Tag Archives: praying

Injecting Truth

  By Rachel | June 15, 2012 - 12:51 pm | Thoughts for the Day
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(229/365) Daily injection
I never fully realize “how in the world” I am living, how “full of self” I am being- till I read God’s Word.

About 6 months ago, I had a turning point in my life.  I was spending some time cracking open my Bible, but not even every day.  Certainly not multiple times a day.

But as I looked at myself- how I handled situations with my kids, interactions with other people (Christians and not)- I was disconcerted by how beaten down and tired I was.

I would read an excerpt from a book by Andrew Murray every once in a while called Waiting on God- and I began to realize that I had no anticipation of God answering prayer- that He would be faithful.  I was living my life as though I did not believe in His promises, though I claimed to.

That first week that I got up every morning at 6am I struggled.  I was so tired.  But God was faithful to speak to me- as I opened myself up to hear from Him.

As days turned to weeks, I was so overwhelmed by how God was working in my life, I started getting up earlier, because I wanted more time with Him.  I finally understood what mentors in the faith had been trying to tell me all along.

The Word, God’s Word- the Bible- it is a necessity for Christians. 

It needs to be in our minds throughout the day.  That is the only way we can succeed in being the kind of person (Mom) we long to be- patient, long-suffering, loving, gentle, and JOYFUL!

I was missing that joy piece- and I noticed it.  I felt heavy and burdened.  Sin can do that to us.  We must inject truth into our lives- to combat the lies that we get caught up believing.

Philippians 3:17-21

17 Join together in following my example, brothers and sisters, and just as you have us as a model, keep your eyes on those who live as we do. 18 For, as I have often told you before and now tell you again even with tears, many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. 19 Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is set on earthly things. 20 But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, 21 who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body.

Philippians 4:1,4-9

Therefore, my brothers and sisters, you whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, stand firm in the Lord in this way, dear friends!

4 Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! 5 Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. 6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

8 Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. 9 Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.

My Sunshine

How much time and money do we spend on our outer appearance? Twisting and turning in front of the mirror to make sure things look ok from every angle.

Do we examine our hearts and minds with that scrutiny?  Do we desire to purify and refine our inner selves, to let our inward beauty shine?

If we believe what God’s Word says- we should be spending more of our resources on our inner spirit.  (Man looks at the outer appearance, but God looks at the heart).

I am sharing this with you in hopes that if you are on the fence- if you have been like me- fervently seeking God in the storms of life- but when things are good your Bible might start to collect a little dust…start today, start this morning.

Reach out to God with an open heart and mind- ask Him to teach you, to mold you.  He is faithful.  My heart is full of praise, joy, and thanksgiving for God has been faithful to reveal himself to me.

He has fed my hungry soul and I am satisfied.  I am more peaceful.  Those closest to me see a difference in me- and that is God having His way-it is not I- but God working through me.

He deserves all the Praise and Glory.  When we hold on to all that God has done for us- through His Word- remembering- holding onto the promises we have received- His love can pour out of us.

We can be salt and light- through His Holy Spirit working in us and through us.  We can give strength to that voice of truth by listening and obeying.

I am on the journey-I sin daily- self gets exalted- pride weeds its way in- and I seek forgiveness from God again.

It is a discipline, but like any other habit, the more we practice it, the more we shall naturally cling to God’s Word.

Oh what joy when God’s Word rules my mind.  When our mind is surrendered to God, and consistently focused on Him, our will bends to His.  We become vessels that God can fill and use for His glory here on earth.

What do you struggle with? Do you spend your days feeling defeated, looking back with disappointment on your words and behavior toward others? Do you feel out of control- like you are just reacting to everyone and everything in your life?

Only God’s Word can transform us and bring us peace. 

The person that we are working so hard to be- trying to do all the right things- stop.  Just be with God, pray- talk to Him, read His Word.  Let Him do the work in you.

Let go. Let God.

God bless you, may we live surrendered to Him today.

Praying for Others

  By Rachel | May 30, 2012 - 11:25 pm | Prayers
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Gnarled Tree, black and white

We talked about this passage in our Sunday school class, and I have not stopped thinking about it since.

