Romans 15:4 "For whatever was written in earlier times was written for our instruction, so that through perseverance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope."
11 Teach me Your way, O Lord; I will walk in Your truth; Unite my heart to fear Your name. 12 I will give thanks to You, O Lord my God, with all my heart, And will glorify Your name forever. 13 For Your lovingkindness toward me is great, And You have delivered my soul from the [a]depths of [b]Sheol.
The Word of God for the Children of God.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen, amen.
It’s another beautiful day to gather together, to connect, to learn, and to grow in our faith.
This devotion explores the importance of embracing and living in truth, as it shapes our lives, guides us, and ultimately sets us free.
Today, we are here to talk about living with truth and authenticity in our Christian lives.
Now, I know that’s a big topic.
It’s something we all grapple with, in big ways and small.
But it’s also something that’s so crucial to our faith, to our walk with God, and to our relationships with each other.
The late great Christian author, Ethicist, Dr. Christine D. Pohl said it well:
“We don’t always notice how profoundly our expectations, desires, and practices are … shaped by our culture. We bring the values of self-actualization, individual success, consumption, and personal freedom—and the choices that result from them—to church life, just as we bring them into family and work. . . This is not a promising recipe for strong or lasting communities.”
And how true that is.
We bring many false narratives from the world into our community here.
We bring the values and the ideologies of a culture that is far from God into a community that is meant to represent the nature of God.
A community of forgiveness, kindness, and truth-telling.
Let’s take a look at the Scriptures that will guide our devotion today.
The first is from Psalm 86:11, “Teach me your way, Lord, that I may rely on your faithfulness; give me an undivided heart, that I may fear your name.”
The second is from John 8:31-32, “To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, ‘If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.'”
These passages remind us that truth isn’t just something we know.
It’s something we live.
It’s something we hold to.
It’s something that shapes us and frees us.
It’s something that God teaches us, and something that we’re called to live out in our lives and in our communities.
So, let’s talk about the importance of living truthfully…
The Importance of Living Truthfully
Living truthfully is a calling that echoes throughout the Scriptures.
It’s a calling that’s woven into the very fabric of our faith.
It’s a calling that’s as relevant today as it was two thousand years ago.
It’s a calling that challenges us, that shapes us, that frees us.
When we think about living truthfully, we often think about honesty.
We think about telling the truth, about not lying or deceiving.
And that’s certainly part of it.
But living truthfully is about so much more than just honesty.
It’s also about authenticity.
It’s also about integrity.
It’s about being true to who we are, to who God has created us to be.
In Psalm 86:11, the psalmist prays, “Teach me your way, Lord, that I may rely on your faithfulness; give me an undivided heart, that I may fear your name.”
This is a prayer for truthfulness.
It’s a prayer for a heart that’s undivided, a heart that’s fully committed to God, a heart that’s authentic and true.
And then in John 8:31-32, Jesus tells his followers,
“If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
Here, Jesus is talking about a truth that’s more than just facts or information.
He’s talking about a truth that’s lived, a truth that’s embodied, a truth that unleashes us, a truth sets us free.
So, what does this look like in our lives?
How do we live truthfully?
First, living truthfully means living with integrity.
Integrity is about being the same person in all situations.
It’s about being the same person on Sunday morning as you are on Saturday night and continuing being that self same person on Monday thru Friday too.
It’s about being the same person in public as you are in private.
It’s about living in a way that’s consistent with our beliefs, with our values, with our faith.
Second, living truthfully means living authentically.
Authenticity is about being true to who we are.
It’s about not pretending, not putting on a mask, not trying to be someone or something we’re not.
It’s about being gut honest with ourselves, with God, and with others about our strengths, our weaknesses, our successes, our failures, our hopes, our fears.
Third, living truthfully means living transparently.
Transparency is about being open, being vulnerable, being real.
It’s about letting others see us as we really are, not as we wish we were. It’s about sharing our struggles, our doubts, our questions, our joys, our victories.
Finally, living truthfully means living faithfully.
Being faith-filled, faithful to God, the Father, God the Son, and Holy Spirit.
Faithfulness is about being true to our commitments, our promises, our word.
It’s about being reliable, being trustworthy, being dependable.
It’s about showing up, sticking it out, staying the course.
Living truthfully is not even minimally easy.
It’s not even minimally comfortable.
It’s not even minimally convenient.
But it’s absolutely, maximally, utterly, worth it.
It’s worth it because it’s what we’re called to do.
It’s worth it because it’s what brings us closer to God.
It’s worth it because it’s what sets us free.
In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,
Let us Pray,
Dear Heavenly Father, we come before you today, eager to learn, eager to grow. We ask that you would guide our conversations, that you would open our hearts to your truth, and that you would help us to live it out in our lives. We ask for your wisdom, your guidance, and your love as we study, talk about these important topics. Amen.
A Psalm of Supplication and Trust.
A Prayer of David.
86 Incline Your ear, O Lord, and answer me; For I am afflicted and needy. 2 Preserve my [a]soul, for I am a godly man; O You my God, save Your servant who trusts in You. 3 Be gracious to me, O Lord, For to You I cry all day long. 4 Make glad the soul of Your servant, For to You, O Lord, I lift up my soul. 5 For You, Lord, are good, and ready to forgive, And abundant in lovingkindness to all who call upon You. 6 Give ear, O Lord, to my prayer; And give heed to the voice of my supplications! 7 In the day of my trouble I shall call upon You, For You will answer me. 8 There is no one like You among the gods, O Lord, Nor are there any works like Yours. 9 All nations whom You have made shall come and worship before You, O Lord, And they shall glorify Your name. 10 For You are great and do [b]wondrous deeds; You alone are God.
11 Teach me Your way, O Lord; I will walk in Your truth; Unite my heart to fear Your name. 12 I will give thanks to You, O Lord my God, with all my heart, And will glorify Your name forever. 13 For Your lovingkindness toward me is great, And You have delivered my soul from the [c]depths of [d]Sheol.
14 O God, arrogant men have risen up against me, And [e]a band of violent men have sought my [f]life, And they have not set You before them. 15 But You, O Lord, are a God merciful and gracious, Slow to anger and abundant in lovingkindness and [g]truth. 16 Turn to me, and be gracious to me; Oh grant Your strength to Your servant, And save the son of Your handmaid. 17 Show me a sign for good, That those who hate me may see it and be ashamed, Because You, O Lord, have helped me and comforted me.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen, amen.
17 Do not gloat when your enemy falls; when they stumble, do not let your heart rejoice, 18 or the Lord will see and disapprove and turn his wrath away from them.
The Word of God for the Children of God.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen, amen.
Love Thy Neighbor as You Love Thy God and Savior?
We don’t often think of people in terms of enemies and foes, and so when we come to read and study verses like these in Proverbs it may be hard to relate.
For this reason, let me bring it down to a level you may understand.
Are there people in your life who you just don’t like or really can’t get along with or refuse to get along with? Does that hit a more realistic nerve for you?
While you may not call someone an enemy, I can be certain you the reader can name some people in your life you just don’t any have warm, fuzzy feelings for.
In all walks of life, you are going to encounter people that are hard to like and hard to root for and easier to hate with every kind of passion you can think of.
I usually get along with everyone yet there was this one person who really got so deep under my skin to the point that I just did not want to be around him.
I will spare you the details of why this person impacted me in this fashion.
Recently I discovered that life did not work out so well for this person, and when I heard what happened, my first reaction was, I am not very surprised.
I didn’t realize it at that moment but what I was doing was gloating.
One definition of gloating is when you find some kind of pleasure in someone else’s misfortune, to show in an annoying way that you are proud of your own success or excessively, expressively happy about someone else’s failure and I didn’t want to admit it at the time, but that is exactly what I was doing.
The hypocritical nature of gloating is sometimes we wrap our gloating and mix it with highest praise, even mightily thanking God for the calamity or trouble of the person we don’t like because they we feel they mightily deserved all of it.
After all, they messed with me, and I am a child of the king.
Yet when we lay our hearts before Scripture and come to verses like these in Proverbs 24:17-18, we realize that is not the way God desires us to respond.
When we do behave in this manner our response could have the opposite effect.
“Do not gloat when your enemy falls; when they stumble, do not let your heart rejoice, for the Lord will see and disapprove and turn his wrath away from them.” – Proverbs 24:17-18
To say this as plainly as possible, God is not pleased when we gloat over our enemies.
How should you respond to those you don’t like?
Thankfully the Bible lays out an essential framework for how to address those we don’t like, we refuse to get along with or who are our sworn enemies.
“You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.” – Matthew 5:43-44
“But now you must also rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips.” – Colossians 3:8
Jesus commands you to love and pray for those who persecute you.
Paul instructs us to get rid of all malice, and one of the definitions of malice is to gloat over someone else’s misfortune.
When we lay the cards on the table, gloating is sinful.
The interesting thing about this type of sin is no one around you would ever know unless you opened your mouth and told them.
Gloating and malice are things we keep in our hearts; and while we can hide them from others, God sees what lives there. (2 Samuel 11)
Intersecting Faith and Life:
Proverbs 24:17-18 The Message
28
17-18 Don’t laugh when your enemy falls; don’t gloat over his collapse. God might see, and become very provoked, and then take pity on his plight.
