A Scribe on the Wall

Several years ago now, I believe that God gave me a message, He would be telling me things and it was up to me to tell others. To me, it's much like the Watchman on the Wall as described in the Old Testament. The Watchman was told that it was on him to warn others about any approaching dangers. God's apparently gifted me with being able to type and write. So I put the old definition of a writer along with the concept of a watchman together. Jesus is coming soon...are you ready?

Monday, April 27, 2026

I Just Don't Get It!

by David Brenneman

Life Principle #2, "Obey God and leave the consequences to Him." Dr. Charles Stanley

"so then let us not sleep as others do, but let us be alert and sober." 1 Thessalonians 5:6.

"The end of all things is near; therefore, be of sound judgment and sober spirit for the purpose of prayer." 1 Peter 4:7.

“Take heed, keep on the alert; for you do not know when the appointed time will come." Mark 13:33.

"Devote yourselves to prayer, keeping alert in it with an attitude of thanksgiving;" Colossians 4:2.

"Do this, knowing the time, that it is already the hour for you to awaken from sleep; for now salvation is nearer to us than when we believed." Romans 13:11.

"Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God." Philippians 4:6.

“Cease striving and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.” Psalms 46:10.

Our daily lives ought to reflect the walk we have with Jesus every single day. Our actions more than our words should shape our world into what it is that God's wanting rather than what we want.

Every day you're given something to do that has every potential to bring glory to God in Christ Jesus.

It's only through our obedience, whether we understand it or not, that God will be glorified.

Even if and especially if we don't understand what it could possibly benefit ourselves or others.

With very good reason we ought to strive to stand firm in our obedience because of what we read in those other selected passages. We don't know what day or hour that Jesus is going to come back.

We also shouldn't be anxious about obeying. If God's the one leading us to something then He's going to lead us through that something.

I can and will testify to many many days of the 10 months of being unemployed that my prayers turned towards: "Ok. What do you have for me to be doing today Lord?".

It was everything from household chores to helping people to fixing things here and elsewhere.

To me it was living out "Trust in the Lord with all your heart And do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight." Proverbs 3:5-6. It also was living out my life verses "Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord rather than for men knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance. It is the Lord Christ whom you serve." Colossians 3:23-24.

Will Jesus find in you a willing man or willing woman to do His will in the life He gave you?

Will you be found as one who turned aside from obedience because of what your physical eyes saw or that you understood rather than what your spiritual eyes ought to have seen and your obedience should have completed?

Jesus is returning just as assuredly as His resurrection was true 2,000 plus years ago.

Paul encouraged all the churches to keep that in mind as they went through their lives.

What he wrote to the Thessalonians he said to read to all the churches.

Live your life as if today were that day. So what that there's apparently difficult things ahead of you. Jesus is already there. Jesus promised to never leave us or forsake us. Again I have 10 months of testimony on top of prior to that testimony on Jesus always being ahead of my situations...and He will be ahead of yours.

Be found by Jesus to be doers of the word of God. Be found by Jesus obeying in all that He commanded us. Even if what He's commanding isn't making any sense at all.

Many in the Bible didn't think that what they were told to do made sense but they obeyed anyway and God received the glory. That's where this life principle comes from.

I am now going down a new path for me employment-wise. I am being taught many new things. I pray ahead of time to have God's wisdom and understanding of what's being taught. Through Jesus I can learn these things. It's on me to obey even if I don't get it yet.

To God be the glory great things He has done.

All NASB Scripture Excerpts used by permission.

New American Standard Bible

A corporation not for profit.

www.lockman.org

Sunday, April 26, 2026

When My Way Groweth Drear

by David Brenneman

"For You formed my inward parts; You wove me in my mother’s womb. I will give thanks to You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Wonderful are Your works, And my soul knows it very well. My frame was not hidden from You, When I was made in secret, And skillfully wrought in the depths of the earth; Your eyes have seen my unformed substance; And in Your book were all written The days that were ordained for me, When as yet there was not one of them. How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God! How vast is the sum of them! If I should count them, they would outnumber the sand. When I awake, I am still with You." Psalms 139:13-18.

