CONVERSATIONS WITH GOD

Greetings Prayer Warriors...or Casual Conversationalists...talked to God lately?

God loves to communicate with you...and wants you to communicate with Him. That is called interpersonal relationship. In the natural...when you have conversation with someone...you think a thought...take in a breath...exhale that breath...and begin to move your articulators...that takes the sound generated by the vocal folds...and you direct your words towards someone you want to hear what you have to say.

In turn...that person...receives your words...encodes and decodes...and responds back in like kind. You then receive what they said...and respond...and so on and so on and so on. This is called a conversation....where two people communicate thoughts.

In the spiritual...between you and God...there is not much difference...except you are talking to the Creator of the universe and he is responding back to you.

"Now I lay me down to sleep...I pray the Lord my soul to keep...If I should die before I wake...I pray the Lord my soul to take." Wow...what a ghastly prayer. I think I would be like my son Phillip in this picture...and be cutting my eyes over if that was the only prayer that we taught him.

Jesus did ask His disciples..."Could you not WATCH and PRAY?"

We tried to teach our son that prayer is not some mystical formula to manipulate God into giving us something...or a tool to get God to love us anymore... or a merit badge of prayer that proves to others how spiritual we are.

We tried to live our faith out loud...with part of the process being...talking to God as a friend. Talking to God as our Saviour and not just a good buddy. Talking to God as if He really does exist and that our prayers are not just futile exercises in psychological mumbo jumbo.

We pray by FAITH...the substance of things confidently expected...the evidence of things not seen or revealed to the senses...but perceived as reality. (Hebrews 11:1)

We pray to please Him by FAITH...as we (1) come to Him (2) Believe that He exists (3) Believe that He is a rewarder (4) diligently seek Him (5) Not just passively inquire of Him. (Hebrews 11:6)

We pray as we abide in, continue in, dwell in Him... knowing that we can ask whatever we wish and it shall be done. (John 15:7)

We pray...to our Father who is in heaven...by his Holy name...and pray that His kingdom, his rule, his realm would come and be manifested on planet Earth as it is in Heaven. (Matthew 6:10)

Some would ask..."How long do we pray?" My answer would be...until you get the answer...until you have peace... until you die. Never give up. Get tenacious in your prayers. Pray without ceasing. Pray (talk to God)...Supplicate (get humble and specific with God)... and Thank Him (before you see any answers).

Between the POINT OF PRAYER (request) .........and THE POINT OF PROVISION (the answer)...there is a land called THE LAND OF NITTY GRITTY... where you walk by FAITH and not by SIGHT (II Corinthians 5:7)

This is a time to keep your focus...surround yourself with like believers...who believe that the Word of God is true...and reality is real...but truth (the Word of God John 17:17) TRUMPS REALITY. As we pray...we do not deny reality...but we do deny realities right to rule us.

FINAL THOUGHTS...FINALLY

Think a thought...take a breath...release that breath and formulate your words on your lips and direct your words to God. Congratulations...you have just prayed and initiated a CONVERSATION WITH GOD.

Love
Rodney

AMPHIBIOUS WARFARE PART TWO

Greetings Warriors...O Ye Wrestlers for the Lord...Karatekas of the Spirit... Contenders for the Faith.

NOTE: Our first picture...we see our friends..."On a mission from God." They are in a place called WAR West Virginia. Note...that this is a staged photo op... where Mr. Hart...has the gawgeous Mrs. Hart in a head lock. In real life...I have a feeling that it might be a reversed situation.

Well...in our last Rambling...we discovered that we are Amphibious beings... between the Glory and the flame...walking out our faith in the Land of Nitty Gritty. We are IN the world...but not OF it. Whether we acknowledge it or not... we are in WAR.

"For we are not WRESTLING with flesh and blood--contending only with physical opponents--but against the despotism's, against the powers, against [the master spirits who are] the world rulers of this present darkness, against the spirit forces of wickedness IN THE HEAVENLY (supernatural sphere). (Ephesians 6:12 The Amplified Bible)


NOTE: In this next picture...we see that age is NOT an issue in the fight. Here we have Ms Betty Coleman who is a third degree black belt and just happens to be 80+ years old. On the receiving end of her fist...is my jaw.


One of the keys to Spiritual Warfare...is the need for PREPARATION. If you just go out swinging without preparation...you may get in some lucky punches...but the end most likely will be... a lost battle.



In The Book of Joshua...we see God speaking to Joshua and Joshua passing on the command to his men..."Pass through the camp, and command the people..PREPARE YOUR PROVISIONS... for within THREE DAYS yo shall pass over this Jordan...to GO IN TO TAKE POSSESSION OF THE LAND...which the LORD YOU GOD IS GIVING YOU TO POSSESS." (Joshua 1:11).



They were NOT suppose to just cross over and possess the land...there was a PREPARATION. Without the PREPARATION...there would be NO POSSESSION. Note also that the Lord was giving the land to be possessed...but the STILL HAD TO POSSESS IT...from inhabitants of the land...the enemy...the resistance forces.


Since 1970...I had instilled within me...that The Word of God...is imperative in my life.

NOTE: This picture is the first Bible that I bought for myself. When I thumb through it...I see place along the early part of my journey underlined...with notes written out to the side...worn pages from multiple readings. Some say the B.I.B.L.E. means Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth.

