I was thinking about the elections for the presidency here in America and depending on who gets elected will have a big impact on not only our Nation, but the world as a whole.
Then the Lord brought the following scriptures to mind:
II Chronicles 7:14-15
If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and PRAY, and SEEK MY FACE, and TURN from their wicked ways; then I will HEAR from heaven, and will FORGIVE their sin, and will HEAL their land.
Now mine eyes shall be OPEN, and mine ears ATTENT unto the prayer that is made in this place.
Two scriptures that if we would only do them, could change the world. When I read this it sounds so simple, but if it is that simple, then I would have to question "Why aren't we doing it?"
Perhaps in all the hustle and bustle of life, we have forgot the very foundation of prayer and how we should walk before the Lord.
Blessings on you today!
Saturday, January 5, 2008
Friday, January 4, 2008
How to walk before the Lord!
I was thinking of how each person began the new year. Some probably didn't feel very well, depending on how much partying they did and what they had to drink. Some probably didn't feel well physically and some probably felt the same as they always had.
I thought about what the Lord would like of us and came across this verse:
Micah 6:8
“He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.”
God want us to act justly to each other. To love mercy, be kind to our neighbor, and to walk humbly with the Lord. I wonder is that really such a hard thing? Why does it seem so hard for some “Christians” to live a life pleasing to God? Why do they want to compromise the relationship with the Lord?
I don’t want to do anything to jeopardize my relationship with the Lord. In fact this year I want to strive to get more intimate with Him each day.
God Bless You!
I thought about what the Lord would like of us and came across this verse:
Micah 6:8
“He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.”
God want us to act justly to each other. To love mercy, be kind to our neighbor, and to walk humbly with the Lord. I wonder is that really such a hard thing? Why does it seem so hard for some “Christians” to live a life pleasing to God? Why do they want to compromise the relationship with the Lord?
I don’t want to do anything to jeopardize my relationship with the Lord. In fact this year I want to strive to get more intimate with Him each day.
God Bless You!
Thursday, January 3, 2008
Power of Prayer
Greetings from rainy, soggy, Oregon,
Yesterday I commented on prayer and how do we pray? In the night last night and this morning when I woke up I thought about different prophets, men and women in the Bible who prayed and God answered most of them instantly with amazing results.
Take Elijah for instance,
I Kings 18:37-38
37 Hear me, O LORD, hear me, that this people may know that thou art the LORD God, and that thou hast turned their heart back again.
38 Then the fire of the LORD fell, and consumed the burnt sacrifice, and the wood, and the stones, and the dust, and licked up the water that was in the trench.
To me this is a simple prayer that Elijah prayed, but look at what the Lord did;
First He heard Elijah
Second He turned the people's hearts back to Him
Third The fire of the LORD fell
Fourth it consumed the burnt sacrifice
Fifth it consumed the wood
Sixth it consumed the stones
Seventh it consumed the dust
Eight it licked up the water that was in the trench.
There was absolutely nothing left of the sacrifice or the altar.
This amazes me that Elijah prayed such a short prayer and God did such a miracle; but then I went back a verse and therein lies the answer
36 And it came to pass at the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, that Elijah the prophet came near, and said, LORD God of Abraham, Isaac, and of Israel, let it be known this day that thou art God in Israel, and that I am thy servant, and that I have done all these things at thy word.
Elijah had such a relationship with God he knew God would not let him down. I know if I am to be the effective woman God wants me to be an if I want to be used of God to have miracles happen then I have to spend time in the Word and in prayer. I want to see changes this year in the family, and friends not only spiritually, but financially and physically as well. In order for that to happen I (and anyone else who feels called) needs to develop a closer relationship with the Lord.
God Bless You!Joy
Yesterday I commented on prayer and how do we pray? In the night last night and this morning when I woke up I thought about different prophets, men and women in the Bible who prayed and God answered most of them instantly with amazing results.
Take Elijah for instance,
I Kings 18:37-38
37 Hear me, O LORD, hear me, that this people may know that thou art the LORD God, and that thou hast turned their heart back again.
38 Then the fire of the LORD fell, and consumed the burnt sacrifice, and the wood, and the stones, and the dust, and licked up the water that was in the trench.
To me this is a simple prayer that Elijah prayed, but look at what the Lord did;
First He heard Elijah
Second He turned the people's hearts back to Him
Third The fire of the LORD fell
Fourth it consumed the burnt sacrifice
Fifth it consumed the wood
Sixth it consumed the stones
Seventh it consumed the dust
Eight it licked up the water that was in the trench.
There was absolutely nothing left of the sacrifice or the altar.
