CSN - LightWing Messages - Our Appeals to Heaven in Such a Time as This 4/21/2024
Prayer
“And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. 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. And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. This, then, is how you should pray:
“Our Father in Heaven,
hallowed be Your Name,
Your Kingdom come,
Your Will be done,
on Earth as it is in Heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
And forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from the evil one.”
“For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.” Matthew 6:1-13 (NIV)
“This is my command: Love each other.” John 15:1-17 (New International Version)
FOUNDER’S MESSAGE:
As pilgrims move further into 2024, past Easter, we must find, establish, or deepen our relations with God and the risen Christ. As I mentioned in the last edition of LightWing Messages, which (may have ruffled a few feathers): “The situation of those who followed Jesus until the crucifixion was much different from those who are cruising in relative comfort on their proverbial couches in many American communities across the nation…” My fundamental point is that today there are several people who are Christian in their minds (self-identification works for people of faith too).
Yet, they have clung to the biblical verses that provide them safety in some self-created bubble of justification to call themselves Christians. But, they do not measure their respective realities by all of Jesus’ words.IMHO, that would involve looking into the mirror of their souls.
“You are My friends if you do what I command you. No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not understand what his master is doing. But I have called you friends, because everything I have learned from My Father I have made known to you. You did not choose Me, but I chose you. And I appointed you to go and bear fruit—fruit that will remain—so that whatever you ask the Father in My name, He will give you. This is My command to you: Love one another.” John 15:9-17 (Berean Study Bible)
Jesus was not referring to hedonistic and sexual love, which is especially rampant in America today. Nor was he referring to toleration of such realities that we see across the nation and even invading our schools to corrupt the minds and hearts of America’s children. Jesus was speaking about the love that originates from Heaven – not heathens. Yet, such perversion is consuming us in this time. The real underlying question is: Is America still a Christian nation – not by a lame understanding of a former POTUS, or our diluted justifications – but by Jesus’ measurement?
How would one know? By the study of all of Jesus’ words, not just our favorite flowery verses, we will know his heart, his mind, and his will. And through God’s son, one can come to know God’s heart, mind, and Will. Yet, the Bible is a book of words – several books in one – able to relate a portion of God’s historical relationship with His children to those who choose to read it. But, only “readers read.” Those who are not readers, will go to church or a place of worship to let other people translate what they do not take time to read for themselves.
It is clear that the study of the Bible is critical, but what of a direct relationship with Jesus or our Father in Heaven? Going to church and sitting through a sermon or re-reading of scriptures is important, but again – what about a direct relationship with Jesus or our Father in Heaven? A living relationship with a living person has the capability to provide much more of God’s life- giving energy than receiving it indirectly through reading, or vicariously through another. So, a living relationship with God, or Christ, or the Holy Spirit would be absolutely the most powerful way to come to know God’s heart, mind, and Will.
To cultivate one’s relationship with anyone, communication is crucial to a healthy relationship. So logically, one must look in the mirror and ask what kind of relationship one is seeking as they connect to Heavenly Father. Prayer is one method and pathway to find that deeper relationship for our spiritual journeys in seeking first His Kingdom and His righteousness.
The first featured message in today’s edition is one I wrote after receiving guidance in prayer at the beginning of COVID darkness and destructiveness. I had been praying to discern the truth from falsehood in such a time.Heavenly Father revealed that Jesus had already given us a blueprint for growing or developing a deeper personal relationship with Him, it is called the “Lord’s Prayer.” Most people know it, but I rediscovered a deeper purpose for such a prayer. It will mean reading some more if you want to know the hidden ‘blueprint.’
Writer Jack LaValley provides another perspective to consider in developing that relationship with our Father in Heaven. LaValley offers a message on prayer, but also shares the value for some of meditation. He originally offered this message in 2022, but it is still relevant. He drops into our LightWing calls on Mondays to check in with us every now and then. If he is available this Monday, he may join us once again.
One thing is for sure: In such a time, we also need to pray. We need to pray for one another, and to pray for our nation and pray for the people of the world. Prayer is powerful. It is good to take advantage of prayer and make it a habit in such a time as this!