One of the best PREPARATIONS for this WAR is to RENEW your mind with the Word of God. We see that "All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for (1) teaching [facts presented] (2) reproof [pointing out where we got the teaching wrong]
(3) correction [by practice] (4) for training in righteousness [although we are righteous by nothing we can do...we work out our salvation by training].
(II Timothy 3:16) QUESTION: Why is the Word of God so important? ANSWER: "That the ma of God may be adequate...equipped for every good work." (II Timothy 3:17)

A companion PREPARATION FACTOR for the WAR is...THE BAPTISM IN/OF/WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT. "But you shall receive POWER/DUNAMIS/DYNAMIC ABILITY--ability, efficiency and might--when THE HOLY SPIRIT has come upon you...and you shall BE my witnesses (not necessarily witness...but will actually BE a witness by what you say and do) in Jerusalem, and all Judea and Samaria and to the ends--the very bounds/boundaries--of the earth." Acts 1:8)

COMMERCIAL BREAK: Starting on Wednesday night, March 2nd 2011, at Springhouse Worship and Arts Center...we will start a class called THE BAPTISM IN/OF/WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT (Have You Received Since You Believed?) For more information you can contact me at 415-7577. Check our our website at www.ruminators.net


We see that we are in WAR...and there must be PREPARATION for WAR. We need (1) renewed minds with the Word of God (2) The Holy Spirit as our POWER SOURCE (3) we need to IDENTIFY THE ENEMY. (4) Fight the enemy in proper order. Let's check out Ephesians 6:10-20 for the WAR PLANS.

NOTE: This last picture is a picture of me in my Black Belt exam. It represents YEARS OF PREPARATION and blood (mine) sweat (mine) and tears (also mine). If I would only prepare myself in my spirit...in training and being prepared for the spiritual attacks...Oh how the kingdom would flourish.

1. Be strong IN THE LORD.

NOTE: Where we draw our strength from will determine how we fight.


2. Be strong IN THE STRENGTH OF HIS MIGHT.

NOTE: Do not rely on your might, you talent, your ability for strength.

3. PUT ON the the FULL (not partial) armour of the Lord.

NOTE: In our preparation...don't go out partially prepared.

4. THAT

NOTE: The reason for putting on the FULL ARMOUR

5. You may be ABLE TO STAND firm against the SCHEMES of the devil (little d)

NOTE: There are well orchestrated schemes by the stealer, killer, destroyer, liar, accuser...aka devil, d-evil, satan, the dragon, the serpent, prince of the power of the air

6. For our STRUGGLE is NOT against FLESH and BLOOD, but the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.

NOTE: We tend to focus on what we SEE and expend all of our energy in the battle against manifestations of the problem BEFORE we cut at the ROOT of the enemy. When we become weary..the enemy can then waltz in and take us out...and I don't mean for dinner.

NOTE TO THE NOTE: The battlefield is identified...the heavenlies. The battlefield is also identified in Philippians 4:6-8 as the heart and the mind...where peace stands as guard.

7. THEREFORE

NOTE: Therefore...refers to the previous verses...and we need to see what they are THERE FOR...because that effects and is the reason what the next verses talk about.

8. Take up...put on...the FULL ARMOR OF GOD.

NOTE: The first notice to put on the full armor of God is that you may be able to STAND FIRM against the schemes of the devil (not turn tail and run). The second notice to put on the full armour of God is what is underscored next.

9. That you may RESIST IN THE EVIL DAY.

NOTE: Again...we are NOT running away from the battle...but fully armoured up and prepared to STAND and RESIST. We are the RESISTANCE FORCE for the KINGDOM OF GOD...for righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Ghost.

10. And having done EVERYTHING

NOTE: We give it all we got...and do everything that can possibly be done.

11. TO STAND FIRM

NOTE: Once you have done everything...this is NOT the time to LET DOWN YOUR GUARD. Keep on STANDING FIRM.

NOTE TO THE NOTE: We have talked before of the place between the point of prayer and the point of provision...as the LAND OF NITTY GRITTY. This is where you need to take your STAND OF FAITH. "Faith is the assurance (the confirmation, the title-deed) of the things [we] hope for, being the proof of things [we] DO NOT SEE and the conviction of their REALITY--faith PERCEIVING as REAL FACT...what is NOT REVEALED TO THE SENSES." (Hebrews 11:1 The Amplified Bible)

We see in Ephesians 6:14-17 a listing of the armour and weaponry and it's meaning. We have at our access: (1) girded loins/truth (2) breastplate/righteousness (3) the footwear/Gospel of peace (4) shield/faith (5) /helmet/salvation (6) sword of the Spirit/the Word of God.

Being fully armoured...fighting the true enemy (and then we may engage on earth)...we are called to:

"PRAY at ALL TIMES--on every occasion, in every season--IN THE SPiRIT, with ALL[MANNER OF] PRAYER and ENTREATY. To that end...KEEP ALERT and WATCH...with STRONG PURPOSE and PERSEVERANCE...INTERCEDING in behalf of ALL SAINTS (God's consecrated people. (Ephesians 6:18)

When we pray, entreat, intercede...as part of our warfare...we open the door for freedom...for the saints to open their mouths, to proclaim boldly the mystery of the good news...the gospel. They will be able to do it boldly and courageously...as they OUGHT TO DO. (Ephesians 6:19-20)

FINAL THOUGHTS...FINALLY

Amphibious Warfare is where you are able to fight on two levels. Start in the heavenlies... and then when He speaks to you...strategically strike on planet earth..as we bring His will...His kingdom on EARTH as it is in HEAVEN.