When my way groweth drear

Precious Lord, linger near-ear

When my li-ight is almost gone

Hear my cry, hear my call

Hold my ha-and lest I fa-all

Take my hand, precious Lor-ord

Lead me on

Precious Lord, take my hand

Lead me on, let me sta-and

I am tired, I'm weak, I am worn

Through the storm, through the night

Lead me on to the li-ight

Take my ha-and, precious Lor-ord

Lead me home

When my work is all done

And my race here is are you-un

Let me see-ee by the light

Thou hast shown

That fair city so bright

Where the lantern is the li-ight

Take my ha-and, precious Lor-ord

Lead me on

Precious Lord, take my hand

Lead me on, let me sta-and

I am tired, I'm weak, I am worn

Through the storm, through the night

Lead me on to the li-ight

Take my ha-and, precious Lor-ord

Lead me home

- Jim Reeves "Take My Hand, Precious Lord" by Thomas Dorsey 1932.

We aren't going to have all roses and balloon days of joy when we come to Christ and are saved by Him...but we can find joy in our life in Christ.

Our lives are both not our own, because we were bought with the blood of Jesus Christ and because of that are to live a life that honors that sacrifice.

In doing so life is going to have many ups and downs. We will have people whom we won't get along with as well finding jewels of people whom have made our lives a complete blessing in those relationships.

As Mark Lowry said in one of his videos that he made first you need to understand what life is. Life is a series of ups and downs, highs and lows, mountains and valley's. When you come to Christ for salvation He gives you life more abundant. Higher highs and lower lows than you thought possible.

When people aren't understanding me or whatever God's permitted to happen in my life, when I don't understand as well, I'm comforted by what the Bible says about me.

What people think about me, more so in recent years, means less and less to me. What Jesus says about me means more and more to me.

My body isn't perfect. My mind isn't perfect. My spirit, soul, isn't perfect yet. Yet there is indeed going to come a day when it will be. When all these matters of this physical world will mean nothing compared to the embrace I will receive from my Savior and my Lord Jesus Christ after I step into eternity with Him.

In any given week there's those who don't understand me or what makes me tick. There's those in recent years who still believe erroneous information about me and I've had to turn them over to God to deal with.

These things can wear on a soul.

Yet this is where some of the promises of God come into my life.

That passage about how I was made. Others on how Jesus has His eyes on all the Earth. Knows the hearts of all mankind in a moment. He knows my every thought from afar. He knows what my intentions are before I do.

He knows.

When my way groweth drear...He knows.

Jesus didn't leave me, or you if indeed you heeded His call to you and you are saved in Christ Jesus as well, alone. His Spirit is within everyone who's received His free gift of salvation. His promises aren't used up at any point in our lives. We can never annoy Jesus with constantly coming to the throne of grace. We may have difficulty in making relationships but ours with Him are rock solid.

My Dear Reader...if you're living in the grace and mercy of God through the finished work of God in Christ Jesus through Jesus Christ...keep going to that throne of grace. Keep returning to find the comfort you need. Even if the world seems to have all turned against you, Jesus never will.

We are promised by Jesus that in this world we will have tribulations. We will have problems, situations even, that seems insurmountable. Yet in Christ, nothing is.

There's nothing we will ever face that He isn't prepared for.

There's nothing we will ever face that comes as a surprise to Him.

There's no broken relationship that He isn't intimately aware of every iota of detail about.

There's nothing that He doesn't have an answer for.

We must come to Christ in faith to make our requests be made known to God and trust Him with the results. Even if those results, those consequences, make little sense at the time.

My way has been dreary at times in my life...many times more than I could bear, yet no matter what Jesus was indeed there in it with me. In my darkest years, where I thought I was absolutely rejected and forsaken, He reached into that abyss and pulled me out. He restored my life in Christ and has never stopped showing me His love for me...even when I couldn't love myself.

You too, if you're in Christ, if He is your Lord and Savior, wants you to rest in Christ rather than trying to live life of your own volition.

When you're tired, weary and worn.

When you're feeling alone or betrayed by people whom ought to know better.

When you don't know what to do.

Jesus is always there for you.

When my way groweth drear...I remember that my Savior says that I am His, I am blessed, I am loved by Him.

I am His.

All NASB Scripture Excerpts used by permission.

