from the past

I was reading old blog entries (sometimes it's good for us to look back to see how far we've come) and decided to see what I had to say in my blog two and three years ago.

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From November 11, 2002:

"As pressure and stress bear down on me, I find joy in your commands." Psalm 119:143

God's word brings joy. Stress is caused when we feel stretched beyond our limits, our finances, our capabilities, our wisdom, etc. But God's word brings joy. It's there, in His written word, that we learn nothing is impossible with God. It's there that we learn He gives strength and wisdom and is our resource for every need. Ahhh. Comfort and joy.

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And a longer post from November 12, 2003:

My Lord's Prayer

When the disciples who walked with Jesus said, "Teach us to pray," He gave them a model for prayer (Matt 6:9-13 and Luke 11:1-4). And so this morning, I am following that model:

Father-God, You are holy. You are righteous. You are just. You are awesome. You are the Creator of everything. Heaven is Your throne room and the earth is Your footstool. I praise and worship You because You alone are worthy, my King.

Jesus, let Your kingdom be established here on earth. Rule in the hearts of men as You already rule in heaven. Rule in my heart. When You speak, may I always obey.

Lord, You know what we need even before we ask, but You have told us to ask for our daily needs. Help me not to worry about tomorrow but to trust You in every way. I pray especially today that You would give comfort, food, and shelter to those in want.

Father, forgive me my sins. Forgive me when I fail to seek Your will, when I fail to pray, when I don't spend time in Your glorious word or in worship. Strengthen me, Lord, to serve You. And God, help me to forgive others as You forgive me. Remove from my heart any resentment or anger I might harbor, even unknowingly.

Holy God, guard me from the wiles of the devil who would tempt me to sin. Let the words of my mouth and the thoughts I entertain be God-honoring. Help me to resist the enemy with Your powerful word on my lips.

Jesus, You are my King, my all, my everything. Your power and Your glory will never fade or fail. Your kingdom is established for all eternity, as it was from the moment time began.

Maranatha. Even so, come Lord Jesus. Amen.

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-rlh-