Fish Don’t Climb Trees (Challenge Post)

“Three Days, Three Quotes Challenge” #1

I have been nominated by my dear friend S.M., over at Second Time Blogger for this challenge. Thank you so much for that nomination 🙂 You know I love stuff like this, don’t you? 🙂

I’ve always been a fan of great quotes, and I use them quite frequently, sometimes to drive home a point, and sometimes just because they are inspiring and beautiful. Quotes are a great way to do those things.

So today, for my first day of the challenge, my quote is….

Everyone is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid ~ Albert Einstein

I love this quote in particular, because it speaks volumes in so few words. It’s especially important for young people today, who are caught in a society that teaches that it’s best to be like everyone else. But it’s not.

It’s not even “okay” to be like everyone else. YOU are the only YOU that God created, with your own skill set, your own gifts and callings, your own special traits and your own reflection of Him. The Bible even speaks specifically about this…

1 Corinthians 12: 14-17 … ¹⁴ For the body is not one member, but many. ¹⁵ If the foot shall say, Because I am not the hand, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body? ¹⁶ And if the ear shall say, Because I am not the eye, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body? ¹⁷ If the whole body were an eye, where were the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where were the smelling?

 

I do believe, with all my heart, this is one of the reasons the suicide rate is so high. Along with everything else that people have to go through in this world, they don’t see themselves as important or worthy, they seem to have the thought that “no one will miss me” or “someone will come along, just like me, to replace me, so, no loss”. They may not think those exact thoughts, but the basis is there.

So in closing, just hear me when I say this: if you’re a fish, you DO NOT HAVE TO CLIMB THAT TREE! Swim like the you are the only fish in the ocean! Because you were known before you were knit together in your mother’s womb (Jeremiah 1:5), and you are the only you there will ever be.

And that’s okay.

Now the rules of this challenge are as follows:

1. Post 3 quotes for 3 days.
2. Nominate 3 people each day, with no repeats.
3. Thank the person who nominated you.
4. Inform the nominees.

So my nominees for today are:

• Rachel from the obligatory eccentric
• Renae from Reflections of Life!
• Pete from Awethentiq

I hope you guys have fun with it 🙂

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A Few Notes On Prayer

I have had prayer on my mind, as it so often is, for days and days now. The enemy constantly tries to make me feel as if my prayers are no good, that they aren’t getting anywhere and that they make no sense to God.

May I just say that the enemy is a liar? Because I DO say that quite often 🙂

So I sat down here tonight, which is usually my bedtime, and decided to do some looking. I compiled a few notes on prayer from the New Testament. I’m not purposely neglecting the Old Testament, but right now, my focus is on what Jesus thought about it and how his followers carried it on. I think that is an important place to start, since we are under grace and not under law (another blog post for another time, if you like)

Pray for those that despitefully use and persecute you. (Matt. 5:44) (Luke 6:28)

Don’t pray like a hypocrite, to be seen by men (Matt. 6:5)

When you pray, enter into your closet and shut the door (Matt. 6:6)

When you pray, don’t use vain repetitions (Matt. 6:7)

Some things don’t happen without prayer AND fasting (Matt. 17:21) (Mark 9:29)

Whatever you ask in prayer, IF YOU BELIEVE, you will have it. (Matt. 21:22) (Mark 11/;24)

When you pray, forgive anyone you have anything against, so God can forgive you (Mark 11:25)

Should a woman pray uncovered? (1 Cor. 11:13)

Your spirit can pray in an unknown tongue (1 Cor. 14:14)

Pray about everything. (Philippians 4:6)

Pray without ceasing (1 Thess. 5:17)

Everyone should pray, without anger or doubting (1 Tim. 2:8)

If you are afflicted, pray! (James 5:13)

If you are sick, call for the elders of the church to pray and anoint with oil (James 5:14)

The prayer of faith will save the sick and cause sins to be forgiven (James 5:15)

Husbands, give honor to your wives, as the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of live, so your prayers are not hindered (1 Peter 3:7)

The Lord’s ears are open to the prayers of the righteous, but He is against those that do evil (1 Peter 3:12)

Pray in the Holy Ghost (Jude 1:20)

Prayer is often accompanied by fasting…

Luke 2:37

And she was a widow of about fourscore and four years, which departed not from the temple, but served God with fastings and prayers night and day.

Luke 5:33

And they said unto him, Why do the disciples of John fast often, and make prayers, and likewise the disciples of the Pharisees; but thine eat and drink?

Acts 10:30

And Cornelius said, Four days ago I was fasting until this hour; and at the ninth hour I prayed in my house, and, behold, a man stood before me in bright clothing,

Acts 13:3

And when they had fasted and prayed, and laid their hands on them, they sent them away.

Acts 14:23

And when they had ordained them elders in every church, and had prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord, on whom they believed.

1 Corinthians 7:5

Defraud ye not one the other, except it be with consent for a time, that ye may give yourselves to fasting and prayer; and come together again, that Satan tempt you not for your incontinency.

I only posted the one verse for each example, but I encourage you to read them in context and pray and let them become real to you. Many people try to say that fasting is not pertinent anymore, but I don’t believe that is so, otherwise there wouldn’t have been mention of it in the Scripture like this. The Bible tells us that if all the deeds of Jesus were recorded the world would not be able to contain the volumes it would amount to, so if something “made the cut” so to speak, then don’t you think we should pay attention to it? I do!

 

John 20:30-31 … ³⁰ And many other signs truly did Jesus in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book: ³¹ But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name.

John 21:25 … ²⁵ And there are also many other things which Jesus did, the which, if they should be written every one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that should be written. Amen.

This was just some rambling thoughts that I had to get down tonight. Please, feel free to add thoughts and Scripture in the comments. If need be, this can turn into a series, but it’s something I just desire to know so much more about. I’ll be studying on it.