Love and Armoured Kisses
Rodney "Rumbling Rod" Boyd

TOP TEN REASONS I DON'T PRAY

Greetings to all of you who need a PRAYER CRUTCH. I understand why YOU need PRAYER... but for MYSELF... I find that I DON'T need a crutch. Here are the TOP TEN REASONS I DON'T PRAY.

#10 Prayer is for kids, old women and FOOLS...and as is so obvious...I ain't none of these. "The FOOL has said in His heart...there is no God." (Psalm 53:1) I believe there is a God...I just don't act like it.

# 9 Prayer is a Holy crap shoot...and 9 times out of 10...I get snake eyes. I don't like the odds.

# 8 I prayed once...and nothing happened. I could have got the same results by not praying.

# 7 I got into trouble once...prayed for deliverance from the cause and effect of my deed...and still had to pay the consequence for my action. I got caught speeding and prayed that I would not get a ticket...and got one anyway. If prayer can't change my consequences...what good is it.

#6 I bought a dollar ticket for the $20 million dollar lottery...and prayed that I would win. I told God that I would tithe off the $20 million (after taxes of course)...and promised to pay off the church loan...and I STILL DID NOT WIN. Obviously...prayer does not work.



# 5 I prayed that my wife would get into BIBLICAL ORDER...and submit to my every whim. The only thing missing in the Garden of Eden in the Garden of Eden...was a kitchen. After all I am THE MAN. I am the spiritual leader...the HEIR of the Kingdom. It's almost as if my words of prayer are HINDERED. "You husbands likewise...live with your wives in an UNDERSTANDING WAY...as with a weaker vessel, since she is a woman...and GRANT HER HONOR AS A FELLOW-HEIR of grace of life...SO that your PRAYERS MAY NOT BE HINDERED." (I Peter 3:7)

# 4 I don't like to leave answered prayer to four little words....like..."THY WILL BE DONE". If I'm going to pray...I'm going to pray for OTHER little words...like...ROD'S WILL BE DONE".

#3 We are told to PRAY WITHOUT CEASING. Come on...who has got that kind of time on their hands. If I was praying 24 hours a day...I would not have time to send out these time consuming blogs. You think I live in a monastery where I ain't got nuttin' but time on my hands?

# 2 If I can't KNOW that God hears me...why should I waste my time speaking to the wind?

"And this is the CONFIDENCE which we have before Him...that if we ASK ANYTHING... according to HIS WILL...He HEARS us...and if we KNOW that HE HEARS US...in whatever we ASK...we KNOW that we HAVE THE REQUESTS which we have ASKED FROM HIM."
(I John 5:14-15)


And the NUMERO UNO reason I don't pray....................

IT'S ALL ABOUT ME BABY....IT'S ALL ABOUT ME.

Well...as you know...this is a tongue in cheek look about why I DO PRAY. In my practice of Speech Therapy...I make it a practice of letting ALL of my patients that I am praying for them. If they respond positively...I will ask if I can pray for them NOW. I have only had ONE PERSON turn me down for prayer in over 15 years. He told me in no uncertain terms that he was an atheist...and that he does not need my !@#$%^&*(#)&^%$ PRAYERS. After three speech sessions...I told him that I was STILL praying for him...he responded..."Thank you...I appreciated it." So much for atheism. After all...the atheist may not believe in God...but God does believe in the atheist...and sent His son to die in His place too.

FINAL THOUGHTS....FINALLY!!!

Once again...let us turn to our hymnals to page 396...and sing a rousing version of SWEET HOUR OF PRAYER...or the 2008 version for many Christians in this McDonalds fast food world...SWEET 5 MINUTES OF PRAYER.




SWEET HOUR OF PRAYER

Sweet hour of prayer...sweet hour of prayer...that calls me from a world of care
And bids me at my Father's throne...Make all my wants and wishes known
In seasons of distress and grief...my soul has often found relief
And oft escaped the tempters snare...by thy return...SWEET HOUR OF PRAYER

Sweet hour of prayer...sweet hour of prayer...the joys I feel...the bliss I share
Of those whose anxious spirits burn...with strong desires for thy return
With such I hasten to the place...where God my Saviour shows His face
And gladly take my station there...and wait for thee...SWEET HOUR OF PRAYER

Sweet hour of prayer...sweet hour of prayer...Thy wings shall my position hear
To Him whose truth and faithfulness...engage the waiting soul to bless
And since He bids me seek His face...believe His Word and trust His grace
I'll cast on Him my every care...and wait for thee SWEET HOUR OF PRAYER

Love and Prayerful Kisses
Rodney "It's All About HIM" Boyd

PRAYER HINDERANCES

Greetings Prayer Warriors. Have you ever got down on your knees...looked up to heaven...and breathed out an earnest, heartfelt prayer...only to have the sensation that you have hit a brass ceiling?You are down on your knees being bombarded by the words that you have just prayed as they sprinkle down back on you like a shattered dream? Welcome to the world of prayer.

