Daniel 3:15-18 – “Now if you are ready, when you hear the sound of the horn, pipe, lyre, trigon, harp, dulcimer, and all kinds of music, to fall down and worship the image which I have made, very good. But if you do not worship, you shall be thrown at once into the midst of a furnace of blazing fire; and what god is there who can rescue you out of my hands?”  ¹⁶ Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego answered the king, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to answer you on this point. ¹⁷ If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to rescue us from the furnace of blazing fire, and He will rescue us from your hand, O king. ¹⁸ But even if He does not, let it be known to you, O king, that we are not going to serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up!”  Amplified.

Let me begin by asking, “Have you experienced a situation in your life where the answer did not come or did not come in the way you desired or expected?”  

Let me pose that a little differently and say that I am convinced each of us has prayed for someone who did not get healed; mothers have prayed for their sons in times of war who did not come, and children or loved one’s lives have been snuffed out in a tragic accident even though we prayed for God’s protection and deliverance.  I realize that is a bit different from what these three young men were facing, but the question is still valid – “What If God Doesn’t?” 

I fully believe that God can!  His ability to perform the miraculous is not in question for me.  I do not question His willingness and refer to numerous passages in the New Testament when someone said, “If you are willing?”  Each time Jesus said, “I am willing.” 

One even said, “If you can,” and Jesus said, “If I Can!”  Of course, He can, but What if… I have ministered to people in tragedy, disappointment, and loss who waited until the event to decide how they would respond.  Some wait until matters are critical to pray, seek God’s face and help, and then find themselves incredibly perplexed and troubled if things do not go as they desire. 

You do not wait until the shooting starts to prepare for war.  You do not wait until the well runs dry to prepare for water.  You do not wait until the pantry is empty to begin searching for food.  You must plan, prepare, and decide Before the crisis to survive the crisis.

These young men had determined in their hearts that they were going to serve God and not participate in the worship of anyone or anything other than Him.  Before the giant statue and edict existed, they and Daniel had determined in their hearts to serve God Regardless!  No wonder the Bible says that Daniel had an “excellent spirit” in him.  No wonder these young men find their way into the scriptural record. They had settled the issue, and they were confident God was trustworthy.

The King’s edict was, “bow down or burn.”  Their answer to the King is powerful and continually encourages me in times of ease or difficulty.  The place they had arrived and the position and condition of their hearts are where I strive to be and long to stand. 

They said, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to answer you to this point.”  That is Fascinating!  “Hey, king, there is nothing to discuss; the decision has already been made.”  Hear what they said, “If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to rescue us from the furnace of blazing fire…”  

There was no vacillation in their hearts or minds – God Can!  They continued, “…and He will rescue us from your hand, O king.”   Hallelujah!  Hear their commitment, confidence, and faith in this.  God, Can that is not a question or concern.  God Will…

That is amazing because it expresses their confidence that one way or another, God will rescue us from you, Mr. King.  Notice the following statement, “But even if He Does Not, let it be known to you, O king, that We are not going to serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up!”   In East Texas vernacular, “Bring it on, king!  Bring it on! We ain’t gonna bow down!”

The key is Commitment and Confidence!  The key is Trust that is so complete that even if death in the natural is the result, there will be no other gods before the Living God of Heaven.  Even if God does not do what we ask or expect, we won’t bend even if we burn because We Trust God!

In our Christian Walk, it is critical to reach a place where we are so confident in God and wholly committed to Him that we have no other thought than serving Him.  That is where the disciples were when imprisoned by the Sanhedrin, and Peter said, “Whom shall we obey, God or man?”  

If we reach the place where the issue of bowing or burning is decided, we can face all the “What ifs of life” with complete peace.  We live knowing that God Can, and we are confident that He will, but if He does not, that changes nothing because He still rescues us in the end, and the reward is eternal.  What shall a man give in exchange for his soul, and what is the benefit of gaining the whole world and losing our souls? 

