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THE COFFEE AND PRAYER SERIES
Where a Good Cup of Coffee and Some Quiet Prayers Can Change the World

Getting closer with the Lord for some is not as simple as some might believe. Yet, at the same time it can be a lot easier than most people would believe. For most it all comes down to common sense and state of mind. In this day and time folks are constantly bombarded with all types of information from such place as television, radio, newsprint and then we can't forget social media which for many can be the start of their own personal giant crash. There is so much out there being thrown at you on a daily basis, it becomes difficult to know the right from the wrong or the good from the bad plus who the good players really are and who are not. At times you are listening to comments about things that affect your everyday life, and the crazy thing is, you don't even realize you are listening. It is the essential background noise of your busy life that you think you are not paying attention to that is doing the most damage or confusion within your mind, because you are taking in information and storing it while that was never your intention in the first place.

Deep down inside you are desperate to have a close relation with the Lord, but in your mind, you just don't know how to go about it or you may even feel you are not worthy of that relationship. You are at home and you put on the television and there are countless preachers, pastors, bishops, lay people and more from some ministry they have formed and then there are those who have given themselves different so called religious titles and now these people are giving you their so-called expert opinions on how to do this and what steps should be next for you to start getting that closeness that you so very much desire. Most times with these talks there will be some type of address for you to send your donation to and if you take part in that, you might be lucky enough to get a card, book or prayer cloth back, if you want to call that luck. But please understand, there are also additional problems with this because all these experts don't agree with what each other is saying and to take that a step further at times they even speak against each other claiming these pastors are teaching the wrong words from a book that many use self-interpretation to describe. I have seen it go as far as some pastors make a list of other pastors they don't agree with and call them devil pastors and are even posting this on-line and even youtube for all to see. Some of these so-called pastors are big time names that you see not only every week, but every day. Question, Think about this, who are you going to send your money to next time or, what's really in your wallet. Sorry, couldn't help myself.

Imagine you are a follower of one of these leaders and I mean a true follower, a true believer and then get hit with the news that they might not be exactly who you think they are. There is a good chance you might get crushed both mentally and spiritually. Possibly this can change your overall outlook on things while at the same time leave you lost, confused, and scared not knowing where to turn next.

Then you sit down in front of your computer, and weather you want to or not someone is always there in some way preaching about something that you personally have no idea what they are speaking about because they find the need to scream and yell at the top of their lungs to get their so-called point across. I never understood all the yelling and jumping up and down, the giant breath they take right before their giant delivery takes place. At this point the crowd is all pumped up screaming about who knows what and when all is said and done you have a giant congregation exhausted to no end walking out the doors of this gathering asking each other, do you have any idea what we learned today and how much did you give. It's 100% shameful and should not be tolerated. People need and want compassion and understanding. They need to be talked to, not yelled at. They need to understand the importance of what they are supposed to be learning, not the delivery that it is being projected toward them.

You need to step back and think carefully about who the ones are giving you these so-called messages of faith. Is it more important for the presenter to stand up on his mighty platform and make him or herself the star instead of the importance of the Lord. Doing their very best to show you just how smart they are and what they know. It is as if that person wants you to leave the gathering totally impressed with them instead of being impressed and joyful with what you were supposed to have learned such as the message you were there to receive in the first place.

I knew a pastor who was extremely knowledgeable with the Bible, and he truly knew it, in and out. I admired him because of his knowledge. As smart as he was with all this information he gained over a lifetime of studying, he could not get his message across to the listeners who were there to learn from him. It is cool if you as the spiritual leader/speaker want to show off your knowledge a little bit so the people who are there to hear your message feel more in tuned and trustful with what you are speaking about. How ever, it is not cool if your knowledge gets in the way and cannot be learned from because it is so far over their heads that they never had a chance of learning and understanding. Their development and personal growth is extremely important to them and should not be tampered with because of one's belief that they need to teach in that fashion. This alone can cause someone to feel as if they are not good enough to take the next step when, we are all good enough. We just need to be shown that.

We have all been confused at one time or another and personally I have been confused so many times throughout my life I am amazed that I can still remember my name, address and who I think I maybe. The path to honesty and closeness can be challenging but the truth always remains the same and that is, it is the truth that you can have that relationship with the Lord that you so desire.

Why do you or I or anyone, need someone screaming out loud about how the Lord loves us and wants us and wants to be close to us. Why can it not be said in a civil tone that the Lord loves you and me and always has. He is always they're by our side even when we feel he is not, even when we feel we are at our lowest point and feel so incredibly lonely. It is amazing how much we can learn in moments of quiet when the loudness leaves the room.

Since you were a child, you were always told that you should have a personal relation with the Lord. I believed this so much that I would fight with my parents as a child about going to confession. I would say to myself, why do I need to go in that scary dark box, kneel down to then have someone on the other side slide back that plastic window that everyone has breathed on for the last number of decades and at that point make believe in some way that I might not know the person on the others of that plastic window when in reality I do which to me means, the very place that I am now in where I am to tell the truth, I am actually starting off this process by lying before I start confession. And now with the opening of the old plastic window it has become official that it is time for me to start confessing my so-called sins. And let's not forget when all is said and done, that is when I will be told how many prayers to say and how many candles to light. WHY, WHY WHY AND LET ME SAY THAT ONE MORE TIME, WHYYYYYYYYYYYYYY did I need to do that. I always wondered could there possibly be a set list of candle lighting and prayers that equal out to the number of sins and misdeeds that has taken place on your part.

I always felt that if I should have a personal relationship with the Lord and it was a true relationship with the Lord, then I should be speaking to him directly with 100% true intentions from my heart and I can say my own prayers and light my own candles and feel good about what I just did.

In no way do I need a third party or middleman to do my bidding for my prayers or candle lighting. Why would I need that third party anyway if I was told the Lord knows everything, I am thinking from the good, bad, and right down to my most fearful thoughts. When all was said and done, I never needed a third party then or now, what I truly always needed was simply Jesus.

So, in saying all that, please let me close with this. The Lord knows and understands it all. He knows your struggles and knows your intentions. He knows your mind and he knows your heart but must importantly he knows you and that my friend is truly what is important in taking those first steps in forming a close and rock solid relationship with the Lord. Pray to him and speak to him just like you would talk to anyone else. It doesn't' need to be a lot of the crazy things you are being told or all the so-called steps you must follow to get there. What you need to do is start taking matters into your own hands and stand up and be accountable for what you want, and it can be as simple as just asking the Lord directly. Yes, that's right, ask him directly and it can be as simple as just saying, Lord, I need you in my life, I really do, and I want to have a close relationship with you. Please understand that I am not perfect, I am just a humble and scared person who is flesh and bone, but I want and need to be a better person and I want to do that with you by my side. Please except my friendship, please except my love and please except that I am coming to you on my own and asking for your friendship and closeness I say all of that in your holy name Jesus, Amen.

That is as simple as it can be, and you can even make that your own personal daily prayer to him. Prayers need not be long, but the intentions must be truthful.

JUST ASK HIM - DON'T BE AFRAID - JUST ASK HIM - HE IS THERE WAITING - JUST ASK HIM - YOU WILL BE GLAD YOU DID.

I wish you love, Peace and Happiness and may everyday here after, be better than the day before with countless Blessings.

The Depressed Poet, Doc Dalton