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!

CHILDREN'S RIGHTS: How ChildHelp Makes A Difference

I've added a new link to help children. Here is info about this compassionate organization and it has been added to my page here: Children's Rights. 

The organization says:


Helping victims of child abuse is more than just a desire, it is our lifetime commitment. This commitment began when our founders, two young Hollywood actresses, encountered 11 homeless orphans abroad, and all of their lives were forever changed.

Co-founders of Childhelp USA, Sara O’Meara and Yvonne Fedderson, were abroad in 1959 when they came across 11 orphans in Japan and decided to help the orphans by providing food and shelter. When Sara and Yvonne returned to the United States, they decided to open up an orphanage. From there, their agency continued to grow into a national organization assisting over nine million children since its inception.

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)

 

Finding Romance, Love And A Christian Spouse

We should always pray and expect God's confirmation when we feel we have met the one.

I recently saw a video that someone shared at an online group, where a young Christian woman was advocating that we don't have to wait on God for a mate. She said that this principle was a part of Christiandom, or some contrived word like that. She felt that too many Christians sit around waiting for God to give them a marriage partner, when they can pick the person themselves. I feel that it is a combination of both. We should make an effort to be active and put ourselves out there to meet people.  Along with that, we should pray and expect God's confirmation when we feel we have met the one.

Moderation and merging of both searching and waiting for Christian love is important.

I think that to put all of the responsibility on ourselves to choose a holy person to marry is foolish and dangerous. However, I think to wait indefinitely on God to drop the person into our laps, while doing nothing to be friendly and attractive, is also foolish and self-defeating. Both attitudes are needed, but a moderation of both, a merging of them.

Don't go by feelings, which got you into romantic trouble before.

Dating around to feel our way to finding someone with whom we click got us into trouble before. Going by our feelings got us into trouble before. Depending upon our own devices is the reason that we are alone today. Being led of the flesh is the reason that we have so much baggage today, so that the Holy Spirit can barely get our attention.

We Christian woman have to learn how to submit to a man after God's own heart.

My point is that Christians lean too far to the right or the left about everything. The Bible plainly says to not lean to the right hand nor the left, keep our feet from evil. (Proverbs 4:27) The order of the relationship and marriage has to be established by God, in the beginning, for the union to be successful and righteous. This is even more so in today's world, where for generations women have had to assume the authority of men. This is because men have become so slack and lax in being men and heading the families as God desires. We, as Christian women, don't have any idea how to submit to a holy and righteous Christian man. Most of us have only known strong, overbearing women and weak men. We don't have healthy examples of the order in the Christian marriage.

God will confirm in the heart of the woman that indeed that man is the one.

So, to establish the relationship on Holy ground or a powerful foundation, we have to be able to submit in the beginning. In that regard, I believe in the way that many other Christians believe, that God will confirm with the man that yes indeed he has found a wonderful Godly woman who would be a faithful, holy and diligent wife to him.  The man will then show his interest in her and she will return that interest. Most important though, not the man, but God, will confirm in the heart and spirit of the woman that indeed, that man is the one.

God never changes and his order is supreme.

Basically, God will tell the man and the man will tell the woman, and God will confirm to the woman. It may sound old-fashioned and distasteful to some, but no matter what the variation is, you will find this holy process in all of the great, true, authentic and enduring Christian marriages. God never changes and his order is supreme.

The sad thing is that most of the time we operate in the flesh when it comes to romance and marriage. There is another, more excellent way, to work with God to put the flesh under. As reborn spirits, we possess the power to crucify the flesh that seduces and misleads us. We can learn a new way of experiencing romantic love. That infallible way is God's holy way.

Click this link to visit


Draw Nigh To Hope


for more insight into Christian growth


and resources for living a life devoted to God.

Scourging, Crucifixion And Christ

Today, I am reading in the first part of John 19, where Pilate took Jesus and scourged him. I know something about scourging from previous light research. I wanted to read more about it today, both as a refresher and to learn new things. At the CBCG website (Christian Biblical Church of God), it is revealed that the Romans did not institute crucifixion, but they certainly perfected it. This vile form of maltreatment was generally reserved for slaves, foreigners, revolutionaries, the vilest of criminals and desertion by soldiers.

If you are interested in learning more about the history of scourging and the implications of crucifixion, CBCG provides a detailed account of these terrible punishments. It's not for the faint-hearted. If you are not aware, crucifixion was not unique to Jesus' torture and death. Crucifixion was a standard Roman punishment. I remember reading years ago that it was common to travel down a Roman road in ancient times and see hundreds of crosses with crucified victims on them. The abomination, outrage and enormity of Jesus' crucifixion is that he was pure and without any sin or imperfection whatsoever, and that he gave his life for me and you.

He was God's precious only son, and he was treated like trash and dirt, the lowest of the lowest on this earth. In addition, he experienced a moment in time unlike no other and totally devastating for that short period. He was separated from his Father completely, because of the sins, past, present and future, that he took and cleansed us from.

So, it was not that he was crucified that is so horrible, but that he was perfect and was sacrificed as a meek, submissive lamb. During that horrendous judgement, affliction and death, he endured even more antagonism, animosity and abuse than criminals, because of who he had claimed to always be. He really was slaughtered for each and every one of us. Why? Because it was needed. Because it was necessary that we have a total and complete sacrifice that no sin, imperfection or darkness could ever penetrate again. The reason is simple, For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life. John 3:16 And that precious son, who is God in the flesh, was obedient because he believed what the Father said.

Source: Christian Biblical Church of God website

Helping Children Who Suffer Cyber-bullying

The definition of cyber-bullying, the trends of this activity, effects of it on children, and solutions and preventions.

We CAN make a difference in the lives of children who suffer cyber-bullying and other forms of abuse. Don't add to the abuse by ignoring what they are enduring. Every little thing that we do to raise awareness, provide resources and shelter children makes a difference. Children depend upon adults all around them. Don't turn your back on them. 

I've added a new resource link to my page Children's Rights. It is titled A Comprehensive Cyberbullying Guide for Parents

Julia is a volunteer who works to help protect children online via online courses and guides. She advised the company that wrote this guide on cyber-bullying. She says, We try to educate parents and teachers alike on how to keep our kids safe online.

You can study this online guide by clicking the link above. It is an easy to read webpage with a table of contents list at the top.  Scroll down as you read and you will find subjects such as the definition of cyber-bullying, the trends of this activity, effects of it on children, and solutions and preventions.

You will find more resources to help children at my page Children's Rights. A tab link is also in the navigation panel at the top.