Sending Jesus Away, Asking Him to Stay

Sad sentence in the Bible at Mark 5:17: "And they began to entreat Him to depart from their region." Jesus had just cast many demons out of cemetery-dweiling "demoniac," and sent the demons to into a herd of pigs. The 2,000 pigs promptly ran off a cliff into the sea and drowned...which is a bad deal if you're a pig farmer, and just watched your entire livelihood destroyed. So the local townspeople, and the heads of the Small Business Administration, Chamber of Commerce, and Industrial Development Authority asked Him to go elsewhere with His people-freeing/pig-killing program (even thought they KNEW of the miraculous healing of the "maniac". Meanwhile, the former "maniac" is sent back to his home area of Decapolis (means ten towns).... he's all the minister and missionary those people are going to need to hear from to learn about Jesus!!
Shortly in the narrative, a father will come to Jesus begging for him to come to his sick daughter's bedside. And a woman sick for 12 years will make a "power play" just to touch Him for the healing she believes in.....
Sooo... how to be sure to not miss Jesus' invitation, and the Holy Spirit's prompting for the day?
Years ago Johnny Cash sang a song entitled "I See Men as Trees Walking."  It refers to Mark 8, when Jesus healed a blind man.  There's a great line in the chorus: "Jesus reach down now and touch me, Jesus reach down now and touch me, Jesus reach down now and touch me, I would like to see!"  He seems to be willing to do what we sincerely ask of Him!

Praying Through

As I was praying for a friend registering for classes at his new University (transfer students get last and latest choice!), I thought of something I read in Mark Batterson's book, The Circle Maker. Joshua 6:1-2 "Now Jericho was TIGHTLY SHUT because of the sons of Israel; no one went out and no one came in. The Lord said to Joshua, “See, I HAVE GIVEN Jericho into your hand, with its king and the valiant warriors."" 
Joshua's job was to pray and circle the city. God was in charge of delivery!! Only with eyes of faith could Joshua SEE that Jericho was already defeated. Man's "Tightly Shut” is no match for the Lord's “Have Delivered!” The Circle Maker, (Praying Through)

Spend the Night Company - Apostle Paul

In my annual read-through-the-Bible program, I recently arrived at Philemon, and was reminded again of the number of times that Paul asked for prayer for his work... more than once he made it clear that his life and ministry were totally in the hands of praying friends...

I find Philemon 1 and 22 stunning when restated together:

"I am prisoner of the Roman Empire; would you prepare me a room at your house for me to stay, so it will be ready when you pray me out of here??"