Category: God is available

Just take a breath!

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Romans 5:1-2, “Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God.”

Have you ever had a relationship with someone and you brace yourself for his or her attitude toward you? You never know if he or she is mad at you or glad to be around you. It’s like checking a weather barometer. Before you get around him or her, you want to know where the gauge is on that thing.

A couple came to me for help years ago. I remember he told me before he came home from work, he called the children to assess the barometric pressure of the home. I ask him what he meant and he explained, “I needed to know how to prepare to meet my wife. Was the weather inside the home calm or was it storming like a hurricane? I had to be prepared.”

With God, we don’t have to worry. I am God’s and He is mine. It means, anytime I go to Him, He is the same. Our relationship is there. Some of us take that for granted. We think because we have a relationship with God, secured by Jesus Christ and His commitment to us on the Cross, we are good to go! Remember, it’s only the beginning. Once we’ve established we want a relationship with Him, is the moment we have to start working to grow the relationship with Him.

How often when you pray is the conversation one-sided? Do you ever stop to hear God or are you rambling on and on like that friend who pops up on your cell phone, and you grimace because you know, you won’t get a word in edgewise. Sometimes I wonder if God is whispering to us, “Take a breath! I want to tell you something.”

This morning as you go to God in prayer, stop for a moment and let Him speak to you. Clear your mind of what you want to say and let Him talk and breathe life into you.

Hell shakers

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One morning last week I jumped out of bed, literally shaking the floor boards under my feet. Connie joked with me exclaiming, “Mike, I think Hell shook when your feet hit the floor!”

While I know she was teasing me, it made me think. Hell should shake when my feet hit the floor. Satan should worry that I am awake and ready to start my day focused on the Lord; changing lives; benefiting God’s Kingdom. I want Satan to say, “Oh no! Mike Franklin is up again spoiling my plans!”

How many of us wake up to prayer? Of those who do, how many of us pray about ourselves? Humans are very self-centered beings. We focus on the here and now and most of our focus is upon our needs, desires, and wants. Satan knows if all we are worried about is ourselves, he is going to have a pretty good day.

But, what if we changed it around. What if we focused on God and His wants and desires? What if we started the day asking Him what He wants us to do? Hell would start shaking with fear.

God has called us to be movers and shakers for Him. There is 0 unemployment in Christian service – there is always a job for someone – always – and when we put our attention toward His Kingdom – can you imagine how different our lives can be?

Today, pray about God’s plans for your day. See how different the day can truly be.

DO NOT DISTURB

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Sometimes it is hard to connect with people, even with all the means of communication we have today. We play phone tag with one another; our email inboxes are overflowing; voicemail is full; and texts fill our phones. The latest form of contact with teenagers is the “snap chat.” No words, just a photograph of what one person is doing at a particular time. My assistant has a tough job making sure I return all the calls I missed, answer my emails and texts, and see everyone I need to see. Often, my limitations make getting everything done extremely difficult. And, occasionally, there are times when I put up a ‘Do Not Disturb’ sign to keep people out of my life momentarily. Projects have to be completed, and I have no choice but to spend the necessary time to get things done. Isn’t it wonderful that our God never has those problems? He never puts up a sign saying “Do Not Disturb.”

Matthew 7:7, “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.”

Mark 11:24, “Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.”

John 15:7, “If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you.”

Philippians 4:6, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.”

Do you see a common thread in these scriptures? God is telling us to ask Him for help. He doesn’t limit our time. He doesn’t say, “I, the Lord your God, will be available Monday and Wednesday from 9:00am to 5:30pm; Tuesday and Thursday from Noon to Midnight; Friday 8:00am to 1:30pm; Sundays CLOSED and Saturdays…”

There have been nights, I have climbed out of bed at 3:00am to pray to Him. He didn’t put me on hold. I didn’t need to leave a voicemail. I didn’t get a ‘sorry, on vacation’ notice. When my knees hit the floor, God was available to me. God does not hang a “DO NOT DISTURB” sign; He is always ready to hear our requests.

Hebrews 4:16, “Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.”  Today I challenge you to cry out to God.  He will hear and answer your cry.