Tomorrow, we will get back into our regular rhythm of our regularly scheduled Monday discussions. However, our virtual meetings are no longer on Zoom, but they are now on the platform known as “MeetN.” We terminated our Zoom contract at the end of March in favor of MeetN. It will be much easier for readers to access the online meeting as the link information will not change from week to week as with Zoom. There is no need to request a link at this time. To join these meetings click this url: https://meetn.com/vroom (The room name is vroom)
We invite our readers to call in and check in with other like-minded readers for mutual support in such turbulent times. We will discuss the practices of prayer and meditation this Monday. Our readers can choose to participate in the question and answer session, or just listen. If readers are not already on our list to receive a link to the call, please send an email request to this address: d.jamzon@gmail.com We’ll add you to our mailing list. We continue to hope those folks who are seeking more from the Citizens Sentinels Network are able to join us on the Monday Zoom calls. Our LightWing discussions in 2024 are only getting better.
CSN LightWing Mission – MeetN call Monday 4/22/24 at 5:00pm PST
This week - back on track! => Mondays at 5pm PST (6pm MST; 7pm CST; 8pm EST).
These words are being freely offered to you – intended to shine light unto our paths, as written: “Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he.” Proverbs 29:18 - KJV
We hope our readers will enjoy both of our messages today. Read, absorb and share, and practice what is within you. Become the light!
May God bless our readers and all of their loved ones. May God bless All His Children!
May we, who are called by His name, humble ourselves and honestly repent, and turn from the realms of spiritual apathy, or arrogance, or turn from the actively wicked ways of the world - but to even to be able to pick up our cross and follow God’s ways as we muster courage to seek His Kingdom and His righteousness.
“Thy Kingdom Come, Thy Will be Done,
On Earth as well as in Heaven”
By Dennis Jamison 3/17/2020
The times we are living in are quite turbulent, filled with personal trials and national, as well as international, tribulation. Certainly, the specter of a raging virus haunts people of the world. Americans, and people throughout the world are struggling to deal with the daily realities of what has been identified as a pandemic. Such times create fear and anxiety -- even panic. And, the uncertainty and life-threatening concerns in such times often cause people to fall to their knees in prayer. Such a time is this.
While the World Health Organization has declared the coronavirus to have spread to the level of a pandemic, the President of the United States has declared America to be in a state of national emergency. In this time, many people feel alone and totally left to their own devices to deal with a deadly disease, especially when governments men have created can only do so much. In such times, governments seriously face their limitations to handle such a crisis. Pharaoh did at the time of Passover. Another reality is that sinister government leaders seek to utilize public chaos and confusion to their advantage – to weaken or obliterate the will of the populace.
Especially, if a crisis of global proportions cannot inspire a need for unity and serious cooperation, very little else will. In essence, those with a strong relationship and bond of love to Heavenly Father will surely display a sense of camaraderie and compassion for one’s fellow human beings. However, there are those who will display very corrupt consciences. These are the ones who can do great harm to the public good displaying their own self-centeredness, or selfishness, or lack of concern for others. It manifests in overt behavior which is destructive to others and to the general welfare. With such displays of disrespect for others and a serious selfishness, one wonders how a civil society can hold together in times of intense distress as is evidenced today.
It is obvious that a civil society is more harmonious when people are in their right minds, or when each individual is in possession of a healthy conscience. It is obvious that when more people are more inclined to follow the dictates of one’s conscience, more people naturally promote the general well-being of the civil society. At the core of such logic is the understanding that each individual having a healthy conscience, is able to more readily discern the difference between right and wrong and to have the conviction or courage to act upon such wisdom. So, how does one strengthen their relationship with God in order to contribute in a positive manner to the promotion of a civil society which ensures the greatest good for the greater number of people?
In struggling with such a question, and in praying earnestly about this, I received from Heavenly Father that there already was a blueprint for growing or developing a deeper personal relationship with Him. And, that blueprint I discovered was already in prayer I had offered on a daily basis for a good period of time since the time my wife had been battling with cancer. Only over a long period of time did I realize that within the Lord’s Prayer, Jesus had provided a blueprint for strengthening one’s relationship with God. Regular and routine prayer can help to do the same thing (as in the case of young St. Patrick) because the more one converses with Heavenly Father, the more one comes to know Him in a more intimate manner.
The more natural and free the flow of one’s deeper concerns to Heavenly Father, the more natural and free the responses from the Father to His children. Heavenly Father never fails to teach us what we seek to know -- if we, in turn, listen to what He teaches us. Listening is a critical component of prayer -- it is after all, communication -- it is a two-way process. As it is with effective and good or healthy communication between people, so it is with prayer with our Father in heaven. And, as I go forward each day with a genuine two way process of communication with Heavenly Father, he is also helping me to grow and mature in my faith -- more than I ever thought possible.