Here is a hard test of character.
Here is strong evidence if you are a child of God.
Here is a real measure of godliness and wisdom.
Here is a challenge for your faith, whether you want one or not.
Think now.
Are you happy when bad things happen to your enemies?
God commands you to love your personal enemies, and it is one of the chief measures of a true Christian.
Such love includes being grieved when your enemy falls or stumbles in life.
If you are glad or rejoice when he is hit by adversity, you have sinned.
In this proverb, the Lord God offers a simple rule for spiritual victory in your life.
Read on.
The proverb is not complete by itself, for the next verse, verse 18, explains the consequences of rejoicing at his troubles, “Lest the LORD see it, and it displeases him, and he turn away his wrath from him” (Proverbs 24:18).
God may switch from your side to your enemy’s side, if He detects you gloating about pain or trouble in your enemy’s life.
Beware!
If you are happy when bad things happen to your enemy, the Lord will see your selfish and vengeful glee; He will be angry at your wicked attitude; and He may lift His punishment of your enemy (Proverbs 24:18).
You will have stooped lower than your enemy, all the way to murderous thoughts of the heart – at those, A holy and righteous God cannot stand by.
Revenge is sin; vengeance is God’s (Romans 12:17-21).
But the proverb is not that simple.
The Preacher will not let you escape just because you have not actively sought to injure an enemy.
The wisdom of God is broader, more comprehensive than that (Psalm 119:96).
Solomon is going after your secret malignant thoughts that enjoy seeing your enemies in pain or trouble (Proverbs 24:9).
Do you rejoice – in your thoughts – when your enemy falls?
Are you glad – in your secret heart – when your enemy stumbles?
Do you feel a sense of vindication and pleasure at hearing of his or her misfortune?
These are the sins Solomon condemned.
Ah, dear reader, the glorious light of God’s word shines deep – all the way to your inner feelings. (Hebrews 4:12)
How do enemies fall and stumble?
They can fall and stumble into sin, which gives you no right to joy, because love “rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth”(I Corinthians 13:6).
If you care about someone, even in the least degree, you would not be glad to hear of their involvement in sin, for you should have the desire for all men to live righteously.
Enemies can fall and stumble into earthly troubles.
They may lose a job, get a divorce, have problems with their children, contract a disease, have an automobile accident, lose their dog, or catch the flu or a cold.
Wicked men secretly smile in their malicious hearts, for there are few things sweeter to the depraved soul of man than to see his enemy having troubles.
There is a right way to exact holy revenge or retribution on your enemy.
Are you ready for the secret of inspired wisdom?
Treat your enemy with love and kindness, even in your thoughts, and let the Lord deal with him (Proverbs 25:20-21; 20:22).
You prove a righteous heart; the Lord is pleased by your actions; and your enemy will face your angry Father.
Dealing With This All-Too-Common sincalled Gloating
Let’s deal with this issue by doing something practical.
Think about anyone in your life you either don’t really like or that you would consider an enemy.
Write their name down and spend the next week praying for that person or people if there is more than one.
I know what you may be thinking, but you don’t know how they are, you don’t know what they have done, or you don’t know what it is like to deal with them.
You are probably right about that, but God’s Word puts no qualifiers on this.
We are to love them, pray for them, hold no malice in our hearts toward them.
Here is why this is important for you.
It is your own heart that is at stake.
When you refuse to get along with them, or harbor malice and gloat over that person’s misfortune, you allow that person to keep a measure and degree of control over you, and you give room for bitterness to take root in your heart.
However, when you pray for them and love them, they no longer have influence over your life.
Who is that enemy of yours?
Do they work at your job?
Are they your neighbors?
Do they live in your neighborhood?
Do they go to your church?
Are they in your family?
Are they yourselves – are you the one who hates yourself the most?
Wherever they are, love them and pray for them.
James 5:16 New American Standard Bible 1995
16 Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another so that you may be healed. The effective [a]prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much.
I can’t guarantee this will change them, but one thing it will definitely do is it will definitely change you, and just maybe that is what God was after all along.
In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,
Let us Pray,
Psalm 23 New American Standard Bible 1995
The Lord, the Psalmist’s Shepherd.
A Psalm of David.
23 The Lord is my shepherd, I [a]shall not want. 2 He makes me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside [b]quiet waters. 3 He restores my soul; He guides me in the [c]paths of righteousness For His name’s sake.
4 Even though I walk through the [d]valley of the shadow of death, I fear no [e]evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. 5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You [f]have anointed my head with oil; My cup overflows. 6 [g]Surely goodness and lovingkindness will follow me all the days of my life, And I will [h]dwell in the house of the Lord [i]forever.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen, amen.
17 Then to Adam He said, “Because you have listened to the voice of your wife, and have eaten from the tree about which I commanded you, saying, ‘You shall not eat from it’;
Cursed is the ground because of you; In [a]toil you will eat of it All the days of your life. 18 “Both thorns and thistles it shall grow for you; And you will eat the [b]plants of the field; 19 By the sweat of your face You will eat bread, Till you return to the ground, Because from it you were taken; For you are dust, And to dust you shall return.”
The Word of God for the Children of God.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen, amen.
As Christians, we gather together regularly to study God’s Word, and seek to grow and mature in our faith.
Each time we come into God’s presence, we draw closer to Him and experience His love and guidance.
The Holy Spirit fills our souls with the joys of heaven as we surrender ourselves to God.
Death is an inevitable part of life, but many people avoid discussing it.
However, as believers, we have the assurance of salvation through Christ, which removes the fear of judgment.
We should share this hope with others and live each day with gratitude for the precious gift of life.
Understanding the brevity of our existence motivates us to do good and serve others.
What is Ash Wednesday?
Ash Wednesday is a day that many Christians, including Catholics, observe.
It gained more attention after the release of the movie “The Passion of Christ” in 2004.
On Ash Wednesday, Catholics go to church and receive a cross-shaped mark on their foreheads made from ashes.
These ashes are made by burning palm branches from the previous year’s Good Friday service.
Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of Lent, which is the 40-day period leading up to Easter.
Sundays are not included in this count because they are days of celebration for Jesus’ resurrection.
While Ash Wednesday is not specifically commanded in the Bible, it is a time for Christians to seriously reflect on Jesus’ sacrifice, dedicate themselves unto God.
How do we observe Ash Wednesday?
During Ash Wednesday services, ashes are placed on the forehead as a sign of repentance.
The words spoken during this ritual come from Genesis 3:19:
“By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food until you return to the ground, since from it you were taken; for dust you are and to dust you will return.”
This stark reminder of our mortality encourages us to live our lives in a way that glorifies God. In addition to the imposition of ashes, Christians also participate in communion, symbolizing Jesus’ broken body and shed blood.
What spiritual value does Ash Wednesday have for us?
Ash Wednesday serves as a stark reminder of our forever need for God’s grace, mercy and forgiveness.
It prompts us to reflect on important aspects of life, such as our unique creation by God, our undeniable tendency to sin, and our eventual inevitable, death.
These realities should lead us to focus our minds on the Lord and seek a deeper relationship with Him.
By acknowledging our mortality and dependence on God, we can find inner peace and strength.
Ash Wednesday helps us prepare for physical death and embrace spiritual life in heaven.
Ash Wednesday is a holy day that signifies the beginning of Lent.
It marks our entry into a season of spiritual preparation for Holy Week, which culminates in Easter.
Any march toward the redeeming work of Savior Christ must begin with a recognition of our need for his grace—and that reminder is Ash Wednesday.
The day affirms that we are dust, as ashes are literally spread in a cross on our foreheads. The cross represents Jesus and how he has redeemed us. We are encouraged to seek repentance with humble hearts and prepare for his gift.
Lenten Journey: Our Decisions Carry Consequences
Decisions carry consequences.
If you decide to work hard at your job and contribute to the mission of your workplace, that will bring consequences.
You might be promoted.
You might wind up earning more than your colleagues.
Your boss might dump all sorts of extra work on you with no pay because, after all, you’re a hard worker; that could be a consequence.
Your boss’s decision would bring its own consequence.
Maybe you would set up an appointment to talk about this extra work with no pay.
Maybe you would become sullen and withdrawn.
Maybe you would feel taken advantage of and start looking for a different job where your work ethic is rewarded.
Whatever decision you make, that decision would bring consequences.
Decisions bring consequences.
The decision to sin brings consequences.
That might sound obvious, but an astounding number of people believe that sin brings no meaningful consequences.
Much of the society in which you live revolves around the belief that sin brings no consequence.
This is why we promote greed.
This is why we train our young people in seduction.
Our culture promotes sin because we don’t believe we will suffer any real negative consequences for our participation in it.
Even we who believe, in theory, that sin brings consequences struggle mightily to come to terms with these consequences when we do, in fact, sin.
We squirm against the reality of consequences like a child in trouble.
We would be far wiser to own up to what is obvious: sin brings sad consequences.
Job 1:20-21 New American Standard Bible 1995
20 Then Job arose and tore his robe and shaved his head, and he fell to the ground and worshiped. 21 He said,
“Naked I came from my mother’s womb, And naked I shall return there. The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away. Blessed be the name of the Lord.”
