Category: Prayer
Our Relationship with God
Love
The Deadliest Form of Fake News, and How to Identify Reliable Information
12.5.2023
No one likes to learn that there may be errors or falsehoods in their religions, traditions, churches, or personal beliefs. We should find ways to determine the accuracy of our research, use those that we trust, and seek to understand what religions teach or believe to accurately discuss or write concerning those subjects.
—
An article How to Identify Reliable Information, addresses this topic:
https://www.stevenson.edu/online/about-us/news/how-to-identify-reliable-information/
“Whether you are a journalist, researcher writer or someone in the professional fields, it is important to know how to identify real information and use it accurately. That is our real challenge in the 21st century – Lee E Krahenbuhl, Communication Studies Program Coordinator
With the infinite amount of information online, it can be difficult to decipher what is true and accurate and what is not. Once you know the trick to identifying reliable information, you can quickly determine if what you are reading is accurate or not.
What is reliable information?
Reliable information must come from dependable sources. According to UGA Libraries, a reliable source will provide a “thorough, well-reasoned theory, argument, based on strong evidence.”
Widely credible sources include:
- Scholarly, peer-reviewed articles and books
- Trade or professional articles or books, magazine articles, books, and newspaper articles from well-established companies
- Other sources like websites and blog posts can be dependable but require further evaluation.
You may be asking yourself, “what source is best for me?” Depending on the type of information you need, your sources may vary. Look at journal articles and research-based reports. This is because those types of sources typically include more information on the topic at hand.
How to identify reliable sources
What makes the source reliable?
To determine whether a source is reliable or not, you must look at certain criteria. That criteria are as follows:
Authority:
- Who is the author?
- What are their credentials?
- Do they have knowledgeable experience in the field
- What is their reputation?
Accuracy: Compare the author’s information to that which you already know is dependable.
- Are there proper citations?
- Is the information biased?
- If so, does it affect research conclusions?
Coverage: Is the information relevant to your topic and does it meet your needs? Consider what you need such as statistics, charts, and graphs.
Currency: Is your topic constantly evolving? Topics in the news require sources that are up to date.
The importance of reliable information
The Internet is scattered with biased, misleading, and altogether incorrect information and that is why it is important to follow the above criteria. The importance of using reliable sources truly boils down to effective communication. If your knowledge is based on unreliable information, you will not be a trustworthy asset.
Credible communication is key in discussing a subject. That is why you should not just grab any information off the Internet. Using unreliable sources results in negative consequences.
Credibility is especially important because using unreliable data can cause questions that may undermine your reliability and may cause others to rely solely on their own opinions rather than factual data.
Using credible sources for information will increase your reputation and trustworthiness. An article by the Ivy Business Journal supports this idea by expressing that trust is a key factor in building loyalty, increasing credibility, and supporting effective communication. It is important to develop your skills in identifying reliable resources, because it will help you become an effective communicator, reader, and/or writer.
Prayer
There’s a fork in the road.
If we choose the way of personally accepting Jesus (which is the decision to do everything through love, and as a result gives us a new heart-set), then we don’t ever have to go down the road of destruction that the other decision leads to.
Are you lonely?
Pressured by the circumstances
I am a Child of God
As Prayer Warriors
Praying
We are given an awesome opportunity to show God and our fellow persons that we love them, by praying for them just as God has told us to do.
In the lion’s den
The angel that came to Daniel in the pit did not kill the lions he simply closed their mouths and stood with him in the midst of terrible danger.Meshach, Shadrach, and Abednego were not saved from the fire they stood in the midst of it with their savior. Moses and the Israelites did not have the Red Sea removed from in front of them it was simply parted for them to walk through. Silver is refined in the refiner’s fire and it’s only finished once the Refiner’s reflection can be seen in the silver. Grapes are crushed under foot to produce the sweetest wine, and olives are pressed in order to extract the purest oil.What makes you think that we are any different? We will walk through this tribulation, many will fall away because they stand on sand not the Cornerstone, Yeshua and scriptural truth, The WORD.
Larissa C. Clark
Is once saved, always saved biblical?
ANSWER
Once a person is saved are they always saved? Yes, when people come to know Christ as their Savior, they are brought into a relationship with God that guarantees their salvation as eternally secure. To be clear, salvation is more than saying a prayer or “making a decision” for Christ; salvation is a sovereign act of God whereby an unregenerate sinner is washed, renewed, and born again by the Holy Spirit (John 3:3; Titus 3:5). When salvation occurs, God gives the forgiven sinner a new heart and puts a new spirit within him (Ezekiel 36:26). The Spirit will cause the saved person to walk in obedience to God’s Word (Ezekiel 36:26–27; James 2:26). Numerous passages of Scripture declare the fact that, as an act of God, salvation is secure:
(a) Romans 8:30 declares, “And those He predestined, He also called; those He called, He also justified; those He justified, He also glorified.” This verse tells us that from the moment God chooses us, it is as if we are glorified in His presence in heaven. There is nothing that can prevent a believer from one day being glorified because God has already purposed it in heaven. Once a person is justified, his salvation is guaranteed—he is as secure as if he is already glorified in heaven.
(b) Paul asks two crucial questions in Romans 8:33-34 “Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. Who is he that condemns? Christ Jesus, who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us.” Who will bring a charge against God’s elect? No one will, because Christ is our advocate. Who will condemn us? No one will, because Christ, the One who died for us, is the one who condemns. We have both the advocate and judge as our Savior.
(c) Believers are born again (regenerated) when they believe (John 3:3; Titus 3:5). For a Christian to lose his salvation, he would have to be un-regenerated. The Bible gives no evidence that the new birth can be taken away.
(d) The Holy Spirit indwells all believers (John 14:17; Romans 8:9) and baptizes all believers into the Body of Christ (1 Corinthians 12:13). For a believer to become unsaved, he would have to be “un-indwelt” and detached from the Body of Christ.
(e) John 3:15 states that whoever believes in Jesus Christ will “have eternal life.” If you believe in Christ today and have eternal life, but lose it tomorrow, then it was never “eternal” at all. Hence, if you lose your salvation, the promises of eternal life in the Bible would be in error.
