Power Of Prayer

Have you ever felt the urge to pray for someone and then just put it on a list and said, "I'll pray for them later?" Or has anyone ever called you and said, "I need you to pray for me, I have this need?" Read the following story that was sent to me and may it change the way that you may think about prayer and also the way you pray. You will be blessed by this one.

A missionary on furlough told this true story while visiting his home church in Michigan... While serving at a small field hospital in Africa, every two weeks I traveled by bicycle through the jungle to a nearby city for supplies. This was a journey of two days and required camping overnight at the halfway point. On one of these journeys, I arrived in the city where I planned to collect money from a bank, purchase medicine and supplies, and then begin my two-day journey back to the field hospital.

Upon arrival in the city, I observed two men fighting, one of whom had been seriously injured. I treated him for his injuries and at the same time talked to him about the Lord Jesus Christ. I then traveled two days, camping overnight, and arrived home without incident.

Two weeks later I repeated my journey. Upon arriving in the city, I was approached by the young man I had treated. He told me that he had known I carried money and medicines. He said, "Some friends and I followed you into the jungle, knowing you would camp overnight. We planned to kill you and take your money and drugs. But just as we were about to move into your camp, we saw that you were surrounded by 26 armed guards. "At this I laughed and said that I was certainly all alone out in that jungle campsite. The young man pressed the point, however, and said, ' No sir, I was not the only person to see the guards. My five friends also saw them, and we all counted them. It was because of those guards that we were afraid and left you alone."

At this point in the sermon, one of the men in the congregation jumped to his feet and interrupted the missionary and asked if he could tell him the exact day that this happened. The missionary told the

congregation the date and the man who interrupted told him this story: "On the night of your incident in Africa, it was morning here and J was preparing 'to go play golf. I was about to putt when I felt the urge to pray for

you.

In fact, the urging of the Lord was so strong; I called men in this church to meet with me here in the sanctuary to pray for you. Would all of those men who met with me on that day stand up?" The men who had

met together to pray that day stood up. The missionary wasn't concerned with who they were-he was too busy counting how many men he saw.

There were 26.

Grandma's Apron

The principal use of Grandma's apron was to protect the dress underneath.  Because she  only had a few, it was easier to wash aprons than dresses and they used less material, but along  with that, it served as a potholder for removing hot pans from the  oven.

It was wonderful for drying children's tears, and on occasion was even used for cleaning out dirty ears.

From the chicken coop, the apron was used for carrying eggs, fussy chicks, and sometimes half-hatched eggs to be finished in the warming oven.

When company came, those aprons were ideal hiding places for shy kids.

And when the weather was cold, grandma wrapped it around her arms.

Those big old aprons wiped many a perspiring brow, bent over the hot woodstove.

Chips and kindling wood were brought into the kitchen in that apron.

From the garden, it carried all sorts of vegetables.  After the peas had been shelled, it carried out the hulls.

In the fall, the apron was used to bring in apples that had fallen from the trees.

When unexpected company drove up the road, it was surprising how much furniture that old apron could dust in a matter of seconds.

When dinner was ready, Grandma walked out onto the porch, waved her apron, and the men knew it was time to come in from the fields to eat.

It will be a long time before someone invents something that will replace that ‘old-time apron' that served so many purposes.

REMEMBER:  Grandma used to set her hot baked apple pies on the windowsill to cool.  Her granddaughters set theirs on the windowsill to thaw.  They would go crazy now trying to figure out how many germs were on that apron.  I don't think I ever caught anything from an apron.

Almighty God

On a Saturday night several weeks ago, this pastor was working late at Almighty God Tabernacle, his church, and decided to call his wife before he left for home. It was about 10:00 PM, but his wife didn't answer the phone. The pastor let it ring many times. He thought it was odd that she didn't answer, but decided to wrap up a few things and try again in a few minutes. When he tried again she answered right away. He asked her why she hadn't answered before, and she said that it hadn't rung at their house. They brushed it off as a fluke and went on their merry ways.

