Happy Wednesday: God's Daily Provision

God will always provide our needs daily. We are to practice good management of our lives but this does not include obsessing and stressing about the future. 

Our main management efforts are to focus on today and also not to be overly absorbed with physical and material needs and wants for today. 

God wants us to be centered on spiritual growth each day. Through that commitment will we then see God's provision in every way, each day.

Matthew 6:33-34

***

Secret Faithfulness To God = Outward Reward

Public or outward acknowledgement is the reward that Christians who are secretly faithful receive from God.

One way or another, our private devotion to God will show outwardly. We don't have to try, we don't have to uplift ourselves to others, we don't have to beg people to believe that we know God through Jesus Christ.

When we are faithful in seeking God's face and drawing nigh to him, his power will emanate from us. When we pray, fast and give from our secret closet, God will reward us outwardly. 

We will receive some type of open acknowledgement, from God, for our secret faithfulness.

Matthew 6:6

Matthew 6:17-18

Matthew 6:3-4

Christian Products: Faith & Trust Printable Quote Art

FAITH

Faith is one of the cornerstones of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. (Hebrews 11:6 NKJV)

Faith Christian Scripture Artwork by Christian Words Shop

I chose four of my favorite scriptures on believing to design this printable artwork. Mark 9:23, Matthew 21:21-22 and Matthew 17:20. When I quote the scriptures, I am always amazed in my spirit at the possibilities that they open up to me. 

These are scriptures that do not put a limit on what we can do. These scriptures tell us that there is a level of faith that we can acquire where we can do what we never thought we could do. Jesus even told his Disciples, and through them tells us, that we can even do more than he did. How amazing is that! Do you believe? Do you want to believe? FAITH is here for you today, right now! Choose it and keep choosing it, everyday.

Faith Printable Artwork

TRUST

Trust is similar to faith. It's a choice that has to be made, often in the lack of any proof that we could understand.

Trust Christian Scripture Printable by Christian Words Shop

I have paraphrased this rich scripture, Psalm 52:8, in everyday language that is easier for us to grasp and apply to our daily lives.

There are eight powerful confirmations in this printable, scripture artwork, including:

I am purified by the blood of Jesus.

I am always flourishing, growing and strong.

My confidence in God never withers or dies.

Trust Printable Artwork

 

 

 

Both of these Christian printables offer:

1 .pdf file, 5400 x 7200 px (18 x 24"), scale to poster sizes without losing quality,
1 .jpg file, 2250 x 3300 px, print these sizes: 8.5 x 11, 5 x 7, 4 x 6".

As with all of my Christian Words Shop printables, they can be printed as often as needed and even used in craft and art projects.

Please don't copy for sale or any type of distribution. These files are for the use of the purchaser ONLY. Please send anyone interested to Christian Words Shop.

 

Thanks for visiting

Christian Words Shop at Printaphoria!

Fill your life with reminders of Jesus Christ. 

Spend your money on merchandise that glorifies God. 

Surround yourself with products that 

invite in The Holy Spirit everyday.

******************* 

 

  As a self-taught designer, crafter, writer and artist,

like Lydia in Acts 16, I design and make beautiful things.

 

My creative ability comes from God

and I worship the Lord

day in and day out. 

In order for God to bless us through our talents, skills and creativity,

we have to put our work out there.

 

 I want Christians, who may not otherwise know about them,

to have a chance to buy my products that lift up

The Gospel of Jesus Christ

and God, Our Father.

  
Proverbs 22:29 states:

 

Seest thou a man diligent in his business?

He shall stand before kings;

he shall not stand

before mean men.

 (KJV)

 
  Do you see a man who excels in his work?

He will stand before kings;

He will not stand before

unknown men.

 (NKJV)

 

********************

If you or anyone you know sells handmade products or designs merchandise that glorifies God, let me know so that I can take a look. I may do a feature here.

 

How To Easily Memorize Scriptures

 

It's important to memorize scriptures in order to hide God's word in our hearts. Being able to accurately recall his word gives us power to think like God and to resist the devil. With all of the unrest in the world, we can't be sure that the time will not come when we will be persecuted for reading and carrying Bibles. One day, if Jesus does not come back before, it could become a crime to possess a Bible. It's also a good feeling to be able to quote scriptures. The Word of God is alive and springs into action when we have it within us. 

