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Posts Tagged ‘prayer’

I was in the zone…typing away, editing as I went, the plot moving along. In the background the washer swished and the dryer tumbled. I’d break to feed a mewing cat, or refill my tumbler with water, and then scoot my chair back to the keyboard.

After a while, a slight wooziness waved over me. I blinked to refocus, only to be interrupted by a deep gurgle in the pit of my torso. Like Seymour the man eating plant, my stomach growled, “Feed me.”  I sighed, pushed back my chair and opened the fridge. Door opened with the frigid air blanketing my face, indecision clouded my brain. I knew not to grab anything junky.  I snatched a carton of fat-free Greek yogurt. Quick, easy to down, no cooking or mess to clean. I spooned it past my lips as I typed. That staved off the hunger for a while, but the sensation returned within a few hours.

Isn’t this often true of our spiritual lives? We are in such a rush, our concentration focuses on the “doing” mode. We forget that, like our bodies, our souls need regular nourishment in order to function.  A deep hunger for God niggles us. At first we ignore it, but it doesn’t  go away. We know a snack such as a faith based show won’t satisfy us. Not even a few Facebook scrolls from Christian friends.

ID-10087293But what to feed it? We flip through a few highlighted verses in our Bibles, scan our bookshelves filled with devotionals and inspirational guides, even stare at the Biblical saying plaques on our walls. We turn on Christian music. Still, the deep aching isn’t quite satisfied.  We need real God-time. And Sunday is days away.

But any time can be stop and pray time. Regular moments with our Father in Heaven can fulfill us and sustain us as we move through our day. From the half hour spent with hands folded, we receive enough strengthening to carry us through whatever we need to accomplish. Our gas tank refills, so to speak.

Reading our Bibles is wonderful. Christian music is great.  But in order to fully digest what we see and hear, we need to take it to the Father and let His Spirit help us absorb it in order to feed our faith in the way we need the most, just as our bodies assimilate the food we swallow.

Spend quality time with God today. Don’t snack now and the as you keep on “doing.” Instead, sit down, relax and devour the full-plated goodness God wishes to provide.That’s the full meal deal. Talk about soul food!

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. Matthew 5:6

for tips, trials and triumph consider getting Squeeze More God-Time Into Your Day.Squeeze cover

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On my e-reader tablet is a cool app. It is a landscape that changes as the weather does. That is according to a national weather forecasting service. It isn’t always accurate.It is a forecast, a prediction of a likely occurrence. It lets me know when there is a “good chance” of rain or sun or snow, etc in my area of Texas. Click on the link below to view it.

storm-clouds-2-134981298598261vguA few days ago  a tornado watch, then warning was issued. There was one sighted about 50 miles south of my location moving directly east, so I wasn’t in danger. It is hard to predict if and when one will strike. That is why these siren-activated announcements are called watches and warnings.

OH, IF ONLY LIFE WAS THIS WAY.  There is a 50% chance you will be in a car accident. this afternoon, so watch out! Today will be mild and sunny, so anything you worried about will dissipate. Tonight, there is an 80% likelihood you will come down with a cold, so stock up on tissues and meds. BEEP… BEEP….BEEP: This is a warning. You are about to receive a call concerning a death in the family, so prepare yourself now.

Well, perhaps some of us would prefer not to know in advance. It would activate our worry mode. And, these broadcasts are not guarantees.Nor are they 100% accurate. They only give the probabilities of it possibly happening.

However, unlike the weather service, we do have a 100% reliable source. Our Heavenly Father. No need to predict- He already knows. Whatever we go through, whatever is coming, He is there to guide us, shelter us, comfort us or rejoice with us.

That’s an app we can count on each and every day. It’s called trustful prayer.Woman Meditating

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???????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? In looking over the Psalm assigned to be read for this Sunday, the first verse caught my attention:

             O Sing unto the Lord a new song; sing unto the Lord, all the whole earth.  (96:1)

 

Why should we sing unto the Lord a NEW song?   I doubt if it means to sing Contemporary (CCM) over the old familiar hymns.  Actually, neither existed when David penned this verse thousands of years ago,  He wrote many of the psalms, and they were all “new” at one time.