If you decide in advance that you will not bow even if you burn, your confidence will cause hell to tremble, and your peace will guide you safely through all the troubled waters of life. 

I pray that God will richly bless you and enable you to abide under the shelter of His arms.  Have a Great Day!

Acts 19:11-15 – “Now God worked unusual miracles by the hands of Paul, 12 so that even handkerchiefs or aprons were brought from his body to the sick, and the diseases left them and the evil spirits went out of them. 13 Then some of the itinerant Jewish exorcists took it upon themselves to call the name of the Lord Jesus over those who had evil spirits, saying, “We exorcise you by the Jesus whom Paul preaches.” 14 Also, there were seven sons of Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, who did so. 15 And the evil spirit answered and said, “Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are you?”   NKJV

As the darkness covers the backyard, stillness, and quietness allow the mind to reflect on the things of the heart without interruption from external sources.  Reading passages from the Bible and listening to the Lord refreshes the soul.  This morning, I sat thinking about the question above from the scripture text passage. 

This account in Acts applies to us today as it is any day.  Some diminish the power of the forces of hell to the point that they mock and taunt those forces, while others are so fearful that they live life with such timidity that they cannot accomplish anything for the Lord.  We have authority, weapons of warfare that are mighty through God (2 Corinthians 10), and a commission to go into all the world with the “Good News.” (Mark 16)

Luke 10:18-20 – “And He said to them, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven.  19 Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you.  20 Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rather rejoice because your names are written in heaven.” NKJV

Having been born again, we have the privilege of carrying the “Good News” to the ends of the world and to every person.  In so doing, we will be invading territory currently occupied by the forces of darkness.  They will not give up that territory without a fight, so it is imperative that we know who we are and whose we are.  Our faith and confidence are not in our ability, spirituality, gifts, or talents but in Him; otherwise, we will find the evil forces saying to us what was said to the sons of Sceva in Acts 19, “Jesus, I know, and Paul I know but who are you?”   May that never be!

Our rejoicing is not that the powers of darkness are subject to us through Christ but that our names are written in heaven.  Our rejoicing is not in our ability to cast out demons and see signs and wonders but in souls coming into the Kingdom of God. 

Seeking the demonstrations of power is to focus wrongly.  Seeking first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness is the proper focus, and the other (power) will be a by-product of that relationship, as needed and where needed.  It is not important that anyone know our name or recall any exploits that we may have done or been used to accomplish in Christ, but that they know Him!

The objective is reaching those who are lost, dying, hurting, bound, wounded, bruised, battered, or defeated and bring them out of the darkness into His marvelous light!  There will be demonstrations of power when God moves!  The purpose of those demonstrations is not to call attention to us but to turn hearts to our Lord! 

My desire is to see the captive free, not have attention called to me.  My purpose is to lead so that others can follow Him, not that I have a following.  So, for my name to be feared in hell, it must be written in heaven, and my heart must be completely submitted to Christ!  We are children of the Most High God and have authority over all the enemy’s power!  We do not walk in fear but in confidence in Him!

Therefore, as you work, war, and witness for our Lord, know that you are more than a conqueror through Him who loves us!  Perfect love casts out fear!  Walk in His love and allow Him to demonstrate the power of that love through us. 

May the rich and bountiful Blessings of the LORD accompany you as you go through your day! 

Daniel 3:16-25 – “Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego answered and said to the king, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter. 17 If that is the case, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us from your hand, O king. 18 But if not, let it be known to you, O king, that we do not serve your gods, nor will we worship the gold image which you have set up.”  19 Saved in Fiery Trial Then Nebuchadnezzar was full of fury, and the expression on his face changed toward Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego. He spoke and commanded that they heat the furnace seven times more than it was usually heated. 20 And he commanded certain mighty men of valor who were in his army to bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, and cast them into the burning fiery furnace. 21 Then these men were bound in their coats, their trousers, their turbans, and their other garments, and were cast into the midst of the burning fiery furnace. 22 Therefore, because the king’s command was urgent, and the furnace exceedingly hot, the flame of the fire killed those men who took up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego. 23 And these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, fell down bound into the midst of the burning fiery furnace. 24 Then King Nebuchadnezzar was astonished; and he rose in haste and spoke, saying to his counselors, “Did we not cast three men bound into the midst of the fire?” They answered and said to the king, “True, O king.”  25 Look!” he answered, “I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire; and they are not hurt, and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God.”  NKJV

