Shhh - It's A Secret! : part two

Following on from last week's blog entry under this heading - and giving me another excuse to use the pic of one of my childhood heroes from the Hanna-Barbera animation studio, Secret Squirrel - here's more from this passage from The Sermon On The Mount about the activities that we are encouraged to carry out in secret.

Matthew 6:6 (NIV)
"But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you."

Alongside those acts of charity that we are encouraged to perform in secret - there's also those times each day where we simply need to get down to prayer, to recharge our spiritual batteries, sharing quality time with your Lord. This is also something that we are encouraged to do in secret...

This is not saying public prayer is wrong -  there's a place for public prayer as well as private prayer. Jesus practised both types during His earthly ministry. However, there's something particularly special about the intimacy of your private devotions - for instance, this allows for less distractions. Like our acts of generosity, prayer shouldn't be made public just for show - if you're doing it just because people are looking, you've got the wrong end of the stick.

Also, take note - the verse starts with 'when', not 'if' - it's taken as read this activity is essential.

Prayer is the Christian’s vital breath, the Christian’s native air, his watchword at the gates of death; he enters heaven with prayer. -  James Montgomery

Dry Bones - still searching

I found myself at the Exploring Leadership day at the William Booth College yesterday. A good opportunity to take time out and try to listen for that still, small voice. Actually, there were loads of voices there, talking to one another, talking about prayer, about worship, about responding to God's call. But no still, small voice for me. No direct "it's you" experience, no blinding light. However, I keep looking and listening. I know there's something that I still need to find, because there's a prompting there that still won't go away.

Meetings were led by Lt Col Alan Burns, and he preached on Ezekiel, the well-known prophecy about the dry bones. I posted the relevant verses up on this blog earlier today. Can these dry bones come to life?

Something in what he said began to resonate inside me. Another little prompt for me to pray into, to consider. A still, small prompt. But something definitely there. And it all fits in with omnipotence; 'Nothing is impossible for God'!

More on Ezekiel I think, this week!

Dry Bones

Ezekiel 37:1-14 (New International Version)

1 The hand of the LORD was on me, and he brought me out by the Spirit of the LORD and set me in the middle of a valley; it was full of bones. 2 He led me back and forth among them, and I saw a great many bones on the floor of the valley, bones that were very dry. 3 He asked me, “Son of man, can these bones live?” I said, “Sovereign LORD, you alone know.”

4 Then he said to me, “Prophesy to these bones and say to them, ‘Dry bones, hear the word of the LORD! 5 This is what the Sovereign LORD says to these bones: I will make breath enter you, and you will come to life. 6 I will attach tendons to you and make flesh come upon you and cover you with skin; I will put breath in you, and you will come to life. Then you will know that I am the LORD.’”

7 So I prophesied as I was commanded. And as I was prophesying, there was a noise, a rattling sound, and the bones came together, bone to bone. 8 I looked, and tendons and flesh appeared on them and skin covered them, but there was no breath in them.

9 Then he said to me, “Prophesy to the breath; prophesy, son of man, and say to it, ‘This is what the Sovereign LORD says: Come, breath, from the four winds and breathe into these slain, that they may live.’” 10 So I prophesied as he commanded me, and breath entered them; they came to life and stood up on their feet—a vast army.

11 Then he said to me: “Son of man, these bones are the people of Israel. They say, ‘Our bones are dried up and our hope is gone; we are cut off.’ 12 Therefore prophesy and say to them: ‘This is what the Sovereign LORD says: My people, I am going to open your graves and bring you up from them; I will bring you back to the land of Israel. 13 Then you, my people, will know that I am the LORD, when I open your graves and bring you up from them. 14 I will put my Spirit in you and you will live, and I will settle you in your own land. Then you will know that I the LORD have spoken, and I have done it, declares the LORD.’”