Perhaps it is because the birds rise and sing with the sun. Maybe David took that as a hint that we should arise and praise God as well.

Another nugget of Scripture popped into my head-

Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed,
    for his compassions never fail.
 They are new every morning;
    great is your faithfulness.    Lamentations 3:22-24

Okay, Biblical scholars, I realize Lamentations was written centuries after David’s Psalms, but that to me is one of the proofs that the Bible is alive and God-breathed, as it states in Paul’s second letter to Timothy. So follow me here…

If God’s mercies are NEW every morning, and if we do as is suggested — not to let the sun set on our anger but rather pray it out before retiring so we can sleep  in peace — then we can sing a new song every morning. Each day can be a fresh start. No need to carry over yesterday’s angst, regrets and sins.

I am going to personally renew the commitment to end each day wiping the slate clean with my Lord,  just before my eyes close, by asking Him to give me a new morning when my eyes pop open again.

And I know He will. Because, great is His faithfulness.

Lord, may I be as faithful to You.

 

 

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http://www.freebibleimages.org/i“Some men came, bringing to him a paralytic, carried by four of them. Since they could not get him to Jesus because of the crowd, they made an opening in the roof above Jesus and, after digging through it, lowered the mat the paralytic man was lying on.” Mark 2:3-4

Has anything ever spiritually paralyzed you? An unexpected death, a job loss, an unfaithful spouse, your own inner insecurities? Maybe it is anger– at God, at someone else, at the world. Is it a guilty conscience that pushes you to try to hide, the way Adam and Eve did in the Garden? Or, perhaps it is just too many “life happens” happening all at once. I have been there. Yet during that time when all was fogged and my mind would not connect to my heart,  when it took all my effort to drag through the day, I felt carried by others’ prayers and concerns.

Jesus is always willing to meet us where we are. But there are times when too many things in our lives have built up like bricks. They form walls that block us from Him. We encase Him in a room deep inside of us, lock the door and then put a “Do Not Enter” sign on it. We hammer in the nails to secure it even more. I don’t want to deal with it now. Wham. I don’t want you to know what I did. Wham.  I don’t want to change. Wham.  I am too ashamed. Wham. I am not sure I believe anymore. Wham, wham. And the biggest nail  – If you really loved me, you wouldn’t have let this happen.

These nails hurt Him more than the ones they drove through his hands and feet on the cross. Yet, He stays cloistered in this room, stands at the door and knocks…Open up. Let me back into your life, my child.

Not yet, Jesus. I just can’t.I don’t have it in me. It hurts too much to try.

We see evidence of Him healing and blessing others – and that paralyzes us even more. Why do I have to suffer? Why can’t I skip and run in a field of faith with the sun beaming down and the widlflowers waving in the breeze?  Why do I have to be burdened with this?

The negative feelings crowd in and keep us from reaching our Lord’s side. Their clamor and clatter can drown out His whisper to draw near and give Him our burdens. That seems beyond our capabilities at the moment. We need other people to carry us through the barriers, even dig through the mess if necessary. Their spiritual strength can make a hole in whatever it is that blocks us from being laid at His feet for healing.

How can people lift us up, dig though our circumstances, and lower us down into the deep place inside us where Jesus lives? Through prayer, through kindness, through tough love. And the cool thing is this: inside the walls we have built, Jesus is not being inactive. His love for us is so strong, His desire for us to be with Him so great, that He empowers our friends with strength and direction. “That’s right. This is the way in. Here is how you can get him or her to me.”

There will come a time in your life when something will block you from Jesus. When life cuts the legs out from under you and you can’t move, call out to Him. He will send armies of angels, true and trusted friends, and prayer warriors to your aide. Through His Holy Spirit, Jesus will give them the tools they need to help you. Let them carry you to Him. 

Once there at His feet, He will shower you with forgiveness and mercy. Then obey His words as He touches to heal you – pick up your pallet, and once again walk. First you may have to hobble by the assistance of others, but eventually you will be strong enough to carry someone else when they have lost the use of their faith-legs. After all, you’ve been there. You know the way into that room, and how to walk out.

Will you find God today in the prayers of others, or in the call to pray for others?