Tonight, as we pray upon sins “consequences” as we gather to celebrate Ash Wednesday, let us worship in the hope we have in Jesus Christ, Savior and Lord.
In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,
Let us Pray,
Merciful God, you called us forth from the dust of the earth; you claimed us for Christ in the waters of baptism. Look upon us as we enter these Forty Days bearing the mark of ashes, and bless the journey through the desert of Lent to the font of rebirth. As we remember our mortality and seek penitence today, we know you to be a God who is rich in forgiveness and abounding in steadfast love, love that culminates in eternal life with you. Guide our steps this Lent, so we might find greater fulfillment in your promises and better serve others with a heart that’s reflective of you. Amen
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen, amen.
14 “For it is just like a man about to go on a journey, who called his own slaves and entrusted his possessions to them. 15 To one he gave five [a]talents, to another, two, and to another, one, each according to his own ability; and he went on his journey. 16 Immediately the one who had received the five talents went and traded with them, and gained five more talents. 17 In the same manner the one who had received the two talents gained two more. 18 But he who received the one talent went away, and dug a hole in the ground and hid his [b]master’s money.
19 “Now after a long time the master of those slaves *came and *settled accounts with them. 20 The one who had received the five talents came up and brought five more talents, saying, ‘Master, you entrusted five talents to me. See, I have gained five more talents.’ 21 His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful slave. You were faithful with a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your [c]master.’
22 “Also the one who had received the two talents came up and said, ‘Master, you entrusted two talents to me. See, I have gained two more talents.’ 23 His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful slave. You were faithful with a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.’
24 “And the one also who had received the one talent came up and said, ‘Master, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you did not sow and gathering where you scattered no seed. 25 And I was afraid, and went away and hid your talent in the ground. See, you have what is yours.’
26 “But his master answered and said to him, ‘You wicked, lazy slave, you knew that I reap where I did not sow and gather where I scattered no seed. 27 Then you ought to have put my money [d]in the bank, and on my arrival I would have received my money back with interest. 28 Therefore take away the talent from him, and give it to the one who has the ten talents.’
29 “For to everyone who has, more shall be given, and he will have an abundance; but from the one who does not have, even what he does have shall be taken away. 30 Throw out the worthless slave into the outer darkness; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
The Word of God for the Children of God.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen, amen.
Faith is like a muscle group in our bodies.
We are given all we will ever need at the point of our salvation, but if we don’t often use or exercise that muscle group, it will become weak and ineffective.
Jesus said faith the size of a mustard seed could move mountains (Matthew 17:20).
Matthew 17:20 The Message
20 “Because you’re not yet taking God seriously,” said Jesus. “The simple truth is that if you had a mere kernel of faith, a poppy seed, say, you would tell this mountain, ‘Move!’ and it would move. There is nothing you wouldn’t be able to tackle.”
Yet, if we want that minuscule-sized faith to move mountain-sized objects or circumstances, we need to exercise it, to strengthen it by using it in the small things so it grows and matures to conquer the big, bigger, and biggest things.
In the parable of the Talents in Matthew 25, Jesus said if we are “faithful in a few things” we will be given more (verse 21 NIV).
He also said, “For whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance. Whoever does not have [or, does not use what one has], even what they have will be taken from them” (verse 29).
I believe that applies to our faith as well as our gifts and talents.
As you and I exercise faith in the little things, then we will be in tip-top faith shape for the big, bigger and the biggest things.
If you find your faith is sagging a bit right now from not using or exercising it, it might be time for a full faith lift.
Here are seven small habits which might serve to help you to build your faith.
1. Be Thankful in All Things
If you want to grow your faith, don’t put conditions or parameters around what you are thankful for. Instead, obey 1 Thessalonians 5:18, which commands us to “give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”
We all know fair-weathered believers.
They are thankful to God when life is good, but they question their faith when circumstances go in all the directions which serve little or no useful purpose.
It is God’s will for you and me to be thankful in everything because it grows our faith, refines us, and makes us more like Jesus.
Being thankful in every circumstance – even the disappointing, uncomfortable, and painful ones– grows your faith in God’s ability to work all things “for the good of those who love him, whohave been called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28).
You can become light in this darkened and cynical world when you can be thankful in all things, not just the good, comfortable, and pleasant things.
32 How blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, Whose sin is covered! 2 How blessed is the man to whom the Lord does not impute iniquity, And in whose spirit there is no deceit!
3 When I kept silent about my sin, my [b]body wasted away Through my [c]groaning all day long. 4 For day and night Your hand was heavy upon me; My [d]vitality was drained away as with the fever heat of summer. [e]Selah. 5 I acknowledged my sin to You, And my iniquity I did not hide; I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord”; And You forgave the [f]guilt of my sin. Selah. 6 Therefore, let everyone who is godly pray to You [g]in a time when You may be found; Surely in a flood of great waters they will not reach him. 7 You are my hiding place; You preserve me from trouble; You surround me with [h]songs of deliverance. Selah.
8 I will instruct you and teach you in the way which you should go; I will counsel you with My eye upon you. 9 Do not be as the horse or as the mule which have no understanding, Whose trappings include bit and bridle to hold them in check, Otherwise they will not come near to you. 10 Many are the sorrows of the wicked, But he who trusts in the Lord, lovingkindness shall surround him. 11 Be glad in the Lord and rejoice, you righteous ones; And shout for joy, all you who are upright in heart.
Throughout Scripture, God commanded His people to remember the things He did for them.
He told them to build altars of remembrance to tell their children and those after them the great things that God had done.
God knew we were people prone to forget and then falter in our faith.
So, if we remind ourselves what the Word of God says, remember all He had done, we’d have faith for the next time the challenging circumstances come.
Psalm 103:1-5 New American Standard Bible 1995
Praise for the Lord’s Mercies.
A Psalm of David.
103 Bless the Lord, O my soul, And all that is within me, bless His holy name. 2 Bless the Lord, O my soul, And forget none of His benefits; 3 Who pardons all your iniquities, Who heals all your diseases; 4 Who redeems your life from the pit, Who crowns you with lovingkindness and compassion; 5 Who satisfies your [a]years with good things, So that your youth is renewed like the eagle.
By picking up your Bible again, remembering what God did in the past, you are strengthening your faith in what God can do in your present and in your future.
3. Record Your Prayer Requests and Answers
Psalm 84:8-12 New American Standard Bible 1995
8 O Lord God of hosts, hear my prayer; Give ear, O God of Jacob! Selah. 9 Behold our shield, O God, And look upon the face of Your anointed. 10 For a day in Your courts is better than a thousand outside. I would rather stand at the threshold of the house of my God Than dwell in the tents of wickedness. 11 For the Lord God is a sun and shield; The Lord gives grace and glory; No good thing does He withhold [a]from those who walk [b]uprightly. 12 O Lord of hosts, How blessed is the man who trusts in You!
The more we talk with God in prayer, the more our faith grows.
And the more we recount what He did with our prayers, the stronger our prayer life and faith muscles become.
Start recording your prayer requests in a journal or on a sheet of paper you keep in your Bible.
Write the date of your request.
Then, highlight those requests that were answered with a yellow pen and record the date they were answered.
Or you may want to leave space for how that request was answered.
Just because God didn’t say “yes” to a request of yours doesn’t mean He didn’t answer it.
Sometimes His “no” or “wait” are blessings in disguise.
Seeing – and recording – how God answered your prayers can build your faith in the only God who promises that “no good thing does he withhold from those whose walk is blameless” (Psalm 84:11).
100 Shout joyfully to the Lord, all the earth. 2 Serve the Lord with gladness; Come before Him with joyful singing. 3 Know that the Lord [b]Himself is God; It is He who has made us, and [c]not we ourselves; We are His people and the sheep of His pasture.
4 Enter His gates with [d]thanksgiving And His courts with praise. Give thanks to Him, bless His name. 5 For the Lord is good; His lovingkindness is everlasting And His faithfulness to all generations.
This is different than thanking God (as mentioned in #1).
Praise is adoring God for who He is, not just thanking Him for what He has done.
Our gratitude can sometimes be focused on us and what we want, and how God pleased us.
But praise moves us out of the picture and is centered on God’s character and attributes.
There are many ways we can praise God creatively.
For example, praise God through the alphabet by choosing an attribute of His for each of the ABCs:
“God, You are amazing. You are beautiful. You are capable. You are deity. You are everlasting…” Or take one letter a day and praise God with as many words that start with that letter that you can think of. For example: “God you are capable. You are compassionate. You are caring. You are the Comforter.””
As you praise Him alphabetically, and remind yourself of His attributes, you are busy recounting your reasons for having faith in Him.
5. Do Not Be Afraid to Ask Big Things of God
John 14:7-15 New American Standard Bible 1995
Oneness with the Father
7 If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also; from now on you know Him, and have seen Him.”
8 Philip *said to Him, “Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us.” 9 Jesus *said to him, “Have I been so long with you, and yet you have not come to know Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father; how can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? 10 Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father is in Me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on My own initiative, but the Father abiding in Me does His works. 11 Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father is in Me; otherwise believe because of the works themselves. 12 Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do, he will do also; and greater works than these he will do; because I go to the Father. 13 Whatever you ask in My name, that will I do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 If you ask Me anything in My name, I will do it.
15 “If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.