New American Standard Bible

A corporation not for profit.

www.lockman.org

Saturday, April 25, 2026

Leave it!

by David Brenneman

Dr. Payson, while still a young man, once wrote an elderly mother who was extremely worried about and burdened over the condition of her son. He wrote:

"You are worrying too much about him. Once you have prayed for him, as you have done, and committed him to God, you should not continue to be anxious. God's command, "Do not be anxious abou anything" (Phil. 4:6), is unlimited, and so is the verse, "'Cast all your anxiety on him"

(1 Peter 5:7). If we truly have cast our burdens upon another, can they continue to pressure us? If we carry them with us from the throne of grace, it is obvious we have not left

them there. In my own life I test my prayers in this way: after commiting something to God, if I can come away, like Hannah did, with no more sadness, pain, or anxiety in my

heart, I see it as proof that I have prayed the prayer of faith. But if I pray and then still carry my burden, I conclude my faith was not exercised." - Streams in the Desert.

This was an interesting part of my reading last night.

If you walk away from praying with your burden still in your hands then it's obvious you didn't leave them there.

Praying isn't for Jesus's sake but ours. Praying is wrapped up in a few things: "Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice! Let your gentle spirit be known to all men. The Lord is near. Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things. The things you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you." Philippians 4:4-9.

It's in rejoicing. It's knowing that the Lord is near. Making a heartfelt, earnest, humble request while being thankful. THEN the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. We're not done yet...next whatever is right, whatever is of good repute, whatever is lovely, whatever is pure, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things.

We cannot complain and commend at the same time. We cannot grumble to and praise God at the same time. We cannot worry and pray at the same time.

During my 10 months of being unemployed there were many days where temptation came knocking on the door to get me to worry. The utter silence from potential employers. The utter silence from people in our lives who knew of our situation. The day in day out constantly going through job listings. But my Savior stayed with us every single day. He never once missed a single day of providing food for our table or money for the mortgage and bills. Praying was and is a daily thing.

Prayer and praising go hand in hand.

Leave what you're praying about with Jesus and recount His promises in prayer and leave.

You should be reading in your Bible to learn what promises are yours to be claiming in Christ Jesus.

Likewise as well...you cannot rest in His promises and be anxious.

I indeed can't comprehend the peace we have had for months on end. I just know from where it comes.

My God brought people at the right time to assist in our lives. Many times exactly when something was required. He is never late, as someone once said He's always an on-time God.

Lastly...you NEED adversity in your life to grow in Christ. There's a very good showing of adversity in the book of Numbers about all the places that the Lord Jesus took the children of Israel before they entered the promised land. All their adversity had a purpose but few ever realized it. There's GOING to be valley's of the shadow of death. There's GOING to be mountain tops.

These are there so that you Trust in the Lord with all your heart And do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight. That's it.

Let go and let God.

Setting your mind on the things that are above and not on the things that are of this world.

All NASB Scripture Excerpts used by permission.

New American Standard Bible

A corporation not for profit.

www.lockman.org

Friday, April 24, 2026

Opened Eyes, Open Hearts

by David Brenneman

"The fool has said in his heart, “There is no God.” They are corrupt, they have committed abominable deeds; There is no one who does good. The Lord has looked down from heaven upon the sons of men To see if there are any who understand, Who seek after God. They have all turned aside, together they have become corrupt; There is no one who does good, not even one." Psalms 14:1-3.

"If you say, “See, we did not know this,” Does He not consider it who weighs the hearts? And does He not know it who keeps your soul? And will He not render to man according to his work?" Proverbs 24:12.

"For a righteous man falls seven times, and rises again, But the wicked stumble in time of calamity. Do not rejoice when your enemy falls, And do not let your heart be glad when he stumbles; Or the Lord will see it and be displeased, And turn His anger away from him." Proverbs 24:16-18.

"Do not fret because of evildoers Or be envious of the wicked; For there will be no future for the evil man; The lamp of the wicked will be put out. My son, fear the Lord and the king; Do not associate with those who are given to change, For their calamity will rise suddenly, And who knows the ruin that comes from both of them?" Proverbs 24:19-22.

Wisdom and instruction. These are found in the Word of God. Until we come to Christ...we'll not understand, fully, what is meant by what is read.

The harshest is that there's yet billions who say in their hearts "there is no God". In the midst of these billions are those who only lay claim to a superficial knowledge of God. They believe in God but really are not putting any faith and trust in Jesus Christ alone for the forgiveness of their sins. They erroneously refer to Jesus as "the man upstairs". They lay claim to that but do not let Him rule in their hearts. Then they wonder why their lives are so difficult.

