Wisdom for Today
Search me, O God and know my heart. Try me and know my anxieties; and see if there is any wicked way in me and lead me in the way everlasting. Psalms 139: 23-24
As I was going through some of my journals, I came across many prayers I have written throughout the years. I noticed the prayers consisted more about me changing and less about things. Don’t get me wrong, I certainly did pray for things that I wanted, but I noticed the prayers were less about stuff, more about making changes in me and more about becoming like Christ.
Prayers that went something like this:
Lord, show me, me before you show me to anyone else.
Father, show me what must be discarded from my present life and add what needs to be added.
Lord, I thank you that I flourish in the things of You.
Lord, because you are holy and righteous, help me not sin against you.
Lord, I thank you I raise my children based on your love and they observe all your teachings.
Lord, I thank you for good neighbors and I love my neighbors as I love myself.
Lord, I want to know your ways and be more like Jesus.
Lord, my heart is not right towards my husband and I need you to show me how to be tender and loving towards him, just as you are tender and loving towards me.
Lord, I am angry and when anger rests upon me, this can lead to rage. Holy Spirit help me in this area. I can’t do it on my own, Replace this anger with the joy of the Lord.
Lord, what areas in my life need to change? What areas in my life are not pleasing? I don’t want to walk in any level of deception, deceiving my own self, thinking I am living a righteous life.
Lord, I realize, tough and difficult times come to make me better and to bring out the gifts you have placed in me. While going through this process, I ask for your strength and the ability to stand and go through.
Lord, I know there is much more to you than I am seeing and experiencing. Show me your greatness, show me your glory, and show me your goodness.
And this is one of my favorite prayers for my family:
Father, place within my family a yielded and quiet spirit of submission to You. To make it happen come in like a flood. Occupy their lives where there are grudges, anger, bitterness, resentment and unforgiveness. Sweep through their spirit like sweeping through a house. Sweep through every room of their being, like cleaning up under a rug and every crack and corner of their heart. Sweep them clean of self pity, revenge and retaliation. Make their hearts soft and tender towards one another. Take away the ugly scars on their hearts of bad words and bad actions. Lord, it is essential to soften their heart and make it tender towards You!
Have a Beautiful Day
Friday, March 26, 2010
Thursday, March 25, 2010
Who Are You?
Wisdom for Today
Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness. Genesis 1:26
Spiderman wears a mask to hide Peter Parker. Bruce Wayne wears a costume and calls himself Batman. Iron Man wears a metal suit to hide Tony Starks. Superman hides his true identity by portraying a wimpy, clumsy man working at the Daily Planet. They hide to cover what they really want to do which is help people and fight crime. But they have to hide their true identity.
Many people hide their identity in Christ by living like the world, talking like the world and acting like the world. They are what you call Undercover Christians. As a child of God we should never hide or cover up who we are in Christ. We must identity Christ in every area of our lives, so if others don’t know Him our lives will tell who Christ is. As a child of the Most High, we should be proud to display Him in our lives. The way we display Christ is in our actions, how we speak and live. You display the Love of Christ by giving to others. You can display His peace while going through difficult circumstances. You can display His honor by obeying the Truth, living in the Truth and walking in the Truth. Also, you display His righteousness when you walk according to His ways. Whatever you do, don’t put on a mask to hide the Christ in you. Jesus said if you are ashamed of Me, I will be ashamed of you. Display Christ in a way that causes people to run to Him, not from Him. Display Him as a Loving, Powerful, Righteous, Great God. Display Him wherever you go, wherever you live, wherever you are, don’t hide Him. We should be proud to let the world know who our Father is!
Who am I? I am a child of God, created in His image, to live a life that represents everything about Him. Today, I will display His love, His Peace, His Kindness and His Joy to others that they may see Christ.
Have a Beautiful Day
Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness. Genesis 1:26
Spiderman wears a mask to hide Peter Parker. Bruce Wayne wears a costume and calls himself Batman. Iron Man wears a metal suit to hide Tony Starks. Superman hides his true identity by portraying a wimpy, clumsy man working at the Daily Planet. They hide to cover what they really want to do which is help people and fight crime. But they have to hide their true identity.
Many people hide their identity in Christ by living like the world, talking like the world and acting like the world. They are what you call Undercover Christians. As a child of God we should never hide or cover up who we are in Christ. We must identity Christ in every area of our lives, so if others don’t know Him our lives will tell who Christ is. As a child of the Most High, we should be proud to display Him in our lives. The way we display Christ is in our actions, how we speak and live. You display the Love of Christ by giving to others. You can display His peace while going through difficult circumstances. You can display His honor by obeying the Truth, living in the Truth and walking in the Truth. Also, you display His righteousness when you walk according to His ways. Whatever you do, don’t put on a mask to hide the Christ in you. Jesus said if you are ashamed of Me, I will be ashamed of you. Display Christ in a way that causes people to run to Him, not from Him. Display Him as a Loving, Powerful, Righteous, Great God. Display Him wherever you go, wherever you live, wherever you are, don’t hide Him. We should be proud to let the world know who our Father is!