What a beautiful beginning to a new day.  I am sitting with my morning coffee, Bible and enjoying the presence of the Lord, reading, and listening.  In the stillness I heard “There is a Fourth Man in the Fire!”

The Book of Daniel is a most interesting book to me.  I love watching the hand of God upon lives that are entirely committed to Him and seeing His delivering hand.  A truth that, too frequently, we forget and allow ourselves to fret, fuss, and fume over various situations and circumstances. 

The Hebrews taken captive to Babylon had four very distinctive personalities among them.  Daniel, whom they named Belteshazzar, but we always find him called Daniel.  Hananiah, the Babylonians renamed Shadrach, Mishael to Meshack, and Azariah to Abed-Nego, names we find them referred to in the book henceforth.  These four young men made some early decisions regarding their commitment to the Almighty God whom they served.

• They refused to eat the king’s meat or drink the king’s drink. 

We need to understand that we must “come out from among them and be separate.”  They did not try to make themselves noticeable to everyone around them in their difference; just maintain their commitment to God and allowed the result to speak for itself.  Their commitment elevated them to prominent positions in the kingdom of Babylon, yet they maintained their integrity and commitment to God.

• They refused to bow before the king’s idol even though, in the natural, it meant sure death. 

They responded to the king by saying, King, we do not need to try to justify our actions to you. We trust the God we serve, and He will deliver us; if not, it’s no big deal.  We must always remember that this life here is just a sojourning; we are passing through as “strangers and pilgrims on this earth.”  This is a temporary home, not our permanent one.  Therefore, keeping the focus on the “goal, the prize of the high calling” is more important than being politically correct or fitting in with the world.

• They were delivered by THE FOURTH MAN IN THE FIRE, whom Nebuchadnezzar declared looked like “the Son of God.” 

Even the Babylonian king could not deny the truth of God nor His great power because of the commitment of these young men.

It does not matter what we face!  It does not matter what obstacles are laid in our path!  It does not matter what opposition comes our way!  It does not matter what danger our lives might be placed in – – THERE IS A FOURTH MAN IN THE FIRE! 

If we “seek first His Kingdom and His Righteousness,” our eyes upon Him and our commitment firmly rooted in His Word and refuse, as the three Hebrew Children, to Bend, Break, or Bow, we will walk out of the fire either in this life or in the next unscathed and into His presence!  They may be able to kill our bodies, but they cannot kill our souls. Therefore, we need not fear them, whoever they might be!

Begin your day today knowing that if today leads you to the fiery furnace, the FOURTH MAN IN THE FIRE will be awaiting you there to cover you with His feathers, and under His wings, you can trust, rest, and be protected.  We will either receive deliverance or promotion, and both are victories!

Blessings, my friends, as you go through your day!

Acts 4:1-12 – “As they were speaking to the people, the priests and the captain of the temple guard and the Sadducees came up to them, 2 being greatly disturbed because they were teaching the people and proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection from the dead. 3 And they laid hands on them and put them in jail until the next day, for it was already evening. 4 But many of those who had heard the message believed; and the number of the men came to be about five thousand. 5 On the next day, their rulers and elders and scribes were gathered together in Jerusalem; 6 and Annas the high priest was there, and Caiaphas and John and Alexander, and all who were of high-priestly descent. 7 When they had placed them in the center, they began to inquire, “By what power, or in what name, have you done this?” 8 Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, ” Rulers and elders of the people, 9 if we are on trial today for a benefit done to a sick man, as to how this man has been made well, 10 let it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead —  by this name this man stands here before you in good health. 11 ” He is the STONE, WHICH WAS REJECTED by you, THE BUILDERS, but WHICH BECAME THE CHIEF CORNER stone.  12 “And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved.” NASB

Sometimes in the chaos of this world’s problems, political, social, economic, physical, etc., we forget the foundation.  We turn our eyes toward the problem, and it causes fear, concern, apprehension, trepidation, and even depression. 