The following Monday, the pastor received a call at the church office, which was the phone that he'd used that Saturday night. The man that he spoke with wanted to know why he'd called on Saturday night. The pastor couldn't figure out what the guy was talking about. Then the guy said, "It rang and rang, but I didn't answer." The pastor remembered the mishap and apologized for disturbing him, explaining that he'd intended to call his wife. The man said, "That's OK. Let me tell you my story. You see, I was planning to commit suicide on Saturday night, but before I did, I prayed, "God, if you're there, and you don't want me to do this, give me a sign now." At that point my phone started to ring. I looked at the caller ID, and it said, 'Almighty God'. I was afraid to answer."

The Rose And The Thorn

A certain man planted a rose and watered it faithfully and before it blossomed, he examined it.

He saw the bud that would soon blossom, but noticed thorns upon the stem and he thought, “How can any beautiful flower come from a plant burdened with so many sharp thorns?” Saddened by this thought, he neglected to water the rose, and just before it was ready to bloom….it died.

So it is with many people.  Within every soul there is a rose.  The God-like qualities planted in us at birth, grow amid the thorns of our faults.  Many of us look at ourselves and see only the thorns, the defects.

We despair, thinking that nothing good can possibly come from us.  We neglect to water the good within us, and eventually it dies.  We never realize our potential.

Some people do not see the rose within themselves; someone else must show it to them.  One of the greatest gifts a person can possess is to be able to reach past the thorns of another, and find the rose within them.

This is one of the characteristic of love.  To look at a person, know their true faults and accepting that person into your life, all the while recognizing the nobility in their soul.  Help others to realize they can overcome their faults.  If we show them the “rose” within themselves, they will conquer their thorns.  Only then will they blossom many times over.

 

Seize The Day

I have a friend who lives by a three-word philosophy: Seize the moment.  Just possibly she may be the wisest woman on this planet.  Too many people put off something that brings them joy just because they haven't thought about it, don't have it on their schedule, didn't know it was coming or are too rigid to depart from their routine.  I got to thinking one day about all those women on the Titanic who passed up dessert at dinner that fateful night in an effort to cut back. From then on, I've tried to be a little more flexible.  How many women out there will eat at home because their husband didn't suggest going out to dinner until after something had been thawed? Does the word "refrigeration" mean nothing to you?

 How often have your kids dropped in to talk and sat in silence while you watched Jeopardy! on television?   I cannot count the times I called my sister and said, "How about going to lunch in a half hour?" She would gasp and stammer, "I can't.”Check one:

"I have clothes on the line."

"My hair is dirty."

"I wish I had known yesterday."

"I had a late breakfast."

“It looks like rain."

 And my personal favorite: - "It's Monday."

She died a few years ago. We never did have lunch together.

Because Americans cram so much into their lives, we tend to schedule our headaches. We live on a sparse diet of promises we make to ourselves when all the conditions are perfect:

We'll go back and visit the grandparents when we get Stevie toilet-trained.

We'll entertain when we replace the living-room carpet.

We'll go on a second honeymoon-when we get two more kids out of college.

Life has a way of accelerating as we get older. The days get shorter, and the list of promises to ourselves gets longer. One morning, we awaken, and all we have to show for our lives is a litany of 'I'm going to",

"I plan on" and "Someday, when things are settled down a bit."

When anyone calls my 'seize the moment' friend, she is open to adventure and available for trips. She keeps an open mind on new ideas. Her enthusiasm for life is contagious. You talk with her for five minutes, and you're ready to trade your bad feet for a pair of Rollerblades and skip an elevator for a bungee cord.

My lips have not touched ice cream in 10 years. I love ice cream. It's just that I might as well apply it directly to my hips with a spatula and eliminate the digestive process. The other day, I stopped the car and bought a triple-decker. If my car had hit an iceberg on the way home, I would have died happy.

Now...go on and have a nice day. Do something you WANT to not something on your SHOULD DO list.

 Today is called the "present” because it is a gift from God....

Barber Shop

A man went to a barber shop to have his hair and his beard cut as always.  He started to have a good conversation with the barber who attended him.  They talked about so many things and various subjects.  Suddenly, they touched the subject of God.

The barber said: “Look man, I don’t believe that God exists as you say so.”

“Why do you say that?” – asked the client.

“Well, it’s so easy; you just have to go out in the street to realize that God does not exist.  Oh, tell me, if God existed, would there be so many sick people?  Would there be abandoned children?  If God existed, there would be no suffering or pain.  I can’t think of a God who permits all of these things.”

