Thursday, July 19, 2007

"Once Saved, ... Always Saved"

I had an interesting conversation at work that started with the question:

"Do you believe you can lose your salvation?"

I immediately responded. (I'm intentionally choosing not to share my answer because I know that sombody will get all defensive and think I'm wrong. I make no apologies for how I believe.) It made me think as our conversation progressed, that we definitely spend too much energy debating that question than worrying about the important stuff. So, I thought I might share something that gripe my grits.

Don't ask my belief on salvation when you (who profess to believe) don't pray in front of your children. I've been so blessed to have parents and grandparents who pray OUT LOUD. It doesn't matter how important or unimportant things seem, I believe that, through prayer, we can take anything to the throneroom of God. I believe that prayer is not optional in faith. And I believe that if God intended for every prayer to be silent, we would not have been given the capacity to speak above a whisper. Some prayers, yes,... they are personal. But prayer is not supposed to be quiet all the time. And I get irate at folks who think it's weird that I'm a tongue-talker, when their children don't see them pray in English.

CAN I GET AN AMEN???

Or believe that if the pastor is praying, that's good enough to cover everybody. For the week. You've got to be kidding. I especially get mad at girls who think that the sole responsibility of their husbands or husbands-to-be as the "spiritual head of the households" is to pray for them. I get even more mad when those are the girls that get married.

I had a guy friend who, whenever we went to dinner, never prayed. He always asked me to pray. It drove me crazy. And he's a pastor too. Part of my recent crush is because the first time a group of us sat down to eat, he prayed before the server got turned back around. THAT IS WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT!

And I pray. You may think I'm the last person who should be praying for you. I'm imperfect. (I presume that if you need prayer, then obviously you are in the same boat with me too, Honey.) But I'll pray. I'll get before the heavenlies if you need me to. I am unashamed about that. The times in my life where I have the greatest regrets include several instances where the Holy Spirit has told to go pray for somebody, to pray about something, or to go get prayed for, and I have been disobedient.

But do not DIS' my faith when you don't allow anybody to see yours.

2 comments:

Holly said...

Email me with your thoughts on losing salvation Jenn. Just curious as to your view on it...I promise no arguments on the issue. I am used to being on the defense of this seeing as how I work in one denomination and am a member of another with two opposing views on the issue.

Warrior Priestess said...

WELLLLLLL! I think I'm gonna just back you up on this one. I'm definitely a pray out loud kind of girl. Unh!!!!! I believe there is something much stronger in the prayer that is said out loud. I tried rebuking demons that were oppressing me once in my head and it took soooo long. But the moment I spoke the rebuke they was gone. I've seen spoken prayers do much for people and damage others. So there is good and bad with it. But I am a huge proponent (wooo had to look that one up) of a prayer voiced.