Scripture tells us that we do not have because we do not ask (James 4:2).
I believe God is waiting for the challenge, for us to ask so big and exercise so much faith that we are convinced when He answers that it had to be Him.
Of course, He can provide your sustenance as you pray “Give us this day, our daily bread” (Matthew 6:11) and care for His own when you pray “Please bless my church and the missionaries.”
But ask Him for something specific and something echelons too big for you to accomplish on your own, it will strengthen your faith each time as you witness God come through, and you realize it wasn’t any mere coincidence or a result of your own efforts.
Unleash the wonders of God by asking for what only He can do (not referring to asking that you win the mega lotteries so you can give half of it to your church. Or praying that you are promoted to CEO from the mail room or Janitor at your job so you can buy that multi-million-dollar home you always promised self).
Ask according to God’s will.
Ask in Jesus’ name – which means asking God the Father for something that Jesus, His Son, would ask for.
Ask on behalf of Jesus, so that God will be glorified.
God loves to answer big prayers.
He is the God of the impossible. And without faith, it is impossible to please Him (Hebrews 11). So, please His heart – and build your faith – by asking big.
6. Ask for Divine Appointments.
1 John 5:13-15 New American Standard Bible 1995
This Is Written That You May Know
13 These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life. 14 This is the confidence which we have [a]before Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. 15 And if we know that He hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests which we have asked from Him.
I believe every day there are God-appointments for us to live out our purpose, impact others eternally. and bring glory to God.
We just need eyes to see these divine appointments and boldness to act upon them.
Over the past two plus decades of walking with God, both seeing and missing divine appointments, I have learned that when I specifically ask for divine appointments to serve someone, make a difference, glorify God, or share the Gospel, God blesses and God provides and God gives them to me every time.
Perhaps by asking for them, I am more on the alert to recognize them when they appear before me.
I’m convinced every time you ask for a divine appointment (or for eyes to see the one already in front of you), He will provide it, too.
That conviction is based on 1 John 5:13-15, which tells us if we ask anything according to His will He hears us and if we know that He hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we will receive what we’ve asked of Him.
It’s definitely God’s will that we partake in His divine appointments and the “good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them” (Ephesians 2:10, NASB 1995).
Ephesians 2:8-10 New American Standard Bible 1995
8 For by grace you have been saved through faith; and [a]that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; 9 not as a result of works, so that no one may boast. 10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.
So, ask for divine appointments – and then act upon them – and it will build your faith.
7. Do Not Hesitate to Whisper or Shout His Name
Psalm 13 New American Standard Bible 1995
Prayer for Help in Trouble.
For the choir director. A Psalm of David.
13 How long, O Lord? Will You forget me forever? How long will You hide Your face from me? 2 How long shall I take counsel in my soul, Having sorrow in my heart all the day? How long will my enemy be exalted over me?
3 Consider and answer me, O Lord my God; Enlighten my eyes, or I will sleep the sleep of death, 4 And my enemy will say, “I have overcome him,” And my adversaries will rejoice when I am shaken.
5 But I have trusted in Your lovingkindness; My heart shall rejoice in Your salvation. 6 I will sing to the Lord, Because He has dealt bountifully with me.
There are times we need God, but we just don’t know what to say or where to begin.
Start by saying His name and then speak your heart’s cry.
Scripture says there is power in the name of Jesus, not only because “Salvation is found in no one else” (Acts 4:12), but because Jesus responds to His name when His loved ones call to Him.
Psalm 22:1-5 New American Standard Bible 1995
A Cry of Anguish and a Song of Praise.
For the choir director; upon [a]Aijeleth Hashshahar. A Psalm of David.
22 My God, my God, why have You forsaken me? [b]Far from my deliverance are the words of my [c]groaning. 2 O my God, I cry by day, but You do not answer; And by night, but [d]I have no rest. 3 Yet You are holy, O You who [e]are enthroned upon the praises of Israel. 4 In You our fathers trusted; They trusted and You delivered them. 5 To You they cried out and were delivered; In You they trusted and were not [f]disappointed.
The writers of the classics called this type of whispering cry “breath prayers.”
My breath prayers to sense His presence are “Jesus, I need You” or “Jesus, give me a heart for You.”
Calling His name just as often as we breathe is one of the simplest ways to sense His presence or remind ourselves that He is there.
I believe the simplest of cries are the ones that penetrate His heart – and ours – the quickest.
And when we call upon His name and sense His presence, it builds our faith.
In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,
Let us Pray,
Psalm 16 New American Standard Bible 1995
The Lord the Psalmist’s Portion in Life and Deliverer in Death.
16 Preserve me, O God, for I take refuge in You. 2 [b]I said to the Lord, “You are [c]my Lord; I have no good besides You.” 3 As for the [d]saints who are in the earth, [e]They are the majestic ones in whom is all my delight. 4 The [f]sorrows of those who have [g]bartered for another god will be multiplied; I shall not pour out their drink offerings of blood, Nor will I take their names upon my lips.
5 The Lord is the portion of my inheritance and my cup; You support my lot. 6 The lines have fallen to me in pleasant places; Indeed, my heritage is beautiful to me.
7 I will bless the Lord who has counseled me; Indeed, my [h]mind instructs me in the night. 8 I have set the Lord continually before me; Because He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken. 9 Therefore my heart is glad and my glory rejoices; My flesh also will dwell securely. 10 For You will not abandon my soul to [i]Sheol; Nor will You [j]allow Your [k]Holy One to [l]undergo decay. 11 You will make known to me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; In Your right hand there are pleasures forever.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen, amen.
10 “[a]Cease striving and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the [b]nations, I will be exalted in the earth.” 11 The Lord of hosts is with us; The God of Jacob is our stronghold. Selah.
The Word of God for the Children of God.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen, amen.
You and I have been given the invaluable gift of communication with God.
From my recent devotionals we learned about the process of making the soil of our hearts soft and more receptive to God.
In our coming devotional efforts we’ll try to learn some different ways to receive the seed of his word. May your communion with God flourish as you engage in continual conversation with your loving, present heavenly Father.
God Speaks in Solitude
Matthew 6:5-6 New American Standard Bible 1995
5 “When you pray, you are not to be like the hypocrites; for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and on the street corners [a]so that they may be seen by men. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full. 6 But you, when you pray, go into your inner room, close your door and pray to your Father who is in secret, and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you.
Solitude—a time set apart where the rush, the noise, and the anxiety of the world may finally fall mute on the ears and heart of a child of God completely in need of “alone time” with God, lost inside the peace, presence of their Creator.
Solitude is a private time to be spent with your heavenly Father, free from the myriad of distractions which the world offers us at seemingly every moment.
We are made for consistent time spent in solitude.
C.S. Lewis wrote in The Weight of Glory,
“We live, in fact, in a world starved for solitude, silence, and private: and therefore starved for meditation and true friendship.”
Most of us have grown accustomed to what truly does amount to being “starved” for solitude.
We never fully realize how great our need is to be alone with our Sustainer.
Let’s take some time today to recognize our need for solitude and then learn how to best practice solitude on a daily basis.
You can know that you need solitude for one reason—Jesus needed it.
All over the New Testament we see examples of Jesus going off on his own to pray.
One example, Mark 1:35, tells us Jesus, “rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark . . . departed and went out to a desolate place, and there he prayed.”
Jesus, who practiced perfect communion with his heavenly Father while here on earth still needed to spend time in solitude.
Jesus, who loved parties, loved people, and was God and man simultaneously, knew he still needed time alone.
If he needed it, you and I can be sure we need it.
When God incarnate was up against his hardest task, the Crucifixion, he didn’t just toughen up and get through it – He spent much time alone in the Garden of Gethsemane in a deep tearful heartfelt conversation with his heavenly Father.
Matthew 26:36-46 New American Standard Bible 1995
The Garden of Gethsemane
36 Then Jesus *came with them to a place called Gethsemane, and *said to His disciples, “Sit here while I go over there and pray.” 37 And He took with Him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and began to be grieved and distressed. 38 Then He *said to them, “My soul is deeply grieved, to the point of death; remain here and keep watch with Me.”
39 And He went a little beyond them, and fell on His face and prayed, saying, “My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; yet not as I will, but as You will.” 40 And He *came to the disciples and *found them sleeping, and *said to Peter, “So, you men could not keep watch with Me for one hour? 41 Keep watching and praying that you may not enter into temptation; the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.”
42 He went away again a second time and prayed, saying, “My Father, if this cannot pass away unless I drink it, Your will be done.” 43 Again He came and found them sleeping, for their eyes were heavy. 44 And He left them again, and went away and prayed a third time, saying the same thing once more. 45 Then He *came to the disciples and *said to them, “[a]Are you still sleeping and resting? Behold, the hour is at hand and the Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of sinners. 46 Get up, let us be going; behold, the one who betrays Me is at hand!”
He needed solitude to accomplish his purpose here on earth and so do you and I.
Solitude is life-giving.
It’s necessary to the Christian spiritual life.
Richard J. Foster said, “Loneliness is inner emptiness. Solitude is inner fulfillment.”
Solitude is one of the most important and life-giving spiritual disciplines.
If you want to hear God, you must practice solitude.
If you want fortitude in your life, a steadfastness that surpasses your circumstances, you must practice solitude.
