I go to a men's group at church every Thursday from 9:00 p.m. until it's over. That can make for some late evenings, but it's always worth a little less sleep. We usually discuss Biblical matters, and had been going through Ephesians until we began to focus more on our own current events. Health concerns, legal matters, praying for (and rejoicing) financial matters and being better husbands and fathers are all common topics of discussion. We compare our reading of the Word and keep each other accountable. Iron sharpens iron, you know.

One way that Ken has sharpened us all is in his "pattern" he follows for prayer, following the acronym of ACTS. I'm not sure that "pattern" or "template" are good descriptors for his method, but those are the best things I can think of. I've been using this... pattern... for the last week and I must say that I believe it to be very reverent. I'll break it down for you:

• Adoration is the first step. I spend a healthy amount of time ascribing glory to God. He is so full of wonder and joy that I often just keep going on this theme! Of course, in ascribing glory to God, I am not adding to His glory, for He has glory in abundance. What this time is, though, is recognizing the majesty of the Lord, for He alone is worthy of our praise.
• Confession follows this. After proclaiming God's glory, I feel a stronger sense of unworthiness to even pray to God, much less develop a relationship with Him. The beauty of the relationship in the fact that He is a forgiving God. Day after day I fail Him and day after day, he renews me.
• Thanks are offered up to the Lord for all that He has done for me. I am not a rich man. I am not wise or especially talented. The family, home, job, health, peace and all of the other gifts He gives me are all given to me by Him, for without His grace, I am nothing. Have you ever thanked God for the very fact that you can hear a songbird? Have you thanked Him for the difficulties in your life? It's very liberating, I must say! And what's this about thanks for difficulties? When Moses was a shepherd all of those years, have you ever considered that time to be a training for him to lead the Israelites for forty years?
• Supplication is the last stage of the prayer. This is the time when we ask God for help with all matters great and small. And by the time you get to this step of the prayer, you often find that there is so much in your life to be thankful for and there is so much that the Lord does for you, that this part is amended. I often go back to the earlier stages as I pray. I may have some issue to pray about, but I have just given Him so much praise that it seems odd to beg for a morsel of a blessing in a small matter. It's like the saying goes, "Don't sweat the small stuff and it's all small stuff." Don't get me wrong, I give this step it's due, but by the time I get there, it doesn't seem to be as important as it was when I first went to my knees.

Yours in Christ,

This week's Psalms were mostly written by Asaph. Asaph was servant in the Temple and a collector of songs; A Levite; One of the leaders of David’s choir (1Ch 6:39, Psalms 50, and 73-83). He is mentioned along with David as skilled in music, and a "seer" (2Ch 29:30). The "sons of Asaph," mentioned in (1Ch 25:1, 2Ch 20:14, and Ezr 2:41) were his descendants, or, more probably, a class of poets & singers who recognized him as their master.

Here's a simple truth. God doesn't treat us as our sins deserve. When you compare even a great life next to perfect Godliness, the stains of our sins will show up blacker than tar. God cannot and will not condone sin or allow it into His presence, but forgiveness through retribution will cover the blight as if it never was there. Why is this possible? Why did He arrange this for us? Love, pure and simple.

The rest of this reading sounds like a plea for God to battle the foes of David and Israel and for judgment to be passed on them. Let us not forget, though, that the resounding victories of Israel occurred when God did the fighting, not the Israelites.

Day 2

Now there's a concept. Put your hope in the Lord and let Him take care of the great matters. We could use more of that in this day and age, that's for sure! Who is this enemy that David has been speaking about, though? Was he referring to the old age that was creeping on him, forcing him to accept his own mortality? Was it the temptation to lose step as his path was nearing it's completion? What do you think?

David did remark that God had answered his prayers. The answer wasn't always what he was hoping to hear, but the answer was given nonetheless. God knows everything we have done or will do. He can see us no matter where we try to hide. He knows us better than we know ourselves. He knows our weaknesses and He knows how they can be overcome. Without divine guidance, any attempt to better ourselves is ultimately futile. If you have been holding out on him, now is the perfect time to submit to His perfect plan for your life. Not tomorrow, not "someday." Now. He invested his Son. God made flesh. The least we could do is invest our lives with the promise of glory at the end of our paths. Our lives and beyond will be magnificent for it! All we need to do is lose our petty natures and allow him to shape us the way we need to be.

Day 3

God's love for us is endless and eternal. He looks over us and protects us. He sees that we have all that we need. He is our sustainer and He is there even before we cry out to Him, just waiting for us to ask for His deliverance. Sometimes life does look pretty bleak, doesn't it? We are here on this earth for a short time and we have absolutely nothing to offer God. No possessions will satisfy Him, for everything is ultimately His anyway. Our innate abilities are nothing compared to the resources of Him. Despair is all we have to offer Him. But He has so much to offer us!

Day 4

There's a new perspective. What right do we have even to glorify God? If we give to him what is already His, isn't that a little presumptuous? Perhaps even the approval He has given us to worship Him is a blessing in itself!

Most people don't take advantage of this blessing, and many more don't adhere to His wishes for us. But He's right there the whole time. Wanting what's best for us. Waiting for us to let Him take over and make our lives miraculous.

Day 5

God alone has the power to determine the time and place of...everything. I may feel a certain way about His decisions, but I am not God. I don't have His unending wisdom, so it wouldn't be right for me to try and argue against His wishes. In my humble opinion, "Thy Will Be Done" from the Lord's Prayer is the cornerstone of faith. If His will is being done, then you know that things are under control. I'll sometimes whisper a prayer of just that one phrase. Try it some time. It's quite relaxing!

Day 6

Boy, Asaph seems pretty upset. He must have seen quite a few Israelites turning away from God. Either that, or he had set standards above the expectations of others. He goes on about how he wants God to judge the nations that don't worship Him as the weak and the needy are cared for by Him. I believe Asaph would have been an interesting person to speak with. A real man of the Lord.

Day 7

Solomon was just starting to come into his own here. The nation was now united under him and he was becoming prosperous. God asked him to make a request and he asked for wisdom. It seems to me that in making that request, rather than one of riches or long life, he exhibited quite a bit of wisdom that he already had.

In his wisdom, he immediately began cleaning house. I knew Joab would have it coming after what he did. I was surprised that most of the ones killed in this reading had survived as long as they did.

Weekly Link Faithmouse From the site: Faithmouse is a daily Christian conservative cartoon about the journey of the Christian in the world and the current challenge of a increasingly secularized society. I cannot think of an issue which doesn't somehow concern the Christian community and to which it cannot lend it's valid perspective. I call faithmouse 'the cartoon of the Christian Right' because that is what it endeavors to be. There are no surprises in the theology of faithmouse, but I hope you will be entertained by the different ways I attempt to present familiar arguments. The issues which concern Christian conservatives are not new, but to those who suddenly become aware of their validity they are a revelation. http://www.faithmouse.com/

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