CSN Sunday - LightWing Messages for 4/3/2022
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)
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)
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As we begin the new month of April, we offer a message from a new writer for the LightWing Messages. Jack LaValley offers a message on prayer, which we very much need in this time of turbulence and tribulation. In such a time as this it is easy to become confused, disillusioned, and even depressed about what is happening around us and around the world. There must be little doubt that the world we live in is a toxic environment. So, prayer to God may actually be the main way people can get through such difficult times as this.
I offered a message about the blessing of prayer for all of God’s children. One of my questions in that message I reflected upon one’s relationship with God as a Heavenly Parent and posed that “with God’s help, our answer should always be: ‘Prayer is even more important today!’”
Especially, 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. Jack LaValley provides another perspective to consider in developing that relationship with our Father in Heaven.
In such a time, we also 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 time to take advantage of prayer in such a time!
We also hope our readers will enjoy our main message today. Read, absorb and share.
God’s blessings to our readers today!
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“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. See 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 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. 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.
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Onward and Upward!
From Joo Young Oh: The Lord's Prayer (violin solo by Joo Young Oh) - 4/6/2020
From Dr. Samuel R. Patta Online: How to engage in spiritual warfare | Dr. Samuel R. Patta powerful word on spiritual war - 3/25/22
From Fitah Rasendrahasina: The Lord's prayer by H. Malotte by Fitah Rasendrahasina - 3/25/2011
From Huckabee: WARNING: This is NOT for Children and Neither is Disney Anymore | Monologue - 4/2/22
The Irish Blessing 2020: The Irish Blessing - over 300 churches from our island sing a blessing over Ireland and beyond … - 3/31/2020
From The Victory Channel - FlashPoint: The Agenda Exposed, Pastor Artur Released! - 4/1/22
From Rascal Flatts: My wish for you ~ by Rascal Flatts with lyrics - 12/27/09
From Dutch Sheets Ministries: Choose Life | Give Him 15: Daily Prayer with Dutch | March 31, 2022
From Christian Worship Music: Psalm 91 - On Eagles' Wings - by Shane & Shane (Lyric Video) | Christian Worship Music - 10/5/2017
From FOX News: Mike Huckabee on There are two kinds of people who immigrate to the US - 4/3/22
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Podcast - From PURSUIT of MEANING: The Biggest THREAT To Our Society WE MUST FIGHT Against | Jordan Peterson's BRUTAL Speech - 3/18/22
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American Minute by William J. Federer: American Minute for March 31 - The first missionaries to Hawaii landed there on this day in 1820. Eventually, human sacrifice and idolatry ended.
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Recommended Reading…
From The Christian Post: Franklin Graham asks Putin and Zelenskyy for a Holy Week ceasefire amid Ukraine invasion - 4/3/22
From Christianity Daily: Senators Demand DOJ Stop Calling Parents 'Domestic Terrorists' For Speaking For Their Kids - 4/1/22
From Canada Free Press: Transgenderism - America's Demonically Inspired Path to Its Own Destruction - 4/3/22
From WND: Biden to get the hook? 25th Amendment chatter sparked by 'dangerous' remarks - 3/27/22
From New York Post: Two-thirds of Americans say Hunter Biden laptop 'important' story: poll - 3/25/22
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What affects one, can affect all!
* News From The Growing Free Union -
From WND: 'Green energy' projects being rejected by American communities - 4/3/22
From Reuters - People's Convoy news: Trucker convoy leaves DC area, but a 'movement' rolls on | Reuters - 4/2/22
News From Arizona -
From Facts Matter with Roman Balmakov: AZ Attorney General Issues Criminal Referral of Secretary of State for Possible Election Crimes - 4/1/22
News From California -
From California Political Review: Campaign to recall LA County DA George Gascón Gains Momentum With Over 200K Signatures - 4/2/22
From The Christian Post: California prosecutors fabricated case against megachurch preacher accused of sex crimes: defense – 3/29/22
From The Unity Project: Take Action - The Unity Project: One-click campaign to easily oppose 10 California bills - April 2022
News From Florida -
From FOX 35 Orlando: DeSantis vs. Disney: War of words over parental rights bill - 4/1/22
From Channel 10 Tampa Bay: Disney employees, retired judge among arrested in investigation focusing on human trafficking - 4/1/22
From WPTV News - FL Palm Beaches and Treasure Coast: Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis speaks about 'Parental Rights In Education' bill – 3/28/22
News From Michigan -
From FOX News: Former President Trump speaks at rally in Washington Township - 4/2/22
News From Ohio -
From FOX 8 News: State law allowing cameras in all Ohio nursing homes goes into effect – 3/23/22
News From Oregon -
From Christianity Daily: Billboards In Portland, Oregon Demand People 'Stop Having Kids' – 3/30/22
News From Wisconsin -
From The Epoch Times: Judge Holds Wisconsin Speaker in Contempt Over Election Records - updated 4/1/22
ICYMI > From Christianity Daily: Wisconsin Officials Accused Of Accepting Election Bribery Over 2020 Elections
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Recommended Resources - follow the links…
Excellent Election Education Resource: US 2020 Election Fraud at a Glance
Excellent Non-Partisan Election Resource: Election Integrity Project California
Excellent Citizen-Patriot News Resource: Steve Bannon's War Room
Excellent Citizen-Patriot News Resource: From Frank Speech - the Home of Free Speech
Excellent Citizen Comprehensive Resource: David Horowitz Freedom Center
Excellent Citizen Activist Resource: Precinct Strategy: Home
Excellent Christian Homeschool Resource:
https://ed-exit.com/
Excellent Guide to Protecting Families: A Guide to Protecting Your Family From the Coming Insurrection and Violence 1 ARE YOU SAFE?
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