The client stopped for a moment thinking but he didn’t want to respond so as to prevent an argument.  The barber finished his job and the client went out of the shop.  Just after he left the barber shop he saw a man in the street with a long hair and beard (it seems that it had been a long time since he had his cut and he looked so untidy.)

“You know what? Barbers do not exist.”

“How come they don’t exist?” asked the Barber.  “Well I am here and I am a barber.”

“No!”  The client exclaimed. “They don’t exist because if they did there would be no people with long hair and beard like that man who walks in the street.”

“Ah, barbers do exist, what happens is that people do not come to me.”

“Exactly!” affirmed the client.  “That’s the point, God does exist, what happens is people don’t go to Him and do not look for Him that‘s why there’s so much pain and suffering in the world”

When The Wind Blows

Years ago a farmer owned land along the Atlantic seacoast. He constantly advertised for hired hands. Most people were reluctant to work on farms along the Atlantic. They dreaded the awful storms that raged across the Atlantic, wreaking havoc on the buildings and crops. As the fanner interviewed applicants for the job, he received a steady stream of refusals.

Finally, a short, thin man, well past middle age, approached the farmer. "Are you a good farmhand?" the farmer asked him.

"Well, I can sleep when the wind blows," answered the little man.

Although puzzled by this answer, the farmer, desperate for help, hired him. The little man worked well around the farm, busy from dawn to dusk, and the farmer felt satisfied with the man's work.

Then one night the wind howled loudly in from offshore. Jumping out of bed, the fanner grabbed a lantern and rushed next door to the hired hand's sleeping quarters. He shook the little man and yelled, "Get up! A storm is coming tie things down before they blow away!"

The little man rolled over in bed and said firmly, "No sir. I told you, can sleep when the wind blows. "

Enraged by the response, the farmer was tempted to fire him on the spot. Instead, he hurried outside to prepare for the storm. To his amazement, he discovered that all of the haystacks had been covered with tarpaulins. The cows were in the barn, the chickens were in the coops, and the doors were barred. The shutters were tight1y secured. Everything was tied down. Nothing could blow away. The farmer then understood what his hired hand meant, so he returned to his bed to also sleep while the wind blew.     .

Do Good Today

Isn't he always there when we need him?

Come with me to a third grade classroom....

There is a nine-year-old Kid sitting at his desk and all of

a sudden, there is a puddle between his feet and the front of his pants are wet.

He thinks his heart is going to stop because he cannot possibly imagine how this has happened. It's never happened before, and he Knows that when the boys find out he will never hear the end of it. When the girls find out, they'll never speak to him again as long as he lives.

The boy believes his heart is going to stop, he puts his head down and prays this prayer, "Dear God, this is an emergency! I need help now! Five minutes from now I'm dead meat:."

He looks up from his prayer and here comes the teacher with a look in her eyes that says he has been discovered.

As the teacher is walking toward him, a classmate named  Susie is carrying a goldfish bowl that is filled with water. Susie trips in front of the teacher and inexplicably dumps the bowl of water in the boy's lap.

The boy pretends to be angry, but all the while is saying to himself, ''Thank you, Lord! Thank you, Lord!"

Now all Of a sudden, instead of being the object of ridicule, the boy is the object of sympathy. The teacher rushes him down Stairs and gives him gym shorts to put on while his pants dry out.

All the other children are on their hands and knees cleaning up around his desk.

The sympathy is wonderful. But as life would have it, the ridicule that should have been his has been transferred to someone else - Susie. She tries to help, but they tell her to get out. "You've done enough, you klutz"

Finally, at the end of the day, as they are waiting for the

bus, the boy walks over to Susie and whispers, "you did that on purpose, didn't you?" Susie whispers back, "I wet my pants once too."

May God help us see the opportunities that are always around us to do good.

Unfolding The Rose

A young, new preacher was walking with an older, more seasoned preacher in the garden one day. Feeling a bit insecure about what God had for him to do, he was asking the older preacher for some advice. The older preacher walked up to a rose bush and handed the young preacher a rosebud and told him to open it without tearing any of the petals.

