What happened? I've just posted a poll, but had to run off for breakfast and left the setup hanging till just now (10:55).
Did leaving the poll "in the works" somehow post to the Board? Wha' happund?
EDIT: Ah, I see. That first post at 10:23 should not have been sent, and I'm not sure how that happened.
I picked "At least many times every waking hour". Even when I stray into useless trash, it seems my mind is brought back to God's person, communicable attributes or wisdom. I am a hybrid, and I know it. However, I'm thankful that he keeps reeling me in.
Wayne, this is a difficult poll to respond to. My mind dwells upon God often, but not nearly as much as it should. My mind is in a constant process of renewal, but so often it seems like three steps forward and two steps back. Wretched man that I am! Who will set me free from the body of this death?
I'm sure we all vary from time to time--some days are good and our thoughts rise up constantly. Other days [i.e., "Too offen"], we get so caught up in what we are doing that we never once think of Him or offer a prayer.
I take time constantly through the day to thank God when each task is accomplished. I ask Jesus to be with me in spirit in all that I say and do each day. I ask God to bless me and my family members and friends and all who I love with a good and beneficial day when I get up in the morning.
I thank God at night for the things accomplished that day and I ask for His help in things I have failed to accomplish.
I thank God each time I drive my car and get to my destination safely. When I am upset I pray for the spirit of the risen Christ to enter my soul and heart and I pray to God and ask Him to forgive me my debts as I forgive my debtors.
I pray for Gods help in making me a better man, a better father, a better grandfather and even a friend to my ex wife. I am still praying to God to help me through the severe financial crisis I am in. I pray that I may come to know my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ more personally in my heart. I believe if I come to know Him better I will be able to Love and serve Him better for the purpose He created me and for whom His Son died on Calvary so that I may have eternal salvation.
Dear Waine,
I think you should clarify your question a bit, although we all probably get what you mean by God being in our thoughts. The reason for my criticism is that mere thinking about God is something any person can and does. In fact, some people (e.g. atheists), instead of just ignoring God and trying to focus on their own "happy" lives, think a lot about God. Yet, these are thoughts of hatred, rather than God-exalting thoughts. And that's something I would apply to your question, and render it somewhat as follows, "How often do you think great thoughts about God?" And this is, sadly, what I fail to do so many times, even without realizing it. What I mean is that I can pretend to myself I'm thinking great thoughts about God, when in reality I'm just doing those praise-giving brainworks out of a sense of duty. And as God's own word says, "Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver."
I see your point, and I take that to heart. I phrased the question in the context of the Puritan Board membership. Dudley unpacks it rather well.
Perhaps a better way of stating the question would have been to ask "How well are you consciously living before the Lord?"