Yet, when we remember to remember that Jesus is the foundation and that “NO OTHER NAME UNDER HEAVEN has been given among men by whom we must be saved,” we shake ourselves and rise up out of the ash heap of despair and look up to the author and finisher of our souls in victory!

Deep inside my spirit, I know that I know that I know that God is in Control of my life and the lives of many others and that His Holy Spirit is touching hearts across this land for good and right.  We may continue to have political, social, and moral chaos and disaster, but the one thing we dare not forget is that Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life – – He is the Door!  There is no other access to the Father but through and by Him.  That has to remain our foundational focus and message to those around us. 

The chorus of an old song resounds and resonates in my heart today – “Turn your eyes upon Jesus, look full in His wonderful face, and the things of earth will grow strangely dim, in the light of His glory and grace.”  He is the Stone the builders rejected but has become the Chief Corner Stone!

He is trustworthy!  He is reliable!  He is Truth!  He is Life!  He is Hope!  He is Change!  He is Salvation!  In Him, we live, move, and have our being and upon whom we can rely!  So, no matter what takes place in this life, our faith and confidence must remain in Him!  He is our Rock and our Foundation!  Do not let the problems overwhelm you; allow His love to give you an anchor that will hold you no matter what!  If they kill us, all they have done is send us home early.  However, if He keeps us here awhile longer, there is work to do, and we must be busy about the Master’s Business!

God Bless you as you enjoy this wonderful day in Him!  May the Lord Bless and Keep you and make His face Shine upon you and give you Peace!

Jeremiah 33:3 – “Call to Me and I will answer you, and I will tell you great and mighty things, which you do not know.’” NASB

Let us continue our journey into understanding the misconceptions, the dynamics, and the importance of Prayer!

PRAYER IS MORE THAN A COMMITMENT IT IS A COMMAND….

We take immense pride here in America that we are Free!  We live in a society based on a Republican Democracy and revel in our Independence. That is great in helping the individual develop a sense of worth and significance. Still, it can also weaken our understanding of the force, power, and importance of authority. 

We must realize that the Bible is not a book of ‘suggestions.’ It is God’s Word!  In that light, prayer is not an ‘option.’ It is vital to life itself spiritually.  The word pray occurs 250 times, and the word praying 280 times, so that sounds pretty important to me!

However, when you say it is a ‘command,’ that seems to produce resistance in many hearts.  The command to pray is not to discipline us but because prayer is vital for our Spiritual Life!  How often do we need to pray?  How often do we need to breathe or eat?  How much time does establishing and developing a sound, wholesome relationship require?  That is how much we need to pray!

GENUINE PRAYER IS A CHALLENGE…

Remember the words of our text in Jeremiah 33 – God says Call.   That is our responsibility.  He then promises, “I will answer you.”  Then He adds, “I will show you great and mighty things, which you did not and do not know.”  

Therefore, it is simple – If we do not pray, we will miss many, if not most, of God’s answers and revelations!  No communication with God results in no revelations from God!

Life is a challenge!  We face one challenge after another as we wind our way through the maze called Life!  Through prayer, we can work our way through it with much greater ease and effectiveness.  The Church does not need more programs. It needs more, Jesus!  We might want to turn our ‘supper rooms’ into ‘upper rooms.’

PRAYER IS MORE THAN A COMMITMENT, COMMAND, AND CHALLENGE; IT IS ALSO A CATHARSIS….

