I once showed up at church in two different colored shoes. Another time, in the rush to get ready and out the door, I realized too late that I had made up one eye and had forgotten to do the other. It was '80s dark, dramatic make-up. THAT was an unforgettable look. Embarrassing, sure. Then you smile, you shrug, you get on with your day.
But, when I was responsible for conducting services at my church, I had an occasional nightmare that I might find myself before the congregation with nothing to say. That was my form of the typical "standing naked when giving a speech" dream. I simply could NOT let that ever happen.
So I made a back-up plan: If I would ever forget to prepare - or if some freak whirlwind would ever whip my perfectly prepared Bible readings out of my car window and promptly drop them into a river - I would read from Christ Jesus' Sermon on the Mount (Gospel of Matthew 5,6,7). Here, Jesus covered the basic elements of praying for yourself (Chapter 5), for others (Chapter 6) and for the world (Chapter 7). My emergency plan focused on Chapter 5.
But, when I was responsible for conducting services at my church, I had an occasional nightmare that I might find myself before the congregation with nothing to say. That was my form of the typical "standing naked when giving a speech" dream. I simply could NOT let that ever happen.
So I made a back-up plan: If I would ever forget to prepare - or if some freak whirlwind would ever whip my perfectly prepared Bible readings out of my car window and promptly drop them into a river - I would read from Christ Jesus' Sermon on the Mount (Gospel of Matthew 5,6,7). Here, Jesus covered the basic elements of praying for yourself (Chapter 5), for others (Chapter 6) and for the world (Chapter 7). My emergency plan focused on Chapter 5.
Check it out:
- Identify yourself with your qualities of blessedness. (The beatitudes, "Blessed are ye...")
- Remember who you are and find your authority to pray. (Ye are the salt of the earth, the light of the world.)
- Self-examination, live your prayer. (Embody the spirit, and not only the letter, of the law.)
- Don't forget the mental nature of all things. (Not enough not to kill: don’t judge. Not enough to restrain from adultery. Watch thought.)
- Take care of your business. (Pray for yourself, come clean, and then you will be ready to pray for others.)
- Don’t quit praying when things get tough. There are no incurable cases. (Relationship trouble? Heal it in your own thought and then make your move. If the best possible human response is to move on, be responsible. Address it, heal it, in your own thought.)
- Keep prayer simple. (Don’t make promises you don't keep. "Yes" to good, "No" to evil, is clear, concise and honest.)
- Stay open and generous in your love and your prayer. (Revenge? No. Turn the other cheek, give your coat AND your cloak. Go the extra mile, share from your abundance. Don't close the door to healing.)
- Pray and let your world be transformed. You are a powerful force. (Love because it’s in you! It’s who you are - perfect as your Father in heaven is perfect. It is up to you whether a challenge is an enemy or your best earthly friend allowing you to love even more.)
Start with blessedness, end with perfection. Not bad in an emergency!
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If you wish to subscribe, simply scroll up and submit your email in the box shown in the sidebar.
You may also wish to:
VISIT MY WEBSITE HOME PAGE
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LISTEN TO A COLLECTION OF MY "YOUR DAILY LIFT" 2-MINUTE PODCASTS
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