Unbolt The Door To Your Heart

Tag: prayer

  • By Beholding We Become Changed

    You cannot feast your mind on Netflix, Hollywood, TV News, sitcoms, movies and programs and have a spiritual character.

    It is simply not possible.

    Why, because by beholding we become changed. 

    This works both ways.  By Beholding and Spending time with God you will become changed. So, then it stands to reason that by beholding and spending time in the world you will change. You cannot spend time in worldly entertainment and not become changed.

    Do you spend more minutes or hours watching worldly productions than you spend in the word of God?

    Do you spend more time on social media than you spend in the word of God?

    The Things of this world cannot satisfy you.

    By watching any news program, you start to lose love for all mankind. You start to think differently about people just because they are of a different political belief, a different race, a different social status, because they live a different way than you do, they are portrayed as the enemy.  Then it is very easy to fall into the mindset of the world and forget God told you to Love your enemy and all mankind.

    “By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another”. John 13:35 NIV

    Just look at how the moral and ethical standards have changed over the years.  What do you see in tv programs and movies now versus a few years ago?  You are being led to accept behavior of all types. Satan knows exactly which programs will affect you in a manner that you do not realize they are affecting you and then you start to put God’s ways aside.

    On Social media you soon find yourself posting a post that points out why one political party is better than another political party. Why one line of worldly thought is better than another. Why credit for something that you believe is good, should go to a man or political party. Why a person that believes differently than you is just plain wrong.

    You will quickly forget that God is not American. God is not republican or a Democrat. God is not liberal or conservative. God does not have a political party better aligned with His way. You soon believe that you are doing God’s will by condemning other people’s views and that if they just saw it your way, the world would be better off.

    You need to remember that 100% of politicians are an early version of the antichrist.  They are great at persuading people to believe that they have a better way of doing things. They promise peace and a better America.  They promise a better way. They will tell you that the way to a better nation is to vote for them.  Yet we are told that no man can bring about peace and a better way.  It can only be done through Jesus.

    What is happening is that you are slowly being led to a position where you will not be able to identify the true antichrist when he comes.  Because, you have been following what sounds good to you and it tickles your ears.

    You are being led to put your faith in man and not God.

    “Lord, I know that people’s lives are not their own; it is not for them to direct their steps”. Jeremiah 10:23 NIV

    God just told you in this verse that you cannot trust yourself to guide your own steps. Then why would you trust any man to guide you?

    When you turn to any man to guide you, your church, your family you are leaving God’s will and following man’s will.

    The world or nation will not be a better place because you believe in or following a certain man or political party.  People will not be better if you post the ten commandments on every wall in a classroom. 

    God reminds you that His word needs to be written in your heart.  The only way to do that is to shut off the world and spend more time with Him.

    Where is your Garden of Gethsemane?

    You need a garden of Gethsemane in your daily life.

    Having a “Gethsemane” in daily life means carving out a quiet, honest space to surrender heavy burdens, process deep emotional pain, and align personal will with a higher purpose. Just as Jesus sought solitude at the foot of the Mount of Olives to pray through His deepest anguish and to be in His Father’s presence.

    “But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly”. Matthew 6:6 NIV

    Spend more time alone in the garden with God than in the world with man.

    Shut off the world and stop putting faith in a man or mankind to make the world or nation better. You are dishonoring God when you do.

    Remember it is not a religion, it is a relationship.

    Prayers and Love for all.

    Larry

  • Awe

    Living in AWE of God.

    Webster’s definition of Awe is a complex emotion characterized by a deep blend of wonder, admiration, and respect, often combined with a touch of reverence. It is typically triggered when encountering something overwhelmingly vast, powerful, beautiful, or mysterious that challenges your understanding of the world.

    Living in awe of God means holding deep, reverent respect for His greatness. It is a posture of humility and wonder that transforms how we live, worship, and interact with the world around us. It makes you feel small in the presence of greatness, leading to a sense of connection to something larger than yourself.  It is a deep, humbling acknowledgment of God’s supreme holiness, majesty, and power, which inspires worship, obedience.