Praying Scripture is such a powerful practice- I have been amazed how my prayer life is transformed when I use God’s Word.

Colossians 1:9-12

9 For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you. We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives, 10 so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, 11 being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, 12 and giving joyful thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of his holy people in the kingdom of light.

When we are praying for others, sometimes we don’t know what to say- because what they are hoping for- that job or move, etc- may not be God’s will.

That’s what I love about praying Scripture- it helps give us a guide- a way to pray powerfully for those we love and with confidence that we are also seeking God’s will for them as well.

This is a great prayer for our children too.  Blessings on you, as you seek God through prayer.

Write It Down

  By Rachel | May 28, 2012 - 5:24 pm | Thoughts for the Day
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day 46

We are a forgetful people.  How many times does God answer prayer?  Yet in our times of need, it is so easy to forget.

When Phil and I moved recently, we had two months to get the house packed.  I was around 9 months pregnant- I knew that our son would be born before we moved, so that was a comfort not having to look for a new doctor, hospital, etc.

I could not lift very many things before or after our son was born- I was so dependent on others to help.  I was not going to be able to visit our new town before we moved because the doctor would not let me travel before and I did not want to travel right after.

We did a lot of praying- there are so many little details when moving- all those things can be overwhelming.

It was amazing the ways that God provided over and above what we asked for- meeting even the smallest, seemingly insignificant prayers about smoothness of transition and help when we needed it.

I was talking with my Mom on the phone about all the amazing ways that God was answering our prayers and we could see His provision.

She said to me, “Write it down.”

We so easily forget all the ways that God provides and answers prayer.  How He changes our perspective over the years.  Some things that used to matter so much suddenly seem insignificant-struggles that kept us bound up are gone, but we don’t remember.

This is one the main reasons I journal.  I want to remember where I have been, and how God has provided and where He has taken me. 

I love to chat with God about my dreams for the future- the gifts I believe He has given me and my hopes for using them to minister to others.

I write down prayers, struggles, and triumphs.

I write train of thought- whatever is on my mind.  It helps to get it on paper sometimes. 

When I write, sometimes I am surprised by the things that come out.  I see struggles I didn’t realize were there.  I find hope and healing by confessing my fears and sins before God and seeking His comfort and forgiveness.

It is a discipline- but I believe it can truly bless you.  Even if you just start with writing down prayer requests- and then when God answers the prayer write the date and how it happened- how God provided.

It is so encouraging to get these out again and look at them.  Especially when you are going through a tough season- our own words can serve as a reminder to us that God is faithful- in fact, He has been faithful to us.  And He will continue to provide.

So, go out and buy a beautiful journal- I try to find one with a cover that I really love- something inspiring perhaps.

And then each day, write just a few sentences- I keep mine by the bed.  Some days I write 3 or 4 pages, some days, 2 sentences.  That’s not important.

Let it be a release of what’s inside, a place to ponder, process what’s going on in your life, to seek God. I write like I am talking to Him- but you can pretend to write to anyone- to yourself even.

May God bless you as you seek to remember His provision and goodness in your life- Remember.

remember

No Good, Very Bad Days

  By Rachel | February 14, 2012 - 3:29 pm | Random
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Christus in the storm on the lake; Rembrandt (...

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Some days it just seems like everything goes wrong.  Plans that I had been looking forward to get messed up, argument with my husband…from the moment I get up- everything is messed up.

I see what’s happening and try to take a deep breath and not get upset, but I feel myself on the edge of tears.  And all the things that have been just below the surface threaten to overthrow me.

When times like this come, I am so thankful for the Psalms.  I can usually find at least one that resonates with how I am feeling- and I have learned to pray, right away, to ask God for help.  And maybe that’s all I can do, cry out to Him in my pain and tears and regret for not handling things better- for getting upset at the people I love the most.

Some would say it’s weak to ask for help- but I believe it takes more courage to admit when we are at the end of what we have- when we have been beaten down by our circumstances and need someone to fight a few rounds for us- to give us a break- some rest.

I need to sit out on the sidelines for a while- and just bask in who God is- to feel His love and to get recharged.  To remind myself that although I feel alone He is here with me.

