Laughter-Filled Prayer

June 29

A cheerful heart is good medicine.

Proverbs 17:22

This group was a sampling of the community: pastors and their wives, church

members from several different denominations, laymen and women alike. And

everyone was welcome.

This group believed that corporate prayer with likeminded people was

more important to their community than their inconsequential doctrinal dif-

ferences. A testament to their commitment was that they had been meeting

together for over eight years.

But there was something even more compelling at work that drew them

together each Tuesday at noon; they loved each other with the love of the

Father, and they laughed a lot, and not just the occasional chuckle or smile.

These people knew how to laugh together. They had grown to love each other

so deeply that it showed in the way they picked on one another. No one was

exempt from spending time in the hot seat. And none of them seemed to mind.

They had learned to share their lives, the victories and defeats. This was a

close-knit group. And the more they laughed, the more they loved. The more

they loved, the closer they got. They spent time praising the Lord and lifting

the needs of the community before the throne. They were dead serious when it

came to what they felt God had called them to. But they were never far from

the laughter.

h

It’s not a sin to laugh, even during prayer. Today’s text directs us to have a

cheerful heart. It’s hard to imagine being any cheerier than when we’re laugh-

ing. God loves to hear us laugh. He is not affronted by, nor does He disapprove

of, laughter-filled prayer.

When we come before the throne, we are to come in reverence. My dic-

tionary defines reverence this way: “A feeling of awe and respect and often of

love.” None of the three are out of line with laughter. When we laugh with our

friends, it’s not an act of irreverence; it’s sharing our joy.

God wants to be our closest friend. Prayer is spending quality time with

Someone we love. And although there are times to be somber as we approach

His throne, God wants to share our laughter too.

Prayer

“Lord, You are the author of laughter. May you find

me willing to share mine with you. Amen.”

 Before We Speak

June 28

The tongue is also a fire.

James 3:6

“Have you heard about Jeremy?” Katrina asked her brother. “No. What’s up?”

Phil responded. “Well, I’m not sure … ” she hesitated, then said, “I heard he was

back on pain pills.”

“That’s too bad. I like Jeremy,” Phil replied.

A week later, Jeremy was called into his employer’s office and immediately

terminated. They gave him no explanation other than he was no longer a good

fit for the company. Jeremy repeatedly asked for a more defined explanation but

they would say no more.

Shaken, Jeremy determined to put it behind him. But finding suitable

employment during the economic downturn took more than six months. In

that time he lost his car and used up his entire savings as well as his retirement

fund.

Two years later, Jeremy ran into a co-worker from his former employer. In

the course of their conversation, the man asked Jeremy if he was still having

trouble with pills.

A little surprised by the question, Jeremy told him, “No, I’m great. I’ve

been clean for six years.”

The man seemed surprised by the ‘six years’ and proceeded to tell Jeremy

that he’d been part of a conversation with Jeremy’s old boss and Katrina’s

brother, Phil, the week of Jeremy’s termination. “Phil told the boss you were

back on drugs. I guess he assumed Phil knew what he was talking about and

didn’t think it warranted further investigation. I’m really sorry man. I always

enjoyed working with you.”

Jeremy was sorry, too. But at least now he had the truth.

h

We are never to be careless with our words. Yet, many find fulfillment in

spreading gossip. Although untrue, Jeremy’s life was devastatingly impacted

by gossip. When we speak without concern for the consequence of our words,

we are taking someone’s integrity, welfare, and quite possibly their life in our

own hands.

Proverbs 18:21 says, “The tongue has the power of life and death.” When we

hear gossip we have two choices: to lovingly confront the gossip, suggesting

they refrain from the practice of spreading rumors; or remove ourselves from

their presence, refusing to take part. What we say matters. At the peril of oth-

ers, we must consider our words.

Prayer

“Lord, guard my lips that I would not harm

another. In Jesus’ Name, amen.”

 Check the Salt

June 27

But if the salt loses its saltiness … it is no longer good for anything.

Matthew 5:13

“Ahhhh!” Rebecca was infuriated. “When was the last time you put salt in the

softener?” she hollered.

Instantly, Hank knew what had happened. Oh, no! Rust spots in the white

clothes! Way to go, Hank! He derided himself for not checking the salt level in

the softener recently. Actually, he wasn’t as concerned about the rust-spotted

clothes as he was the grief his oversight created. The next week would be miser-

able; that was about how long it took Rebecca to forgive him.

Getting out of the chair, he headed to survey the damage that would cer-

tainly be referred to as his fault. He decided to sow a seed of goodwill, an olive

branch of sorts. “Honey, I’m really sorry,” he said ahead of his arrival. “It just

slipped my mind.”

