Blog – Page 13

Monday Morning Inspiration

October 29, 2018 by Mary

Inspiration for your Monday.

As you begin a new week, remember that the Lord has good plans for you and that He WILL fulfill His promises to you. Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfill his promises to her. Luke 1:45

God knows our hearts. He sees our faith–even if it is as small as a mustard seed! BLESSED IS SHE WHO HAS BELIEVED...blessed, meaning “holy or consecrated” according to the Webster’s Dictionary.

Because she believed, she was holy and consecrated. The Latin root of the word, consecrate means sacred. There is a sacredness to our faith and our faith brings holiness. Begin your week with a deep faith that the Lord will fulfill His promises to you. Dedicate time out each day to hollow out the sacred.

Here are some encouraging verses for you to meditate upon as you go about your day:

Philippians 4:13 ESV

I can do all things through him who strengthens me.

Isaiah 41:10 ESV

Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

Deuteronomy 31:6 ESV

Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the Lord your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you.

Isaiah 40:31 ESV

But they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.

1 Corinthians 10:13 ESV

No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.

Exodus 15:2 ESV

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.

Ephesians 6:10 ESV

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might.

Deuteronomy 20:4 ESV

For the Lord your God is he who goes with you to fight for you against your enemies, to give you the victory.

2 Corinthians 12:9-10 ESV

But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

Joshua 1:9 ESV

Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.

Have a beautiful, blessed Monday, sweet sisters. Stay firm in your faith, for it makes you holy. The Lord will fulfill His promises for you.

Prayer and Fasting

October 28, 2018 by Mary

When we are alone with Christ one-on-one in silence, an intimacy reveals unwavering love, compassion, forgiveness and acceptance. Silence is the doorway to peace. No compromise, no questioning, just me….and GOD. Christ reaching out His hand to bring me comfort.

The disciplines of prayer and fasting are a means for me to make a declaration of my faith to my God. I do not fast for great lengths of time and do not have a standard to uphold. The discipline of fasting is a way to say, “Hello God, you have my undivided attention today. I will depend upon you for my sustenance. I want to feel that you are close to me. I want to be in your presence.”. It may mean skipping lunch or restricting myself to only soup and light meals for a day.

While the world spins out of control and I hear frightening things on the news—of loss and murder, of bombs and tragedy, of hatred, wars, hunger and death…when I am alone with my Creator everything is beautiful. He took the scars of the world upon himself, wearing the thorny crown that pierced His skin, wounded for our transgressions and yet the God I know reaches out His hand to me and it is without flaw.

I am certain when I receive a phone call that the grandchild of my dear friend has been diagnosed with Leukemia, the boy is in the loving hands of our God; reassured that my fears of death pale in comparison to life everlasting. I pray silently that Christ would breathe his warm, soft breath over this boy and into his lungs and the blood that runs through his veins, because He is a God of miracles.I pray for the hush of silent peace to rush over his mama’s aching heart and to whirl around his family.

As I commune with God in my fleshly self-centric way, praying for my own needs, God reveals to me the innermost hurts and burdens of those around me. I am left with a hole in my soul by all of the things I have never noticed because I have not drawn close enough to Christ –often enough to see people through His eyes. Thoughts transformed, I begin to understand and feel more compassion and love for others.

“Hold out your hand” Christ urges…. I hold out my clenched fist wrought with human experience. His hand gently opens mine and the heart of stone that I have held to so tightly becomes like clay. Tears fall like rain, each drop bearing the name of someone I may have missed, overlooked, dismissed, hurt or abandoned. Each tear a symbol of my hurts, fears and sadness.

In the midst of silence, as my spirit is open to receive that which God has for me… He sends messages about my passion and purpose. He reassures me that I still have work to do, yet it takes me days to realize this message. God-are you bringing to life something that I have been afraid to dream could possibly happen? The cumulative effect of many disappointments has conditioned me to question His plans for me. I realize that this has kept me from living in His fullness. These are ugly truths and I wonder if others have grappled with them too. Loss has a way of clinging to the innermost parts of our being, lingering there like a Cancer. We rarely recognize that it has never fully left… but changed us inside, our DNA so to speak.

White candles flickering, I understand that I must embrace my ugly Truths as part of the human experience. The cumulative effect of loss has over time, can leave us spiritually paralyzed. As the soul grapples with the depth of our own woundedness, it becomes evident that finding a silent place daily to commune with God is lifeblood to a healthy soul.

