My prayer discovery

Lately a few verses concerning prayer have been on my mind and I thought I would share them with you! :)

Philippians 4:6~
"Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God."

Romans 14:23b~
"... for whatever is not from faith is sin."

Now thinking about those verses, let's start with the first one. "Be anxious for nothing." What are we to be worried about? Nothing! But in prayer, with thanksgiving (thanking God for Who He is and what He does and what He is going to do) we are to let our requests be made known to Him. We are to tell Him what we want. We are to be open with Him because He knows what our prayer and request is going to be even before we pray it (Matthew 6:8), so why try to hide something? :) But then we take a look at our second verse and we realize that, yes, we are to make our requests known to God, but if we can't pray for something in total faith, we shouldn't be praying for it! If we cannot go boldly before Christ and ask Him for something in complete faith, knowing that it isn't something God wants, we have no reason to pray for it, for then it becomes sin! So let us ask ourselves before we pray, "Can I ask God for this in total, complete faith?" And if the answer is yes, "Let your request be made known to God." If there is any doubt, even the slightest hint of a doubt that you can't pray for it in faith, then don't! Let us remember if we can pray for something in faith, with no doubting, with thanksgiving, then God will be pleased.

Keep Christ in Christmas

Hello everyone. I hope you are having, or have had, a wonderful, Christ-centered Christmas! But as we open gifts and give gifts away let us not get caught up in the moment of a happy, fuzzy, warm feeling! Let us stop and remember what truly happened at Christmas. Jesus came to earth! Why? To die and provide a way for us to be forgiven and to spend eternity worshiping and praising Him! Let us not focus on what we got or what people will think of what you got them, but let us thank Christ for coming to earth to save us in our hell-bound state. I often think of what it was like for Mary to look at her baby and know that it was God! Every time she looked at her child she looked at the face of God! Every time she picked Him up and hugged Him close, she hugged the Son of God! What a thought! I wonder if Mary ever thought of what Jesus would do. As she held Him close, as she laid Him down to sleep, did she know that one day He would be beaten, scourged, mocked, and killed for her? Did she ever think about what He could actually do? He was the Son of God (and still is). He made her. Did she know the things her baby would do? Did she think of His Godness moment by moment? Can you imagine all of God's Godness packed into a little baby body? :) What a thought! Jesus never stopped being God, even in His new born body. As a newborn who was unable to do anything but lay there, all of His Godness was still there! This song has become one of my new favorite Christmas songs. Think about the words! The things Jesus did. Whether Mary knew or not, Jesus still did all these things and more!

Mary, did you know that your Baby Boy
Would one day walk on water?
Mary, did you know that your Baby Boy
Would save our sons and daughters?
Did you know that your Baby Boy
Has come to make you new;
This Child that you delivered
Will soon deliver you.

Mary, did you know that your Baby Boy
Will give sight to a blind man?
Mary, did you know that your Baby Boy
Will calm the storm with His hand?
Did you know that your Baby Boy
Has walked where Angels trod?
When you kiss your Little Baby,
You kiss the Face of God!

Oh, Mary, did you know?
Oh, Mary, did you know?

The blind will see, the deaf will hear,
The dead will live again.
The lame will leap, the dumb will speak
The praises of the lamb!

Mary, did you know that your Baby Boy
Is Lord of all creation?
Mary, did you know that your Baby Boy
Will one day rule the nations?
Did you know that your Baby Boy
Is Heaven's Perfect Lamb?
This sleeping Child you're holding
Is the Great I Am!

~Mark Lowry

Have a wonderful Christmas and don't forget the greatest gift anyone can ever give was already given, Jesus Christ! Don't leave Him out of your Christmas!

You know better than I

I had to share this song with you, it is one that I sing over and over in my head at night, thinking about the words and praying them as I sing!

You Know Better Than I

1) I thought I did what's right,
I thought I had the answers.
I thought I chose the surest road,
But that road brought me here.
So I put up a fight,
And told You how to help me.
Now just as I have given up,
The truth is coming clear.


c) You know better than I,
You know the way.
I've let go the need to know why,
For You know better than I.


