somebody prayed

And the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. For example, we don’t know what God wants us to pray for. But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words.

- Romans 8:26 (NLT)

 

“I’ll pray for you”.
I see that a lot on social media, I hear it a lot in daily life, but do you really pray when you tell someone that you will? (you should.)

I have seen a lot of craziness in my life, some things that simply could not be explained.
Maybe some one prayed. 
Coming back from the Sturgis motorcycle rally this year, I learned of a young man that had gone missing on his travels home.
I feel like I can write about it without exclusive permission from his family, because his story made nationwide news.
To keep it short, the young man was traveling with friends, and they had designated stops to check in, in the event they were separated.
When he didn’t arrive at a checkpoint, his group went back to the last place they saw him and within hours reported him missing.
Searches were coordinated, there were families, search dogs, drones, everything you can imagine.
There were negative folks that dreamed up conspiracy theories about his friends or that he didn’t want to be found.  
I don’t think that I am exaggerating when I say the entire biker community pulled together to search, to pray, to donate funds, to support his family.
Five days after he went missing, he was found alive. 
He had hit a deer (or swerved to miss it, I am unsure on that) and went over an embankment, he suffered five days with broken ribs, left shoulder and hip injuries, right ankle injury and right lung collapsed and so many more injuries, but he was found ALIVE.
Somebody prayed – a whole lot of somebodies prayed. 

Just this year Crowder released a song called Somebody Prayed, I heard it for the first time shortly after this young man had been found.

Y’all – I know some of you skip over lyrics when I post them in my messages, but you need to hear these:
Every night there by your bed

You fold your hands and bow your head

Throwing out another prayer in faith

When you're wondering if He's hearing you

Look at me, I'm living proof

I'm only right where I am today

Because somebody prayed

So I hit my knees 'cause I've seen all heaven move

(Don't matter if you hit rock bottom)

(My God pick you up when you call Him)

I pray, "Father, please" 'cause I've seen what He can do

(Don't matter if the storm cloud coming)

(My God come through when you call Him)

These hands have no power

But there ain't an hour He don't come through

That's why when mountains move, I say

"Looks like somebody prayed"

For the child of God that's far from home

The one who thinks they're too far gone

I'm throwing out another prayer in faith (prayer in faith)

Worn-out altars, tear-stained pews

Still, I won't give up on you

I believe that anything can change when somebody prays

So I hit my knees 'cause I've seen all heaven move

(Don't matter if you hit rock bottom)

(My God pick you up when you call Him)

I pray, "Father, please" 'cause I've seen what He can do

(Don't matter if the storm cloud coming)

(My God come through when you call Him)

These hands have no power

But there ain't an hour He don't come through

That's why when mountains move, I say

"Looks like somebody prayed"

I've seen miracles come from feeble words

I've seen hospital rooms turned into cathedrals

I've seen freedom come to the prisoner

You can't tell me that prayer don't work

So every night there by your bed

When you fold your hands and bow your head

Not a single word you've ever said in vain

'Cause He hears everything
Somebody prayed for this young man. 
Somebody has prayed for me.
Somebody has prayed for each of us. 
Not all prayers are answered the way we want them to be answered, but all prayer is heard, and that is what we need to remember.

 

#dailybreadbykitty

Daily Inspiration from the Bible

 

be still

Then He arose and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Peace, be still!” And the wind ceased and there was a great calm.

- Mark 4:39 (NKJV)

I don’t know about you, but there have been a lot of storms in my world this year.
For once I’m referring to the weather, it seems it rained every day in May, so I did some research and found that most of the websites indicated 17 days of rain in May – that is like half the month!