If you abide in me and my words abide in you, you shall ask what you will and it will be done unto you. John 15:7 Abide means to live, stay or remain.

Your word I have hidden in my heart, that I might not sin against You! Psalm 119:11 In order for something to be hidden it has to be claimed, possessed and kept.

The Word that we read and hear has to be claimed, possessed and kept so that it will remain, stay and live within us.

The Word tells us about ourselves and what to feel and how to think. When we read or hear the Word, then walk away and forget that Word that we've heard, it's hard to walk in the light, be transformed and receive God's best. James 1:23-25 

Jesus did not hesitate in quoting God's word to Satan. He didn't fumble around, try to quote it or misquote it. He spoke it with confidence and power.

 "It is written, 'Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God." 

"It is written again, 'You shall not tempt the Lord your God."  

"Away with you, Satan! For it is written, 'You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only you shall serve."  Matthew 4:4-10

The main way that I memorize scripture is to put notes or print-outs on my bathroom mirror or wall near the sink. I started with pieces of paper, then index cards, then I started designing printable graphics. This keeps the scripture that I want to memorize in front of me each morning or whenever I do my daily toiletries. Whenever we get up, we have to prepare for the day, so posting them in the bathroom is a good way to begin memorizing them.

When I want to learn a scripture passage (several scriptures in a book), I look at my note or graphic and start by reading the scripture reference. It's also important to know where the scripture is found. Then I look away and repeat it. I then read the first scripture or part of it if it's long, look away and repeat it.

I move to the second scripture, read it and then repeat it. I'm not trying to memorize the scriptures, I'm impressing them on my mind. Eventually, I can quote them without looking. It's really amazing. It doesn't matter to me how long it takes. I know that one day I will have committed the scriptures to memory. 

I always select scriptures that have special meaning to me or that help me with struggles and difficulties. If you do this, you will have a better incentive to do your reading and repeating exercise each morning.

Remember that God is always willing to help us. If you feel the importance of memorizing scriptures, it doesn't matter if you've always had a problem doing that. Just ask Our Father and he will help you through His Holy Spirit. Write out on a piece of paper or an index card, a scripture that means a lot to you, or print it from the internet. Start committing God's Holy scriptures to memory, or start again, and realize new power each day.

  

We Can Do It!

God helps us to extend beyond our limitations.

I think all of us are in denial of our physical and other conditions and limitations sometimes, especially as we age. God can help us consolidate the practical truth with the can-do living that we love to cultivate. God also gives us a chance everyday to extend beyond our limitations. There is an important point that we must remember as we reach up to achieve and realize our hopes and dreams.

We must be careful with whom we share our aspirations and not cast our pearls before swine. We must be careful to not allow others to trample upon our precious plans and pursuits. We want to be encouraged by those who support us and believe that we can do what we determine to do, in Christ Jesus.

God expects us to extend ourselves in order to manifest his blessings.

God's Word tells us that The things which are impossible with men are possible with God (Luke 18:27) and All things are possible to him who believes (Mark 9:23). 

These and other similar scriptures refer to ALL THINGS, not a few things, not some things, not certain things in specific circumstances, not things for some people, but ALL THINGS. If we can believe, then a way will be shown unto us by God's Holy Spirit. We have our parts, however, that we must play and procedures that we must do to realize what God has already secured for us. God expects us to extend ourselves in one way or another to embrace and manifest his blessings.

I am learning to remind myself of the truth every day, that despite aging and regrets over so much time that has passed, I can do more than I've ever done. I confirm it. I declare it. I pray it everyday.

I thank my Heavenly Father for broadening my scope and widening my horizon, for giving me a seeing eye and a hearing ear, for helping me to stay on the straight and narrow path that leads to life, for helping me to not look to the right hand nor the left and for helping me to keep my eye single so that my whole body will be full of light.

Be encouraged through the truth of

Matthew 21:21 and 17:20.

I pray for you that your way will grow brighter every day!