2) If this has been a test,
I cannot see the reason.
But maybe knowing I don't know,
Is part of getting through.
I try to do what's best,
And faith has made it easy,
To see the best thing I can do,
Is put my trust in You.


last c) For You know better than I,
You know the way.
I've let go the need to know why.
I'll take what answers You supply.
You know better than I.

~Unknown
From the movie, "Joseph, King of Dreams."

Do you see why I sing it in my head? :) How many of us can truly say, "I've let go the need to know why, I'll take what answers You supply"? Can we truly let go when situation after situation comes into our lives and we don't understand? Can we truly take whatever answers God supplies? There are times in our lives when trials come and we don't know why, but do we ever think that maybe God doesn't want us to know why so that we may learn to more fully lean upon Him for all things. Even the things that confuse us? Even the things that we understand perfectly? Maybe God is waiting for us to say, "I don't know Lord. I can't do this on my own." Because, truth be told, we can't! Apart from God we can do what ... nothing! We must lean fully on Christ for everything! May we be able to say, wholeheartedly, "You know better than I. I've let go the need to know why. I'll take what answers You supply. For You know better than I"!

Another read, don't sing!

Recently we had our Harvest Banquet at church. It was an amazing time of fellowship and praise! We sang songs, had special music, gave testimonies and a man from church told us the things God has taught him over the years. During the singing we sang a song I had never heard before. Some of you may know it, some may not. But as I've said before, (in a previous post) read the words, don't sing along and just mindlessly read through it. Think about what the words mean and apply it to your life!

Thanks to God for My Redeemer

Thanks to God for my Redeemer, thanks for all thou dost provide!
Thanks for times now but a memory, thanks for Jesus by my side!
Thanks for pleasant, balmy spring-time, thanks for dark and dreary fall!
Thanks for tears by now forgotten, thanks for peace within my soul!

Thanks for prayers that thou hast answered, thanks for what thou dost deny!
Thanks for storms that I have weathered, thanks for all thou dost supply!
Thanks for pain and thanks for pleasure, thanks for comfort in despair!
Thanks for grace that none can measure, thanks for love beyond compare!


Thanks for roses by the wayside, thanks for thorns their stems contain!
Thanks for homes and thanks for fireside, thanks for hope, that sweet refrain!
Thanks for joy and thanks for sorrow, thanks for heavenly peace with thee!
Thanks for hope in the tomorrow, thanks through all eternity.

~August L. Storm

Think about those words! Thanks for what thou does deny?! Thanks for prayer that thou has answered?! Can we be thankful for all that God brings into our lives, and also the things He doesn't bring into our lives? I'm not going to make this a long post, I simply want you to think about the words and apply them to your lives! Let us be thankful to God for all!

Be separate!

I've recently been looking over other people's blogs and websites and I have to say I was greatly unsettled at what I've seen in different blogs. Blogs of people who claim to be Christians but when I went there I couldn't tell. They dragged Christ's name and reputation through the mud! It greatly disturbed me, thus, I'm writing a post. :) The Bible says, "Therefore 'Come out from among them and be separate, says the Lord...' " (2 Corinthians 6:17). 2 Corinthians 6:11-18 is talking about being holy, how to become holy, and it says in verse 17, as you've just read, to "come out from among them and be separate." Come out from among them. Think of it this way. You are in a house filled with people, it's time to leave, so what do you do? You come out of the house, you leave them behind, you walk away, you come out from among them! We are called to leave the world behind, to come out from among the world. It also says "be separate." For my own sake I looked up "separate" in the dictionary. Separate: "1. To set or keep apart; divide; disunite." We are to "set or keep apart" ourselves from the world. Jesus said, "Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace but a sword" (Matthew 10:34). Jesus did not come to unite all people, make peace with people and to be everybody's friend. He came to separate His people from the world, to be the world's enemy. And if Jesus did thus, then we should as well! We are to separate ourselves from the world, the people and the things in the world. "Do not love the world of the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in Him" (1 John 2:15). If you didn't get it before, it's crystal clear there. We cannot love God and the world. "No man can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon" (Matthew 6:24). Think about it! What do you prize most, the things of the world: friendships, money, being cool, being in the "in" crowd, the lust of the eyes, the lust of the flesh, etc.? Or Christ and what He loves: Himself, His word, His glory, His honor, and His name, etc.! We don't live to protect our own reputation, as Christians, we live to protect Christ's name and reputation! Don't drag His name through the mud! Be separate!

