Showing posts with label Prayer. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Prayer. Show all posts

Sunday, July 4, 2021

Mornings With God

Begin each morning with prayer and triumph throughout the day.

I feel wonderful when I start my day with God! Before I talk with anyone, before I answer emails, before I open my door to anyone, before I engage with the world through sight, speech or reading, I engage with my Heavenly Father. First thing!

I probably have written about this before but I am actually afraid to start my day without talking to God first. It's dangerous. It's the same as going into a serious war without weapons.

It's suicide. It's murder, self-murder to go into any battle without having the center area of our bodies protected with our breastplates, without having our feet armor on, without hefting up our shields, without putting on our helmets and without our all-important swords. (Ephesians 6:14-17) These weapons of warfare don't come automatically. They don't put themselves on us. We have to put them on, to dress out, to suit up at the beginning of every day.

Cares of the world take over when we don't start out with God.

We cannot handle the issues of our private lives and our relationships with the world without God. When we don't set our day with him first, we find very little time to do it later. The cares of the world quickly take over as the day advances and serious thoughts about God are often crowded out.

We have to be aware of God to feel that he's helping us and to recognize his help when he sends it. Since he often sends help in unusual ways, we have to be close to God to not only recognize that help but to accept it.

Feel close to God all day when you meet him first thing.

When I meet God before I start my day, I feel close to him all day and into the night. It leads me to think about him often throughout the day. I am reminded to talk to him and pray little prayers at various points during my day. These are all very important for us to live an ever-increasing, strengthened Christian life. 

Whatever time you begin your day start it with God!

Now your day may begin at a different time every 24 hrs. You may have some temporary changes in your schedule where sometimes you stay up all night or late into the night, and arise in the afternoon or evening. It doesn't matter with regards to meeting God in the morning. Your morning is whenever you get up from an extended period of sleeping. The beginning of your day is whenever you start it.

Satan never rests. His demons never rest. Evil influence never rests. Wicked plans never cease. We can't rest either when it comes to seeking God's face, drawing nigh to him and putting on his whole armor at the beginning of every, single day! 


God In The Morning

I met God in the morning
When my day was at its best,
And His presence came like sunrise,
Like a glory in my breast.
 
All day long the Presence lingered,
All day long He stayed with me,
And we sailed in perfect calmness
O’er a very troubled sea.

Other ships were blown and battered,
Other ships were sore distressed,
But the winds that seemed to drive them
Brought to us a peace and rest.
 
Then I thought of other mornings,
With a keen remorse of mind,
When I too had loosed the moorings,
With the Presence left behind.
 
So I think I know the secret,
Learned from many a troubled way:
You must seek Him in the morning
If you want Him through the day!


~ Ralph Spaulding Cushman ~

 




Sunday, June 6, 2021

He Cares For You

Jesus has truly suffered it all.
Turn To Jesus, The Lover Of Your Soul

No matter what it is, you know that Jesus understands. He who suffered everything that you have and will suffer offers comfort in a way that no one else can.  Though he may not have experienced what you have in the way that you did, he has truly suffered it all.

He suffered it for you.
In his divine spirit and in his human heart and emotions, he experienced all of human horror. It is in the spirit and heart of man where the roots of true suffering are for all outer suffering. Jesus truly suffered it all for all mankind in the way that only God can. He suffered it all for you. He does know what you are feeling and why.

He did it for love, a special kind of holy love.
Jesus felt it all in a few moments of time, when he took into his human body all of the hurt, terror, depression, fear, discouragement, anxiety, hopelessness, rage and despair for each and every human who has lived, is alive today and who will come into this world. He did it for your soul. He did it for love, a special kind of holy love. Just tell him about it.

Talk to Jesus and remember that it is our Father God who raised him from the dead. 


 

Monday, March 1, 2021

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




 
 

 

 

Sunday, November 1, 2020

Why Should We Pray Daily?

It's Called Prayer
Did you forget to talk to God this morning? It's also called prayer. It's good to have a formal prayer session with him at the beginning of every day. We are then prepared to successfully tackle whatever should come. We won't be alone and victim to the daily whims of the world, the flesh and the devil.

You don't believe that the devil, Lucifer, Satan exists? That's a whole 'nother can of worms. We need to crack that nasty can open, but at another time. 

We Can Go To God Directly

I talk with God informally throughout the day, not because I have to, but because he's my heavenly Father who loves me. We naturally want to spend time with those whom we love.

Jesus' obedience when he died on the Cross made it possible for us to talk to God directly. We no longer need a priest of God to be a intermediary for us. We can come to God ourselves, without the blood of bulls and goats being sacrificed on our behalf.

 

Grow Closer To God

Jesus Christ of Nazareth was the all-inclusive sacrifice, the final sacrifice. We should take advantage of what his suffering provided for us. We should go to God The Father every morning and often all day long.