(f) In a conclusive argument, Scripture says, “For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:38–39). Remember the same God who saved you is the same God who will keep you. Once we are saved, we are always saved. Our salvation is most definitely eternally secure!
Faith
So much going on right now all over the world. It would be easy to be tempted to lose our faith. But that’s not going to be an option, is it?
I found this message on a facebook site and I was having one of those moments, primarily because I’m trying to spread the love of God around a lot of places today, and my computer is acting up…even while trying to post this. So I’m going to put a Ha Ha to Satan, and keep going.
All Things…
I don’t know
I feel the most unsettled when I’m uncertain about the future.Many of you are also probably facing circumstances that have left you feeling caught off guard and unsure about what tomorrow holds. So many times I find myself bracing for impact when I check my daily news feed. If there’s one word that seems most certain to describe the times we are living in, it’s “uncertain.”There are thousands of scenarios that evoke these feelings of uncertainty, fear and exhaustion from life not being like you thought it would be.Whatever your situation, you probably feel like you can’t change it, but you still have to live through the realities of what’s happening right now. Sometimes you just have to walk in your “I don’t know.” The Lord makes it clear in His Word that things will not always go as we wish they would in this life. The crucial detail for us to have peace in the middle of everything we face is to stay close to the Lord. We think we want comfort in the “I don’t know” times of life. But comfort isn’t a solution to seek; rather, it’s a byproduct we’ll reap when we stay close to the Lord.I wish I could promise you that everything’s going to turn out like you’re hoping it will. I can’t, of course. But what I can promise you is this: God is close to us even in our “I don’t knows.” God has lessons for us that are crucially important for our future, and we’re learning them in the middle of our “I don’t knows.” God has a strength He must prepare us with, and the training ground is here in the “I don’t know.”This time isn’t a waste, and it’s definitely not pointless when we are walking with God. Let’s cry out to God, declaring that this hard time will be a holy time, a close-to-God time. And let’s choose to believe there is good happening, even in these places. We can rest in the knowledge that wherever God is, good is being worked.-What difficult “I don’t know” season are you walking through today?
PROVERBS 31 MINISTRIES
NOTHING can separate us from the love of God
New International Version
Romans 8:38-39
For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Read all of Romans 8
Who is in you!
4 You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.
1 John 4:4
Remember this verse as we go into the next year!
May God bless all of you, as we embrace Him and each other.
Love embraced
Praying for all
who embrace love in every aspect,
daily.
Praying that we all
come back to the basics
of seeking God first
and loving each other!
Sitting in Heavenly Places
Pondering, letting my thoughts go upward and all around me up to HIM, I constantly Sit in Heavenly Places. It’s joy unspeakable! ~ Sharon
Six reasons why we shouldn’t worry
1. It’s fruitless.
2. It’s disobedience.
3. It’s taking what is not yet given.
4. It’s refusing the given.
5. It is the antithesis of trust. If you trust, you can’t worry. If you worry, you can’t trust.
6. It is a wicked squandering of time and energy.
~ Elizabeth Elliott Quotes
DON’T STROLL THROUGH THE SWAMP
“You’re gonna regret it!” I waved away the warning without turning around. What was to regret? I took the shortcut.
I was on my way to a picnic. The tables sat on the other side of a marsh. The parks department had kindly constructed a bridge over the marsh. But who needed a bridge? I ventured in. The mud swallowed my feet. Squiggly things swam past me. I think I saw a set of eyeballs peering in my direction. I backpedaled—flip-flops sucked into the abyss. I exited, mud covered, mosquito bitten, and red faced.
I walked over and took my seat at the picnic table. It made for a miserable picnic, but it makes for an apt proverb. Life comes with voices. Voices lead to choices, and choices have consequences!
~ Max Lucado
Grace and Power
No part of our lives is hidden from God’s grace and power.
~ Our Daily Bread
No fear
ABC’s of Salvation
Kindling
We are the World! Happy New Year!
Praying for blessings to all of you around the world. May we all come together to find what is best in each of us. Love surely is better than hate. Working together, standing together, loving together will make the difference. If you are upset about something, find your voice. Go on Twitter, Facebook, start a Website, care and share positive ideas and progressive thinking instead of crying in a corner. We can all light the place where we stand and that light will shine enough to change things.
Be blessed with much love, joy, and happiness!
Sharon & Erick
There comes a time when we heed a certain call
When the world must come together as one
There are people dying
And its time to lend a hand to life
The greatest gift of all
We can’t go on pretending day by day
That someone, somehow will soon make a change
We are all a part of Gods great big family
And the truth, you know,
Love is all we need
We are the world, we are the children
We are the ones who make a brighter day
So lets start giving
Losing my religion for equality
Although this article was published in 2015, when I discovered it today, I thought it important to share. ~ Sharon Rule
Jimmy Carter
Published: April 27, 2015 – 11:12AM
Women and girls have been discriminated against for too long in a twisted interpretation of the word of God.
I HAVE been a practising Christian all my life and a deacon and Bible teacher for many years. My faith is a source of strength and comfort to me, as religious beliefs are to hundreds of millions of people around the world. So my decision to sever my ties with the Southern Baptist Convention, after six decades, was painful and difficult. It was, however, an unavoidable decision when the convention’s leaders, quoting a few carefully selected Bible verses and claiming that Eve was created second to Adam and was responsible for original sin, ordained that women must be “subservient” to their husbands and prohibited from serving as deacons, pastors or chaplains in the military service.
This view that women are somehow inferior to men is not restricted to one religion or belief. Women are prevented from playing a full and equal role in many faiths. Nor, tragically, does its influence stop at the walls of the church, mosque, synagogue or temple. This discrimination, unjustifiably attributed to a Higher Authority, has provided a reason or excuse for the deprivation of women’s equal rights across the world for centuries.
