Building relationships

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Lord, as the day begins and as it ends and in all the moments between, I pray You will remind me of the beauty of being one flesh, of holding fast to one another in our marriage.  Draw us ever closer to one another and, even more, draw us continually nearer to You. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

That is why a man leaves his father and mother and is united with his wife, and they become one. – Genesis 2:24 GNT

So it becomes important to me to believe the power that is in prayer. In my life it sustains me and the relationships that God has given me. I found this encouraging video on Ezra. See how answered prayer worked in his life.

How important is it for me to pray for the relationships that He has given me in church leadership? Can you imagine church leaders today who would give freewill offerings in order to rebuild the Temple? It happens and I do not think it happens naturally. I believe it was part of Ezra’s prayer and answer to it.

When the exiles arrived at the Lord’s Temple in Jerusalem, some of the leaders of the clans gave freewill offerings to help rebuild the Temple on its old site. – Ezra 2:68 GNT

How do we build relationships in the church?

They spent their time in learning from the apostles, taking part in the fellowship, and sharing in the fellowship meals and the prayers. – Acts 2:42 GNT

Spending time works in building relationships. Whenever I want to build a better relationship with someone I can feel it happening just because I am praying for them.

Spending time praying together, especially when sharing a meal, that creates something that spiritual barometers can measure.

Giving shows up here in Acts just like in Ezra.

They would sell their property and possessions, and distribute the money among all, according to what each one needed. – Acts 2:45 GNT

This idea of sacrificial giving keeps showing up as a result of praying. Prayer seems to help establish relationships that allow us to give up time, money, and even convenience to ensure others have what they need.

Not only does prayer build relationships, it also makes those relationships attractive to others. They in turn want to have relationships with us as well.

And every day the Lord added to their group those who were being saved. – Acts 2:47b GNT

That is a good thing because it means we are loving and welcoming and many are being introduced to Jesus. It means that God is at work in our lives and our worship becomes amazing because as a form of prayer, we are acknowledging what He is doing in the lives of His people. By praying, we are declaring where we are putting our faith and that faith is in His saving work.

In the view of an honest conscience, it is not the vernacular speech of their experience. As compared with the joy which such language indicates, prayer is, in all that they know of it, a dull duty…. It is a duty which, they cannot deny, is often uninviting, even irksome….

There are very few that feel the relish, and are enticed with the deliciousness, and refreshed with the comforts, and acquainted with the secrets, of a holy prayer.’ Yet, who is it that has said, ‘I will make them joyful in my house of prayer?’

Excerpted from The Still Hour by Austin Phelps.

Importance of family

Angel Appears to Joseph in a Dream
Gaetano Gandolfi, c. 1790

It is easy to pass quickly through the genealogy of Jesus found at the beginning of Matthew. The list takes time to provide the mainstream of human life that preceded Jesus. There are all sorts of people in that list – some are holy and some are not so holy. Some were public sinners others were outcasts and some you and I would not associate with. I think there is some resemblance there to many of our own family trees. My family tree has those who have been erased or have tried to be erased and definitely there are those who have been pretended not to have existed. In Matthew’s list, all these individuals were partners with God in the building of the kingdom of God – just like I was. It doesn’t matter if they would be the type that one would or would not invite for dinner or coffee.

Four women are mentioned in the genealogy – Tamar, Rahab, Ruth and Bathsheba. Three were not Israelites and one was not married to an Israelite. The irregular marriages of the women may well have prepared the reading audience for the extraordinary way in which Jesus came in our world.

I put together a list of leadership figures from the Old Testament recently and I think I will change them and put these names in my study instead. I think each name deserves to be read reverently. I believe there is a life story behind each of their names. I think of how my own life and faith depend so much on others – I pray that my own life matters to many as well.

Now all this happened in order to make come true what the Lord had said through the prophet,  “A virgin will become pregnant and have a son, and he will be called Immanuel” (which means, “God is with us”). – Matthew 1:22-23 GNT

My wife and I have prayed for our families to come to Christ for many years. I loved this idea of praying for loved ones who do not know Jesus using Matthew chapter one.

Matthew 1:22     “You are to give Him the name Jesus, because He will save His people from their sins.”  Thank You, Jesus, that You came to save us from our sins! May ______ come to know You and trust in You as Saviour.

Matthew 1:23     Thank You, Jesus, that Your name is (also) Immanuel, which means, “God with us.” Remind ______ today that You, God, are with him/her.

So when Joseph woke up, he married Mary, as the angel of the Lord had told him to. – Matthew 1:24 GNT

Matthew continues to push the importance of prayer when I think of being in Joseph’s shoes. There is a moral dilemma. An angel comes and offers some relief.

Not all the decisions I face in life are clearly between right and wrong. I understand and in many cases I find I can embrace the morally grey areas, or so-called “no-win” situations (where we will be misunderstood no matter what choice we make). I need to tap into the experience of others and pray for the wisdom of God’s Holy Spirit. Never had need for an angel but thankful if I do, God will send one my way.

“Recent writers on prayer tend to have one of two views on the subject. Most now emphasize prayer as a means to experience God’s love and to know oneness with Him. Other books, however, see the essence of prayer not as inward resting but as calling on God to bring in His kingdom.” – Timothy Keller