Thus, as I prayed the Lord’s Prayer on a more regular basis and because the words are now written in my heart, I slowly began to realize that there are steps of specific levels in each of the verses of the prayer. Now, I am not claiming any special certified credentials as a minister may possess, but I know that I have come to more sincerely understand these steps. And, it is possible that at some point someone possessing credentials had such similar insight and expressed it previously. And that is fine -- it would only reinforce what I have come to realize in this time.
With the Lord’s Prayer, there is a basic foundation that is expressed in acknowledging God in Heaven, and honoring His name. I do know that the Hebrew people often said that when one prays, the one praying needs to truly know to whom they are praying.
In other words, it is not simply a casual conversation about something like the weather or about inconsequential things. One can picture an image in which Moses came into contact with the burning bush, and was told to take off his sandals. Genuine respect is important in coming before our Heavenly Father. Think, if one were going before some government official. Would there be respect shown? Jesus was truly expressing this foundation of respect toward his Father in Heaven. Yet, Jesus stressed that there is a more intimate relationship existing between God and His children.
Once the formalities of addressing God are established, there are the various levels of growth in relation to our Father in Heaven. The request for God to give the faithful, their daily bread is the first. This level is loaded with symbolic meaning. Jesus knew that the Hebrews were provided with manna in the wilderness during the Exodus, and this does refer to physical sustenance in that manner. However, when Jesus was tempted in the wilderness for 40 days, Jesus reminded Satan that “Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.” Matthew 4:4 But, the key point that I feel is that humans are in a dependency upon God for his children’s sustenance - whether it is physical or spiritual sustenance. That spiritual sustenance is the word of God that is found in the Scriptures - especially in the New Testament. But, human beings are in a position to purely receive from their Heavenly Father like children receive from their parents - even in the secular world.
The Bible provides a foundation for understanding God, not only in history, through witnesses to His providence, but understanding the different ways God has operated in and through His chosen champions throughout human history, as it was recorded. However, a different level of development is obvious, as Jesus explained that people needed to forgive others their debts, or trespasses, against prayer petitioners. Hebrew people in that time understood that forgiveness primarily came from God, and it was not an accepted practice that one could forgive another.
This level is one that requests greater understanding, greater involvement, a greater ability to put into practice Jesus’ request that we love one another. At this level, one is no longer simply in a receptive position to one’s Father in Heaven. At this level, a greater degree of maturity of faith is requested of God’s children - manifesting love and forgiveness is not being receptive. People can intellectually embrace the concept, but Jesus was asking his followers to put faith into action.
Jesus definitely stated that “By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another." John 13:35 Forgiveness just happens to be one of the greatest types of behavior that is requested of the Christian -- it is a genuine expression of love. Jesus offered forgiveness to those who sought it, yet he taught forgiveness as well. Peter’s question of how many times he needed to forgive anyone who had trespassed against him could be our question as well. But, the incident offered a moment for the Master to teach, and Jesus was emphatic when he expressed forgiving even as often as “seventy times seven” when one sinned against another. And after the Lord’s Prayer, Jesus was also emphatic: “For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your Heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.” Matthew 6:14-15
Once this deeper level of heart is developed, the Christian is requested to pray that God not lead the faithful ones into temptation. Often, I believe this part of the petition is glossed over, but I am aware that theologians have had trouble with such a specific request from the prayer petitioner. And, from a parents’ perspective, what one would lead their own children into temptation? I truly had a hard time with asking God not to lead me into temptation. It was an odd thing to me, and I think to many others. But, Jesus said it, so we must deal with it, right? Well, I took extra time to consider this in prayer, and I discerned that this had more to do with doing God’s Will than to be led away from temptation. So, in my prayers I tried to more deeply understand this.
Jesus begins the instruction on how to pray by having the petitioner acknowledge that God’s Will is to be done on Earth as it is in Heaven. And how is that to happen? Well, in the Lord’s Prayer, Jesus truly gave Christians a series of steps to help His Kingdom develop upon the Earth. Seek ye first His KIngdom, and God’s Will to be done on Earth, as well as it’s done in Heaven (not to abandon Earth for a free seat in Heaven). Seek supplication from Heavenly Father -- not just manna from the heavens, but by absorbing the words that originate from Him; put into practice the love of the Father, the love of Christ. And the final steps were to resist temptation and to seek deliverance from evil, or the evil one.