This is the first season of my life when I have been alone almost every day all week.  Besides my husband, I usually don’t interact with another adult human being- except at Bible Study on Wednesday mornings and choir practice on Wednesday evenings.

For a socialite- this has been agony.  At times I feel so overwhelmed by loneliness, I feel like I could die from it.  (Not literally but I can be a little dramatic sometimes, esp. when I am feeling sorry for myself)

Sometimes we take the things that are not quite right in life- or the problems of a season- and let them get so big in our minds that they actually can defeat us for a time.  We lose focus of all the blessings and instead see only our pain.

I know that I do this at times- and I feel very convicted of that attitude for two reasons.

1- there are so many who at this moment are suffering through things that I can not even imagine.  My discomforts are pinpricks compared to their gaping, bleeding wounds.

2- what Jesus Christ suffered for me- and what I have in Him should be cause for celebration no matter what this life throws at me.  For I have eternity with God to look forward to- a hope that should transcend all that occurs in my life.

But I lose sight of these things sometimes. I need to shift my focus on others rather than self- because that’s another danger in this line of thinking- it distracts us from being an effective servant for Christ.

We get tripped up being consumed with ourselves and our present trials- and we miss out on who God may be wanting to use us to love on and bring hope to- and that may be just what we need to get out of a “funk.”  To just show a little love and tenderness to someone else who is hurting.

Even though it may fight against our own will (and pride), yet refusing to let pride keep us from saying we are sorry- truly- from our hearts- for the wrongs we have committed.

So I will leave you with my Psalm for the day- as I go to play Chutes and Ladders with my daughter.  I hope and pray that it encourages you to take heart and hope in the Lord.

Psalm 31

1 In you, LORD, I have taken refuge;
   let me never be put to shame;
   deliver me in your righteousness.
2 Turn your ear to me,
   come quickly to my rescue;
be my rock of refuge,
   a strong fortress to save me.
3 Since you are my rock and my fortress,
   for the sake of your name lead and guide me.
4 Keep me free from the trap that is set for me,
   for you are my refuge.
5 Into your hands I commit my spirit;
   deliver me, LORD, my faithful God.

 6 I hate those who cling to worthless idols;
   as for me, I trust in the LORD.
7 I will be glad and rejoice in your love,
   for you saw my affliction
   and knew the anguish of my soul.
8 You have not given me into the hands of the enemy
   but have set my feet in a spacious place.

 9 Be merciful to me, LORD, for I am in distress;
   my eyes grow weak with sorrow,
   my soul and body with grief.
10 My life is consumed by anguish
   and my years by groaning;
my strength fails because of my affliction,


   and my bones grow weak.
11 Because of all my enemies,
   I am the utter contempt of my neighbors
and an object of dread to my closest friends—
   those who see me on the street flee from me.
12 I am forgotten as though I were dead;
   I have become like broken pottery.
13 For I hear many whispering,
   “Terror on every side!”
They conspire against me
   and plot to take my life.

 14 But I trust in you, LORD;
   I say, “You are my God.”
15 My times are in your hands;
   deliver me from the hands of my enemies,
   from those who pursue me.
16 Let your face shine on your servant;
   save me in your unfailing love.
17 Let me not be put to shame, LORD,
   for I have cried out to you;
but let the wicked be put to shame
   and be silent in the realm of the dead.
18 Let their lying lips be silenced,
   for with pride and contempt
   they speak arrogantly against the righteous.

 19 How abundant are the good things
   that you have stored up for those who fear you,
that you bestow in the sight of all,
   on those who take refuge in you.
20 In the shelter of your presence you hide them
   from all human intrigues;
you keep them safe in your dwelling
   from accusing tongues.

 21 Praise be to the LORD,
   for he showed me the wonders of his love
   when I was in a city under siege.
22 In my alarm I said,
   “I am cut off from your sight!”
Yet you heard my cry for mercy
   when I called to you for help.

 23 Love the LORD, all his faithful people!
   The LORD preserves those who are true to him,
   but the proud he pays back in full.
24 Be strong and take heart,
   all you who hope in the LORD.

 

 

 

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