As he entered the laundry room, he realized his apology had been a mis-

take. It was having little to no effect. “How bad is it?” he asked, making his

second mistake.

Her answer had all the earmarks of a torch for his olive branch. “Not too

bad … if you enjoy wearing orange underwear!” she said, holding a pair aloft.

They were a mottled mess of reddish-brown and rusty white.

Realizing there was only one thing he could do, he said, “I’ll take care of it

right now.” And with that, he sheepishly turned and headed to the basement to

dump a couple bags of salt into the brine tank.

h

In the same way a constant source of salt is needed to condition rusty water,

our spiritual lives need a constant filtering to keep unwanted impurities from

soiling our spiritual being.

The level of salt must be maintained in a water conditioner, just as the

intake of godly things in a Christian’s life must be maintained.

By reading God’s Word regularly and meeting on a regular basis with

other Christians for encouragement and insight, we can stop the accumulation

of unsavory buildups that cause us to lose our solid footing and effectiveness.

We must regularly check the level in our spiritual salt tank.

Prayer

“Thank You for Your Word that provides life-giving

wisdom. Help me to be diligent in my actions concerning

my Christian walk so others and I might benefit. Amen.”

 Make Me Pure Again, Lord

June 26

Create in me a pure heart, O God.

Psalm 51:10

Russell turned off the computer, feeling defeated. It had been six weeks since

he’d given into the temptation, and now he felt horrible. He didn’t understand

how he could love his wife and still do this.

He tried to control his impulses, yet he couldn’t seem to help himself. He

always seemed to end up at a porn site, committing adultery with women he

would never meet. And when it was over, guilt and shame replaced denial and

desire; he hated not being able to resist the temptation.

The next morning, he called a friend who happened to be a Christian

counselor. “I don’t understand this, Paul. I get this urge that won’t be satisfied

until I give in. I love Barb. Why can’t I stop?”

“It’s a complex problem, Russ,” Paul began. “Men are visually stimulated.

They catalogue every image they see. If the image stimulates sufficiently, it

is retained. Pornographic images cause a hormonal flood in the brain, which

creates heightened desire because it alerts the procreation instinct, which feels

the need to respond immediately. It’s the same as being addicted to heroine.

The only way to stop the process is to delete the images from your memory,

and that’s not humanly possible. Only God can recreate your mind and remove

those images from your memory. Let’s set an appointment to talk further.”

h

Pornographic images stimulate and trigger the release of adrenaline, testos-

terone, endorphins, and oxytocin, a stimulus package sufficient to cause tre-

mendous euphoria. Pleasure receptors override common sense. Once viewed,

you cannot stop uncensored recall of the images. Only blocking the ability to

remember can inhibit recall.

Had David taken the images of Bathsheba to God when he saw her bath-

ing (2 Samuel 11:2), he may not have given in to his sexual desire. Instead he

chose to entertain them, and he and many others paid the price. In his sorrow,

David asked God to renew his heart.

As with David, God would set us free if we would ask. For those who fight

this battle, Christian counseling is a good place to begin.

Prayer

“Make me pure again, Lord. Lead me in the steps necessary

to bring about true freedom. In Jesus’ Name, amen.”

 At the End of Each Day

June 25

We have different gifts according to the grace given us.

Romans 12:6

“How do you deal with the accolades?” John asked Marlie. “I’ve always felt like

I was supposed to downplay my part. You know, give all the glory to God.”

Marlie chuckled. “I struggled too until my father gave me this advice.

‘Just say thank you. I love to sing, and it blesses me when someone is touched

through my gift.’ Then give the glory to the One Who deserves it at the end

of each day.” Marlie continued, “If we declare, ‘It wasn’t me,’ we negate the gift

of God, a gift we are meant to share. It also extinguishes the work of the Holy

Spirit. But if we allow them to share what God has done through us, we give

credibility to the gift.”

She continued, “Paul taught that we have different gifts, and we are to use

them. Our songs are a source of encouragement to many. Through our singing,

people are lifted above their trials and into the worship of His presence. If you

were a renowned artist and someone told you that your painting stirred him

deeply, would you feel a need to say, ‘I didn’t paint this; it was God’? Of course

not. Just remember, when you lie down for the night, tell Him thanks and that

you’re ready to do it all again any time He calls.”

h

Every good gift comes from God. Not one of us could perform in our daily

lives apart from His grace. He has gifted us, equipped us for the work He

ordained for us to do.

