Talking to a Friend- Exodus 33:11a

So the Lord spoke to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend. Exodus 33:11a (NKJV)

Often we treat God as if He is far away.  We feel like when we talk to Him we need to make sure we say the correct words and talk in the right manner.  While it is true we need to show God reverence, we need to remember that we are also to give our earthly fathers similar reverential respect. God does not want us to be cold in our prayers; He wants us to be forthcoming and intimate. We should remember that we are talking to our Father, and He is our friend.

When discussing prayer I often encourage people to talk to God like they would talk to their earthly best friend. Let your guard down, open your heart and be brutally honest.  If you are mad a God you might as well tell Him; He already knows.  Holding that in will only cause you to harbor those feelings in your heart, which can lead to hatred and spite. If you are honest with God, it opens the conversation for Him to be honest with you.  He is always right and you will have to eat some crow, but getting it in the open is the first step to fixing the issue.

God loves you with a fatherly passion that surpasses our capacity to love: unconditionally.  Just like a good earthly father, He desires to hear from you often.  God knows what is going on and He knows the thoughts and dealings of your heart, but He would really like to hear it from you.  He desires a close personal relationship with you, and He cares about you.  So do not be afraid to talk to Him, if you are off key with your conversation I assure you He will let you know. If you try to hide feelings and thoughts from God you will only stop Him from being able to fix the problem and cause your relationship to suffer.  

If you will read in the Bible you will find that the people who were the closest to God, were the ones who were the most honest with Him; if they hurt they told Him, if they did not like His way they told Him, if they thought He was being unfair they told Him, etc. They held nothing back in their relationship with God. 
I urge you to pour out your heart to God today. If you have been holding back hurt, anger, or anything else, get it out in the open with God. Tell Him exactly how you feel; do not be afraid, for He loves you. 

A Hacking Cough – 1Thess 5:17

pray without ceasing, 1 Thessalonians 5:17

If there is one thing I hate about getting sick; it is coughing. It seems like no matter how hard I try, no matter how many cough drops I suck on, I just keep coughing. It will keep me up at night and continue long after my other symptoms are gone. I just cannot stand that continuous hacking cough! I just keep coughing intermittently all day and night, so much that even when I am not coughing I can feel a cough on its way!

It was not until I was reading a commentary (I cannot source because I do not remember which one) that I understood 1Thessalonians 5:17 in a whole new way. “Pray without ceasing” (1Thess 5:17). I had often thought, how can I pray all the time? That is impossible! The commentator explained that the phrase that was translated “without ceasing” had been used in secular writings at the time to describe the symptoms of a hacking cough. The light bulb turned on and I saw clearly the point Paul was trying to make to us. Pray like a hacking cough; continuously, sporadically, all the time!

Prayer is an important part of our walk with Jesus. It is the opportunity for us to praise God, share with Him our needs, the needs of others, as well as have a conversation (two way discourse) with God. We know that we can go boldly before the throne of grace (Heb 4:16), and God hears us and will answer our prayers. Although, (and I am thankful that) He does not always say yes! So if we are to have a living fellowship with God, we must learn to pray without ceasing. We must learn to pray like a hacking cough; always in our throats, naturally occurring and without the ability to hold it in. Remember that you do not have to pray with your eyes closed, or even on your knees, (these are good ways to show reverence which is another lesson) you can talk to God anytime and anywhere! As a matter of fact when someone shares a prayer request with me I often begin to petition God before they are even finished talking.

Have you learned to pray without ceasing? Are you comfortable talking to God? I challenge you today to pray about everything. Share with God how you are feeling, what you are doing, what you see, praise Him for the beauty around you, and ask that He touch those you pass by (be warned He will probably want to use you), pray about absolutely everything. He will not tire of hearing your voice; chances are He has been longing to hear it more often! Practice today the art of praying like a hacking cough; it may just change your life!

Give them more - Acts 3:6

But Peter said, "I don't have any money for you. But I'll give you what I have. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, get up and walk!"  Acts 3:6 (NLT)

Many times in my life I have come across people begging for hand outs, and I am sure you have seen your share of cardboard pleas for money or food. I usually drive right on by due to the many con artist and lazy people out there. However, occasionally my heart is pricked and I will go through the McDonalds drive through and buy a value meal in hopes that it may actually make a difference in the life of someone who is genuinely going through a hard time. How many times have I earnestly ask God if I can help this person? How many times have I gone the extra mile to see if I can really help them to find a job, or a warm bed…or a Savior?


In Acts 3 a man who truly had a physical need was brought daily to the temple to beg for money at the temple’s gate which was called “Beautiful”. People going into the temple to pray had to pass by him and his constant pleas. How many religious people walked by him every day? Surely some of them were disgusted by him, while others felt sorry for him and gave him a little money or food. How many ever sat down to get to know the man? How many prayed for him in the temple? How many ever tried to help him? Few if any I am sure. Why? There was no hope, he had always been crippled. He would always be crippled! Until one day Peter and John passed by the man, he begged for a little money but got more than he ever expected to receive; instead of money he received a new life.

Countless are the people we pass by everyday who are begging to be filled. Sure they are crying for money or status, but what they truly want is fulfillment and peace; something that is impossible for them to obtain without a relationship with Jesus Christ. As Christians we need to stop simply taking the easy road and tossing them some spiritual pocket change. It is time that we give them more than they are asking us for, time to go the extra mile. We must give them more than a temporary fix; we must give them an eternal solution! “…such as I have, I give to you…” (Acts 3:6)

Who do you come in contact with everyday that needs more than your kind words or your pity? Does someone spring to mind that is in true need of more than you have been giving? Make today the day that you start reaching the lost for Jesus Christ. Jesus has given us much more than we could have ever imagined or asked for, we must share this gift! (Matt. 10:8)

I Have a Testimony? 2 Corinthians 5:17

What this means is that those who become Christians become new persons. They are not the same anymore, for the old life is gone. A new life has begun! 2 Corinthians 5:17

From the time I was two I was a sick child.  The doctors had my mom and dad convinced that if they let me lead a normal life (i.e. playing outside) that I would die.  My tonsils were oversized and I was underweight, among other health issues.  I was an over-diagnosed child on the way to becoming a bubble-boy!  By the time I was seven my tonsils were so big that if I laid down flat it would cut off my windpipe.  Soon these ailments and treatments caused my spleen to follow suit. I ended up in the hospital with a quack doctor who wanted to remove my spleen and ignore everything else!

Then something dramatic and life changing happened.  A new doctor in town doing his rounds in the hospital came into my room.  He looked at my chart and asked permission to examine me.  My parents agreed and he quickly came to the conclusion that should have been evident to my other doctor all along; these tonsils need to come out! Push came to shove and he convinced my parents to trust him to remove my tonsils. My life was different from that point on; I began to live the normal life of a child.

When you accept Jesus into your life a radical change, even more than a tonsillectomy, occurs.  You become a new creation, never again to be the same (2Cor. 5:17).  You are the only person who can truly tell your story.  Were you a Christian killing Jew like Paul? Probably not, but that does not mean God has not done great things in your life.  Your testimony may not seem flashy enough for you, but it is not about you! It is about what Christ has done in your life. It is about His Grace, His Mercy, His Forgiveness, and His Righteousness.  That makes for one powerful testimony no matter how you look at it! (Eph 3:20-21)

So go and share with the world what Christ has done for you! Sounds pretty simple does it not? That is because it is simple!  You do not have to have a great degree or even be older than ten. You just have to have Jesus in your heart, and voila…Instant testimony.