The Gift of Prayer

For me the greatest gift is prayer. We have a tremendous potential for God to bless us through the ministry of prayer. It is achievable by all of us as believers no matter who we are or what our status in life may be. It is joyous and indescribable. Through prayer our Creator, God, Almighty has designed to bless us beyond our imagination. It is within our reach and can be a breathtaking adventure.

Prayer can be the most difficult or frustrating task to accomplish. The disciples went to the Lord one day and asked, “Lord, please show us how to pray”.

David Jeremiah writes “There is prayer and then there is prayer.” “When things are going smoothly in our life, we pray one way; when we get into a tight situation, we pray another way. Our pleas become more passionate; we find ourselves crying out to God”.

It is God’s longing for us to pray earnestly from deep within our heart in good times and in bad. To some, that kind of prayer doesn’t come naturally on a regular basis. We need to be disciplined and get serious about prayer or we will not know and miss out on God’s passion for our lives.

For it is our Heavenly Father’s desire for us to “come” to Him in prayer.

Matthew 11:28 (New International Version)
28"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.

Isaiah 55:6 (New International Version)
6 Seek the LORD while he may be found; call on him while he is near.

Hebrews 4:16 (New International Version)
16Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.

Grace

The piture above is of the Catherial Cefalu located in Italy

It doesn’t matter our personality type or temperament for our Creator to take great delight in lavishing His extravagant grace on us.

Grace turns up the corners of our mouth up when things in our life are turning upside down. Grace is when whatever we need most comes to us the moment we need it. Like when we reach middle age and finally know our way around, we need grace because by then we won’t feel much like going! Grace has sometimes made me feel lighthearted because it has appeared to me in some instances as humor and fun.

In the rooms of my home there are several empty containers of different sizes and shapes. There is a copper pitcher used by the sink. A hand-glazed pitcher is decoration in the bathroom. An earth tone colored pot sits on a shelf in the living room. An odd shaped jug serves as a bookend in the study.

These various containers are a metaphor in my life. I am an empty vessel just waiting to be filled. As I have thirsted for grace I noticed that these containers in my home are equipped with a pour spout. They are God’s way of telling me that He wants me to pour out His fullness into the lives of others. It made me wonder as to how effective I have been doing that.

Surely, God’s intention is that I overflow when He fills me to the brim! It doesn’t take a monumental feat to exercise grace toward others. I have learned that it can be as simple as letting someone ahead of me in line at the grocery store. “Grace always remembers that it is not your job to get people to like you, it is your job to like people”. We are only a decision away from pouring out grace.

Here are some expressions of grace: “You did a good job.”, “I was wrong.”, “What do you think?”, “Thank you.” We can even say these things to ourselves and cut us some slack. “Everyone who got where they are had to begin where they were, including me!” “Many people go through life running from something that isn’t after them.” “They move too fast and yell too loud.”

Emily Dickerson wrote, “The soul should stand ajar.” Grace is all around and within us. We need to stand still with our soul ajar. Notice grace, appreciate it and drink deeply as it flows into your open soul. From your fullness in Christ, pour out His grace on others.

John 1:16 (New International Version)
16From the fullness of his grace we have all received one blessing after another.

Grace Like Rain – Todd Agnew

Amazing grace, how sweet the sound
That saved a wretch like me
I once was lost but now I'm found
Was blind but now I see so clearly
Chorus:
Hallelujah, grace like rain falls down on me
Hallelujah, all my stains are washed away, washed away
'Twas grace that taught my heart to fear
And grace my fears relieved
How precious did that grace appear
The hour I first believed
Chorus
When we've been there ten thousand years
Bright shining as the sun
We've no less days to sing Your praise
Than when we first begun

Lord Shine Your Spirit On Us

St. Joseph Church - New Orleans/Louisiana

Ecclesiastes 11:8 (New International Version)
8 However many years a man may live
let him enjoy them all.
But let him remember the days of darkness,
for they will be many.
Everything to come is meaningless

Psalm 90:12 (New International Version)
12 Teach us to number our days aright,
that we may gain a heart of wisdom.

A wise person does not just think about the moment but he/she takes the long range view towards eternity.

What is the secret to simply living and living simply everyday…..all the time? How do we integrate the whole of our life into everything we do, savoring moments, counting our blessings, and trying new things?

In doing my research I found a few simple recommendations to help have this type of life when you are eighty:

1. Stay spiritually centered/grounded with the Lord as your motivator.
2. Learn something new every day and keep experimenting to make it better.
3. Wear your inside person outside, being who you really are.
4. Realize that tranquility is your greatest source of beauty.
5. Remember God’s mercies are new every morning…and that is grace.
6. Approach your decisions from God’s prospective – considering their impact
ten years from now and into eternity.
7. Live with the attitude that although our years on earth are short, we will
live with God forever.


My Prayer: Heavenly Father, God, Almighty please give us Your wisdom so that we may live according to Your will. Allow us dearest Farther to be able to view life through Your eyes so that we won’t loose sight of the blessings that You have before us. As our time here on earth is short Lord, please give us comfort in knowing that we will live with You forever in eternity. This I pray in Jesus’ name, Amen.

Song Lyrics - Spirit of the Living God

Spirit of the living God, fall afresh on me.
Spirit of the living God, fall afresh on me.
Melt me, mold me, fill me, use me,
Spirit of the living God, fall afresh on me.
Spirit of the living God, fall afresh on us.
Spirit of the living God, fall afresh on us.
Melt us, mold us, fill us, use us,
Spirit of the living God, fall afresh on us

Thank You Lord

Song Lyrics to Thank You Lord

Verse 1:
I come before You today, and there's just one thing that I want to say
Thank You, Lord, thank You, Lord For all You've given to me, for all the blessings that I cannot see
Thank You, Lord, thank You, Lord
With a grateful heart, with a song of praise, With an outstretched arm I'll bless Your Name and

Chorus:
Thank You, Lord, I just want to thank You, Lord (repeat)

Verse 2:
For all You've done in my life, You took my darkness and gave me Your light
Thank You, Lord, thank You, Lord
You took my sin and my shame, You took my sickness and heal all my pain
With a grateful heart, with a song of praise With an outstretched arm I'll bless Your Name and
Thank You, Lord, thank You, Lord

Coda:
With a grateful heart, with a song of praise
With an outstretched arm I'll bless Your Name and

Chorus 2:
Thank You, Lord, I just want to thank You, Lord (repeat 4x)

Psalm 100:4 (New International Version)
4 Enter his gates with thanksgiving
and his courts with praise;
give thanks to him and praise his name.

I am learning to stop for thankful moments. It has become a daily discipline of mine since I found that I was getting overwhelmed by all the priorities in my life. I’ve learned enough about what makes me tick to pay attention to when I feel as if I am sinking. So, I have made it a practice during the day to stop intentionally and take a moment to lift my heart and soul towards heaven and say, “thank you Lord!” Giving thanks does wonders for my soul. It refocuses me on what is really important. Marcus Aurelius, a first century Roman emperor wrote, “The most important thing a man can choose is how he thinks”. We can dwell on the things that are not working and bring us down or simply thank God for the gifts of grace He gives to us every day if we have the heart to see them.

