To pray or not to pray

[bwalker42]

I have not prayed against any of these storms since my last post. With the exception of Stede''s request. And it seems to me that God showed Stede favor, as I noticed that there were no tornadoes in North Carolina when Ivan went through. (that''s what TWC showed.)
I decided when I got back from High Island, fighting/watching the majestic waves of Ivan, (more watching than fighting, you can''t fight storms in public ''cause people think you are crazy.) not to pray against Jeanne to see what would happen.

What happens when I pray, vs. what happens when I don''t.

It''s not fun waking up to 600 deaths in Haiti because of no prayer. And that toll has risen to 1k.
But still, If Jeanne does come to FL. You guys need to learn to seek God for yourselves and pray yourselves.

I spoke openly and not behind anyones back.

I taught you everything I have done.


It''s real simple, repent, seek God, pray.(Yes us Christians half to repent too!) 2nd Chronicles 7:14
If you''re not born again, get born again, seek God, and pray without ceasing.

I have made my life a prayer to God.

So I was wrong about the fishing boats, they were shrimp boats. But still, if the price of admission was my little toe, to have been out there, I would have said "Where''s the knife?"


Stede, my last post to you was not an open rebuke, but keys to the higher ground you said you wanted. You have an amazing prayer partner in your wife who is one of the greatest gifts God has given you. Matthew 18:19-20
May the wind and the seas obey you.




I''m not fighting this one!

[i670684]

Hurricanes are certainly a challenge. Sounds like your prayin'' has met the challenge, so on to the next level. Speak to the man about keeping the barnacles off my prop and shaft for a month. Just one month. That would truly be a miracle.

[bwalker42]

When Jesus smiled at me and said "Come up higher!" He was the one Who promoted me! He gave me diamond cluster earrings which I wear today and never take off, with the exception of when my daughter went on her first cruise. I took them off for her to wear because I said in my heart, perhaps God will see them and remember me, to keep her safe.

With all due respect, your barnacles, kind Sir, are of no concern to me. Human life is! Pray yourself!

[bwalker42]

O.K., O.K., I repent, I repent,
I will pray for you, but I want you to answer one question first. Privately

[928frenzy]

Do whatever you think helps, but I like the saying, "God helps those who help themselves." This is especially valid for me since I don''t think prayers work. Perhaps you think they do, so just go for it. I''m a firm believer in: "live and let live", and "as long as you don''t hurt anyone else, go for it."

BTW, I always wondered what the purpose was for prayer. Is it a way to ask for your god to do something he/she/it would not have done otherwise? How can one expect a god (who presumably knows what is best for all of us, and who has a grand plan) to change that plan because someone prayed for a change??? That doesn''t sound like a very omnipotent all-knowing god to me! If so, I''ll take a pass on that one. He''she/it is all yours.

~ Happy sails to you ~ _/) ~

P.S. There were several tornadoes in Maryland, but fortunately for us boaters, none touched down near marinas. Unfortunately, there were some fatalities where they did touch down. :^(

[bwalker42]

Olah 928,
I like that saying too. God helps those who helps themselves. I believe that, but I also believe God helps people who can''t help themselves. I do not know about the "if you do not hurt anyone else go for it", ''cause I see people hurt in the wake of that all the time. When people choose to believe that they have not hurt someone else, when they did.
The purpose for prayer is communication. It is for talking to God, and people.
God must be concerned about Dave or else He would not have made me repent! That means I had to be truly sorry for what I did and said. I had to change.
Obviously I am human. I make mistakes and can be fooled. But you cannot fool God. I may be fooled for a time but I will always learn the truth because I am a seeker of the TRUTH. I want the truth and I am not willing to do without it. And that means I want the Truth about God and religion, so I go to God to get the truth.
I remember when I first got bit by the sailing bug, I said "God, why do I have to go through this learning process? Why can''t I just automatically know all there is to know about sailing?? like an instinct or something, I love it!?! (sounding like a little girl here, talking to her Dad.)
But there is something about learning that pleases Him, And He is the test giver.

Have you ever really and truly sought God? Well getting to know Him is the most extravagant adventure I have ever been on. And it keeps getting better.

His message is still the same to you. He loves you. He loves you. He loves you. He has not changed, and will not change.

I for one am glad that prayer can change things in our lives for the better, through faith. So since you''re judging God, why not judge Him to be faithful!?

Fair weather,

ps, Glad to hear about the boats, very sad about the fatalaties, very sad.

[Stede]

The prayers are few indeed.

Faith in Christ powers the shield of grace. That shield of divine protection covers the people of faith and it covers the nations of faith. When the nations decided to abandon their proclamation of faith in Jesus, they dissolved the divine shield that protected them from the dominions, powers and elements that threatened to rain catastrophe down upon them.

