pray

Enemies

/ Mark Brady / Leave a comment
Image by Diana Tobón from Pixabay

The last few nights, I have had dreams that included a person who was so unfair and mean to me that I had hoped I would never see them again. They probably wanted me dead. Not because of who I was, but because of Christ who dwelleth in me. I do my best to live my faith out loud. Ya know? They might have been part of the inspiration behind my novel, Kill the Preacher Man. (Available on my website, bradymarka.com.)

After I woke up this morning and had another one, I asked God, “Why?” He quickly whispered, “I want you to pray for them.” It is part of my spiritual practice to pray for people when I think of them. Especially ones thought of out of the blue. Honestly, I would rather not pray for this person, but I can’t ignore what God told me to do. I must obey.

This person’s sisters once told me that their mother took them to church regularly. That told me they knew of God. The problem is they are striving like crazy to do life their way, but it isn’t working, and they are extremely angry about that. So you see, they weren’t warring with me but God.

27 “But I say to you who hear, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, 28 bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you. Luke 6:27-28 (ESV)

“So, God, I pray for the individual you have brought to my mind. I pray that they stop resisting your love and they run into your waiting arms. Help them, Father, to know your forgiveness is waiting for them. Give them the strength to believe you and to stop listening to the lies of the devil. May they find the people you have put in their life, and may those people help them to get back into a Bible-preaching, love-flowing church. Thank you, God. Amen.”

Copyright © 2024 Mark Brady  All Rights Reserved

People Landmines

/ Mark Brady / Leave a comment
Photo by: Tumisu via Pixabay

I don’t like them in the rain. I don’t like them on a train. I wouldn’t like them if they had a fox. I wouldn’t like them in a box. I don’t like them at all, Cam. I don’t like them, Sam, I am! (Thank you, Dr. Seuss, for the inspiration.)

Life can be challenging without them, so what are we to do with our enemies? The ones whose lives, how they live and act, we can’t stand. The ones we should be able to be around in peace and safety, but their words or actions hurt us anyway, usually when we least expect it. They attack us. And sometimes, these are the ones we share blood with. How should we respond?

“You’re familiar with the old written law, ‘Love your friend,’ and its unwritten companion, ‘Hate your enemy.’ I’m challenging that. I’m telling you to love your enemies. Let them bring out the best in you, not the worst. When someone gives you a hard time, respond with the supple moves of prayer, for then you are working out of your true selves, your God-created selves. This is what God does. He gives his best—the sun to warm and the rain to nourish—to everyone, regardless: the good and bad, the nice and nasty. If all you do is love the lovable, do you expect a bonus? Anybody can do that. If you simply say hello to those who greet you, do you expect a medal? Any run-of-the-mill sinner does that. Mat. 5:43-47 (MSG)

God’s word instructs us to pray for them. That can be hard to do, especially when we want to fight back. When we want to get revenge on them, God says it is his. Honestly, getting even doesn’t do anything but make matters worse.

Don’t hit back; discover beauty in everyone. If you’ve got it in you, get along with everybody. Don’t insist on getting even; that’s not for you to do. “I’ll do the judging,” says God. “I’ll take care of it.” Rom. 12:17-19 (MSG)

I have written about revenge before. (Have You Considered? ) In a nutshell, when God gets revenge on someone who has hurt us, He slowly removes his hand from their life. His hand protects from the devil. He does this in hopes that it will move them to Him and not further from Him, like Job in the book of Job. If an enemy accepts God and His love, they might begin to act like Him. They might start acting in love.

Praying for your enemy will help you put things in perspective, and it also helps adjust your attitude toward them as well. Giving the hurt and pain to God is the best place for it. He will deliver you, and before you know it, you will be eating a six-course meal in front of them. (Psalms 23:5 MSG)

Copyright © 2023 Mark Brady.

Clutter? Or Clean?

/ Mark Brady / 7 Comments
Photo by: cottonbro

Is there any correlation between a clean house and a clean spiritual life? Is someone who is too busy, too lazy, or too distracted by life to pick up the place where they live also due to that stuff challenged to pick up the mess in their life with God? I would dare say, “yes.”

I’ll share a truth with ya; if people enter your home and don’t see clutter, they tend to think your house is clean, even if it isn’t, but if they see a mess everywhere, they will sense your home is dirty.