At its most repugnant, the belief that women must be subjugated to the wishes of men excuses slavery, violence, forced prostitution, genital mutilation and national laws that omit rape as a crime. But it also costs many millions of girls and women control over their own bodies and lives, and continues to deny them fair access to education, health, employment and influence within their own communities.
The impact of these religious beliefs touches every aspect of our lives. They help explain why in many countries boys are educated before girls; why girls are told when and whom they must marry; and why many face enormous and unacceptable risks in pregnancy and childbirth because their basic health needs are not met.
In some Islamic nations, women are restricted in their movements, punished for permitting the exposure of an arm or ankle, deprived of education, prohibited from driving a car or competing with men for a job. If a woman is raped, she is often most severely punished as the guilty party in the crime.
The same discriminatory thinking lies behind the continuing gender gap in pay and why there are still so few women in office in the West. The root of this prejudice lies deep in our histories, but its impact is felt every day. It is not women and girls alone who suffer. It damages all of us. The evidence shows that investing in women and girls delivers major benefits for society. An educated woman has healthier children. She is more likely to send them to school. She earns more and invests what she earns in her family.
It is simply self-defeating for any community to discriminate against half its population. We need to challenge these self-serving and outdated attitudes and practices – as we are seeing in Iran where women are at the forefront of the battle for democracy and freedom.
I understand, however, why many political leaders can be reluctant about stepping into this minefield. Religion, and tradition, are powerful and sensitive areas to challenge. But my fellow Elders and I, who come from many faiths and backgrounds, no longer need to worry about winning votes or avoiding controversy – and we are deeply committed to challenging injustice wherever we see it.
The Elders are an independent group of eminent global leaders, brought together by former South African president Nelson Mandela, who offer their influence and experience to support peace building, help address major causes of human suffering and promote the shared interests of humanity. We have decided to draw particular attention to the responsibility of religious and traditional leaders in ensuring equality and human rights and have recently published a statement that declares: “The justification of discrimination against women and girls on grounds of religion or tradition, as if it were prescribed by a Higher Authority, is unacceptable.”
We are calling on all leaders to challenge and change the harmful teachings and practices, no matter how ingrained, which justify discrimination against women. We ask, in particular, that leaders of all religions have the courage to acknowledge and emphasise the positive messages of dignity and equality that all the world’s major faiths share.
The carefully selected verses found in the Holy Scriptures to justify the superiority of men owe more to time and place – and the determination of male leaders to hold onto their influence – than eternal truths. Similar biblical excerpts could be found to support the approval of slavery and the timid acquiescence to oppressive rulers.
I am also familiar with vivid descriptions in the same Scriptures in which women are revered as pre-eminent leaders. During the years of the early Christian church women served as deacons, priests, bishops, apostles, teachers and prophets. It wasn’t until the fourth century that dominant Christian leaders, all men, twisted and distorted Holy Scriptures to perpetuate their ascendant positions within the religious hierarchy.
The truth is that male religious leaders have had – and still have – an option to interpret holy teachings either to exalt or subjugate women. They have, for their own selfish ends, overwhelmingly chosen the latter. Their continuing choice provides the foundation or justification for much of the pervasive persecution and abuse of women throughout the world. This is in clear violation not just of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights but also the teachings of Jesus Christ, the Apostle Paul, Moses and the prophets, Muhammad, and founders of other great religions – all of whom have called for proper and equitable treatment of all the children of God. It is time we had the courage to challenge these views.
Jimmy Carter was president of the United States from 1977 to 1981
May 4 2015
Want equality for all? Then spurn organised religion.
This story was found at: The Age
Make me a gift and a blessing
Christmas
So happy to be sharing this amazing day with all of you. Hoping you are having a wonderful, blessed, full-of-love day. If any of you are alone today, we reach out to you to let you know you are never alone because we love you and are with you in spirit. Remembering those who are no longer with us and feeling the loss of their presence. Sharon and Erick
Choosing to Love
The Heart of the Human Problem
The sinful nature is the stubborn, self-centered attitude that says, “My way or the highway.” The sinful nature is all about self: pleasing self, promoting self, preserving self. I have a sin nature! So do you. Under the right circumstances you will do the wrong thing. You’ll try not to, but you will. You have a sin nature. You were born with it. The heart of the human problem is the problem of the human heart!
Christmas commemorates the day and the way God saved us from ourselves. The angel speaking to Mary in Matthew 1:21 says, “. . .you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.”
Each of us entered the world with a sin nature. God entered the world to take it away!
~ Max Lucado
In Memoriam – Victims in the Oakland Fire
My note: Because we live in the area, I think this nightmare has affected us more than maybe some of you. Nonetheless, I am sure as you read this memoriam, and look at these beautiful faces, you will be unable to not feel it personally.
These victims were going to, or teaching in, schools in the Oakland Area, as I understand it. One of the victims was a student of Professor Chris Johnson at California College of the Arts. (My daughter graduated from CCA, and Professor Johnson has had a major influence in her life, and ours.)
Tragedy occurs when one least expects it. I imagine these victims were either living in this warehouse, or attending the party. I can envision them…artists, musicians, students, and educators–immersed in their life’s dream, creativity running rampant, determined to pass on the gifts they had been given by sharing their unique ability to see the world just a little differently than most.
Our hearts are aching for the losses their families and friends are feeling. Our prayers are covering all of them.
Let us remember these people–their names, their faces. We will keep them in our hearts forever.
Oakland Fire Victims
CASH ASKEW
EM B
JONATHAN BERNBAUM
BARRETT CLARK
DAVID CLINE
MICAH DANEMAYER
BILLY DIXON
CHELSEA DOLAN
ALEX GHASSAN
NICK GOMEZ-HALL
MICHELA GREGORY
SARA HODA
TRAVIS HOUGH
JOHNNY IGAZ
ARA JO
DONNA KELLOGG
AMANDA KERSHAW
EDMOND LAPINE
GRIFFIN MADDEN
JOSEPH MATLOCK
JASON MCCARTY
DRAVEN MCGILL
JENNIFER MENDIOLA
JENNIFER MORRIS
FERAL PINES
VANESSA PLOTKIN
WOLFGANG RENNER
HANNA RUAX
BENJAMIN RUNNELS
NICOLE SIEGRIST
MICHELE SYLVAN
JENNIFER KIYOMI TANOUYE
ALEX VEGA
PETER WADSWORTH
NICK WALRATH
BRANDON “CHASE” WITTENAUER
Reporters
Editors
Interactive producer
Who can add to Christmas?
