JanMary

Q3. (Matthew 26:53) Why did Jesus not call on the heavenly host in the Garden of Gethsemane? This battle was for all the ages and for eternal life for all believers...and it had to be fought alone to the death and the shedding of His sinless precious blood. Calling the heavenly host would have thwarted the Divine plan to save me. What happens when does he does call on the heavenly hosts? (Revelation 19:11-16) When He calls them they come quickly to do His bidding. I guess troops here could be angels but my understanding is that those on the white horses are the saints following Him back to earth for the millennium (It says in v.17 Then I saw a single angel stationed in the sun's light and with a mighty voice he shouted to all the birds to gather to feast on the flesh of those killed in the battle at Armageddon.) No matter though....whenever He summons the host of heaven they come and do His bidding.

Q2. (2 Kings 6:13-17) Why was Elisha's servant afraid? He saw only the huge army surrounding the city when he went out in the morning. What was the difference between Elisha and his servant? His servant was limited by having only human sight and wisdom, while Elisha could see into the spiritual realm. What does it take for our eyes to be opened? The desire to SEE, and prayer to have our spiritual eyes opened. The Lord opened his eyes so that he could see God's host and fire surrounding them...greater than the army threatening them. How can 1 John 4:4 strengthen you in your spiritual battle? To remember that God is for me, and lives in me and is greater than any enemy I face. He promises that I have already defeated and overcome Satan and his workers..demonic or human, through the blood of Jesus. Jesus is the Mighty Warrior, the Lord of the host of Heaven with drawn sword.....I LOVE that promise, and the knowledge that He fights for me.

Q3. Do you think Abraham's boldness pleased God? Absolutely, I do. Why or why not? If He wasn't pleased, He would not have continued to dialogue with Abraham...would have shut him down with an explanation and ended the conversation. It reminds me of the conversation Jesus had with the Mother who kept seeking deliverance for her demoniac daughter, pleading, "even the puppies get the scraps under the table"...He was actually drawing her faith to a higher level through their conversation. What might cause God to take delight in your prayers to him? His Word says He delights in those things done in faith. He encourages me to keep asking, seeking, and knocking....to be persistent and to persevere in prayer. The saints of old called it "Praying through", until we receive an answer. Abraham's persistence was based in love and duty toward Lot, and God's Word tells me that all I do "should be done in love"...which should be the basis of my prayer for others. In Mt. 6 He says to pray in secret, not for show, and to avoid the wordy, repetitive phrases used by unbelievers who lack faith, believing they'll be heard for their "much speaking". In Mt.5, He tells me to love my enemies and to pray for those who persecute me. Some of my most intimate moments with the Lord have come through confession of sin and repentance, and through gut honesty about what's going on in my heart and emotions. I've sensed His pleasure and approval especially during those "wrestling" prayer times. I would sum it up by saying, any prayer which reflects God's heart will please Him.

Q2. How did Abraham demonstrate his humility before God? Though he was bold in continuing to stand before the Lord as the 2 angels departed for Sodom, He spoke respectfully, acknowledging his status before God: 'I who am but dust and ashes....Oh let not the Lord be angry"....Abraham was letting God know that he recognized God's power and authority as his creator. He "reasoned and pled" rather than ordering God to do his bidding. He stayed in the boundaries of intercessor. Why must boldness be tempered with humility? Boldness without humility is disrespectful and arrogant, and shows ignorance in the knowledge of Who God is....It places the praying one above God in a demanding attitude, hinting at"superiority", rather than as a child dependant upon a Soverign Father.

Q1. What is the basis of Abraham's argument that God should spare Sodom? I believe Abraham was concerned for Lot and his family and felt his duty to protect his nephew. He said "Far be if from You to slay the righteous with the wicked!" He wanted God to spare Sodom based on the righteous who lived there. How does it relate to God's character? Abraham was appealing to God's justice and mercy to spare Sodom...concerned about God's reputation, just as Moses was when God spoke of destroying the Israelites, and he pled for a different outcome. He wanted God to judge "fairly" according to His character, and to spare the righteous from destruction.

Q1. (Joshua 5:13-15) Why did the Commander say he was on neither side? He was for God's purpose. Israel's army must be seeking God's cause, not trying to enlist God in Israel's purpose. What is the significance of this? The Commander was revealing to Joshua that He is God, in a similar way to how He revealed Himself to Moses in the burning bush (take off your shoes..for the place where you stand is holy.) What did Joshua feel like during this encounter? It seems to indicate a lack of fear or recognition of God's presence, in that he walked up to him and asked whose side He was on...I get the idea that Joshua was feeling in command at that point. How did he feel after this encounter? Reverential fear and awe, humility, submission....He fell on his face and worshiped and said to Him now that he recognized the Lord : "What says my Lord to His servant?"

