweet wife this morning. She is such a fine woman... She's one of the most kind, gentle, caring people I have ever met and she has touched my life in a way that has absolutely changed me forever. Right now, her passion for Jesus Christ is so amazing and inspiring. She is truly an inspiration. I suppose we sort of motivate each other in that way, but I'm here to tell you that I really believe my wife has been anointed by the Holy Spirit.

And I think something big is about to happen in the Kingdom of God soon and this family is going to be involved. I've never seen or felt so much spiritual warfare going on around me. This family has been under spiritual attack since the beginning. And the more we dig in the more the enemy digs in...

Poor Monica is exhausted physically, mentally and emotionally. She spends literally every minute of her day in a care taking mode or studying the word of God. She is weak and weary from giving of herself until there's just no more to give. This morning I pray for Divine healing for my dear wife. I pray for Divine rest.

Father God,

I humbly thank You for my wife. I thank You for my sweet little baby. I thank You for my stepson Connor. I am so tremendously blessed to have such an awesome family I want the whole world to know what a Great God you are...!

Believers are called to pray for each other and to pray for the world. I know that Monica is constantly praying for me, standing in the gap for my spiritual and physical health. She probably prays for me far more than I pray for her, but Father this morning lifting up my wife is my main focus.

You are a God of healing. You are THE Comforter... You have said to many that their faith has healed them. Lord I have Faith. Monica has Faith. We believe in You, Jehovah... You are God most High...! I sing Your praises this morning and worship You my King of Kings...

Lord Jesus I pray in Your holy name to heal my wife. Let her and the baby sleep peacefully the remainder of the morning. Heal her sore throat, Lord. Reduce her fever. Allow her to awaken fully refreshed.

Father God I'm praying for a miracle. And I'm not worried in the least because You are a God of miracles. And I love You, Lord.

I give this day, I give my life to You. Everything about this day I give for Your Glory.

Thank You Lord. Thank You my dear sweet heavenly Father. Thank You for always being there, for always being in control. You are always ready to listen to Your children. You would do anything for Your children, the ones You Love.

Lord I Love my wife and family. I can't believe how much I love them. I would die for them, no question. And I know that Your love is greater than any mortal love. It's really impossible to fully grasp... But that's ok... That's why I'm not God and You are...

Lord I give my wife's health to You. I believe You will heal her. And I am most grateful. Lord I just pray for Monica. I lift her up. I stand in the gap for her. And I pray these things in the healing power of the blood of Jesus Christ, Amen.

Lifting Up Monica and Elijah

My sweet family is under the weather today... Elijah is very sick... He's got a runny nose and is having trouble breathing... (and sleeping) The doctor says he's got 'baby-bronchitis'...

And if you've ever had kids, you know that if the baby's not sleeping then no one's sleeping... And unfortunately, Monica is coming down with something, too. She's exhausted and has a fever too. Last night was particularly difficult for her...

Connor and I are holding it together for now... We're healthy and trying to help out as best as we can...

But today I just want to lift up the health of Monica and Elijah...

Dear Heavenly Father,

Lord You are the Great Physician and Healer. I pray healing blessings on Elijah and Monica today. May You grant them peaceful, healing sleep and rest this morning as they were up a lot last night. I pray Lord that the medicine they are taking will do it's work quickly and relieve their discomfort. Help Elijah to breathe better and bring down Monica's fever. Take away her feeling of exhaustion, Father.

Lord it breaks my heart to see my family suffer. I would gladly trade places with them.

Father God I do thank you for my family. I love them dearly. And I love You, Lord. You are the Giver of all Good things. You are my King, My Lord, and Savior.

I give this day to You Lord, and I pray these things in Jesus' name, Amen.

Paul's Prayer for the Ephesians

Ephesians 3:14-21 (New American Standard Bible)

...I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name, that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; and that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled up to all the fullness of God. Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us, to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever, Amen.


Paul's missionary journeys took him far and wide. His task, appointed by God was to preach to the gentiles. By the way, if you're not from a Jewish family then you are a gentile. -I am considered a gentile. Most of you reading this commentary are probably gentiles.

In his letter to the Ephesians Paul explains in Ephesians 3:6 that the gentiles are fellow heirs in the Promise of Christ, meaning that gentiles could go to heaven if they had faith in Christ. In the passage above he was praying for the Ephesian church.

