16. Eph. 1:16 Prayers Particulars part 16 

  Captivate in a Mark of Perpetual Contemplation

      Prayers method v.16 

Assertive                        making mention 

This phrase “making mention,” is an interesting suggestive implication to what I find myself doing a lot.  I suppose I’ve demonstrated more and more assertive tendencies over the last 10 months.

Now a new door is opening up, after a visit to my Doctor, I’m going to be released back to work, and I feel alert to a variety of changes that are on the immediate horizon.

When I think about shouldering a new obligation, I don’t know how it’s going too play out.  I’ve had some very special freedoms over the last ten months.  It wasn’t the path I chose to walk on, but was a road, which was pre- determined for me, by someone else, who ran me off the road, while I slept in a truck sleeper.

That little explosion of occurrences introduced me to some discomfort.  I’ve tried to regain some comfort and relief from a variety of things and people.

It’s natural to look for help in the world around us.  I concentrated a lot of my new direction from the care of three physicians.  Each of them had a set of methods that were used for relief.

I tried to jump, with some deeper energy into writing, journaling, and prayer.  I wanted to see if I could kick-start my understanding of the Great Physician, and transform the inside of my life while the outside was not all that comfortable.

It’s hard to self assess my progress both physically and spiritually.  The physical is the body pain, the ability to get comfortable and sleep for some rejuvenating.

The spiritual side of things is the emotional, psychological and relational side of life.  I wanted very much to experience a deeper touch with God, and deeper relating with my new wife, and my children, grandchildren, and other loved ones.

I’m looking back over the last 10 months with some deep pathos, wishing I could have plugged into these opportunities more.

I’m still wanting, even more, with this new turn in the path of my life, too know how to fulfill my responsibilities.  I think, I hear the call of God better, and clearer, but then again I know so little, and yet I’m passionate to learn and know.   So I “make mention” and try to trap what I’m feeling with the Lord.

“Making,” means to bring about, to produce to accomplish, to construct with intent.

“Mention,” is the Greek word for memory, remembrance and reminiscence.  It’s the thought of being mindful, thoughtful, alert and attentive.

This, in context, of the book of Ephesians, is the thought of assertiveness in prayer, as we step out in discussions with God about our and others needs.

Jesus calls out to our feelings asking us to make our praying, a firm confidence, a poised of assurance, and a buoyancy of reliance and dependence.

“Making mention,” lends to an interactive communication, between us, and the Lord, where we are doing just that, being thoughtful and filling our minds with others heart needs and feelings.

We make remarks about everything that’s happening around us, of all that comes our way, and by incorporating the Lord in our observations and comments; we grow in our walk with Jesus.

To the degree, that we are continuously practicing His presence, allowing our thoughts to rehearse others concerns, talking over the details with God, we are asking the Lord too construct and increase our faith.

We shouldn’t worry over our lack of prayer, for there are no failures in prayer.  We need to just be “making mention.”

We want to avoid bogging down in religious prayers, and pious attempts at praying, and just allow what we usually are good at when things aren’t agreeable, and I’m very polished at objecting to things.

We all have a large capacity too complain, grumbling is an asset in praying, so this is an opportunity at being proficient protesters.  Instead of nitpicking at those that can’t change our problems, we bring our carping to God, who has the power to transform everything.

I find it intensely motivating to see the yearning, attentive heart of Jesus, in imploring us to ask Him about everything, and seek His involvement.

The ambition that David urges in Psalm 1 is what I view as extreme thinking.  He presses what appears to be an impossible task.  He demands that we immerse ourselves in God’s voice constantly (day & night)

Now meditation can be rendered imagination, it’s us listening to the Lord’s voice through His written word, then interacting and talking back to Him.

It’s more then mental imaging; it’s our spirit and God’s Spirit, interacting, by the means of our inner thoughts, and the Spirit’s collaboration around God’s Word.

What David implores; isn’t legalistic nonsense when he prescribed meditating on the Law day and night. Jesus is our Law.  He lived the Law perfectly, achieved all the laws demand.  To think over the law of God continuously is to engross our thought engagement with Jesus.

He is the completion and fulfillment of the Law.  When He’s the light of our heart, the Spirit lifts out meaning from His Word about Him, and carries our desires toward Him.

Christ is to be seen and enjoyed in all His richness, from in His Word.  Meditating is a passion of values. We’re actually imagining constantly, and we’ve been warned to not let our imagination go wild on one thing or another.

We should allow our imagination to go wild about Jesus.  That is the meditation that has eternal appeal and is worthy of our thought day and night.  It’s thinking deeply, musing, and reflecting with deliberation.

We do that all the time; none of us are shallow thinkers, for we’re contemplating stuff every moment.  But too fix our mind on shallow things, that’s where the waste is made.  We should target our imagination on the depths of God. Then we can make mention of what He touches our heart and mind with about others and their true needs.