Lubbock Prayer Luncheon Marks National Day of Prayer

Today is National Day of Prayer and Lubbock will celebrate with a luncheon today from 11:30am to 1pm at the Lubbock Memorial Civic Center.

Today is the first time a luncheon has been held to celebrate.  It has been a breakfast in years past.

It's also a time for us to come together as a nation to pray for our country, our leadership, our families and friends.

Today is a time to remember and to know for the first time, possibly,  that God loves us with a passionate, eternal love.  He is not mad at us.  Nothing we do or have done or will do comes as a surprise to Him.  He made us, He knows our shortcomings, frailties, hopes, fears, anxiety and turmoil.

We live in a beautiful world, but it is still full of hurt, danger, turmoil and sadness.  We need God.  The biggest lie is that God is a taskmaster ready to rap us on the head and tell us all the things we are doing wrong.  That could not be further from the truth.  God understands every situation we face.  He knows the end from the beginning.  He see the big picture, while we only see in part and His understanding is unfathomable.

I understand that we have free will and that allows us to believe what we want to and live as we wish.  So be it.  I will not ever try to "save" someone or force them to believe in God.  If you don't, then you don't.  That is absolutely your decision.

However, I do believe in God.  No one ever telling me I needed to believe in Him, caused me to believe.  In fact, just the opposite is true.  Whenever anyone approached me to talk about God or Jesus, the first thing I did was to think, 'What a freak', and turn in the opposite direction.

It was God, Himself who called me.  And He didn't do it by telling me what a horrible person I was or roll out a scroll with all my sins on it.  What did He say?  "I love you". That's it.  And that's all that was needed.  I had not ever in all my life felt so loved, so secure, so confident that Him telling me "I love you", meant it on levels I couldn't even comprehend.

In the years since that time, I have grown to experience God's truth, grace, healing, instruction, guidance and presence in my life every day.  The tenderness, compassion, understanding and grace of God are what changed me.  Not a speech from a pulpit about fire and brimstone.

So today, as you hear about the National Day of Prayer, will you consider these words?  God loves you.  He is not mad at you and He wants you to know that you are special to him.  A unique creation with a purpose that He created for only you to fulfill.

Jeremiah 29:11 says, "For I know the plans I have for you", declares the Lord. "Plans to prosper you and not to harm you.  To give you a hope and a future".

Matthew 11: 28-30 says "Come to me all you who are weary and burdened and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light".   I always feared the yoke and burden part until I realized that God himself carries our burdens, troubles, worries and pain if we will let Him.  He carries all that and us and protects us.

1 Peter 5:6-7 says, Humble yourself under God's mighty hand, that he may exalt you in due time.  Casting all your cares (worries, trouble, anxiety, fretting, anger, bitterness and confusion) on Him, because He cares for you".