    “Frankly, I stand amazed at the unfathomable complexity of God’s wisdom and God’s knowledge. How could man ever understand his reasons for action, or explain his methods of working? For: ‘Who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has become his counsellor?’ ‘Or who has first given to him and it shall be repaid to him?”. Romans 11:33 JB Phillips New Testament

    “Have you ever come on anything quite like this extravagant generosity of God, this deep, deep wisdom? It’s way over our heads. We’ll never figure it out. Is there anyone around who can explain God? Anyone smart enough to tell him what to do? Anyone who has done him such a huge favor that God has to ask his advice? Everything comes from him; Everything happens through him; Everything ends up in him. Always glory! Always praise! Yes. Yes. Yes”. Romans 11:33 The Message

    I remember as a young boy my family was traveling, and we stopped at the Grand Canyon.  I still remember the feeling of “Awe” when we walked up to the edge of the Grand Canyon on the south rim lookout.  There were no words to describe what my eyes saw and the vastness my senses felt.  Yes, you can feel the Grand Canyon.

    The only other time I approached this sense of Awe was the first time I saw my wife, Donna. There were no words to describe the radiant beauty that was walking toward me. I was even in greater Awe when she said Hi to me. I did not have any words to respond. 

    Yet, all this awesomeness is pale when compared to what I experience daily from God. When I walk through the Garden and take in the vastness of colors, shapes, textures and scents.  When I look up at night and see the milky way, the stars and planets all moving in the path that God has put them in.

    When I see the face of complete Joy or happiness on one of my grandsons faces when they experience something new to them.  When I stop to contemplate that through Donna and I, God brought into this world three awesome Children and so far, eight grandsons. 

    David Platt serves as a lead pastor of the Mclean Bible Church.  He has written some mighty books that have affected how I live my daily life.  The one that affected me the most is “Radical, Taking back your faith from the American Dream”.

    This is a prayer that he suggests we pray every day.

    God, we bow our heads, our hearts, before you. Even on our knees right now, just saying, you are greater that we can fathom. Forgive me for oftentimes being so quick to speak, and not stopping and pausing and realizing who I’m talking to when I’m praying, not realizing, or just forgetting, the wonder of the One whose Word I’m reading. God, we praise You. We stand in awe of who You are. You are unsearchable, Your ways inscrutable, the depths of Your riches, wisdom, and knowledge unimaginable. We can’t even begin to comprehend Your greatness, Your glory, Your might, Your majesty, Your justice, Your wrath, Your mercy, Your love. All of these attributes in You are beyond our broadest, widest imagination. God, we worship You. We bow before You in awe of who You are, and we pray to help us to live in fear of You, in reverence before You. Help us to live every facet of our lives just in awe of You. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

    Today, ask the Holy Spirit to grow inside you the reverence of the Awesomeness of God.

    Remember it is not a religion, it is a relationship.

    Prayers and Love for All.

    Larry

  • Words not needed in Prayer

    Two words that are not needed in a prayer.

    “Be With”

    We all have made the request for God to be with, a grandson, a child, a friend, an acquaintance, a doctor or nurse. Yet you are asking God to do something He has already promised to do.  He does not need reminding of His promises.  

    “And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Matthew 28:20 NIV

    “The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you”. Deuteronomy 31:8 NIV

    Flip the request and ask that the person, by name, will be with God!  That their heart and mind will be attuned to the presence of the Holy Spirit. That they will walk with God and be in His presence and will.  Not that God will walk with them.

    It says that Enoch walked with God.  It does not say that God walked with Enoch. Enoch chose to follow God’s will and path.

    I pray that each of my kids and grandkids will walk in the path God has chosen for them today.  Not a path of their own understanding and then pray that God will be with them.

    You should pray and desire them to be in the pathway and presence of God’s will for their life.  I am not interested in praying that God will be with them in the pathway of life they choose.

    “People can make all kinds of plans, but only the Lord’s plan will happen”. Proverbs 19:21 NCV

    We will be traveling this weekend. We are not going to pray that God will be with us in this traveling time.  We have no doubt He will be.