Sometimes...NOT ALL OF THE TIME...there seems to be a roadblock to your prayers. Hinderances seems to BLOCK your road to God...or at least God's road to you...with the ANSWER to your prayer. In this MCDONALDS/BURGER KING WORLD...we want it OUR WAY...NOW...and when the answer does not appear...we GIVE UP.

DISCLAIMER: This Rambling does not purport to have any personal knowledge of why YOUR prayers are not answered. I only speak from my personal experience with this thing called THE ART OF PRAYER.

In the book of James we are told that when we encounter various trials/temptations...we are to COUNT/CONSIDER IT ALL JOY. Why? Because we can KNOW that the TESTING OF OUR FAITH...produces what is known as ENDURANCE. This thing called endurance can...if we LET/ALLOW IT...to have a PERFECT RESULT/WORK...so that you can be (1) perfect or mature (2) complete (3) lacking in nothing. (James 1:2-4). The next verse in James speaks of LACKING WISDOM. If you LACK WISDOM...you can ASK/PRAY of God...who GIVES/ANSWERS PRAYERS to all men generously and without reproach...and it will be given him. (James 1:5)

This ASKING/PRAYER...should be asked IN FAITH (the substance of things hoped for...the evidence of things not seen)...and without DOUBTING. If you be doubting...you be tossed around like the SURF OF THE SEA. In the words of the Beach Boys...SURFS UP!

The WISDOM that you are asking for...is in reference to the VARIOUS TRIALS that you are going through. You can KNOW if (1) You are being attacked by satan schemes (2) You shot yourself in the foot like Barney Fife (3) You are experiencing the effects of a cursed and fallen world (4) You are not doing anything wrong...but God is allowing you to be tested. Why would you need wisdom about why you are being tested? So...that you will know what to do in the middle of STUFF HAPPENING. You may need to: (1) Rebuke the devil and his schemes (2) Repent for shooting yourself in the foot by disobedience (3) Realize that it is raining on the just and the unjust and the storms come against both houses (built on rock or sand)...and you need to shore up and stand strong (4) Rejoice in the Lord always...and again Rejoice. You may need to learn the lessons and go on.

The reason that I took time to talk about how you can pray about and get wisdom on WHY you are going through various TRIALS...is that that same principle...will work in your PRAYER LIFE about HINDERANCES AND ROADBLOCKS...so you can adjust, repent, stand, or praise between the POINT of PRAYER------------------------------------------------------------->POINT OF PROVISION. When you pray...and you don't see anything happen...and you start to get nervous because you don't see or feel or experience anything...you tend to (1) GIVE UP or (2) TRY TO MANIPULATE and BRING THE ANSWER TO PASS. Again...this may not be YOU...but I sure know that I have run the gamut of PRAYER GAMES. With that in mind...here are some (not all) of the things that could be at the ROOT of your PRAYER PROBLEMS.

PRAYER ROADBLOCKS/HINDRANCES

1. SIN: I know for sure that it's not God's fault...so I do a SIN CHECKUP. I ask the Lord to shine His light on me...and reveal anything that I may be doing that needs a little Repent Action (R.A.) More likely than not...I already know what the sin is...I just need to 'fess up (aka cconfess)...repent...and get back on track. (I John 1:5-10)

2. PRIDE: When I am walking in pride (maybe about how God answers my prayers)...there is a RESISTANCE FORCE...and it AIN'T satan. It is God resisting the proud. The solution is to humble myself under the mighty hand of God...and He will lift me up at the PROPER TIME. When you are humble...there can be a time gap...from when I pray...and the answer arrives...and I don't get NERVOUS IN THE SERVICE. (I Peter 5:6-7)

3. NOT PRAYING GOD'S WILL: I may not say it...but I am thinking it...when I end my prayers....I end them with those 4 words that Jesus closed His model prayer...ROD'S WILL BE DONE. When we ask ANYTHING...ACCORDING TO HIS WILL...He HEARS us...in WHATEVER...we ASK. We can KNOW that He HEARS us....and that we HAVE the requests which we have ASKED from Him. The key... is ACCORDING TO HIS WILL. (I John 5:14,15)

4. SCHEMES: There are schemes, strategies, and deceits of the devil (little d)...that are AGAINST US. When we pray...we sometimes walk by SIGHT and not by FAITH...and we expend our energies on FLESH and BLOOD instead of the TRUE ENEMY...the enemy forces in the form of (1) despotism's (2) powers (3) master spirits/world rulers of THIS PRESENT DARKNESS (5) spirit forces in the heavenly (supernatural) spheres. We are called to (1) Be strong in the Lord (2) Be strong in the strength of His might (3) Put on the full armor of God (4) Stand against the scheme (5) Resist in the evil day (6) With all prayer and petition PRAY AT ALL TIMES IN THE SPIRIT
(7) Be on the alert with all perseverance and PETITION for all the saints. (8) Pray that utterance of the mystery of the death, burial, and resurrection will be spoken with boldness. (Ephesians 6:1-18)

5. ASKING AMISS: James states that YOU HAVE NOT...BECAUSE YOU ASK NOT. Well...asking is not my problem. I ask for plenty. There must be some other reason for why my ASKING is HINDERED. James answers that in the next stroke of the pen...You ask...and DO NOT RECEIVE...because you ask AMISS/WITH WRONG MOTIVES...so that you may spend it on your PLEASURES. Hmmm... MY pleasure versus HIS pleasure. (James 4:1-3; Hebrews 11:6)

