Prayers and Christian Lives

What should life really be like for a Christian? I think too often we settle for less than who God made us to be. Or else we madly dash after what our culture teaches us we should want.

After a dramatic change in my life, I've been learning to listen to my heavenly Father and to pray for things that I don't even have yet. No, I'm not talking about treating God like Santa Claus. I'm talking about praying for those things that God instructs you to. Things that will bless and enrich your life.

My prayer time is during my commute in the morning. I listen to KLOVE and talk to the Father. It's a sweet time. I've even been known to pray for those involved in accidents or as a firetruck or ambulance passes lights and sirens blaring.

I even pray for complete strangers. Or if someone does something for me, like letting me into traffic, I'll ask God to bless them. It'll be interesting when I get to heaven to find out what the results of these prayers were.

Instruments and Dance

There are congregations who think that using instruments or dancing in church should not be done. However, the Bible itself encourages the use of both. For instance, in Psalms150: 4 -5 it says,
Praise him with timbrel and dance: praise him with stringed instruments and organs. Praise him upon the loud cymbals: praise him upon the high sounding cymbals.

These are not the only verses that encourage both the use of instruments and dance.

King David himself danced in public. 2 Samuel 6:14. And David danced before the Lord with all his might; and David was was girded with a linen ephod. (a priest's upper garment.)

The verses go on to say that his wife Michal, the daughter of Saul, despised David's behavior. She confronted her husband saying how shameful his behavior was. He reminded her it was before the Lord and that he would be honored. Her punishment, she never had a child. In those days, it meant God didn't bless her union with her husband and that truly, was something to be ashamed of.

So it seems the Bible and God encourages to worship both using instruments and dancing before Him.

I wonder where the erroneous teachings are coming from?