Sometimes instead of tossing off "Hay, thanks!” now and then we should make it a practice to thank God for His goodness to us. If you want to be content and to experience peace with the Lord, write down the things that you are grateful for. You might even put them in a container of some sort. Soon it will be filled to overflowing. From time to time take a look inside to see what you wrote. Soon you will be smiling from ear to ear with your heart glowing from all of the things that you are grateful for. Whatever our thank you is for God’s many blessings, cultivating an attitude of gratitude will remind us of the truth that brings life into our existance.“For the Lord is good and His mercy endures forever; His faithfulness continues through all generations.” (Psalm 100:5)

Heavenly Father, God Almighty, You are the Creator of everything. You are most gracious and kind. You know every heart beat that my body will encounter before I ever feel it. I give You the praise and glory for breathing Your breath into my life and Your love into my soul. You deserve all glory and honor today and always in Jesus name I pray this day, Amen.

Ecclesiastes 3:5-8 A Time For Everything

Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 (New International Version)

Ecclesiastes 3

A Time for Everything

1 There is a time for everything,
and a season for every activity under heaven:
2 a time to be born and a time to die,
a time to plant and a time to uproot,
3 a time to kill and a time to heal,
a time to tear down and a time to build,
4 a time to weep and a time to laugh,
a time to mourn and a time to dance,
5 a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
a time to embrace and a time to refrain,
6 a time to search and a time to give up,
a time to keep and a time to throw away,
7 a time to tear and a time to mend,
a time to be silent and a time to speak,
8 a time to love and a time to hate,
a time for war and a time for peace.

Our trials and tribulations should not hinder us from believing in the Lord and His promises. They should be opportunities for us to discover that without God our problems wouldn’t have a solution. We shouldn’t rush God and need to believe in our hearts of hearts that “all” things are determined by His timing. Our God is good and His mercy endures forever. He is faithful and will never leave us or forsake us.

Song Lyrics by: Jason Morant

I love you Lord
and I lift my voice
to worship you,
oh my soul rejoice.

Take joy my king
in what you hear,
let it be a sweet,
sweet sound in your ear.
In your ear.

Yeah, I love you lord.
Oh, how i love you lord.
Yeah, I love you Lord.
Yeah, I love you Lord.

Take joy my King
in what you hear
let it be a sweet,sweet sound.
Let it be a sweet,sweet sound
Let it be a sweet, oh, sweet,sweet,sweet sound.
Will you let it be a (I love you Lord)
oh, will you let it be a sweet ( I love you Lord) sweet, sweet sound.
Let it rise(I love you Lord) in your ear.

Press On

Sometimes God gives us gifts that are difficult for us to enjoy or appreciate so we misuse them. He graces us with a day of rest apart from the turmoil but instead of enjoying His soothing presence we fill the quiet with all sorts of things and mindless activities. He sends a friend to encourage us when we are blue, but because it isn’t exactly who we want to be with we brush them off and miss the blessng. He givss us opportunities to forgive but we cling to our bitterness and hold onto our grudges. He offers us a chance to be taught something new, but we are often too proud to learn. The list can go on and on.

We need to recognize how often we mistrust the Lord by rejecting His gracious gifts because they are not on our terms. When we tell Him how disappointed we are, He meets us in our honesty, mends us with His grace and pours out the oil of His love all over us. Even if things are still not in alignment there is something about the Lord believing in us and His encouragement towards us that gives us the faith to press on and allows us to be able to go forward.

Jeremiah 33:2-3 (New International Version)
2 "This is what the LORD says, he who made the earth, the LORD who formed it and established it—the LORD is his name: 3 'Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.

Lyrics to Press On : By Seleh

When the valley is deep
When the mountain is steep
When the body is weary
When we stumble and fall

When the choices are hard
When we're battered and scarred
When we've spent our resources
When we've given our all

Chorus:
In Jesus' name, we press on
In Jesus' name, we press on
Dear Lord, with the prize
Clear before our eyes
We find the strength to press on

In Jesus' name, we press on
In Jesus' name, we press on
Dear Lord, with the prize
Clear before our eyes
We find the strength to press on
To press on

My Prayer: Heavenly Father, God Almighty open our eyes so that we can see Your gifts in the midst of every situation. Help us to have the faith that in our weakest moments You are our God, You Alone Are Lord. Remind us Heavenly Father that by staying focused on You and trusting You that "if we press on You will clear our eyes and give us the strength to recover and once again be restored". This I pray in Your name, Jesus Christ Our Lord, Amen.

No More Performances For God

Have you ever put in several hours of overtime on the job and no one even bothered to say how much your efforts were appreciated?

We live in a world where we expect to be appreciated; we want a reward for a good performance. We also live in a world where we expect criticism for a bad performance. We are all familiar with words that show both rewards and punishment. It is the way that the system works and we are used to it.

Jesus, when He was here on earth turned that familiar system upside down. Instead of emphasizing the value of performance, He affirmed the value of the person.

When Jesus met the Samaritan woman He already knew she had a colorful past. In fact He shocked her by telling her about her five husbands as well as the man she was living with who was not her spouse at the time. In spite of her history, Jesus looked beyond her performance and zeroed in on her person. He offered her living water knowing her unquenchable thirst for a meaningful life. (John 4)

Although Zacchaeus’s was a despised citizen, Jesus cut through his disgusting performance to the hidden person that He wanted to love into the kingdom of God. (Luke 19:5)

Jesus was silent for a period of time and spoke when the woman was caught in adultery and should have been stoned according to Jewish law. (John 8:7) He looked beyond her performance to see the person who, in her poverty of soul and overwhelming shame needed His compassion.

Is anyone good enough for God? The point is that no one is! If our behavior doesn’t condemn us then our thought life will. God knows that and looks beyond our imperfect performance. He loves and receives us anyway. Jesus made that kind of grace possible on the cross by dying for the sin that inspires bad performances. It is that simple.

There is nothing more liberating than embracing this extravagant truth. When we admit to the core of our being that our performance will never measure up to God’s standard, then we can quit trying to make ourselves good enough and concentrate instead on having a relationship with Him. Everything, absolutely everything from our tendency to be selfish to why the snails won’t leave our potted plants alone is acceptable to talk to God in prayer about. Everything, yes absolutely everything is reason to give Him our thanks and praise.

A relationship based on love for who we are and grace in spite of what we do should cause us to melt in gratitude, humility and tenderness. Knowing that God looks beyond our performance to who we are and loves us anyway, should make us sink into His embrace and recognize that this is what we should thirst for.

Rom 3:10 – There is not one righteous, not even one.

Dear Father God Almighty I come to you in prayer today asking that You give us Your wisdom to not judge others by their performance so that we will see them for who they are and not judge them on them on who we think they should be. I ask Father, God that You help us to have Your heart of love, gratitude, humility, tenderness and compassion towards others. Please Father, God help us to have a relationship with You so Your light will shine through us and onto others for Your glory. We give you all praise and honor today Father, God, Amen.

“Most people live their lives as if they are going to be graded once a year by a God who stands there frowning with His hands stuck in the pockets of His robe”. Chuck Swindoll

Lyrics to Lord You Are By Mark Schultz
Lord, You are the King of all creation
You know my name
Lord, You are the hope of every nation
You never change
So I stand, I stand before You now
And raise my hands

(Chorus)
And I sing to You
For You alone are worthy
And Your word is truth
And I sing to You
You are the song within me

And I long for You
Lord, You are…

Lord, Your word is written deep within me
Spelled out by grace
Lord, You are the rock of all the ages
My help and strength
So I stand, stand before you now
And raise my hands

(Chorus)

The Living One, the Holy Lamb
The Son of God, the Son of Man
Who always is, who always was
Who’s always gonna be

God's Wisdom

James 1:5 (New International Version)
5 If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.

