But as for me, my prayer is to you, O Lord. At an acceptable time, O God, in the abundance of your steadfast love answer me in your saving faithfulness. Psalm 69:13
Here’s a little poem I jotted down this morning as I was saying “Good Morning” to Jesus:)
Good Morning, Jesus! How are You today?
Are You hearing lots of prayers being sent Your way?
Are You sad for all the loss some people have to bear?
Are You hugging them with peace and covering them with care?
Are You oh so happy to hear all the voices raised?
Will You hear this voice of mine and listen to my praise?
YES to all these questions, already do I know.
You are our faithful Savior to whom our prayers go.
You never cease to answer, every single plea.
But yet I’m still amazed You even answer me.
Jesus, Thank You for being my best friend and constant guide. Thank You for the way that You encourage and shower me with peace, when You have so many hurting people to listen to. Thank You for all the answers to prayer. Make me a better pray-er and better help to those who need it. Help me to listen more to them and talk less. You know how I can be:) Amen:)
With love from our Father to you, have a great Friday and weekend. Do not lose hope, as God is in control:)
I was reading my Bible recently when the idea of Jesus’ peace took hold of my mind. It is so wonderfully incomprehensible how invisible peace, from an invisible God and Savior can visibly meet our needs for peace during trials!
Have you known someone, who, even while in a terrible trial, praised the Lord? I have! Their faith amazes me! That’s visible peace!
What a witness to me that peace CAN be found in Jesus, no matter what. We may not face the same trials as each other, but we can turn our faces to the same Lord and Savior and He will meet whatever needs we have, for peace.
Jesus’ peace is a “One size fits all” peace! I say that because He is morethan enough for anything any of us face. God’s Word says so…so it’s true! Period. End stop.
Jesus said “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” John 16:33 NIV
Because He has over come the world, overcome death, we know that He really CAN do anything. Right now, the world is in quite a state…pun not intended… but we do not have to be in a fearful state, personally.
God’s got this. Things may not be as we want and we may not feel our world is headed in a good direction, but…Jesus has left us His peace.
Though He has left us on earth , He has not LEFT us. The Holy Spirit is with us. Isn’t it so precious that the Holy Spirit lives in us to provide any and all guidance that we need?
Jesus cares that much. God cares that much. The Holy Spirit cares that much for us. (If I knew how to make a heart imoge here, I would do it!)
I can almost hear Jesus’ love in this next verse. Can you?
“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” John 14:27 NIV
That sounds like a great plan! Friends, I hope you have a great Monday, NOT being afraid, but peaceful. I will pray for that for you and myself, too. Remember…
God’s got us, all of our moments, our minutes. He also has our days, weeks, months and years in His hand. All we have to do is hold His.
Lord, Thank You so much for all the ways you encourage us to lean on You and not be afraid. Your peace is such a precious gift to us! We do not deserve and could never afford something so priceless. Though we may not understand how You can attend to all of us and our different issues or fears, we know You can. We love You and we will be witnesses of Your peace. Amen.
With love from the Father to you, have a great day,
Hello friends! After celebrating my first grandchild, Christmas, New Year and getting over a long Covid bout, I am healthy now and ready to write about Jesus again! I sincerely hope and pray your last month has been a healthy one. One note before we talk about prayer…I am so sorry, for those who have commented on my blog posts. I am not able to read your comments. I hope to get that resolved soon, with WordPress’ help.
So…Prayer...That little word is way more than it looks like at first glance. Think about it…prayer is not just a religious word, as some may think, not something you just say when someone is sick or hurting. It is something we are fortunate enough to actually do!
It is an action of love for God and others. (We get to ask God to help others or ourselves.)
It is an actual connection to the one true God! (We get to talk to God anytime!)
It is an enormous privilege which we can easily appreciate.(We get to thank God for His goodness.)
It is a resource we cannot do without. (We get to thank God for all He does for us.)
To get the most out of prayer, we can follow what God’s Word teaches us about prayer. (We get to practice what we read in the Bible.)
These are all undeserved opportunities. God gave them to us because He loves us that much. If we do not understand this, we cannot appreciate it.
It is obvious that David understood the privilege of prayer when he prayed:
“May these words of my mouth and this meditation of my
heart be pleasing in your sight, Lord,
my Rock and my Redeemer.”