You are designed for time spent in the quiet, simply, exclusively, being with your heavenly Father.
So how can you best practice solitude?
The first step is finding a place where you can spend time with God free from distractions.
Find a place where you know you won’t be interrupted.
If you live with others, find a time when they will not be around or awake.
If you live alone, designate a place and time that you will spend in solitude free from any distractions.
Second, give yourself an amount of time to spend with God just being in solitude.
It could be ten minutes or an hour.
Spend this time free from reading, free from worship or prayer unless solitude leads you to those things.
Madeleine L’Engle said, “Deepest communion with God is beyond words, on the other side of silence.”
Solitude is a point of deep communion where words aren’t required in light of God’s glorious nearness.
Take some time today to practice the incredible discipline of solitude.
Be patient with yourself.
Be patient with God.
Fill the emptiness of silence with the satisfaction of God’s presence.
Your heavenly Father loves just simply spending time with you, enjoying deep communion with his crown of creation.
You are his beloved child.
Climb into the comforting and sustaining arms of your heavenly Father today as you enter into a time of solitude.
One More Point: Some Thoughts About Silent Prayer
Psalm 46:10-11 New American Standard Bible 1995
10 “[a]Cease striving and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the [b]nations, I will be exalted in the earth.” 11 The Lord of hosts is with us; The God of Jacob is our stronghold. Selah.
Matthew 6:5-6 New American Standard Bible 1995
5 “When you pray, you are not to be like the hypocrites; for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and on the street corners [a]so that they may be seen by men. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full. 6 But you, when you pray, go into your inner room, close your door and pray to your Father who is in secret, and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you.
We might think of “silent prayer” as communicating with God not by speaking words aloud but by saying them in our minds.
But prayer does not always require words.
In fact, Jesus cautioned that using “many words” in prayer could become like babbling (see Matthew 6:7).
Matthew 6:7 New American Standard Bible 1995
7 “And when you are praying, do not use meaningless repetition as the Gentiles do, for they suppose that they will be heard for their many words.
Being still, without using words, can help us reflect on the majesty, power, beauty, love, and other characteristics of God.
We need to be clear, though, that this is different from meditation that views silence as a way to empty the mind of thoughts, to connect with one’s “inner self.”
The command to “be still” in Psalm 46 has nothing to do with that—and is actually the opposite.
Notice that the words “be still” in verse 10 are immediately followed by the instruction to know God.
Prayer helps us grow in our knowledge of God, and knowing the heart of God is what enables us to be still in his presence.
As Psalm 46 indicates, God is both powerful and kind.
Our troubled hearts are quieted when we find our refuge in him.
Some Bible versions include the Hebrew word Selah after verses 3, 7, and 11 in Psalm 46, and that may help us understand this point.
Scholars aren’t sure what Selah means, but it seems to signal a pause and also perhaps an unknown period of time of reflection.
Practice being silent in God’s presence.
Quiet reflection intensifies prayer as the mind is filled with thoughts of God.
In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,
Guided Prayer:
1. Find a place free from distractions.
Ask the Spirit to calm your heart and mind and help you to spend time in deep communion with God.
2. Spend a few minutes simply resting with God in solitude.
“And rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark, he departed and went out to a desolate place, and there he prayed.” Mark 1:35
“Deepest communion with God is beyond words, on the other side of silence.” Madeleine L’Engle
3. Write down how solitude made you feel.
If you felt uncomfortable or frustrated, that’s alright! Solitude and silence is something most of us have never practiced so have patience with yourself.
Solitude is a practice.
The more you do it the better and more fulfilling it will become.
Once you connect with God’s heart free of words and just look at him face to face, his gaze will become one of the most important parts of your life.
Knowing experientially that your heavenly Father sees you and loves you is meant to be at the foundation of everything you do.
Commit yourself to spend time in solitude with God and learn what it is to be a child simply enjoyed by the Father.
Lord, thank you for enabling me to be still in your presence. You are my strength, and I trust in you. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Psalm 23 New American Standard Bible 1995
The Lord, the Psalmist’s Shepherd.
A Psalm of David.
23 The Lord is my shepherd, I [a]shall not want. 2 He makes me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside [b]quiet waters. 3 He restores my soul; He guides me in the [c]paths of righteousness For His name’s sake.
4 Even though I walk through the [d]valley of the shadow of death, I fear no [e]evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. 5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You [f]have anointed my head with oil; My cup overflows. 6 [g]Surely goodness and lovingkindness will follow me all the days of my life, And I will [h]dwell in the house of the Lord [i]forever.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen, amen.
12 “When you call on me, when you come and pray to me, I’ll listen.
13-14 “When you come looking for me, you’ll find me.
“Yes, when you get serious about finding me and want it more than anything else, I’ll make sure you won’t be disappointed.” God’s Decree.
“I’ll turn things around for you. I’ll bring you back from all the countries into which I drove you”—God’s Decree—“bring you home to the place from which I sent you off into exile. You can count on it.
The Word of God for the Children of God.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen, amen.
Jeremiah 29:13 New American Standard Bible 1995
13 You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart.
The context for this verse is Jeremiah’s letter to the exiled Jews in Babylon.
This is a promise of restoration after the completion of the time allotted for their discipline.
We should read this as pertaining not only to them but to all God’s Church, even today – this was a specific promise to those Jews in exile, but it captures a basic principle of relating to our God that holds true in every generation of believers.
Jesus said, “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you” (Matthew 7:7).
God has made himself completely and totally available to those who want him.
He calls to us, but he does not force us to follow.
His mysterious and prevenient grace notwithstanding, it is a crucial element of our relationship and fellowship with him that we’ll actually choose to seek him, come to him and abide with and in him.
Romans 1:20 suggests that everyone, even the unregenerate actually knows this to be true, though they have lied to themselves:
“For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse.”
For the Christian, it is necessary to wake up to this fact, stop running away, and begin hardcore running toward God, who has made himself apprehend able for the seeker.
Breaking Down the Key Parts of Jeremiah 29:13
#1 “You will seek me,”
Jeremiah prophesied that the Jews, currently then in exile for their failure to follow God, would indeed turn to him at the right time and seek his face.
But more importantly to us, he has reserved his elect Church as those who will at the right time wake up to the truth and at the right time they will seek him.
#2 “and find me, when you seek me with all your heart.”
The key to finding what we seek when we seek God is to put all our heart into it.
This we will do only when we place our very highest value in our God and in a relationship with him above and beyond echelons more than anything else.
Finding him is like finding a treasure in a field that is worth selling everything we have in order to buy it.
In Luke 18:29-30, it says, “29 ‘Truly I tell you,’ Jesus said to them, ‘no one who has left home or wife or brothers or sisters or parents or children for the sake of the kingdom of God 30 will fail to receive many times as much in this age, and in the age to come eternal life.’”
We must leave all behind in respect to what or who has the highest place in our hearts if we would truly find God.
What If You Can’t Find God or Can’t Hear His Voice?
Some of us have had that sour experience of feeling that God is far away and unreachable.
Even some of the psalmists wrote about times when God did not seem to be anywhere near.
In Psalm 22, David cried out, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”
Jesus himself repeated those words as he hung dying on the cross (Mark 15:34).
So what do you do when you can’t find God?
So what do you do when you can’t hear God’s voice?
Do what the psalmist did, and cry out to God.
Let him know how much you need him.
And read and reread today’s Bible passage, which assures us that when we seek God with all our hearts, we will find him.
God wants to be a part of our everyday lives, just as he showed us when his Son, our Savior was born.
Four Questions to Ask When Listening for God’s Voice
Jeremiah 29:12-13 New American Standard Bible 1995
12 Then you will call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. 13 You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart.
One of the joys we experience in childhood, although we don’t see as a gift at the time, is that decisions are made for us.
We love independence, but most of us can at least appreciate the idea of a person telling us which way to turn when the lines get blurry and a world that once seemed very black and white subtly takes on a surprising shade of grey.
One of the most common questions we have all heard asked is, “I wish I knew what God wanted me to do…how do I listen for Him or know I hear from Him?”
I would like to suggest four questions we should consider when seeking the voice of God:
1. Am I willing to hear what He might say?
Do you believe His voice will flow out of His great love for you, even if it’s not the message you wanted to hear?
If we aren’t willing to receive what He says, we really cannot proceed.
If that scares you, and I fervently pray it does, remember that a God who loves us enough to sacrifice His own Son, who promises to never leave us, and who is gentle enough to wipe away our tears ( Revelation 21:4). His will is vastly good.
Are you willing to hear more?
2. What does scripture say?
The Bible is God-breathed, so it is here where we begin.
We might not be able to flip to the concordance and search “how to know if I should stay in this dating relationship…” or “how to respond when my co-worker says something cruel…”, however, if we develop a disciplined habit of reading, studying, praying, abiding in the Word of God, we will know His heart.
And when we get serious enough to know his Heart, we will recognize His voice.
In the hardcore quest for God’s voice, let the first most critical stop be scripture.
The more familiar we are with the heart of God, the more familiar we will be with His voice.
3. What do the people who love you say?
Before we were married, during one particular coffee date I had with her, we discussed about unhealthy dating relationships.
I asked her what her family, close friends, and spiritual mentors had to say about “unhealthy dating relationships.”