It is amazing to me how in spite of our natural neglect of God, he uses us for His glory. He shows up with His extravagant grace, grants us underserved favor, and allows us to carry out what He has started.

Have you ever known in your “know that I know heart” that something is wrong, but you just couldn’t put your finger on it? Learn from my mistake. Even though I did not ask for His advice, God took control of the situation. He made good what could have ended up badly. Ask for God’s wisdom. If you don’t hear from God immediately, pray for seven days that He will speak to you. The number seven is said to be the number for completion. If you ask God sincerely in faith believing He will answer you, He will not disappoint you.

I have learned this the hard way. “When we ask”, "we may not receive it because we have the wrong motives". Sometimes what we ask for is so we can spend it on what pleases us. Now I make it a practice to remind myself of the liberating truth. “Trust the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight”. (Proverbs 3:5-6) Now, that is Gods' wonderful grace!

Heavenly Father, God Almighty, I come to you today as an intercessor in prayer asking that You Father God give me and all of the wonderful people that I am interceding for in prayer Your wisdom regarding the decisions that we make. Lord, God please give us the faith to trust You knowing that although we can not see the whole picture, that what You have planned for our life often sometimes affects us as well as others. Therefore please give us the understanding that what decisions You make for our lives is for our best interest as well as for others. I pray this day in Jesus’ name, Amen.

God's Power In Prayer

Although these words are very familiar we sometimes forget what “The power of prayer” really means. It is a powerful tool for communicating with our Creator as well as the opportunity to communicate with Our Heavenly Father who is the Giver of all things good. It helps us to find strength for today and hope for our future. Prayer is not something to take lightly or be used infrequently.

Our spiritual life is in direct alignment with the quality of our prayer life. Prayer changes things and us. Instead of turning things over in our mind, we should turn them over to God in prayer. We need to ask God to lead the way and not worry over the next decision that we make. We should pray on a regular basis regarding large issues as well as small ones.

God listens when our prayers are weak, when our words are few, and when our heart is dry. The greatest power that He can give to us as individuals is the power of prayer. He will never leave us and will always be waiting to listen as we call to Him in prayer.

James 5:16 (New International Version)
16Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.

James 5:16 (New Living Translation)
16 Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results

James 5:16 (King James Version)
16Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much

Heavenly Father, God, Almighty I ask that you touch each person who reads this message. I also ask dear Lord that they learn to come to You in prayer during their time of weakness as well as when things are going well in their lives. Please touch each one with Your Supernatural Power so that they will learn to trust you and feel Your presence penetrate their hearts down to their soul. Please Father, God please listen to and answer every petition and every hearts request that is brought to you this day, Lord, Jesus. Amen

As I woke this morning I could hear the angels singing these words "Enter his gates with thanksgiving. Enter his courts with praise. Be thankful unto him. And bless, his name. We've come to praise his name".

Today belongs to Jesus. Stay focused on Him and He will lead you on the journey you need to walk with Him today. Let's not be too busy with our lives to stop for a moment, pray, and give Him the honor and praise He deserves today.

Sincerely,
Bonnie

Snaggle Toothed

The above picture is of a little country church in North Carolina.

This blog is for Thursday - October 22, 2009

Sometimes the hardest thing is life is just being ourselves.

The next time you look in the mirror and want to scream try to remember that God made that face, that smile, those big eyes, long nose, crooked teeth, and chubby cheeks. You are His creation and called to reflect Him. Spiritual transformation does not come from a diet program, a bottle, a makeover or a mask. It comes from an intimate relationship with the Lord, God, Our Savior. Because of His mercy and gracious nature He looks beyond our snaggle toothed grin. God loves us and appreciates us for who we really are. So we can too! When we understand that God has called us individually by name, it profoundly alters the way we live.

Vickie Winans – Song – Spirit of the Living God Fall Fresh on Me

Spirit Of The Living God Fall Fresh On Me
spriit Of The Living God Fall Fresh On Me
melt Me, Mold Me, Fill Me, Use Me
spriit Of The Living God Fall Fresh On Me
fall Fresh, Fall Down On Me
fall Fresh, Fall Down On Me
melt Me, Mold Me, Fill Me, Use Me
fall, Fall, Fall, Fall Down On Me
spirit Of The Living God
fall Afresh, Fall Afresh, Fall Afresh On Me

1 Samuel 16:7 (New International Version)

7 But the LORD said to Samuel, "Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The LORD does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart."

Philippians 1:6 (New International Version)

6being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.

God's Purpose

These pictures were sent to me by a cousin who lives in France. They are of a Cathedrial at Le Mans.

Ephesians 1:11-12 (New International Version)
11 In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will, 12 in order that we, who were the first to hope in Christ, might be for the praise of his glory.

Everyone has a purpose. It is the reason that we exist. It is our life’s mission, objective and plan. We are here to glorify God and do His will. How that translates to our lives is unique to each of us. We are not put on this earth as an accident but have been hand picked by God’s design. We were created for a great purpose. Discovering what we have been created to do, and becoming what we were created to be will bring much fulfillment to our lives. It will bring us happiness as well. In order to be something we have to become something. Who we become determines whether we hear God’s voice in our life or not. God has ”called us with a Holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus” before time began. (2 Tim 1:9)

We were “predestined according to the plan of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will”. (Eph 1:11-12) We need to pray that we hear God’s call so that who we are and what we do lines up with God’s purpose for our life.

My Prayer: Lord, Jesus, I pray that we will clearly hear the call You have on our life. Help us to realize who we are in Christ, Jesus and give us certainty that we were created to a high purpose. May the eyes of our understanding be enlightened so that we will know what is the hope of Your calling. (Eph 1:18) Lord, Jesus enable us to walk worthy of our calling and become the ambassadors of God You made us to be. Continue to remind us of what You called us to and don’t let us get distracted with things that are unessential to Your purpose. Strike down discouragement so that it will not defeat us. Lift our eyes above circumstances of the moment so that we can see the purpose which You created us. I pray that the desires of our heart not be in conflict with the desires of Yours and that we seek Your direction and hear when you speak to our soul this day. Amen


Song – Be Still My Soul, My Soul – Artist – Genny Owens

Be still, my soul,
The Lord is on your side.
Bare patiently, the cross of grief or pain,
Leave too your God, to order and provide.
In every change He faithful will remain,
Be still, my soul,
Your best your hevenly friend,
Through thorny waves leads to a joyful end.

Be still, my soul,
Your God will under take.
To guide the future as he has the past
Your hope your confidence let nothing shake
Or now misterious shall be bright at last
Be still, my soul,
The waves and winds still know
His voice who ruled them , while he lived below

Be still, my soul,
Be still, my soul,
Be still.

Let's Give God Praise Today

Exodus 15:2 (New International Version)
2 The LORD is my strength and my song;
he has become my salvation.
He is my God, and I will praise him,
my father's God, and I will exalt him.