Q4. Meditate on the titles "King of Glory" (Psalm 24:7-10) and "Father of glory" (Ephesians 1:17). What do they tell us about God? He is God, Ruler of all, Royal Sovereign above every "nation and kindred", V.8 "He is The Lord, strong and mighty in battle...He is the ultimate warrior...v.10: The Lord of hosts..He is King over all celestial and earthly creatures. All creation was created by His Hand, and is subject to His Authority. Eph. 1:17: He is God & Father of our Lord Jesus Christ....as the fount of all wisdom, He gives wisdom and revelation of Himself. We come to the Father through the Son, but no one comes to the Son unless the Father draws him/her. (The Perfect union of the Trinity draws those who will say "yes", to Him) How should they affect our attitudes as we worship God? As my God & Father He deserves my utmost honor, reverence and respect, and all of the joyful worship & praise I can offer in humility and love (even when it is a sacrificial offering due to illness, or crushing circumstances), because my will is subject to His in surrender. He calls me friend because I am in Christ, and deserves my loyalty as my only Sovereign. According to 2 Corinthians 3:18, how does God's glory come to fill our lives? Like caterpillars in metamorphosis, we are transformed from one degree of glory to another into His image, by the Holy Spirit, as we bask in, soak in, & apply the Word of God. This verse describes this process as "looking into the mirror and beholding His Glory" transfigures us into His very own image in ever increasing splendor which comes from the Lord Who is the Spirit. (As we spend more and more time in His Presence, we become like Him...what a great motivator to make sure He is my priority every day!)

Q3. Meditate on the phrase "High and Lofty One who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy...." (Isaiah 57:15, RSV). What do you learn about God from this phrase? I learn that He had no beginning and will have no end. He is eternal...has always been. (I love that I've been grafted into that never ending "circle" by the blood of Jesus...and will have no end) In v. 14 it says "Cast up, Cast up, prepare the way!" That reminded me that He not only LIVES in eternity, He inhabits the praises of His people, which draws Him into my presence as my praise and worship goes up to His throne. He's a relational God....not One Who remains aloof from His creation, but Who came in human form to redeem His lost creation...including me, Thank you Lord, I will praise You into eternity for saving me! High and Lofty One....He is the One true God, above all man made gods, above all of His created works, and beings, human and otherwise. He is Supreme, Exalted...ALL honor and glory and wealth and power and majesty are His....He is Sovereign, Perfect..not enough words to describe Him, which is as it should be...if I could adequately describe or define Him, He wouldn't be God! The dictionary says of lofty: "Towering, imposing height, elevated in character, rank, spirit, language". How should this affect your outlook on life, your way of conducting yourself? My outlook should be positive, even when I fail, because He lives in me, and has promised victory in the end. I'm cocooned in His love, He is always present, so I have nothing to fear..(Lord, help me to remember that in the face of threatening circumstances, before the knee jerk reaction to be afraid!) His power is there to live the life He's called me to live, and that's the way I should and want to live and conduct myself....to bring Him honor and glory. Short of that, when I fall, to repent quickly and to live in forgiveness, extending the same to those who offend or wound me.....and with the joy of knowing I have eternity to look forward to with Him!

Q2. Meditate on the title "Most High." What does it mean to you? Meditating on Most High God, has been wonderful...some of the thoughts I've had are: He is totally Supreme. Utmost Majesty. Sovereign over all creation...including the demonic realm which fears Him and is subject to Him. There is nothing and no one like Him. He is the Epitomy of all that is...created all that exists. He is my Sovereign and my Refuge. He overshadows me...is ever present, all knowing, all powerful, perfect, all wise. He's my Father, and I'm a child of the Most High God, created by His Hand for His pleasure...WOW. What privilege I've been called to. He's Self Existent....yet calls me His friend, and I'm in fellowship with Him..grafted into His holy family through Christ...It means that if I remember Who He Is, I'm as safe as a baby wrapped in a "snuggly" on His chest...totally loved, accepted, wanted, forgiven, His. It draws me into reverential and awe-filled worship and praise. How do you or will you incorporate it in your worship? I loved praising God as Most High, yesterday during worship at Church after thinking about this question for a couple of days....It "enlarged" my concept of Him...not that He can be enlarged, but in how I think of Him...as I worshipped Him as Most High God, my situations and problems shrank...and I knew that "all things are possible with God", in a fresh way. My esteem was lifted for belonging to Him, and my view of self was humbled as I saw Him as Most High God.The more I try to express, the more aware I am that He is beyond my words...He takes my breath away...