The young preacher looked in disbelief at the older preacher and was trying to figure out what a rosebud could possibly have to do with his wanting to know the will of God for his life and ministry. But, because of his great respect for the older preacher, he proceeded to try and unfold the rosebud while keeping every petal intact . . . It wasn't long before he realized how impossible this was to do. Noticing the young preacher's inability to unfold the rosebud without tearing it, the older preacher began to recite the following poem:

        It is only a tiny rosebud

        A flower of God's design;

        But I cannot unfold the petals

        With these clumsy hands of mine.

        The secret of unfolding flowers

        Is not known to such as I.

        GOD opens this flower so sweetly,

        Then, in my hands, they die.

         If I cannot unfold a rosebud,

        The flower of God's design,

        Then how can I have the wisdom

        To unfold this life of mine?

        So, I'll trust in Him for leading

        Each moment of my day.

        I will look to Him for His guidance

        Each step of the Pilgrim's way.

        The pathway that lies before me

        Only my Heavenly Father knows.

        I'll trust him to unfold the moments,

        Just as He unfolds the rose.

  They say it takes a minute to find a special person, an hour to appreciate them, a day to love them, and an entire lifetime to forget them.

Mustard Seed Faith

One day a 6 year old girl was sitting in the classroom.

The teacher was going to explain evolution to the children.

The teacher asked a little boy:

Teacher: Tommy do you see the tree outside?

Tommy: Yes.

Teacher: Tommy, do you see the grass outside?

Tommy: Yes.

Teacher: Go outside and look up and see if you can see the sky.

Tommy: OK. (He returned a few minutes later) Yes, I saw the sky.

Teacher: Did you see God?

Tommy: No.

Teacher: That’s my point. We can't see God because he isn’t there, he doesn't exist.

A little girl spoke up and wanted to ask the boy some questions.

Teacher agreed and she asked the boy:

Little Girl: Tommy, do you see the tree outside?

Tommy: Yes.

Little girl: Tommy do you see the grass outside?

Tommy: Yessssss (getting tired of the questions by this time)

Little girl: Did you see the sky?

Tommy: Yessssss

Little Girl: Tommy, do you see the teacher? ,

Tommy: Yes

Little Girl: Do you see her brain?

Tommy: No

Little Girl: Does that mean she doesn’t have one?

FOR WE WALK BY FAITH, NOT BY SIGHT II CORINTHIANS 4:7

Pass it on...Peace

The Saucer

San Francisco is home to hundreds of little stores that sell both worthless junk and valuable antiques. Savvy shoppers can find some real treasures among all the debris.

One day an antique connoisseur walked into one of these stores. Browsing the items for sale, he came across an unremarkable cat Drinking milk from a saucer on the floor. The man immediately recognized this saucer as genuine Ming Dynasty, worth hundreds of thousands of dollars. And here it was on the floor, with a cat drinking milk out of it! The shop owner obviously did not know its worth.

Immediately, the man started scheming how to get it for cheap, without the shopkeeper knowing what he was selling. He turned to the shopkeeper and said, "You know, that's a very striking cat you have there. I'd really like to buy your cat."

"Well," answered the shopkeeper, "the cat is not really for sale."

"I insist," the man replied. "Would you take $100 for the cat?"

"That's very generous," said the shopkeeper with a shake of his head.

"I don't think this cat is worth $100, but if you want the cat that badly, you can have it."

The man paid for the cat and then, as if he'd just thought of it, said, "Oh, one more thing. I'm going to need something to use as a feeding dish for the cat, so I'll give you another $5 for that little saucer there on the floor."

"Oh, I could never do that," said the shopkeeper. "You see, that's no ordinary saucer. That's a piece of rare china from the Ming Dynasty and its worth is incalculable. But amazingly enough, ever since I started feeding my cats out of it, I've sold 12 cats."

That shopkeeper degraded something of great value to upgrade the worth of his cats. God also used something of great value to redeem us and to give us life--Christ, who was degraded on the cross so that we could be upgraded to eternal life. As a result, we have become priceless treasures.

On the other hand, customers who didn't know any better walked by the cat's milk dish without realizing that they were walking past a treasure. Next time you walk past what look like ordinary persons, don't be fooled. They're treasures--people God loves so much that he sacrificed his Son on their behalf.

The Concert

Author  Unknown.

Wishing to encourage her young son's progress on the piano, a mother took her boy to a Paderewski concert. After they were seated, the mother spotted a friend in the audience and walked down the aisle to greet her. Seizing the opportunity to explore the wonders of the concert hall, the little boy rose and eventually explored his way through a door marked "NO ADMITTANCE." When the house lights dimmed and the concert was about to begin, the mother returned to her seat and discovered that the child was missing.