Jaci Velasquez - Adore

From the moment you opened my eyes
I have seen the world in a different light
From the dawn to the setting sun
I am overwhelmed
By all that you have done
Chorus:
Adore, adore, adore
Jesus I adore you,
Yes I adore,
Adore, adore, adore
Jesus, I adore you
And I lay my life before you, o lord
There’s a union of two becoming one
Deep inside my heart
I know that I belong
You have given everything to me
The least that I can do
Is give it back to you
Bridge:
And all I am and ever will be
Is for you, lord
And everything within me cries
Chorus:
Adore, adore, adore
Jesus, I adore you,
Yes I adore you
And I lay my life before you
Adore, adore, adore, adore, adore
Jesus, I adore you
And I lay my life before you
I long to love and adore you
I lay my life before you, o lord
I adore you

Often the Lord has to open our eyes so that we can see the world in a different light. When we view things through the looking glass in His eyes it allows us to find His magnificence from the dawn to the setting sun and be overwhelmed by all that He has done. Just look around and you will see that our Lord, God the Almighty is worthy of our praise today. He is the Alpha and the Omega, our provider, our strength and the One who deserves our Praise. (Paraphrased from Jacii Velasquez’s song above.)

To think that there are some people who don’t feel God’s presence in their life is amazing to me. All we have to do is look around to see the beautiful pictures that He paints in our lives daily as a testimony and we will find the majesty of His hand.

My Prayer: Heavenly Father, God Almighty my prayer is that as each person who reads this today will feel Your presence and know the wonders of your hand. May they praise You no matter what, and as they look around and see the beautiful pictures that you paint in their life may they become overwhelmed by the glorious sight. You, Lord, Jesus deserve our praise and all the honor today and always. Amen

God's Majesty

Majesty

Majesty, worship His Majesty,
Unto Jesus, be all glory, honor and praise!

Majesty, kingdom authority, flows from His throne,

Unto His own, His anthem raise.

So exalt, lift up on high the name of Jesus.

Magnify, come glorify Christ Jesus the King.

Majesty, worship His Majesty,

Jesus who died, now glorified,

King of all kings.


©1987, Songs and 1981, Rocksmith Music
Words and Music by Jack Hayford


2 Corinthians 10:17-18 (New King James Version)
17 But “he who glories, let him glory in the LORD.” 18 For not he who commends himself is approved, but whom the Lord commends.

2 Corinthians 10:17-18 (New Living Translation)
17 As the Scriptures say, “If you want to boast, boast only about the LORD.” 18 When people commend themselves, it doesn’t count for much. The important thing is for the Lord to commend them.

2 Corinthians 10:17-18 (New International Version)
17But, "Let him who boasts boast in the Lord." 18For it is not the one who commends himself who is approved, but the one whom the Lord commends.

2 Corinthians 10:17-18 (Amplified Bible)
17However, let him who boasts and glories boast and glory in the Lord. 18For [it is] not [the man] who praises and commends himself who is approved and accepted, but [it is the person] whom the Lord accredits and commends.

What we say about ourselves means nothing in God's eyes. It's what God says about us that makes the difference. We can not look into the Lords eyes and glorify ourselves. When we do so, we only become self-righteous.

My Prayer: Lord, Jesus, God, Almighty please forgive us for our tendency to put ourselves before You. Thank You that we can glorify Your righteousness. How wonderful are Your laws and the approval You give when we do Your will. May we only seek to lift You up, Lord, Jesus. May our words tell of Your majesty instead build us up. When we hear words of praise, they will only reflect Your glory. In Jesus name I pray this day, Amen.

The above picture was taken yesterday at Newfound Gap which is at the North Carolina/Tennessee border. My husband and I were driving through the mountains to see fall foliage. What a surprise and magnificent testimony this experience was of God’s glory and for us to see fall foliage in a winter wonderland. Man could never paint a picture that glorifies God as this one.

Selah - You Raise Me Up - Lyrics

Blog Message - Sunday - October 18, 2009

Selah - You Raise Me Up - Lyrics

When I am down, and oh my soul, so weary.
When troubles come, and my heart burdened be.
Then I am still and wait here in the silence.
Until You come and sit awhile with me.

You raise me up so I can stand on mountains.
You raise me up to walk on stormy seas.
I am strong when I am on your shoulders.
You raise me up to more than I can be.

You raise me up so I can stand on mountains.
You raise me up to walk on stormy seas.
I am strong when I am on your shoulders.
You raise me up to more than I can be.

There is no life no life without its hunger.
Each restless heart beats so imperfectly.
But when you come and I am filled with wonder.
Sometimes I think I glimpse eternity.

You raise me up so I can stand on mountains.
You raise me up to walk on stormy seas.
I am strong when I am on your shoulders.
You raise me up to more than I can be.

You raise me up so I can stand on mountains.
You raise me up to walk on stormy seas.
I am strong when I am on your shoulders.
You raise me up to more than I can be.

John 14:18 (New International Version)
18I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.

The world without You Lord would be comfortless indeed. Please fill us with Your love now that You are in our hearts. I can not imagine not having the hope of Your love to guide us. When we face trials that seem to separate us from You, I pray that we will trust that if we draw close to You, You will raise us up and become our comforter. When life seems the darkest please come to us brining Your peace. No one can comfort like You, Father God.

My Prayer: Father God, please reach down deep into our soul today so that we may feel Your presence and the Holy Spirit’s consolation. Amen

It is Not About Us - It is About Him and What He Wants to do In Our Lives

Matthew 7:3 (New International Version)
3"Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye?
Because we are obedient to the Lord and extend His love and grace to one of His needy children, Jesus is able to shine His light into our hearts and convict us.

Our standard should be God’s perfection and not just to be a better Christian. The amazing thing about God’s grace is that when He looks down at us He sees no difference between us and others. Very often walking the road where we must be quiet and let our light shine before others can be very difficult. It takes patience and faith because we usually do not see quick results.

What a difference it makes in our relationship in the body of Christ when we begin to focus on refining our own walk with the Lord instead of trying to fix others.

Matthew 7:3-5 (The Message)
1-5 "Don't pick on people, jump on their failures, and criticize their faults— unless, of course, you want the same treatment. That critical spirit has a way of boomeranging. It's easy to see a smudge on your neighbor's face and be oblivious to the ugly sneer on your own. Do you have the nerve to say, 'Let me wash your face for you,' when your own face is distorted by contempt? It's this whole traveling road-show mentality all over again, playing a holier-than-thou part instead of just living your part. Wipe that ugly sneer off your own face, and you might be fit to offer a washcloth to your neighbor.

We must not pick on people, jump on their failures and criticize their faults – unless of course we want to receive the same treatment.

We are called to intercede in prayer instead of interfering in God’s plan. God is quite capable of teaching and convicting others without our help. We are much more effective talking to God about the sin we see in someone else’s life than we are in talking directly to them.

We need to keep in mind that Jesus Christ took on the sins of all mankind and died on the cross in our place.

Colossians 3:12 (New International Version)
12Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.

My Prayer: I asked You Heavenly Father God Almighty to give us Your love for the body of Christ so that we can praise You. We are saved and sanctified by Your grace and not our works or behavior. I pray that we answer Your call for reconciliation in the body of Christ and that we do not betray You in secret on Sunday by putting on our public mask. It is by Your grace that we are no different than Judas. Dear Father God, I pray that You will teach us how to be true examples of how we should live and show us how to let go of others by allowing You to clean them up. May we learn this day that it is not about us and that it is about what you want to do in our lives that truly matters.