1 Peter 5:7 – “Casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.”

That directive is a channel through which we can remove the negative emotions of anxiety, fear, and anger from our lives.  Prayer releases the overload of stress and pressure and casts them at the feet of our LORD!  It transfers the weight of life and living from the weak to the strong!  It is therapeutic, unlocks the inner man, and allows us to draw from God’s strength, wisdom, and might!  Prayer is a preventative from Burnout! 

Isaiah 40:31 – “Those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.”

Prayer is the key to survival and victory!  It is our channel of communication with God Himself.  God meets with us in ascending levels of communication, where each level meets a great need in our lives.  Each level moves us into a higher realm in the Spirit.  Each level opens to us a greater degree of God’s presence.  Each level gives us a complete revelation of His Person and Nature.

Remember you have an Invitation to come before Him Anytime for Anything, and He is ready to Hear and Respond to you.

May God bless you as you go through your day!

Jeremiah 33:3 – “Call to Me and I will answer you, and I will tell you great and mighty things, which you do not know.’” NASB

Let us step a little deeper into our consideration of the importance, misconceptions, and dynamics of Prayer!

EFFECTIVE PRAYER REQUIRES COMMITMENT…

That is absolutely true, but it requires more than our commitment and dedication to the activity – – It also requires something on God’s part.  God has extended to us the ‘invitation’ to prayer, granted us the ‘ability’ to pray, and ‘teaches’ us to pray through the Holy Spirit.  Yet, we must never forget who we are addressing when we pray.

1 Timothy 6:15-16 – “… He who is the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords, 16 who alone possesses immortality and dwells in unapproachable light, whom no man has seen or can see. To Him be honor and eternal dominion! Amen.”  NASB

You do not just casually drop in on people like Presidents, Prime Ministers, or Royalty in the natural, so why would we think we could do so in the spiritual?  However, this one has extended an ‘invitation’ to enter His presence Anytime and make our request known to Him!  We have an Open Invitation to call upon Him anytime!

Jeremiah 29:12 – “…pray to Me, and I will listen to you.”  NASB

Job 33:26 – “Then he will pray to God, and He will accept him, that he may see His face with joy, and He may restore His righteousness to man.” NASB

When you realize God’s directive regarding prayer, you understand that the person who prays is promised a hearing; God delights in that person and promises divine righteousness to them.  That is incredible!  Prayer is not ‘overcoming the reluctance’ of God.  Prayer is responding to the provision of God.  The appointment has already been made, and it is up to us to keep it.  God Will!

Prayer is a powerful interaction with God.  It is not like a beggar asking for alms from a wealthy person.  It is more like an ambassador reporting to his superior.  Prayer demands discipline, dedication, and determination.

Jeremiah 29:13 – “You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart.”

Did you see that?  God promised that if we seek Him, we will find Him When we do so with all our heart!  Prayer is more than praying for the needs of others or a particular desire or situation.  It is fellowshipping with God UNTIL you get to know His heart and will! 

So, my question for all of us is – “How much time does it require to know God intimately?”  People who only pray when the Spirit moves them seldom develop any real depth in their relationship with God.  God’s commitment to us requires a commitment from us!  He has made Himself available All the Time.  We must make ourselves available to Him.  Communication requires at least two persons!

I have a couple more thoughts on this subject but will hold them until another session. 

May the Lord richly be with you as you go through your day!

Jeremiah 33:3 – “Call to Me and I will answer you, and I will tell you great and mighty things, which you do not know.’” NASB

I want to illustrate and identify some misconceptions regarding prayer to identify its power, purpose, and importance in the Christian’s arsenal of Spiritual Weapons.

IT IS OFTEN MORE COMMODITY THAN AN ACTION.

What I mean by that is that in our generation, prayer seems to be viewed as something that can be manufactured, marketed, microwaved, and served as needed.  I am all for virtually every effort to get people to pray, but I am convinced that if people truly understand the dynamic of prayer and its power and purpose, they will pray! 