 

You Are Here: Tired Of Praying & Weary VI

Answer for sluggish weariness and hopelessness.

I know you feel so sluggish emotionally, so down, so weary, so hopeless. Make yourself get on your knees. Do you go down on your knees to talk to God? If you are in the habit of praying like that first thing every morning, then you know that feeling of reverence that it instills towards Our Heavenly Father.

If you don't do that, then please start. Pick a throw pillow for your prayer pillow so your knees won't hurt. I dedicated one for this and keep it slid under my bed, handy for me to reach under and slide out in an instant.

Thank God now for all that he has done for you when you were not aware of it. Thank him for what he is doing now of which you are not aware. You're speaking to God in faith that he is right now working on your behalf. You're choosing to believe it though you don't feel it and don't have any hope of ever feeling it. You are choosing to believe that God is moving and shifting things on your behalf. You are choosing once again to believe that he is closing some doors and opening others.

Our prayers at this time do not have to be long.

At times like this we must force ourselves to repeat things that we believe about God and his kingdom, no matter how we feel. Our prayers at these times do not have to be long. We may feel bad when we pray these short prayers, almost like our prayers are fake. We may feel like we are not giving God a fair amount of prayer time to ask or believe him for anything.

After all, we've been led to believe that in order for prayers to be authentic they must be long, drawn out and we must be exhausted when we finish. We are reminded of the scriptures where Jesus asked his disciples why they could not tarry with him for one hour. (Matthew 26:40-45) There is a time for long prayers but this is not one of those times.

You are holding on for dear life. Your faith is in jeopardy. A sentence or two or prayer here and there will carry you through to understanding answered prayer. Pressing your body and spirit to do this little bit is a sign that your prayer is not fake but sincere. Take the baby steps that show that you are a devoted person who refuses to give up on God.

Thank God now for all that he has done for you when you were not aware of it.

Don't allow the devil to convince you that it has to be a long prayer or no prayer at all. His intention is to stop you for good. We battle the world, the flesh and the devil. Thank God now for all that he has done for you when you were not aware of it. Thank him for what he is doing now of which you are not aware.

Resist the devil and he has to flee for a season! God's word declares it! (James 4:7) If those two sentences that I've said for you to pray are all that you can say for days, weeks, do it! Fight for your prayer life! Build up your most holy faith and God will faithfully increase it!

When you get stronger, don't forget to ask God for something one time only. If you forget and do it again, that is ok. Our Father understands. Get back on track. From then on, thank him for it whenever you feel the desire to pray about it again. Also remember to always ask for his will to be done too, like one of my readers who said,

I DID need to stop begging for certain things. I actually started praying more for God's will to be done and not for my own desires. I know that's best and once I came to terms with that, I had (have) a whole new outlook on life.

 

Gather Strength Through My 

Tired Of Praying & Weary

Series:

 

You Are Here: Tired Of Praying & Weary

You Are Here: Tired Of Praying & Weary II

You Are Here: Tired Of Praying & Weary III

You Are Here: Tired Of Praying & Weary IV

You Are Here: Tired Of Praying & Weary V

 

 

 

 

Honoring Jesus' Obedience On Palm Sunday

Happy Palm Sunday!

Happy Palm Sunday!

We remember Jesus' triumphant entry into Jerusalem.

We remember that today represents the day that Jesus Christ of Nazareth made his triumphant entry into Jerusalem.

Jesus on the donkey is a beloved Christian icon.

He sat upon a donkey as he made his journey in. I've wondered what led to him getting on that donkey. Did he allow the throngs of people to put him on the donkey because that is how they wanted to honor him?

Was he simply weary from a long, hot, dusty  journey and in danger of collapsing? I will study that one day. Whatever the reason, Jesus on the donkey is one of the many revered icons of Christianity.

Hosanna, blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord!

The icons don't have power in themselves and we don't idolize them. Like the Cross, they are beloved touch-points for our great love for our Savior and all that he stands for.

We honor Jesus' obedience.

Today we remember with joy that Jesus was obedient to the Father. He was strengthened and determined as he journeyed towards that inevitable suffering that we remember with sorrow.

Jesus Christ gave his life for our salvation.