Keeping a house clean is a constant job. There are no days off, vacations, or holidays. The same goes for maintaining your spiritual life with God. I learned from my parents to look around whenever moving about the house and to pick up something out of place and return it. I also learned to put things up as soon as you finish with them. I understand that living with others who do not share your desire to keep items picked up can make your job more difficult.

So how does all of this relate to your spiritual life? Keeping on top of your relationship with God takes desire, time, and effort. You have to make a mental decision to make it a priority. Even when there are things in life that are begging for your attention. Yes, you may be tired, have distractions, hardships, financial pressure, or have relationship struggles, but you still need to make time to spend with God. In fact, if you have anything from that list going on, you would be crazy not to go to God and take it with you to turn all of it to him.

15 But the news about him spread even more, and large crowds were gathering together to hear him and to be healed of their illnesses. 16 Yet Jesus himself frequently withdrew to the wilderness and prayed.
Luke 5:15-16 (NET)

Sometimes you can’t get to the house, but don’t let anything keep you from your time with your heavenly Father. Take the example of Jesus himself. He knew how important it was to spend time with his heavenly Father. Doing so keeps your mind and heart clear, clean, and uncluttered.

Copyright © 2022 Mark Brady. All rights reserved.

How do You Measure it?

/ Mark Brady / 2 Comments

Growing up, a lot of children’s parents mark their bedroom door jambs and date it as to how tall their child is. This is a way to measure their physical growth. A child’s maturity growth is measured by the fact that they can make sound decisions in life situations. But how does one measure spiritual growth? Paul gives us the answer:

“However, brothers and sisters, I could not talk to you as to spiritual people, but [only] as to worldly people [dominated by human nature], mere infants [in the new life] in Christ! 2 I fed you with milk, not solid food; for you were not yet able to receive it. Even now you are still not ready. 3 You are still worldly [controlled by ordinary impulses, the sinful capacity]. For as long as there is jealousy and strife and discord among you, are you not unspiritual, and are you not walking like ordinary men [unchanged by faith]?” 1 Cor. 3:1-3 (AMP)

In other words, one displays spiritual maturity in Christ Jesus when they react to world situations and relationships the way Jesus would. And that is with one or more of the fruits of the Spirit. You know them; love, joy, peace, kindness, longsuffering, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.

I like how Paul says, “unchanged by faith”. When you have known someone for a while who you know claims to be a Christian, a Christ-follower, and you have yet to see spiritual growth in them, then you know for sure that their faith in God has not changed them. Most likely, they are not reading their Bible, talking to God other than to make a request for something, and while in the church are probably making out their shopping list!

A true, mature, developed, and strong relationship with God will change us. Why? Because we see, feel, and experience his love and we begin to desire to imitate his character in our own lives. It’s all part of being made in his image.

Copyright © 2022 Mark Brady.  All rights reserved.

“Roger That”

/ Mark Brady / Leave a comment

Friends and family members of, Thomas Edward hear back from him within minutes of reaching out via a text message, or a phone call.  That is, when he is not performing his duties.  Thomas values people, and he values relationships as well.  Acknowledging someone, within a reasonable amount of time, is a special quality of a person with integrity.  Even if that response is something along the line of, “I’ll get back to you later.”

People want to know they have been heard.  They like to know their need, their bad news, or good news has been received, and the best way to affirm them is by acknowledging their voice.

The same seems to go when we pray to God, and when we don’t see some action we begin to question if He even heard us.  I assure you, He did.

16 But as for me, I will call upon the Lord to save me, and I know he will!
17 Every evening I will explain my need to him.
    Every morning I will move my soul toward him.
    Every waking hour I will worship only him,
    and he will hear and respond to my cry.  Psalms 55:16-17 (TPT)

There was one true story where Jesus’ friend Lazarus was very ill.  People came to Jesus and asked him to come heal him.  Jesus didn’t go immediately, but instead waited four more days.  When Jesus arrived his family told him it was too late, Lazarus was dead.  They knew and believed Jesus could do something while he was still alive, but now?

As difficult as it may have been on Jesus, he waited till Lazarus had died to show that the son of God had power even over death.  He did this so when He himself would come back from the dead it would be easier to believe.

So we may not know why, or understand why God doesn’t do what we need instantly, but rest assured, He does.

Oh!  Thomas Edward is no other than Thomas Edward Patrick Brady, Jr.  Also known as, Tom Brady.  The seven time winning, Super Bowl quarterback, in the NFL.  Now if he has time to acknowledge others then what is your excuse?

Copyright © 2021 Mark Brady.  All rights reserved.