This title may have a double meaning this time since this may be prove to be a very long blog post. The verse for consideration is 1 Peter 4:7. I managed to look at this three different times and came away with three difference impressions. I couldn't decide on just one, so I figured I would just share all of them and let you pick if you want to read one or all of them.
July 29, 2023
Prayer
Psalm 118:13-14
13 I was pushed back and about to fall,
But the LORD helped me.
14 The LORD is my strength and my song;
He has become my salvation.
1 Peter 4:7
7 The end of all things is near. Therefore be clear minded and self-controlled so that you can pray. (NIV'84)
Thoughts
"The end of all things is near."
What in the world does "near" mean? It's been about 2,000 years since these words were written. That doesn't seem very "near." In fact, it seems like a rather long time.
However, that is based on the human concept of time and how long something takes. God is not bound by these human constraints of time. What seems like a long time to us, is just the next step He takes in His plan. We would do well to remember 2 Peter 3:8-9.
8 But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is
like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. 9 The Lord is not
slow in keeping His promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient
with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.
"Therefore be clear-minded and self-controlled so that you can pray."
Have you ever tried to pray when your mind was racing or so full of thoughts you couldn't put together a clear idea? I know I have and it just doesn't work. We need to be "clear-minded and self-controlled." We need to stop, truly stop, from the craziness of our days and let the Holy Spirit fill us with true peace. How? One is possibility is to write down all your thoughts. Once on paper you can focus on them one at a time, deciding what to include in your prayers. Additionally, we can be "clear-minded and self-controlled" by the Holy Spirit working in us.
What are we praying for? There is plenty out there to pray for. This sinful world is a mess. In this context, prayers would possibly be for Jesus to return soon. Prayer that we would be ready when He does return. Prayers for those we know and love to come to faith, to return to the fold, or to have their faith strengthened. A prayer that all of mankind would turn to God and be saved. We need to be praying for all of these things and more as we see the continued increase in signs of the nearness of Jesus' return.
We don't know when Jesus will return, but we do know what we should be doing to be ready for His return. Prayer is one or the important pieces of how we live knowing His return is near.
September 26, 2024 TEND Method
Take Time to Pray
Psalm 69:13
But I pray to You, O LORD,
in the time of Your favor;
in Your great love, O God,
answer me with Your sure salvation. (NIV'84)
Examine
The end of all things is near. Therefore be clear-minded and self-controlled so that you can pray.
Notice
What do you see about God's character?
God wants to hear our prayers.
God will one day come down to judge the living and the dead.
What lessons are being taught? Is there a sin, promise, action, command or example being taught? Is there a warning being given?
This verse has a clear warning that the end of the world is near. The end is still near. The definition of time for people is not the same as God's definition.
We need to be clear-minded and self-controlled to pray. This does not exclude prayers during times of upheaval. We should always be praying. However, we also need to make time to talk to God one-one-on, quietly, and with our full attention on Him.
Do
Consider how you need to respond to what God is teaching you.
Question:
How can I improve my prayer time?
Response
Sometimes my evening prayers can become rote as I flip through my many cards. It may be time to rewrite some of them. I need to work every night to pray with my heart fully involved. (I have a box of index cards that I use for my prayers. Each index has a prayer on it - most of them are for specific people, but I have other prayers and scriptures on those cards as well.)
It might be good to start a prayer journal where, at some point during the day, I take a short, quiet moment to talk to God about something specific to the day. It may be something small, but God cares even about the little stuff.
For more information on the TEND method, go to http://marieldavenport.com.
September 27, 2024
Sometimes it is hard to grasp, but we have been living in the end times since Jesus rose from the dead. From that moment on, the world has been waiting for Jesus' return. Matthew 24 has a lot to say about the very end including:
4 Jesus answered: "Watch out that no one deceives you. 5 For many
will come in my name, claiming, ' I am the Christ,' and will deceive many. 6 You will hear of
wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must
happen, but the end is still to come. 7 Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom
against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. 8 All
these are the beginning of birth pains.
And
42 "Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your
Lord will come."
We are seeing wars, famines, and earthquakes. They have been happening since Genesis. So, that doesn't seem like much of a clue. However, it is a reminder that we must always be ready for Jesus' return. We do not know when He will return, but we know that He will. That is a promise to cling to - that Jesus will return.
There are times when I start to pray, but my thoughts seem to wander down rabbit hole after rabbit hole. That is why I am thankful for my box of index cards with prayers written on them. There can be the draw to letting the prayers become rote, but I know that I can pray for help with that temptation. I have gotten the idea from another part of this study of 1 Peter 4:7 that I should work on a prayer journal that would give me a chance to take time with God and seeking His peace.
My original goal with my prayer cards was to ensure that I didn't miss anyone I said I would pray for. It has helped to give me a direction for my prayers so that they are organized - so I can be "clear-minded and self-controlled." Without my cards, my mind can wander off, just as it does during so many different activities.
God's Blessings
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