Tuesday prayer & verses (23 12 2008)

Thought for the day

The following story comes from Charles Swindoll's book, "Esther" and is credited to Dr. Robert R. Koop:

When Walter started working for the biggest corporation in the world, the personnel director said he would have to start at the bottom and work his way up. So Walter found himself in the basement of the corporation's headquarters building in the mailroom. Walter liked his job, but often daydreamed about what it would be like to be a junior executive, vice-president, president, or even chairman of the board.

One day, as Walter was busy collecting the mail, he heard footsteps in the corner and noticed a small cockroach creeping around. Just as he was about to step on it, he heard a small voice scream: "Don't kill me! Please, don't kill me! I'm Milton the cockroach. And if you spare my life, I promise to grant all of your wishes." That sounded like a pretty good deal to Walter. So he spared Milton the cockroach's life.

Walter's first wish was to get out of the mailroom and be a junior executive. Milton granted that wish. Next Walter wanted to become one of the vice-presidents of the corporation. That wish was granted too. As a matter of fact, Milton the cockroach kept granting every one of Walter's wishes until Walter was finally elevated to be chairman of the board, on the top floor of the headquarters building, of the largest corporation in the world.

Now everybody looked up to Walter and he was very happy. Every so often, Milton the cockroach could hear Walter saying to himself: "I am Walter. Everybody respects me. Everybody knows I'm in control. I'm at the top. No one is bigger or better or more important than me.

"One day as Walter was sitting behind his desk and daydreaming about how important he had become, he heard footsteps on top of the roof. When the sound of the footsteps suddenly stopped, Walter decided to investigate. What he found was a little boy who was on his knees praying.

He asked the boy, "Are you praying to Walter?" -- after all, he was the chairman of the board of the largest corporation in the world. "Of course not," said the little boy with a smile of innocence. "I'm praying to God!" Walter responded, "Why are you praying to God? I'm the chairman of the board of the largest corporation in the world. What can God do for you that I cannot do for you?" The little boy replied, "God made me and God saved me."Walter was quite disturbed by this turn of events, so he sent for Milton the cockroach as soon as he got back to his office.

"I want to be like God," Walter told Milton. So Milton the cockroach granted Walter's wish and Walter went back to the mailroom in the basement.

One of the most amazing truths in all the Bible is that the great God of this universe would choose to lower himself to the point where he would come to this world, to live a life of poverty and suffer the abuse and scorn that He did.

"Think of yourselves the way Christ Jesus thought of himself. He had equal status with God but didn't think so much of himself that he had to cling to the advantages of that status no matter what. Not at all. When the time came, he set aside the privileges of deity and took on the status of a slave, became human! Having become human, he stayed human. It was an incredibly humbling process. He didn't claim special privileges. Instead, he lived a selfless, obedient life and then died a selfless, obedient death - and the worst kind of death at that: a crucifixion." (Philippians 2:5-8, The Message)

Verses

1 Timothy 2:8

Therefore I desire that the men pray everywhere, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting;

Proverbs 10:22

The blessing of Yahweh itself maketh rich, And he addeth no grievance therewith.

Matthew 9:29

Then he touched their eyes and said, 'Let it be to you according to your faith.'

Isaiah 53:5

But he was wounded for our transgressions, crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the punishment that made us whole, and by his bruises we are healed.

Prayer
Father, You have called us, Your servants, to exercise our gifts of prophesying, serving, teaching, encouraging, contributing to the needs of others, leading, and being vessels of Your mercy. Help us not to be fearful or timid in exercising our spiritual gift that flows from Your power within us, since it is not for our own glory but rather for the building up of the body of Christ. We are inadequate within ourselves, but fully sufficient according to the grace given us through Your Holy Spirit. We seek affirmation from You, the ministry opportunities You provide us, and other mature believers, to confirm our spiritual giftings. In the name of Jesus we pray, amen.