Giving up

As of late, the Lord as been showing me things I need to give to Him. Things I need to let go of. And I won't try to lie and tell you it's been easy and a joy to give what I treasure. It has been hard, painful and at times I sit in a daze wondering why I must give what I love. But as I read through my quote book a couple quotes have been such a comfort to me!

"When obedience to God contradicts what I think will give me pleasure, let me ask myself if I love Him. If I can say yes to that question, can't I say yes to pleasing Him? Can I say yes even if it means a sacrifice?"

~Elisabeth Elliot, "Passion and Purity"

"...but let me give to Him not what I value least, but what I prize and delight in most."

~Elizabeth Prentiss, "Stepping Heavenward"

"If God, like a father, denies us what we want now it is in order to give us some far better thing later on. The will of God, we can rest assured, is invariably a better thing."

~Elisabeth Elliot

Now read, and reread those. I have! :) If I can say yes to loving Him, can I say yes to sacrifice? Yes! Do I say yes and give Him the things I almost love? No, let me give Him my best. Be it a treasure, be it a talent, be it a desire, be it the things I can't control. Let me give Him all! And if He denies us something, let us thank Him for His wisdom. For His kindness in allowing us not to have all that we want, but for teaching us to lean and be all satisfied in Him. Let us willingly give Him anything in loving obedience! Let us offer to Him not what we almost prize, what we almost value, but those things which we love the most! And not just the things that we love the most but everything! And if He denies us something we want, let us love Him all the more and find true joy, delight and pleasure in Christ alone!

Content in any state?

Over the last few days I watched my family get sick and come down with the flu knowing full well the I would probably end up with it. Did I want to get sick? Not really. So I prayed. I prayed that God would help me get through the days, to help those who were sick and that He would give me the grace and strength to make it through the day when He allowed me to get sick. And I was so amazed, although I shouldn't have been (because God does answers our prayers), that I was able to be content with my sickness. Did I enjoy it? No! :) But I wasn't complaining, I wasn't wishing not to be sick (well, I didn't want the pain but I wasn't trying to complain). As I was lying on the couch a verse came to my mind and has stuck with me.

Philippians 4:11b~
"... for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content."


In whatever state? In sickness? Yes! In health? Yes! In trials? Yes! In hardships? Yes! In uncertainty? Yes! In anything? Yes! What a joy it is to be content in whatever state the Lord puts us in. Something else that came to my mind a while back and has stuck with me. We know that the Lord can make us content, but we also know it is so hard to be content. But we forget, if we ask the Lord to make us content, and He makes us content, then we will be content! Did you get that? :) If the Lord makes us content then we won't be worried about this, or we won't be wondering about that. We will be content! Isn't that an encouragement? Not matter what the state, trial or situation we're in, if we ask the Lord to make us content (and we truly want to be) and He makes us content, then we will be content! We won't be worried, we won't be anxious, we won't be wondering. We can rest content in His able hands!

What are you thankful for?

I was planning on writing this earlier but I wanted to do a word search before I wrote to make sure I knew what I was talking about. I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving, a time of fellowship with family and friends and realizing what we are truly thankful for. I had a wonderful day with family, but as I went through the day one thought kept coming to my mind. What am I truly thankful for? Many of us were probably thankful for the food, for friends, a day off of work :), a day to be home, and things like that. But what are we to be thankful for? I did a word search in my Bible on Thankfulness. Here are some things I found and some things that I thought of on Thanksgiving.

