Can i pray for you today?

Be joyful always; pray without ceasing; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.

—1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

Pray without ceasing.

I was listening to the radio on the way home yesterday and there was a clip about prayer.

The person said that quite often he prays for stuff for himself that remains unanswered, but has found when he prays for others, the answers are there.

He then made a profound statement: when the church prays, things happen.

People, we ARE the church!

When we pray for our friends, family, co-workers, leaders, things happen!

Prayer should be where we spend the most time with our hearts.

Is there a constant awareness in your life that God is present?

Is He the unseen but always present companion in all your ups and downs?

Or is God here when it is convenient and gone when things are busy or we feel that everything is going okay?

Joy comes from knowing we are never alone.

Prayer is the ongoing conversation we have with our Heavenly Father.

Can I pray for you today?

Have a blessed day! 

is it time for surgery?

The word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.

—Hebrews 4:12

I have heard it said that we don’t judge the Bible; the Bible judges us.

When we read scripture and feel “less than worthy”,  if we feel the Holy Spirit making us aware of the areas where we don’t measure up we need to know that this Holy Spirit takes us to the power of the cross.

Jesus loves us so much that He didn’t leave us to our own understanding; He has given us His word as a lamp to our feet and a light to our path

He has sent the Holy Spirit to make His words come alive.

How often do you let God do major surgery on your spirit as His Spirit uses the Word to encourage, judge, motivate, convict, instruct, and inspire?

With such a great tool so readily at hand for most of us, let's not let a day go by that we don't let God use His word on hearts.

Have a blessed day! 

do you want it all?

The earth is the Lord's, and everything in it.

—1 Corinthians 10:26

Some people are very selfish, they want everything that others have.

They are so envious of other people’s talents, possessions or gifts that it makes them miserable.

Stop it!

We don’t need to “keep up with the Joneses”.

Remember that it is all His, every flower, every living being, every unique gift that we have.

He has given people certain gifts to do His work.

We need to share the blessings He has entrusted to us.

Can you sing, write or paint?

Are you exceptionally patient with kids or the elderly?

Sing His praises, write about His goodness, paint His beauty, take care of His children, both old and young.

What we 'have' isn't really ours; it's all His, entrusted to us to be put into useful service to others for God's work and God's glory.

Have a blessed day! 

no fear

Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom. Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Provide purses for yourselves that will not wear out, a treasure in heaven that will never fail, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

– Luke 12:32-34

Last week I was attending my weekly Bible study group where we are studying the book Fear and Faith by Trillia Newbell.

On a whim I googled (love the googles) “how many times does the Bible say ‘do not fear’”

365 times

That means that there is a verse telling us “do not fear” for every single day of the year.

If God were to examine where our heart is, where would He look?

Is our heart shrouded in fear?

Are we hoarding our finances out of fear of not having enough, or are we taking care of those who have less, knowing that God will provide?

It has been said that if one wants to know what we really value, the first place to look is our checkbook.

If you look at your spending habits,  what will you see?

Give some of your resources to those in need and watch what happens to your heart.

And remember His word: do not fear.

God wants us to take care of each other.  

He is going to take care of you.

Have a blessed day! 

brokenhearted

The LORD is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.

—Psalm 34:18

While many of us are richly blessed spiritually and physically, many of God's people face hardship and difficulty.

You may be one of those in difficult circumstances.

Please remember that God has not abandoned you.

Jesus is the great reminder that God cares and involves Himself with the broken, forgotten, and downtrodden.

The LORD is near, He is present, He is oh, so close!

How can I proclaim this?

It is simple - He came close in the manger, walked among us in ministry, suffered with us and for us at Calvary.

I know that in tragedy, trial, heartbreak, and brokenness He is near to us, to save us.

So, will our hearts be open to Him and will we be seeking Him to come near?

Don't let troubles or heartache lead you to pull away from God or doubt His nearness.

Let him draw close to you.

And never forget that lots of people are praying for you today.

Have a blessed day! 

clear the way!

We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. And we will be ready to punish every act of disobedience, once your obedience is complete.

—2 Corinthians 10:5-6

For those of us with anxiety issues, this verse can be a key motivator.

Fear and anxiety are sent to us by the evil one.

This is the war of spiritual forces opposed to God.

While these forces might have a great deal of influence in the world at large, we need to be determined that Satan's deception won't rule in us.

We must be committed to God’s truth!

Our culture is obsessed with many different gods, beliefs, and choices.

We must be vigilant to take every thought, fear and anxiety and make it obedient to God.

The world we live in is unprincipled and it doesn’t fight fair.

But we should not live or fight our battles that way.

We must use the knowledge and power we have been given to smash warped philosophies, to tear down barriers erected against the truth.

We must clear the ground of every obstruction and build lives of obedience into maturity.

Have a blessed day!

are you hungry?

The lions may grow weak and hungry, but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing.

– Psalm 34:10

Most of us work very hard for what we have.

It is easy to seek after the good things, but in reality, we need to seek the Lord.

Prayer unlocks the blessings that God has for His people, but prayer also fills our souls with good things that truly satisfy.

When praises go up, blessings rain down!

Our definition of “good things” changes when God becomes the center of our lives.

While even the most fierce hunters cannot ensure their security and nourishment, those whose hunger is for God will find themselves nourished, blessed, and sustained.

Have a blessed day!