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Friday, February 19th – Jesus Is Praying for You!*

// February 19th, 2010 // 6 Comments » // LENT, Lent Devotional

John 17:9-19 (New Living Translation)
9 “My prayer is not for the world, but for those you have given me, because they belong to you. 10 All who are mine belong to you, and you have given them to me, so they bring me glory. 11 Now I am departing from the world; they are staying in this world, but I am coming to you. Holy Father, you have given me your name;[a] now protect them by the power of your name so that they will be united just as we are. 12 During my time here, I protected them by the power of the name you gave me. b I guarded them so that not one was lost, except the one headed for destruction, as the Scriptures foretold.
13 “Now I am coming to you. I told them many things while I was with them in this world so they would be filled with my joy. 14 I have given them your word. And the world hates them because they do not belong to the world, just as I do not belong to the world. 15 I’m not asking you to take them out of the world, but to keep them safe from the evil one. 16 They do not belong to this world any more than I do. 17 Make them holy by your truth; teach them your word, which is truth. 18 Just as you sent me into the world, I am sending them into the world. 19 And I give myself as a holy sacrifice for them so they can be made holy by your truth.

One of the greatest gifts given by God to God’s children is the gift of prayer. It seems rather peculiar that an all-wise, all-powerful, all-present God would have any particular interest in hearing the petitions of such weak, inconsistent and feeble-minded persons as ourselves. Nonetheless, God has great interest in our prayers, and God constantly desires to hear from us.

Possibly even more baffling is the witness of Scripture that declares that God prays to Godself for us. Is there any greater guarantee, any greater assurance known in all of creation than the fulfillment of prayers that God has prayed to Godself? God’s prayers are answered prayers!

In this text, we find Jesus praying for us. The magnitude of this statement is overwhelming – Jesus praying for us even as crucifixion was imminent. What is the content of Jesus’ prayer for us? It is for protection (protect them by the power of your name; keep them safe from the evil one). It is for unity among us (…protect them…so that they will be united just as we are). It is that we be made righteous (…Make them holy by your truth; teach them your word, which is truth).

As you walk through this Lenten season, do so with the confidence of knowing that the prayers that Jesus has prayed for you are guaranteed and assured. You are protected, you are safe – have no fear! We are one – one faith, one LORD, one baptism! And you have been made righteous through Jesus’ sacrifice.

Michael W. Waters
Dallas, Texas
www.joytabernacleame.org

*During Lent and Holy Week, devotional writings will be posted by Facebook and Twitter friends who are praying and fasting together in a Daniel Fast. Read more about this “Journey to the Heart of God by clicking here.

Nigerian Spinach Stew (or Soup)

// February 18th, 2010 // 2 Comments » // LENT, recipes

Just got a recipe from Minister Colette Walker! Enjoy:

Here’s a new recipe given to me by a friend who just returned from Nigeria in Janruary. I will be trying it very soon…maybe Sat!
“An old Auntie showed me how to make this so there are NO PRECISE measurements.”

Ingredients:
1 can of diced or pureed tomatoes
1 bag of baby spinach
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 small onion diced
1 medium carrot cut in very small pieces
1 teaspoon basil in olive oil
dried crushed red pepper to taste

1. Clean spinach – take off stems
2. Cut spinach in small pieces/slices (like you do collards)
3. place spinach in a large deep bowl
4. Pour boiling water over spinach cover let sit for 5 minutes.

In large pot
1. sautee onion with basil and garlic in olive oil
2. add tomatoes and cut carrot. Sautee until carrot is tender.
Taste then add salt or more hot pepper
3. Add spinach.
4. Taste

It’s done when the spinach is tender.

You can add more water to make it soupy or you can add less and just eat it like spinach and tomatoes. I use diced tomatoes when I want it as spinach and tomatoes. When making soup I puree the tomatoes like I’m making spagetti sauce.

Thursday, February 18th – PERSONAL PRAYER*

// February 18th, 2010 // 5 Comments » // LENT, Lent Devotional

John 17:1-8 (NRSV)

1After Jesus had spoken these words, he looked up to heaven and said, ‘Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son so that the Son may glorify you, 2since you have given him authority over all people, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him. 3And this is eternal life that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent. 4I glorified you on earth by finishing the work that you gave me to do. 5So now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had in your presence before the world existed. 6 ‘I have made your name known to those whom you gave me from the world. They were yours, and you gave them to me, and they have kept your word. 7Now they know that everything you have given me is from you; 8for the words that you gave to me I have given to them, and they have received them and know in truth that I came from you; and they have believed that you sent me.

