Surprise!

HOPE S.H.A.R.E.D. (Share How Abba Relates Every Day)

Yesterday, My husband took off work to spend the day with me and a friend, A, visiting from Colorado. We decided after school to take the girls on an adventure. The weather: remarkable!  The wind that usually rushes down the plains in Oklahoma had stilled.  The sun: bright, but not too hot, created a perfect day for a hike.  In metropolitan Oklahoma City, finding a place to hike posed a great challenge.  We didn't have the Rocky Mountains, or the "mountains" of southwest Oklahoma.

 We drove to a local nature park, only to discover it was closed on Mondays.  We found a new park with a few wooded areas for bikers and hikers.  As we trecked through the trees on narrow, muddy trails, we enjoyed the time together. (It's funny how the girls get tired walking down the street, but can hike for hours in woods??).

On our final trail, I waited on the path as my husband and youngest daughter, age 6, took off to look at the small spring that meandered through the trees, while the older two girls (ages 11 and 9) and A, (I won't tell you her age) walked ahead on the path.  A few minutes later I hear a screech!  I thought maybe one of the girls had gotten hurt.  But to my surprise, the two girls, screaming as they ran back to me, exclaimed, "There is a snake!"

Curious, I walked ahead to take a gander. They weren't lying when they said it was big! I got close enough to take a picture of it with my camera. The quality is not great, but you can see the size (black thing behind the tree)

I'm thankful my friend accompanied my girls on the trail.  She said my oldest daughter froze when she saw the snake.  My friend helped her turn around and head to safety.  My friend's role reminded me of the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives as followers of Jesus. 

1.  The Holy Spirit reminds us of His presence.
In John 14:16-17 Jesus says,
^" I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever;  that is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not see Him or know Him, but you know Him because He abides with you and will be in you."
 (emphasis mine)

The Helper, the Holy Spirit, the very person of God, lives in us who follow Jesus.

Just like my friend stayed with my girls when my husband and I stopped, the Holy Spirit promises to remain with you forever.

2.  The Holy Spirit reminds us of peace.

In John 14: 26- 27 Jesus says, " But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you. ²⁷ Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful.

The Holy Spirit reminds us that Jesus promised peace.  God can bring peace in the midst of the "snakes" in your life.
And peace belongs in the list of "fruit" that the Holy Spirit produces in us.

 Galatians 5:22-23 says,
^" But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law."

3.  The Holy Spirit reminds us of protection.

When I decided to look at the snake, my friend told me exactly where to find it for my protection.  Even though the Holy Spirit lives in us, sometimes He uses the Bible to warn us of danger ahead.  The Bible tells us how to protect ourselves from the evil one, the devil himself (tempted Eve in the form of a snake).

Ephesians 6:11-17 says,  Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. ¹² For our struggle is not against  flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. ¹³ Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm. ¹⁴ Stand firm therefore, having girded your loins with truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness.¹⁵ and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; ¹⁶ in addition to all, taking up the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. ¹⁷ And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
 
The only offensive strategy in fighting against Satan is the word of God, the Bible.  Most times the best defense (protection) uses the best offense (the Bible).

Do you have the Holy Spirit in you?
Do you have peace?
How are you using the Bible to fight against our enemy?
What verse do you use as your sword?

Linked to my friend Kathy:Cornerstone Confessions

Praying it Safe

Oklahoma’s recent earthquakes have gotten my family’s attention.  The 5.6 earthquake caused my middle daughter to awaken and jet across the house in fear.  The earthquakes not only shook our house, but shook up my prayer life.  (After reading this, I believe you will understand why I chose the title “Simply Spilling.”)  I got to thinking (scary, I know).  What do I say to my eight-year-old daughter that will make her feel safe enough to stay in her own bed after feeling an earthquake?  Do I tell her, “Don’t worry, God will protect you.”?  But then, what happens to her beliefs if God chooses to allow another major earthquake, possibly injuring her?  Do I tell her, “We can pray for safety, but God may not choose to protect us?”  Is that praying with faith and confidence?  Do you see my dilemma?  I told her, “God has the power to protect us.  Jesus knows what we need.  We need to trust God.”  For the first time in a scary situation, I didn’t ask God for His protection.  Since then, I’ve been asking, “Was that wrong?”

I’m so glad my friendship with God is so personal.  My prayer life is an ongoing conversation with the Creator and Savior of this universe.  Wow! I’m still learning about prayer, the amazing privilege as a follower of Jesus.  I want to grow in this aspect of my journey, so I continue to ask God to teach me to pray.

Here’s three questions/answers to ponder regarding prayer.

1.         Did Jesus teach his disciples to pray for protection?    Matthew 6:9-13

“Pray, then, in this way:
 ‘Our Father who is in heaven,
Hallowed be Your name.
^10’Your kingdom come.
Your will be done,
On earth as it is in heaven.
¹¹ ‘Give us this day our daily bread.
¹² ‘And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.
¹³ ‘And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil. [For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.’]

Jesus taught them to pray for protection from temptation and  evil.

2.        Did Jesus pray for protection for his followers?

 John 17:15-19 I do not ask You to take them out of the world, but to keep them from the evil one. ¹⁶  They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. ¹⁷ Sanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth. ¹⁸ As You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world. ¹⁹ For their sakes I sanctify Myself, that they themselves also may be sanctified in truth.

Jesus prayed to keep them from the evil one.

3.        Did Jesus pray for His own protection?

As Jesus entered the Garden of Gethsemane just hours before he would die on the cross, it says in Luke 22: 41b-42,  He knelt down and began to pray, ⁴² saying, “Father, if You are willing, remove this cup from Me; yet not My will, but Yours be done.”  In this passage “this cup” represents the wrath of God.  Jesus knew he would experience God’s rejection because of the sins of people of all time that would be placed on Him on the cross.  He would also experience an unbelievable amount of  physical torture.  No wonder he wondered if there was any other way. So yes, Jesus asked for protection, but with “if you are willing”.  His prayer didn’t stop there.

Jesus, because He was God, could have prayed for God’s protection from the cross, but Jesus knew there was no other way to provide forgiveness.  His prayer “Father, if You are willing,” shows Jesus believed God the Father had the power to rescue Him.  Jesus’ final and most significant prayer that led him to the cross declared, “yet not My will, but Yours be done.”

My conclusion:  Still not sure, but I feel I pray “safe” prayers.  Jesus keep me safe.  Keep my family safe.  Keep my house safe.  Keep our finances safe.  I want to learn to pray as Jesus did, “keep me safe from the evil one” and “Not my will, but yours be done.”

*I also realize using only three scripture passages is just skimming the surface of the major subject of prayer.  You may have some comments that will help on this subject.  Please use scripture reference, if possible.