But what about this final step? Honestly, why would one have to beseech their parent to not lead their own children into temptation? This final step of asking God to not lead one into temptation is often glossed over, and people interpret it to mean to resist that temptation that they encounter. But Christians continually succumb to temptation. Eve and Adam, God’s original children, gave in to temptation. Is that not how we arrived at this sin-filled world? God gave Adam and Eve everything, but it did not stop them from ignoring God’s words, falling away in temptation, blaming and accusing one another, and allowing the growth and development of even more evil. Was it not Cain who initiated the cycle of murder through human history?
Yet, here is an answer I received when I asked Heavenly Father about it. Jesus shared this point in the Sermon on the Mount: “Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” Matthew 5:48
I realized that the Lord’s Prayer helps us to become more perfect as our Heavenly Father is perfect. if Adam and Eve had been able to pray the Lord’s Prayer with real conviction, they may have paid more serious attention to God’s words; they may have been able to love one another as God loved them; and, they may have been able to walk away from Lucifer’s temptation. Obviously, this may seem way too obvious, but it is not God’s responsibility to not lead us into temptation. It was, and still is, His own children’s responsibility to resist temptation. Although it was Adam’s and Eve’s own responsibility to follow God’s original direction in the Garden; they were not connected to His words, and they did not truly love God. Their selfishness prevailed.
This is why I feel the words of the Lord’s Prayer are more powerful than I ever could understand, even though God’s children are still selfish and still fall into temptations. Jesus teaches us what is important to God. The Lord’s Prayer helps us to develop more fully our ability to understand God. We need to take responsibility to receive His word, through the Bible, but also to build a relationship through prayer. Relationship is critical. The Lord’s Prayer provides the stepping stones we need to develop such a relationship based on the Bible and our genuine sharing of heart in prayer. It helps us to love Him, and to practice loving one another via forgiveness. And, if we know God’s heart and His Will, we can align our wills with His Will.
I know we can use the Lord’s Prayer as a way of developing a stronger relationship with Him, as I am proof...
“God, Answer My Prayer!”
By Jack LaValley 3/17/22
Prayers said over thousands of years beseech God to put an end to war. We still have war. Mothers and fathers pray for peace and harmony in the home. Millions of families experience on-going conflict, violence, and heartbreak.
It is well-documented America, compared with other countries around the world, has an elevated level of daily prayer among its population. Millions of people pray daily, asking God to protect America and keep her people safe from harm. It is also a fact religious, political, and educational leader, believe America is in decline and on the verge of internal collapse.
If the loving God we pray to is all-wise, all-knowing, ever-present, and always willing to hear and respond to our heartfelt prayers, how come the opposite result seems to show up so often?
Countless Christian writers have authored books on this subject. Elaborate theologies try and logically explain the phenomenon of God’s seeming lack of response to faithful prayer. Great disappointment and confusion pierce the human heart when ardent prayers by the faithful seem to go unanswered.
Is there a higher experience of prayer, whereby we can know for certain the God we believe in has answered us?
To tackle this question, let’s first consider God’s power and ability to be involved in human affairs.
Believers expect God to make no mistakes when it comes to relating with His children. Human parents, however. sometimes fall short in attending to the needs of their children. No parent in their right mind thinks they embody perfect, unconditional love, all the time. Parents do cause pain to their children, unfortunately.
Children struggle when they realize their father or mother is not giving them the love they need. It is confusing, frustrating, and hurtful. If it happens often, children can begin to question if their parent’s really do love them. Hopefully, as children mature through life experience, they gain the ability to forgive their parent’s shortcomings. No human being is perfect.
Not so with God, the perfect embodiment of perfect love, always.
When we start to question God’s ability to respond to us, especially in times of our greatest need, we might find ourselves wondering, “Does God really love me?” If God is our loving father, He needs to protect us and take care of us, particularly when we request it through our prayer. Such is the nature of unconditional love, we believe.
Instead of expecting God to intervene in our lives to grant our wishes or change events in the world, we can shift our perspective: The God I believe in and pray to does not directly intervene to grant my wishes or alter human events.