Who am I? I am a child of God, created in His image, to live a life that represents everything about Him. Today, I will display His love, His Peace, His Kindness and His Joy to others that they may see Christ.
Have a Beautiful Day
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
When God speaks, Obey
Wisdom for Today
Do not go up, lest you be defeated by your enemies, for the Lord is not among you.
Did you know that you can reach a point where even your repentance will not matter?
It is true. Let me say it again: you can reach a point where your repentance will not matter. God did not invest everything in you just so you could settle into a contented state of procrastination, wondering whether or not God is speaking. I am not making this up, and I am not proposing some strange new doctrine. Let me give you two quick examples, one from the Old Testament and another from the New Testament.
When God brought the children of Israel across the wilderness from Egypt’s border to the river Jordan, He commanded them to cross the river and possess the land. Instead, the people chose to believe the evil report of the ten fearful spies and pulled back from God’s commands and His promise.
It was only after He closed the door that they realized their foolishness and agreed to enter the promised land. By that time the sin was done, the door was closed, and their destiny was sealed. They were ready to go at last, but it was too late. God told them not to go, but once again they tried it their own way, and people died.
“Well, that was the Old Testament,” you say. Yes it was, and this is the New Testament version involving the church at Ephesus: “I have this against you, that you have left your first love. Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent and do the first works, or else I will come to you quickly and remove your lampstand from its place—unless you repent” (Rev. 2:4–5 nkjv, emphasis mine).
Do not wait. It is showdown time now! It is time to move. If you fail to act on God’s Word, if you continually hesitate, procrastinate, and rebel, He may say, “I will just start all over with someone new.”
Prayer
Heavenly Father, have mercy on me for my hesitation and procrastination concerning Your vision and command in my life. I hear Your voice, and I am ready to cross the river of fear if You will lead me and go with me. No more procrastination for me, Lord. If You say it, I will obey it. In Jesus’ name I pray, amen.
(Please note this is by an unknown writer)
Do not go up, lest you be defeated by your enemies, for the Lord is not among you.
Did you know that you can reach a point where even your repentance will not matter?
It is true. Let me say it again: you can reach a point where your repentance will not matter. God did not invest everything in you just so you could settle into a contented state of procrastination, wondering whether or not God is speaking. I am not making this up, and I am not proposing some strange new doctrine. Let me give you two quick examples, one from the Old Testament and another from the New Testament.
When God brought the children of Israel across the wilderness from Egypt’s border to the river Jordan, He commanded them to cross the river and possess the land. Instead, the people chose to believe the evil report of the ten fearful spies and pulled back from God’s commands and His promise.
It was only after He closed the door that they realized their foolishness and agreed to enter the promised land. By that time the sin was done, the door was closed, and their destiny was sealed. They were ready to go at last, but it was too late. God told them not to go, but once again they tried it their own way, and people died.
“Well, that was the Old Testament,” you say. Yes it was, and this is the New Testament version involving the church at Ephesus: “I have this against you, that you have left your first love. Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent and do the first works, or else I will come to you quickly and remove your lampstand from its place—unless you repent” (Rev. 2:4–5 nkjv, emphasis mine).
Do not wait. It is showdown time now! It is time to move. If you fail to act on God’s Word, if you continually hesitate, procrastinate, and rebel, He may say, “I will just start all over with someone new.”
Prayer
Heavenly Father, have mercy on me for my hesitation and procrastination concerning Your vision and command in my life. I hear Your voice, and I am ready to cross the river of fear if You will lead me and go with me. No more procrastination for me, Lord. If You say it, I will obey it. In Jesus’ name I pray, amen.
(Please note this is by an unknown writer)
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Don’t Just Read It, Apply It
Wisdom for Today
My son, if you receive my Words, and treasure my commands within you, so that you incline your ear to wisdom, and APPLY your heart to understanding; Yes, if you cry our for discernment, and lift up your voice for understanding, if you seek her as silver, and search for her as for hidden treasures; Then you will understand the fear of the Lord, and find knowledge of God. Proverbs 2:1-5
They say knowledge is power, but did you know this statement is not true. The application of knowledge is power. You can have all the knowledge in the world and never apply it to your life, it will profit you nothing. Reading the Word of God is the same. If all I do is read, read, read and never apply it to my life, it profits me nothing.
In the book of Acts, I read how the Holy Spirit has come to reveal Truth, but if I never apply the Truth to my life, it profits me nothing. In the book of Romans, I read how we are saved by grace through faith in Christ Jesus and how we should live and behave, but if I never apply it to my life, it profits me nothing. In 1st Corinthians, there are many wonderful things in this book. What stands out the most is love. If I never apply love, in my walk, my talk and my actions, it will profit me nothing. In the book of Galatians, I read how I am to walk in the Spirit so I won’t fulfill the lust of my flesh, once again if I do not apply this to my life, I profit nothing. In the book of Ephesians, it mentions how a husband is to love his wife like Christ loves the church. He knows what the Word says but never applies it to his marriage, his wife will never benefit from this sacrificial love. In the book of Philippians, things which I have learned, received, heard and seen, I am to do and the peace of God will be with me. Well, if I don’t apply this knowledge of what I have learned, what I received, what I heard and seen, it will profit me nothing.