Paul prayed for God to strengthen the saints with power from the glorious riches found in Christ through the Holy Spirit. When we want to act on someone else's behalf, the most powerful thing we can do is pray.

Today I'd like to lift up a fellow brother in Christ who has also agreed to partner with me in prayer for my needs and the needs of my family.

Dear Heavenly Father,

Lord You are an Awesome and Glorious God. You never cease to look after the needs of Your children. Lord You always listen to my prayer. Thank you Father for that blessing.

Father God I want to thank You for my dear friend, brother Bruce. He is a Godly man with a family just like myself. He has struggles just like me. He is plagued with busyness, and the evil one, the enemy, is always on the prowl near by, trying to trip him up.

But Bruce loves You, Lord. And he wants to do right by You, to honor You in all his ways all of the time, just as I do.

Lord Jesus, I stand in the gap for Bruce and his precious family this morning and every morning from now on. I know he is standing in the gap for me and mine. Bless him, Father God. Protect him. Help Bruce to be everything You have called him to be: a Godly daddy and husband, a man of faith, a man of healing, and a community leader. Draw him close to You. Deliver him from evil, my King. I lift him up to You, my Lord and Savior. Thank you for Bruce, his family, and what they stand for, Lord.

Father this is my prayer for myself and my family, too. I love you, Lord. And I give this day to You. And I pray these things in the power of Your holy name, Jesus Christ, Amen.

Trading Spaces - The Renovation

I've been struggling spiritually for a while now. I've been praying about it and many people are behind the scenes praying for me, too.

Today's devotional is from Ed Young Jr. and it spoke to my heart. Perhaps it will speak to yours, too... -Coach Sam



Continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose. Philippians 2:12-13

We work out what by God's grace and mercy has been worked in at the time of our salvation. We develop what's been delivered to us through the person and work of Christ. We build on what has been bought by His blood. Look at that phrase, "work out." In the original language it means "work to full completion"...to develop what one already has...to finish a project. So, what does life change look like? What does the renovation of a heart look like? In short, it looks like work. But it is a different type of work.

This whole process of spiritual renovation starts when we resign and God designs. What if you gave two sets of plans to a builder? That would be chaotic. Yet, a lot of us have a vice grip on our plans and we say, "I know how to design my life. I know how to run my life. I know how to do my marriage, my job, and this or that. Yes, God, I see your plans on the table but I'm going to do what I want to do." God simply says, "Let go of the vice grip that you have on your plans. Let go. Resign as the designer and let me design your life, because I am The Master Designer. Resign. Fire yourself. You are incapable of knowing your plans. You're incapable of designing your life by yourself."

Once we resign and let him design, he brings swatches of fabric into your life and mine. He says, "Here's a swatch for your relationships. Here's a swatch for your future. Here's a swatch for your occupation." When he shows it to us, oftentimes we think, "I can't take that. That's not my color. I don't understand that. I don't see that." But we have got to realize that God sees the whole context of the room, the whole context of our lives. He sees the final result and we have got to trust him. When we let the Designer design our lives "according to his good purpose," we will stand amazed at the end result of our sanctification, the complete and perfect renovation of our hearts by the power of God's Spirit.

For more information about this and other subjects, visit the Ed Young Ministries website: www.edyoung.org

More about the Apostle Paul

Paul consistently kept a divine perspective in his prayers. First of all, he kept the character of God in the forefront of his thinking. He also recognized those who were thriving spiritually, thanked God for them, and asked the Lord to build up the saints.

In the first chapter of Ephesians, Paul made four petitions, which still apply to believers today. First, he asked God to give the Spirit of wisdom and revelation so they—and we—may know him better. Paul wanted the Holy Spirit to—one—reveal to us the deeper truths of our relationship with Christ—two—to illuminate our minds with understanding, and—three—to give us the wisdom to apply what we learn. Finally, the apostle prayed the saints would experience the Spirit's supernatural power working in our lives. Paul's desire is that we would move from mere head knowledge to practical understanding. So, he asked the Lord to make that happen.

Paul recognized that when we deepen our comprehension of God, accept who we are in Christ, and encounter the indwelling Spirit's awesome power, we will be able to face whatever comes our way. Let's commit to offering these types of prayers to God on behalf of others.

Today's thoughts are taken directly from Dr Charles Stanley's Daily Devotional. To bookmark his devotional page go to this link: In Touch

This blog used to be solely about prayer. Indeed, back in the early days when my blog was on aol, I would write every day about what the bible has to say about prayer, dicusss my own prayer habits, and spend lots of time just praying in intercession for others... Dr Stanley's devotional this morning has motivated me to get back into the study of prayer because although I have read ephesians many times, I had not seen the first chapter through that perspective.