To the banker who works late hours making sure the figures balance, you

are to take comfort in the fact that without your abilities given by God, our

financial institutions would suffer collapse. To the waitress who smiles for each

customer, you bring lighthearted joy to someone who may be going through a

rough time; you are a servant.

Whatever your gift, say thank you and give glory to the One Who deserves

it at the end of each day.

Prayer

“For what You do through me, Lord, thank You. I give

You the praise I have received this day. Continue to bless

and use this gift of Your grace. In Jesus’ Name, amen.”

 An Uncommon Servant

June 24

For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.

Philippians 1:21

George lived out loud. There was no façade, no exterior trimming; what you

saw is who he was—and mostly you saw Jesus. Some said his approach to shar-

ing the Gospel was a bit over-the-top, and that he needn’t be so forthright. You

see, George did nothing quietly … his unambiguous passion was conspicuous.

George always greeted the Brethren with a holy kiss (Romans 16:16). “Victory!”

and “Wonderful!” were staples in his inspirational vocabulary.

When George prayed or sang, he did it with his whole heart at the top of

his lungs, holding nothing back. And because of his fervency and enthusiasm

some felt a bit uncomfortable around him. But for those who called George,

Friend, they expected nothing less. They understood how George felt about

Jesus … he was in love. And this love is what George exhibited unconditionally;

in this he was uncommon.

George lived passionately until he died. So much so that the staff at the

hospital where he went home to be with Jesus will never forget how he intro-

duced himself to each one: he grabbed their hands, and asked “Is there any-

thing you need prayer for?!” He prayed unashamedly, speaking to his Father on

their behalf. He was an uncommon servant, living completely, squeezing every

ounce of life from each day, leaving nothing in reserve.

h

George and Paul are much alike; while on earth they loved Jesus with all their

hearts, and didn’t care how they looked doing it! They both longed for the

day they would begin the face-to-face portion of eternity; yet while among

the living, they lived lives of purpose, speaking on behalf of their King, telling

everyone they met about His love and saving grace.

As Christians—recipients of God’s Greatest Gift—our purpose is to carry

the cross of Calvary wherever we go, telling people about the Man Who hung

there on our behalf, and the cleansing power of His blood. We should not sit

idly by, waiting to die to be with Jesus. We, as George, should be passionately

living for Him as uncommon servants.

Prayer

“Lord Jesus, help me to be uncommon in Your service.

Cause the world to disappear in light of Your presence

that I might witness Your love without reserve. Amen.”

 Hmm …

June 23

Husbands, love your wives … and the wife must respect the husband.

Ephesians 5:25, 33

Most evenings found Mark and Tina reading. One would invariably come across

something interesting enough to share, and would utter a soft “Hmm … ” It was an

invitation to listen; it meant “I really want to share this with you! Are you interested?”

The Hmm hadn’t always been endearing. It had initially been viewed as an

inconsiderate interruption. Yet over time, they grew fond of these moments

of sharing. It promoted laughter, and strengthened their relationship. 

The “Hmm … ” had taught them to be considerate of each other; to place the other’s

needs above their own. It became a tender, affectionate bonding that strengthened their marriage.

Their now positive response to the “Hmm … ” was a result of learning to be

unselfish. They had discovered that their willingness to put the other first paid

huge rewards in maturing their love. Over the years God used the “Hmm … ” to

teach them the importance of validation through attentive listening.

So tonight, when Mark heard Tina’s soft, “Hmm … ” he grinned, inserted

his bookmark, laid the book aside, and turning toward Tina with a knowing

grin, said, “Okay, what?”

Tina, now the center of Mark’s world, smiled brightly, as if to say, “I knew

you loved me,” and began to relate what had elicited her discreet interruption.

h

God made men and women different: women naturally love; men naturally

respect. Doing the opposite does not come naturally; we must be taught.

If we want deep, long-lasting relationships, we will do as God commands

in today’s text. Through submitting to God’s wisdom we learn the importance

of honor above self.

When we begin to genuinely enjoy finding out what interests each other,

instead of selfishly looking at these opportunities as inconsiderate interrup-

tions, we grow and mature spiritually.

Our spouse is to be held in high esteem. When we dismiss their “Hmm … ”

as insignificant they hear, “You do not matter to me right now. Please wait until

I am no longer busy before you bother me again.”

1Corintians 13:4–7 says, “Love is patient, love is kind … it is not self-seeking … it

always protects.” This then, is how we are to respond to each other’s “Hmm …”

Prayer

“Help me place my spouse’s need for validation above my

need for undisturbed peace. In Jesus’ Name, amen.”