Next time you pray, do so from the perspective God is not in the business to grant or deny personal wishes, and He does not punish, or reward based on my sin or lack thereof. Try it. nSee what happens.
Next, we consider how to pray.
It’s easy to assume the best way to communicate with God is by carrying on a conversation with Him, like the way we talk with other people.
We use human language to express our needs, feelings, wants, concerns, and desires. Unless we are able to send our thoughts by mental telepathy or mind to mind communication, words and body language is the way to go. God will understand us better when we convey our thoughts and feelings with a constant stream of words. The more talk the merrier!
One challenge with conventional prayer is the feeling we are having a “one way” conversation with God. We do all the talking, making sure God knows exactly what we are after and what we want in life. We do not expect an answer right away, usually. We are limited to a faith and belief that somehow, in unknown ways, our prayer will be answered.
We keep talking, at times raising our voice, raising our arms to the sky, shaking our fists at the heavens, pleading and beseeching God to accomplish our understanding of His Will. The louder we shout, the more intensely we cry out, the better God hears. Maybe. Maybe not.
Father Thomas Keating taught a method of communicating with God called “centering prayer.” This technique does not depend on “having a conversation with God” in the same way we talk with other people. It is a dynamic practice whereby you create space in your being to let go and stop thinking. You give yourself time to sit quietly and settle into the formless presence of God. This technique incorporates elements found in Eastern meditation practices.
There exist members in Christian communities who avoid any practices associated with Eastern traditions. The claim is that these traditions hold an anti-biblical worldview. Christian blogs abound with articles geared to justify the superiority of Christian meditation while denigrating meditation practices that emanate from the East. However, there are currently no dependable statistics on the number of active Christians engaged in a consistent meditation practice based on biblical precepts.
Meditation is not well known in American society. National surveys show only a small segment of the population practices meditation. A study published in Nursing Research identified the most common barrier to meditation among caregivers working with cancer patients was the use of prayer. These caregivers perceived meditation as interfering with their existing prayer life.
A survey conducted by Mellowed, a weekly newsletter dedicated to improving mental health, identified three primary reasons why more Americans don’t meditate: 1. Not enough time. 2. Don’t know how, and 3. Don’t believe it’s beneficial.
Mindfulness meditation teaches how to gain control over racing thoughts, let go of negative feelings,and calm both mind and body. Adults and children are benefitting from this meditation practice. It is steadily gaining in popularity. We can practice this technique for a minute or two or up to thirty minutes, with verified, positive results. The Christian ministry, Calming Grace, recognizes and looks to incorporate aspects of this meditation with conventional Christian meditation. This is a positive development.
If we want to be more confident in our prayer life, we need to be open to the idea that there exists a higher experience of prayer into which we have not yet tapped. We can change our view on what we should expect from God and learn how to sit with silence into the formless presence of God. In our next installment we will explore how to sit in this formless silence to better experience the presence of God and hear His answer to our prayers.
In our next installment we will explore how to sit in this formless silence to better experience the presence of God and hear His answer to our prayers.
Jack LaValley founded the meditation mentoring program Optimal Mental Health to help individuals heal from troubling mental distress and live richer and more rewarding lives. When not conducting meditation sessions, Jack is writing his memoir. On leisurely days, he enjoys playing drums in a local pickup band or singing Broadway-type musicals with a NYC amateur troupe. Jack lives in Irvington, New York, with his wife, Wha ja. They are the proud parents of three adult children.
Onward and Upward!
From JOSHUA AARON: Hebrew! OUR FATHER / AVINU “The Lord's Prayer" LIVE at the GARDEN TOMB (cc for subtitles) – 10/7/22
From World Outreach Church with Allen Jackson: You Can't Call Yourself A Christian if Jesus isn't Lord of Your Life – 4/14/2024
From Psalter Studios: Nearer My God to Thee - Anna Weatherup - Live (9/10/2012)
From Rabbi Jonathan Cahn: The Keys of Your Rising | Jonathan Cahn Sermon – 4/20/24
From YouTube: Mahalia Jackson sings How Great Thou Art (vaimusic.com) – posted 1/21/2008
Podcast - From Dutch Sheets Ministries: Releasing Holy Spirit's Power | Give Him 15: Daily Prayer with Dutch | April 18, 2024
From the Medical Mission Sisters: “Spirit of God” 5/1/2013