Back to what I was saying, if I have all this knowledge and never apply what I know, it will profit me nothing. You must read it and apply it, in order to profit from it.
Have a Beautiful Day
My son, if you receive my Words, and treasure my commands within you, so that you incline your ear to wisdom, and APPLY your heart to understanding; Yes, if you cry our for discernment, and lift up your voice for understanding, if you seek her as silver, and search for her as for hidden treasures; Then you will understand the fear of the Lord, and find knowledge of God. Proverbs 2:1-5
They say knowledge is power, but did you know this statement is not true. The application of knowledge is power. You can have all the knowledge in the world and never apply it to your life, it will profit you nothing. Reading the Word of God is the same. If all I do is read, read, read and never apply it to my life, it profits me nothing.
In the book of Acts, I read how the Holy Spirit has come to reveal Truth, but if I never apply the Truth to my life, it profits me nothing. In the book of Romans, I read how we are saved by grace through faith in Christ Jesus and how we should live and behave, but if I never apply it to my life, it profits me nothing. In 1st Corinthians, there are many wonderful things in this book. What stands out the most is love. If I never apply love, in my walk, my talk and my actions, it will profit me nothing. In the book of Galatians, I read how I am to walk in the Spirit so I won’t fulfill the lust of my flesh, once again if I do not apply this to my life, I profit nothing. In the book of Ephesians, it mentions how a husband is to love his wife like Christ loves the church. He knows what the Word says but never applies it to his marriage, his wife will never benefit from this sacrificial love. In the book of Philippians, things which I have learned, received, heard and seen, I am to do and the peace of God will be with me. Well, if I don’t apply this knowledge of what I have learned, what I received, what I heard and seen, it will profit me nothing.
Back to what I was saying, if I have all this knowledge and never apply what I know, it will profit me nothing. You must read it and apply it, in order to profit from it.
Have a Beautiful Day
Marvelous Monday
Take Time Give Thanks unto the Lord
Oh, give thanks to the Lord! Call upon His name; make known His deeds among the peoples!
We say thank you to a complete stranger for being polite. We say thank you to the bag boy for taking our groceries out to the car. We say thank you to our loved ones when they help out in a special way. But when was the last time you gave thanks to God? Was it this morning, yesterday, last week, last month, six months ago, last year, or maybe never?
In the bible David was always giving God thanks. He thanked Him for everything in his life. He thanked Him for the good, the bad and the ugly times. He thanked Him when his enemies were coming out against and He thanked Him when he won the victory. Can you really thank God for the tough times? Could you thank Him if you lost your job and didn’t find anything until a year later? Could you thank Him while you are going through a tough situation and there seems to be no way out? Or do you only thank Him when things are good? In my walk with God I have learned to thank Him for good and bad times, ups and downs and the smooth and rocky roads that we all must travel. Giving thanks helps you put everything into perspective. It helps you realize you are not in control and God knows how to handle the situation better than you can.
Today, I want to give a shout out to God, The One and Only True and Living God. Thank you for being Faithful. Thank you for loving me and giving me life. Thank you for strength, for forgiving me of my sins, patience, peace, joy and your Word. Thank you for helping me put my priorities in order. Thank you for your provision for my life. Thank you for your protection. And most of all Lord, Thank you for this day for this is the day that you have made; I will rejoice and be glad in it. Thank You Lord!
Take time to give thanks to God in any situation, good or bad. Giving thanks is a key to change anything around in your life.
Have a Beautiful Day
Oh, give thanks to the Lord! Call upon His name; make known His deeds among the peoples!
We say thank you to a complete stranger for being polite. We say thank you to the bag boy for taking our groceries out to the car. We say thank you to our loved ones when they help out in a special way. But when was the last time you gave thanks to God? Was it this morning, yesterday, last week, last month, six months ago, last year, or maybe never?
In the bible David was always giving God thanks. He thanked Him for everything in his life. He thanked Him for the good, the bad and the ugly times. He thanked Him when his enemies were coming out against and He thanked Him when he won the victory. Can you really thank God for the tough times? Could you thank Him if you lost your job and didn’t find anything until a year later? Could you thank Him while you are going through a tough situation and there seems to be no way out? Or do you only thank Him when things are good? In my walk with God I have learned to thank Him for good and bad times, ups and downs and the smooth and rocky roads that we all must travel. Giving thanks helps you put everything into perspective. It helps you realize you are not in control and God knows how to handle the situation better than you can.
Today, I want to give a shout out to God, The One and Only True and Living God. Thank you for being Faithful. Thank you for loving me and giving me life. Thank you for strength, for forgiving me of my sins, patience, peace, joy and your Word. Thank you for helping me put my priorities in order. Thank you for your provision for my life. Thank you for your protection. And most of all Lord, Thank you for this day for this is the day that you have made; I will rejoice and be glad in it. Thank You Lord!
Take time to give thanks to God in any situation, good or bad. Giving thanks is a key to change anything around in your life.
Have a Beautiful Day
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