Psalm 19:14 NIV
Can’t you just feel his heart here in the words he wrote? Because David cares so much that God sees his pure intentions, he writes that emotional plea at the end of Psalm 19. Because God is so glorious, David can’t help but write songs/psalms about Him. Because he cares so much for God’s laws, he can’t help but pray to God that his words are acceptable.
Earlier, in verses7-10, can you also see and feel David’s heart as he describes God’s laws?
“Thelaw of the Lord is perfect, refreshing the soul. The statutes of the Lord are trustworthy, making wise the simple. The precepts of the Lord are right, giving joy to the heart. The commands of the Lord are radiant, giving light to the eyes. The fear of the Lord is pure, enduring forever. The decrees of the Lord are firm, and all of them are righteous. They are more precious than gold, than much pure gold; they are sweeter than honey, than honey from the honeycomb.” Psalm 19:7-10 (NIV)
There is so much earnestness in his words. That’s why I titled this devotion, “Hitting the Mark.” I am pretty sure I know I do not “hit the mark” all the time, when it comes to prayer, especially when I get busy. It’s worth thinking about whether we slow ourselves down enough to have pure intentions and total earnestness every time we pray. Do we get to the heart of prayer by praying with our whole heart? God will help us do this if we just ask:)
Dear Father, Thank You for giving us access, through prayer, to You and Your love and guidance. Help us to understand the precious gift You have given us. We want to worship and pray with our whole intentional heart that You gave us. Please be with those that are hurting or sick and give us opportunities to pray for and help them by loving them like You would. In your precious name we pray, Amen.
With love from the Father to you, have a great day!
Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings. 1 Peter 5: 8-9
Good morning, friends! I have missed writing, but it has been a busy season of life. Two daughters married since last April and a grandbaby is on the way, our first. My Dad has been staying with me for awhile too, which is another blessing! With all of these blessings, it is too easy for me to dwell on the busy-ness and move my alone time with Jesus lower on my priorities.
Yet, that time is needed more than ever, when I am busy, when WE are busy. Why? Because we may start to feel self-sufficient, which is NOT what the Lord intended. We are NOT enough, God is. We were not made to NOT need Him. He is our Father:)
We were also NOT made to listen to the enemy. He pats us on the back, figuratively, and tells us we can do things on our own, that we have made it where we are, on our own. Not true. Not a surprise really, that he tells us that, because the enemy thinks every day is “Opposite Day.” He tells us the opposite of what is true!
When we are busy, He lies! (He lies non-stop!) He attacks our thoughts, devotions, family time…anything that will take us a step from Jesus, and another step and another step. He tells us we can skip devotions just one day…or ten. We can make our prayers short, so we can get to our to-do list done first. We are allowed to skip reading the Bible, since we have been a Christian for so long and know the Bible well. Lies, lies, lies.
The enemy is in opposition to not just God, but US! Whatever He tells you is a well-crafted lie to draw us away from God. It may not appear to be a huge lie, but the little ones are often the most dangerous; because they are subtle and we kind of go along with them. Maybe we should pray about this:
Dear Jesus:
There are times I listen to the enemy’s lies. Would you please help me to recognize when I am being lied to? The enemy may use my busy-ness to let my relationship with You slide a bit. I may resent someone that hurt me and feel justified, because the enemy says so. I have been known to be a little jealous of others’ accomplishments, because the enemy told me I could never accomplish anything like that. Will You please nudge me when I get off track? Draw me back to where I was meant to be, leaning on You. Thank You for being my rock that never moves. All that I am and all that I accomplish is YOURS to decide and YOURS to guide and YOURS to get glory for. I love you! Amen
I hope you have a good week. I will pray for us, that we recognize the enemy’s words and schemes and are able to fight them with the Word of God.
Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
I almost cried during a recent prayer! At my daughter’s bridal shower, I was asked to pray. Uh-oh, why didn’t I plan a special prayer? Up in front of everyone, behind the microphone, my brain whizzed. With a quick prayer, “Help me, Lord,”
I began thanking Him for all He did that caused everyone there to be in that gathering place on that special day of Kellie’s shower. Words would not come at first, but then my heart grew in gratefulness as I thanked God for His immense goodness over the years. These people in the room were special!