Would the people closest to her, who loved her and wanted the best for her, all warn her that staying in any relationship was dangerous and if they advised her to end it – would she, or I be honest enough with ourselves to be able to discuss.
Would we talk about the reasons behind their concerns for any length of time, when she looked at me through teary eyes and said, “I try to hear them, know what they want me to do…now, I just wish I knew what God wanted me to do.”
The people who love you…the people you trust and respect…what do they say?
Have you asked them?
Obviously, everyone should not be within your circle for wise counsel.
Ask people who have made decisions that you respect, and who love you enough to want what is best for you.
Allow their voices to enter the conversation and examine how their input is compatible with scripture and what you know to be true about the heart of God.
The Lord frequently uses the voices of others to echo what He is speaking to our hearts.
4. What does the “still, small voice” say?
You know that whisper?
That sense of what God is calling us to?
In his book, Hearing God, Dallas Willard refers to this as the “still, small voice”.
For a deeper discussion about what it means to have a “conversational relationship” with God, as Willard describes it, jump into this thought-0provoking piece of writing.
I cannot do justice to the understanding he brings to the subject.
I will say this though – it’s hard to imagine hearing the “still, small voice” of God if we don’t make listening a priority.
Our lives produce a shocking amount of noise.
Our days seem to fill themselves with appointments and activities before we even have a chance to say otherwise.
Repeatedly in scripture, Jesus left the noise.
He got up earlier than everyone else, went away from the chaos, and was alone with His Father.
He prayed and they talked, a habit which scripture tells us He did often.
Are you positioning yourself to hear the still, small voice of a great God who wants so badly to talk with you?
These are our beacons.
If we are in the business of seeking direction, these questions may or may not lead us to a specific answer, but hopefully they will begin the process, to help us listen more carefully discern God’s small voice in the midst of so many others.
In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,
Let us Pray,
Psalm 19 New American Standard Bible 1995
The Works and the Word of God.
For the choir director. A Psalm of David.
19 The heavens are telling of the glory of God; And their expanse is declaring the work of His hands. 2 Day to day pours forth speech, And night to night reveals knowledge. 3 There is no speech, nor are there words; Their voice is not heard. 4 Their [a]line has gone out through all the earth, And their utterances to the end of the world. In them He has placed a tent for the sun, 5 Which is as a bridegroom coming out of his chamber; It rejoices as a strong man to run his course. 6 Its rising is from [b]one end of the heavens, And its circuit to the [c]other end of them; And there is nothing hidden from its heat.
7 The law of the Lord is [d]perfect, restoring the soul; The testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple. 8 The precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; The commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes. 9 The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever; The judgments of the Lord are true; they are righteous altogether. 10 They are more desirable than gold, yes, than much fine gold; Sweeter also than honey and the drippings of the honeycomb. 11 Moreover, by them Your servant is warned; In keeping them there is great reward. 12 Who can discern his errors? Acquit me of hidden faults. 13 Also keep back Your servant from presumptuous sins; Let them not rule over me; Then I will be [e]blameless, And I shall be acquitted of great transgression. 14 Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart Be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, my rock and my Redeemer.
My Savior Jesus, Giver of peace, I find myself so easily distracted by the voices of the world when I’m trying to focus and hear your Holy Spirit. Help me to quiet my mind in the middle of my busy life. Help me to just pause and to make space to listen to the most important voice of all. Empower me to be a good listener to the gentle whispers of your Spirit. Help me better follow the example of Jesus, who would slip away in the evening or the early morning to be alone with you. Teach me to abide in you. Amen.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen, amen.
Ephesians 1:15-21 New American Standard Bible 1995
15 For this reason I too, having heard of the faith in the Lord Jesus which exists among you and [a]your love for all the [b]saints, 16 do not cease giving thanks for you, while making mention of you in my prayers; 17 that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the [c]knowledge of Him. 18 I pray that the eyes of your heart [d]may be enlightened, so that you will know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the [e]saints, 19 and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe. These are in accordance with the working of the strength of His might 20 which He brought about in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, 21 far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come.
The Word of God for the Children of God.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen, amen.
God’s Desire for Me
Ephesians 1:16-17 GOD’S WORD Translation
16 I never stop thanking God for you. I always remember you in my prayers. 17 I pray that the glorious Father, the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, would give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation as you come to know Christ better.
First and foremost on Paul’s spirit is this – To Never stop thanking God!
Second is this – to Never stop praying to God for wisdom and revelation!
Third is this – to Never stop praying to God for His saints, for their faith or their lack of faith, or for their troubled faith to gain a spirit of wisdom and revelation.
Our own growing in wisdom is about cultivating a character that is Christlike.
If we desire that much to be growing and maturing into that spirit of wisdom, then the words of Ephesians 1:16-17 are a great discovery and encouragement.
What is striking about these verses is how they tell us we don’t have to figure this all out on our own. It’s not a project for which God gives us a textbook and tests us with a final exam at the end of life. God is not a “hands off” teacher.
In Ephesians 1:16-17 Paul explains that he prays for people to have wisdom, he prays, God to be involved in the process—because that is what God promises.
Apostle Paul goes on to mention “the Spirit of wisdom,” and he isn’t asking only for the Spirit to help us; Paul asks that the Spirit of wisdom be given to us.
Why? So that our desire is that we may each come to know God better.
Suddenly, in the blink of an eye, this matter of gaining wisdom is not just about learning some Christian way of living.
Try to fathom this miracle: it is about an interactive God who wants to live in us, make His home in us and be part of our faith growth by becoming part of us.
We can simplify all that to this: God wants us to have wisdom.
So we can each make this incredible prayer our own, saying to God, “I want to have the Spirit of wisdom and revelation because I want to know God better.”
Getting to Know God Better
The Apostle Paul has been teaching the great facts underlying the Christian faith in Ephesians 1, and we turn now to his prayer.
This is a helpful revelation of the place of prayer in the Christian experience, especially in believers who are maturing, and in relationship to the study of Scripture – the revelation that this brings prayer and the Scriptures together.
Having finished a great passage in which he has set forth what the three-fold God is doing for us, now adds these words addressed to the Ephesian Christians.
That is really the major objective of a Christian life — is to know God better.
We need to ask ourselves,
Is this happening with us?
Are we really getting to know God better?
There is a principle in the Scripture that is very important for us to understand.
We are all familiar with the phrase that says we are made in the image of God, which means in some way that humanity reflects God.
But this fact means that we cannot learn who we are until we begin to know and learn who God is.
It is the revelation and understanding of the nature of God that will tell us what we are like.
I believe that this is one of the major reasons why many people today never seem to discover who they are.
They never learn what they can do, what possibilities lie within, and what potential is theirs because they have never discovered who God is.
We reflect Him, and therefore it is extremely important that we come to know God better.
Remember that Jesus said this in his great prayer to the Father:
“Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.”(John 17:3)
John 17:1-5 The Message
Jesus’ Prayer for His Followers
17 1-5 Jesus said these things. Then, raising his eyes in prayer, he said:
Father, it’s time. Display the bright splendor of your Son So the Son in turn may show your bright splendor. You put him in charge of everything human So he might give real and eternal life to all in his care. And this is the real and eternal life: That they know you, The one and only true God, And Jesus Christ, whom you sent. I glorified you on earth By completing down to the last detail What you assigned me to do. And now, Father, glorify me with your very own splendor, The very splendor I had in your presence Before there was a world.
This is the reason that we exist — that we may know God better.
I both hope and pray this is happening to you, young and old alike.
You never get to the end of knowing more about God.
He is such a fantastic being that revelations about his character and nature keep coming to us, keep being revealed unto us, we truly discover that as we all come know him better, we suddenly blink our eyes, realize what our God is revealing is that we’ve come to a place in our spirits where we know ourselves better too.
So Paul prays for these people.
He doesn’t know their circumstances – he can’t pray for their daily problems and pressures as you can when you know somebody personally – but he can pray, does pray, they may know God better. That will take care of everything.
Will you make it your top priority to know God better?
Will you pray to this end on a daily basis?
In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,
Let us Pray,
Psalm 100 The Message
100 1-2 On your feet now—applaud God! Bring a gift of laughter, sing yourselves into his presence.
3 Know this: God is God, and God, God. He made us; we didn’t make him. We’re his people, his well-tended sheep.
4 Enter with the password: “Thank you!” Make yourselves at home, talking praise. Thank him. Worship him.
5 For God is sheer beauty, all-generous in love, loyal always and ever.
Heavenly Father, please give me the Spirit of wisdom and revelation. Open the eyes of my heart to know the hope and power by which you want me to live. Open my souls eyes, Lord, so that I may see more of who you are.For my Jesus; sake, Amen.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen, amen.
32 “Now therefore, O sons, listen to me, For blessed are they who keep my ways. 33 “Heed instruction and be wise, And do not neglect it. 34 “Blessed is the man who listens to me, Watching daily at my gates, Waiting at my doorposts. 35 “For he who finds me finds life And obtains favor from the Lord.
36 “But he who [a]sins against me injures himself; All those who hate me love death.”
The Word of God for the Children of God.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen, amen.
We often let so many practices of our faith slip between the cracks after so many years of being a Christian.