Suddenly, the curtains parted and spotlights focused on the impressive Steinway on stage. In horror, the mother saw her little boy was sitting at the keyboard, innocently picking out "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star." At that moment, the great piano master made his entrance, quickly moved to the piano, and whispered in the boy's ear, "Don't quit.

Keep playing."

Then leaning over, Paderewski reached down with his left hand and began filling in a bass part. Soon his right arm reached around to the other side of the child and he added a running obligate. Together, the old master and the young novice transformed a frightening situation into a wonderfully creative experience. The audience was so mesmerized that they couldn't recall what else the great master played........only the classic "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star."

That's the way it is with God. What we can accomplish on our own is hardly noteworthy. We try our best, but the results aren't exactly graceful flowing music. But with the hand of the Master, our life's work truly can be beautiful.

Next time you set out to accomplish great feats, listen carefully. You can hear the voice of the Master, whispering in

your ear, "Don't quit. Keep playing." Feel His loving arms around you. Know that His strong hands are there helping you turn your feeble attempts into true masterpieces.

Remember, God doesn't call the equipped, He equips the called. And He'll always be there to love and guide you on to great things.

The Race

They all lined up so full of hope,

each thought to win the race,

or tie for first, or if not that,

at least take second place.

And fathers watched from off the side,

each cheering for his son;

And each boy hoped to show his dad

That he would be the one.

The whistle blew, and off they went,

young hearts and hopes afire,

To win, to be the hero there

was each young boy's desire.

And one boy in particular

whose dad was in the crowd,

Was running in the lead and thought,

my dad will be so proud.

But as they sped down the field

across a shallow dip,

The little boy who thought to win,

lost his step and slipped.

Trying hard to catch himself,

his hands flew out in brace,

and mid the laughter of the crowd,

he fell flat on this face.

So down he fell and with him hope,

he couldn't win, not now;

Embarrassed, sad, he only wished

to disappear somehow.

But as he fell his dad stood up,

and showed his anxious face;

Which to the boy so clearly said;

get up and win the race.

He quickly rose, no damage done,

behind a bit, that's all.

And ran with all his might and mind

to make up for the fall.

So anxious to restore himself,

to catch up, to win,

His mind went faster than his legs,

he slipped and fell again.

He wished then he had quit before,

with only one disgrace;

I'm hopeless as a runner now,

I shouldn't try to race.

But in the laughing crowd he searched,

and found his father's face.

That steady look that said again,

get up and win the race.

So up he jumped to try again,

ten yards behind the last;

If I'm going to gain those yards

I've gotta move real fast.

Exerting everything he had,

he regained eight or ten;

But trying so hard to catch the lead

he slipped and fell again.

Defeat; he lay there silently,

a tear dropped from his eye;

There's no sense in running anymore

three strikes I'm out, why try.

The will to rise had disappeared

all hope had fled away;

So far behind, so error prone

I'll never go all the way.

I've lost - so what's the use he thought,

I'll live with my disgrace;

But then he thought about his dad

who soon he'd have to face.

Get up - an echo sounded low,

get up and take your place;

You were not meant for failure here,

get up and win the race.

With borrowed will, get up, it said,

you haven't lost at all;

For winning is no more than this,

to rise each time you fall.

So up he rose to run once more,

and anew commit;

He resolved that win or lose the race,

at least he wouldn't quit.

Three times he'd fallen, stumbling,

three time he rose again;

Now he gave it all he had,

and ran as though to win.

They cheered the winning runner

as he crossed the line first place;

Head high and proud and happy,

no failing, no falling, no disgrace.

But when the fallen youngster

crossed the line last place,

The crowd gave him the greatest cheer,

For finishing the race.

And even though he came in last

with head bowed low unproud,

You would have thought he won the

race to listen to the crowd.

And to his dad, he sadly said,

I didn't do so well;

To me you won, his father said,

you rose each time you fell.

And now when things seem dark

and hard and difficult to face,

The memory of that little boy

helps me in my race.

For all of life is like that race

with ups and downs and all,

And all you have to do to win,

Is RISE each time you fall.