Compared to 9 days in April and 9 days in June, it’s no wonder we felt soggy!
My family saw devastating tornadoes and floods in our current town and our hometowns in May and June.
It felt like the storms just would not end, both the physical storms and the emotional storms.  
In 2020 Hope Darst released a song called Peace Be Still, in it she sings about fearing the storms and how we can trust Jesus to calm our storms, here is a snippet of the song:
I don't want to be afraid

Every time I face the waves

I don't want to be afraid

I don't want to be afraid

I don't want to fear the storm

Just because I hear it roar

I don't want to fear the storm

I don't want to fear the storm

Peace be still

Say the word and I will

Set my feet upon the sea

'Til I'm dancing in the deep

Peace be still

You are here so it is well

Even when my eyes can't see

I will trust the voice that speaks

I'm not gonna be afraid

'Cause these waves are only waves

I'm not gonna be afraid

No, I'm not gonna be afraid

And I'm not gonna fear the storm

You are greater than its roar

Oh, I'm not gonna fear the storm

No, I'm not gonna fear at all

Peace be still

Say the word and I will

Set my feet upon the sea

'Til I'm dancing in the deep

Peace be still

You are here so it is well

Even when my eyes can't see

I will trust the voice that speaks

Peace, peace over me
I am still amazed that when I turn to the Lord, He can calm the storms. 
He may not completely stop the destruction and pain, but knowing He is there helps me through those storms.

#dailybreadbykitty

Daily Inspiration from the Bible

 

eyes of a fool

Wisdom is with the one who has understanding, but the eyes of a fool are on the ends of the earth.

- Proverbs 17:24 (NLV)

 

Are you a spontaneous person that sees something that you want and immediately obtain it through what ever means necessary, and later you experience buyer’s remorse?
We don’t need everything. 
We don’t need the things our neighbor or friend has. 
I was in the store last weekend and overheard a conversation between a mom and her child.
Child: Mom, where did that girl get that balloon? 
Mom: I don’t know, maybe someone gave it to her. 
Child: Why? 
Mom: I don’t know. 
Child: Well, I want one. 
Mom: Not today sweetie, we have too much going on. 
Child: I don’t care. I want a balloon. (child’s voice starts to rise) I want THAT balloon and I want it NOW.  Go get it for me or I will hate you.
There were several other items in the cart that were probably for this child. 
I watched this mom, it was obviously not her first rodeo, she walked up to a store employee and said, “Sir, could you help me?”
The child has this triumphant look on his face, as though he had won and was about to get the balloon.
The store employee smiled and said “of course! What can I do for you?” 
Mom said “I need to leave the store right this minute, but I did not want to leave my cart full of items (she had quite a bit) just sitting here. There is nothing perishable, so if you could take it to customer service, here is my business card, I will be back to pick it up in a few hours or so, I promise I will be back before you close tonight.”
The store employee agreed and took the cart, the mom took her child by the hand and started to walk toward the store’s exit.
The child started howling “Whhhhhhhhhhhyyyyyyyyyyy!!!” and mom calmly said, “we can’t always have what we want, and there are consequences when we think that we can. I’m taking you home, and I will come back later and buy the only things that our family needs from that cart.”
The child had no response.
It was rather dramatic, but wow, I am so proud of that mom, because even though it probably inconvenienced her, she taught the child a lesson.
We can’t always have what we want. 
And only a fool sets their eyes on the things they can’t have.  

 

#dailybreadbykitty

Daily Inspiration from the Bible

 

fire

Fire tests the purity of silver and gold, but the Lord tests the heart.

- Proverbs 17:3 (NLT)

 

As children, we are taught not to play with fire, lest we get burned or inadvertently harm another.
“Fire bad” is a quote in several movies and TV shows. 
But fire is good too, when used correctly. 
In a pinch, fire can purify a tool to make it nearly sterile. 
Fire can fuse items together to make them stronger (think welding). 
Fire keeps us warm and allows us to have hot food. 

But fire is often used to describe trials.
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were thrown into a fire as punishment, but they were protected.
We often say we are running through a fire when faced with adversity. 
That is where we are being tested. 
God tests our hearts. 
Through the circumstances we face and our reactions to them, God knows where are heart will be.