 We thank you, dear Lord, for your obedience. Help us to be obedient always to the Father.

Image Credits Starting At The Top:

1) 123RF.com

2) PicSunday.cm

3) St Paul's United Methodist Church

4) Pinterest.com

5) SPWOC.com

6) 101Greetings.com

Start Each Day With Thankfulness

I thank God 

For a successful day

Filled with faith, hope and focus

 

 

Matthew 6:22

 

Your eye is a lamp that provides light for your body.

When your eye is good, your whole body is filled with light. 

(NLT)

 The lamp of the body is the eye: if therefore your eye is sound,

your whole body will be full of light.

  (WEB)

 The light of the body is the eye; if then your eye is true,

all your body will be full of light.

  (BBE)

 The eye is the lamp of the body. Therefore, if your eye is healthy,

your whole body will be full of light.

(CEB)

 The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single,

thy whole body shall be full of light.

  (KJV)

 

How Can I Forgive?

How to forgive when it is so hard.

Forgiveness is in the realm of your possibility.  Yes, you can forgive anyone and everyone by just speaking the words.

How to forgive when I don't feel like it.

You don't have to feel it or understand how you could ever possibly do it. All you have to do is make a decision to speak the words I forgive. Speak them to yourself and God.

How to forgive when I'm still angry or hurt.

Read the Word that says don't repay evil for evil, but overcome evil with good. Forgive those who despitefully use you. Pray for your enemies, and the Word will do the rest in you. 

Matthew 5:44

1 Peter 3:9

Romans 12:21

 

What About The Bad Places In My Life?

Sometimes as Christians we worry about the things that we can't seem to get right. We are frustrated over bad things that continue to crop up in our thoughts, our behaviors, and our lives. We lament that our failures and challenges are putting us behind. We feel anger that the influence or seeming control of another/others is causing unwanted effects to grow as we work to grow in the Lord.

Matthew 13:24-30 talks about the good seed and the tares. A man planted good seeds in his soil, and while he rested, an enemy came by and sowed some tares, or unwanted seeds, in among his good seeds. 

When his servants saw the sprouting of the bad seed among the good, they were aghast. They did not understand how this could have happened when they knew he would not have sown other than good seeds. They wanted to go to work ripping up the tares seedlings. No doubt, they thought it would be better to do this now, than wait for the wheat-resembling weeds to grow larger and stronger. They were concerned that these unwanted plants would take over, and even kill the good plants.

Their master, the owner who sowed the good seed, explained to them that it would be better to let the tares grow along with his good plants. If they ripped them out now, they would also dislodge and destroy many of the good seedlings in the process. He told them to wait until harvest time, when it would be easier to separate the weed plants from the good grain, and throw out the bad and keep the good. The owner knew that the tares would not take over.

This parable relates to what God will do when it's time for this world to end. It is okay that people who don't want to accept Jesus and love God are living, growing, advancing, prospering and even sometimes winning over Christians. In the end, when God's harvest is ripe, he will discard and destroy the remaining tares, those who refused Jesus Christ as Savior, and bring into his bosom those who love Him through the Shed Blood of His Son. 

Practically, we should practice the same confidence in ourselves and our lives. We don't have to worry about our faults, mistakes, failures, challenges, setbacks, relapses, struggles and rebellions. In the soil of our lives and in this world, there will always be tares, planted by any number of people, circumstances and unavoidable influences. Our focus and job is to keep planting and filling our fields with good seed. Don't worry about the bad seeds in our lives, why they are there, or how they got there. Many of them will die off along the way, as our good seeds grow. Those that are stubborn weeds that persist in surviving and even growing along with our good growth? Well, they will be destroyed in the end. In the end, it will be easy for the bad to be completely obliterated, and the good to be preserved.

Don't worry. Continue to focus on planting good seed into your thoughts, your mind, your heart, your being, your life. In the end, anything that is not done for Christ, by Christ, through Christ will be ripped out, separated and destroyed, never to grow, influence and affect again. In the end, everything that is done for Christ will last.

Tares Definition: TheFreeDictionary
Image:  Pixabay Free Images

The Kingdom Of God Is Like...?

The Kingdom Of Heaven Is Like...

