Recently my wife and I were at a friends home for dinner. We have been friends for 14 years. We go to church together when we are in the same city we spend weekends together at each other’s homes. We have fun together. We will very often talk about our personal walk with the Lord.
One evening we were at their home in the Sierra Mountains for dinner. It is summer, in the evening it is relatively warm but comfortable. We prepared dinner then decided to eat on the deck. We would enjoy conversation and the weather. We got into a wonderful conversation around prayer, how to pray and daily prayer habits. Our friends are Catholic the man is a do good and get to heaven Catholic the wife has accepted the gift of salvation. The wife is a prayer warrior she may be the poster child for pray without ceasing.
The conversation begins with the man describing his daily prayer time. It is structured and dotting all the I’s while crossing most of the t’s. We begin a discussion of relationship with God. The discussion gets pretty intense but very nurturing.
During the conversation, I focused my attention on the man in the couple. We enjoy debate and conversation. It was all good. Except!
Except when we finished, did the dishes and headed off to bed. My wife said that she felt I ignored her during the conversation. A simple thought on my part, she was right. I apologized. Men in Ministry does your wife make a good Holy Spirit stand in?
I thought about Jesus, in two ways. First love your wife like the Lord loves the church that He gave His life for her and second: “for I the Lord thy God are a jealous God.”
Wow did I commit a huge sin! If my wife, the bride of my life thinks I am neglecting her, I am.
First God never ignores His Children. The Bible tells us that repeatedly.
Second; I think of how many times during each day that I neglect Jesus. How many times I turn my attention away from the Lord to other things. The comment may be you have other things to do, there is family, baseball, running, work, golf the list can be extensive. How then do I keep my focus on Jesus?
I think of a book I read a long time ago and then gave as a gift to a number of young men I was mentoring: Practicing the Presence of God, by Brother Lawrence. In the book, he describes how in everything he does he prays it through, always keeping his attention on Jesus.
How can I be more of the man that Jesus wants / commands me to be.
Men in Ministry, begin each day with Jesus, before anything. Seek first the Kingdom and His righteousness is a command. First is first, once I set the first aside for Jesus, then ask the Holy Spirit to direct my day I have begun on the right foundation. The next thing to be aware is would Jesus be doing what I am doing. Would I be comfortable inviting Jesus to be with me in what I am doing? This is a second foundational practice. Third for me is asking direction throughout the day and thanking Him for His direction. Finally, open everything I do in personal prayer. In turn, this keeps me focused so that I can thank Him for every result. Thank Him even when the ball finds its way into the trees or the fairway.
Prayer is Powerful, so why are we not always in prayer?
When I ignored my wife, she expressed her feelings I felt terrible. How terrible do I feel when the Holy Spirit reminds me that I am ignoring my Lord and Savior. Jesus gave it all for me and never forgets me.
Thank you, Jesus for your love and presence thank you Michele, for a lesson I hope I never forget.
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