We sometimes feel “mature” enough to go without consistent habits like fasting and observing the Sabbath, which we adhered to when first coming to the Lord, a perpetual excuse of the business of living and daily distractions.
For me, daily time with God is one of the first to go, right up there with fasting and memorizing the Word.
Starting your day out with God not only dispels the instant chaos assaulting our brains within a minute of consciousness – finding all of the “permission to live” forms and impending deadlines – but places everything under God’s authority.
It is trusting him to the max to see you through every circumstance, knowing he is celebrating with you through the minor successes of the day, and letting him know that, unequivocally, He alone is the Lord of your life. (Psalm 46:10-11)
It’s amazing the difference quiet time makes, though I’m not sure why we’re surprised how spending time with the creator of the universe could positively impact our day.
I’m a more patient sort, a more positive husband, more effective ministry leader, and I’m even nicer to my neighbors when I start out with the Lord.
I believe the number one way to be your “best self” is by remaining close to God – My daily Me + God = a significantly better version of Me.
Whenever friends share about being frustrated at home (or anywhere, really), I always try to ask them how their daily quiet time with the Lord has been lately.
Because I have personally found that it’s so hard to find a quiet anything, let alone an actual sliver of time actually spent in the Word of God and prayer.
It’s easy to convince ourselves we’re spiritually mature enough to make it days, even weeks, without extended, dedicated times of being in the Word and prayer.
It is just another crafty lie from the enemy that affects our inner peace, loved ones, and home life more than anything.
Reserving alone time for God can seem nearly impossible when you’re sleep-deprived or a working full-time parent, but overall, it’s definitely worth it.
Even if you only have quiet time in your car, praying and worshiping, and then reading an online verse or a daily devotional when you get to your workspace, do whatever you can do, short of getting yourself fired, to truly make it happen.
In a time when distractions, chaos seem at an all-time high, I believe the key to having the best 2024 possible is committing to spend more time with the Lord.
This means literally dedicating time each day to quiet our hearts, being still in silence, praying, and, most importantly, just listening to what He has to say.
When we take time to be still and soak in God’s presence intentionally- not when we’re in the we not only receive direction, but we’ll receive all the other benefits from His presence that make such a major difference in our lives.
When we’re in tune with His heart, we’re simply more grounded and focused.
By heeding Wisdom’s words, we’re reminded of how much we’re loved and how truly precious this life is, and we become more of the person we’re meant to be.
Somehow, Wisdom knows all the things that matter rise to the surface, and the “things of the world” take a more rightful, lowly place in our hearts and minds.
Wisdom reveals in these verses that the problems, irritants, and stressors in life diminish, and we’re able to operate above the fray, not distracted or tempted by the myriad of things that come against us by the day or the hour, if not minute.
And how can they not?
How can marital tension, or that pending deadline, or financial strain or health undo us when we are in constant communication with the one who has power and victory over every area of life? They really cannot exist in the same space.
It can be tempting to skip out on quiet time when running the kids out the door every morning, driving to work and falling to our pillows like bricks on cement, muttering “yeah, right, night Lord,” if that. Some days, it’s bound to happen.
But if we are really serious about heeding Wisdoms advice, really want more breakthroughs, changes in habits, and victory in areas we have been praying about for years, we have to daily commit to being still and hearing God’s voice.
We might have to give something up to make the change, like no email or social media before 9 am or a few less episodes of our favorite television or streaming service during the evening, but by God, it will, of course, be more than worth it.
Do you crave wisdom?
A great life and God’s favor depend on it.
Are you eager to hear wisdom taught?
Do you seek it every day?
Do you wait with excited anticipation for any opportunity to learn?
Eager seekers are blessed with life and God’s favor (Proverbs 8:35).
There are rewards for those who seek and find wisdom – the blessing of life and favor of the LORD (Proverbs 8:35).
“Happy is the man that findeth wisdom, and the man that getteth understanding” (Proverbs 3:13-18).
Proverbs 3:13-18 New American Standard Bible 1995
13 How blessed is the man who finds wisdom And the man who gains understanding. 14 For her profit is better than the profit of silver And her gain better than fine gold. 15 She is more precious than [a]jewels; And nothing you desire compares with her. 16 [b]Long life is in her right hand; In her left hand are riches and honor. 17 Her ways are pleasant ways And all her paths are peace. 18 She is a tree of life to those who take hold of her, And happy are all who hold her fast.
What a glorious proposition!
What hinders you today from hearing wisdom?
What hinders you today from seeking wisdom?
What hinders you from discovering wisdom?
Do you watch for her every day?
Are you waiting at the posts of her doors?
She loves those who love her, and those who seek her early will find her (Proverbs 8:17).
I am praying for a year of experiencing Wisdom’s abundance for us all in 2024.
In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,
Let us Pray,
Psalm 27 New American Standard Bible 1995
A Psalm of Fearless Trust in God.
A Psalm of David.
27 The Lord is my light and my salvation; Whom shall I fear? The Lord is the [a]defense of my life; Whom shall I dread? 2 When evildoers came upon me to devour my flesh, My adversaries and my enemies, they stumbled and fell. 3 Though a host encamp against me, My heart will not fear; Though war arise against me, In spite of this I [b]shall be confident.
4 One thing I have asked from the Lord, that I shall seek: That I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, To behold the [c]beauty of the Lord And to [d]meditate in His temple. 5 For in the day of trouble He will conceal me in His [e]tabernacle; In the secret place of His tent He will hide me; He will lift me up on a rock. 6 And now my head will be lifted up above my enemies around me, And I will offer in His tent sacrifices [f]with shouts of joy; I will sing, yes, I will sing praises to the Lord.
7 Hear, O Lord, when I cry with my voice, And be gracious to me and answer me. 8 When You said, “Seek My face,” my heart said to You, “Your face, O Lord, I shall seek.” 9 Do not hide Your face from me, Do not turn Your servant away in anger; You have been my help; Do not abandon me nor forsake me, O God of my salvation! 10 [g]For my father and my mother have forsaken me, But the Lord will take me up.
11 Teach me Your way, O Lord, And lead me in a level path Because of [h]my foes. 12 Do not deliver me over to the [i]desire of my adversaries, For false witnesses have risen against me, And such as breathe out violence. 13 [j]I would have despaired unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the Lord In the land of the living. 14 Wait for the Lord; Be strong and let your heart take courage; Yes, wait for the Lord.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen, amen.
26 Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. 27 And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because[a] the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. 28 And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good,[b] for those who are called according to his purpose.
The Word of God for the Children of God.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen, amen.
The Bible teaches us many things about the Holy Spirit as a counselor working alongside and within us, convicting us of sin and guiding us to full life in Christ.
And in our Romans 8 reading today we learn of a specific way in which the Spirit ministers to us being The Holy Spirit helps us to pray, even prays for us.
In Romans 8, the Apostle Paul is seeking to encourage his readers in the face of discouragement.
Paul urges his readers to keep concentrating on the glory that lies before them in Jesus Christ.
Wait and hope, Apostle Paul goes on to say, because the fullness of all that God has promised will come, and that day will be glorious!
As hope helps us to keep going in times of great difficulty, so the Holy Spirit helps us when we pray.
When we pray, we don’t always have the words to express what we think or how we feel.
In fact, some of our deepest needs and desires can’t even be expressed in words.
Paul calls these “wordless groans.”
But the Holy Spirit “intercedes”—or, more literally, goes between—on our behalf.
He intercedes for us before God.
He helps us pray.
Keep hoping and praying.
And while you’re hoping and praying, be assured that when you have longings deep in your heart that you can’t even fully express, the Holy Spirit presents your needs directly to God the Father, who hears and answers all our prayers.
Our Friendship with the Holy Spirit
At salvation you were given the gift of God himself, the Spirit of Christ, dwelling within you.
Ephesians 1:13-14 says, “In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised HolySpirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory.”
And with the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, friendship with God has been made available to greater depths than you can imagine.
He longs to spend time with you like a friend.
He longs for you to know how he feels, what he thinks is best and your heavenly Father’s heart for you.
Scripture teaches us a lot about the character of the Spirit.
Acts 13:2 teaches us that the Spirit speaks: “While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, ‘Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.’”
In Ephesians 4:30 we learn that the Spirit feels emotions like grief: “And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.”
Romans 8:26-27 teaches us that the Spirit is our Helper and prays for us:
“Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.”
Friendship with the Spirit is one of God’s greatest gifts to us.
He speaks to us, is emotionally invested in our lives, helps us in our weakness and prays for us when we don’t have the words.
So great is God’s love for you that he sent his Spirit to dwell with you.
So great is his desire for continued relationship with you that, in his grace, he has given you himself as a constant companion.
Another important characteristic of the Spirit, however, is that he will not force relationship on you.
He speaks when you listen, he gives you revelation as you open your mind to receive it, and he leads you as you ask for his guidance.
The Spirit is full of incredible power but also incredible meekness and humility.
He is both powerful and respectful.
If you ask for a deeper friendship with the Holy Spirit, you will find he is the best friend you have ever known.
Take time as you enter into prayer to get to know the Holy Spirit like a friend.
In his book The Pursuit of God A.W. Tozer writes,
“Religion, so far as it is genuine, is in essence the response of created personalities to the creating personality, God.”
