THE LORD'S PRAYER

Our Father, who art in heaven,
Hallowed be thy Name.
Thy kingdom come.
Thy will be done,
On earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our trespasses,
As we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation,
But deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom,
and the power,
and the glory,
for ever and ever.
AMEN.

Family time is the time God gives parents to nurture, teach and enjoy their children as they mature into young adults. As such, it is limited, irreplaceable and priceless. 
 

Scriptures
"And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes;there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away."
- John, describing heaven (Revelation 21:4)

"For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him."
- John, with the best news ever told! (John 3:16-17)

"I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you with Me so that you also may be where I am."
- Jesus, promising to return for His followers (John 14:2-3)

"I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through Me" 
- Jesus, claiming to be the Truth (John 14:6) 
 

 

Do you remember a time when you were closer to God than you are now? Do you remember a time when you were right up there in God's face? What happened to cause a gulf between you and God? If you are not in God's face now as you used to be, it is because one of you moved? Surely, it wasn't God. He is where He has always been, and He longs for you to be with Him again . . . right up there in His face.

Perhaps you are at the point in your life when you are saying like David, "How long, O Lord? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me? " (Psalm 13:1) If that is the case, know that God has not hidden His face from you. You are still the "apple of His eye." (Psalm 17:8) However, you feel disconnected from Him because you have allowed something or someone to distract you, and your eyes are no longer focused on the face of God.

What can we do to get back in God's face or to get in God's face if we've never been there before? First of all, let's admit that we are not as close to God as we should be. Then let's be diligent about applying the spiritual disciplines to our lives. What are the spiritual disciplines? 
-- Praying without ceasing. (1 Thessalonians 5:17)
-- Praising and Worshipping God for who He is. (Psalm 146-150)
-- Thanking God for what He has done and for what He will do .(Psalm 100)
-- Reading and Studying God's word. (2 Timothy 2:15)
-- Meditating on God's word night and day. (Joshua 1:8)
-- Fasting to hear from God and to let Him know we are serious. (Isaiah 58)
-- Confessing the sin that caused the chasm between us and God. (1 John 1:9)
-- Obeying God's word. (James 1:22)

Notice eight spiritual disciplines are listed above. Eight is the number of new beginnings. We can begin again when we apply ALL eight disciplines consistently. Then and only then will we be able to walk across the bridge through Jesus Christ and be back in God's face in no time at all. And "God will be merciful to us and bless us and cause His face to shine upon us."

 

In God's Face
As for me, I will see your face in righteousness; I shall be satisfied when I awake in your likeness. (Psalm 17:15)