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buster on blankieIt’s been bitter cold for Texas. Schools have been closed. Icy roads and parking lots that resemble skating rinks have kept holiday shoppers at bay. Large tree limbs and power lines have cracked and tumbled from the weight of the ice. Facebook is littered with ice and snow pictures.

Even churches shut down for Sunday services and told their congregations to stay home and stay safe. They posted their lessons and sermons online so their flocks could cyberspace worship.

Our thin,Texas blood, designed for 100 plus F temps in the summer, is not insulating us very well from the sub-freezing digits that have settled over the state.Fleece sweat pants, knobby sweaters and gallons of hot tea and cocoa are not sufficient to keep the chill off the back of our necks.

Same for our pets! But they are smart. My cat decided the left hand side of my desk was optimal for catching the blast of warmth from the central heating vent. But he was still cold. So, I took my prayer shawl, which always hangs on my desk chair ready for use, and folded it for him to lie upon. He slept peacefully and allowed me to get my praying, writing, and Bible study done. And yes, check my email and Facebook, and bank online, too.

And of course, God decided to use my cat nestled in my prayer shawl as a lesson. That is where I found Him today. He showed me (again) that —

Prayer is our insulator. When life bears down on us and the world seems harsh and cold, the warmth of God’s love can envelope us like a towel fresh from the dryer. All we need to do is to wrap ourselves in His peace, settle in and rest.

But instead, how often do I try other ways to “stay warm”? Do I dash for chocolate and carbs, or veg out on a favorite TV show that allows me to escape the things on my mind, or indulge in a computer game with superficial cyber-friends?

Prayer can cushion us from the icy stares of others, from the slippery paths that tempt us, and the cold harshness that those without faith call reality.

But instead, how often do I turn to other sources or people for advice, direction and protection?

Prayer can soften the hard, frigid surfaces of our lives and bring us comfort.

But instead, how often do I seek comfort in other ways?

Lord God, blanket me in Your love today. Let me feel the warmth of Your Holy Spirit wrapped around me. Cushion me for the world and comfort me with your inestimable love. Let me seek you first, and not the things of this world. And in all things, let me ever praise You and seek Your blessings in all that happens. I choose to nestle in You and not in the things that fade. I pray this through Your Son who hung on the cross for my sake.  Amen.

 

 

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reblogged from Steve Rebus- iChristian  http://steverebus.com/2013/07/01/praise-god/#like-3600

What a great prayer to start off the day- every day!

Praise God for: mountains and oceans, planets and starsman in praise
Praise God for big things
Praise God for: seeds and spiders, petals and drops of dew
Praise God for small things
Praise God for: rolling thunder and the crashing waves
Praise God for loud things
Praise God for: a breath of wind and a whispered prayer
Praise God for quiet things
Praise God for: soaring eagles and hairy gorillas
Praise God for strong things
Praise God for: snowflakes and cobwebs – a tiny baby
Praise God for fragile things
Praise God for: the flash of lightening and a humming bird’s wings
Praise God for fast things
Praise God for: the growth of a tree and the erosion of cliffs
Praise God for slow things
Praise God for: the moon, the sun, other worlds
Praise God for far away things
Praise God for: the person sitting next to me, my own heartbeat
Praise God for close-by things

Thank you that though you are so big, 
you become small enough to meet us here on earth 
though you are so strong, you show your love in gentleness
though you are loud as thunder, you speak to us in the sound of silence.
Thank you that though you could be faster than the speed of light
You choose to walk at our pace and to hold our hand.

Amen!

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“Prayer is a conversation, not a declaration.”    –  Barbara Maybee Good News Daily

“Do remember you are there to fuddle him. From the way some of you young fiends talk, anyone would suppose it was our job to teach!”         Screwtape’s first letter to Wormwood, a newbie devil, about how to handle his human.  –  C.S. Lewis

Before you get off your knees, take time to be still…and listen to His  response! Don’t hang up and stand up or you may miss an   important lesson,  a new insight, or a whisper of love.