Believers need to live out their lives in Christ. To stop hiding it under a basket. Jesus's return should be our expectation daily.

There's none righteous no not one. That's what God's word says of all humanity. Only in salvation through Jesus Christ do we have a standing in the presence of Almighty God.

Trillions and trillions of people will be saying be as these "Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter. Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice(live your daily lives in) lawlessness(sin).’" Matthew 7:21-23. *emphasis added by me.

The daily practice of most of this world is a life in sin. Each one doing whatever is right in their own eyes. Just as the Scriptures say.

An just as the Scriptures say...Jesus has put before everyone the choice of death and life. A life without Him as their Lord and Savior and a life with Him as Lord and Savior.

Jesus is calling to all to come to Him and the truth is as we began reading...there's nobody of their own looking for Him. Jesus calls and people respond. Jesus beckons and people either come to Christ for salvation or they reject Him.

Rejection in this here this now, prior to both physical death or the Rapture of the Church, is an eternally effected choice. What is decided in your life as you live and breathe impacts where you spend eternity. Either permanently separated from Jesus in excruciatingly painful torment in Hell, and after the Final judgment the Lake of Fire, or Heaven with Him forever.

Jesus said the road is narrow that leads to life and way is broad that leads to destruction. The narrow road is what leads to salvation in Christ Jesus. The way that is broad is that open maw that millions fall into every day that find themselves in Hell, not understanding until then that their rejection of Jesus sent them there.

A life in Christ must be more than believing that Jesus lived 2000 years ago. It must be more than just acknowledging that He's the Son of God.

Jesus must be the forgiver of your sins and the leader of your life. You must ask Him to be that to you and for you.

"But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart”—that is, the word of faith which we are preaching, that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation. For the Scripture says, “Whoever believes in Him will not be disappointed.” For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, abounding in riches for all who call on Him; for “Whoever will call on the name of the Lord will be saved.” Romans 10:8-13.

My Dear Reader you do not want to die in your own sins. No matter what this world throws at you, nothing is worse than that.

Jesus is calling to hearts all the day long. Is He calling to you? If you're not yet among those who have, yes He is.

All the thief on the cross did was to believe that Jesus was who He said He was and asked Him to remember him. To which Jesus told Him that He would be with Him forever.

Jesus is calling...are you listening?

Open your hearts and let Him in.

Realize that you're "good" in your life will never measure up to all that Jesus did to live a sinless life and to die on a cross in your place.

Jesus is calling...

All NASB Scripture Excerpts used by permission.

New American Standard Bible

A corporation not for profit.

www.lockman.org

Thursday, April 23, 2026

How Will You Be Found?

by David Brenneman

How will you be found by Jesus when He returns?

In 1 Thessalonians, at the end of every chapter, Paul refers to the return of Jesus for His Church.

This was something taught to the Churches from the very beginning.

Are you just living life or are you living it expectedly?

We're to be expecting Jesus.

Are you at all considering that particular truthful statement?

You really should. We tend to remove more things that distract, things that all the sudden aren't as important, when we're expecting someone important to us or those who are in our lives deem important.

Would God be honored by what you're doing today, should He show up in your life today to take you home?

Would you be embarrassed to be found in the midst of something sinful?

We do not know the day or the hour but that's no excuse to not be ready at all.

Some teach that in case of emergency you should have a "go bag" ready. A duffel bag or backpack with essentials in it to tide you over in an emergency situation. Many many people in this world who are Christians have these but aren't really ready to stand before Jesus.

We have been given gifts from the Spirit of God when we came to Christ for salvation. We're to be seeking out what those are and to be like the wise stewards who invested them and not like those who buried them and wasted their opportunities.

Nobody who is truly saved has any excuse for not being about their portion of the Father’s business that the Spirit has for them to be doing.

Are you looking for self-satisfaction or are you looking to please Him in all that you do?

We have work to do in the Lord that's upon us to be doing. As truly devoted followers of Jesus Christ we ought to be making every effort to be about the work of God in Christ through us.

We should make the time to be in the Word of God daily. Should be making every effort to listen to the Spirit daily. Should be applying the same Word of God to our thoughts and actions...again daily.

In doing so we'll be found by Him doing what we're to be doing and won't be embarrassed by His return.

We'll be expectant rather than embarrassed.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart And do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight.

“Take heed, keep on the alert; for you do not know when the appointed time will come." Mark 13:33.

