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I'm commited to bring you the Upper Room #LIII
15 years ago
General
Commitment and Example
Read Matthew 10:27-33
Jesus said, "Everyone . . . who acknowledges me before others, I also will acknowledge before my Father in heaven."
-Matthew 10:32 (NRSV)
MANY Christians pray before meals to thank God for the food they are about to eat. In the comfort of my home this was easy and routine. Yet for years I did not honor God with prayer before meals in public. I feared being ridiculed for this display of faith. Essentially, every time I ate without giving thanks, I said I was ashamed of being a Christian. I knew this was wrong, and over time my guilt grew.
Finally I made a commitment to honor God before every meal, no matter my surroundings. I now pray -- head bowed and hands folded -- before all my meals, private or public.
Recently I led a group of friends in prayer before our meal in a restaurant. Later a man approached me and said, "Thank you. We used to pray as a family before meals, but we stopped. Your prayer reminded me of what we must do. From now on we will again be praying before our meals."
Each of us can make a commitment to thank God by praying before every meal. By doing this we honor God and, even though we may never know our influence on others, we will set a much-needed Christian example.
Albert Brooks Drake (Indiana, USA)
Prayer
Dear God, teach us not to be ashamed to act on our faith, no matter where we are. Amen.
Thought for the Day
Visit https://www.gratefulness.org for suggestions about showing your thankfulness.
Prayer Focus
Those reluctant to pray in public
Read Matthew 10:27-33
Jesus said, "Everyone . . . who acknowledges me before others, I also will acknowledge before my Father in heaven."
-Matthew 10:32 (NRSV)
MANY Christians pray before meals to thank God for the food they are about to eat. In the comfort of my home this was easy and routine. Yet for years I did not honor God with prayer before meals in public. I feared being ridiculed for this display of faith. Essentially, every time I ate without giving thanks, I said I was ashamed of being a Christian. I knew this was wrong, and over time my guilt grew.
Finally I made a commitment to honor God before every meal, no matter my surroundings. I now pray -- head bowed and hands folded -- before all my meals, private or public.
Recently I led a group of friends in prayer before our meal in a restaurant. Later a man approached me and said, "Thank you. We used to pray as a family before meals, but we stopped. Your prayer reminded me of what we must do. From now on we will again be praying before our meals."
Each of us can make a commitment to thank God by praying before every meal. By doing this we honor God and, even though we may never know our influence on others, we will set a much-needed Christian example.
Albert Brooks Drake (Indiana, USA)
Prayer
Dear God, teach us not to be ashamed to act on our faith, no matter where we are. Amen.
Thought for the Day
Visit https://www.gratefulness.org for suggestions about showing your thankfulness.
Prayer Focus
Those reluctant to pray in public
Still to me Praying is a rather private thing. It is when i lay my heart open, and it even if someone does listen to me pray it may not sound like much like much to them but it is something i do not want to share. Public prayer has always seemed to be a " look at me" kind of thing just like skateboarders on the sides walk doing little tricks as they ride not necessarily asking that people look at them but wanting them to be impressed if they do.
Dominus tecum
~Wally Bear
Dominus tecum