He brought my two daughters and I through a seemingly impossible situation. He supplied the right friends at the right time. Right pastors, mentors, coaches and godly men appeared in their life. Right teachers taught and befriended them and prayed and watched out for them. Parents of kids they themselves coached and still coach, have taken them into their friend and family units with love.
These things were no accident. God knew they needed those angel friends. What more could a Momma ask for?
That’s why I almost cried…because of His goodness through all the days and years. Do you ever do that… sit and marvel at how God has carried you and provided what you needed? Then you know what I mean!
This moving experience reminded me to not just be grateful, but to proclaim it publicly, to share how glorious God is, so I am attempting to do just that. To Him be all the glory for whatever His plan is!
David’s words remind us to TELL of our thanks:
Let them give thanks to the Lord for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for mankind. Let them sacrifice thank offerings and tell of his works with songs of joy. Psalm 107:121-122
The phrase, ‘Thank offering’ made me smile! Praising Him is a sort of thank offering, isn’t it? You never know…someone may need to hear YOUR thankfulness to a loving God in word or in song. All I know is…it makes God happy when WE know that HE knows it all and controls it all and we are happy about that! He is so faithful:)
I hope you have a great day knowing God is faithful and working in your life. Sometimes it is hard when things do not go as we expect. He is there with us always, though. Isn’t He the absolute best? Love and prayers to you all!…Tina
In the multitude of my anxieties within me, Your comfort delights my soul. Psalm 94:19
Do you have a favorite comforter that you snuggle in, say for movies? Maybe you had a hard day and at the end of the day you look forward to relaxing in the comfort of your favorite blanket on the sofa? Our favorite things are things that are tried and true and work for us. They comfort us like a friend. The dog’s blanket or a towel or a coat won’t do when I am stressed or tired. As old as I am, I still like my own, soft, warm, comforting blanket to relax in.
In the same way, we can relax in Jesus’ arms. He is our greatest comforter! Always available before we even seek Him, He is ready to meet our needs. We can go to Him at any time and get the rest and comfort we need. All it takes is a word from us and we have His comfort at our right hand. His comfort is special and spiritual and soothes the soul. His warmth penetrates our hurts and stress and, if we let Him, He takes them from us. He replaces them with hope and love. Is there anything more comforting than His love? Nope!
We can call on God’s own Son! Does that thought blow your mind? It does mine. I can talk to the creator of the universe and His only beloved Son…and He hears and answers me!!! He does the same for anyone who calls on His name. It is that simple and that amazing. Just say His name…Jesus…and revel in the warmth it brings. Jesus is my favorite comforter!
Dear Jesus, Thank You for being there for me, even before I realize I need You. What a joy to know I can call on You and You will comfort me. Your grace and mercy to me are much appreciated. As I try to do the best I can here on earth, help me to do my best for YOU. You can call on me, count on me to do Your will. Remind me to use the comfort You give me to comfort others. I just love you so much! Amen.
With love from our Father, have a wonderful day and week. When you wrap up in a comforter or blanket next, remember the best comforter ever, Jesus. Love, Tina
Matthew 6:33 says, ” But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” NIV
As I was praying this morning, I felt led to write this poem down. When God puts a deep desire in your heart or mine, He will show us where to go with it, one step at a time.
What is your prayer today? Is it a desire or hurt? Let me know how I can pray for you, please. Find me on facebook or message here.
Thinking is one thing I do a lot of. Being a planner and part-perfectionist, I drive myself crazy considering all possible alternatives to a plan. After I have mulled them all over, I finally choose my direction. At least to start out with. If that direction doesn’t work, I go to Plan B. My reasoning is that only by thinking very hard about something can I come up with the best possible solution. I will admit that can be a heavy burden to bear, that all of my thinking has to have good results. You know what kind of thinking is easy to do and ALWAYS has good results? Thinking about good things!
And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. Philippians 4:8
Of course, we need to think about what needs to be done in our lives and how to handle it best. But when I read Philippians 4:8, it seems to say to me…If you plan on doing lots of thinking (and I do), think on good things for awhile. Thinking doesn’t always have to be about problem-solving, but praising the true problem-solver. How much would my life change if I took ten minutes a day and did nothing but think of all that’s Good, God.