"The end of all things is near; therefore, be of sound judgment and sober spirit for the purpose of prayer." 1 Peter 4:7.

"so then let us not sleep as others do, but let us be alert and sober." 1 Thessalonians 5:6.

"Devote yourselves to prayer, keeping alert in it with an attitude of thanksgiving;" Colossians 4:2.

"Do this, knowing the time, that it is already the hour for you to awaken from sleep; for now salvation is nearer to us than when we believed." Romans 13:11.

“Therefore be on the alert, for you do not know which day your Lord is coming. But be sure of this, that if the head of the house had known at what time of the night the thief was coming, he would have been on the alert and would not have allowed his house to be broken into. For this reason you also must be ready; for the Son of Man is coming at an hour when you do not think He will." Matthew 24:42-44.

All NASB Scripture Excerpts used by permission.

New American Standard Bible

A corporation not for profit.

www.lockman.org

Wednesday, April 22, 2026

None Righteous, None Good Enough

by David Brenneman

"as it is written, “There is none righteous, not even one; There is none who understands, There is none who seeks for God; All have turned aside, together they have become useless; There is none who does good, There is not even one. Their throat is an open grave, With their tongues they keep deceiving, The poison of asps is under their lips; Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness; Their feet are swift to shed blood, Destruction and misery are in their paths, And the path of peace they have not known. There is no fear of God before their eyes.” Romans 3:10-18.

“Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it. For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it. Beware of the false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruits. Grapes are not gathered from thorn bushes nor figs from thistles, are they? So every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot produce bad fruit, nor can a bad tree produce good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. So then, you will know them by their fruits. Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter. Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.’ Matthew 7:13-23.

Re-read that last part about those who tell Jesus what they did in His name. The reality is that even those and those who weren't doing anything in Jesus's name will cry out, will shout, will raise a shaking fist at Jesus on that day they all stand before Jesus condemned in their sins. They will try to shout, yell, to stand defiant before Him. To explain why they think they were good enough.

These people are in this world right now. They will be in this world until that last moment of human history when Jesus calls everyone not in Heaven through His gift of salvation to their final judgment day.

There's none good no not one. There's nobody who's capable of the righteousness required that only Jesus fulfilled on a cross over 2,000 years ago.

Scripture says that if it were possible for mankind to bridge that gap to reach across to Heaven then Jesus died needlessly.

There's none righteous no not one.

My Dear Reader we who are in Christ are to shine in our part of the world with the righteousness of Christ in us. So that all may see Jesus and see their need for a Savior who is Christ the Lord.

The lives of Believers aren't about us getting everything we wanted in life just because we came to Christ. We came because He first came to us. He drew us to Himself. He saved us so that we could tell and show others that He loves them too and wants the same for them.

We live in a highly distracted world. Distractions are everywhere and are indeed persons, places and things.

Those who are saved are being fed distractions to keep us from living out the righteous life that God desires for us and those not yet saved are constantly being distracted from hearing and perceiving the truth of God in Christ Jesus.

There's none righteous no not one.

The only one who ever was and is, is Jesus Christ. Jesus said that it has to be through faith and trust in Him alone are we saved and pass from death to life.

Our definition of what is good or good enough isn't worth mentioning compared to where the Creator of the universe has set the bar.

Our thoughts aren't His. Our ideas on good aren't His. Our views on good and bad aren't of any value at all.

Without salvation in Christ Jesus alone for the forgiveness of sins there's no salvation at all.

Without Jesus as the forgiver of our sins and the leader of our lives we aren't seen with the righteous.

My Dear Reader...be sure of your salvation in Christ Jesus. Be sure that you have placed your faith and trust in Jesus Christ alone for salvation. Without it, you'll never see the face of Jesus with a favorable light.

For those reading this who are saved...live it. Live it like you mean it. Live like it's true in your life.

Only through salvation in Christ Jesus will His righteousness be seen in us. His, which is pure, holy and true.

Everyone must choose to receive or reject the free gift of salvation. The consequences in this physical world will determine where you will spend eternity after this world passes.

Trust and obey for there is no other way to be happy in Jesus but to trust and obey.

