Monkey Prayers

The following comes from my book, Amazing Stories & Daily Devotionals  

Chimpanzees have actually been taught how to use sign language, and what they have to say is revealing. A chimp named Nim gave this message: "Nim eat Nim eat. Give orange me give eat orange me eat orange give me eat orange give me you."

When we examine the chimp's messages, two things stand out. First, Nim tends to say the same things over and over. Second, nearly every sentence Nim utters is a request for something he wants.

Now suppose that chimps were taught to pray to God. What would their prayers sound like? Reflecting on Nim's examples, we can assume chimp prayers would be repetitive and self-centered: "Me banana You banana me You give banana me eat.” And if humans prayed like chimps, it would sound like this: “Car new me drive. Lottery win Powerball please. You answer. Soon amen."

I'll admit that I sometimes sound like Nim when I pray. I've prayed monkey prayers, repeatedly telling God what I want. Jesus instructed us to not get caught in that trap. "And when you are praying do not use meaningless repetitions as the Gentiles do" (Matt. 6:7). Then He taught us the Lord’s prayer, and we turned it into a meaningless repetition.

Perhaps we need to learn to pray in a new way.  Instead of repeatedly telling God what we want (you give banana me eat), maybe we need to intercede for someone we've never prayed for before. Can you think of someone on this planet who needs your prayers? Anyone? Maybe if we'll spend more time interceding for others, God will also give us what we want, even if we don't ask for it.

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Your Final Performance

The following comes from my book, MORE Amazing Stories & Daily Devotionals.

In the early 1900s long before television, the most popular entertainment was vaudeville performances on stage. Entertainers in vaudeville had to face some tough audiences, so many of them ended their acts with show-stopping moves to ensure applause at the end.

One performer named Eddie Leonard announced at every performance that this was his last show. He figured that few people would be heartless enough to boo a man who was performing his last show. And so, at every city for the next 20 years, the announcement that “this is my last show” guaranteed a standing ovation to close his act!

Everyone is performing on life’s stage. Shakespeare said, “All the world’s stage, and all the men and women merely players.” There’s some truth to that statement, and it’s also true that there are two audiences. One audience is visible, while the other is invisible. You may not be famous on earth, but heaven is watching you.

Professional baseball pitcher Dave Dravecky said that his father told him, “Dave, when you get into that stadium and 55,000 people are watching you, just remember that your only audience is Jesus Christ.”

This is the first day of the rest of your life, and it also could be the last day of your life. Eddie Leonard’s “final” performance is a good example about how to live. View every day as if it’s your final performance on earth, and you’re seeking to receive God’s applause. No one is guaranteed another day on earth, but if you happen to make it to tomorrow, live that day as if it’s your last performance. Keep giving God your best, “to please Him in all respects” (Col. 1:10), even if you perform for another 20 years.

BIBLE STUDY:  End Times & Bible Prophecy

RECEIVE THESE DEVOTIONALS FREE by EMAIL: You can subscribe in the box on the right at www.kentcrockett.blogspot.com  NOTE: The subscription box will NOT usually appear on your smart phone, but it can be seen on your computer (or by opening the “desktop site” feature on your phone.) www.makinglifecount.net

The Miner's Old Shack

The following comes from my book, MORE Amazing Stories & Daily Devotionals.

An old recluse lived deep in the mountains of Colorado. When he died, his relatives came from the city to collect his valuables. They drove up to a dilapidated old shack with an outhouse in back. Inside the shack, next to the fireplace was an old cooking pot and some mining equipment. A cracked table holding a kerosene lamp and a three-legged chair stood next to a tiny window. In a dark corner of the little room was a cot with a dirty bedroll on it.

The relatives picked up a few relics and started to leave. As they were driving away, an old friend of the recluse flagged them down. “Do you mind if I help myself to what’s left in my friend’s cabin?” he asked. “Go right ahead,” they replied. “We’ve already taken everything we want.”

The old friend entered the shack and walked directly over to the table. He reached under it and lifted up one of the floorboards. He then proceeded to take out all the gold his friend had discovered over the past 53 years, which was enough to build a palace. The recluse died with only his friend knowing the secret of how much he was truly worth.

As the friend looked out the little window and watched the cloud of dust behind the relatives’ car, he muttered to himself, “They shoulda’ got to know him better.”

Why would God reveal His secrets to those who really don’t care about getting to know Him? When Jesus walked on earth, He didn’t look like the Creator and Savior of the world. The religious leaders, who opposed Jesus, totally missed who He was. He told them, “You are unwilling to come to Me, that you may have life” (John 5:40).

If the rulers of this age had understood who Christ was, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory (1 Cor. 2:8). One day they will stand before Him and be judged by Him. I guess you could say, “They shoulda’ got to know Him better.”

BIBLE STUDY:  Can we pray to the dead?

RECEIVE THESE DEVOTIONALS FREE by EMAIL: You can subscribe in the box on the right at www.kentcrockett.blogspot.com  NOTE: The subscription box will NOT usually appear on your smart phone, but it can be seen on your computer (or by opening the “desktop site” feature on your phone.) www.makinglifecount.net  

What's Stressing You Out?

The following comes from my book, MORE Amazing Stories & Daily Devotionals. 

Steve Irwin was “The Crocodile Hunter” on the television show by that name. On one episode, he was trying to catch a cobra with his bare hands. He put on sunglasses because cobras can spit venom at a person’s eyes with incredible accuracy. If the venom hits the eyes, it can cause permanent blindness. As expected, the cobra’s poison landed directly on his sunglasses. Most people would be freaking out, but Irwin exclaimed, “Wow, I love doing this!”

Wouldn’t you like to catch a cobra? Probably not. What’s stressful for one person can actually be fun for someone else. The difference is found in the way we view the situation. A study showed that 80% of our stress is created solely in our minds. Stress comes from constantly thinking about our problems and how we’re going to deal with them. And therein lies the answer to the stress problem—the way we think about the problem and finding help to handle it.

Psalm 121:1-2 says, “From where shall my help come? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.” Since God created the entire universe, He has the power and wisdom to solve any problem. To reduce our stress, it’s absolutely essential to put our problems in God’s hands and trust Him to take care of each difficulty.

After doing this, we must change the way we view our stressful situations. A Christian friend of mine has a very stressful job. I asked him, “How can you possibly enjoy your job?” He laughed and replied, “I love my job. I just view it as a game.” He’s learned to enjoy life instead of letting his problems eat him alive.

Don’t let stress make you miserable. View your challenging situations as a game that you will win.

RECEIVE THESE DEVOTIONALS FREE by EMAIL: You can subscribe in the box on the right at www.kentcrockett.blogspot.com  NOTE: The subscription box will NOT usually appear on your smart phone, but it can be seen on your computer (or by opening the “desktop site” feature on your phone.) www.makinglifecount.net