Prayers and Lessons

I haven't really posted about any resolutions for 2012.  There are not too many things I want to do this year.  OK, that's a lie, there's a ton of stuff I want to do.  This is one of the most important things.

I want to learn a new Bible verse every month.

Now when I say "learn" I don't just mean memorize the words.  I want to write those words on my heart.  I want to dissect the verse and truly get to the bottom of what God is saying to me through that verse.

January's verses are Romans 8:38-39

"For I am convinced that neither death nor life; neither angels nor demons; neither present nor future nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation shall separate us from the love of God through Jesus Christ our Lord."

Now I'll admit that I wrote that by heart and them immediately checked You Version.  I left out the part of "nor anything else in all creation".  I'm still getting there.

The part that hooked me today is that God never mentions the past.  He states that "neither present nor future" will separate us but the past is not in there.  One could argue that the past is lumped in there with anything in all creation...but God is specific in His words.

I guess the reason this caught my attention was because there are still parts of my past that I haven't settled.  There are people that I still have to wake up and daily ask God to put forgiveness in my heart for them.  There are choices that I made that still shame me.  There are people I pray over only because God puts them on my heart and I know that I'm supposed to do what He tells me to do.  Before I pray, I ask him to search my heart for Black Spots and cleanse me.  Then I ask Him to only let me pray with a clean heart.  Sometimes it takes a long time.  He brings up people that have hurt me.  He brings up someone that I used to call my best friend until they cut me out of their life.  He brings up people whose lifestyles I don't think are Godly.

Then He always reminds me that I'm not perfect.  I still make mistake after mistake.  However, just as He promises in Romans, because of the decision I made when I was 10 then I will never again be separated from the love of God.  He reminds me that these people need these prayers.  They need to know His love.  They need His conviction.

So I pray.  First for cleansing and then for whoever God brings to my heart.

Because I am convinced.