Too Deep for Words

“Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.” – Romans 8:26-27 (ESV)

While all of us to some extent “know how” to pray, it can be difficult to understand exactly what we truly need to pray for.  We may think we know what we want, but in many cases receiving what we ask for would prove disastrous in some unseen way.  Thankfully, the Holy Spirit within us knows our true needs, our hearts and our desires, and can frame our petitions to our Heavenly Father accordingly.

In Everything By Prayer

“Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” – Philippians 4:4-7 (ESV)

Prayer is an amazingly powerful gift that God has given to us.  When instead of allowing our day-to-day struggles and trials to breed anxiety within us, we open our hearts to the Lord and humbly petition Him to lead us in His will, we find that the perfect peace of Christ washes away our fears.  While the results of our conversations with God may not manifest how or when we expect, we can rest assured that they’ve been heard and answered nonetheless.

Stepping Out of the Boat

Dear Lord; Happy Tuesday Father!

Today Father, I’m Blessed to share an “Email to God” with You written by Kandi, from “Get Out of the Boat”.  Her posts always exude such an intimate connection with You Lord, so I was absolutely elated when she agreed to bring her prayers here today.

Good morning Father,

Well, at least it’s morning when I am writing this, very early morning, it is 1:00 a.m. right now, that seems to be the magic hour for You and I, I write so many of my blog posts this time of morning, when the world is still and silent.  I am thankful for these times when it is just quiet, when it is just us spending time together. It is this time of morning when I do not have to strain through the voices of the day to hear Yours.  So I sit here, fingers on the keyboard wondering what words are going to find their way onto the page.

A few years ago, I remember seeing the words “survival of the fittest” splashed across someone’s social network page.  I remember thinking how strong and confident the writer of those words probably thought they sounded, and all I could think to myself was how hopeless that was.  That was back in my infancy days when I first came to You, the days when getting on my knees before You seemed to exhaust my physical limits, when the tears flowed so freely it felt like I were shedding the three plus decades of my life that I spent without You, those four little words that in this world represent a sense of strength in ourselves, yet is void of any hope.  Yes, there is the hope of something better, there is the hope that the dreams and passions of our deceptive human hearts will come to fruition, and for some they will, but there is no hope in You, in death it will all become meaningless and left behind. Those whose hope rests squarely in arms of You Father, the One who gives meaning to our lives, begin to see a bigger picture, that there is a greater purpose beyond what we can see.  We know that You will never leave us or forsake us, You know the plans You have for us and that they are good, that You have gone before us, You have made a way, You have already made the our path straight, even when it looks so very crooked laid out at our feet, we know the only truest and purest form of hope is in You Father. We cling to You and Your promises,  because we know that only You can take the ash and mold it into something beautiful, we know only You can make something new again, when we hope in You, our lives and the meaning of them begin to look different, when we frame them in the hope of You.  There are places You want to take us that not even the strongest hands can touch because the greatest of human strength is like a pebble at the bottom of the ocean compared to Yours.  

Father, You have blessed us with so many great scriptures of hope in Your word, but it is this one from Isaiah 40:31 that You keep placing in my path, I think this is one of my favorite scriptures that describes what our hope in You looks like.

“but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength

they will soar on wings like eagles;

they will run and not grow weary,

they will walk and not be faint” – Isaiah 40:31 (NIV)

Father, when I accepted Jesus as my personal Savior four and half years ago, I would have never imagined being in this place I am today, I never thought it possible, Father, I love You so much, I can’t imagine doing life without You, I can’t live without hope in You.

Amen… Thank you Kandi!

🙂

Meditations Monday: Spiritual Maintenance

Dear Lord; Happy Meditations Monday Father!

Well Father, once again You’ve Blessed my family and I by gracing us with another wonderful weekend together, surrounded by ample signs of Your love for us.  Aidan’s birthday party Friday night brought a flurry of activity to the house, and the sleepover portion of the festivities kept that youthful liveliness going late into the evening.  (If we could harness the energy of nine-year-old boys Father, I truly believe the world’s energy issues would be at an end.  ;-))  Shannon spent Saturday afternoon playing her viola in the Dover Symphony’s Children’s Concert, while the boys and I got some errands and household duties accomplished.  Sunday started as usual with morning services at Ewell’s St. Paul, with the remainder of the day consumed by housework, preparations for Thanksgiving and quiet time spent enjoying each other’s company.  All in all Lord, it was a Blessed time spent with those I love, and I thank You for that period of respite from the workweek.