Q1. (Genesis 14:19, 20, 22) What did Abraham and Melchizedek seem to believe in common about God Most High? Melchizadek blessed Abraham by praying: Blessed, favored with blessings, made blissful, joyful be Abram, by God Most High, Possessor and Maker of Heaven and earth.....and blessed, praised and glorified be God Most High, Who has given your foes into your hand! (amplified) Abram had sworn to God that he would not take any of the spoils from the capture. (Implied, that he also believed God had given his foes into his hand) He called Him Lord, Most High God, Possessor and Maker of heaven and earth So they agreed: He is God Most High, Sovereign over the affairs of men, the only True God, Who is to be praised and glorified, Who is Creator and possessor of Heaven and earth, Who blesses, gives favor (as in the victory over the enemy) and Who is the source of joy. To say what they did, it's also implied that God is a personal God whom they knew and had communicated with and whom they respected and obeyed.

Hi everyone, My name is JanMary and this is my fourth study with Dr. Wilson....I started with the Beatitudes, and loved it so much I signed up for Hebrews, which was also amazing. A friend I met through the first study asked me to do Great Prayers of the Bible with her, which I'm really enjoying and I'm really looking forward to studying the Names and Titles of God with you, and with my dear friend Doris. Hi Doris!!!!! I'm married and have two grown children...a son and a daughter who live nearby in Northern California, in the San Francisco Bay Area. I'm writing a book about the Lord's amazing love and care for my family during a long period in the wilderness after catastrophic losses....He has provided and cared for every need. I'm excited to learn the names of God for many of the different aspects of Who He Is....and Who He has been to me during this painful season. I'm hungering and thirsting to know my Lord better, more fully...that's my goal for this study. In God's love, JanMary To anyone new to Dr. Wilson's study, you are in for a treat....WELCOME!

Q4. How can prayer change God's mind without conflicting with the doctrine of the Immutability of God? Immutability means that God's character, desire and purpose do not change...but His promises and judgments are conditional and may change. We find what His will is in His Word. I loved Dr. Wilson's explanation of God's will, as being like a wide river, and we can operate within the range of the river and still be in His will as long as we stay within the banks or boundaries. A change in man's behavior can bring about a change in God's judgment, but that doesn't mean He changed in purpose, desire or character. He may change His mind from judgment to mercy if there is repentance. I love knowing that God has boundaries, and that He never changes Who He Is. That's a very safe, secure place to be, not having to wonder how He's going to be today, like a dysfunctional parent, when I wake up. Can God answer a prayer for something outside of the scope of his will? I don't believe He will do that. That would violate His character or purpose, so I will say "no" He wouldn't. These were wonderful thought provoking questions, and I feel as if I know the Lord better for having done this lesson.

Q5. (Hebrews 13:16, 20-21) What are the actual requests being made of God in this great benediction? God is being asked to strengthen, complete, perfect and make me what I ought to be and to equip me with everything good that I may carry out His will, while He Himself works in me and accomplishes that which is pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ. What "pleases" God according to verses 16 and 20? That I am strengthened, perfected, mature, and what I ought to be in Him to carry out His will and His works....my surrendered life lived for Him and His glory. Why should we "make it our aim to please him" (2 Corinthians 5:9, NRSV)? I live to please Him because He shed His blood for me, and because He first loved me, I want to please Him, to return His love. This verse also speaks of "being absent from the body"....speaking of when I am in Heaven with Him and where I will be rewarded for the deeds done here through the power of the Holy Spirit. I want to lay my crown before Him filled with Jewels (or whatever), rather than to have nothing to show for my years here.