    We do want to pray that we will be traveling in a manner that brings glory to God.  We want to leave home at the time He wants us to leave.  We want to be at the gas station when He wants us to be there.  We want to be driving at the speed He wants us to travel at, so that we are where he wants us at the time he wants us there. We want to be in His presence when we travel. We want the atmosphere in the car to bring glory to Him. We want to be on the route and in the time frame He has chosen. Yes, we have our favorite stopping spots. Yet we still pray before stopping that we will be guided to the fueling place He wants us at.

    We don’t want any car problems or any accidents.  Yet we read that God allowed Paul and Silas to be arrested for a greater cause of saving the Jailer and the others in that jail.  We have no doubt that God will be with us no matter what happens.

    We just need to pray that myself, my spouse, my family and others will all set aside the desire for control and selfishness and walk in the path that God wants all of us individually in. 

    God is already at the door of your grandchild, friend, neighbor, child, spouse.  He has promised to be there, and God is always faithful and true in His promises.

    Your prayer and focus should be that they and you set aside your and their personal ways, your desires, your wisdom and open the door to God’s ways and let Him in!

    It is not about me and my best interests.  It is about bringing Glory to God.

    Remember it is not about Religion it is a Relationship.

    Prayers and Love for all.

    Larry

  • Step of Faith

    The African Impala is very well known for its leaping ability.  It can jump over ten feet straight up and over thirty feet long in one jump. You would assume then that for the Impala to be kept in zoos they must build a very high fence. But at the Zoo they do not have to build a high fence.  A fence between three and four feet tall will do the trick of keeping the Impala within the borders of the enclosure.

    Here is the simple reason why. An Impala will not jump or leap if it cannot see where it will land.

    We have the same problem as followers of Jesus. We want a safe landing spot or a money back guarantee before we take a step in obedience or a leap in faith.  But you see that this attitude eliminates the faith aspect of an equation.

    Mark Batterson in his book “All In” wrote the following.  “Faith is the willingness to look foolish. Noah looked foolish building the ark. Sarah looked foolish buying maternity clothes at ninety. Moses Looked foolish asking Pharaoh to let the slaves go. The Israelites looked foolish marching around Jericho blowing trumpets. David looked foolish attacking Goliath with a slingshot. The wise men looked foolish following a star to Bethlehem. Peter looked foolish stepping out of the boat in the middle of the lake in the middle of the night”.

    The story is told of a group of farmers that all belonged to the same church. They needed rain very badly or all their crops would be ruined, and their farms would go bankrupt. They called a midweek prayer meeting. They all showed up wearing their traditional overalls and jeans. One farmer showed up wearing chest waders. Everyone thought he was foolish. He genuinely believed that God was going to answer the prayers for rain and he did not want to get wet on the way home. The other farmers didn’t even bring their umbrellas. They got drenched on their way home that night. One person walked home dry.

    If you believe and have the faith that God is going to answer your prayer, are you dressed for it before you pray? Act like a miracle has already happened. Faith is acting like God has already answered the prayer.  Dress and act for a miracle! 

    Are you shaved, dressed and hair combed before you pray for the healing relief of pain? Or is your faith only waiting to be healed before you act like you are healed?

    Donna had a vision to sell flowers.  She handed me a shovel and told me to start digging flower beds.  She had no one set up to buy the flowers. She did not contact any florist and asked if they wanted to buy the flowers that God told her to grow.  She only knew that she was supposed to grow flowers.  Were there slow days at the flower stand? Were there difficulties in growing the flowers and keeping the gophers away? Absolutely!

     Every morning we pray that God will grow and bloom the flowers He needs for the people He is going to send by that day. He knows who needs flowers to brighten their day and outlook on life. The flowers are the seed that was needed to let the Holy Spirit work in their hearts.

    There are many days where she does not think that there are enough blooms to harvest and make bouquets to sell the next day. Yet we pray and that night a miracle happens in the flower beds.  God knows what flowers are needed for the next morning.  The Beds are in full bloom and ready to be harvested and go to someone’s house to brighten their day.

    Yet the real miracle is what is happening in our life.  We have grown so much in our walk with God and with each other. The flowers were meant for us to grow closer with God and each other and that is the true Miracle.

    The depth of God’s Love is beyond understanding.

    We had to dig and sweat before we experienced the fullness of God’s Grace.

    Prayers for All.