As part of preparing our home for the upcoming Thanksgiving gathering, and to lay the groundwork for next weekend’s Christmas decorating marathon, Jonathan and I spent a good bit of Sunday afternoon cleaning and rearranging the garage, and bringing in the furniture from our back deck.  In the midst of doing so, I realized that it had been more than six months since I’d started the 1986 Jaguar I’d restored some years back, and well over a year since it had left the confines of our garage.  The battery was completely dead, so I connected up the charger, and let it run until the indicator light clued me in that it was done.  I settled into the driver’s seat, turned the key in the ignition, and…

It bluntly refused to start.

At first, I was a little taken aback.  Since I’d finished restoring it, this car has always fired right up with no hesitation whatsoever.  Then I realized… it’s had the same gasoline in its tanks for well over 16 months; engines don’t like stale gas.  When the brakes went out a year and a half ago I parked it, and waited for the time and money to repair it.  Unfortunately, our finances have been stretched since that time, and I unintentionally allowed it to fall into neglect.  I failed to perform the proper maintenance a stored vehicle requires, and as a result it will now require some repairs before it runs again.

Thinking about the situation as I drove in to the office today, I realized there was a lesson to be learned here…

“Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. Do not quench the Spirit. Do not despise prophecies, but test everything; hold fast what is good. Abstain from every form of evil.” – 1 Thessalonians 5:16-22 (ESV)

Like my immobile auto, our faith needs to have regular service performed on it as well.  In this passage from First Thessalonians, the Apostle Paul describes some directives which could be looked at as “Spiritual Maintenance” of a sort.  Our journey of faith is a lifelong, winding road, requiring a spirit that’s fueled regularly (time in the Word), diligently maintained (thanks and prayer) and kept out of damaging conditions (abstaining from evil).  When we neglect our spirit’s proper upkeep, that road becomes uncertain, and our pace towards You is diminished.

Our spirits don’t run well on “stale gas” either.  🙂

Heavenly Father,

We thank You Lord, for the great care and faithfulness You show to us each day.  Instill in our hearts the commitment and passion to keep our spirits “maintained” and agile, that we may journey along the path You’ve set for us unimpeded.

In Jesus’ Name we pray,

Amen.

~Phather Phil

Thankful Thursday: Bring the Fire

Dear Lord; Happy Thankful Thursday Father!

Well Father, November is upon us once again, and with its onset our thoughts begin to turn towards the upcoming holidays.  For many, this month is a time to focus on those things we’re thankful for; to count our Blessings, and recognize the multitude of gifts You bring to us each day.

And while I’m all for any occasion that directs people’s attention towards thanks and praise, my prayers for this season of Thanksgiving reach much further Lord.  As Your Children open our hearts to You Father, as we look past the day to day struggles and trials that attempt to disguise Your Blessings, and pause for a moment to consider Your many gifts…

Bring the Fire Lord…

Ignite Your Spirit within us…

Blind us from the world, and draw us to Your side…

For when we dwell in the Holy Spirit Father, EVERY day becomes Thanksgiving.

I pray for that revival Lord; for Your Spirit to overwhelm us all, and to bring us together in Your Holy Name.  Open our hearts Father, and light the flame of Christ within us.

In Jesus’ Name we pray,

Amen.

Continuing our Thankful Thursday tradition Father, this week I’d like to lift special praises to You for:

361. The encouragement and prayers of a good friend yesterday.

362. The opportunity to deliver a testimony on my “Thoughts on Giving” to the congregation last Sunday.

363. Warm, cozy blankets on chilly evenings.

364. A fun evening spent with friends at a “Haunted Trail” event last Saturday.

365. A wonderful evening with Shannon and the kids at Ewell’s St. Paul UMC’s Fall Festival on Monday.

366. A tasty new recipe for Crockpot Chicken Tacos.

367. My children still delighting in being woken up each morning by visits from the “Tickle Monster”.

368. Sharing my “Bubble” with You.

369. Your not-so-subtle reminders where I need to keep my focus.

370. Enjoying watching old X-Files episodes with Jonathan.

371. A new Keurig B60 WR coffee machine as a free warranty replacement for our defective unit.

372. Positive signs of increased maturity and growth in my children.

373. Our central heating system firing right up after 8 months.

374. One full year of “Emails to God” here at PhatherPhil.org.

375. A powerful spiritual meeting with a local Pastor this morning.

So many Blessings Lord… So many wondrous gifts.

Heavenly Father,

We thank You Lord, for the many Blessings You bestow on us each day; both those that light up the sky with Your radiance, and those that grace us in the stillness.

Open our hearts Father… Bring the Fire.

In Jesus’ Name we pray,

Amen.

~Phather Phil