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I see that I need to clarify and extend my remarks! That's what I get for being cryptic. LOL!

And since this conversation is overlapping one on a closed, caucus thread – I’m pinging a few there here so that it can be more freely discussed.

The relevant comments from the other thread begin at post 153. By no coincidence I’m sure, that post was made far ahead of the remarks made by kosta50 on this thread to which I agreed. I also do not see it as a coincidence that both sidebars on the two threads have arrived at the very same point!

First the other thread [the subject was leaving our prayers at the Cross, trusting Him, that worrying is akin to saying “I don’t believe you” to God] – the underline was added for emphasis here:

Quix: I assume, though, A-G, that you still pray DAILY for family members etc???

I pray continually, dear Quix. And not that you asked, but I feel compelled in the Spirit to give my testimony on the matter.

You see, my particular “cross-eyed bears” are pride, ego, vanity and evil thoughts that seem to crop up through word or image associations as the day goes by. It could be something as simple as seeing a character portrayed in a movie who reminds me of someone I know (and thus I become judgmental) – or things sinister that happen in life.

At any rate, once I sense the presence of pride, ego, vanity or an evil thought (which happens much more often than I’d like) – I immediately repent of it and reboot my prayer vigil in the hopes of destroying the wrong before it becomes part of what I say, my facial expressions or actions and actually hurts someone else.

The prayer vigil begins with the “no strings attached” plea: Thy name be hallowed, Thy will be done, Thy kingdom come.

Then comes the pause and meditation that this is truly all that is important, i.e. not family, not friends, not enemies, not nations, not powers, not me – nothing.

Then I turn the prayer inward and pray first for help to keep my priorities straight, i.e. to love God absolutely and as a distant second, to love my neighbor unconditionally.

That’s when I lift up my “neighbors” in prayer for His blessing, peace and guidance. I pray generally and specifically for family, friends, associates and enemies. Then I lift up Christians and Jews, Jerusalem, the United States, Israel, our President and administration, and our service men and women. This lifting up is a continuance of specific prayers for specific people, e.g. healing or whatever.

Then, if I have forgotten any specific prayer request, I raise it at that time and try my very best to leave it there only to be revisited as a “lifting up.” Then I pause again and meditate on how insignificant I am in the face of all of this and reboot my background (always running) prayer.

That one is self-serving as I pray like a toddler, “up papaw, pweese” – asking Him to keep me transparent in Him so that His Light can shine unobstructed by me. And so it continues until I stumble over one of my “cross-eyed bears” again and become an obstruction by having a prideful, egotistical, vain or evil thought – and it all starts over.

Whew! Any hoot, I don’t know whether this personal prayer principle is of any use to you, but I just had to reveal it. You know how that goes. LOL!

And at post 5322 above:

me: The leading I have in the Spirit is that we are temples for the Spirit's indwelling (John 3, etc.)

Kosta50: One must guard against spiritual pride. Only those who empty themselves of all pride become temples for Spirit's indwelling.

Like glass, the light of God shines through them, yet they have become invisible, never drawing attention to themselves, so that all we see is God's light through them.

Far and few inbetween are such temples.

And yes, Blogger, I very strongly agree with you too. The Scriptures are quite clear that Christians must be born again by God, that we are all to live in His Light (Epistles of John), that we should let that Light shine unobstructed (Sermon on the Mount). That is what makes us temples for the indwelling Spirit of God! Though sadly, some of us quench the Holy Spirit (I Ths 5) as if we want to be “captains of our ship and masters of our destiny.”

The Spirit is not effectual when that happens and thus the temple is not effectual either.

But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, [even] to them that believe on his name: Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. – John 1:12-13

Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and [of] the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. – John 3:5-6

But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his. – Romans 8:9

What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost [which is] in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? – I Cor 6:19

And as hosepipe and I often contemplate – the stones in the foundation of the New Jerusalem in Revelation stand as metaphors for how we Christians do (and do not) allow His Light to shine through us. The colors are magnificent!

Some of us are like rubies, others like emeralds, others like sapphires. And some of us are merely translucent such that His Light shines “off” of us rather than through us. Sadly, some of us are like the onyx. Nevertheless, we are still all Christian (Thomas was not like Peter who was not like John, etc.)

My Spiritual objective and running background prayer is to become and remain transparent in Him. I’m shooting for a diamond but am liable to end up an amethyst because of my "cross-eyed bears." LOL!

But truly, as Kosta50 has said, and to which I agree – it takes humility. Lots of it. And few of us will ever be ‘diamonds.’

Moses was the most humble man on earth. Mary was humble. Peter was humbled as was Paul.

Jeepers, Jesus Himself was humble! (Phillipians 2)