I found in the Bible that people praised and thanked God for Who He is and what He has done. I found that they thanked Him for His goodness and mercy. And I am thankful for Who He is, what He's done and His attributes. But I started to think, doesn't the Bible say something about trials and counting it all joy when we fall into them? Are we to be thankful for trials? Are we to be thankful that we were counted worthy to suffer for His name? The answer is yes! When we go through hard times we shouldn't just "suffer" through them because we know we have to, we are to be thankful that God is refining us, that He is making us more like Him, that He has counted us worthy to be refined for His name! I also thought about salvation, we can come boldly before the throne of God and accept His gift of salvation. We can pray to Him whenever we want, we can tell Him anything, and not only will He hear us, but He will answer our prayers, perhaps not the way we thought they should be answered, but He will answer them. What about the fact that we are in a country free to serve the Lord without fear. The fact that we have our own Bible and resources to study our Bibles to learn more about Christ and how we can correctly thank and praise Him. The list goes on and on, think about it! Let us be thankful for the things we can see, our families, houses, jobs, things like that, but let us be thankful for how God works in our lives, for the things He brings into our lives, the things that appear good and the things that appear bad!

Do I want a broken heart?

Hello dear friends and family! Thank you again for coming to my blog and reading this. I pray that as you continue to come and read that your relationship with Christ has been strengthened and will continue to be strengthened. I pray that you will have a better view of who Christ is and how He works. With that in mind, I submit to you another quote!

"But if God chooses quite another lot for you, you may be sure that He sees that you need something totally different from what you want. You said just now that you would gladly go through any trial in order to attain a personal love for Christ that should become the ruling principle of your life. Now as soon as God sees this desire in you, is He not King, is He not wise in appointing such trials as He knows will lead to this end?"

~Elizabeth Prentiss, "Stepping Heavenward."

Perhaps you never struggle with what God brings into your life to answer your prayers for a closer relationship with Him. Perhaps the trials He brings to give you a greater desire for Him are something that you don't ever question. But I do at times, many times. Praying for a desire for Christ to take over your life and longing for it are "easily" prayed for. I don't mean to say that it's always easy to pray that way and mean it, because it's not, but it's easier to pray it than to accept the way God brings it about in your life. My mind goes back to the trials in the past. What things have I had to let go? What things did I have to leave behind in the world to reach for Christ? How many times must my heart be broken? And as I think back to the things the Lord has taken and of the all satisfying love for Him He has given me in place of those things, I wonder how I could have ever wanted to keep holding on to such shallow things. Always remember, Christ does everything for our good and to work out His perfect plan. If we pray and ask Him for a desire and all consuming love for Him, let us be ready to give whatever He asks for. Let us let go without hesitation, even if it means heartbreak. Let go and let God heal your broken heart and answer your prayer! If we ask Him for the things He wants, He will answer our prayers, but we have to be willing to accept whatever He brings in order to bring us to that end! Let us also remember, "The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, A broken and a contrite heart -- These, O God, You will not despise" (Psalm 51:17). If God has truly created us (and our hearts) can He not bring the things He knows will bring us where we need to be and mend our broken hearts the way He knows how? So in answer to the title question, "Do I want a broken heart?" If it leads me closer to Christ and gives me an all satisfying love for Him, then yes! Let us trust Him and readily give to Him anything He asks of us, even a broken heart!

My Bible reading discovery

Hello everyone! I realize it has been ages since I've posted, I've been very, very busy. But busy or not, I've still had time to read my Bible and have found a verse that I found true in my life and had to share it with all of you.


2 Corinthians 1:3-4 ~
"3) Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, 4) who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God."

In the past few weeks and months the Lord has shown me Himself by His comfort and closeness to me in the times of tribulation that He has brought into my life. Recently a very close friend of mine went through a very trying time, very close to my own trial, and it was so neat how the Lord showed me how to be a comfort to her by the way He had comforted me, and by those who He'd used to comfort me in my trials. At times in my life I still feel that the Lord brings things into my life, hard things, and leaves me to suffer and struggle alone. But when I remember the things He's taught me and how He has comforted me in the past, it shows me that I need to remember who He is and what He has done, that I just need to trust Him and take Him at His word. "The Father of mercies and God of all comfort." Without a shadow of a doubt I know that everything in the Bible is true, everything, so if it says He's the "Father of mercies and God of all comfort," isn't it true that He is? Let us take Him at His word and when He brings trials into our lives, let us remember that He is the Father of mercies, that no matter what the trial or situation He brings to us that He gives mercy to go through the trial to His honor and glory. He's not going to bring a trial into our lives that we cannot get through by His mercy and strength for His glory. Let us also remember that He's the God of all comfort, not just some comfort, all comfort. Let us rest knowing that everything works out for our good and that He is always near, providing grace, mercy and comfort to those who seek it!

