The Chess Game

Consider life as being like a chess game.

The difference is that in life there are over 6 billion pieces, and they move themselves whenever they want.

We are each just one piece, and we can't even see the whole chess board.

God sees the whole board, he is more than smart and wise enough to move you in a way that is good for you, for others, and for his kingdom.

The best play is to trust the chess master.

Listen, then follow where the Holy Spirit leads.



Father God we thank you for your love and guidance.

Direct us we pray, help us to listen and respond to you.

Bless our efforts Lord Jesus - turn them to good. We love you and are the called according to your purpose.

Bless what we have said and done and what we have left unsaid and undone.

We turn our lives over to you for we know you first loved us.

Holy Spirit teach us to respond to your love and direction. Father we come before you now - cleansed by the blood of Jesus ---

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Two Questions About God

There are two types of questions we receive about our faith.

The first is combative, expecting argument -- with a list of puzzles the presenter expects to stump a Christian.

If you answer the first question, they will ignore the answer and go to another question - and on and on. These questions are not seeking truth, they are products of a closed mind and an ego that is a spring holding their mind shut.

A sample would be "How can you say the Bible is true when Science proves otherwise?"

If you handle this by asking "If I answer your question will you be ready to accept Jesus as your Savior?" They will likely answer "never," and ask another argumentative question.

Their goal is to confuse you and to prove themselves superior.

A reasonable answer would be: "you do not want to know -- you want to argue. A god that could be fully explained to you would be a very small god indeed. God is who he is, he is not made in our image, we are made in his."

Arguments of days or months will not sway them either, only the conviction of the Holy Spirit will reach them. Pray for them and leave them to their silly arguments unless guided otherwise.

A sincere question is the second type we will be asked. This question comes from someone that hopes we can expand their understanding.

Pray for yourself that you will be open to the Holy Spirit and able to communicate truth.


We come before you Holy Father knowing you have forgiven us in Jesus name.

Take our lives lord, we offer them up to you.

Fill us to overflowing with your spirit, that we might splash knowledge of your grace on others.

Bless us and lead us, help us to understand your love and help us to grow closer to you.

We commit to you lord, our lives are yours. Give us wisdom that we may know what you desire of us. Give us strength that we might follow your will once we perceive it.

Keep us lord, there is so much that might distract us from you.

Bless us, bless our service.

In Jesus Christ's name we now present ourselves before your throne ---

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Let Us Pray Together

Thank You Lord!

We know in whom we have believed, and we know you are able to deliver.


Lord God:


We know you seek to show yourself strong on our behalf.


We ask that you, as the holy one of Israel, will move on behalf of us and particularly on behalf of your Church.


We stand today in need of revival.


There are many that carry a weak form of visible godliness but deny the power thereof. We do not want to lightly bear the name of Jesus Christ - we want to live in fellowship with you.


Consecrate us to your service. May we be vessels that are willingly shaped by you to your good purpose. God touch us so that we may touch others, spreading the fire of conviction and repentance first through those that profess to believe, and then on to those that do not know you.


We gather together as the body of Christ - knowing you are not concerned with distance or time - we pray together.


We are agreed that we will allow ourselves to be used by you. Work a miracle of change in us, then use us to effect miracles of change in our churches and our world.


We are dependent on you God.



Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the LORD of hosts.



We therefore come boldly before you in Jesus Christ's holy name ---


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Praise God!

(feel free to personalize this prayer: say I instead of we, me instead of us, my instead of our.)


Thank you Lord for loving us.

We come to you knowing that you first loved us.

Jesus we love you, Father we love you, Holy Spirit we love you.

Bless us, keep us; assist us Lord.

We need your help.

Jesus thank you that you have provided us with your word - your word is truth. Holy Spirit guide us as we study the word of God. Teach us in the way we should go, that as we mature we might not depart from it.

We ask you for opportunity to serve you.

Lord put before us those that need your touch.

Guide us that we might plant, water, or assist in your harvest.

Give us opportunity to help those in the body of Christ with prayer, encouragement, and any actions you know they will require.

Give us the courage and wisdom to assist as the needs arise.

Lord God with your assistance we know we will be able to do, or refrain from doing, exactly the right things.

We know all things work together for our good, we love you, and we are the called according to your purpose.

We abandon self-condemnation of our past, you have forgiven us and turned the past to good.

In your word we find a lamp for our feet and a light for our path. Help us to determine to stay on your path.

Lord as you have patience with us, let us have patience with fellow Christians. You know our frame, that we are but dust; keep us aware that our brothers and sisters are but dust also.

We commit our ways to you.

In the holy name of Jesus Christ we love you and enter into fellowship with you now - - -

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And he came out, and went, as he was wont, to the mount of Olives; and his disciples also followed him. And when he was at the place, he said unto them, Pray that ye enter not into temptation.

And he was withdrawn from them about a stone's cast, and kneeled down, and prayed, Saying, Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done. And there appeared an angel unto him from heaven, strengthening him.

And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly: and his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground. And when he rose up from prayer, and was come to his disciples, he found them sleeping for sorrow, And said unto them, Why sleep ye? rise and pray, lest ye enter into temptation. - Luke 22: 39-46


And he said unto them, Verily I say unto you, There is no man that hath left house, or parents, or brethren, or wife, or children, for the kingdom of God's sake, Who shall not receive manifold more in this present time, and in the world to come life everlasting. - Luke 18: 29-30


Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time: Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you. - I Peter 5: 6-7


Lord guide us to you.