The kingdom of Heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field...

The kingdom of Heaven is like a grain of mustard seed, which a man took and sowed in his field...

The kingdom of Heaven is like leaven, which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal...

The kingdom of Heaven is like a treasure hid in a field...

The kingdom of Heaven is like a merchant man, seeking goodly pearls...

The kingdom of Heaven is like a net, that was cast into the sea, and gathered of every kind... 

The kingdom of Heaven is like a man who is a householder, who brings out of his treasure new and old things... 

Matthew 13:24-52 

Have you read and studied to learn just what the Kingdom of Heaven is, and how it pertains to your life here, and in the hereafter?

It's not just a place that we go to when we leave this earth.

It is behaviors, experiences, occurrences and principles, as well as a place where we will be honored to spend Eternity, which is just forever and forever.

But, as many profess today, Eternity is now, the moment when you accepted Jesus Christ as the only Savior of mankind, as your Savior.

So, if you haven't read these illuminating scriptures, or if you've only read them once, read them again, over and over until you feel God's Spirit revealing to you just what your should be experiencing as a member in His Kingdom. Afterall, you do want all that is yours.

 

The Truth About Some Fears

As many of us have, I have been battling fear of various things, almost at every turn. There are many things to fear in our society today, and it's not getting any better, as the Bible predicts. Couple this fact with the many fears in our personal lives, and you have a scenario of relentless and increasing torment.

I began to reach out to Christian friends for prayer, without burdening them with details.

I had begun to seek an answer, through consistent and specific prayer, to eradicating this unhealthy fear. I also began to reach out to Christian friends, without unloading and burdening them with too much detail, for help through prayer. I woke up this morning with an interesting revelation.

I already understood that casting down imagination is vital to freedom from fear. My revelation was that there were other things that I had not been casting down, because I did not understand them to be thoughts that needed that. We think constantly, so may feel that if we cast down every jot of thoughts, we would be mentally lobotomizing our brains. We would become vegetables, therefore we know that we have to pick and choose which thoughts to cast down. This sounds like an easy task, but that is why we need God. It is not always as cut and dried as all that. Sometimes there can be a thin line.

Some fears are extensions of real occurrences, and mask themselves as preparation.

I was shown this morning that there were thoughts that I allowed to flourish because I had identified them as highly-likely future occurrences, whether that future is today, next month or next year. We usually see fears as imaginary, or in the mind, or made up. The most damaging fears that I have been enduring are extensions of real occurrences.  Because of this, I did not see them as thoughts that needed to be cast down. My mind had labeled them as highly likely, leading me to allow them to flourish so that I could devise a plan to stop or circumvent them.

My inner man saw it as preparing myself, or being wise as a serpent and harmless as a dove. The resulting fears were running rampant because technically and realistically, I could not control nor prevent these possible developments, no matter how small or large they might be. It seems very simple and that I should not have needed revelation to understand. It seems a moot subject, a given, elementary, but that is why we need God. It is not always as cut and dried as all that.

Even as reborn spirits that have a direct link to God, we still have blind spots. We currently live in a fallen world and exist in fallen bodies, so we enter blind spots often. To not understand the revelation of this and to not accept it is to be continually plagued by failures in our lives, and to be confused by our lack of advancement in some areas. Ignoring this knowledge also means that we will not be able to receive God's answer when we ask, seek and knock.

Though God sometimes removes bad circumstances, the answer to freedom is often within.

The answer is not always in the changing or removal of outward circumstances, no matter how difficult, challenging or horrific. How many times have we heard or read that? It is a hard pill to swallow, depending on what you are going through. Though God certainly changes and removes bad circumstances for some, and sometimes for us in his timing, the answer to freedom is often within. There are times that we cannot find it though, without Him.

God removes the dark glasses, raises the blinds and strips off from our eyes and minds the gauze of each gossamer veil that we could never find or remove. About the simplest things, He reveals deep answers that are too confusingly deep and simple for us to ever dig out. Time and time again He has shown me that though the answer was right before me, like a pebble in my path, and simple in comparison to what I was thinking, I would never have found it had He not revealed it to me.

