5And when you pray, you shall not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Truly I say to you, They have their reward. 6But you, when you pray, enter into your closet, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father which is in secret; and your Father which sees in secret shall reward you openly. 7But when you pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking. 8“So do not be like them; for your Father knows what you need before you ask Him.

    9“Pray, then, in this way:
  ‘Our Father who is in heaven,
  Hallowed be Your name.

10‘Your kingdom come.
  Your will be done,
  On earth as it is in heaven.

11‘Give us this day our daily bread.

12‘And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.

13‘And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil. [For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.’]

Matthew 6:5-13

     It is all about humility and doing things for our Father who has given everything to and for us.  His only son, he sent him to die a horrible death in order to save us and give to us the ultimate gift...eternal life with him.  This beautiful world, he has given to us. Love and worship him for it, but give him some time each wonderful day to be alone with him and talk with him like he is your good father as he longs for you to do for he truly is our good and divine Father.  We learn these things together.  

Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

Hebrews 11:1

     Truly, I see things come to pass which I have  prayed for.  Not once, not twice, nor three times, but most and, possibly, all for I am still blind and not perfect in my faith, but my Lord loves me still and you, also.  Have faith and pray with faith and show your faith to others through your actions and deeds.  The world needs to know of our Father, and, through our Lord Jesus, they shall know him. Let us be his divine instrument to spread this faith and love my brothers and sisters.

And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that?

Matthew 5:47

     Have great joy in your hearts and talk with every person you see as if he were your brother or sister for has not our Lord Jesus taught us this.  Every person needs the reinforcement of our God's divine love through you who know and understand this.  Do not save your compassion and love for only your close circle of friends and relatives for we, as Christians, are brothers and sisters of all our God's creation which he loves unconditionally, and they sorely need this as do you.  Our Lord sends you to each person you meet to emit this divine love through the holy spirit which he has given to us.  It truly is the simple things, which we think are petty and unimportant so often, that can make such a difference in others lives and influence them to our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

     On a recent trip, we had been traveling for hours and, being very hungry, stopped at a chain diner, not a favorite of ours.  The waitress was a young girl with piercings, tattoos... all the things we of our age find repulsive (being judgmental).  She forgot to put our order in and we waited for an hour by the time she found her mistake and listening to her boss chew on her verbally.  She told us she would pay for the dinner.  Having this same experience in one of the chain's other diners, we knew the money would come from her pocket.  As we stood to leave, my wife and I handed her the money we calculated we owed.  She tried to refuse saying, this is on me.  I patted her on the shoulder and said, that's not what our Lord says.  She was dumbstruck and very affected by those simple words.  She just looked at us as we left with a sincerely affected look.  What great power those simple words had upon her...not the money.  One may see her in church some day soon, but, whatever, she has been powerfully touched by our Lord and his love.  Never neglect the simple things, and, as I personally need to do, work on not judging people as our God asks us not to do.  Leave it to him for he does it with love and with all the facts of one's life.  May our Lord Jesus be with you all.   

     In my journey with our Lord toward knowing him, I have not been disappointed.  It has been and continues to be exciting.  People who stereotype the Christian Religion as an irrational, asinine practice, have developed this perception from the outside looking in and through observing irrational, asinine people connected to the peripheries of our faith.  We of our faith have been our own worst enemies at times due to our actions that have no bearing nor resemblance to walking in the shoes of our Lord Jesus. 
     Take heart my fellow Christians.  Our Lord God loves us unconditionally...though our actions are an entirely different story depending on what they are.  It seems as though I no sooner pray than it is done so many times that I have to remind myself to have patience when it takes a little time for the bigger miracles or answers to my prayers.  How many times have I imagined myself doomed, only to find myself foolish for having worried.

Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

Matthew 6:37

…30Why, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and tomorrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? 31Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? 32(For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knows that you have need of all these things.

Matthew 6:30-32

"When you are brought before synagogues, rulers and authorities, do not worry about how you will defend yourselves or what you will say,

Luke 12:11

     Jesus addresses worry many times in the New Testament.  Always, it says do not worry.  With the building of faith comes the retreat of worry in our lives.  So it is...and so it shall be.  Put it in his hands for who has power over our God.  He who knows each grain of sand. 

Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness.

Matthew 9:35 

So we have been greatly encouraged in the midst of our troubles and suffering, dear brothers and sisters, because you have remained strong in your faith.

1 Thessalonians 3:7

     Though the past few weeks have been filled with disaster, death, hurt, destruction here, as the Lord's peoples we have stood strong.  Out of every mouth during the height of their tragedy came our Lord's name.  The stories differ but the person they cried out to during the time of most danger was our Lord.  This has been a familiar scenario.  I heard similar cries in Vietnam when men were badly or  mortally wounded.  It deeply affected me then and still does to this day.  It gives me courage and strength so that I do the same in good as well as bad times.

     We must be diligent in our spreading of the Good News, so others may also know the love, strength, courage, and wisdom of our loving God and his kingdom.  In times of great anguish they also may call out to our Lord for strength and protection.  As the Principal at the hardest hit grade school in Moore, Oklahoma cried out during the height of the tornado destruction, "Lord stop this, now!"  And he did.  His will be done, though we do not understand it, it is good.  Have we not seen such an opening of hearts and the holy spirit in the concern and giving. God gave his only son to die a horrible death at our hands, are we any better or important than He in God's plan.  Each one of us should expect to give his or her life to fulfill his will.  In return he gives us eternal life and love. 

In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him.

1 John 4:9