Men of the Morning Prayer Line

“Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven…” Matthew 6:10   Have you ever been driving down the road and noticed your car veering to the right or left? It’s funny how this happens, isn’t it? One minute your car is driving perfectly fine; the next thing you know, there’s a problem with the alignment.  Our hearts are a little like our cars. They can very easily get out of alignment with the kingdom of God. Sometimes, this is a consequence of choices we’ve made. Other times, it happens gradually and inadvertently, resulting from the everyday twists and turns on the road of life.  Over the past few years, I’ve learned to pay attention to the warning signs that my heart is out of alignment. Here are a few signs I’ve noticed:  • Centering life around me instead of Jesus  • Neglecting to pray about decisions, both big and small  • Getting upset with the Lord when life doesn’t go according to my will • Declining to follow the godly, ...

Noise. It’s everywhere. Ever notice how noise fills our lives? We wake to music or alarms. The first thing we do is look at our cell phones. We get in the car and turn on the radio, listen to a podcast, or play our favorite playlist. When we walk into the house or a hotel room, the first thing we do is turn on the TV. It seems that, with noise, we just don’t feel so alone. But sometimes, we use the noise as a buffer to keep from thinking about our problems or doing things we know we should do. In the midst of all of it all, don’t miss the most important voice of all – God’s. In 1 Kings 19:12, the Bible tells us that God sometimes speaks in a soft whisper – a still, small voice. In the busyness and noisiness of our lives, it’s easy to miss Him. The only way to hear Him is to make an intentional effort to quiet the noise of our lives and spend some time listening, through prayer and reading His Word. You will never get a more important phone call or crucial message. Friends, there is noi...

God has a sense of humor. He knows that we need to laugh, even in the midst of difficult times. He sends us into the world each day to facilitate that need to laugh. When we can find humor in our circumstances, it helps us to cope with stress and pain. It also reminds us that God is still in control, even when things seem chaotic.  • God Allows the Temperature to Increase in Our Lives Sometimes, God allows the temperature to increase in our lives. This can be through difficult circumstances, such as illness, loss, betrayal or finances. It can also be through times of spiritual growth, when God is asking us to step out of our comfort zone and trust Him more. When the temperature increases in our lives, it can be tempting to become discouraged. But if we remember that God is in control, and that He is using these circumstances to refine (forge) us, we can find hope and strength to persevere. • When Lead, Iron, or Gold is Forged Impurities Rise to be Easily Removed Just as imp...