 

#dailybreadbykitty

Daily Inspiration from the Bible

the same but different

Live in harmony with each other. Don’t be too proud to enjoy the company of ordinary people. And don’t think you know it all!

- Romans 12:16 (NLT)

You can tell a lot about a person by the way they treat other people.

It should not matter if they are ringing up your groceries, bringing food to the table, giving legal or medical advice, running a large company or ruling a country.

We are the same, even though we are different.
People are not beneath you just because they are providing a service.
You are not below others simply because you hold a position of power.

Honestly, we are all ordinary people, no matter what our name tag or office door says, we are all the same on the inside.

The next time you get mad at a waiter or waitress for messing up your order, make sure that you have not made any mistakes recently.

Every person on the planet is still human and deserves to be treated with dignity and respect.

 

#dailybreadbykitty

Daily Inspiration from the Bible

little things matter

But a generous man devises generous things, And by generosity he shall stand.

- Isaiah 32:8 (NKJV)

 

Little things matter.
There is a story by Loren Eisely about a little boy walking on a beach: 
One day a man was walking along the beach when he noticed a boy picking something up and gently throwing it into the ocean. Approaching the boy, he asked, “What are you doing?” The boy replied, “Throwing starfish back into the ocean. The surf is up and the tide is going out. If I don’t throw them back, they’ll die.” “Son,” the man said, “don’t you realize there are miles and miles of beach and hundreds of starfish? You can’t make a difference!”After listening politely, the boy bent down, picked up another starfish, and threw it back into the surf. Then, smiling at the man, he said…” I made a difference for that one.”

It doesn’t have to be a big thing, little things matter.

In 2018, Josh Wilson released his song Dream Small.
In an interview he said “I wrote my new song ‘Dream Small’ as a celebration for all the people who are quietly changing this world one simple act of kindness at a time. This is for moms and dads who are loving their families, this is for students who are choosing compassion over bullying, this is for those in ministry who day in and day out show the love of Christ with little to no thanks.

This song’s for YOU. You have the chance to change the world like nobody else can. If you’re like me maybe you get overwhelmed with the great need you see in the world but all we have to do is open our eyes to the opportunities that are right in front of us.”

One simple act of kindness.
It doesn’t have to be a big thing, little things matter.
This verse in The Message version of the Bible reads: But look! A king will rule in the right way, and his leaders will carry out justice. Each one will stand as a shelter from high winds, provide safe cover in stormy weather. Each will be cool running water in parched land, a huge granite outcrop giving shade in the desert. Anyone who looks will see, anyone who listens will hear. The impulsive will make sound decisions, the tongue-tied will speak with eloquence. No more will fools become celebrities, nor crooks be rewarded with fame. For fools are fools and that’s that, thinking up new ways to do mischief. They leave a wake of wrecked lives and lies about God, Turning their backs on the homeless hungry, ignoring those dying of thirst in the streets. And the crooks? Underhanded sneaks they are, inventive in sin and scandal, Exploiting the poor with scams and lies, unmoved by the victimized poor. But those who are noble make noble plans, and stand for what is noble.
It doesn’t have to be a big thing, little things matter. 

 

#dailybreadbykitty

Daily Inspiration from the Bible

time

Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!

- Psalm 46:10 (NKJV)

I came home from vacation on Sunday around midnight and have been running nonstop ever since.
This Sunday, I attended my home church for the first time in six weeks.
The theme of the sermon was “The Time Barrier”. 

“I don’t have time” is a lie.

Even though we tell ourselves that we will make time for what is important, we don’t.
I don’t know about you, but my life seems to be planned and dictated by everyone but me.
My husband suggested that I write one line today and then the verse.  
  After an extremely busy past seven days, I am overwhelmingly tired.

  Be still, and know that I am God.

 

#dailybreadbykitty

Daily Inspiration from the Bible