From The Pastor’s Page, Tree of The Mustard Seed Ministries

 

Today, after listening to the archived version of my show, a very important thing occurred to me. Prayer, yes I know it is second nature to me,  but is it to you?

 

While I was listening, I decided to create a segment for the show and flashed on this new site and thought, WOW  what a way to introduce the page, and people, to just what it is we do here at The Tree of The Mustard Seed! After all, we don’t sell anything, why are we here!! We are here to bring to people a little something they don’t get anywhere else. Themselves and their relation to God, most that we serve can not go to church, for health reasons, or debility due to age. One of the nursing homes I serve, down loads my show and plays it on M.P.3. players for their residents and  it is enjoyed by them. It is free this way and they can make as many copies as they want by loading it into their computer and downloading to all their M.P.3’s!!

 

                     So,  here is the first installment of The Pastors Page

Have you ever heard of active listening? In relation to prayer? What it entails is learning to find that still small voice you may have heard so much about, but don’t know how to hear. Remember God speaks to us in the stillness, or the quiet places. His voice is often lost among the hurly burly sounds of life as we struggle through our daily existence, you are not alone in this maelstrom of noise and confusion. Even the people who are homebound, feel the pressures of life, just in a different way.

   I myself, must actively create a quiet time for prayer, usually in the early morning when my wife and daughter are still asleep. First you must compose yourself as best you are able, it will take some time to learn to do this. Then you simply pray as you normally do. The difference comes now, still yourself, listen.Allow at least fifteen minutes to do this.  People usually ask at this point, “what am I listening for! This is the question! What you are literally trying to hear is, God!  Will you?  Eventually yes. How?  By feeling mostly, it is a hard thing to accept that God would talk to you isn’t it?  But ask yourself, why wouldn’t He? After all,  your Bible, your preachers and pastors,  have been telling you all of your life, you are a child of God haven’t they? Well, then why wouldn’t He talk to you!!

   Maybe this is the problem,you don’t really, deep down, believe that do you? Your not worth talking to, at least by God are you?  WRONG!!!

You certainly are worth it!!  How do you know this Rev. Bruce? ? How…..it’s simple…..Jesus gave up his life for you didn’t He!  Why.  WHY,  Would He do that,  if you weren’t worth it!!!  By your lack of faith in your own worth, you have been crippled in your prayer, probably all of your life! If your prayers are crippled by this lack of faith in you. How can your faith in anything He told you be believed? This is really terrible to think about isn’t it? Well don’t give up, faith takes time, time well spent in listening. You WILL hear that still small voice. When?  When you are ready, it can not be forced,  it can not be willed,  it can not be wished into existence,  it simply must be accepted. That is terribly difficult to believe I know, but if you have the faith of a grain of mustard seed you will be rewarded! It is written! And, it is true. I have seen so many times, when people are ready to give up,  when their hearts are broken when they think not even God can love them He shows them that He does indeed love them. You see God didn’t go away….You did! Come back to His unlimited love, it is waiting for you still, in the silence of compassion and love that God is, in the stillness, that He will share with you, God is still there, always was, always will be.

   May his blessings sustain you,  may His peace fill you,  may this coming week be full of God’s enveloping grace, Selah,  AMEN.

 

PRAYER, WHEN, WHERE,HOW, WHY,SHOULD I PRAY

One of lifes most profound questions concerning religion is prayer.  If we consider what Jesus tells us ask and it shall be given you , and then when we ask and don’t get it,  we say well,  prayer doesn’t work very well does it. Then we set about wondering,  till the next time,  and the next time,  and then we give up.

It has been said God always answers prayers,  but we don’t always get what we want. God knows best.  And the all time classic when  arguing with my wife…HEY!  I might not be what you prayed for,  but apparently I’m the answer !!!   Stopped the argument cold……Maybe this prayer stuff does work!!!

Some years ago I came across something while talking to my mentor in ministry. It’s called active listening. I have found the best times are when the rest of the family is in bed,  either in the morning or the late evening. My preffered time is in the very early morning as I’m always up at five thirty or so.

One of the most profound things about prayer that I have found is we pray then get up and go,  if there’s an answer we don’t hear it above the daily noise of life.

Get comfortable and plan to spend time,  after all this is pretty important stuff. I usually allow half an hour. First I get comfortable and relaxed then pray. Now what you ask for is important,  too many times we give God our laundry list and it changes little on a daily basis. Health,  wellness,  money, yeah I know that’s tacky you wouldn’t ask for money, security, comfort, those things but never money. It really doesn’t matter,  the point is,  we don’t ask for what we REALLY need.

Wisdom,  perseverence, comfort, understanding,  wellness  for our loved ones and strength to deal with what life throws at us and of course,  Gods help through it all.

When you are in a quiet place in the house and in your mind,  pray, open your heart,  ask for those things you need and add those which I mentioned. Then stop,  sit with your hands open,  there is a reason for this. As every day humans we have a tendency to keep ourselves closed we do this to protect our self from the stuff life throws at us this is the time to learn to open yourself to God try and clear your mind and simply listen, see if you can ascertain what if any answer God may have for you . Do this as often as you pray, the purpose is to open your self up be aware of what may come to you immediately and perhaps later in the day or days later.

I must tell you some thing,  answers will come,  not when you expect them or even how, you expect them,  and they may be what you asked for or different than you imagined,  but come they will .

I learned this way of praying at the age of thirty six,  I’m sixty one now and it has never failed …not once …ever.  The answers are there ALWAYS  but you have to be aware of them as they appear in some times surprising ways that you may not expect.

Try it you will be,  as I said, surprised!!

Next time we will talk about active listening and the things you can do to learn the skills you need.

Be well friends…..Tawodi…out