Worried Enough to Pray?
by Max Lucado |
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Overcoming discouragement brings great blessing
Are you a “big picture” person?
(My Note: Considering the previous message on the site today, I think this one was also “right on” and meant for me to contemplate today. Funny how that happens, huh?)
Who but God goes up to the heaven and comes back down? Who holds the wind in his fist? Who wraps up the oceans in his cloak? Who has created the whole wide world? What is his name — and his son’s name? Tell me if you know!
Impressive panorama
When people understand events clearly, we often say that they “see the big picture.” This passage in Proverbs makes the point that the clearest view of the “big picture” will always include God. The sequence of rhetorical questions helps us consider the awesome identity and capacity of God. Much like the litany of questions that God showered on Job (Job 38:1-41:34), these push us toward humble and silent worship.
Agur was feeling overwhelmed (30:1), insignificant (30:2), and limited (30:3). But when he turned away from his smallness to contemplate God’s greatness, an atmosphere of confidence filled the rest of the chapter. He began with a little picture, no bigger than himself, but he soon looked at the big picture and forgot that he was weary and worn out. God gave him a new and refreshing point of view.
WISE WAYS One of the best remedies for a weary and tired spirit is to contemplate the majesty and greatness of God. How have you found that to be true?
Dear Lord, when I look at all you have made, I know it makes me feel smaller, but it also fills me with wonder over how great you are! I worship you.
Adapted from The One Year® Book of Proverbs by Neil S. Wilson, Tyndale House Publishers (2002), entry for January 30.
Content is derived from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation and other publications of Tyndale Publishing House
Look up!
God wants you to stop being “absorbed with the things right in front of you.
Look up, and be alert to what is going on around Christ—
that’s where the action is.
See things from his perspective”.
(Colossians 3:2 MSG)
If I ever needed to hear this verse, today was the day! I’m having a rough time facing the fact that my sister’s leukemia has now progressed and she will be starting chemo soon. Also, it seems, people who are “supposed friends”, just simply “aren’t”. So I need to look up, and try to see it all in “God’s perspective”.
You will have abundant joy!
Thou SHALT love . . .
. . . Thou shalt love the Lord thy God. . . .
Thou shalt love thy neighbor . . .
–Matthew 22:37–39
Here is the answer to the world’s problems today—“Thou shalt love the Lord thy God,” “Thou shalt love thy fellowman.” That teaching is not out-of-date; it is absolutely relevant today. It is the only way in which the problems of the world today can be solved, whether the problems are those of individuals or of nations. If we love God with all our heart, we will have a capacity to love our neighbors. True love will find an outlet in service—not merely in singing hymns, attending church, or even in praying—but in trying our utmost to prove our love, by obeying the will of our heavenly Father.
Prayer for the day
True love demands everything I have. Take all the hidden things in my life that keep me from loving You and my neighbor as I should. Let me obey Your will unequivocally, dear Lord.
Loaded with Fears
I don’t care how tough you are.
You may be a Navy SEAL.
Doesn’t matter.
Every parent melts the moment he or she feels the full force of parenthood!
How did I get myself into this?
My moment came in the midnight quiet of an apartment
in downtown Rio De Janeiro, Brazil,
as I held a human being—my daughter—in my arms.
The semi-truck of parenting comes loaded with fears.
Will we have enough money?
Enough answers?
Enough education?
It’s enough to keep a parent awake at night.
God has a heart for parents!
Are we surprised?
After all, God himself is a father.
What parental emotion has he not felt?
But because of his great love for us,
Romans says, “he did not spare his own son but gave him for us all.
So with Jesus, God will surely give us all things!”
ALL THINGS—
must include courage and hope!
~ Max Lucado
Wings like Eagles
‘Passion of the Christ’ star Jim Caviezel says playing Jesus sunk his career
Despite a long list of woes that include being labeled an anti-Semite, having a violent temper and allegedly breaking the teeth of the mother of his youngest child—Mel Gibson has a friend in Jesus—or, at least the actor who played him in 2004’s “Passion of the Christ.”
“Mel Gibson, he’s a horrible sinner, isn’t he?” Jim Caviezel asked members of the First Baptist Church of Orlando, FL during an appearance Saturday night. “Mel Gibson doesn’t need your judgment, he needs your prayers.”
Caviezel, 42, spoke at the 14,000-member church in a speech the local paper described as “giv(ing) witness to his faith, (urging) others to share it and to sell a new all-star audio production of the Bible that he has produced.”
The staunch Roman Catholic recalled when Gibson first offered him the role of Jesus, he warned that it could end his career.
“(Gibson) said, ‘You’ll never work in this town again,’” Caviezel explained. “I told him, ‘We all have to embrace our crosses.’”
During the 20-minute talk, Caviezel said he was “called” to be an actor, noting that it was no coincidence that “in my 33rd year, I was called to play Jesus.”
He even joked about his initials– J.C. –with Gibson during casting, which “freaked [the director] out a little.”
Caviezel said taking on the role of the Son of God limited his career, saying that he was “rejected in (his) own industry.”
“Jesus is as controversial now as he has ever been,” Caviezel said. “Not much has changed in 2,000 years.”
But Caviezel has no regrets, saying “We have to give up our names, our reputations, our lives to speak the truth,” and adding that he’ll get his reward in heaven.
Why do we pray? « Actions, not just words…
We pray to change our attitude towards our own ability to effect change on the things that have eternal consequences. I think prayer reorients our mind to things that really matter and do focus our attention on the things that God is already working on. He will do the work with or without us, but He wants us to join in the effort and God knows, that this effort is the only thing that will bring us real joy through his eternal grace.
via Why do we pray? « Actions, not just words….