Q4. (Hebrews 13:15-16) Though the sacrifice for atonement have been completed in Christ, what kinds of sacrifices or offerings are Christians called upon to make? We are to offer up constantly and at all times to God a sacrifice of praise, which is the fruit of lips that thankfully acknowledge and confess and glorify His Name. We are exhorted to not neglect or forget to do kindness and good, to be generous and distribute and contribute to the needy of the church as embodiment and proof of fellowship....and to those outside the church as a witness to them of God's goodness. (offer up those spiritual sacrifices that are acceptable and pleasing to Him. I Peter 2:5) We are to dedicate our bodies, presenting all members and faculties as a living sacrifice, holy, devoted consecrated to God, which is pleasing to Him. Rom.12:1 What effect do these offerings have on God? These sacrifices please Him.

Q3. (Hebrews 13:8) What is the significance of this verse for the original readers? To the original readers, Jesus was the same now that He'd been resurrected and was in Heaven, as He'd been walking among them as their Messiah, on earth, and as He'd been before His incarnation. For you? Jesus is Almighty God, just as He was before His incarnation, and during His earthly life, death and resurrection and always will be. He has not changed....He is immutable. For understanding just who Jesus is? This verse declares the Sovereignty of Jesus Christ, the Messiah, Who is God. The second Person of the Trinity, who existed before the world was formed, came to earth and lived, died and was resurrected and is now seated at the right hand of the Father in Heaven. For believing in the power of God for today? Because He is unchanging, I can depend on His power that was manifested in creation, and while He was on earth...He has not changed, nor has His power diminished because He is invisble to me.

Q3. How can a wrong understanding of determinism and predestination keep us from the kind of gutsy prayer that Moses prayed? We will believe that everything is "fixed" and there is no point in praying anything except "Thy will be done". That kind of belief seems to me to eliminate the need to pray...which is unscriptural. We are exhorted to pray without ceasing.... What do you call a belief that our prayers make no difference to God's response? It is called determinism....predetermined...set in stone or predestination. "No need to pray because God knows the outcome, knows what you're going to do, so "Que sera sera" I'm so glad that isn't the case! It's true God has foreknowledge, and some things are predetermined, because of His foreknowlege, but it would be silly to exhort us to pray with no purpose....we'd be little more than preprogrammed puppets, and we're blessed with free will, and therefore our faith enters into our petitions.

Q2. (Hebrews 13:5-6) How can we recognize greed in ourselves? What will be the signs? It's a discontent with what we have. It manifests in envy, and jealousy over what others have that we don't. Greed for "more" becomes our focus in life, where our energy goes, what we think about more than anything else. What is the antidote for greed in our lives? Praying for contentment with what we have. Trusting God to provide what we need, when we need it. Focusing on The Lord, and our relationship with Him, trusting Him to develop our character, asking to be set free from the idoltry of "things". What would be the earmarks of a greed-free life? A contented, generous spirit, who loves God and people and uses things...not one who loves things, and uses people and tries to use God to get more than we need. If not money, what should be the basis of our security for the future? Money and things can disappear in an instant. I have experienced this...feeling secure in the ownership of our home, owning our own business, having money in the bank and things...then in less than a year, we had nothing but God. He is more than enough! He is eternal and has promised to meet our needs, and to never, no not ever leave us or forsake us. He is the only One who can provide security both now and in the future. He has met every need. Healed my greedy character and brought me to a place of contentment in what little I have. He is my healer, deliverer, my all. He is my security...all else is shifting sand. What promises do you find in verses 5 and 6? God Himself has said, I will not in any way fail you nor give you up nor leave you without support. I will not, I will not, I will not in any degree leave you helpless nor forsake nor let you down, relax My hold on you! Assuredly not! So we take comfort and are encouraged and confidently and boldly say, The Lord is my Helper; I will not be seized with alarm...I will not fear or dread or be terrified. What can man do to me?

Q2. What aspects of Moses' prayer of intercession should we emulate in our own prayers? His appeal to God's mercy, and bringing the covenant promises God had made to His attention. (He hasn't forgotten His promises....it's for my benefit...a challenge to my faith to stand on His Word) Upon what logical grounds does Moses offer this bold appeal to God? He uses God's reputation to the surrounding peoples, and God's promises to His own people as a bargaining chip. Moses appealed to God's Mercy to outweigh His Justice. What do you think it means to "pray the promises of God"? All that God does, is accomplished through His spoken Word. When I pray the promises of God, I speak what He has said, back to Him. I'm repeating what He has declared IS, though unseen as yet to me, rather than talking about the circumstances I find myself in. This activates my faith in Him and His Power and Might, rather than focusing on how big the problem appears to be, and invites Him to work on behalf of my prayers of faith. It's partnering with God to accomplish His Will on earth as it is in Heaven. How does knowing the Bible help you get your prayers answered? How does this help our prayers be within God's will? Knowing the Word, helps me to pray His Word back to Him, and He answers petitions prayed according to His Will....