The Holy Spirit has a personality.
He has likes and dislikes.
He feels, thinks, enjoys, likes, suffers, and desires. May your time in prayer be filled with new levels of friendship with the Spirit of God dwelling within you.
In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,
Let us Pray,
1.Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal his nearness to you.
Take time to acknowledge his presence.
“In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory.” Ephesians 1:13-14
2. Give thanks to the Spirit for who he is.
Thank him for his presence in your life. Thank him for his desire to speak to you, lead you, help you and pray for you.
“While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, ‘Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.’” Acts 13:2
“Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.” Romans 8:26-27
3. Now ask the Spirit how he’s currently feeling.
Ask him his perspective on anything in your life or the world around you.
Listen and pay attention to any inclination you feel brought to mind.
Perhaps even take the time and make the effort to journal what he says.
Remember, friendship with the Spirit is like any other friendship in that it develops over time.
Like a new friend, you must get to know his character and personality.
Spend time just talking with him, listening to him and allowing him to work in your heart and life. He is an incredible gift given to you.
He is your gateway to experiencing the things of God. Walk in relationship with him, go forth, follow his guidance, make a new best friend in the Holy Spirit.
Holy Spirit, thank you for interceding on our behalf. Give us hope and help us to pray. We trust you, we heartily welcome you into our atmosphere in Jesus’ name. Amen.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen, amen.
13 Is anyone among you suffering? Then he must pray. Is anyone cheerful? He is to sing praises. 14 Is anyone among you sick? Then he must call for the elders of the church and they are to pray over him, [a]anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord; 15 and the prayer [b]offered in faith will [c]restore the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up, and if he has committed sins, [d]they will be forgiven him. 16 Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another so that you may be healed. The effective [e]prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much.
The Word of God for the Children of God.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen, amen.
Life is filled with highs and lows.
Navigating the terrains of our ups and downs of life can be a OMG challenge.
Thankfully the Bible gives us some insight on how to approach our hardships and our joy.
God doesn’t leave us on our own in either season -in our lives, there is no struggle that He is not present for or celebration He doesn’t know about.
What does God say about the hard times?
The enemy of our souls continuously wants to speak the lie of aloneness in our ears when things start to feel and act like so much more than we can handle.
We become paralyzed in the belief that no one is there to support us, thoughts of guilt or shame may stop us from being open about our struggles, and the idea that no one can understand what we are going through can keep us stuck alone.
Without the availability and resources and support of others or a strong grasp on God’s love for you in those hard moments, hopelessness can begin to set in like an ugly fast spreading disease, like plaque building in your hearts arteries.
The Bible tells us that “hope deferred makes the heart sick” (Proverbs 13:12).
This is precisely why the Bible instructs us to turn to God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit in prayer when things fall apart and we suffer.
Psalm 13 New American Standard Bible 1995
Prayer for Help in Trouble.
For the choir director. A Psalm of David.
13 How long, O Lord? Will You forget me forever? How long will You hide Your face from me? 2 How long shall I take counsel in my soul, Having sorrow in my heart all the day? How long will my enemy be exalted over me?
3 Considerand answer me, O Lord my God; Enlighten my eyes, or I will sleep the sleep of death, 4 And my enemy will say, “I have overcome him,” And my adversaries will rejoice when I am shaken.
5 But I have trusted in Your lovingkindness; My heart shall rejoice in Your salvation. 6 I will sing to the Lord, Because He has dealt bountifully with me.
When we begin to connect with God through prayer and study of his Word, hope can return to our hearts!
We are reminded that we are loved and never alone.
God gives us the strength we need to share our stories with others that can support us, further breaking the chains of aloneness and hopelessness.
When you are in a season of suffering, bring it all to Jesus… bring all of the frustration, desperation, loneliness, or anger and lay them at the feet of Jesus.
Luke 18:1-8 New American Standard Bible 1995
Parables on Prayer
18 Now He was telling them a parable to show that at all times they ought to pray and not to lose heart, 2 saying, “In a certain city there was a judge who did not fear God and did not respect man. 3 There was a widow in that city, and she kept coming to him, saying, ‘[a]Give me legal protection from my opponent.’ 4 For a while he was unwilling; but afterward he said to himself, ‘Even though I do not fear God nor respect man, 5 yet because this widow bothers me, I will [b] give her legal protection, otherwise by continually coming she will [c]wear me out.’” 6 And the Lord said, “Hear what the unrighteous judge *said; 7 now, will not God bring about justice for His elect who cry to Him day and night, [d]and will He delay long over them? 8 I tell you that He will bring about justice for them quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will He find [e]faith on the earth?”
God is not repelled by honesty.
He already knows the state of our lives and hearts.
You will not offend God with your sin or doubt.
He pleads with us saying please come to me first.
He loves you so much that He died to take away your sin and pain.
In seasons of joy, sing praises to your God!
We can get so caught up in our own pleasures that we take the good for granted and only turn to God in hardship.
God invites us back to be in his presence in both our seasons of joy and seasons of suffering.
When prayers are answered, when a milestone is achieved, or when the sunset takes your breath away, or your kids knock it out of the park, when your spouse does something special like says “I Love You!” take a moment, give God all glory.
It is Overcoming! It’s our ability to see God in the joy-filled seasons that helps prepare us for the times and seasons of suffering and despondency.
If we don’t have the ability to notice God’s grace, provision, and kindness when it is directly in our faces, how will we recognize God at work when life is heavy?
We need that ledger available in our minds of all the ways God has already come through for us to lean on when doubt, worry, or when suffering enters our lives.
Acts 17:24-28 New American Standard Bible 1995
24 The God who made the world and all things in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands; 25 nor is He served by human hands, as though He needed anything, since He Himself gives to all people life and breath and all things; 26 and He made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined their appointed times and the boundaries of their habitation, 27 that they would seek God, if perhaps they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us; 28 for in Him we live and move and [a]exist, as even some of your own poets have said, ‘For we also are His children.’
What season are you in now?
Are you barely keeping it together or are you loving every minute of life?
Either way, God is there, and He wants you to look to Him in each and every season of life brings your way.
Acts 17:28 says it like this “For in him we live and move and exist.As some of our own poets have said, ‘We are his offspring.”
He is our source of life, but even more than that, God wants to do life with you.
Remember to faithfully offer prayer and praise in both your joy and suffering.
Romans 12:9-13 New American Standard Bible 1995
9 Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil; cling to what is good. 10 Be devoted to one another in brotherly love; [a]give preference to one another in honor; 11 not lagging behind in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord; 12 rejoicing in hope, persevering in tribulation, devoted to prayer,13 contributing to the needs of the [b]saints, [c]practicing hospitality.
Joyful hope and patience in affliction go against the grain of our own natures.
Despair and self-pity come much more easily.
In times like that, it’s important to turn to God in prayer.
We pray for many reasons: to thank God for blessings, to praise God, to confess sins, to seek God’s guidance.
In addition, we pray to ask God for help.
Asking God for help may be the most natural prayer of all.
Sometimes God answers our requests for help exactly as we ask, sometimes not.
Either way, the Bible calls us to be faithful in prayer.
Prayer—thanking, praising, confessing, asking for help—connects us with God.
Prayer builds relationship.
Prayer strengthens the bond between God and us.
When you have a good connection, a good friendship, good relationship with someone, hopefulness and patience become a bit easier, especially when that invaluable connection someone, is the Creator and Sustainer of the universe.
In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,
Let us Pray,
Psalm 42 New American Standard Bible 1995
BOOK 2
Thirsting for God in Trouble and Exile.
For the choir director. A [a]Maskil of the sons of Korah.
42 As the deer [b]pants for the water brooks, So my soul [c]pants for You, O God. 2 My soul thirsts for God, for the living God; When shall I come and [d]appear before God? 3 My tears have been my food day and night, While they say to me all day long, “Where is your God?” 4 These things I remember and I pour out my soul within me. For I used to go along with the throng and [e]lead them in procession to the house of God, With the voice of joy and thanksgiving, a multitude keeping festival.
5 Why are you [f]in despair, O my soul? And why have you become disturbed within me? [g]Hope in God, for I shall [h]again praise [i]Him For the [j]help of His presence. 6 O my God, my soul is [k]in despair within me; Therefore I remember You from the land of the Jordan And the [l]peaks of Hermon, from Mount Mizar. 7 Deep calls to deep at the sound of Your waterfalls; All Your breakers and Your waves have rolled over me. 8 The Lord will command His lovingkindness in the daytime; And His song will be with me in the night, A prayer to the God of my life.
9 I will say to God my rock, “Why have You forgotten me? Why do I go mourning [m]because of the oppression of the enemy?” 10 As a shattering of my bones, my adversaries revile me, While they say to me all day long, “Where is your God?” 11 Why are you [n]in despair, O my soul? And why have you become disturbed within me? [o]Hope in God, for I shall yet praise Him, The [p]help of my countenance and my God.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen, amen.
Loving God, Living God, Loving Hope, Living Hope, Loving Living Life His Way! "Many things are possible for the person who has hope. Even more is possible for the person who has faith. And still more is possible for the person who knows how to love. But everything is possible for the person who practices all three virtues." - Brother Lawrence (1605-1691), Practicing the Presence of God (1692). 