“Then the King will say to those on His right, ‘Come, you who are blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry, and you gave Me something to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me something to drink; I was a stranger, and you invited Me in; naked, and you clothed Me; I was sick, and you visited Me; I was in prison, and you came to Me.’ Then the righteous will answer Him, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry, and feed You, or thirsty, and give You something to drink? And when did we see You a stranger, and invite You in, or naked, and clothe You? When did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?’ The King will answer and say to them, ‘Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me.’ Then He will also say to those on His left, ‘Depart from Me, accursed ones, into the eternal fire which has been prepared for the devil and his angels; for I was hungry, and you gave Me nothing to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me nothing to drink; I was a stranger, and you did not invite Me in; naked, and you did not clothe Me; sick, and in prison, and you did not visit Me.’ Then they themselves also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry, or thirsty, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not take care of You?’ Then He will answer them, ‘Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.’ These will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.” Matthew 25:34-46.

All NASB Scripture Excerpts used by permission.

New American Standard Bible

A corporation not for profit.

www.lockman.org

Tuesday, April 21, 2026

More than a Few Moments

by David Brenneman

Prayer is war. It takes the very best a person has to offer and asks him or her to fight with diligence. (Colossians4:2-4, Romans15:30) - Dr. David Jeremiah Colossians 2:1 notes.

"For I want you to know how great a struggle I have on your behalf and for those who are at Laodicea, and for all those who have not personally seen my face, that their hearts may be encouraged, having been knit together in love, and attaining to all the wealth that comes from the full assurance of understanding, resulting in a true knowledge of God’s mystery, that is, Christ Himself, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. I say this so that no one will delude you with persuasive argument. For even though I am absent in body, nevertheless I am with you in spirit, rejoicing to see your good discipline and the stability of your faith in Christ." Colossians 2:1-5.

"Devote yourselves to prayer, keeping alert in it with an attitude of thanksgiving; praying at the same time for us as well, that God will open up to us a door for the word, so that we may speak forth the mystery of Christ, for which I have also been imprisoned; that I may make it clear in the way I ought to speak." Colossians 4:2-4.

"Now I urge you, brethren, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to strive together with me in your prayers to God for me," Romans 15:30.

Something that's been stirring in me is to indeed be more diligent in prayer. To not just repeat lists. To put more heart into what I is on my heart to pray about.

While there's a time and place for what Nehemiah did in his very quick very succinct...there ought to be a better balance that pours out our own heart. King David was known as a man after God's own heart.

Paul's showing us that there's work involved in praying that's going to take some time to accomplish.

Jesus, after their own failed attempt to cast out a particular type of demon, told them that THAT particular type comes out only through prayer and fasting.

All this being said...we're quick to get emotionally vested in what emotionally matters to us. We can pour out emotions like Niagara Falls at a sporting event yet aren't the same towards what matters to God. We can get all churned up from a movie yet aren't moved by what moves God. We can get stirred up and spend hours in intense matters of family and friends...and yet only give the One who went through everything on our behalf on the cross not much more than a minute or two.

And then we wonder why our lives aren't reflecting Jesus to those around us.

Are our hearts really in it for Jesus?

Are our hearts really looking to obey Him in all that we do?

Are we trying to seek first His kingdom and His righteousness?

These are some of the things that I find myself wondering after looking in the mirror at me.

"There is a way which seems right to a man, But its end is the way of death." Proverbs 14:12.

"There is a way which seems right to a man, But its end is the way of death." Proverbs 16:25.

"And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect." Romans 12:2.

There it is...the diligence behind a prayerful heart. We have to decide who it is we're going to please in what we do, say and think.

We are going to have to choose who's heart is going to rule in our heart.

The schemes of the devil involve every single type and form of distraction both known and as yet unknown to mankind.

"Watch over your heart with all diligence, For from it flow the springs of life." Proverbs 4:23.

"Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in brotherly love; give preference to one another in honor; not lagging behind in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord; rejoicing in hope, persevering in tribulation, devoted to prayer, contributing to the needs of the saints, practicing hospitality." Romans 12:9-13.

We, every minute of every day, are needing to be diligent to make what matters to God matter to each of us. It's going to be a battle, just as Dr. David Jeremiah said in his notes. It's war. In wars you don't have a whole lot of time for luxuries. Taking on prayer with the same fervency as Jesus did in going to the cross in all obedience to His Father in Heaven...yeah that's going to take some time to learn.

Take real time in I prayer today as if it really was and is that important to you. I say this as much to myself as to each of you.

All NASB Scripture Excerpts used by permission.

New American Standard Bible

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