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Thank you for approaching us with a clear plan of salvation.

Help us to realize that while it is simple to enter into a relationship with you, simple does not mean easy. It was simple for you to die on the cross, but as shown by your agonizing prayer while the disciples slept, it was an extremely difficult path you chose to walk.

Our adoption into your family is paid for by your sacrifice, - it all seems so easy.

We may now grow in the knowledge of who you are, how this world is truly ordered, and what you have done for us.

Lord we believe you.

Lord - we believe in you.

Dear Jesus; - thank you for what you have done for us. Based on that knowledge, we must give ourselves up as you have, guide us as we walk with you.

It is in your death and resurrection that we find the power to overcome our training - and the strength to yield to the truth.

You are truth.

To live our lives with any other central focus will be to lose sight of your truth.

We give up control of - family, nation, party, friends, jobs and all we thought was our responsibility. We are yours. We come to you and give you what we thought was most important.

Take care of us, we cast our cares on you.

In Jesus name we now come to talk with you --

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Big Words Can Hide Simple Truths

There is a pleasure in using big words.

The pleasure is more than just ego food. Our big words can lend an air of power to what we say.

I remember a poet once told me, "Never use a word you are proud of."

A screenwriter told me not to use words that are to exact. He said that while touching his nose. "Right on the nose words," he was saying, "are wrong."

Big words lock out those that have to guess at their meaning.

Big words form an in-crowd, and an out-crowd.

Christianity is so simple, you have to be trained to not understand it.

If you catch me trying to impress with big words, leave a comment. In fact, if you catch me in any way making it sound like Christianity is complex, comment.

I know there are mysteries in the Christian faith that are beyond our understanding. We did not make God in our image; God is who he is. It would be a very small god indeed if his total being could be easily explained and understood.

A relationship with God is easy to attain, he constructed the relationship for us.



Lord God,

Thank you for loving us even when we ignored you. Keep us aware of who we are in you, and why in Jesus we can be so respected by you. Help us to share the good news that you have shared with us.

Jesus, thank you for paying the price for my errors. I ask that you keep me aware of the areas in my life you want to fix next. I know the list is long, thank you for your patience.

Holy Spirit, Thank you for first showing me the error I was living. Thank you for coming beside me and helping me. But most of all I thank you for the love that you show me. That love overflows and touches others. I am filled to overflowing with your presence. Let me continue to walk in you as you live in me.

I give up my claim to be proud or boastful, remind me when I err.

In Jesus Name



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Joy Through Prayer

Pleasures are short term things, Joy not only endures, it can grow.

Your relationship with God through Jesus Christ is meant to be a source of joy.

Then he said unto them, Go your way, eat the fat, and drink the sweet, and send portions unto them for whom nothing is prepared: for this day is holy unto our LORD: neither be ye sorry; for the joy of the LORD is your strength. Nehemiah 8:10



But let all those that put their trust in thee rejoice: let them ever shout for joy, because thou defendest them: let them also that love thy name be joyful in thee. Psalm 5:11


Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore. Psalm 16:11


And my soul shall be joyful in the LORD: it shall rejoice in his salvation. Psalm 35:9


But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life. And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement. Romans 5:8-11

For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost. Romans 14:17

I can put a message above the prayer, but it would be an error to try to put a message in the prayer. - Prayer is conversation with God.

To preach at you when I am claiming to talk to God would diminish the reality of that conversation. I will type the start of my prayer time; please join me.

Then continue to talk, listen, & hear as you converse with the Lord of life.

Father God,


We thank you for all you have done in our lives. We seek to see you as you are, not as we would make you out to be. In the name of Jesus Christ our savior; we enter in to your presence, fellowship with us, draw us to you.

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A Time For Prayer

What the body of Christ needs now is PRAYER!

What this little chapel meeting needs to do is pray.

We will keep our Wednesday & Sunday format with an occasional something in between.

But what we will meet for is a season of prayer.

Join us in this simple prayer, add as much more as you wish. We are praying together, God is not concerned with distance, or time.

Father God, help us this day to do what you desire us to do. We give our lives to you, reach out and touch our needs. We know you are a loving God, and as a good father loves his children, so you lead us in the way we should go. Thank you for being with us. Bless us. Help us to serve you.

If you need prayer, leave your requests in the comments, anonymous is ok.


From one of my other sites I have this prayer request:

I read your most recent post and thought since your a believer that I would ask you to pray for my wife and me. We are both disabled and I am on life support in twenty days the electric company will disconnect our electric because we cannot pay the total bill! I am not asking for money!!! Just prayer. Thank you and Grace and peace to you,

My prayer for him, and I ask you to join me, and add more as you wish:

Lord God, we love you.

Thank you for loving us.

In the name of Jesus Christ we seek healing for our brother and his wife. In Jesus Christ we are one church, regardless of denomination; we are one body, in agreement for their healing.

We also know that you are our provision, Our brother's needs will be met by you, no matter what agency you use to effect deliverance. We do not look to men, but to you, for we know that you are a rewarder of those that diligently seek you.

We receive these things as a gift from you.

We ask this in the Holy name of Jesus Christ our Savior.

To God be the Glory

Amen

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