Stay focused [Matthew 14 v 22- 32 ]

I love football, yet I can appreciate other sports, I have played different sports, but I have never played cricket, I would like to have played it, but it never happened. As I have observed cricket I admire the batsman, for his bravery,and from what I have read , Donald Bradman was the greatest batsman ever, he scored a tremendous lot of runs, for Australia .He had tremendous ability, and most important he had wonderful powers of concentration, in other words he stayed focoused, he kept his eye on the ball. As a Christian of many years I believe it is so very important to stay focused, why did Peter begin to sink ?, [Matthew 14 v 22-32 ] because he did not stay focused on Christ, today stay focused on Jesus. [Father help us to stay focused on Jesus today, grant us this grace, in His name we ask this, Amen . ]

The Christians vital breath. [ Matthew 6 v 5 - 14 ]

On the 1st May1873 David Livingstone , who was ill, was found kneeling as if in prayer,dead, he was aged 60.The hymn writer wrote, Prayer is the Christians vital breath, the Christians native air , his watchword at the gates of death, he enters heaven with prayer. The challenge of prayer is so important , most Christians know this, I know it, and yet we can so easily neglect it, it takes time to pray , it often takes effort. Whatever it takes , it is important, that we pray, it is important that we pray about everything, that we seek to acknowledge God in all our ways. Our Saviour taught that we should always pray and never give up [Luke 18 v1 ]my study Bible says,/ As we persist in prayer, we grow in character, faith , and hope./ [ Dear Lord Jesus, help us to pray , fill our hearts with a burning desire, to pray, Amen. ]

A weakness offering. [ 2 Corinthians 12v 9 ]

This year is the 400th anniversary of the birth of the poet John Milton [1608-1674 ], John was the penman for the commonwealth,that was led by Oliver Cronwell. John became blind,but still served the Lord, he was a Christian, he wrote many things, and in a poem related to his blindness, he penned these words ,/ They also serve who only stand and wait/.Of all the things he wrote , those words are remembered the most. Many people can find themselves with a handicap ,age and infirmities catch up with us all,and with this ,there also can come feelings of frustration, of uselessness,so take encouragement from the words of the blind poet, remember God loves us in our weaknesses .[ Loving Heavenly Father, we come to You in our weakness , and offer it up to you as an offering,please accept it, for the sake of Jesus, Amen ]

Because they care. [James 5 v 16 - 18 ]

I am sure I am not the only person who struggles at times, many of us struggle, there are moral struggles, financial struggles, health struggles, struggles within marriage, one could on, what are you struggling with?. I recieved a letter recently and in it the person wrote, I pray for you each day, that is an encouragement to me, it reminds me that I am not on my own in my struggles. I am sure whatever struggle you are involved in ,there are those faithful people who are praying for you. It is so easy to feel isolated and alone in life,and this can drive us to despair, do take encouragement from the fact that you are supported by the prayers of those who care for you. [Father we thank you for those dear people who pray for us, because they care, thank you in the name of Jesus. Amen. ]

The Weather. [ 1 John 5 v14. A.V ]

The weather is always a point of conversation in this country, one day we may have sunshine, the next rain. I wonder does the weather affect you? I try to not let it affect me, lets face it there is not much we can do about it. We do read in the bible about a man who did affect the weather, his name was Elijah, we can read about him in 1 Kings 17, James in his epistle [5 v17-18 ],tells how this man prayed earnestly that no rain would fall, and none fell ,for three and a half years, and then , when he prayed again , the sky sent down rain. What power, yet it was a God given power, Elijah acted in accordance with the will of God, not a whim or a fancy,when we move in the will of God great things can trully happen . [ Father help our lives to be in tune with your will at all times, help us see that this is the most important thing in our lives, we ask this in Jesus name, Amen .]

Perseverance.[2 Timothy 4 v 6-8 ]

I read this today ,/Expect great things from God, attempt great things for God/ , by William Carey, I would commend to you, to read his life story, he served the Lord in India. One of his greatest achievements was translating the word of God , I imagine translating work takes perserverance,I remember reading how he had nearly completed one translation, and it was destroyed by fire, he did not give up, but took up the task again, and finished it, in other words he persevered.One of the most important things in the Christian life is perseverance, of not giving up on the task that God has given us to do, of not giving up on people, of not giving up in following Jesus. [Father in heaven ,you know how many things can cause us to give up, help us today by your grace to persevere in all things that are according to your will, for Jesus sake we ask this , Amen. ]

Our enemy .[ Matthew 4 v1-11 ]

The other night I had a dream, I seem to be dreaming more,and in this dream I saw a lion, I did not feel fear ,but I felt it important to escape from it, as one would. This dream reminded me of the words of First Peter 5 v8, which reads, /Stay alert , Watch out for your enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. We do have an enemy who is out to destroy us, for the unsaved it is very , very, serious, their eternal destiny is at stack, for the believer it is also very serious, just recently I heard of a Christian leader,who fell morally. I am conscious of my vunerability, as I hope you are, so stay alert ,pray without ceasing, read the word of God, be filled with the Spirit, rely on God not yourself, resist the devil and he will flee from you , [James 4 v 7 ] [Dear Lord help us in our weakness, we are conscious of our weakness, so help us,by your grace to stand against the enemy of our souls, in your name we ask this. Amen. ]