6. NOT ABIDING: The word abide means to (1) stay in a given place, state, relation, expectancy (2) continue (3) dwell (4) endure
(5) be present (6) remain (7) stand (8) tarry. In John 15...we are called to ABIDE in JESUS...and JESUS' WORDS ABIDE in you. The cause and effect of ABIDING...is that we can ASK WHATEVER YOU WISH...AND IT SHALL BE DONE FOR YOU. I find myself NOT ABIDING...but WISHY WASHING...in and out of Jesus and His Word...and in and out of Jesus and His word in me. (John 15:7)

7. WIFE PROBLEMS: As I live in this macho man culture...where misinterpretation of husband/wife...man/woman...relationships abound...MY PRAYERS ARE HINDERED because (1) I don't live with Brenda in an UNDERSTANDING WAY (2) I don't treat her as a WEAKER VESSEL (3) I don't GRANT HER HONOR (4) I don't treat her as a FELLOW-HEIR of the GRACE OF LIFE. This was brought to my attention by a brother in the Lord named Benny Sumrall. He shared with me this verse...and told me he started to look at his wife Eva...as NOT JUST a wife...but a SISTER IN THE LORD...with authority, giftings, talents, etc. Sometimes we treat our wives one way... and our brothers in the Lord...and even our sisters in the Lord DIFFERENTLY. The cause and effect=HINDERED PRAYERS.

8. POOR PRAYER LIFE: I spend too much time in the ASKING MODE...instead of the INTIMACY MODE with the FATHER. Jesus set the tone as he would often draw away to a mountain or a CERTAIN PLACE...to get recharged and get clarity on directives from the Father. (Luke 6:12; Matthew 6:2-13; Luke 11:1-11)

9. QUE SERA SERA PRAYERS: In the Ruminator Sunday School Class...we call this DORIS DAY FAITH. It's where we pray something...and it does not immediately appear...we throw up our hands...and say...IT MUST NOT BE GOD'S WILL...so we QUIT. Que sera sera...whatever will be will be...the future's not ours to see...que sera sera...THY WILL BE DONE.. Jesus...after teaching (outlining) about prayer...and the WILL OF GOD...on EARTH...as it is in HEAVEN...to be tenacious in our ASKING. Keep on ASKING...keep on SEEKING...keep on KNOCKING. He then underscores this will parables about WEARING OUT judges and friends with REQUEST. How MUCH MORE will our HEAVENLY FATHER...GIVE (prayer requests and the Holy Spirit) to those who KEEP ON KEEPIN' ON? Again... I pray once...if there is no answer...it is either yes/no/not yet. I STOP asking...I STOP seeking...I STOP...knocking. (Luke 11:5-13; Matthew 7:7-11; Luke 18:1-7)

10. ANXIETY FACTOR: Anxiety chokes out faith. We are called to cast anxiety on Him...because He cares for you (I Peter 5:7). The range of what we are NOT TO BE ANXIOUS for ranges from NOTHING....to....EVERYTHING. We can take what we are anxious for... and put it in the NOTHING COLUMN...and then transfer the same list into the EVERYTHING COLUMN (because they are the same thing)...and then apply PRAYER PRINCIPLES including: (1) prayer (talking to God) (2) Supplication (humble specifics/petitions about the nothing/everything) (3) With THANKSGIVING...before you see any answers to the prayer. The CAUSE AND EFFECT...will be a PEACE THAT PASSES UNDERSTANDING between the point of prayer and the point of provision. There will be a guard around your heart and your minds known AS PEACE THAT PASSES UNDERSTANDING. The peace you understand is the absence of conflict, no war, no needs...but you can have peace when the storms swirls.

11. SOIL/HEART PROBLEMS: The seed in the Word of God...The soil is your heart. Sometimes...you need to pay attention to your heart/soil. The problem in NOT the seed. The seed has everything it needs in it to produce what it is designed to produce. You need to CULTIVATE the soil. The birds/satan arrives to steal the seed/word. Cause and Effect...no seed/no word....no faith. Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of Christ (the yoke breaking...burden lifting...oppression removing power). Other soil corruptions includes no firm roots when the afflictions persecutions arise, thorns as the worries of the world, deceitfulness of riches, and desire for other things begins to CHOKE the WORD...and it becomes unfruitful. Sometimes when I pray...I have a HEART/SOIL CONDITION...that needs to be dealt with before...my prayers can be effective. The KEY to a GOOD HEART/SOIL... is found in Luke 8:15. The GOOD HEART/SOIL: (1) Have heard the Word (2) Is honest (3) Is good (4) Holds the seed/word fast (5) bears fruit (6) perseveres.
(Mark 4:1-20; Luke 8:4-16)

FINAL THOUGHT...FINALLY

If this was a TOP TEN LIST...which it is not...I would of course ended with the #1 PRAYER HINDRANCE in my life is:

IT'S ALL ABOUT ME BABY...A L L A B O U T M E!!!!!!

As always...thanks for Ruminatin' and Ramblin' with Ruminatin' Rod. Until next time....