We need God to help us find the answer that is a pebble in our path that we kick to the side, or step over and go on our way.

When we pray, we think that we already understand. This is why my consistent prayer is for him to make my eye single, make my crooked paths straight and order my steps in His word. The battle is certainly not over, but I have advanced.

The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light. 

(Matthew 6:22 KJV)

 I will bring the blind by a way they did not know; I will lead them in paths they have not known. I will make darkness light before them, And crooked places straight. These things I will do for them, And not forsake them.

(Isaiah 42:16 NKJV)

  Make my steps secure through your promise, and do not let any sin control me. 

(Psalm 119:133 GW)

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All Images From: Pixabay.com. You can thank the volunteer image authors for any of these free images that you use by donating to them any amount that you choose. All images are free for our use, without attribution.

The Pocket Power Prayer

The effective prayer that Jesus modeled has traditionally been seen as The Lord's Prayer. It's actually a prayer model that Jesus suggested to his disciples to use when they prayed (Matthew 6 NKJV). He also admonished them to not use vain repetitions, which raises a question. If we pray this prayer regularly, aren't we using repetition?

_________________________________☼______________________________

The answer is in Verse 9, where Jesus encourages them to pray "in this manner."

_______________________________________________________________

He does not tell them to pray that prayer. In this manner means that he was providing a template, a format for them to use in creating their own prayer to God the Father

It is easy for man to get in a rut and to perform actions without thinking or feeling. Man also faces the danger of performing to receive glory from others, and to make a good impression. Jesus says that the only value that is received for that kind of behavior is what is gotten from others at that moment. There is no long term, spiritual benefit from performing vain repetitions to impress others. If we perform for others, it is easy to use vain repetitions because there is no heart in our display.

_________________________________☼______________________________

If we pray in private, making our prayer session between us and God alone, it is easy to use his prayer model to construct our own prayer, because our innermost feelings are drawn out.

_______________________________________________________________

It would be beneficial for you to create a prayer in your own words, using Jesus' model. I call it the Pocket Power Prayer, because it packs a lot of power in its small size. You would then pray it often, adding extra thoughts and feelings to it whenever they come up in your spirit. In this way, you will reduce the chance of making it repetitious.

This prayer model is useful when we don't know what to pray, but want to commune with God. I was on my knees and wanted to pray once, but just felt tired and uninspired. I decided to pray The Lord's Prayer, because I had heard that it covers everything.

_________________________________☼______________________________

I prayed it from the heart, carefully pronouncing each word and thinking deeply about the meaning of each phrase.

_______________________________________________________________

The most interesting thing happened! When I finished, I wanted to continue praying, adding more to cover all of my concerns of that moment, but I could not pray anything else. When I began to say a statement, it felt like I'd already prayed it. I felt that it was already covered. So it is true that when Jesus spoke this prayer model to his disciples, he presented a perfect prayer format.

This is my prayer rewrite. You are welcome to use it whenever you would like, but I encourage you to write your own. Just rewrite each phrase of The Lord's Prayer in your own words. There are no perfect or right words or sentences. Just follow Jesus' format. As long as it makes sense to you God will understand and commune with you, because as Jesus said, "For your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him" (Matthew 6:8 NKJV). This does not replace our open lines of communication with God, or our short or long prayers to God at any time.  It's an additional tool. If you look closely, you can see how I have followed Jesus' model for praying to God.

Dear Father, who lives in heavenly places that we can't yet see. May we respect your name continuously. May your inner glory fill us and your outer glory consume the world in due time. We embrace your daily plan in our lives and all around us, and throughout the world, just as your plans are carried out in the heavenly places. Thank you for providing food today, in whatever way it shall come.

We choose to forgive everyone who has misused, damaged or failed us. We know that in return we have your forgiveness, through your Son Jesus' sacrifice, for our sin state and all that it entails. Thank you for providing a way out of cowardice when we are tried, so that we can hold on and endure the testing. In this way, we know that we will be delivered from the evil of faithlessness and fear.  We know that you own everything, Father. You possess power over all things, and all glory belongs to you. Amen

_______________________________________________________________
Image Credit: Wallpapers Wide
Scriptures Taken From: Bible Study Tools