done.

okay, i'm not really done (i do only have 31 days left, though!!!) but i am done for now. I have just come out of a really busy, stressful period of my life. this past week or so was the climax and i finished tonight. i just took a test in my kinetics class (designing reactors and stuff) and am declaring an official sabbath tomorrow. before this test, i had an interview in houston starting thursday and ending friday. and before that i had a massive design project for class that was due on thursday (we finished the report on wed. night for a total of 321 pages!!!). On top off that load, i found out that the world doesn't stop when you get bogged down... it just keeps on rolling.

looking back on it now, it seems like easy-peasy-lemon-squeezy...but it wasn't. I KNOW the only way I got through it was by the help of the Lord. I caught myself this weekend as I studied for this test asking repeatedly of God to give me grace. That was all that I prayed. I know some may think "oh that is so good that you realize your need, and don't just ask for a good grade!" well, that may have some truth, but it's wrong. b/c i took my eyes off God. i said that my needs were known by me, not by God. I said that i could choose what to pray for and God would have to listen. I never praised God. I always looked at my depravity and tried praying to my God. it didn't work. that's not how prayer works. prayer is not a time to have the God of the universe running around catering to your whims. It is connection with the almighty God of the universe made possible by the death and resurrection of the living Christ.

1 Corinthians says that we are the temple of God. The temple is where God's presence would settle and where God's people would go to meet with him. Well guess what? Now the place to go to meet with God is into the personal temple he has placed within ourselves, as believers. The Spirit of God dwells in us, that is where God has settled and where God has chosen to commune with each of us. That is prayer. Prayer is coming into the presence of an almighty God and being caught in awe of His glory. That doesn't mean we can't or shouldn't ask for things, that would be against the commands of the Bible. but that isn't the main point of prayer.

the main point, the reason God has instituted prayer is to meet with his people. That is what he wants. Lets serve God by meeting with him.