Love and Roadblock Removing Kisses
Rodney "Keepin' On Keepin' On" Boyd

KEEP ON TRUCKIN'

Hello my brutthers...and sista's...are you keepin' on keepin' on? Are ya keepin' on truckin'? We are continuing our Rambling from last time on PRAYER. What does prayer have to do with truckin'? Well...I'm glad you asked.

In our first collage...we see some references to truckin'. Back in the late 60's and 70's...there were some buzz words of the hip. Words like...right on...far out man...and keep on truckin'. These words arose from the drug culture...and were fleshed out...or cartooned out by an artist named Robert Crumb. He had many underground comics including Fritz the Cat...and various album covers from artist ranging from Janis Joplin to Hot Tuna. Recording artist like The Grateful Dead and Eddie Kendricks (ex-Temptations member) sang the songs like TRUCKIN' and KEEP ON TRUCKIN'.

The roots of the phrase KEEP ON TRUCKIN' goes deep into black culture. As with most things...the white population...took black culture...and homogenized it.

Truckin' was rooted in the minstrel shows in the 1930's in Louisville Kentucky as entertainer Dan Thomas Rice...reportedly did a dance step called truckin'. Some credit Pigmeat Markem doing the Truckin dance at the Apollo Theater in New York. It is considered a Harlem dance from 1927 that signifies a strutting walk done when one is happy or joyful. You can see the dance in the Lindy Hop and later on in dances in London in 1935. You can also see various variations of the dance step in movies like CABIN IN THE SKY with Ethel Waters and Lena Horne. Even in the Walt Disney movie DUMBO...the crows see a vegetable truck go by and they line up in the truckin' pose.

The words truckin' can be found in 1920's and 1930's BLUES SONGS like KEEP ON TRUCKIN' and Blind Boy Fullers TRUCKING MY BLUES AWAY. NOTE: I may have sung some form of the song in my blues personification of BLIND LEMON PLEDGE.

Well...where ever the phrase comes from...it has come to be known to mean (1) carry on (2) keep on keepin' on (3) don't give up (4) keep on doin' what you are doin' (5) persevere. That leads us to today's item on the Rambling menu...PRAYER

Before we delve into the tenacity of prayer...let's get some things straight. GOD IS NOT: (1) Your SUGAR DADDY (2) Your PERSONAL SANTA CLAUS (3) The HOLY SLOT MACHINE (4) Your FAIRY GODMOTHER that will wave her MAGIC WAND to grant your WISH...bippidy, boppidy BOO. (5) Your personal MAGIC LAMP that you can rub three times (in significance of the Trinity) so that He can grant you three wishes.

Prayer is that DYNAMIC CONNECTION from CREATOR to the created. It is not JUST ASKING. It is a touchstone of intimacy between you and the Father.

When Jesus had finished praying (he did this quite often)...in a CERTAIN PLACE (do you have a certain place to pray?)...one of His disciples said to Him..."LORD...TEACH US TO PRAY...just as John taught his disciples to pray."

(Luke 11:1-4/Matthew 6:9-11) Jesus gave them a model of the prayer...and then gave examples of prayer. 10 POINTS OF THE LORD'S PRAYER:

1. Pray to the Father who is in heaven
2. Declare His name to be holy
3. Invite His KINGDOM (rule, reign, realm) to come (from heaven to earth)
4. Ask His will (his wish, his desire) to be done on planet earth as it is in heaven.
5. Ask for DAILY provision (fresh manna versus horded stale manna)
6. Ask for forgiveness of sins/debts in the same way that we forgive others
their sins/debts.
7. Ask not to be led into the way of temptation (like Jesus was led by the Holy Spirit)
8. Ask for DELIVERANCE from evil (Like Jabez wanted)
9. Declare whose KINGDOM it really is (not ours...but His)...the kingdom, the power, and the glory forever
10. End with a big AMEN (so be it...bring it to pass Lord)

Now this outline of prayer is a Rambling in itself...so let's get back to what we started out with...the nature of KEEPIN' ON KEEPIN' ON in our PRAYER LIFE.

Sometimes when we pray...we quit before we see the answer. There are many reasons that we do this. Sometimes we have been taught that whatever happens...God has answered the prayer. The answer is either (1) yes (2) no
(3) not yet. Or we have been taught that we must always end the prayer on the note of THY WILL BE DONE...and when we don't get the answer to our prayer...then IT MUST NOT HAVE BEEN HIS WILL. Another reason that is linked closely to the Thy will be done principle...is the DORIS DAY FAITH PRINCIPLE...aka QUE SERA SERA...whatever will be will be...the futures not ours to see QUE SERA SERA. This usually means...that whatever happens, the good, the bad, the ugly is God's will. If I get sick...it must be God punishing me or teaching me a lesson... so I will BEAR THE CROSS he has given me...and ACCEPT whatever comes down the pike. This is closely related to Hinda/Eastern thought of...things like KARMA...the CASTE system, etc.

Someone asked me..."How long do I keep praying?" My answer...until the prayer is answered...until God gives you PEACE (God's umpire) to stop praying...or until you die. KEEP ON TRUCKIN'...KEEP ON KEEPIN' ON. See Hebrews 11:13; 35-40 I would rather go out believing...than not believing.

