Are You Spiritually Constipated?

        Everyone needs to eat and drink. We do it every day. However there are certain times that our hunger or thirst is masked by something else.

        At the risk of sounding gross I will say that the something in question is the need to relieve ourselves. Stay with me and I will make my point. When you have to go badly you would never think of guzzling down a glass of water. The same goes for eating a meal when you know that an extended stay in the facilities is required. We cannot enjoy a meal when our body needs to relieve itself of waste.

        Even though we would not miss a meal purposely (let alone for a day), many try to go a whole week on one meal spiritually. We sit at church gorging ourselves with what is offered, only to return with a empty stomach (spirit) the following Sunday.

        We should pay close attention to the physical needs of our body to understand the spiritual needs of our true selves. Our walk with Christ should be an ongoing time with a close friend that lasts throughout the day.  Meals are intimate. No one sits with strangers at a restaurant. We eat with those we are close to. To sell God short by meeting with him once a week is a tragedy. It is also a shame to box him into a small section of each day (devotions). We should be seeking him throughout the day, just as we eat when we are hungry.

        This brings me to the waste. When we have sin in our lives it is difficult to fellowship with God. Our bodies give us a clue as to how we should deal with sin. Flush it! There is no way to enjoy a meal (interaction with God) with sin in the way. My advise is simple: Relieve the waste and enjoy the meal. There is simply no room for spiritual constipation in a relationship with God.  If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9).

        How long has God been waiting for you to acknowledge him throughout the day. He doesn't want your Sunday, or five minutes--He wants you, yielded and open. He desires the intimacy of the meal to be shared between friends. Jesus said, "Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me (Revelation 3:20).

My Prayer for America

Almighty God, I want to thank you for allowing me to live in a country where we have the right and privilege to seek you through prayer.  Please watch and guide all of the true believers who live in countries where worship of you is forbidden.  I admire their courage and ask for strength to approach you boldly if my country should ever adopt similar laws and attitudes.

Father, I ask that you would bless and guide our President, his family, and staff.  Surround him with people that will speak truth.  Help him to do what is best for our nation.  Please remind me of my duty to not only pray for my leaders on a daily basis, but to respect them as appointed by you to administer justice.

Lord, I lift up our congress to you and ask that you would give them wisdom.  Let those politicians that know you, be a light in the halls of the Capital building and to the states and districts that they represent.  Let our laws strengthen our land.  Help me to obey our laws to the extent that they do not contradict your Holy Law.

I pray for our Supreme Court as well as the judges on the lower courts.  I know that you are the Supreme Judge and will ultimately stand in judgment over every decision that they have rendered.  Please forgive our land for following the ruling that has caused the slaughter of innocent unborn children.  They were knit together in your image, yet regarded as inconvenient.  O God, forgive us.  Lord, I ask that you would call Christians to love the families and mothers affected by a decision to silence a preborn child.  Help them to find hope and forgiveness in your one and only son Jesus Christ.

God, please send your angels to protect and keep watch over our soldiers oversees.  I may not always agree with our methods, but I pray that you would grant safety nonetheless.  I pray that we would bring those who would mean us harm to justice, minimize civilian casualties, and bring an end to the fighting.

Thank you for your gift of marriage.  Forgive us where we have failed you in bringing your lifelong institution to a premature end through divorce.  I pray that your light would be seen through believers to alter the course of marriages through the transforming of our lives by your son.  God, we discuss whether the state can marry same sex couples, and many Christians are angry.  Turn our anger into compassion for those who are far from you.  Reach them with our love, that they may no longer be conformed to the pattern of this world.

Call Christians out of a partisan and denominational mindset.  I ask that we would vote our conscience rather than falling in line with what a political party tells us to believe.  Help us to see that those who trust in you are first and foremost followers of Jesus and not Methodist, Lutheran, Baptist, or any other denomination.  Thank you for the work you have done through these churches, but forgive our division. Make us ONE!

God, help our nation's Christian parents to take seriously our responsibility to raise our children to honor you.  May we no longer rely on the church to do our job.  Let us make them a priority in our families second only to our marriages.

Lord, thank you for the millions that you have called to prayer this day, and I thank you for hearing us.  Thank you for your unending love, your holiness, and your forgiveness that cleanses from all sin.  Thank you for your grace and mercy that never ends.  Thank you for the right we receive through Jesus to be called your children.  I love you.  Thank you for listening to my prayer that I pray all these things in the name of the risen son of God who is Jesus Christ my Lord and my Redeemer.  Amen.