Happy 4th of July!!!

USA-FlagAs you celebrate our great history of liberty in these United States, take a moment also to pray for our country — and her citizens.

“I apprehend no danger to our country from a foreign foe . . . Our destruction, should it come at all, will be from another quarter. From the inattention of the people to the concerns of their government, from their carelessness and negligence, I must confess that I do apprehend some danger. I fear that they may place too implicit a confidence in their public servants, and fail properly to scrutinize their conduct; that in this way they may be made the dupes of designing men, and become the instruments of their own undoing. Make them intelligent, and they will be vigilant; give them the means of detecting the wrong, and they will apply the remedy.” — patriot Daniel Webster

Helplessness on its knees

At the wedding in Cana of Galilee, Mary came to her son, Jesus, and said “They have no wine” (Matt. 2:3). This is one of the simplest and best examples of prayer.

“Prayer is bringing your helplessness to Jesus” says Paul E. Miller in his new book, A Praying Life, Connecting with God in a Distracting World. He goes on to say this…

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Throughout the book of John we see people coming to Jesus because of their helplessness. The Samaritan woman has no water (John 4). Later in that same chapter, the official’s son has no health. The crippled man by the pool of Bethesda has no help to get into the water (John 5). The crowd has no bread (John 6). The blind man has no sight (John 9). And finally, Lazarus has no life (John 11).

…We forget that helplessness is how the Christian life works.
(p. 55)

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