This amazes me that Elijah prayed such a short prayer and God did such a miracle; but then I went back a verse and therein lies the answer
36 And it came to pass at the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, that Elijah the prophet came near, and said, LORD God of Abraham, Isaac, and of Israel, let it be known this day that thou art God in Israel, and that I am thy servant, and that I have done all these things at thy word.
Elijah had such a relationship with God he knew God would not let him down. I know if I am to be the effective woman God wants me to be an if I want to be used of God to have miracles happen then I have to spend time in the Word and in prayer. I want to see changes this year in the family, and friends not only spiritually, but financially and physically as well. In order for that to happen I (and anyone else who feels called) needs to develop a closer relationship with the Lord.
God Bless You!Joy
Wednesday, January 2, 2008
How should we Pray?
I have been thinking a lot about prayer and how to pray and thought I would share some of them with you.
How should a person pray? Have you ever thought about how you pray? Do you just say "Lord help Joy" (for example) and then go on your way? Sometimes I feel that is what I do, but other times I spend time in deep prayer for someone. When someone asks you to pray for them, do you pray with them right then? Do you put if off and then forget about it? Do you pray God's will or pray what you think that person needs. Do you try to pray your will on their life and not God's? Do you kneel when you pray? Do you walk around with your eyes open. If you walk around with your eyes open, are you focused on your prayer or all the things that need done?
These are things I have been pondering so I can change the way I pray if God directs me to pray differently.
Psalms 5:3
In the morning You hear my voice, O Lord; in the morning I prepare [a prayer, a sacrifice] for You and watch and wait [for You to speak to my heart].
Another scripture talks about praying morning, noon, and night. So I guess praying anytime is the right time.
Can you pray through song or would that be praising?
Isaiah 61:1-2
1 THE SPIRIT of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed and qualified me to preach the Gospel of good tidings to the meek, the poor, and afflicted; He has sent me to bind up and heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the [physical and spiritual] captives and the opening of the prison and of the eyes to those who are bound,
2 To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord [the year of His favor] and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn,
In talking with my sister, Fawnie, the other day we talked about verse 2 and we have decided to proclaim this year as the acceptable year of the Lord. To proclaim all the good things we want to have happen not only in ourselves, but in our families, and friends lives as well. But I think in order to do the first part you have to do the second part and that is to proclaim God's vengeance against the things that are not good. We also need to comfort each other.
How should a person pray? Have you ever thought about how you pray? Do you just say "Lord help Joy" (for example) and then go on your way? Sometimes I feel that is what I do, but other times I spend time in deep prayer for someone. When someone asks you to pray for them, do you pray with them right then? Do you put if off and then forget about it? Do you pray God's will or pray what you think that person needs. Do you try to pray your will on their life and not God's? Do you kneel when you pray? Do you walk around with your eyes open. If you walk around with your eyes open, are you focused on your prayer or all the things that need done?
These are things I have been pondering so I can change the way I pray if God directs me to pray differently.
Psalms 5:3
In the morning You hear my voice, O Lord; in the morning I prepare [a prayer, a sacrifice] for You and watch and wait [for You to speak to my heart].
Another scripture talks about praying morning, noon, and night. So I guess praying anytime is the right time.
Can you pray through song or would that be praising?
Isaiah 61:1-2
1 THE SPIRIT of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed and qualified me to preach the Gospel of good tidings to the meek, the poor, and afflicted; He has sent me to bind up and heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the [physical and spiritual] captives and the opening of the prison and of the eyes to those who are bound,
2 To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord [the year of His favor] and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn,
In talking with my sister, Fawnie, the other day we talked about verse 2 and we have decided to proclaim this year as the acceptable year of the Lord. To proclaim all the good things we want to have happen not only in ourselves, but in our families, and friends lives as well. But I think in order to do the first part you have to do the second part and that is to proclaim God's vengeance against the things that are not good. We also need to comfort each other.
Tuesday, January 1, 2008
I'M BACK
WOW, I just signed in this morning thinking it had only been a week since I had posted a devotional; only to find out it was a lot longer than that.
I have had a really hard time this year with the death of my husband even though he died in 2006, a cousin getting killed in a car accident, and a host of other things that I guess I allowed to get me down. I didn't realize how far or discouraged I was until God began dealing with me on not doing my devotional.
I ask you to forgive me as I begin this new year wanting to again try to do the devotionals. I have received such encouragement from you that I know now I should have shared what I was going through and asked you guys to pray with me. Only sometimes I don't think we really know what or why we go through things. I was going through all the motions of everything be OK, but knew they weren't.