A replay of things I have learned through prayer and fasting:

Intimacy with God requires silence of mind and body

Connection requires an intimate daily relationship with God

Be a seeker of Truth, even if it is painful

The Grace of God will cover us when we are willing to face difficult truths in our lives

God often speaks to us through others

As we begin to see others through the eyes of Christ, we gain wisdom and understanding

He can transform hearts of stone into hearts of clay

He has plans for each of us

God is only a whisper away, yet living in His fullness requires commitment

He will let us know when our work is finished

He is a God of forgiveness

He loves us, imperfections and all

We are the most harsh judge of ourselves and of others, God does not judge us as “good or bad”, we do

He will bring to life the dreams that you thought were dead

We were each created for a purpose

When I hold out my hand, He will fill it with His Love and Grace

Prayer, Fasting and Thoughts About Setting Up a Home Altar for Prayer

October 27, 2018 by Mary

One of the things my children tell me they remember while they were growing up is that every Tuesday was dedicated to prayer and fasting. I would light white candles on my home altar as a visual reminder that my day was dedicated to listening to what God had for me. Tuesday’s were Holy days. My children volunteered to join me in prayer and fasting Tuesday’s quite often. We never really talked about what we were praying for—we just prayed. Each Tuesday was a quiet day; a day with little talking, and when we did, it was in quiet voices.

In retrospect, I am so glad that I taught my children this discipline. They learned that whatever was going on in their lives, God was and is all-powerful. They are now adults, and I often call upon them to pray for me. I taught them that deep connectedness with God comes in the quiet places of our soul. Through the discipline of prayer, they have the tools to be “more than conquerors”…and for that, I am glad.

Each year, I dedicate the first week of December as a prayer and fasting week. I refrain from my blog, social media, shopping, talking on the phone and watching television. Rather, I spend time in God’s Word and drawing closer to him…preparing my heart for Christmas and the true meaning of the birth of Christ. It is a Holy time in our house.

Here are a few things I discovered from my retreat with God in December, 2012:

A time of prayer and fasting is like going on a retreat with God.

Intimacy with God requires silence of mind and body.

Connectedness requires an intimate daily relationship with God.

Be a seeker of Truth, even if it is painful.

The Grace of God will cover us when we are willing to face difficult truths in our lives.

God often speaks to us through others.

As we begin to see others through the eyes of Christ, we gain wisdom and understanding.

He can transform hearts of stone into hearts of clay.

He has plans for each of us.

God is only a whisper away, yet living in His fullness requires commitment.

He will let us know when our work is finished.

He is a God of forgiveness.

He loves us, imperfections and all.

We are the most harsh judge of ourselves and of others, God does not judge us as “good or bad”, we do.

He will bring to life the dreams that you thought were dead.

We were each created for a purpose.

When I hold out my hand, He will fill it with His Love and Grace.

We can pray and fast, regardless of our schedule. If you work outside the home, or have a busy schedule, you need only to dedicate your day to the Lord and pray inwardly—wherever you are…constantly reminding yourself that your day is dedicated to being one with the Creator. You do not have to fast for days, just dedicate a period that you will refrain from food because you are praying.

With a new year just around the corner, it is a good time to plan ahead for those changes we would like to make in our spiritual lives in the coming year.

I have chosen several of my favorite books on prayer, through our Amazon store…Although, one could say that I am a “collector” of books on prayer, as my bookshelves are lined with many books on this discipline. I find that sometimes it is easier for me to read the prayers of others to get started when I am having a difficult time.

Handle With Prayer, by Charles Stanley

The Only Necessary Thing:
Living a Prayerful Life, by Henri Nouwen

Prayers That Avail Much by Germaine Copeland

I want you to know that each of my blogging friends who ask for prayer have a special candle on my home altar and I DO pray for you!

Just a side note: The concept of a home altar is a visual reminder of the Light of Christ and the white candles represent His holiness. They are also a reminder to us of the people who have asked for prayer. In the Christian church, the altar is the area where the bread and wine are consecrated for communion. When you set up a home altar, it’s hard to miss a table full of lit candles…so it serves as a constant reminder to be in prayer.

Ephesians 6:18 praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints

1 Thessalonians 5:17 pray without ceasing;