A few quotes

Hello every one. I had such a wonderful day in the Lord's house with His people! And the sermon today was wonderful! I've got a few quotes I'd like to share with you from it.

"We can't understand all the events of the gospels without knowing Christ or His character."

Think about that for a minute. It's not enough to just read your Bible day by day, we must truly study it and understand it in order to find out who Christ is! Make it your goal not to just read your Bible and be done with it and never think about it the rest of the day. But dwell on what you've read. Ask yourself, "What did I learn about Christ in this passage." "What did I learn about what God deserves from this passage." If we start to ask ourselves these questions and then seek for answers we will begin to understand more and more of who He is and what He deserves.

"If we treasure Christ, we won't desire and treasure the things of the world."

I am one who truly struggles with not wanting things of the world. I struggle with not finding my pleasure and treasures in the things of the world. It's one thing to not desire the things of the world and to tell yourself they won't bring you pleasure and to make yourself not want them, but you're still going to have a desire for something, you're still going to want to treasure something. So we must move our desires from things of the world to Christ. It's not enough to stop wanting the world we must want Christ. We must fill out desires, our wants with Him. And we must also remember that we can't do it ourselves. We must ask Christ to change our desires, because if we try to do it ourselves we will fail and desire the things of the world once again. Only Christ can change our desires to desire what is right!

"When we fall we must remember it's not a permanent thing."

When you fall in your Christian walk, or when you fail to do what's right, don't give up or get discouraged. Remember, if we're truly saved and Christians, it will not be a permanent thing. It can't be! So we must call upon the name of the Lord to lift us up, as only He can do, and to set us right again. And we also must remember, that as often as we call upon His name and ask Him to help us, He never grows tired of setting us back up and on the road again. Praise and thank Him for his patience and faithfulness for and to us. Let us remember, that even though we are not always faithful, He is always faithful and shall remain faithful in spite of our faithlessness!

I'm a tree?

I was out in my rose garden this afternoon cutting back old, dying growth from my roses so that I could cover them so they would make it through the winter. As I was cutting back the old dying growth and the growth that had died last winter a quote came to my head.

"To those with ears to hear, and eyes to see, there will be very great release from unbearable burdens in the language of autumn trees, for example, when they dress most gloriously in preparation for death. The red of the leaves is the sign of the cross. Winter follows, when snow closes everything in frozen silence. The trees then are skeletons, but wonders are being performed under the surface of things. Spring comes, and the hidden wonders burst out all at once -- tiny shoots, swelling buds, touches of green and red where all seemed hopeless the day before. ... If the leaves had not let go to fall and wither, if the tree had not consented to be a skeleton for many months, there would be no new life rising, no bud, no flower, no fruit, no seed, no new generation."

~From a letter written to Elisabeth Elliot

How true! Is it not? God often shows us things in our lives that have to "fall and wither" but we don't see how it could possible help or why we need to let go in the first place. But if our hands, (the branches) are so full of worldly things (leaves) how can God give us things that we truly should treasure, namely Him (the new life)?! There are times in our lives when we feel that God keeps taking things from us and we feel empty and alone (a skeleton) but "wonders are being performed under the surface of things" if we let God work. If we harden our hearts and don't trust that God's way is best, how can we grow to be more like Him? How can wonders be performed under the surface? If we trust God, take Him at His word, at His timing and His way, (not ours) He will fill us with His joy and give us the things He knows will bring us true joy, happiness and contentment in Him (the new buds)! So when you feel like God seems to be taking things from you and you just can't see why, trust, consent to be a skeleton! There are also times in our lives that we try to carry burdens that we cannot carry apart from Him. What are the burdens? They could be anything: desires, trials, worries, troubles, wants, uncertainty, not knowing what lies ahead. When we try to carry them ourselves there is only one thing we can do: fail. We cannot carry any kind of burden ourselves. We must hand it to God, we must let it go, to fall into the hands of our Saviour! Only by Him and His strength can we make it through the trials and burdens that He brings into our lives. God works all things for the good of those who love Him and are called according to His purpose (Romans 8:28)! So if God is showing you things that need to fall or He is gently telling you to let Him take your burdens, don't be scared, let go! God's ways are always best, you will never regret letting go!