Throughout your journey in life, you will set certain goals to achieve. While reaching those goals, not only will you need others to be by your side praying with and for you, but you will also need to stop and pray for yourself. In this scripture, Jesus recognized that it was time to give his Father a report of all that He had accomplished, the lives He had touched, and the places He traveled teaching people how to live for God. The first and most important factor to notice here is that He makes his prayer personal. He calls him, ‘Father.’ By calling him “Father,” it immediately raises the awareness that this relationship had already been established. You see, all of us have our birth given names, but our titles for one another describe the type of relationship we have with one another. A friend is described as a person attached to another by feelings of affection or personal regard. A brother or sister is described as being related by one or both parents, but one definition of a father is described as a protector. When Jesus calls out to his Father, God’s attention is draw closer to Him because He knows His child needs Him and desires to protect Him. When we make our prayer personal, we are tuning into that relationship we started with God to help us step over obstacles, reach higher goals and obtain an even higher level in our spiritual relationship. God then, can hear your heart’s desires and give you assurance that He is always with you. Today, when you pray, make it personal. Call Him as your father, your mother, your protector, your Savior, JESUS and He will hear your prayer.

Prayer: I call you Father, your name is Father, you are a Father to me! I call you Father, your name is Father! Father you are and Father you’ll be!

Rev. Orsella R. Cooper
Associate Minister
Bethel AME Church
110 Grove Street
Bridgeport, CT 06610

*During Lent and Holy Week, devotional writings will be posted by Facebook and Twitter friends who are praying and fasting together in a Daniel Fast. Read more about this “Journey to the Heart of God by clicking here.

Spicy Dhal w/ Tomatoes

// February 18th, 2010 // No Comments » // recipes

1 cup lentils or yellow split peas
2 ½ cups of water
¼ tsp ground turmeric
¼ tsp cumin seeds
¼ tsp mustard seeds
¼ crushed red pepper
2 tbs olive oil
1 cup chopped onion
1 tsp minced garlic
2 or 3 jalapeno peppers, split lengthwise (remove seeds if you wish)
1 cup chopped tomatoes, fresh or canned, drained
½ tsp salt
2 tbs chopped cilantro, optional

In a medium saucepan bring lentils (or yellow split peas), water, and turmeric to a boil; turn heat down, cover, and let simmer for about 30 minutes (45 for split peas), watching for spilling. (Remove cover to let bubbles subside if spilling occurs.)

While lentils/peas cook over medium-high heat, in a heavy covered saucepan, heat cumin seeds, mustard seeds, and crushed red pepper in oil until mustard seeds begin to pop. Turn heat down to medium, add onion, garlic, and green chilies, and fry for about 5 minutes until onion is soft.

Add the tomatoes and cook, stirring, until they are soft. Do not overcook; tomato pieces should hold their shape.

When lentils/peas are cooked and completely tender, mash with a potato masher or back of a spoon 6-8 times, to break up roughly. Add tomato and spice mixture, stir in salt, and bring to a boil. Simmer for 2 minutes, adding more water if necessary for a pourable consistency. Taste for salt.

Remove from heat and garnish with chopped cilantro.

Thanks to Rev. Karen McGhee for this recipe!

Black Bean Soup

// February 18th, 2010 // No Comments » // LENT, recipes

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 bay leaf
1 1/4 cups chopped onion
4 large garlic cloves, chopped
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme or 1 1/2 teaspoons dried
3 15-ounce cans black beans, drained, 1 cup liquid reserved
2 14 1/2-ounce cans low-salt vegetable broth
1 28-ounce can diced tomatoes in juice
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 1/2 teaspoons hot pepper sauce

Preparation
Heat bay leaf in oil in large pot over medium heat until bay leaf begins to brown. Add onion, garlic and thyme; sauté until onion is golden, about 8 minutes. Add beans, reserved 1 cup bean liquid, broth, tomatoes with juices, cumin and hot pepper sauce. Bring soup to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until flavors blend and soup thickens slightly, stirring occasionally, about 30 minutes.

Working in 2 batches, purée 2 1/2 cups soup in blender until smooth. Mix purée back into soup in pot. Season with salt and pepper. Ladle soup into bowls.

Thanks to Rev. Karen McGhee for this Recipe

Breakfast of Champions

// February 18th, 2010 // 1 Comment » // LENT, recipes

Thanks to Rev. Karen McGhee for this post!

Want to be adventuresome and try a different whole grain for breakfast.  Quinoa (pronounced Keen-wa), Amaranth, or Millet are great whole grains that can replace your morning oatmeal, grits, or cereal.  Quinoa is a traditional whole grain found in South America prized for its high mineral and fiber content as well as having a protein content equal to or higher than wheat.  Amaranth is a traditional African whole grain higher in protein than oats, wheat or rye.  Millet is a traditional Asian whole grain also rich in minerals having the same protein content as wheat.  Many grocers (Krogers, Costco, Ralphs, Trader Joes) carry quinoa.  Local health food stores as well as Whole Foods carry amaranth and millet.

These whole grains are gluten-free and cooked similarly to whole oats or grits.   Try topped with fresh/frozen berries,  almond milk and cinnamon, or nuts and raisins.

Healthy and Delicious Greens

// February 18th, 2010 // No Comments » // LENT, recipes

An alternative to cooking collards, kale, and turnip or mustard greens with pork or turkey is olive oil.  Try out the following recipe.

