Friday, May 14, 2021

FASTING, PRAYING, STUDYING AND LIVING FOR THE KINGDOM OF GOD MAY 14, 2021

 

From: Paul Gage


FASTING, PRAYING, STUDYING AND LIVING FOR THE KINGDOM OF GOD

MAY 14, 2021


To the Saints worldwide, God's Blessings be upon you,

 We hope and pray for all the Saints as we continue to deal with all of life's problems. As you know, Jesus never said we would always have everything easy. He simply says, "Take up your cross, and follow me." And he tells us what that means in Matthew 16:25-30. This is re-enforced in Moroni 10:29 and Doctrine and Covenants 56:1 b.

 The spiritual disciplines we have been sharing about for a good while are designed to help motivate us to truly take up our cross. Fasting, praying and studying each and all together strengthen us in our "Seeking to build up the Kingdom of God and establishing His righteousness." Remember, in Matthew 6:38, Jesus tells us to do that FIRST.

 If we are to "seek first" those two things mentioned, what does that have to do with our dedicated efforts of fasting, praying, studying, and living for the Kingdom of God? In a word, "everything!" We do not fast, pray, and study just to have something to do, but rather to perfect us for the "living to build up and establish." I will share a few examples from several sources.

 From the Daily Bread, 1970, a testimony about Daily Witnessing. A woman prayed, "O Father, make me an open channel of thy love. Teach me to be perceptive and understanding; give me good judgment that I may bless and help others." Later in the day, a troublesome neighbor came asking for help. The "praying" women became irritated, abrupt, and rather harsh. Only later, did she realize the difference between her prayer and her actions and she moaned inwardly, "I didn't remember my prayer." When we follow Christ's example and witness by every act that we love God supremely and our neighbors as ourselves, our fasting, praying, and studying will bear fruit in the" living."

 From a Diary of Private Prayer by John Baillie, part of his prayer for this day, "O Thou the reflection of whose transcendent glory did once appear unbroken in the face of Jesus Christ, give me today a heart like His-a brave heart,  true heart,  tender heart, a heart with great room in it, a heart fixed on Thyself; In Jesus Name. Amen.

 From a Women's Reunion Class Manual in 1962 with the theme: "What is Appointed unto Me," a section was titled, "W must prepare for and invite God's Holy Spirit." All our efforts in the areas of self-discipline are to prepare us for the living of the gospel with the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Our task is to develop those disciplines and attitudes that will make possible the greater discipline of God's Holy Spirit.

 Are you where you would like to be in your relationship with Jesus  Christ? All the physical things won't help much if we are living outside God's boundaries. Jesus tells us in Matthew 5 that He has given unto us to be "the salt of the earth", and the "light of the world," but we can't be that unless we operate under His Spirit. We are also told in Luke 6:27-30 to love our enemies and pray for them who despitefully use us, etc. An "enemy" can be a person against whom we have ought or they have ought against us. People have shared testimonies about having ill will, hard feelings, displeasure against someone and complaining or gossiping about them. Then they asked God for forgiveness for themselves and for those against whom they had any kind of adverse feelings or thoughts. One lady was complaining because many "friends" or fellow church members had borrowed things and not returned them. She asked God to forgive her for her feelings and to forgive those people. The result? A goodly number of those who had "offended" her began to return the borrowed items. A man was complaining about a son who was "in the world," and not in church. He asked God to forgive him for his feelings and to forgive his son for his waywardness. The result? His son began to ask questions and was soon back in church.

 The point is: do we often allow negative feelings, thoughts, and actions to affect our spiritual disciplines? To truly "live for the Kingdom," we must forgive others if we expect God to forgive us. May each of ​​us increase our efforts of spiritual self-discipline and live out what we fast, pray, and study for...thusly "building up His Kingdom and establishing His righteousness.

God Bless
Paul Gage



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