Philippians 3:13-14

Brother, I  do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead. I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. ~ Philippians 3:13-14

How many of us have things in our past to which we would like to forget to move pass. I know I am one of those people who would love more than anything to forget the past and never talk about it again. Maybe that is why I love these verses so much. Paul was a man of single purpose. He had one aim and one ambition...

forgetting what is behind ~ this would mean not only forgetting his sins and failures (another thing I would like to forget), but it also hints at forgetting his natural privileges, attainments, and successes as well as his spiritual triumphs. See it is easy for us to simply forget our mistakes or at least hide them, but how many of us would be willing to give up our spiritual successes and privileges in order to strain toward what is ahead? In order to reach the what is up ahead and in store for us around the next bend in life we have to forget what is behind us moving only forward straining to get the goodness that God has in store for us in the future.

I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus ~ looking at himself as a runner in a race Paul describes himself as exerting every effort towards the goal for the prize of the upward call of God. Can we say the same? I know there are few things in life that I exert myself for and very rarely is the goal of the upward call of Christ.

Now I know some would ask well what is the goal and prize. In 2 Timothy 4:7 (a verse I pray that someone will read at my own funeral and know that they are speaking the truth) I have fought the good fight I have finished the race I have kept the faith now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness. The goal is the finish line of the race. The goal is to live such a life others want to run behind you to reach for that glory and love they see shining through you. The goal is to live a life so much like Christ people ask you about him everyday.

My goal today and everyday forth is to run that race with the same passion and exertion that Paul demonstrates to us in this verse. To press on to the finish line without looking to the past and allowing it to weigh me down. My prayer for you is the same it is time to forget what is behind and press on towards the goal step by step one foot in front of the other until we reach the finish line.
 

Ephesians 1:3

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ ~ Ephesians 1:3

We learn from this verse that everything God is ever going to do for us, He has already done. Every spiritual blessing is already located in this unseen realm. Every promise God has made and plans to fulfill on your behalf, every gift you will ever receive, and every hope that will ever be satisfied has already been deposited in your account in the spiritual realm. God has "blessed us with every spiritual blessings in the heavenly places in Christ." Your blessings and victory are already located there with your name written on them, waiting for you to grab them, use them, and walk in them.

I just love the book of Ephesians. And can honestly say it is a book of hope for me in this book we learn so much from spiritual blessings to the full armor of God and how to use it when we need it. Look at what we learn in the first 3 chapters,
We are:
chosen predestined
adopted as sons
accepted in the Beloved
redeemed through His blood
Forgiven
sealed with the Holy Spirit
given the earnest of our inheritance

How can you not love this book? What's your favorite book or scripture which chapter do you find yourself turning to the most when you need that Spiritual pick me up?

Matthew 6:6

But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father who is unseen. Then your Father who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. ~ Matthew 6:6

 

"When you pray" --> no specific time nor instructions on when we are to pray. It does however, tell us that it is expected that we will pray. Jesus states that when you pray which implies that he expects us to be praying.

"go into your inner room" --> Location was not he point of this verse. It was not telling us to build a special place that we pray in or go to that location and location only when pray but what it is talking about here is the attitude of our prayers. Find a place that you can go to in order to talk to God without the temptation of showing off in your prayers or making them wordy.

"shut the door" --> Close out all distractions so that you can focus and completely concentrate on God and pray to Him and Him alone.

The most important secret He sees is not the words we say in the privacy of our room but the thoughts we have in the privacy of our hearts. Prayer that is thoughtless and detached is offensive to God and should be offensive to us as well.

Prayer more than anything else is sharing the needs, burdens, and hungers of our hearts with a  God who cares...
In other words it is time to talk to God share with him everything share with him the desires and wants of your heart go to Him in faith and know that he is listening....

*Prayer notes during a sermon I heard overseas*