Don't just be a saved, stagnant Christian. Draw nigh to God. Grow closer to him and you won't want to miss a day of going to him. You'll be daily accessing the most powerful and valuable asset that we possess!

HAPPY SUNDAY & BLESSINGS TO YOU



Wednesday, September 25, 2019

Refreshed And Powerful Through Prayer



Sometimes in prayer, the words come swiftly
and the thoughts that fuel it are deep and genuine.

We get up off of our knees feeling truly
refreshed and powerful.

At other times in prayer, we ask,
What's on your mind today, Father?

After we've listened with few words, we get up feeling
refreshed and powerful.

The key always is to be alert,
for we are communing with
The Living God.




 

Friday, September 20, 2019

True Prayer Follows Faith


 
FAITH is immediate, in the heart.

Prayer words are for us, to strengthen us.

God knows all, but prayer words are also our foundation
 for friendship with Our Father.

FAITH comes first and does not need words. 

FAITH produces on its own power,
 and the words of true prayer are formed by it.

Prayer words not formed by FAITH of the heart are empty.

FAITH powers itself and FAITH produces words.

 

 

Tuesday, May 14, 2019

You Are Here: Tired Of Praying & Weary V


Tired of praying?

Have you been distressed lately, even to the point of weeping inconsolably? Have you gone off to yourself, where no one could see, and just let all of the tears flow? I know how it is to cry your heart out because you don't have an answer. You just don't see a way in or out. The worst part is that your prayers don't seem to be working.
My prayers are not working.

In a way, it is a relief to weep, but it also feels like we are defeated and it is oh so exhausting. We never want to do that again and vow that we will never again break down. We feel guilty about this necessary human function, but God  has experienced it along with us. By coming in human flesh to experience what only humans can feel and dying for our human frailties, he acknowledges the importance of our feelings. He shed tears too.


Tired of asking God for help.
Guilt over feeling hopeless and weeping is useless, and comes from the devil. If we ARE guilty of anything, there is always the answer that we are washed whiter than snow through faith in Jesus' sacrifice. All we need to do is ask God to help us, but we already did that, right? What if we are tired and weary of praying? What if our prayers really are not working?

Please help me God.
To get a grip on hope, sometimes it helps to change up how we pray, the words and scriptures that we use, the times of day, the subjects; while continuing to thank God for specific things that we have asked for. Once we ask him for something, we don't have to keep asking him for that same thing. Ask him once, and then always THANK him for it when the desire to beg and plead for it comes over you again.

As one of my readers shared, once you ask for an answer, pray that God's will be done. Once you realize that is best and come to terms with that fact, your outlook will change.

I know it's hard to manage prayers like this, asking for new needs, and then sending those prayers into the que to be thanked for the next time. It seems like a revolving door of asking and thanking, asking and thanking. It may help to keep a prayer journal or list. You can add the things that you pray for and check them off to thank God for.


How to not give up on praying.
Sometimes we just have to hold on, again. Sometimes that is the only immediate answer. We have to do the cliche, determine to hold on to God's unchanging hand. We have to dig our feet in again and hold on for dear life. If we hold on with a thread of our minds and hearts, God will reward us! We have to choose to believe that, again, and thank him.

The revolving door of asking and thanking is better than continuing on in hopelessness and losing your power in the Kingdom of God. It takes extra effort to manage our prayer lives like this, whether mental or on paper. God, however, has given us power. Why lose it? Do what it takes to push through and make your prayers work. 

"For He Himself has said, "I will never leave you nor forsake you."
Hebrews 13:5 (NKJV)

"For the Lord your God, He is the One who goes with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you." 
Deuteronomy 31:6 (NKJV)



You Are Here: Tired Of Praying & Weary IV

 

 

Saturday, November 24, 2018

You Are Here: Tired Of Praying & Weary IV

Tired, discouraged and weary of praying?

Have you ever wondered why God allows you to feel that way, tired, discouraged and weary of praying? To paraphrase one of my readers, it's enough that while we are living on this Earth we can't see, touch and be physically hugged by him. So when we keep faithfully praying for something, with no tangible sign that we are being heard and no perceived change in our circumstances, that's where the tiredness comes from. It's exhausting and frustrating! It's hard to keep going on, to believe in the power of prayer, to trust God.

But that's just it, I do believe that often he is speaking to us, but we don't yet see or hear it. For one thing, I truly do believe that if we change our prayer from asking/begging for a thing to thanking him for it once we ask the first time, we will see changes.

I've also learned that when we pray, we often do so with a preconceived notion of how and when the prayer will be answered. We are looking for the answer in a certain way. When we open up to God and choose to accept how ever he may work it out, we stop looking for OUR answer and open up to receive HIS answer.