¼ cup of olive oil

2 bay leaves

1 or 2 dried hot peppers

1 large onion, chopped

2 cloves of garlic, chopped

1 tsp of baking soda  (greens keep their bright green color)

1 large bunch/1lb collards, kale or greens

Salt & pepper

Water

In a large pot heat hot peppers and bay leaves in olive oil over medium-high heat until bay leaves start to brown.  Add onion and garlic til they become soft. Stirring occasionally.  Next salt and pepper to taste.

Add enough water to cover onion and garlic.  Bring to a boil.  Sprinkle baking soda and stir.  Add greens.  Reduce heat to medium low, cooking til tender.  Stir from time to time.

(The above recipe works well for peas as well as beans.)

Thanks to Rev. Karen McGhee for this recipe!

Delicious Squash

// February 18th, 2010 // No Comments » // LENT, recipes

1 1b zucchini, quartered

1 1b yellow squash, quartered

1 large onion, chopped

Dried basil or other mild herb

Salt and pepper (optional)

¼ cup olive oil

Preheat oven to 375°F.  Placing zucchini, squash, and onions in a baking dish cover with olive oil, turning to coat.  Next sprinkle basil to taste.    Cook until zucchini and squash are crisp and dark brown on the outside.  (20-30 minutes)

Remove from oven and mash with a potato masher or fork.  (If too watery for you, return to oven until water has evaporated.)  Salt and pepper to taste.  Add more basil if desired.

(The above recipe works well with carrots and parsnips.  A good way to cook turnips also.)

Thanks to Rev. Karen McGhee for this recipe!

Sweet Potato Fries

// February 18th, 2010 // 1 Comment » // LENT, recipes

1 or 2 large sweet potatoes (yams), peeled or thoroughly washed and scrubbed, cut into 1/2-inch-wide slices, then again into 1/2-inch-wide strips

2 tablespoons of olive oil

Salt/pepper/ cayenne/allspice or basil/thyme/parsley

Preheat oven to 450°F.  Toss sweet potatoes with oil in large bowl. Sprinkle generously with salt/pepper or basil combination.  Spread sweet potatoes in single layer on non-stick baking sheet. Bake until sweet potatoes are tender and golden brown, turning after 12-15 minutes.   Total cooking time 25-30 minutes.

Thanks to Rev. Karen McGhee for this recipe!

Ash Wednesday, February 17 – Mercy*

// February 17th, 2010 // 2 Comments » // LENT, Lent Devotional

Luke 18:9-14 (NIV)
9To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everybody else, Jesus told this parable:10″Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11The Pharisee stood up and prayed about[a] himself: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. 12I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.’
13″But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’
14″I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”

In this Lenten Season, God is calling us:
• to be open and honest in prayer knowing that God knows us inside out
• to recognize, own and accept our utter need for Him.
• to move beyond mere empty words and to pour out our hearts to Him.
• to stretch ourselves out of just listing what we want from Him.
• to know that prayer is a conversation in which we must learn to recognize and listen to God’s voice.
• to accept the transformative power of prayer.
Prayer is the language of the spirit. This is language over which you have no control. When you enter into prayer, you may enter because of some need or desire, but prayer only takes place when the Spirit takes over and you are carried away as by the current of a river.
Prayer is the most powerful activity you can engage in. To pray is to know and celebrate that we are spiritual beings. Prayer is what nurtures the spiritual life as food does the physical life. But we must remember that God is the object of prayer, He is our conversation partner.

Our sole desire and purpose in prayer must be intimacy with the Father. This worship and communion with the Father brings power, peace, love and joy into your life. This worship and communion brings us into a life of His Presence, a life of complete and perfect spiritual abundance. Taking care of the Spirit-life is priority. For the health of our spirits determines our ultimate health. Our inner life will manifest in our outer life.
In prayer we learn that it is not always about answers. In prayer we learn to live into the wonder and mystery of God. It is in prayer that we stop our petty search for mere happiness and begin to embody the joy of the Lord. We move beyond our fickle dependence on our moment-to-moment circumstances and stretch out into the Eternal Mystery. It is faith in the Unseen. It is here, in the great dance of doubt and faith, that our prayer-legs gain immeasurable strength. It is in prayer that we really learn to be honest with God and with ourselves.
So, we must spend a lot of time in prayer. Prayer is our life. We need not have to make time for prayer. Prayer IS our life. Prayer is our priority. We cannot be too busy to pray, we are too busy not to pray. Our lives must be ordered around prayer for it is our communion with and worship of the Father.

O Lord, thank You for your mercy that calls us to prayer and fasting. We commit ourselves to this journey and pray that with each and every breath, we live in your mercy and into Your heart. In Jesus’ Name, AMEN.

*During Lent and Holy Week, devotional writings will be posted by Facebook and Twitter friends who are praying and fasting together in a Daniel Fast. Read more about this “Journey to the Heart of God by clicking here.