Very good message! I know you will be blessed by it, as much as I am.
What’s your problem?
If your father were Bill Gates and your computer crashed,
where would you turn?
If Stradivari were your dad and your violin string snapped,
to whom would you go?
If your father is God and you have a problem on your hands,
what do you do?
Is your problem too large?
Ephesians 3:29 says, “God is able to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think.”
Is your need too great?
2 Corinthians 9:8 says, “God is able to provide you with every blessing in abundance.”
Is your enemy too strong?
Philippians 3:21 says, “God is able even to subdue all things to Himself.”
God is able to do what you cannot.
When you have a problem—
make this your first thought—
“How can I get this problem to Jesus!”
It’s a day changer.
Choose to make every day a great day!
~ Max Lucado
Prayer changes things!
A banner on the wall in my home church when I was growing up
kept us reminded of that wonderful personal relationship
we can have with our Lord by just talking to Him.
Prayer Changes Things!
He knows what’s going on.
He just wants us to talk to Him about it.
He wants to talk to us, too.
He wants to know we care enough to stop what we’re doing
and offer up our concern to Him.
YSIC,
Sharon
Prayer Request for me
Just wanted to ask for prayer for tomorrow morning.
I am having hiatal hernia surgery at 10:30 in San Francisco. I’ve had this hernia for over 10 years, but recently it became very enlarged, about 1/3 of my stomach is protruding through the wall of the diaphragm.
Everything should be fine, but surgery always brings a sense of anxiety for me.
I appreciate the support of our friends here on sharin’ His love.
Much love and blessings to all, and meanwhile I’ll be:
Make the choice to be a lover and supporter of Israel
“At the same time saith the lord, will I be the God of all the families of Israel, and they shall be my people.”
Jeremiah 31:2
The Lord has chosen Israel and the Jews to be his people.
He shines his love & kindness upon them.
Western Wall – Jerusalem
Verse of the Day – 2/2/12
Thoughts on Today’s Verse…
Jonah was disobedient, rebellious, and selfish. He had run from the Lord. He had shunned the Lord’s command. He had endangered the lives of those on the ship where he had tried to hide. Yet even in the middle of his rebellion, God heard his cry and delivered him. If you are in rebellion, if you are seeking to hide some secret and all-consuming sin, please know the Lord wants to ransom and redeem you! Things won’t be easy, but coming back to the Lord means ultimate redemption and deliverance.
Prayer…
Holy and righteous Father, please forgive me for the times that I am in rebellion to your will. Help me to recognize those times and give me the strength to avoid those temptations. In your grace, dear Father, please not only help me to live as you want me to live but also lead me to someone else who needs to know of your grace and redemption. Please use me to help them escape from their bondage to sin and shame. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.
Related articles
- A change of heart: Jonah (davegladson.com)
Verse of the Day – January 24, 2012
To him who is able to keep you from falling and to present you
before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy — to
the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority,
through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and
forevermore! Amen.
— Jude 1:24-25
http://www.BibleStudyTools.com/search/?query=Jude+1:24-25
THOUGHT:
What a great cluster of truths are found in this one prayer of
blessing. Our eyes are first drawn to what God can do for us —
prevent us from falling and present us before his glorious presence
in joyful perfection. But on closer inspection, our hearts are
drawn to the description of our incredible God: the one who is
able, the only God, our Savior, the one who lives in glory and
majesty and power and authority, the one who has communicated to us
through Jesus our Lord, and the one who exists before all ages and
who is alive now and who will be forevermore. Our blessings as
God’s children are incredible, but the reason why they are is that
our God is beyond incredible, awesome, and wonderful. Our words
cannot do him justice. Our brightest insights cannot comprehend the
glory he has. Yet despite his grandeur, he loves you and me in our
finite mortality!
PRAYER:
Awesome and Holy Lord Most High, thank you for not only being
God, but for loving me and showing yourself to me in the face of
Jesus. I look forward to standing in your presence, enjoying your
shared perfection, and praising your glory with the angels. Please
accept my limited and human praise until the day my words are
unchained from their mortality and my imperfections are swallowed
up in your glory. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
israel today | Israelis find Jesus on Facebook – israel today
israel today | Israelis find Jesus on Facebook – israel today.
Very interesting approach.
The Prayer
Believing in Tim Tebow
Tim Tebow FoundationTim Tebow with Jacob Rainey, one of the many people dealing with health problems Tebow hosted at Broncos games this season.
(My Note: I know there is a lot of hoopla going on surrounding Tim Tebow, but I think, as Christians, we really need to support all other Christian brothers and sisters in their stand for our Lord and Savior. Tim is reaching millions of people that none of us can. It is a gift that he uses to glorify His Lord. Let’s support Tim through our prayers.)
By Rick Reilly
ESPN.com
I’ve come to believe in Tim Tebow, but not for what he does on a football field, which is still three parts Dr. Jekyll and two parts Mr. Hyde.
No, I’ve come to believe in Tim Tebow for what he does off a football field, which is represent the best parts of us, the parts I want to be and so rarely am.
Who among us is this selfless?
Every week, Tebow picks out someone who is suffering, or who is dying, or who is injured. He flies these people and their families to the Broncos game, rents them a car, puts them up in a nice hotel, buys them dinner (usually at a Dave & Buster’s), gets them and their families pregame passes, visits with them just before kickoff (!), gets them 30-yard-line tickets down low, visits with them after the game (sometimes for an hour), has them walk him to his car, and sends them off with a basket of gifts.
Home or road, win or lose, hero or goat.
Remember last week, when the world was pulling its hair out in the hour after Tebow had stunned the Pittsburgh Steelers with an 80-yard OT touchdown pass to Demaryius Thomas in the playoffs? And Twitter was exploding with 9,420 tweets about Tebow per second? When an ESPN poll was naming him the most popular athlete in America?
Tebow was spending that hour talking to 16-year-old Bailey Knaub about her 73 surgeries so far and what TV shows she likes.
MORE FROM TIM TEBOW
For Tim Tebow’s take on being named America’s most popular athlete, click here.
