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When I was a religious hypocrite, I used to study the signs of the Lord’s second coming for the purpose of assuring myself it wasn’t close. In opposition to all my end times study and hypothesizing stood the simple message of Matthew 24:36-44 that the Lord will return at a time nobody expects or knows – SO BE READY. I really didn’t like that passage!

It’s been a long week (or several weeks). As I sit down for my time with the Lord this morning, I feel beaten down, worn out, discouraged, and yes, old. It’s time to do a little preaching to myself (what David calls meditation in the Word). I turn to one of the darkest books in the Bible, Lamentations, and find where (chapter 3:19-33) Jeremiah, when he was beaten down, worn out and discouraged, preached to himself. While this is just me preaching to me, maybe it will help you preach to you at some point:

I was reading an article from another Christian blog recently where the author was extolling the virtue of experiencing God through nature. I was whole-heartedly on board up until the last paragraph where the article suggested that if you struggle connecting with God through the Word, connecting with God by nature is a good alternative.

This is a note to me and to all those who spend too much of their time frustrated by their spiritual mistakes and not enough time enjoying their spiritual successes. In Luke 6:43-45, Jesus tells us that every tree is known by its fruit, and that our words/deeds are the fruit that shows what kind of tree lies at our heart.

As we’ve been studying the Lord’s prayer together, I hope the model has enriched your prayer life as it has mine and as it has for so many brothers and sisters down through the generations. When I follow the model prayer in my prayer time, one thing that has really benefited my heart’s relationship with the Father is to add an emphasis on thanksgiving. This too was regularly modeled in Christ’s prayers.