In Your Father's Eyes - Song Lyrics By Mark Schultz

So no matter where you are
And no matter what you’ve done
You’re not alone”

“And no matter where you’ve been
And no matter where you’re from
Come back home”

“‘Cos in your Father’s eyes, you’re loved with such abandon
He’s running to you now arms open wide
In your Father’s eyes, you’re safe and you’re accepted
There’s nothing you can do to change His mind
If only you could see yourself one time
In your Father’s eyes”

Ps 17:7
7 Show the wonder of your great love, you who save by your right hand those who take refuge in you from their foes.

As Our Heavenly Father’s child we have the privilege of climbing up on His lap and being wrapped in His embrace. This is His gift of grace to us. God promises us that we can trust Him to set our hearts at rest even when we don’t feel good about ourselves. The Lord beckons us “Come with Me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest”. God’s compassion links our lives with His. He feels what we feel, rejoices when we rejoice and weeps when we weep. Allow yourself to let God Almighty show you the wonder of His great love as He holds you in His arms of compassion. The amazing thing about Our Lord is that He doesn’t just provide a safe place for us to rest; He redeems our soul. He is the Redeemer for yesterday, today and tomorrow.

Mark Schultz Lyrics to In Your Father’s Eyes

Tomorrow she’ll be turning 17
But somehow now the mirror has become her enemy
Feelin like she’ll never measure up
Feelin like she’ll never be enough

In her Father’s Eyes, he is taken by her beauty
And captivated by her every time
In her Father’s eyes, he is longing just to tell her
She’s never been more lovely in her life
If only she could see herself one time
In her Father’s eyes

He’s on the edge of giving up tonight
He’s feelin like he’s wasted the best days of his life
Afraid he’ll never be the man he thought that he could be
When he looks inside he’s so ashamed of who he sees

But in his Father’s eyes he is a son of glory
The image of a strong and mighty king
In his Father’s eyes, there’s more left in the story
He’s fighting hard to hold back tears of pride
If only he could see himself tonight
In his Father’s eyes

So no matter where you are
And no matter what you’ve done
You’re not alone
You’re not alone

And no matter where you’ve been
And no matter where you’re from
Come back home
Come back home

‘Cos in your Father’s eyes, you’re loved with such abandon
He’s running to you now arms open wide
In your Father’s eyes, you’re safe and you’re accepted
There’s nothing you can do to change His mind
If only you could see yourself one time
If only you could see yourself one time
In your Father’s eyes
In your Father’s eyes

Healer of Our Hurts

Joel 2:25
25 "I will repay you for the years the locusts have eaten—
the great locust and the young locust,
the other locusts and the locust swarm [a]—
my great army that I sent among you.

As children of God, we have a Heavenly Father who has the ability and the desire to heal all of our hurts more completely than any loving parent ever could.

When my children were younger they ran to me to fix their hurts. It often times just took a simple mother’s kiss to make everything feel better. Sometimes, though it took a little more. I would pull them up on my lap, hold them, kiss them, and lovingly rock their troubles away. It didn’t occur to them to run to someone else. They had complete trust in my ability and my compassion to heal their hurts.

As children of God, He is our Heavenly Father to run to with our hurts. He has the ability and desire to heal all of our hurts more than any parent ever could. Our only hindrance in healing is running to someone or something else to fix it instead of running straight to Him. He is Lord Almighty who heals.

Some of us may have had an experience with a strong willed or controlling person in our past that has brought bitterness and division to every gathering. It might have seemed that their goal was to do the opposite of anything suggested and to prevent any cohesiveness in a group setting. We might have even anticipated their next move and maneuvered around it, as we prayed for God to change them or remove them from the gathering. What we didn’t do was follow Moss’ lead and simply cry out to God for help which would give Him both the problem and the solution. In crying for God to fix them and giving Him these two choices to fix things did not allow us to be opened and flexible. “Healing never happens when we throw our own remedy stick into the equation”. We need to allow God our Father Almighty to choose the third solution. Sometimes His choice is to heal the situation by exposing our sin. God wants us to love others unconditionally with His love .We must forgive them even though their actions may be wrong and not let our lack of love and unforgiveness get in the way. Often times for healing to occur in relationships it takes our allowing God to begin to fix us first.

Forgiving someone does not mean that they are right and we are wrong. Forgiveness is about what is in our heart attitude and following God’s command for our life. Only God can fill the voids and heal our hurts. Anything else is just a band-aid. It is time to quit being crippled beggars at the gate and to start walking in victory.

Jehovah – Jereh – My Provider

Jehovah – Jereh – My Provider

As referenced in John Chapter 4, Jesus quenches our spiritual thirst with His living water. He provides rest for those who come to Him.

Matt 11:28 28"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest".

With expectation of our need to be refreshed God provides an abundant overflowing; never ending supply of water in Himself to us. He is grace, mercy, peace, hope, kindness and joy as we walk through our journey with Him. He is all of these things and much more. Don’t go anywhere to quench your thirst – just go to our Lord Our Father Almighty. He is willing and waiting for us to go to Him. God’s fountain will never run dry.

God gives us favor by our willpower to stay devoted to Him at no matter what cost. He is our Heavenly Father – our Lord and our Redeemer. He doesn’t always take us out of our comfort zone but He will lesson some of the burden from it. He may not remove us from the storm but He will give us immeasurable peace in the midst of it. We don’t have to be crushed by situations. We don’t have to be discouraged. Look to our Lord and our Redeemer who is with us and who is determined to give us peace in the midst of our trials. Through His grace, He makes our lives easier while we are still on the job, serving in the field where He has placed us.

Phil 4:7 - 7And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus".

The blessings of God are not only rewarding, they are excessive. Not only does our Lord provide our needs, He provides them so generously that our cup overflows.

Ruth 2:18 18 "She carried it back to town, and her mother-in-law saw how much she had gathered. Ruth also brought out and gave her what she had left over after she had eaten enough".

Jesus prepares a table for us in the presence of our enemies. Ps 23:5 5 "You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows".

Eat from the hand of the Master in the company of those who belittle and persecute you. Jesus will come and serve you personally. The result of our circumstances includes a dinner invitation from the King and a V.I.P. seat at His table.

My Prayer: May God's blessings be upon you this day and always as you look upon Him to quench your thirst. Amen

Be Still My Soul

Song Lyrics to Selah – Be Still My Soul

Be still, my soul: The Lord is on your side.
Bear patiently the cross of grief or pain;
Leave to thy God to order and provide;
In every change He faithful will remain
Be still, my soul: Thy best, Thy heavenly friend
Through thorny ways leads to a joyful end.
Be still, my soul:
The waves and winds still know (still know)
His voice who ruled them
While He dwelt below

Musical interlude:
Oh, what peace we often forfeit, oh, what needless pain we bear,
All because we do not carry everything to God in prayer.
Be still my soul.

Our most important relationship in life is with God Our Father Almighty. During the mountain times as well as in our valleys, He is with us at all times.
It is during those valleys in our Christian walk that we must be still and rest in the Lord. That’s when we will receive encouragement from Him to continue down the journey that He has set before us.

My prayers and thoughts are with you today. “Sometimes we just have to be still” "and carry everything to the Lord in prayer" so that He can do His best work through us. – Sincerely – Bonnie

Abba Father

This is a picture of a pretty little church in Mt Airy, North Carolina - For those of you who are familiar with Mayberry - The Andy Griffith Show.