“Here he’d just played the game of his life,” recalls Bailey’s mother, Kathy, of Loveland, Colo., “and the first thing he does after his press conference is come find Bailey and ask, ‘Did you get anything to eat?’ He acted like what he’d just done wasn’t anything, like it was all about Bailey.”
More than that, Tebow kept corralling people into the room for Bailey to meet. Hey, Demaryius, come in here a minute. Hey, Mr. Elway. Hey, Coach Fox.
Even though sometimes-fatal Wegener’s granulomatosis has left Bailey with only one lung, the attention took her breath away.
“It was the best day of my life,” she emailed. “It was a bright star among very gloomy and difficult days. Tim Tebow gave me the greatest gift I could ever imagine. He gave me the strength for the future. I know now that I can face any obstacle placed in front of me. Tim taught me to never give up because at the end of the day, today might seem bleak but it can’t rain forever and tomorrow is a new day, with new promises.”
I read that email to Tebow, and he was honestly floored.
“Why me? Why should I inspire her?” he said. “I just don’t feel, I don’t know, adequate. Really, hearing her story inspires me.”
It’s not just NFL defenses that get Tebowed. It’s high school girls who don’t know whether they’ll ever go to a prom. It’s adults who can hardly stand. It’s kids who will die soon.
For the game at Buffalo, it was Charlottesville, Va., blue-chip high school QB Jacob Rainey, who lost his leg after a freak tackle in a scrimmage. Tebow threw three interceptions in that Buffalo game and the Broncos were crushed 40-14.
“He walked in and took a big sigh and said, ‘Well, that didn’t go as planned,'” Rainey remembers. “Where I’m from, people wonder how sincere and genuine he is. But I think he’s the most genuine person I’ve ever met.”
There’s not an ounce of artifice or phoniness or Hollywood in this kid Tebow, and I’ve looked everywhere for it.
Take 9-year-old Zac Taylor, a child who lives in constant pain. Immediately after Tebow shocked the Chicago Bears with a 13-10 comeback win, Tebow spent an hour with Zac and his family. At one point, Zac, who has 10 doctors, asked Tebow whether he has a secret prayer for hospital visits. Tebow whispered it in his ear. And because Tebow still needed to be checked out by the Broncos’ team doctor, he took Zac in with him, but only after they had whispered it together.
And it’s not always kids. Tom Driscoll, a 55-year-old who is dying of brain cancer at a hospice in Denver, was Tebow’s guest for the Cincinnati game. “The doctors took some of my brain,” Driscoll says, “so my short-term memory is kind of shot. But that day I’ll never forget. Tim is such a good man.”
This whole thing makes no football sense, of course. Most NFL players hardly talk to teammates before a game, much less visit with the sick and dying.
Isn’t that a huge distraction?
“Just the opposite,” Tebow says. “It’s by far the best thing I do to get myself ready. Here you are, about to play a game that the world says is the most important thing in the world. Win and they praise you. Lose and they crush you. And here I have a chance to talk to the coolest, most courageous people. It puts it all into perspective. The game doesn’t really matter. I mean, I’ll give 100 percent of my heart to win it, but in the end, the thing I most want to do is not win championships or make a lot of money, it’s to invest in people’s lives, to make a difference.”
So that’s it. I’ve given up giving up on him. I’m a 100 percent believer. Not in his arm. Not in his skills. I believe in his heart, his there-will-definitely-be-a-pony-under-the-tree optimism, the way his love pours into people, right up to their eyeballs, until they believe they can master the hopeless comeback, too.
Remember the QB who lost his leg, Jacob Rainey? He got his prosthetic leg a few weeks ago, and he wants to play high school football next season. Yes, tackle football. He’d be the first to do that on an above-the-knee amputation.
Hmmm. Wonder where he got that crazy idea?
“Tim told me to keep fighting, no matter what,” Rainey says. “I am.”
Needs in our Community
Thoughts have been running through my mind for days as to how to post about what is going on in our lives.
We really need your prayers and support as we continue to minister in our community–a community of many who have deep needs. Our friend who is terminally ill with cancer has needed our help in preparing her to move to live with her son in Nevada. Emotional, physical, spiritual support has been needed and we have been obeying God to fill those needs.
Others have needed guidance, prayer, and all kinds of other support.
There are those in our community who do not know Jesus as Lord and Savior, so your prayers for those specific needs would be greatly appreciated.
We feel God has given us the gift of love in action. It takes a lot of energy and spiritual strength. Of course, in the process, the devil is attacking us, and we have been physically sick in the middle of helping those who need us.
All of the things going on has kept us from coming here with any consistency, and I know you all understand. We get a lot of strength and encouragement from each of you, but have been unable to take the time we used to, to read what you all are writing. But know that each of your ministries are important to us, and that we keep you all in our prayers, daily.
Much love and blessings, especially during this time as we celebrate the life of Jesus and the Greatest Gift we have through Him.
Sharon & Erick
Update regarding our friend, Lori Kennedy
Thank you all for your wonderful sentiments, prayers, and love.