Some people seem to feel that prayer is like an item on the shelf in a grocery store.  We turn to prayer chains, calendars, days, and nights, rotating praying, sending money for others to pray for us, and even having dial-a-prayers. 

I am not suggesting that those are bad.  My question is, “How much do we actually pray ourselves and for ourselves?”  Too often, people specialize in a ‘word of prayer’ or ‘recite a canned prayer’ rather than actually engaging in the work of prayer!

It is apparent that most understand the need for prayer, but do we understand the dynamics of prayer and pray?  I heard an illustration years ago that illustrates what I am saying:

There was a wealthy widow on an Ocean Liner en route from England to America.  A severe storm developed, and she used her influence to access the bridge, where she demanded that the Captain do something.  He responded, “Ma’am, everything that can be done has been done. We are now in the hands of God; we can ONLY pray.”  Upon hearing that, she gasped: “Captain, has it come to that!”  Then she fainted in fear.

Prayer should never be a ‘last resort’ but the ‘initial reaction’ or ‘action.’  Prayer is not an ‘appeal’ to Heaven’s Supreme Court. It is a conversation with our LORD.  It is communion with God, not simply conforming to a Law.  It is not getting ‘from’ God. It is getting ‘to’ God.  Our problem, too often, is that we are so involved in the natural world that we do not avail ourselves to the spiritual world.  We can easily see the natural but are blind to the spiritual. 

Some seem to believe that while prayer is somewhat profitable, they are unconvinced about its power and vitality. Therefore, it occupies a relatively low position on their list of priorities.  It is more of a ‘break the glass in case of emergency’ endeavor than a daily and regular engagement.

We have more to say but will hold further thoughts until tomorrow. 

May God bless and be with you as you go through your day!

Jeremiah 33:3 – “Call to Me and I will answer you, and I will tell you great and mighty things, which you do not know.’” NASB

Some years ago, a person in the church I was leading said, “My Bible automatically opens to Jeremiah 33:3 now because Brother Beaird preaches so much from that passage.”  It is a passage that I refer to frequently because God has impressed upon me the need for and importance of prayer. 

Prayer is communication, petition, and a weapon of spiritual warfare spiritually.  It would be a tremendous understatement to say that ‘prayer’ is essential.  It is more than necessary in the Christian’s Life. It is critical.  I fully believe, and the Bible reveals, that prayer is one of a Christian’s greatest weapons. Yet, it is possibly the most misunderstood and underdeveloped weapon in our arsenal.

The Bible has much to say regarding the ‘mighty weapons’ at the disposal of the believer, including the myriad of references to prayer.

Luke 18:1 – “…men always ought to pray and not lose heart…” NKJV

1 Thessalonians 5:17 – “…pray without ceasing…” NASU

Luke 11:1 – “…Lord, teach us to pray…” NASU

Matthew 6:9 – “In this manner, therefore, pray…” NKJV

Those are just a sampling of the multitude of references and calls to prayer in Scripture, and one would wonder why it is so ‘underutilized.’  Prayer is a vehicle or channel through which God has provided for mortal man to reach the eternal realm.  Prayer is one of the most talked about and least-done endeavors among professing Christians.  The writers of Scripture knew, understood, and utilized its power!

David – – “The Lord has heard my supplication; the Lord will receive my prayer.”  (Psalm 6:9)

Solomon – – – “The Lord… hears the prayer of the righteous.”  (Proverbs 15:29)

Paul – – “I desire therefore that the men pray everywhere, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting.”  (1 Timothy 2:8)

James – – “The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.”  (James 5:16)

Peter – – “The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and His ears are open to their prayers.”  (1 Peter 3:12)

On one occasion, facing a situation that was shaking me to the core of my being, I was reading, and the Holy Spirit directed me to a passage in the Little Johns that grabbed my attention and inspired my faith and confidence.  It has become a fixture in my thought process and in my prayers.

1 John 5:14-15 – “Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His Will, He hears us.  And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we asked of Him.”