Q1. (Hebrews 13:1-3) How do hospitality to strangers and visiting prisoners relate to brotherly love (philadelphia)? We're commanded to love others as Christ loves us. That would include strangers, prisoners, as well as our enemies! It was brotherly love (sisterly) which brought the gospel to me when I was a prisoner...of Satan and his kingdom. Where are you strong in brotherly love? It's easy to love those who love me, show kindness to me, family, people at church, or elsewhere. With the gift of evangelism, it's easy for me to feel the love of God for the unsaved and to share His love with them and to desire them to spend eternity in Heaven with Him and with the saints. Where are you weak? My weakness is in loving those who reject me, or mistreat me..... those one would expect would be easy to love because of family blood....certain family members. There is one who mistreats one of my brothers, who is "slow"....I have not been able to love her, except to pray for her salvation. I am able to be kind when I'm around her, but if I followed my emotions, I'd wring her neck or slap her upside the head! It's odd...I find it easier to love a person who doesn't know the Lord, because I understand that until they know Him, they have no love to give. But it's more difficult to love a believer who mistreats or rejects others, or even me, because I have a higher expectation of them since He lives in them. I used to love to entertain and to have people in our home. When we lost it all and went through homelessness, I lost the ability to do as we used to do. I've lost the confidence and the desire to be hospitable. I'm thankful for this question, because the Holy Spirit brought this to my attention, and I'm asking for this desire/gift to be restored!

Q1. Read Exodus 32:1-14. What had the people done that was so bad? They had rebelled against God, demanding that Aaron make them a visible god from their earrings, and then worshipped the golden calf he fashioned for them. They lavished the love, devotion and worship due their Creator, on a lifeless copy of something He created for them to eat! How can a loving God be angry? God's holiness cannot be separated from His anger over sin and rebellion. He is not a passive God who tolerates sin and rebellion....that's why I'm so thankful that Jesus saved my sinful stiff neck! Is God's sentence to destroy Israel and raise up a new nation through Moses justified? Yes, it was. His people had turned their backs and hearts against Him in favor of an idol to worship, even turning it into an orgy, in just a matter of days! Since Moses was from the Messianic line of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, God's promise to Israel would have been fulfilled. He'd already started over once with Noah when the sin of the world was intolerable to Him. This would have been an acceptable new beginning. In reading Isaiah this morning I was reminded of God's ultimate wrath against the sinful rebellion of His creation: "Behold the day of the Lord is coming! Fierce, with wrath and raging anger...to make the land and the whole earth a desolation and to destroy out of it its sinners. And I, the Lord, will punish the world for its evil, and the wicked for their guilt and iniquity; I will cause the arrogance of the proud to cease and will lay low the haughtiness of the terrible and the boasting of the violent and ruthless. I will make man more rare than fine gold, and mankind scarcer than the pure gold of Ophir. Therefore I will make the heavens tremble; and the earth shall be shaken out if its place at the wrath of the Lord of hosts in the day of His fierce anger. Isaiah 13:9,11-13 It's His creation and His patience will come to an end and finally a new beginning without the sinful rebellion of those who refuse His loving kindness and salvation.

Q4. Why should we continually ask forgiveness? When I was born again, I was washed completely of my sins. Asking for forgiveness daily, is the sponge bath for getting "dirty" in daily living...either by sins of commission or omission. Asking for forgiveness keeps me in humility, recognizing my falling short, and less likely to judge others failings or to be lifted up in self righteousness. How can unforgiveness on our part block God's blessing? Refusing to forgive can lead to bitterness and resentment...guilty conscience, and a "block" in our relationship with God. Jesus taught us to forgive as we've been forgiven. Stubborn refusal to forgive is disobedience, and disobedience brings separation and distance, which blocks blessing. It's been my experience that some things are tough to forgive...one betrayal took years to work through, but I kept asking for grace and help to forgive the betrayer. God is faithful! I'd learned in Bible study to just be willing and He would help me, and He has. He didn't withhold blessing, because this wasn't stubborn refusal. As in yesterday's question, this too brings dependence upon God, in order to be obedient. How can unforgiveness block God's forgiveness? Jesus said "If you do not forgive others their trespasses...their reckless and willful sins, leaving them, letting them go, and giving up resentment, neither will your Father forgive you your trespasses". He will forgive me in proportion to how I forgive others....I want to live in freedom and a "clean" life, free from barnacles and baggage clinging to me! (And Lord help me to not be "baggage or a barnacle" in others lives!)