Here is the latest update:
The service for our friend, Lori Kennedy, will be at 3:00 pm Thursday at the Parent-Sorenson Mortuary, 850 Keokuk St, Petaluma, CA. Phone number is (707) 763-4131 in case you want more specific information. The service will be in the Chapel, with a non-denominational pastor saying a few words, with a total of +/- 30minutes. Her friends and neighbors here at her apartment complex at The Commons on Enterprise Dr in Rohnert Park will have an additional gathering in honor of Lori at a later date to be announced. The coroner is supposed to do the autopsy tonight. If it is an obvious cause of death, then the family will let us know as soon as they know. If they have to do a more involved autopsy, the results may not be available for a few months. We do know that she died between 7:00 pm Friday night, October 21 and 11:30 a.m. Saturday morning. Neighbors and friends had not seen her per her usual routine and called the police, who contacted our apartment complex manager, who let the sheriff into Lori’s apartment, at which time they found her lying on her face in the hallway between the bedroom, bathroom, and living room areas. She had an emergency necklace which she wore constantly, even in the shower. The police or 911 operators had not received any indication from her pushing the button on her necklace. Therefore, we, at this time, assume she died so quickly that she didn’t have time to push the button for help. The family came today and all of us supported them in any way they needed help. Some of the furniture and pictures were removed from her apartment today and given to anyone who expressed an interest in having a memory attached to any of those items. The family will come back tomorrow, Thursday, and Friday at which time we will all wait in the wings for their instruction on how everyone can help. Several people have brought flowers, pumpkins (since she loved pumpkins so much), and a candle and placed them outside Lori’s apartment door. We have all met together quite a few times, including about a 12-hour sitting together on Saturday. We talk our feelings out. I express to them who from her facebook and personal friends are seeking information and sending condolences and tell them about how much each of you cared for Lori. I will continue to update any of you as I get any new information. There will be an announcement of services in the Press-Democrat Newspaper. Do not hesitate to contact me if we can help answer any of your questions or be of help in any other way. We know this is a particularly hard time for all of you who cannot be here personally. I know that your heartfelt expressions of love is appreciated by Lori. God bless each of you. Sharon
Related article:
https://sharinhislove.wordpress.com/2011/10/23/we-just-lost-one-of-our-best-friends/
We just lost one of our best friends
One of our best friends passed away yesterday. We are helping our other friends deal with this loss, and we will be helping the family in dealing with their loss.
Lori was 56 years old, had suffered from Brittle Bone Disease, but coped very well with it. Walking, pulling together neighbors to become friends, hosting holiday feasts, etc. She was one of a kind. A truly beautiful, loving person. One you could never out-give. She will be missed so much, because she was the hub of our community and a dear friend to all of us.
We are all still in shock. She had had an asthma attack that night, but had used her inhaler and everyone thought she was ok. We don’t know the circumstances of her death, except that the sheriff’s office found her lying face down in her hallway. Some of the neighbors had not received their regular morning telephone calls from her, and no one had seen her outside. She usually walked her dog early every morning. So the neighbors called the police and they took it from there. We were not able to see her body, because of the position they found her in. The coroner’s department said he couldn’t let us see her like that. We have to wait until tomorrow to find out about funeral arrangements, and we will be clearing out, and cleaning her apartment. This is going to be so hard for everyone involved.
We would appreciate all of your prayers as we try to minister to these other people.
God bless you and thank you for your prayers and support during this time.
Yours in Christ,
Sharon & Erick
Gabriel’s Precious Journey | His Unbelievable Life
Gabriel’s Precious Journey | His Unbelievable Life.
A heart-wrenching story, but one that needs to be told, and one in which all of us come together to hold this family up in prayer.
Verse of the Day – What difference does it make if we praise him?
VERSE:
You alone are the LORD. You made the heavens, even the highest
heavens, and all their starry host, the earth and all that is on
it, the seas and all that is in them. You give life to everything,
and the multitudes of heaven worship you.
— Nehemiah 9:6
http://www.SearchGodsWord.org/desk/?query=Nehemiah+9:6
THOUGHT:
Our praise is pretty irrelevant to everyone and everything but
us, those closest to us, and amazingly to God. In a universe so
vast, so much bigger than Nehemiah could have imagined, what is our
small voice and our song of praise? The billions of stars and
innumerable creatures of the immense seas all cry out that our
Creator is LORD. God will receive the worship of the angels and all
the heavenly beings. What difference does it make if we praise him?
To the universe, to be blunt, it doesn’t matter. But it does to us!
It matters even more to the LORD, who longs to be our Father and
wants to bring us into relationship with himself.
PRAYER:
Holy and amazing God, you alone are Lord — Lord of all creation
and Lord of my life. You are praised by all you have made. Your
works cry out and declare your creative genius and your loving
kindness. Father, I want to add my heartfelt praise to the chorus
of creation, the voices of the angels, and the praise of many who
have come before me. You are truly worthy to be praised. I gladly
offer you my words, my songs, my heart, and my life. In Jesus’
name. Amen.
http://www.heartlight.org/cgi-shl/todaysverse.cgi?day=20110926
Daily Promise – September 26 – God will bring comfort to you
Psalm 23:4 KJV
I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.
Promise #269: When you walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will be with you.
However, I do want to ask you to think of another application of this promise… Jesus told us that except a seed falls in the ground and dies, it abides alone (John 12:24). The principle of the Christian life is a continual letting go of things, allowing them to ‘die’, only to see them resurrected again by the power of the Holy Spirit. Whether those things are dreams or desires, the principle of the cross (death, burial, resurrection) is a resounding theme in the daily Christian life.
In that context, when you are feeling like God is asking you to surrender something dear to you, when you are in a sense walking through the shadow of death for something that you have hoped for, be comforted in knowing that God is very close to you in those times of surrender and His staff and rod will bring comfort to you. Weeping may endure for the night, but joy is coming in the morning! (Psalm 30:5)
Carry a thankful heart for every “yes”
Each of us should carry a thankful heart for every “yes”
we receive from God as an answer to prayer.
We can also be thankful He doesn’t say “yes” to prayers
that are not in agreement with His will—
prayers that are based on our wisdom and not on His;
that would bring leanness to our souls;
that would put us in the wrong place;
that would make us ineffective;
that would bring us into wrong relationships;
that would cause our hearts to cool;
that would keep us from His highest
and rob us of His best.
~ Roy Lessin
I know not by what methods rare,
But this I know, God answers prayer.
I know He gives His pledged word
Which tells me prayer is always heard,
And will be answered soon or late,
Though often it is hard to wait.
I know not if the blessing sought
Will come in just the way I thought;
I leave my prayer with Him alone,
Whose will is wiser than my own,
Assured that He will grant my quest,
Or send an answer far more blest.
-Unknown
And this is the confidence (the assurance, the privilege of boldness) which we have in Him: [we are sure] that if we ask anything (make any request) according to His will (in agreement with His own plan), He listens to and hears us. 1 John 5:14 AMP
Verse of the Day – We will see God face to face
VERSE:
Restore us to yourself, O LORD, that we may return; renew our
days as of old.