In our collage...we see various things that reflects this TENACITY in prayer. ASK, SEEK, KNOCK...hang in there like a bitin' sow (watch out for mamma hogs protecting their piglets. They bite down and don't let up). Go after it like a BIG DOG. Run the race until you finish (ie. Eric Liddle...Chariots of Fire). Rocky Balboa in training. The original suggestion for the National Bird of American... the rough and tough, FIGHTING TURKEY. We see Dog The Bounty Hunter in pursuit of criminals...and won't give up until he has accomplished what he set out to do. Our friend the FROG resisting the PELICAN. As I am writing this Rambling I am listening to the soundtrack to the movie THE APOSTLE. Steven Curtis Chapman is singing...I WILL NOT GO QUIETLY!!!!! Bob Mumford (a Bible Teacher) calls God the GOD OF ELEVEN FIFTY NINE (11:59). Sometimes we GIVE UP at 11:58.

"KEEP ON ASKING...and it will be GIVEN YOU...KEEP ON SEEKING...and you WILL FIND...KEEP ON KNOCKING...and the door will be OPENED for you. Fore every one who KEEPS ON asking RECEIVES....and he who KEEPS ON seeking FINDS...and to him who KEEPS ON knocking...it will be OPENED. Or what MAN is there of you, if his son asks him for a loaf of bread, will hand him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will hand him a serpent? IF you then, evil as yo are , know how to GIVE good and advantages gifts to your children...HOW MUCH MORE...will you FATHER Who is in heaven...(perfect as He is)...give good and advantageous things to those who KEEP ON ASKING HIM! (Matthew 7:7-11/ Luke 11:9-13) NOTE: Luke equates the GOOD AND ADVANTAGEOUS THINGS...to the HOLY SPIRIT.

Jesus...as He teaches about the PERSEVERING PRAYER...shares two parable to illustrate His view of ASKING.

LUKE 11:5-8 (following the Lord's Prayer outline)

"And He said to them...Suppose one of you shall have a friend, and shall GO TO HIM AT MIDNIGHT...and say to him, friend lend me three loaves; for a friend of mine has come to me from a journey, and I have nothing to set before him; and from inside he shall answer and say DO NOT BOTHER ME...the door has ALREADY BEEN SHUT and my children and I are in bed...I CANNOT GET UP AND GIVE YOU ANYTHING. I tell you...even though he will not get up and give him anything because he is his friend...YET...because of his PERSISTENCE/SHAMELESSNESS...HE WILL GET UP AND GIVE HIM AS MUCH AS HE NEEDS."

Jesus follows up this parable of SHAMELESS PERSISTENCE...with the passage of KEEP ON ASKING...KEEP ON SEEKING...KEEP ON KNOCKING.

Another parable is found in LUKE 18:1-8

"Now He was telling them a parable TO SHOW that at ALL TIMES...they OUGHT TO PRAY AND NOT LOSE HEART...saying...There was in a certain city a judge who did not fear God...and did not respect man. And there was a widow in that city...and she KEPT COMING TO HIM...saying...GIVE ME legal protection from my opponent. And for a while he was UNWILLING...but AFTERWARD...he said to himself...Even though I do not fear God...nor respect man...YET because this widow BOTHERS ME...I WILL GIVE...her legal protection...lest by CONTINUALLY COMING...SHE WEARS ME OUT. And the Lord said...hear what the unrighteous judge said...now SHALL NOT GOD...bring about justice for His elect who CRY TO HIM DAY AND NIGHT...and will He delay over them? I tell you that He WILL BRING about justice for them speedily...However, when the Son of Man comes...WILL HE FIND FAITH ON THE EARTH?"

FINAL THOUGHT...FINALLY

When we pray...and we don't SEE the answer...what do we do? Do we give up...assume that God is NOT going to answer our prayers...or do we KEEP ON TRUCKIN' by FAITH. Do we walk by SIGHT and not by FAITH...and give up...OR do we walk by FAITH and not by SIGHT...and KEEP ON KEEPIN' ON? When He comes with the answer will He find..."the substance of things hoped for (confidently expected)...the evidence of things NOT SEEN. Will He be PLEASED as we come to Him as we BELIEVE that He exists...and that we BELIEVE that He is a REWARDER of those who DILIGENTLY SEEK HIM...versus those who PASSIVELY INQUIRE...and give up when we don't immediately see the answer.

NEXT TIME: HINDRANCES TO YOUR PRAYERS.

Love and Persevering Kisses
Rodney "Keep On Truckin'" Boyd

P R A Y E R

Greetings friends. I would like you to do a few things for me...right now.

1. Take a deep breath
2. Slowly exhale
3. Say the name...GOD.

What you have just done is initiate a prayer.

"Be unceasing in prayer--praying PERSEVERINGLY" (I Thessalonians 5:17)

In Jack Hayford's classic book on prayer he lists various reasons...and needs for this thing called prayer.