If we have faith in God, His divine shield of protection comes over us. This is true, not just of people, but of nations as well. If we renounce our faith or let it dissipate, the energy that powers that shield also dissipates, allowing the shield to thin and evaporate. Los Angeles decided in the last 2 months to remove the cross of Christ from its county seal. A massive earthquake looms overdue only a few miles away. They could use the added protection. The United States decreed their independence from Jesus on June 18,1963 - God and prayer outlawed from U.S. school system by Supreme Court.Five months later, Nov. 23,1963 - U.S. President John F. Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas,Texas.Coincidental? Believe what you will.We have been in free-fall ever since, and now an enemy East, frothing at mouth, is raging at us from the borders of a prophetic graveyard called Iraq (Jer.46:5-6). Europe and Asia announced their independence from Jesus starting at the beginning of the last century. Only a grace-empowered America bailed them out of fiery oblivion. The timing of this revolution is terrible. But it does come by free will.

"In the end, every knee shall bend,and every voice will call his name." On what terms we will do these things is our choice.

"Choose wisely."

[bwalker42]

Stede,
Blessed is the Nation whose God is the Lord.

Wow!!! My sentiments exactly!!! How is it that the people do not understand that the laws of pyhsics that govern by God are of the same principles in the Spirit?

When "They" took God out of the schools, and prayer, they refused to acknowledge that with the heat rising, and a cold front moving in quickly, that this spiritual wind would fill the vacuum with all sorts of evils. The children are now taught witchcraft,condoms, and abortion. Now there are drugs, guns, killings etc...in our schools and our children are not allowed to defend themselves with prayer. Denied the innocence that is so precious to all and necessary for the mental, spiritual, and emotional stability health and well being of our children.

"They" broke the COVENANT that our Forefathers made with the everliving God to teach Him in our PUBLIC shools forever. "They" replaced THE TRUTH with a lie. Deut 6:7, &11:19

I am surprised to hear you speaking of this, I''m glad I am not the only one. Today I was speaking of this to a friend of mine, yesterday to my sister in Christ, who I will call "The Rev" because she is an ordained minister.

We have a great responsibility to God to pray for the children of this Nation. They need us more than ever to pray without ceasing. Isaiah 59:21, Joshua 1:8, Deut.30:15-20. They have been tormented by a cruel and wicked generation, and there has been much of their innocent blood spilled in this land daily on the demonic alters of child sacrifice aka abortion clinics. And it is not the blood of war. (You should see those scriptures)


I want to thank you for this and to tell you I have diligently kept you and your wife in my prayers!


There is HOPE, IF the people will repent, the disasters will cease. If not they will only continue to get worse. So I go a preaching!

God bless you 1kX my blessed brother. You are blessed and cannot be cursed!

[928frenzy]

Stede:
You said, "choose wisely". I do - I go sailing. While sailing, I don''t preech, nor do I listen to anyone preeching. Wish I could come here and be able to read about sailing, without getting a sermon.

Looks like this weekend''s weather will be good for sailing. Good, as I''m looking forward to some quality time with my better half, who also prefers to a "no preeching zone".

~ Happy sails to you ~ _/) ~

P.S. It was the Warren Supreme Court of 1956 (while Ike was President) that struck down prayer in public schools. JFK was assasinated 7+ years later. Although you imply there is one, I can''t make the connection. Also, many European countries during WWII were (and still remain) predominantly Christian. (Just look at their respective flags.) So I don''t see why they were punished.

Lastly, there are some who can sucessfully argue that the situation in Iraq is our own doing. It seems you can believe whatever you want. I don''t quite see it or believe it as you do, and remember - that''s my right.

[Stede]

928Frenzy,

Well hello, my ole "frenzied" friend. How have you been? I hope all is well with you? It seems as though I have troubled you. Please forgive me.

If I erred in the dates I mentioned,the only defense I can offer is that I did so from memory.You come across as an intelligent man,and I''m sure you''re better with dates and such,than I. Regardless of the dates, the results are the same.

It seems as though you get more sailing time in than I do. I envy you! I imagine you to be a more accomplished sailor than I. But you flatter me by saying I''m "preaching" my friend.I''m unworthy of such a compliment.I''m but a lowly sailor whom desires to serve the almighty "I Am." But as a wise man once said," vanity,vanity,...all is vanity." Wouldn''t you agree?

In regard to European and Asian churches, consider the following:

1929 A.D.
Officially separating church and state, Mussolini signs a treaty that secularizes Italy and relegates the church to a tiny defined area of sovereignty in Rome -- forming Vatican City .
This action fundamentally cancels the final remnants of Theodosus'' decree in the site where it originated - the Roman capitol.
A great depression sweeps the world.

1930 A.D.
Secular, totalitarian regimes rise to power throughout Europe and Asia (Spain, Russia, Germany, Italy, Eastern Europe, China, Japan, etc) as Christian authority is stripped from most world governments.

Some nation''s flags do still carry remnants of the cross, but the obediance to it has been long gone.Was not the Lamb crucified by the "holy?" The persecution of the faithful in the end,will be as it was in the beginning.

Iraq has a long Biblical history. IMO,it''s irrevelant whom is responsible for the events unfolding in Iraq.What is important, is the fact that events are happening there that coincide with what was prophesied in the Bible over 2000 years ago.Understanding that,is to understand what is on the horizon.

Yes, you are free to believe however you wish.I have no problem with it, do you?