The Best Me

James 1:17 “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.”

During this season of giving have you ever taken the time to think about the gifts you are given through Christ?  Everyone is given a special gift from above, such as counseling, teaching, drawing, medicine and the list goes on.  The job you are doing whether you are a stay at home parent or out in the “work force” is a gift from your Heavenly Father.  Ever thought how these gifts interact with each other?  What would life be like if there were no counselors?  Teachers?  First responders?

Take time today to thank your Father for the gifts you are given and for every one around that is there to support you in your gifting.  No one walks this earthly path alone, not even Jesus, he had his 12.  No matter how alone you feel your Father in Heaven sees all that you do and all you are struggling with.  He will use others gifts to bless you.

Abba Father, thank you for the gifts you have given me both in my work and in my soul.  Help me Father to remember that when I am challenged that you are gowing me to be the best I can be.  Father, when I feel overwhelmed help me to reach out to those that can help me be the best me.  In Jesus’ Name, Amen

Triumphant Love

Revelations 12:11 “ They triumphed over him, the devil, by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony; they did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death.”

What would it be like to truly die to self?  How would life be different if I truly gave God control of everything and trusted Him with my whole being?  God has a story to tell through each of us yet, often times fear and selfishness cause us to take the long road instead of the path God has laid before us.

Abba Father, forgive me for allowing fear and selfishness to cloud my mind.  Thank you for always haveing a path back to You when I choose y won way.  Fahter, I desire you to make me a new creation filled with Your love, compassion, joy, peace, wisdom and strength.  I am tired of doing life my way.  Come Lord Jesus and soak my soul with Your love.  In Jesus’ Name, Amen

Overwhelmed

Colossians 3:15-16 “Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace.  And be thankful.  Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God.”

Life is not always peaceful.   As a matter of fact, most of the times it is filled with to do lists that at times can become so overwhelming you feel paralyzed.  Don’t allow life to paralyze you, instead, bring your worries, anxieties, frustrations, and your lists to God in prayer.  When you are worried or troubled turn those things into prayer.  God is peace and no matter the circumstances God is ready to give you His peace.  Trust that He will make all things right, no matter how much of a mess you have made of things He can and will give you the strength to walk through the consequences of your actions.  Find strength in Him as you face your fears.

Abba Father, there are so many struggles that I face; I often become overwhelmed with worry and fear.  I know that these emotions are not from you, yet I still seem to run to them on a daily basis.  Open my heart and mind to the possibilities of life with You taking control of my worries and fears.  Father, I want you to be the ruler of my heart, mind, body, and soul.  I need your wisdom to face what lay before me; I trust You, Father.  In Jesus’ Name, Amen

God’s Will Not Mine

Exodus 33:14-15 “The LORD replied, ‘My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.  Then Moses said to him, ‘If your Presence does not go with us, do not send us up form here.’”

Why is it that during a seasons where we should be giving thanks for our Heavenly Father we become overwhelmed with the business of life?  We seem to think that we need to fit everything in within a short amount of time.  Life can feel overwhelming when we look at all that we want to get done yet don’t seem to have the time to get it done.  If we take time, pray, and trust God with our “to do list” He will guide us and we can rest in him. What if you were to say, “Lord, if your presence does not go with me, do not send me out?”  Would your attitude about your day change?

Heavenly Father change my spirit this morning and come wieh me on my journey today.  I am over whelmed with all that is not done and I seem to have a never ending list of things to get done.  Father, protect my heart and mind giving me what I need this day, come with me, lead me, and walk with me.  Father, I want to follow Your will for my life so I put my list of things to do at your feet and I trust that You will make all things right as I surrender to Your will.

Humble

Philippians 2:5-8 “Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus; Who , being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.  And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death- even death on a cross!”

Humble is a word that sounds so beautiful; however being humble is a different things all together.  When we are humble in spirit we do not give up our self worth for other, we are filled with wisdom and grace toward others.  God tells us to humble ourselves, but on our own this is impossible because we, by our very nature, are selfish.  Christ is the example of humility;  He came to earth as a baby and humbled himself to death on a cross because He loves You and me.  John 15:13 “Greater Love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.”  Christ not only calls us friend but heirs equal to Him.

Abba Father, there are so many time when my pride gets in the way of what you are trying to do in my life.  I try to manipulate the situation to get what I think is “the right thing’.  Thank you for never giving up on me and always being my guide and my strength.  Fahter, you are the example of how I want to live my life, yet I know I will stubmble and fall.  I also know that You are there to help me get up, brush off the hurt and pain, and begin again.  Father thank you for your love, grace, mercy, and strength. Continue to draw me ever closer to you and cover me with You righteous right hand.  In Jesus’ Name, Amen

Feeling Lazy?

Hebrews 6:12 “We do not want you to become lazy, but to imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised.”

Have you checked your heart lately?  We go through life, at times, like a robot.  We get up in the morning, go to work, come home, cook and eat dinner, then get ready for bed.  Sure there are those things in there as well, but as a general rule we have a routine and don’t often sway from that routine.

