Monday 9/16/13 Straight!

Dear Father in Heaven:  Lord, thanks for another morning, and thanks for waking us.  Please forgive me of my sins as I want to start this day clean, and Lord, help me stay that way.  Thanks for watching over family and friends during the weekend.  Lord Jesus, I do appreciate You and all You do, and Lord, please help me with this message and then, please, Lord, dispatch it.  In Jesus' Name, Amen.

Good Morning, dear brothers and sisters.  Well, getting used to a new computer is hard for me, and I am still having trouble, but I must journey on for the Lord.  I am going to change the order I have been writing and I want to tell you of the few changes.  The first prayer is going to be personal.  It sort of fits what I am doing; however, if you put yourself in the I spot, it will work out.  Then will be this opening where I will list prayer requests, after which will come the message, and then before the closing we will pray again so we can pray together for those on the list.  Then a brief closing.  Ministry updates will go in as needed.  Okay, let me list some prayer requests today.

Vicki has a plateful.  Curtis for anger.  Beth, Craig, and family, for their home.  Debbie to keep cancer in remission.  Elaine for her foot to heal, Art for his eyesight.  My wife Dolores for pain, and for her fingers to keep working so she can play the piano for God.  For Patsy, who has been moved to a nursing home and her husband Burt for his problems.  For Eleanor Saylor, also at a nursing home for rehab.  For Grant and Wanda and Wanda's parents.  Lord, for all of our children, yours and ours.  For the Stoner family. For Tim, Larry, and Brett.  Also Dave, Duane, and Neil, all wonderful men of God.  While I am sure I missed some, I will keep working to catch up.  With all that, let me get going on with the message.  STRAIGHT.

Monday, September 16, 2013, Straight (Day One).

Psalm 27:11 - Teach me Your way, O Lord; lead me in a STRAIGHT path because of my oppressors.  (NIV)

Psalm 107:7 - He led them by a straight way to a city where they could settle.  (NIV)

Brothers and sisters, as I look at the scriptures and pray over them, what the Lord gives me is so often different than the footnotes in my Bible.  Sometimes I just stop and talk to the Lord while I am sitting at the computer asking Him, tell me what You mean and what You want me to write.  Other times it just flows out.  Today is one of those days I must keep talking to God as I write, and  maybe that is what I should do each day.  Let me start with "Teach me Your way, O Lord."  Gosh, brothers and sisters, we should be praying that each day, yes, each day.  Lord Jesus, please teach me Your way, the way You want me to live.  Of course I am going to write it like this today.  Lord Jesus, please teach us Your way.  Please, please, teach us Your way, O Lord.  You know, growing up in a home years ago, yes, back when the streets were dirt and we drank out of a hose sometimes, my parents taught me to say "please and thank you."  I mean they taught me other things also, like things about Jesus and how to tie my shoes.  But back in those days I was reminded to say please, and also thank you.  I think most parents and grandparents are teaching their children that today.  So then I must ask myself and also throw the question at you, why do we so often not say PLEASE AND THANK YOU to our Lord in prayer?  Or when we sing that song, God Bless America, why do we not put in the word please, and then after singing just say Thank You, Jesus?  I just stopped and went back up to my opening prayer to see if I had Please and Thank You in that prayer and I did.  So let me put Please and Thank You in this Psalm of prayer.

"Please teach me Your way, O Lord, and Please lead me in a straight path because of my oppressors.  Thank You for hearing my prayer, O Lord, which I offer up in Jesus' name.  Amen."

As we pray we also should want our prayers answered according to His will for us and not ours.  Let me talk about being Straight.  We do need to walk that straight line for our Lord Jesus.  And brothers and sisters, if you are one, and I pray you are not, but if you are one who drinks and drives, you might be taken out of your car and asked to walk a straight line.  I also feel that if we have the Lord in our hearts He will hear our prayers and act favorably on them; however, and once again I say it might not be what we prayed for but what He thinks is best for us.  He hears all prayers and He answers all prayers, and please remember, NO can be an answer!

In Psalm 107:7, He led them by a straight way to a city where they could settle.  This could fit all of us today, if we just pray.  Some might even be going to a new city, others just going to work, and the road has changed.  If we go to our Lord, and really pray, He will make our paths straight and the road we should want to follow will be straight and you know what road I am talking about, it is our road home.  The Road to Heaven.

Dear Father in Heaven, please help us to walk a straight line for You, one that looks right at You, one that while we are here on earth will set an example for others as we walk it for and with You.  Please help us to walk that line each day for You in all that we do.  Please hear our prayers for those on our prayer list that we have written, and Lord, thanks for all You do for us each and ever day, for the air we breathe, the clothes we wear, the food we eat, and for our water, and a list of other blessings too long to type.  Know, Lord, we thank You for them and they are indeed appreciated.  Now, Lord, please, please, bless all on this line and their families and friends.  Please bless our nation and our leaders and protect them, Lord.  Again, I pray and ask, Please be with our President and his family.  Please, Lord, bring our military home safe and soon.  In Jesus' name, I ask saying please and thank you, Lord.  Amen.

Now  go forth sharing your blessings and walking that straight line for Jesus.  Love ya, pass it on.  Pastor Dan.

PS.  Did you hear about the NASCAR driver who prayed to go straight?  His prayer was answered and he hit the wall on the first turn.  Boo, Hiss.  Poor joke.