Romans 8:15

15For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship.[a] And by him we cry, "Abba,[b] Father."
Many times we treat people the way we were treated. It is a leaned response.

My prayer today: Dearest Lord, God Almighty, teach us so we will learn with a new response. Guide us to know how to be a good person who treats others nicely, as well as to understand what it means to be “in the beloved”. God’s love for His chosen people is based on respect, which is a benevolent regard for others and not an emotion. The term “beloved” portrays God’s tender love for His people and His infinite affection for Jesus. We are Father God’s beloved children because of His choice. This is an act of His will which is not based on emotion, performance, circumstances or our behavior. We are His beloved children based on His grace and mercy.

God Our Father Almighty made an irrevocable covenant with us. Because Jesus Christ was willing to place our needs before His own desire, He was crucified on the cross for our sins. When we accepted Jesus as our Lord and Savior we became a beloved child of God based on Father God’s covenant with Abraham. This covenant is based on Father God’s desire to love us as His children totally apart from our merit or performance. It is not based on our talents or personality. We are simply adopted into the family of God simply as His beloved children and nothing we can say or do will ever change that fact. God will not change His mind and His desire is based completely on His grace and mercy toward us.

As God’s beloved child we have the right to climb up into His lap and put our head against His chest with His loving arms wrapped around us. This is the most wonderful, safest, secure and loving place that you will ever experience. If we are too weak to climb up, He will pick us up and draw us near to Him. He loves us and we are His precious child.

Dear Lord, Refine Our Motives

Above is a picture taken of the beautiful stained glass windows in the sanctuary of St. Paul’s Episcopal Church located in New Orleans, Louisiana.

Dearest Father, Lord Almighty you know our ups and downs of our life, all triumphs and defeats as well as the changes and the challenges. You are our Lord for all seasons and for all reasons. We can come to You when life seems to make no sense or in times when we are sad or glad. There is no circumstance beyond Your control. Wherever we go, You are waiting there for us. You are already at work with others before we even encounter them. You prepare solutions for our complexities and You are always ready to help us resolve conflicts even before we ask.

May our goal be to please You in what we say and accomplish. Give us Your strength to endure and Your courage to triumph in things great and small that we attempt for the good of all who love You Lord Jesus.

Psalm 139
For the director of music. Of David. A psalm.
1 O LORD, you have searched me
and you know me.
2 You know when I sit and when I rise;
you perceive my thoughts from afar.
3 You discern my going out and my lying down;
you are familiar with all my ways.
4 Before a word is on my tongue
you know it completely, O LORD.
5 You hem me in—behind and before;
you have laid your hand upon me.
6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,
too lofty for me to attain.
7 Where can I go from your Spirit?
Where can I flee from your presence?
8 If I go up to the heavens, you are there;
if I make my bed in the depths, [a] you are there.
9 If I rise on the wings of the dawn,
if I settle on the far side of the sea,
10 even there your hand will guide me,
your right hand will hold me fast.
11 If I say, "Surely the darkness will hide me
and the light become night around me,"
12 even the darkness will not be dark to you;
the night will shine like the day,
for darkness is as light to you.
23 Search me, O God, and know my heart;
test me and know my anxious thoughts.
24 See if there is any offensive way in me,
and lead me in the way everlasting.

My Prayer:
Heavenly Father I ask that you purify our motives and refine them until they are in line with Your will and Your vision for our lives. As we trust to put You first in our lives, You will bring results we can not achieve by human methods alone. I thank You in advance for touching us Lord God and performing these miracles in our life. Amen.

Renewed Purpose

The above picture is of the beautiful Las Lajas Catherial.

Dearest Lord, God Almighty, I humble myself before You as I acknowledge that I could not breathe a breath, think a thought, make a decision, or press on to excellence without Your Supernatural power. I am here on a mission by Your calling to serve others. You Father God are the only one I seek to please. It is a honor to be a blessing. I ask that you provide me courage and grace that will enable me to give of myself to You and to others that I have the privilege to live and work with today. Gracious God, you are the ultimate Sovereign Lord of my life. I respond with awe and wonder and with a renewed commitment to be Your servant to those You have entrusted me as I do so today. Amen


Philippians 3:8-14

8What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ 9and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith. 10I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, 11and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead. 12Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. 13Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, 14I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.

2 Timothy 4:7

7I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.


Man, made in the image of God, has a purpose—to be in relationship to God who is there. Man forgets his purpose and thus he forgets who he is and what life means. By: Francis A. Schaeffer

With Presistent Praise and Prayer We Wait Upon the Lord

The above picture is of the beautiful Notre Dame Catherial located in Paris.

Blessed Father God Almighty You show us that there is a great spiritual power in praise. When we praise You our heart and mind are opened to the Holy Spirit as burdens are lifted, problems are resolved and strength is released. I join my voice with the psalmist “I will tell of your marvelous works. I will be glad and rejoice in You; I will sing praise to Your name; O Most High.” Psalm 9:1-2)

It is difficult to praise You in trouble times and with frustrating people all around us. When I deliberately praise You I receive faith and a fresh inspiration. Help me to remember that You taught me that praising You transforms me and my attitude as well as changes those around me. As per Terrie’s forwarded meditation below, "Affliction produces endurance, and endurance, proven character, and proven character, hope, and hope does not disappoint" (Romans 5:3-5).

Heavenly Father God Almighty I ask that You give us confidence to trust Your inner working in ourselves and in others so that we may see Your unseen but powerful presence in every situation throughout this day.

“Because Your loving kindness is better than life, my lips shall praise You. Thus I will bless You while I live.” Psalm 63:3-4

Even when our lives seem unsettled, this is a day to have faith and to truly praise Our Heavenly Father God Almighty while “waiting on the Lord because He knows that persistence pays off, not only in truly appreciating what we receive but in building us up in holiness and faith”.

“If we focus our attention on who God is and on his unfailing love, even as we are waiting for his answer, we will experience his power in our lives-sometimes in very surprising ways.” As quoted from Terrie’s meditation below.

This meditation and devotional was forwarded to me by my dear niece Terrie this morning. It is good to know that I am hearing the Lord’s voice when He speaks to me and that I am on line with what He inspires me to write on the Prayer Blog everyday.

Meditation: Luke 11:5-13 (Forwarded by my niece Terrie).

“What is faith if it isn't teamed with trust and persistence? Nothing more than wishful thinking.

“Jesus illustrated this truth by telling a parable about a man who wouldn't go away until his neighbor had given him what he needed. The point is clear: God wants us to be persistent in presenting our needs to him. When he doesn't give us our request right away, it's not because he is too busy or doesn't care about us. Often, he lets us wait because he knows that persistence pays off, not only in truly appreciating what we receive but in building us up in holiness and faith. As St. Paul wrote: "Affliction produces endurance, and endurance, proven character, and proven character,hope, and hope does not disappoint" (Romans 5:3-5).”“It's easy to become discouraged when we don't receive an answer right away. But Jesus urges us to keep knocking; he promises that he will open the door.”“When God delays in giving us answers, it may be because he wants to teach us to reverence him. He is good, holy, and righteous. He is worthy of our trust and obedience, regardless of the path that our lives take. God wants our foundation to be his presence in our hearts, not the ups and downs of daily living. If we focus our attention on who God is and on his unfailing love,even as we are waiting for his answer, we will experience his power in our lives-sometimes in very surprising ways. Like the persistent friend whose neighbor finally gave him the bread that he had asked for, we will receive the blessings and provisions we need for every situation.” “It's through our faithfulness and persistence that God can shape us and make us more and more like his Son. As we wait on him, we learn to trust him,even when there seems to be no hope. And in trusting him, we grow in faith,confident that our Father will care for us. Just as Jesus promised, we will see that our Father will not give us a snake when we ask for a fish or a scorpion when we ask for an egg. No, he will give us all good gifts according to his wisdom and love”.

