Christianity Oasis Member Forum & Chat Room

Hi
I am going to put what I read this morning out of Oswald Chambers devotional "The Utmost for His Highest"
I don't know if I totally agree with what he is saying. Maybe I am taking it the wrong way? I would like opinions from you.
Thanks
Sylvia

"In your patience possess ye your souls." (Luke 21:19)

When a man is born again, there is not the same robustness in his thinking or reasoning for a time as formerly. We have to make an expression of the new life, to form the mind of Christ. "Acquire your soul with patience." Many of us prefer to stay at the threshold of the Christian life instead of going on to construct a soul in accordance with the new life God has put within. We fail because we are ignorant of the way we are made, we put things down to the devil instead of our own undisciplined natures. Think what we can do when we are roused! (that part I agree with)
(this is the part I question)
There are certain things we must not pray about- moods, for instance. Moods never go by praying, moods go by kicking. A mood nearly always has its seat in the physical condition, not in the moral. It is a continual effort not to listen to the moods which arise from a physical condition; never submit to them for a second. We have to take ourselves by the scruff of the neck and shake ourselves, and we will find that we can do what we said we could not. The curse with most of us is that we won't. The Christian life is one of incarnate spiritual pluck."

***My thoughts
In myself I can not do anything without the power of Christ. In myself I cannot just shake things off and have a better mood. I talk to our Heavenly Father about everything. Especially since last August when not only did I find out I had cancer but then a couple weeks later my husband suddenly died. But I still am going to the Lord daily about my moods and thoughts and decisions.
Let me know what you think. Am I taking what he wrote wrong?
GBU
Sylvia

I agree Sylvia. I pray about my mood and offer it up to God all the time for an adjustment.

There are certain things we must not pray about

I disagree with this.

Prayer is communication between a Father and His child.
Would you say to a child don't talk to your Father about this or that?
I know you wouldn't Sylvia. Probably Mr. Chambers wouldn't either.

We have some action to do besides praying but indeed do pray over it.

Love ya! Much!

Hello Sylvia

God bless you this day.

Well, I agree with him for the most part. His statement(s) do come off rather cut and dry, but there is some Truth in what he says.

Sometimes; however, moods and/or fleshly emotions are not caused by a physical ailment, but by spiritual oppression, however, it manifests itself in the physical -- not so much in the human's body, but something else that gets in the person's way -- keeping them from feeling whole and complete -- throwing them off center (away from Jesus' examples), and have them grasping for anything and everything else to get some relief.

Physical pain though, can also be a bear. It can completely overwhelm a person, and in so doing have them react in (not-so-attractive) fleshly emotion rather than in the fruit of The Spirit.

I'll give an example of the physical -- to the extreme. Have you ever been elbowed in the nose by someone, accidentally? It hurts like the dickens, and what comes out of the person's mouth -- the one experiencing the pain, may not sound so pretty -- may not sound gracious at all.

The part where he says not to pray about moods, I think he is saying we need to be conscious of the fact that Christians have options -- to react from the natural (flesh/carnal) or to react from the awesome goodies that The Holy Spirit avails to us 24/7. Now granted, our what comes naturally seems to come to us in an instant -- like a reflex; however, the more aware we are of the BETTER options available to us, hopefully, the more we'll put to them into use.

But, I see no harm in praying and asking God to remind us always of those blessed options available to us. He'll change our reflexes, if we'll reach for Him.

Sylvia, you are an example to us all. You continually reach for the BETTER -- you continually reach for Jesus -- as evidenced by the great care you extend to us in sharing His Word and positive messages of hope, despite what you yourself have been going through.

Wooooooooohooooooo! God is so very Good.

God bless and keep you, Sylvia.
Love,
Mack

Hi everyone,


my thoughts are that we can take anything absolutely ANYTHING to our Lord.

I also agree that we should not focus our prayer life on the negatives outlooks and pray for the positives.

For instance when i pray for a mood i pray for a refreshing of His Spirit and His peace and joy to surround me ... praying in faith and expectation for the remedy instead of the "problem" to be removed. Whatever His remedy is, He knows best and trusting that no matter what the outcome He is still in control.

Either way we look at it, we are still in communication with our Father reguardless and thats what matters most.

God bless!

Love u sylvia!
Jill