Let’s call this a faith exercise. I will do this too. How about we set a timer, go to a quiet, alone place and do nothing but think how great God is! Mentally list all that He has done for yourself and others. Think of how awesome He is to love us with all of His abundant love. Think about how much love that is! Think about anything that deserves praise. Let it fly. Do not open a book, check your phone or email until the timer goes off. I am starting now. See you in ten minutes. I just sent my puppy to the basement with my husband so I can focus. Ok, Tina, think!
Wow…That felt way longer than I thought it would be, but what a wonderful time of praise! I kept expecting the timer to go off, so I almost got distracted. Thinking on good, happy things about our Lord brings peace. I felt closer to my Savior the more I praised Him for who He is and what He has done and for loving me as I am and saving me. Having no distractions made the time seem longer, more purposeful and fuller and of better quality. That is how prayer should be, full and rich with praise. Not once did I make any plans or think of my to-do list! Was this your experience too? Thank You, Lord, for this!
The Lord is my strength and my song, and he has become my salvation; this is my God, and I will praise him, my father’s God, and I will exalt him. Exodus 15:2
Dear Father, Holy God,
We exalt You. We lift up Your name to be praised above every other name. You not only have done great things for us but You answer us when we pray for others! You cannot help but be good. That is who You are. We praise You for all of Your plans, whether our human mind can understand them or not. We trust You and know You love us. We will try to spend more quality time meditating on how awesome You are, when our schedule gets hectic or trials threaten to take us down. You are faithful and excellent! We love You. Amen
Love and prayers to everyone. Have a great Tuesday!
” Thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to little children; yes, Father, for such was your gracious will” Matthew 11:25-26 ESV
After Jesus said this, He looked toward heaven and prayed: “Father, the hour has come. Glorify your Son, that your Son may glorify you.” John 17: 1 NIV
I am reading my Bible this morning and I am fascinated with Jesus’ prayers to God. In the two prayers of Jesus above, He is thanking God and submitting to God. Doing these things and having a vital prayer life with God is not only important for us, but for Jesus too. When we pray we can accomplish amazing things. We can align ourselves with God in the same way Jesus did. He aligned Himself with God through prayer.
Jesus prays to Him, praises Him and acknowledges God’s will. He thanks God in Matthew 11 above, for His will, which places Him in total submission to God. The same happens for us. When we raise up God, we put ourselves in line to do His will. Not on a horizontal, same-plane kind of alignment, but a vertical alignment, beneath Him. Alignment is best accomplished when, in prayer, we talk to our Father as our authority of our lives. We lower ourselves to accept and also seek His plans.
We cannot lift ourselves up, nor are we meant to. It is God’s job to exalt us as He sees fit, IF He sees fit.
Dear Father: We thank You for sending Your Son to be the example for us to follow. We know that all He did was on Your authority. We, also,want to do everything under Your authority. Lead us further and further with You, into a close but vertical position. You are God and we are not. Forgive us when we do things or make decisions without praying about them first with You. We glorify You as King, Father and Lord of all that is in the universe, including us. We love You so much! May You be glorified in all we do today with the day You have given us. Amen
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” Matthew 11: 28-30
Imagine the requests from us to God, then imagine how many issues have travelled back and forth from you and Him. It is not unlike tractor trailers that crowd the road to deliver cargo and then return home with the heavy load gone from the truck. Often, a truck returns to home base with something different than it started with, a new load to bring home.
We are kind of like trucks:) With today’s chaos and changes, we need Jesus more than ever. Current events and trials weigh us down, like trucks with heavy cargo. Prayer carries our cargo to Jesus. We send up all of our fears, disappointments, joys, questions, confessions, pleading and all other matters in prayers to Him. The highway between us and Jesus is well traveled. Jesus takes our load then sends back what we need, answers, instruction, guidance, light, discipline and His love, to name a few. We always come away with loads more than we gave. He is a giver.
Jesus lives to give us what we need. He died to give us what we need!
Dear Jesus, Please empty us of our burdens, or give us Your strength to bear them. We know that sometimes You might not take them away because it will help us to grow spiritually. If that is Your will, then we will glorify You in it. Thank you for being the giver that You are and the fact that you will be there whenever we need you, which is forever. We love you so much! Amen
Glory in the Morning 