"Father, I trust that as I persist in prayer and obedience, you will pour out your Spirit on me to form me after the image of your Son, Jesus."

“Malachi 3:13-20; Psalm 1:1-4,6”

Have A Blessed Day

Although I haven't had the opportunity to see Ben Long's work a dear friend of mine told me about his great Fresco paintings. These pictures were taken at St. Mary's Episcopal Church locatd in North Carolina.

Selah - You Raise Me Up Lyrics
When I am down, and oh my soul, so weary.
When troubles come, and my heart burdened be.
Then I am still and wait here in the silence.
Until You come and sit awhile with me.

You raise me up so I can stand on mountains.
You raise me up to walk on stormy seas.
I am strong when I am on your shoulders.
You raise me up to more than I can be.

You raise me up so I can stand on mountains.
You raise me up to walk on stormy seas.
I am strong when I am on your shoulders.
You raise me up to more than I can be.

There is no life no life without its hunger.
Each restless heart beats so imperfectly.
But when you come and I am filled with wonder.
Sometimes I think I glimpse eternity.

You raise me up so I can stand on mountains.
You raise me up to walk on stormy seas.
I am strong when I am on your shoulders.
You raise me up to more than I can be.

You raise me up so I can stand on mountains.
You raise me up to walk on stormy seas.
I am strong when I am on your shoulders.
You raise me up to more than I can be.

Lord Father God Almighty I come to you today in prayer asking that You make this a blessed day filled with the assurance of all of Your wonderful blessings. My we live with Godly knowledge knowing You chose and called us to receive Your love and to serve You. Keep us safe from danger and the forces of evil. Please reinforce your helmet of salvation to protect our thinking brain from any intrusion of temptation to pride, resistance to Your guidance, or negative attitudes. Smile on each person who reads this request with Your presence and lift them from any fear or frustration they may be feeling during this season. Thank you Father God for Your grace to overcome the grimness that sometimes pervades our countenance. Instead may we reflect Your joy and peace as it flows into us, calming our agitated spirit, conditioning our depression, and controlling what we say and do. Help me that when I say to people “Have a blessed day,” that I will expect nothing less for myself. Today is a brand new day. It is filled with opportunities to live out our calling to serve you and to love others. I trust that you will guide us so that all that we do and say today will be for your glory. Since we pass through this life only once, help us to do so with kindness, affirmation that we can communicate and your guidance so that we can do these things today. Help us to be sensitive to what is happening around us, take no one for granted but instead be a communicator of Your love and encouragement.

Numbers 6:24-26
24 " ' "The LORD bless you
and keep you;
25 the LORD make his face shine upon you
and be gracious to you;
26 the LORD turn his face toward you
and give you peace." '

Believing In God's Presence In Our Life

The picture above is of the Thorncrown Chapel in Arkansas.

2 Timothy 1:12 (New International Version)
12That is why I am suffering as I am. Yet I am not ashamed, because I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him for that day.

Psalm 25:6-7 (New International Version)
6 Remember, O LORD, your great mercy and love, for they are from of old. 7 Remember not the sins of my youth and my rebellious ways; according to your love remember me, for you are good, O LORD.

Psalm 89:15 (New International Version)
15 Blessed are those who have learned to acclaim you, who walk in the light of your presence, O LORD.

Psalm 139:7-10 (New International Version)
7 Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? 8 If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, [a] you are there. 9 If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, 10 even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast.

1 John 3:19-20 (New International Version)
19This then is how we know that we belong to the truth, and how we set our hearts at rest in his presence 20whenever our hearts condemn us. For God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything.

Ephesians 1:11-12 (New International Version)
11In him we were also chosen,[a] having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will, 12in order that we, who were the first to hope in Christ, might be for the praise of his glory.


You Lord are all powerful and all constant. For each triumph and tear dear God, You give a purpose. You use absolutely everything for building Your kingdom in our life. You leave no crumbs on the table. Dearest Lord You do not blink Your eyes or sleep. You see all and care deeply about every facet of our life. You Father God are larger than any mistake we have ever made or problem we have ever been through. You know our name as well as every hair on our head. You Father God are the creator of all of our dreams. You are our most faithful friend. You dear Lord are the lover of our soul. Help us Lord Jesus to trust You and to be faithful to Your call as well as to rely on You in our times of weakness. Teach us how to trust You in our distress and praise You for every sunrise and sunset. Dearest Heavenly Father God it must be splendid to be You as you are sovereign, unchanging and eternal. You are the same yesterday, today and tomorrow. For us as mankind yesterday is gone. It is history and tomorrow is unknown to all of us. Thank you for today Father God. It is a gift and a present from You. We ask that you reveal Your destiny in our life today, fulfilling purpose in every detail. Heavenly Father we ask that You cause all beautiful things as well as ugly things to work out together for good in our lives because we love you. We know that you will not waist anything, not the glory and not the pain you have suffered for us, dearest Lord Jesus Christ Our Redeemer. Amen

The Company We Keep - Beth Moore

The picture above was taken of a pretty little church Sunday during a drive to Grandfather Mountain.

The Company We Keep
Writer: Beth Moore

Let me be known by the company I keep,
By the One who determines each day that I greet.
From the moment I wake til He rocks me to sleep,
Let me be known by the company I keep.

Let me be known by the company I keep,
When the valleys are low and the mountains are steep.
By the One who holds fast when swift waters are deep,
Let me be known by the company I keep.

Let me be know by the company I keep,
By the One who implores me to sit at His feet,
And quickens my soul to discern what is deep,
Let me be known by the company I keep.

Let me be known by the company I keep,
Eclipsed by Your presence that I may decrease.
Til all You have chosen this travel to meet,
No longer see me but the company I keep.

My Prayer: My prayer dear God Father Almighty is that we as mankind will learn that as we keep our focus on You dear God we will come to the understanding that the more we walk in Your presence dear Lord we will trust that You Father God are not only first in our lives but the company we should keep.

1/2 Full or 1/2 Empty

How would you call your glass when it is not filled all the way to the top? Who or what is in the center of your life and where is your Spiritual walk with the Lord? Is your life filled with negative thoughts and do you find fault with most things? Is your glass ½ empty or ½ full? Pessimism is stressful and becomes demanding on the body. A pessimist expects the worst to happen so that they will never be disappointed. In order to become an optimist we need to change our way of thinking as well as the way that we focus on all aspects of our life.

John 9:38 (New International Version)
38Then the man said, "Lord, I believe," and he worshiped him.

Psalm 23:4-6 (New International Version)
4 Even though I walk
through the valley of the shadow of death, [a]
I will fear no evil,
for you are with me;
your rod and your staff,
they comfort me.
5 You prepare a table before me
in the presence of my enemies.
You anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.

