Prayer Blog Message for Tuesday - December 1, 2009
What will occupy you most this Christmas season? Burdens or joy?
The shepherds that first Christmas night were probably burdened with the usual culprits: straying lambs, wool ticks, cut hooves, and nighttime cold. Suddenly they were exposed to angels, international news, and glory --- brilliant, radiant, Shekinah Glory! They never could be the same again. They returned “glorifying and praising God for all they had seen and heard.”
Luke 2:20 (New International Version)
20The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.
Surely they returned to wool ticks and cut hooves, but forever after they would see all their annoyances through new eyes.
“Are you burned with the “usual”?
We to too have been exposed to the splendor, all the joy, all the majesty of God’s eternal plans, set in motion by the birth of Jesus Christ.
Let’s not be absorbed by burdens! Our mission this Christmas season should be to glorify and praise God for all we have seen and heard.
Oh, ring Noel, each Christmas bell;
God’s good news is great news all over the earth!
And Christians – all sing it, as bells ring and ring it;
Applaud it and laud it, this wonderful birth!
Yes, ring it out, fling it out, chiming and clanging:
On this joyous morn, Our Redeemer is born!
Monday, November 30, 2009
Generosity Encouraged This Christmas Season
2 Corinthians 8:1-12 (New International Version)
Generosity Encouraged - This Christmas Season
1And now, brothers, we want you to know about the grace that God has given the Macedonian churches. 2Out of the most severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity. 3For I testify that they gave as much as they were able, and even beyond their ability. Entirely on their own, 4they urgently pleaded with us for the privilege of sharing in this service to the saints. 5And they did not do as we expected, but they gave themselves first to the Lord and then to us in keeping with God's will. 6So we urged Titus, since he had earlier made a beginning, to bring also to completion this act of grace on your part. 7But just as you excel in everything—in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in complete earnestness and in your love for us[a]—see that you also excel in this grace of giving. 8I am not commanding you, but I want to test the sincerity of your love by comparing it with the earnestness of others. 9For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich. 10And here is my advice about what is best for you in this matter: Last year you were the first not only to give but also to have the desire to do so. 11Now finish the work, so that your eager willingness to do it may be matched by your completion of it, according to your means. 12For if the willingness is there, the gift is acceptable according to what one has, not according to what he does not have.
In today’s reading the following message stuck out to me: 10”And here is my advice about what is best for you in this matter: Last year you were the first not only to give but also to have the desire to do so. 11Now finish the work, so that your eager willingness to do it may be matched by your completion of it, according to your means. 12For if the willingness is there, the gift is acceptable according to what one has, not according to what he does not have”.
As Christmas time is always a time of giving, I feel that the Lord is telling us that although some may have the means to give financially, we should not get caught up in the “material” aspects of giving and be eager in doing so according to our means. If you have the means do something special for someone who doesn’t have the means do something special for someone who doesn't. Society has taken giving gifts during Christmas time to the extreme. In today’s’ economy gifts such as "celebrating the Lord’s birth - which should be our focus", spreading God’s love, joy, peace, one’s service toward another, a simple card, making a homemade item, showing someone you care, as well as gifts from the heart are gifts “acceptable to what one has, not according to what he does not have”.
Christmas is a time of great “joy”. We should not “allow” ourselves to be overwhelmed by the world’s opinion of what Christmas means which enables us to take our minds off of the real reason for the season. There are so many messed up and hurting people in the world who have this misconception. They need us as Christians to be “the light” that sets the example by showing them that “material things” fade away, but the “abundance of Christmas is God’s love, compassion, mercy, kindness, forgiveness and grace” are gifts that last a lifetime.