In Jeremiah 42:6 the people told Jeremiah "Whether it be good, or whether it be evil, we will obey the voice of the Lord our God, to who we send thee; that it may be will with us, when we obey the voice of the Lord our God. That is my desire this year and for the rest of my life is to obey the voice of the Lord my God that it may be well with me. I pray it will be well with each of you as you begin this new year.
God Bless You!
I have had a really hard time this year with the death of my husband even though he died in 2006, a cousin getting killed in a car accident, and a host of other things that I guess I allowed to get me down. I didn't realize how far or discouraged I was until God began dealing with me on not doing my devotional.
I ask you to forgive me as I begin this new year wanting to again try to do the devotionals. I have received such encouragement from you that I know now I should have shared what I was going through and asked you guys to pray with me. Only sometimes I don't think we really know what or why we go through things. I was going through all the motions of everything be OK, but knew they weren't.
In Jeremiah 42:6 the people told Jeremiah "Whether it be good, or whether it be evil, we will obey the voice of the Lord our God, to who we send thee; that it may be will with us, when we obey the voice of the Lord our God. That is my desire this year and for the rest of my life is to obey the voice of the Lord my God that it may be well with me. I pray it will be well with each of you as you begin this new year.
God Bless You!
Thursday, November 29, 2007
Establish Your Thoughts!
Prov 16:1-31 The preparations of the heart in man, and the answer of the tongue, is from the LORD.2 All the ways of a man are clean in his own eyes; but the LORD weigheth the spirits.3 Commit thy works unto the LORD, and thy thoughts shall be established.KJV
I have been thinking a lot lately of the words that roll off my tongue. I had to ask myself do I even think about what I am saying or do I say the first thing that comes into my mind?
When I commit my mind unto the Lord, and seek Him for the words He wants me to say to someone, then I know they will be health to that person.
The words I speak should reflect the characteristics of God. They should build a person up and not tear them down. This should be the same for the words I speak to myself as well.
I am going to try with the Lord’s help to speak healing words. Words that have meaning, words that will be beneficial to others to encourage them and give them hope.
Wednesday, November 28, 2007
The Little foxes!
Greetings,
It is a wonderful, frosty morning here on the farm. I don't know what today holds for me, however yesterday was an interesting day. I inadvertently put some liquid dish soap into my dishwasher thinking it was dishwasher detergent. Took me almost 3 hours to get out all the soapsuds. Now I could have yelled, said some bad words and other things, however I chose to keep a pleasant attitude. In fact I used that time to visit with the Lord.
I kept thinking about the verse in the Bible of the little foxes that destroy the tender grapes.
Song of Solomon 2:15 (King James Version)
Take us the foxes, the little foxes, that spoil the vines: for our vines have tender grapes.
Sometimes it seems to me it is the little foxes that strive to get me upset. I seem to handle the major things more, but then I think that usually it's not one little thing, but several bunched together that begins to wear on me. If I can take them one at a time and think what to do or ask God to help me I don't seem to get so weary.
For some people I think it's the little things all coming at them at once that causes them to act the way they do. To begin to question if God is really real. To begin to doubt, thus causing them to begin to slip away from their belief in the Lord. Watch for the little foxes and destroy them before they try to spoil your relationship with Jesus.
Remember Jesus is your load bearer. He will see you through. He is ever faithful. He is ever true. He is ever worthy to be praised, no matter what!
God Bless!
Joy
It is a wonderful, frosty morning here on the farm. I don't know what today holds for me, however yesterday was an interesting day. I inadvertently put some liquid dish soap into my dishwasher thinking it was dishwasher detergent. Took me almost 3 hours to get out all the soapsuds. Now I could have yelled, said some bad words and other things, however I chose to keep a pleasant attitude. In fact I used that time to visit with the Lord.
I kept thinking about the verse in the Bible of the little foxes that destroy the tender grapes.
Song of Solomon 2:15 (King James Version)
Take us the foxes, the little foxes, that spoil the vines: for our vines have tender grapes.
Sometimes it seems to me it is the little foxes that strive to get me upset. I seem to handle the major things more, but then I think that usually it's not one little thing, but several bunched together that begins to wear on me. If I can take them one at a time and think what to do or ask God to help me I don't seem to get so weary.
For some people I think it's the little things all coming at them at once that causes them to act the way they do. To begin to question if God is really real. To begin to doubt, thus causing them to begin to slip away from their belief in the Lord. Watch for the little foxes and destroy them before they try to spoil your relationship with Jesus.
Remember Jesus is your load bearer. He will see you through. He is ever faithful. He is ever true. He is ever worthy to be praised, no matter what!
God Bless!
Joy
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