Read, don't sing!

Hello everyone, I pray you had a wonderful Sunday and a wonderful time of fellowshipping, praising and worshiping the Lord with brothers and sisters in Christ! I did!
I have something to share with you today that has been on my mind a lot lately. I'm going to share a song with you, an old song, some of you have known this forever, almost. :) But I want you to simply read it and apply it, don't sing the tune in your head as you read through the verses. Read, apply and think about the words!

Spirit of God, Descend upon My Heart

1.) Spirit of God, descend upon my heart;
Wean it from earth, through all its pulses move;
Stoop to my weakness, mighty as Thou art,
And make me love Thee as I ought to love.

2.) Hast Thou not bid us love Thee, God and King?
All, all Thine own, soul, heart and strength and mind;
I see Thy cross -- there teach my heart to cling:
O let me seek Thee, and O let me find.

3.) Teach me to know that Thou art always nigh;
Teach me the struggles of the soul to bear,
To check the rising doubt, the rebel sigh;
Teach me the patience of unanswered prayer.

4.) Teach me to love Thee as Thine angels love,
One holy passion filling all my frame;
The baptism of the heaven-descended Dove,

My heart an alter, and Thy love the flame.

~George Croly

How many of us can truly pray that and desire it the way we should? I've often read it over and simply prayed as I read. Because a lot of my desire is in this song. Perhaps we don't talk that way anymore, but shouldn't our desires still be the same as in the song whether we talk that way or not? I just had to share this one with you, it has been such a conviction to me and I hope and pray that as you read, and perhaps sing this song, that you would indeed desire and pray for the things it talks about and that as a result of praying thus you would grow closer to the Saviour and King! Also, try this on other songs, don't just mindlessly sing the songs because you know the tune, think about what you're singing every time you sing!

The setting

Hello and welcome to those who have stumbled across my blog!
I would like to share something with you. Hopefully this will show what I picture when I think of my blog and what I want it to feel like to you when you come:

"I pretend that you and I are sitting together in a quaint little coffee shop. We are slowly sipping on our steaming, foamy concoctions, looking each other in the eye, and having a heart-to-heart conversation. For hours and hours, as various other customers enter and exit the little shop, we continue talking and talking. We are unaware of time and oblivious to our surroundings. As our coffee mugs slowly empty, you tell me your story. And I tell you mine. You share your questions, struggles, fears, and victories. And I share mine. I feel an amazing connection with you as my mind's eye sees us sharing and listening and laughing and crying together."

~Leslie Ludy, "Authentic Beauty."
(Paraphrased)

This may not be what you had in mind, and that's fine, but I want you to feel comfortable and able to share and learn with me as I share the things I've learned. I hope you feel comfortable enough to share your thoughts and things that you are learning as well. I pray that as I share my thoughts and things I've learned you will have a greater view of Christ and that your heart would turn to Him moment by moment and that you would grow to be like Him!
Thanks for stopping by!

Hello!

Hello, blogging people. I am excited about writing concerning the things I have learned recently about God. I have been challenged by different authors of poems and stories, and I want to share those thoughts with you. Sometimes I will share something from my Bible reading as well. Most of all, I want you to learn more about Jesus Christ; about who He is, and how He desires to work in our lives.

Please be patient with me. I may not write every day. And I may not always write things that you will completely agree with. (That's OK. I'll love you anyway.) Please feel free to leave comments or questions. I'll try to respond within a reasonable time.