My Prayer: Heavenly Father God Almighty I pray that everyone that has their cup ½ empty will take another look. Please dear Lord in your mercy and kindness show them that ½ full is just looking at their problem in a more positive way. Dear Jesus I humbly pray in Your name that You will this day please top off to overflow with Your blessings all of the cups that seem to be in our natural mind ½ full. Amen

Today's picture was taken during a drive down a country road in the mountains of North Carolina yesterday.

The Imposible Dream

This picture was taken when my husband and I were on a “dream vacation” in 2006 when we visited Hawaii. As you can see this little church was nestled between two very large hotels that are on the grounds of the Hilton Hawaiian Resort in Oahu.

Dreams may come, dreams may go, but the Lord wants us to dream. Whatever we pray from the heart, is our deepest dream. The secret to having our dreams come true is faith. “Faith as in a mustard seed.” “Faith that can move mountains.” Without faith there can be no dreams. When we are praying for a family member or ourselves the Lord looks deep within our heart. The Lord will deliver our dreams for us.

Psalm 37:4 (New International Version)
4 Delight yourself in the LORD
and he will give you the desires of your heart.

Luke 11:11 (New International Version)
11"Which of you fathers, if your son asks for[a] a fish, will give him a snake instead?

To dream the impossible dream; there is no impossible dream with Our Heavenly Father God Almighty.

My Prayer: By the power of the Holy Spirit in the Name of Jesus Christ Our Lord, I invite you Dearest Lord to walk in our dreams, to keep our dreams alive. Please take what we feel are impossible dreams and turn them around making each dream possible with Jesus Our Lord and Savior. I pray that all who read this prayer will have the “faith” to turn their impossible dreams into a victory this day for You Lord Jesus. Amen

Reaching Down

This picture was sent to me by a cousin who lives in France. It was taken while he was on a cruise in September. It is the front of the famous Cathedral "Sagrada Familia in Barcelona by the architect Gaudy.

The Lord is reaching His hand out to us as He is stretching it out to bless us. He is reaching out to heal us in everyway.

Sometime when the Lord touches people with blessings it brings change. There are some people who want a blessing but they want to stay in their comfort zone. Some people want to be healed as long as they do not have to change.

Our Heavenly Father God Almighty is for change. His hand is reaching down to change us and to heal us. We must stretch out our arms in order to receive the Lords blessings and healing.

Psalm 111:7 (New International Version)
7 The works of his hands are faithful and just;
all his precepts are trustworthy.

Jesus took all of our sins and sickness to the cross. Today Jesus is reaching down to heal. He is saying “trust me”, “believe in me.”

Matthew 9:35 (New International Version)
35Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness.

My Prayer: Dearest Heavenly Father God Almighty I am reaching my hands up to you. I want to receive any blessing that you have for me. Father God I truly want to be healed. Father God, please take this sickness away from me. I pray that all who read this prayer will put their faith in You. Help them to learn to trust You so they will believe that all things are possible through You Christ Our Lord. You are our Savior and provider. Please breathe life into their spirit with a fresh anointing of healing and blessings upon their life this day I pray. Amen.

Unrealistic Expectations

Ephesians 3:20 (New International Version)
20Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us,

Our expectations are in the wrong place when we look to ourselves or someone other than God to meet our needs. By depending on others, the way that they respond to our expectations determines how we will feel toward them. Our feelings then become the bottom line.

As Christians we are commanded not to be led by our feelings. We have been commanded to be led by the Spirit. We need to make a choice since there is no middle ground. When we live our lives placing our own expectations on others we will continually become disappointed. We need to embrace God’s grace and extend it to others.

God’s grace does not expect anything in return therefore unrealistic expectations are the opposite of God’s grace. Grace is receiving what we don’t deserve; expecting means having to meet a list of terms or requirement. Webster’s defines expectation as “a looking forward to, anticipation, the probability of the occurrence of something.”

As Christians we need to face the depth of our fleshly nature. The closer we get to the Lord the brighter His light shines deep into the cracks and crevices of our life.

The bible shows us how God saw Abraham – through His eyes of grace. He sees us in the same way. He doesn’t have unrealistic expectations of us. He simply sees us through grace. All we need to do is accept that grace and relate it to our own lives. We need to trust Our Heavenly Father God Almighty and genuinely love people with His love. We must not set unattainable standards for ourselves or others. If so the end result will only be turmoil and failure. Our Lord Jesus Christ will not only consistently meet our expectations but will surpass them.

Psalm 33 (New International Version)

1 Sing joyfully to the LORD, you righteous; it is fitting for the upright to praise him. 2 Praise the LORD with the harp; make music to him on the ten-stringed lyre. 3 Sing to him a new song; play skillfully, and shout for joy. 4 For the word of the LORD is right and true; he is faithful in all he does. 5 The LORD loves righteousness and justice; the earth is full of his unfailing love. 6 By the word of the LORD were the heavens made, their starry host by the breath of his mouth? 7 He gathers the waters of the sea into jars [a] ; he puts the deep into storehouses. 8 Let all the earth fear the LORD; let all the people of the world revere him. 9 For he spoke, and it came to be;he commanded, and it stood firm. 10 The LORD foils the plans of the nations; he thwarts the purposes of the peoples. 11 But the plans of the LORD stand firm forever, the purposes of his heart through all generations. 12 Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD, the people he chose for his inheritance. 13 From heaven the LORD looks down and sees all mankind; 14 from his dwelling place he watches all who live on earth- 15 he who forms the hearts of all, who considers everything they do. 16 No king is saved by the size of his army; no warrior escapes by his great strength. 17 A horse is a vain hope for deliverance; despite all its great strength it cannot save. 18 But the eyes of the LORD are on those who fear him, on those whose hope is in his unfailing love, 19 to deliver them from death and keep them alive in famine. 20 We wait in hope for the LORD; he is our help and our shield. 21 In him our hearts rejoice, for we trust in his holy name. 22 May your unfailing love rest upon us, O LORD, even as we put our hope in you.

Trust In Jesus Through Your Storms

While we hope for calm in our lives storms can’t always be escaped so they must be endured. Everything becomes uncertain in our calamity and we can attest that storms are a natural part of life. Peter noticed the wind set in and he began to realize that there was no way he should be out there on the water. When he saw the wind he was afraid as the boat began to sink. He cried out “Lord save me”. Immediately Jesus reached out His hand and caught him. “You of little faith” Jesus said. “Why did you doubt?” The sea calmed as the wind died down. Although the storms in our life are still there we can rise above them if we don’t take our eyes off of Jesus like Peter did. We need to know that some storms the Lord puts us through are so we can learn and others make us grow. We should maintain our integrity and not be tempted to sin as the winds of the storm begin to blow. As we cry out to Jesus He will guide us through. Jesus walked on water and the disciples saw Him. At first they were fearful and cried “it is a ghost”. Jesus said “take courage, it is I do not be afraid.”

Scripture doesn’t say that we wouldn’t go through the storms of life, but it does tell us that Jesus will take us through those storms. His promise is to walk with us through our trials and tribulations.

Our Father God Almighty I pray that everyone that is in a storm will take courage to stand firm in their faith in Jesus Christ. As they keep their eyes fixed on you Lord they will begin to trust in Your miracles, give You the glory and honor You Dear Father God with praise. I humbly pray this in the name of Jesus Our Lord. Amen.