(1) People addicted (2) Bound by destructive habits (3) Businesses shipwrecked on rocks of economic reversals (4) Marriages with the love wrung out of them
and society asserting that divorce is the answer (5) Medical reports silently screaming CANCER (6) Children exploding into unpredictable behavior patters
(7) Bills towering above an overdrawn checkbook (8) Jobs disappearing and unemployment offering a way to nowhere (9) Long-term hopes dissolved
(10) Constant pain from a physical problem that knows no reprieve
(11) Recurring frustration with a personal deficiency that can't be overcome
(12) Blockades on the highway to happiness (13) Bulletin boards affixed with blank papers (14) Wondering what to do next (15) Having tried anything and everyone (16) Futility (17) Face-to-face with IMPOSSIBLITIY---or what seems to be like it." (Prayer Is Invading The Impossible by Jack Hayford)

In the first collage of pictures...you can tell the focus is on PRAYER. The prayers are based on FAITH...the substance of things HOPED FOR (confidently expected)...the evidence of things NOT SEEN (Hebrews 11:1). There several pictures of Jesus...going to the Father in PRAYER...as He faced torture and death...and as He pulled a way from the hustle and bustle of his MINISTRY...to get recharged and get directions from the Father...since He never said or did anything unless he heard or saw it from the Father. Prayer was KEY to Jesus. A couple of the pictures are from the movie IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE. The movie starts of with prayers swirling from various people of Bedford Falls....specifically for a man in desperation and trouble named George Bailey. The prayers left the lips of the praying people...up through the atmosphere into the heavens...and set into motion the answer for their prayers. (see the house picture). The picture of Jimmy Stewart as George Bailey...is of George...in a bar...trying to numb himself and figure out a way out of his problems. He prays to God for help...and the prayer was IMMEDIATELY ANSWERED...by George getting a fist slammed into his face. AMEN...THANK YA JESUS FOR THAT ANSWERED PRAYER! He left the bar...and determined that SUICIDE was the way out...BUT God had another answer already set into motion...an Angel 2nd Class (without wings)...named Clarence. (See the movie It's A Wonderful Life for full details on how the prayer was answered). Other pictures show dry and cracked land with no RAIN IN SIGHT....with Elijah (with whom we share the same nature)...and his servant on the lookout for the answer to the prayer.

"And the PRAYER [that is] of FAITH will save him that is sick...and the Lord will restore him; and if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. Confess to one another therefore you faults--your slips, your false steps, your offenses, your sins; and PRAY FOR ONE ANOTHER...that you may be healed and restored--to a spiritual tone of mind and heart. THE EARNEST (HEARTFELT, CONTINUED) PRAYER OF A RIGHTEOUS MAN MAKES TREMENDOUS POWER AVAILABLE--DYNAMIC IN ITS WORKING." (James 5:16)

"Elijah...was a human being with a nature such AS WE HAVE---with feelings, affections and constitution as ourselves; and he PRAYED EARNESTLY...for it NOT TO RAIN and no rain fell on the earth for three years and six months. And then HE PRAYED AGAIN and the heavens SUPPLIED RAIN and the land produced it's crops as usual." (James 5:17,18)

If you read I Kings 17 and 18...you will see this man who has the same nature as you...PRAYED for something SPECIFIC...and then had to WALK BY FAITH...NOT BY SIGHT. The EARNEST PRAYER process took SEVEN (7) times before a cloud the size of a fist rose up out of the sea. This speaks of the EARNEST...DILIGENT...TENACITY...of PRAYER.

The picture of the SKELETON praying speaks to me of the tenacity of prayer...DEM BONES GONNA RISE AGAIN. And finally...we see the picture of the group PRAY FOR RAIN with UMBRELLAS UP. Couple that with the dry, cracked waterless ground picture...and you get a picture of not only tenacity of prayer...but EXPECTANCY of an ANSWER TO PRAYER. Years ago...I remember how we were praying for and end to a rainless season in Tennessee and the surrounding area. I was struck with what I DID NOT SEE (including me). I did not see anyone CARRYING AN UMBRELLA...in expectation for the COMING RAINS.

Another aspect of this thing called PRAYER...is TENACITY. So many times we pray once...and are afraid that if we pray again we would JINX the prayer. It has been said by CHARIS-MANIACS...that if you pray TEN (10) times... then NINE (9) of those prayers were out of UNBELIEF. They say if you pray once...you don't pray again...but you can THANK HIM for the answered prayer.

Well...prayer and thanksgiving (before you see the answer) is definitely needed...but I believe that UNLESS THE LORD tells you to give up...then you NEVER, NEVER, NEVER GIVE UP (Winston Churchill). You are like the frog in the pelican's mouth...with a strangle hold on the pelican's neck...as the frog refuses to GIVE UP. The mama hog...the sow...represents the tenacity of prayer. If you show harm to her little piglets...she will attach her teeth onto your leg...and NEVER LET GO. The Ruminator saying is..."YA GOTTA HANG IN THERE...LIKE A BITIN' SOW."

Perseverance brings success. Positive Thinkers....love to take a godly principle without submitting to the Lord of the principle. The bottom line...prosperity and success are linked to tenacity. Joshua knew the principle as God gave him instruction on how to BE STRONG AND VERY COURAGEOUS.

"This book of the law shall not depart OUT OF YOUR MOUTH...but you shall MEDITATE (ruminate) on IT (the word)...that you may OBSERVED and DO according to all that is written in it...for then you shall MAKE YOUR WAY PROSPEROUS...and then you shall DEAL WISELY and have GOOD SUCCESS."

Biblical Prosperity is...having your needs met with enough to overflow to those in need (not necessarily monetary)...and Biblical Success is.. accomplishing what God has purposed in your life.

NEXT TIME: We will look at the KEEP ON KEEPIN' ON PRINCIPLE.

Love and Tenacious Kisses
Rodney "Bitin' Sow" Boyd