God never answers our prayers without it also blessing the inner person.
"So when we keep faithfully praying for something, with no tangible sign we are being heard and no change in our circumstances, that's where the tiredness comes from." Yes, I feel this entirely, and just because I share insight into this doesn't mean that I no longer suffer. I still sometimes am reduced to begging God, because of my trial, but I'm doing much better and have grown much more than when I wrote the first Tired Of Praying message.

A lot of my prayer answers were preceded by an inner change in me. God never answers our prayers without it also blessing the inner person with growth and strength. Sometimes, we just simply keep praying the wrong things, or ineffective things. As we grow in God, we learn how to dissect and evaluate our prayer habits and improve them. Without growth in God, our prayer lives never improve.

Sometimes, we pray for things that are never going to happen, especially regarding other people. We may pray and pray and beg and beg for someone to live, but they weren't meant to. It was their time, and even if it wasn't their time to us, God saw fit to allow them to leave. No amount of pleading, fervent prayer or prayer tweaking would have made a difference. 


Growing in the Lord helps us to continuously adjust our prayers.
The key is growing in Christ. What is that? Being assured from within that we are changing from the effects of reading the Bible regularly, praying faithfully the best way that we know how, and being obedient when we feel that pricking about anything from the Holy Spirit. Growing in the Lord helps us to continuously adjust our prayers, so that they can become more effective and not hurt us. 

Prayers are supposed to strengthen and refresh. Prayers are supposed to give hope, not pain. Prayers are supposed to be a refuge from any and everything, whether inner or outer. Prayers are supposed to be that coveted time with a dear friend and Heavenly Father, who will talk with us on our level. We are not supposed to be subjected to prayer, to feel that it is not working. Prayer is supposed to be subject to us, to bring about the desired effect. Prayer is the greatest resource that the Christian has. 


Prayer is the greatest resource that the Christian has!
The next step is to crush the fear that things will not work out, that nothing will ever change, that you will never be happy. When the desire to beg and plead for that same old thing tries to rule you again, stop the thought and thank God for what you originally prayed for. Thank him that it has been done, according to his will. Your faith in his will is what will bring about change. Move on and petition or ask God for the next thing, leaving the old thing at the Cross. From then on, thank him for that old thing until you recognize an answer, however and whenever it shall come.  

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 V



Monday, September 10, 2018

How Do We Pray When Damage Is Inevitable?

We are never without recourse in a time of trouble.
Sometimes I just feel overwhelmed when I want to pray for those in catastrophic situations. Despite changes that can avert destruction, there is what seems to be inevitable in projected reports. There is the history of recurring events. Lastly, but not least, are the prophecies in the Bible about what will occur as the time for Jesus' return nears.

I wonder sometimes what the use of praying is. What good will it do in circumstances like this? This makes me feel like we are sitting ducks, and that there is nothing that we can do. We are never, however, without recourse, and that recourse is still prayer. There is never a time when prayer will not help.

First of all, if we have faith that God can do anything, we pray that absolutely no damage will be done. That's it! We pray that somehow the storm will be turned away from human harm. We pray that it will miraculously abate, dry up and dissipate.

Next, if we can't bring ourselves to pray that, because we find it incomprehensible to believe, we pray that damage will be minimal and no lives will be lost. We pray that everyone will find safe shelter and that homes will remain standing.


Finally, if that type of prayer does not resonate in the face of a catastrophic event, we pray that the hearts of everyone who does not know him will be turned to Jesus. We pray this for those who are in the eye of destruction and for everyone involved.

All of these prayers really can be combined into one cry to God for help:

Help Us Lord!

Help Them Lord!

Have Mercy On Us Lord!

Deliver Them Lord!

Dear Jesus My Savior
You said you would never leave nor forsake those who love you.
Help those in this terrible situation come
to love you in all circumstances.
I know that you are at the right hand of Our Father,
always praying for us.

Dear Father God
You said Fear thou not, for I am with you.
Be not dismayed, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you. I will help you.
I will hold you up with my right hand of righteousness. 
 For I, the Lord your God, will hold your right hand saying
"Fear not, for I am with you".
(Isaiah 41:10,13) 

Help those in this destructive situation come to love
and rely on you in the same way. 
Have mercy on them and everyone involved,
friends, relatives, neighbors, co-workers,
first responders, medical personnel,
city/government officials,
clergy.

So in writing this encouragement to help others, I talk myself into victory.

Victory in faith.
Victory in spiritual action.
Victory in prayer. 

I Believe In Prayer, No Matter What!






Wednesday, July 11, 2018

Dear Lord Help Us

A prayer and reminder for when you are feeling anxiety, distress, depression, hopelessness or unhappiness.


DEAR LORD:

Help us to keep our minds on you.
We thank you for the peace that passes all understanding and for joy unspeakable in the midst of struggle, fear and disappointment. We know that our joy in you is where our strength will always lie, and that YOU will keep us in perfect peace, because we choose to bring our minds back to you always.

AMEN.