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imagesCAJ1YR52THIS WAS IN MY EMAIL _ WILL YOU JOIN ME IN PRAYING FOR THE RESIDENTS OF THIS SAFEHOUSE?   Julie

 

 

As WAR, Int’l staff drove into work today, sat at their desks, and logged on to their computers, an email sits waiting…one of our beloved safehouses in SE Asia has emailed us requesting not only for prayer, but for an army of prayer warriors, to surround them.

At some point last week, a pimp of one of the girls broke into the safehouse and tried to steal “his” girl back.  When she fought back and stayed, he retaliated and killed her brother…now the threat is more real than ever.  He says if he cannot have her then he will kill everyone at the safehouse.  Last night he was hiding at the safehouse again.
Police have been informed, charges have been filed, but in the world of WAR, Int’l and third world countries we know that this is not a strong enough deterrent.
Our safehouse is doing all they can to protect those within its walls.  Training has begun, and the boys are learning how to look for the pimp on the campus and bring him down on his face, tie his hands behind his back, then his feet, and call the police.  The threat is real, the circumstances scary.  Boys are now roll playing on how to get away, be fast, be strong.
The safehouse staff fears an upcoming wedding of one of the staff members, as the pimp as declared he will kill all of the safehouse staff and guests who attend.  With eyes filled with tears, the staff continues to move forward on their knees in prayer.
As a member of the WAR, Int’l family we ask you to take a moment today (it is night there), and pray for the safety, wisdom, and strength of this precious safehouse family.  The leaders are on the pimps hit list, and it has been told to us he is a mafia head man.  The rescued girl was a big part of his income.
God hears their cries, collects their tears, and it is our prayer He will continue to pour steel into their backbones, and bring this threat to an end in only a way God can.

Thank you for joining us in this might battle with your prayer!
Blessings,
The WAR Staff

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A dear friend, who is a fabulous prayer warrior  and prayer composer, emailed several of us to remember to pray for our clergy.  How often do we stop to do that?

Whether you call them Reverend, Pastor, Father or Brother, they carry a cross far more than many of us could bear. Because they are about the Lord’s work they face demons on a daily basis. We, as their congregation, put so many demands on them, and they give so much in return. They are at the job 24/7. Even on vacation, they are on duty for God. They need to be lifted in prayer – often!

Here is her beautifully written prayer. Thanks, Pam!

Dear Lord, We offer you thanks for our church leadership.  You have sent ___________ to guide us in worship, learning and service. We praise you for their ministry.  Be with them as they seek your will  and lead each of us in the path of righteousness.  Strengthen our clergy ,when they meet adversity, with even greater resolve to follow you.  These things we ask in the name of Jesus. Amen

 

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Twice this week I found God in a prayer, or should I say as the result of one.

Last Saturday I went to a Toastmaster meeting. It was unseasonably cold outside, and inside. The public building’s temperature control was automatically set and no one knew how to change it. On Friday it has been in the 80’s. Saturday, it was in the 40’s. So, my fingers shrank and when I got home, I noticed the little ring I had bought in an antique shop in England (my once in a life time trip last summer) was no longer on my finger. I panicked. Like the woman with the lost coin I searched, and I searched – my car, my clothes, my purse, the floor, the garage, the floor again. Then I had a nice cry. I had been there all day and drank a lot of hot tea to keep warm. So I had used the facilities a lot as well. The cleaning staff were johnny on the spot, emptying the trash cans throughout the day. I envisioned the ring inside a wadded up paper towel in a sack, now lying in a dumpster amidst tons of other sacks.

Sunday in the pew I prayed. God, I know this is a little thing in comparison to the other prayers you are hearing in this church today, and a bit silly,  but I really loved that ring.  A thought hit my brain – call my Toastmaster friend whom I had help gather up all the stuff at the end of the day.  So after services, I did. She went to look in the trunk of her car and rummaged through the boxes. There it was! What a loving Lord!

The second prayer was not from my lips. It was an invocation to start a meeting given by my grown son. I can honestly say I do not remember when I’ve heard him pray out loud an impromptu prayer  – a prayer in his own words and not from a prayer book or Scripture – in a group setting.  For years he never went to church. The prayer was heartfelt, warm and honest.  My heart soared with it to Heaven.

Where did you find God today? Was it as a result of a prayer, too?

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