And right here God is just just verifying something I had already suspected: That I don't know very much...!

You know, the church background I grew up in really stressed rote memorization of standard prayers like the 'Our Father', and 'Hail Mary', prayers. I don't believe I had ever really heard another person pray a personal prayer to God until I was a senior in high school. That's crazy, isn't it...? But for the first 18 years of my life my family just prayed 'standard form prayers'.

Consequentially, I was a little bit intimidated by praying a personal prayer to God at first. It was kind of intimidating to be in the actual presence of the Creator of the Universe for the first few times and have a personal conversation with Him. I still don't know if I've got the hang of it...

Dear Heavenly Father,

Lord, I thank You for an awesome day yesterday. I thank You that You really have been opening my eyes lately to a closer relationship with You. Father, I know that to those who is given much then much is expected in return. I do want to give my all to You, Jesus.

I love You, Lord. I Thank You for the precious gift of Salvation. I thank You for my wife and my boys. And I will honor You by loving them and pouring out my life into them and giving You the thanks, praise, and glory every day for every good thing in my life.

And Lord I will even prasie You for the storms in life because I know they are there to mold and shape me and draw me closer to You.

Dear Jesus, thank You for prayer. And Thank You that you are a God that hears the prayers of Your people. You are an awesome God, a Mighty God...

Father God I give this day to You and I pray these things in Jesus' name, Amen.

The Apostle Paul

What do we really know about the Apostle Paul...?

His real name was Saul of Tarsus. He was a tent maker by trade. He was very religious as a young man. He started out as a Pharisee, and was one of the greatest persecutors of Christians ever. But God used Him to begin a revival of unparalleled precedent.

I wonder if the Apostle Paul suffered from 'busyness'...? I think that possibly he did. Although he seemed to be completely busy being about the Lord's work. I'm wondering if there were moments when privately he wondered why God allowed him to go to prison...? God was definitely there working behind the scenes turning 'bad' situations into good.

I don't know. Possibly. But if God had not have slowed Paul down by placing him in prison the epistles might not have been written. And what about all the jailers and prisoners whom Paul witnessed to and converted...?

I think Paul was one cool character who didn't really sweat the small stuff. In Philippians 4:19, Paul writes: “My God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus...'

Paul really trusted God. He really loved God. What an awesome example Paul was...

Dear Heavenly Father,

Lord I praise you. You are my King. You are the Creator and My deliverer. You have blessed me greatly. And I believe that you have a special call on my life and this family.

There is much going on with me spiritually right now. And my wife, well she's on fire for You Lord and I must say that it's contagious. Father God, help me to be bold like the Apostle Paul. Paul was always good at 'keeping the main thing the main thing'. He had a singleness of purpose, even before his conversion, he was at the top of his game as the most feared persecutor of them all.

Lord, I want to be at the top of my game for You. Let all my efforts today in every endeavor be done for Your glory. And let me not miss one single opportunity to witness for you, Lord.

Father God, I love You. I've been thinking lately about love and the depths of love. I know how much I love my wife and family... Especially little baby Elijah... That is as deep as I can physically love. Yet I know that the depths of Your love go way deeper than that. You are God. You ARE Love. Thank You Jesus for Your love that knows no bounds. Thank You for my life.

Help me to make the most of what You've given me. I'm leaning on You, Jesus. I know I can't get things done under my own power.

Father I give this day to you. Bless me and my day, oh Lord. Bless my family. Bless my business and the owners of the tennis club I work for. Lift up my students and their parents today, Father. Protect me and shield me from sin and temptation. You are my strong tower, Lord. You are my Fortress...! I am safe and secure in you.

Lord I pray these things in Jesus' name, Amen.

Prayer for my Sis...

Today is my sister's birthday. I won't say how old she is except that she's older than me...!

I'd like to lift her up today before the Lord this morning...

Dear Heavenly Father,

Thank you Lord for my sis. I love her very much. Bless her day, Father. I pray that she has is lifted up by her family and friends and co workers today and that this just be a very special day for her.

I pray for her relationship with You, my King. Draw her close. Strengthen her and sustain her. Bless her with spiritual blessings, Lord.

In Jesus' Name I pray,

Amen.