My prayer: I pray that in your distress in your need that you might feel God's love when you pray in the fullness of your joy and in your days of abundance also. Let us rejoice and take time to celebrate Jesus’ birth this Christmas season. Amen
Generosity Encouraged - This Christmas Season
1And now, brothers, we want you to know about the grace that God has given the Macedonian churches. 2Out of the most severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity. 3For I testify that they gave as much as they were able, and even beyond their ability. Entirely on their own, 4they urgently pleaded with us for the privilege of sharing in this service to the saints. 5And they did not do as we expected, but they gave themselves first to the Lord and then to us in keeping with God's will. 6So we urged Titus, since he had earlier made a beginning, to bring also to completion this act of grace on your part. 7But just as you excel in everything—in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in complete earnestness and in your love for us[a]—see that you also excel in this grace of giving. 8I am not commanding you, but I want to test the sincerity of your love by comparing it with the earnestness of others. 9For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich. 10And here is my advice about what is best for you in this matter: Last year you were the first not only to give but also to have the desire to do so. 11Now finish the work, so that your eager willingness to do it may be matched by your completion of it, according to your means. 12For if the willingness is there, the gift is acceptable according to what one has, not according to what he does not have.
In today’s reading the following message stuck out to me: 10”And here is my advice about what is best for you in this matter: Last year you were the first not only to give but also to have the desire to do so. 11Now finish the work, so that your eager willingness to do it may be matched by your completion of it, according to your means. 12For if the willingness is there, the gift is acceptable according to what one has, not according to what he does not have”.
As Christmas time is always a time of giving, I feel that the Lord is telling us that although some may have the means to give financially, we should not get caught up in the “material” aspects of giving and be eager in doing so according to our means. If you have the means do something special for someone who doesn’t have the means do something special for someone who doesn't. Society has taken giving gifts during Christmas time to the extreme. In today’s’ economy gifts such as "celebrating the Lord’s birth - which should be our focus", spreading God’s love, joy, peace, one’s service toward another, a simple card, making a homemade item, showing someone you care, as well as gifts from the heart are gifts “acceptable to what one has, not according to what he does not have”.
Christmas is a time of great “joy”. We should not “allow” ourselves to be overwhelmed by the world’s opinion of what Christmas means which enables us to take our minds off of the real reason for the season. There are so many messed up and hurting people in the world who have this misconception. They need us as Christians to be “the light” that sets the example by showing them that “material things” fade away, but the “abundance of Christmas is God’s love, compassion, mercy, kindness, forgiveness and grace” are gifts that last a lifetime.
My prayer: I pray that in your distress in your need that you might feel God's love when you pray in the fullness of your joy and in your days of abundance also. Let us rejoice and take time to celebrate Jesus’ birth this Christmas season. Amen
Sunday, November 29, 2009
The Christmas Star
Christmas Star
A diamond shines no brighter
than that lovely Christmas star.
It shines in all its brilliance;
it's seen from near or far.
A symbol of the Christ child
as He lay upon the hay,
It tells to all the waiting world
a King was born that day.
O Bethlehem Star keep shining -
give us faith and hope and love.
Keep our thoughts forever turning
to the Savior up above.
Give us strength and hope and courage
to do our best by far
And never falter in our faith
as we watch that Christmas star.
Author Unknown
Saturday, November 28, 2009
The Christmas Angels
“The Christmas Angels”
If you see some different lights
Around your Christmas tree
It could be Christmas Angels
Hiding there to see.
The fun and joy of Christmas
As they watch the children play
And as they watch you celebrate
This very special day
But there’s another reason that
The Christmas angels appear
They’re here to remind us why
It’s a special time of year
This is the day that Christ was born
Years ago in Bethlehem
He’s the one who is our Savior
He is King of all the land
So celebrate His birthday
With your presents, cheer and love
And let Him know you’re glad He is
Our Savior up above
Then the Christmas Angels
Will be happy they were here
And they can leave but don’t you fret
They’ll be back again to remind you that God is so very dear
Friday, November 27, 2009
Baby Anthony Bruno This One Is For You Dear Child
Tiny baby Anthony Bruno IV, this baby blanket was crocheted with fasting, prayers and petitions lifted up by me on your behalf in intercession to the Lord. God bless you dearest child. .
Psalm 139:13-16
13 For you created my inmost being;
you knit me together in my mother's womb.
14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
your works are wonderful,
I know that full well.
15 My frame was not hidden from you
when I was made in the secret place.
