Keeping the Wonder

This is Hans Schild from the finishing well podcast on finishing well. We help you make godly choices about Medicare long-term care and your money.

Your chosen Truth Network podcast starting in just seconds. Enjoy share it, but most of all, thank you for listening and choosing the truth. Podcast network. This is the Truth Network encouraging prayer, God offers an open invitation for his people to talk with him at any time about anything, and encouraging prayer Dr. James Banks, author of the best-selling product and many other books on prayer provides weekly biblical insight help you learn to mom and now James. James did you see the great conjunction. The other night. The alignment of Saturn last month. I Robbie it would. What a great reminder here that our hope is in Jesus. I felt the same way I had to drive way out of town until I could find an open field to see beyond the tree line and there was a field beside an old historical church and I stood out there gazing across the horizon and what looked like this multi-pointed star you can imagine how the wise men must've felt as they sought and were looking for Jesus was the thing I stood there looking at it. I was convicted about wonder unit felt God's spirit speaking to me.

James are you open to the wonder of my presence in your life mean you're such a wonder about this cosmic event and the realization that we are so small and God is so great and yet he cares for us and that's what I want to talk about on the show right after Christmas because it's so important that we keep the wonder of Christmas as we go about our everyday lives, I can't help but wonder last week. We're talking about the telescope and it would no wonder this such a good word indicates surprising discovery and really do want to live that way, but you're right we go back out of Christmas into everyday aspects of our lives, but the truth of Christmas really never changes. So let's talk about how we can live there will on a show like courage and prayer. You know we got this does bring us right back to prayer and first we need God to help us live with wonder in our hearts when he's there living within us.

We can and that's one of the things that I love most about prayer.

God has a way of drawing this close to him and and showing us that he's right here with us as we seek him, he sees promised a space and it doesn't mean that we continually get all of our prayers answered the way we wonder we don't encounter difficulty, but he has a way of walking with us as we do this so that we know we know he's there you're telling about this place their son visited when he was at the Grand Canyon a week ago honest. I mean, what was it called point point right there. Go through all point to Grand Canyon about you when people look at fireworks and you always hear that I think we will live that way with God. But we can't always live at all.

Point is much as we might like to. We have to be careful not to keep our hearts focused on our experiences of God, but rather just on Jesus and as we do that we can live in this simple place of calling on him being dependent on him and then we really find something else happening there really isn't wonder in the quietness slice with him is yeah and and that's where I'm going. That's what I was thinking about the other night as I stood out in that field and and looked up at the stars. I was thinking about the difference Jesus makes for us all. Be open to that, you know, but I was also convicted about the number of times I've been distracted by the latest shiny object so that I lose my focus, and I think the key to keeping the wonder keeping our focus is to just keep coming back to pray about everything I think about how easy it is to compartmentalize our lives like Dickens talked about man in the Christmas Carol.

I think even Scrooge himself commented that people are nice to each other for a few weeks then go right back to being the way they live before the thing that the more we let Jesus in each day better.

Our work will be the more effective will be in the things we do will treat others better will get a front row seat to the things only he can do and will recognize them because we will bring about this the kind of thing that brother Lawrence talked about and practicing the presence of God, that great little devotional. The goal is to stay so close that were having the continual conversation with God about the smallest things happening in our lives as well as the big ones when you say to the person who feels like they shouldn't bother God with those small things just look at what God did Almighty God so low to us that he became a baby.

Think of how Jesus humbled himself to do that. He did it because he loves us so that we could know that in no him and that shows us that he really does care about the tiniest details of our lives. Something about running to him and keeping the conversation going. Yes, you are saying it doesn't have to be all about us right when were crying about the smallest details we let him him and we end up dwelling on him more.

And remember, he is Emmanuel, God with us, and that has practical implications. He did, it became a baby walk with us lived with us died for us rose for us because he wanted to be with us and he wants us to be with him as we live in.

So the more we pray, the more we do that, the more we walking to that wonder think of the Jewish proverb that says answered prayer is like heaven touching earth not just answered prayer. Just being in his presence through his Spirit.

The Spirit testifies that we are God's children. These are the things we can treasure this is a matter of prayer and work being separate there meant to be together.

You want your surgeon praying while he holds his hand once you're missing you mechanic keeping God in his work will he tightens the lug bolts on the front wheel really do as Christian Cargile testified about prayer and work were never meant to be separate but always join together and I love what Bernard Clerval wrote about this.

He said he labors as he prays lists his heart to God with his hands and when we do that we let the wonder in more of his presence more of this speaks more of his help in every moment, just more of him.

I remember as being interviewed by Gordon Liddy. One time, which Gordon was Jewish and he says you mean to tell me that you think God is right there underneath when you're turning a wrench to let the oil out of the car. Okay, I bet I can assure you he is and that's a delightful thing. I could tell it really tickled him so you know we need to pray to live there.

I mean, don't we James what you wrap things up so that we can just keep them longer by living in his presence through prayer, Lord, we can't do this unless you help us, and we ask all Holy Spirit lead us, encourage us to bless us in this Lord help us to keep our eyes on you. We praise you are beautiful Savior. We will help us to look more and more every moment. Much as we can hear more from Pastor James by visiting the website James Banks.org or by visiting church in Durham, North Carolina. May God bless you and encourage you to pray. This is the Truth Network