Look at this promise of God!   If we ask according to His will, we are Heard.  If we are heard, He Answers, and we get what we ask.  How do you improve on that?  That is a catalyst to believing faith and directs prayer to first determining the will of God and then to doggedly stay with the request, knowing that no matter how things look around us or the circumstances, we are being Heard, and if we are being Heard He is Granting our petition.

Prayer was an essential part of every Mighty Man or Woman in Scripture and has been of every Mighty Man or Woman in history.  They understood that prayer bridges the gulf between time and eternity, and they engaged in that activity Until they touched God, and God touched them!

May God be with you as you go through your day and inspire you to PRAY!

Ephesians 6:2-3 – “Honor your father and mother,” which is the first commandment with promise: 3 “that it may be well with you, and you may live long on the earth.”  NKJV

I was out just a few days ago and heard a child demanding a particular item from his mother.  When she resisted, he sat down on the floor and threw a temper tantrum, and she soon acquiesced and gave him what he wanted.  Later that same day, I was in a restaurant, and a father told his little girl to sit down and eat her food, and she told him, quite loudly and without any trepidation, “NO, and you can’t make me.”  He let her continue what she was doing.  I will not say I was shocked, but I thought back to my childhood and my parents’ response. 

You do not want to know because I probably would not have been able to sit down for a week.  They would have busted my rear end right then and there, and virtually nobody would have thought a thing about it but would have acknowledged approval for the discipline.  I respected my parents and knew there were boundaries that I had to stay within, or there would be consequences I did not desire.  My respect for them, their enforcement of discipline (consistently), and my love for them motivated me to do what they approved of when I was with them.  I confess I broke their rules when away from them, but I “honored them” while in their presence.

I blame the parents for not enforcing consistent discipline, society for adopting the ideology that discipline (biblical) cannot be used, and the children for being disrespectful.  My children will tell you that we did not allow them to pull the stunts mentioned above. 

In church, while preaching, my boys knew that if I snapped my fingers, it meant, “Stop what you are doing now.”  They may not remember how effective it was, but believe me, the consistent enforcement of discipline on that front made it an effective method of getting the desired and necessary response from them. 

I am reminded of one of the church members in one particular church telling the story of how their oldest son was acting, and the mother picked him up to take him out of the sanctuary and fully intended to give him a spanking.  As she went down the aisle, he said, where everyone could hear, “Somebody help me. This crazy woman is going to kill me.”  The entire church erupted, and she got so tickled that while she still disciplined him, she could not help but find it funny.

But, for all of us who have parents and or children, we should remember this verse and its additional benefit.  It refers to the Ten Commandments, and Paul says that “honoring your parents” carries the promise of long life on the earth.  Do I think that someone can honor their parents and die young? Of course, I do.

However, I also believe that many live long and fruitful lives based on this promise and truthful honoring of their parents.  My grandfather on my mother’s side was nine days short of being 101 when he went home to be with the Lord, and I know he honored his parents, as did his children, him, and my grandmother.  My mother lived to be 95 years of age.  I watched her honor her parents even after she was grown and with a family of her own.  It is more than just doing what they say. It is a mindset and attitude.  It is a relationship.  It is an expression of respect and love.  It carries with it a desire to please them biblically.

Disrespect is prevalent in today’s society. 

• We see disrespect in public. 
• We see it in homes. 
• We see it in schools. 
• We see it in every aspect of our society, and it goes beyond just honoring parents, but that is my focus here. 

The objective must be to get this part right, and I believe many other areas will harmonize with the biblical guidelines.  I am not suggesting that you use Proverbs 13:24 – “He who spares the rod hates his son, but he who loves him is careful to discipline him,” but it might be an excellent place to consider starting.  My dad could quote and believed an earlier verse in that chapter and practiced it.  Verse 14 – “You shall beat him with a rod and shall deliver his soul from hell.”  I am glad my parents disciplined me, and it did not make me a warped individual.  If I am warped, I did that on my own; their discipline did not cause it.

May God be with you as you go through your day!