I would like to share with you some thoughts on prayer and a few meaningful scriptures that have impacted my life over this past month. First, Mark 2 begins with the story of Jesus in a home surrounded by crowds of people. They are all there hearing him preach the words of God, when four friends crash theparty by ripping a hole in the roof and lowering their paralytic friend down in front of Jesus.

“Do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven” (Luke 10:20 NIV).

Jesus’ words to the seventy two are shocking. They had come back with joy, celebrating that God was using them to break the devil’s hold on people’s lives (Luke 10:17). Indeed, Jesus said to them, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven” (Luke 10:18 NIV). But this isn’t the main thing for Jesus.

I believe we all chose our friends, those we like to be with, because we have something in common with them. It may be an interest in sports, it may be work related, it may be any number of things, but you have to admit, that friendship are almost always based on some sort of commonality.

It is also generally true that it is this kind of person we invite into our clubs, our associations and yes, even into our churches. After all, we feel more comfortable being among good folks like ourselves. Seldom, if ever do we associate with what we, or others, call“riffraff” or “sinners.”

“Don’t you realize that in a race everyone runs, but only one person gets the prize? So run to win! All athletes are disciplined in their training. They do it to win a prize that will fade away, but we do it for an eternal prize. So I run with purpose in every step. I am not just shadowboxing. I discipline my body like an athlete, training it to do what it should. Otherwise, I fear that after preaching to others I myself might be disqualified” (1 Cor. 9:24-27, NLT).