Q3. Why do we seek to be independent of asking anyone for help? It's wired into us as a developmental stage to become independent from parents in order to grow up. But it's also our fallen nature...pride. (I did it, I earned it! etc.) We don't want to appear weak or needy as our culture stresses "Just do it! Don't let them see you sweat! Be strong and independent! Big guys/girls don't cry!" We don't want to be vulnerable. Why do we seek to be independent of God? That's what happened when Adam and Eve "fell" in the Garden. They chose to become independent from God and to "do their own thing". we were born with that fallen, independent sin nature. Why should we ask God to "give" us daily bread so long as we can earn a living for ourselves? As a believer, I'm given the opportunity to be Re-Parented by my Heavenly Father. Each day, I can choose to surrender to His will and plan, which includes learning to rely on Him in utter dependence. As I do, which includes asking for my daily needs to be met, my flesh is crucified, the pridefulness of SELF is replaced by Thanksgiving and Praise for my Father's love and care for me, and my knowledge of Him and appreciation for being His child grows. It's one of the wonderful ways I've come to love Him....as I have been homeless, penniless...totally stripped of home, car, goods, income, insurance, etc. As I learned to depend upon Him for all things, I've come to see Who He is and who I am. He is Almighty God, Creator of all things....I am dust..BUT with His Spirit within me to empower me to live this life of faith. I'm no longer in dire straits in the world's eyes, but I live in dependence because those things can be gone in a heartbeat of fire, earthquake, illness...whatever. It brings me joy to receive from His hand, even a latte or a rosebud as His love offering, which I used to take for granted as my due. Romans 11:36 Everything comes from God alone, everything lives by His power, everything exists for His glory! My next breath comes from His hand.....and everything else He gives to me!

Q2. In what sense are we asking that the Father's kingdom should come? We're asking His power and glory to be manifested in us and in the world as He intended before Adam and Eve fell and the Kingdom of God was delivered over to Satan. Why are we asking for the Father's will to be done here on earth? We're asking for Jesus to come and take up His throne on earth. For the earth to be established in His righteousness and peace, in submission to His will and His Lordship. How should this prayer affect our living? It should help me to remember I'm a pilgrim passing through this temporary wilderness on the way to my eternal home.. and that while I'm here, to live in such a way that my life draws others to Him and brings Him into my little corner of this earth.

Q1. What about our lives and words "hallows" the name of our Father? As a Christ-ian, I'm named with my Lord's Holy revered Name...how I live my life should reflect Him to others.(I'm his ambassador and what I give to others should be His love letter written on my heart of flesh, rather than on a heart of stone.) My words to others should also reflect Him as He is...my loving King, Lord, Savior, Father,(I love Abba...Daddy), Friend. (I look forward to being able to call Him Daddy....my Dad was violent and abusive, and he was never Daddy, but I'm working toward calling my Lord, Daddy) My words or prayers to Him should reflect His Holiness as my Sovereign, rather than my casual buddy, but also I honor Him with honesty and intimacy, as well as with my praise and worship. What desecrates and besmirches it? A life lived in unholiness, (sin), or to speak of Him as less than Who He is, or to use His name in cursing or casual speech as I hear young kids doing...(omigod...after every sentence). How should we "hallow" the Father when we begin to pray? By addressing Him with reverence, using His title...either as Father, or the familial, Daddy, but with respect and honor as is His due. To begin with praise and acknowledgment of awe & wonder honors or hallows Him....it also puts me in the right frame of mind to be addressing the creator of the universe!

Hi, My name is JanMary, I'm excited to be doing this study with all of you! It is my third study, and I've loved the two previous ones....The Sermon on the Mount, which was wonderful, and I'll be bouncing back and forth as I complete the last two weeks of the study on Hebrews....also inspiring and is just what I've needed for this season of my life....."perservering, enduring hardship as discipline, strengthening the wobbling knees,..." as my husband and I are hopefully preparing to come out of a very long and difficult wilderness. I'm really looking forward to studying and implementing what I learn in this study on prayer. We live in the Bay Area in Northern California, and have 2 grown children who live nearby...a daughter and a son...both still single. I'm writing a book about God's awesome care for us through this wilderness....and is another reason I so need to learn more about prayer!