When I was woven together in the depths of the earth,
16 Your eyes saw my unformed body.
All the days ordained for me
were written in your book
before one of them came to be.
Thursday, November 26, 2009
Happy Thanksgiving
Happy Thanksgiving to all of you. You are in my thoughts and in my prayers today and always. I thank the Lord for His mission for me to intercede on your behalf.
Numbers 6:24-26 (New Living Translation)
24 ‘May the Lord bless you
and protect you.
25 May the Lord smile on you
and be gracious to you.
26 May the Lord show you his favor
and give you his peace.’
Sincerely,
Bonnie (Thanksgiving 2009)
Numbers 6:24-26 (New Living Translation)
24 ‘May the Lord bless you
and protect you.
25 May the Lord smile on you
and be gracious to you.
26 May the Lord show you his favor
and give you his peace.’
Sincerely,
Bonnie (Thanksgiving 2009)
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Be Thankful for the Things You No Longer Have to Have
Wednesday - November 25, 2009
Psalm 131 – A Psalm of Humility, Simplicity, Integrity
1 My heart is not proud, O LORD,
my eyes are not haughty;
I do not concern myself with great matters
or things too wonderful for me.
2 But I have stilled and quieted my soul;
like a weaned child with its mother,
like a weaned child is my soul within me.
3 O Israel, put your hope in the LORD
both now and forevermore.
Be Thankful for the Things You No Longer Have to Have
As the song says, “Count your many blessings, name them one by one, and it will surprise you what the Lord has done.” The surprise is not just in the outward material blessings of the last year. It is also in the times of pain and suffering which seemed to be for no good purpose but turned out to be blessings in disguise. That, too, is the goodness and grace of God.
In the spirit of Psalm 131, we should sit down sometime between now and Thursday and make a list—a very personal, private list—of the things that we have been weaned in the past year. That is, make a list of the things that through suffering and hardship God has taken away from us in the last twelve months. As a result our faith is stronger and deeper and our walk with God means more than it ever did before.
We should list those things we used to think we couldn’t live without but now we know we can. It could be a dream we had for our life that consumed all our energy but God has taken it from us and we have found, “Yes, I can live without that.” It may be a relationship, an idea, something we owned, a personal possession, a promotion or a new job we just had to have, or a new account we set all our hopes on.
Thanksgiving is only two days away. We ought to be the most thankful people on the face of the earth.
My prayer: May our days be marked with humility, simplicity, and integrity. Let us be thankful not only for the things we have but also for the things we no longer have to have. And let us as the people of God hope in the Lord both now and forevermore. Amen
Psalm 131 – A Psalm of Humility, Simplicity, Integrity
1 My heart is not proud, O LORD,
my eyes are not haughty;
I do not concern myself with great matters
or things too wonderful for me.
2 But I have stilled and quieted my soul;
like a weaned child with its mother,
like a weaned child is my soul within me.
3 O Israel, put your hope in the LORD
both now and forevermore.
Be Thankful for the Things You No Longer Have to Have
As the song says, “Count your many blessings, name them one by one, and it will surprise you what the Lord has done.” The surprise is not just in the outward material blessings of the last year. It is also in the times of pain and suffering which seemed to be for no good purpose but turned out to be blessings in disguise. That, too, is the goodness and grace of God.
In the spirit of Psalm 131, we should sit down sometime between now and Thursday and make a list—a very personal, private list—of the things that we have been weaned in the past year. That is, make a list of the things that through suffering and hardship God has taken away from us in the last twelve months. As a result our faith is stronger and deeper and our walk with God means more than it ever did before.
We should list those things we used to think we couldn’t live without but now we know we can. It could be a dream we had for our life that consumed all our energy but God has taken it from us and we have found, “Yes, I can live without that.” It may be a relationship, an idea, something we owned, a personal possession, a promotion or a new job we just had to have, or a new account we set all our hopes on.
Thanksgiving is only two days away. We ought to be the most thankful people on the face of the earth.
My prayer: May our days be marked with humility, simplicity, and integrity. Let us be thankful not only for the things we have but also for the things we no longer have to have. And let us as the people of God hope in the Lord both now and forevermore. Amen
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