What about on your days off?  Do you set goals and achieve them or have good intentions but somethings else takes up your time such as gaming, binge watching a tv show, or just watching tv in general leaving you feeling guilty because you didn’t accomplish your goal.  Feelings of guilt are not of God however; could you be feeling conviction instead?  The problem, we can get use to these patterns and they become our “normal” then nothing gets done.  God does not want us to live idle lives; He has a plan for our life and wants us to be joyfully happy.  We cannot achieve God’s plan for our lives when we are idle.

Abba Father, help me in my idleness.  There are areas of my life where I have become either prideful or lazy; neither of these are healthy or from You.  Help me to recognize these areas and pull me from the pit I have created.  Give me serenity, peace, to know what You want for me every moment of every day and the wisdom to know that it is from you.  In Jesus’ Name, Amen

Trust Me

John 16:33 “I’ve told you all this so that trusting me, you will be unshakable and assured, deeply at peace.  In this godless world you will continue to experience difficulties.  But take heart!  I’ve conquered the world.”

Life, at times, can become so overwhelming.  To be honest, when life is overwhelming we are in control. If we learn to allow God to be in control there is nothing that we cannot handle.  God will give us exactly what we need to be confident and self-assured.  The problem, we think we know better and can “make all things right.”  I have learned that on my own I tend to make a mess of things, but with God “all things are possible.”

If I choose to live outside myself and truly allow God to have his way how much happier will I be?  What about you, are you living with a God first mentality or are you still trying to control everything and doing life on your own?  There is a power greater than ourselves that will restore what is broken and hurting.  “For it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose.” (Philippians 2:13)

Loving Father, thank you for never giving up on me and for always being there even when I don’t see or feel your presence.  I know that no matter what challenges I face, if I stay connected with you, I can overcome.  Father, help me face this godless world with grace, wisdom, knowledge, joy, and peace.  I know that when I stay connected with you I can have a peace that surpasses all understanding.  Give me this day what I need to face what is before me.  In Jesus’ Name, Amen

Transform

Romans 12:2 “ Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you may discern what is the will of God.”

It is so easy to get cause up in the patterns of the world.  We get stuck in ruts of activity or ways of thinking that it is difficult to break free from those patterns, difficult but not impossible.

The first step in any healing process is to admit where you struggle.  Once you admit you have a struggle it is time to do the hard work of changing and overcoming that struggle.  Changing habits, whether mental of physical, is not an easy thing to do.  It is much the like loosing weight, you did gain wait over night and you will not loose it over night.  Changing our attitudes, habits, and mindset is a process just the same.  We did not develop bad habits, ways of thinking, or even avoidance practices overnight they were developed over time to cope.  we need a new way to cope with the struggles of life and to do that we need to allow God to transform our hearts, minds, and bodies, this too is a process.

Abba Father, I come on blended knees because I need a renewing of my mind.  I admit that my life is unmanageable and I am powerless over my addictions and compulsive behaviors.  You tell is in Romans 7:18 “For I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature.  For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out.”  Father, I know with Your help I can overcome and be transformed.  Come Holy Spirit and fill me with the strength to overcome my selfish ways of thinking, acting and being.  In Jesus’ Name, Amen

 

Groaning Can Bring Healing

Romans 8:26 “In the same way the Spirit also comes to help us, weak as we are. For we do not know how we ought to pray; the Spirit himself pleads with God for us in groans that words cannot express.”

There are times in all our lives when we don’t know the words to speak.  Our emotions are all scattered like a plate dropped and broken.

When this happens we have a promise from God that He will send The Spirit to plead on our behalf.  That is so reassuring because there are times when I don’t know what to pray.  God loves each of us so much that even when we don’t have the words He does.  He knows what you need before you ask yet we are so full of ourselves that we things we have to that the answer before we go to God.

Abba Father, Thank you for all you do for me.  I know that I am weak and without You I wold not be where I am today.  You are my rock and my comforter.  You know what I need before I do and I can trust that You will make all things right even when I don’t know what to pray.  Father, I want to live on auto-pilot allowing You to guide me through every moment.  Remind me when I become frustrated or overwhelmed that all I need to do is trust You and come to You.  In Jesus’ Name, Amen

Light Brings Peace

Luke 8:16-17 “No one lights a lamp and hides it in a jar or puts it under a bed.  Instead, he puts it on a stand, so that those who come in can see the light.  For there is nothing hidden that will not be known or brought out into the open.”

We all have things we have done that we are ashamed of or want to keep secret.  But when it comes to prayer and living with Jesus we need to bring everything into the light.  The things you keep secret allows the evil one gets his hooks into your life.  These are the lies you believe, no one will love you if they know, you will never be good enough because you…

Don’t waste any more time listening to the lies of the enemy.  Bring your hurts, struggles, and secrets into the light by sharing them with someone you trust.  If you cannot thing of someone you trust with your struggles, heartache, hurts, and secrets pray that God will bring that person into your life.  Pray that prayer everyday and see what God says to you.  1 John 1:9 “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” Stop living in the shadows; allow God’s light to shine into your situation.

Abba Father, I have said and done things in my life that I am not proud of.  I ask that you search me and reviel to me areas where I am living in the dark.  I want to live every monent of my life in the light of your presence.  Fill my life with light, peace, joy, and wisdom so that nothing is hidden.  In Jesus Name, Amen