— Lamentations 5:21
http://www.SearchGodsWord.org/desk/?query=Lamentations+5:21
THOUGHT:
When these words were first spoken, they focused on God’s
restoration of Israel back to its place, its prominence, its life,
and its Temple. Yet from our vantage point, this prayer can be ours
as well. Restoration can mean Christ’s return which brings us home
to God. On that day, every barrier standing between God and us will
fall. Our mortality will be swallowed up in victory. We will see
God face to face and get to walk with him in the cool of the day as
his perfect children. May that day come soon!
PRAYER:
Holy and awesome God, I know a huge gulf stands between your
perfection and my limitations. Yet, dear Father, I believe you have
spanned that gulf with your grace. While I wait for that perfection
to dawn in all its fullness, please empower me for my battles with
the Evil One and deliver me from all spiritual harm and attack.
Until the day I see you face to face, please accept my
all-too-limited and human praise for all you have done to save me.
In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.
http://www.heartlight.org/cgi-shl/todaysverse.cgi?day=20110921
Verse of the Day – Our seeking God longs to be sought!
VERSE:
[The apostle Paul said,] “God did this so that men would seek
him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not
far from each one of us.”
— Acts 17:27
http://www.SearchGodsWord.org/desk/?query=Acts+17:27
THOUGHT:
Our seeking God longs to be sought! God placed his fingerprints
all over the universe and then gave us places to find life and
meaning. He had a purpose in this plan: he wanted us to seek the
One behind it all. He is never far away from us, but he longs to be
sought and found. When we seek after God, we are not only blessing
him, we’re also living out our life’s key task.
PRAYER:
Heavenly Father, I long to know you more completely — as the
old hymn says to Jesus: “Beyond the sacred page, I seek thee Lord.
My spirit pants for thee O living Word.” Loving Father, I ask that
your presence would be recognizable in my daily life. I truly want
to get to know you, even as I am known by you. In the name of the
Savior I pray. Amen.
http://www.heartlight.org/cgi-shl/todaysverse.cgi?day=20110920
Prayers
Posted: 19 Sep 2011 03:32 AM PDT
The great and mighty things that God wants to show you
are often the answers to prayers that you have prayed.
Keep on asking,
keep on seeking,
keep on knocking—
answers will come,
doors will be opened,
promises will be fulfilled.
Call unto me, and I will answer thee,
and show thee great and mighty things,
which thou knowest not.
Jeremiah 33:3 KJV
~ Roy Lessin
Prayer for the Acceptance of God’s Will | Kicking the Darkness
Prayer for the Acceptance of God’s Will | Kicking the Darkness.
Amazing thoughts!
MEMO FROM GOD:
Effective immediately, please be aware that there are changes you need
to make in your life. These changes need to be completed in order that I
may fulfill my promises to you to grant you peace, joy and happiness in
this life. I apologize for any inconvenience, but after all that I am doing, this seems very little to ask of you. I know, I already gave you the 10 Commandments. Keep them. But follow these guidelines, also.
1. QUIT WORRYING
Life has dealt you a blow and all you do is sit and worry. Have you
forgotten that I am here to take all your burdens and carry them for
you? Or do you just enjoy fretting over every little thing that comes
your way?
2. PUT IT ON THE LIST
Something needs done or taken care of. Put it on the list. No, not YOUR
list. Put it on MY to-do-list! . Let ME be the one to take care of the
problem. I can’t help you until you turn it over to me. And although my
to-do-list is long, I am after all, God. I can take care of anything you
put into my hands. In fact, if the truth were ever really known, I take
care of a lot of things for you that you never even realize.
3. TRUST ME
Once you’ve given your burdens to me, quit trying to take them back.
Trust in me. Have the faith that I will take care of all your needs,
your problems and your trials. Problems with the kids? Put them on my
list. Problem with finances? Put it on my list. Problems with your
emotional roller coaster? For my sake, put it on my list. I want to help
you. All you have to do is ask.
4. LEAVE IT ALONE
Don’t wake up one morning and say, “Well, I’m feeling much stronger now,
I think I can handle it from here.” Why do you think you are feeling
stronger now? It’s simple. You gave me your burdens and I’m taking care
of them. I also renew your strength and cover you in my peace. Don’t you
know that if I give you these problems back, you will be right back where
you started? Leave them with me and forget about them. Just let me do
my job.
5. TALK TO ME
I want you to forget a lot of things. Forget what was making you crazy.
Forget the worry and the fretting because you know I’m in control. But
there’s one thing I pray you never forget. Please don’t forget to talk to
me – OFTEN! I love you. I want to hear your voice. I want you to include
me in on the things going on in your life. I want to hear you talk about
your friends and family. Prayer is simply you having a conversation with
me. I want to be your dearest friend.
6. HAVE FAITH
I see a lot of things from up here that you can’t see from where you
are. Have faith in me that I know what I’m doing. Trust me, you wouldn’t
want the view from my eyes. I will continue to care for you, watch over
you, and meet your needs. You only have to trust me. Although I have a
much bigger task than you, it seems as if you have so much trouble just
doing your simple part. How hard can trust be?
Related articles
- Fret buster #97 (sharinhislove.wordpress.com)
Before you even call out to God, He will answer you
Isaiah 65:24 KJV
and while they are yet speaking, I will hear.
Promise #255: Before you even call out to Me, I will answer you.
Even though we go through these times of feeling isolated and distant, the truth is that God is not distant when we pray. God is closer to us than we could possibly imagine and today’s promise from Isaiah 65:24 is an encouragement that He will answer us even before we pray the prayer! In Matthew 6:8, Jesus affirms this promise by telling His disciples that their heavenly Father knows what they need before they even ask Him for it!
My prayer for each one of us today is that faith will rise up in our hearts when we pray to our heavenly Father because we know that He is fully engaged with us and is ready to answer even before we call out to Him!
Prayer Request
I am going through so much pain from surgeries and physical therapy from shoulder, carpal tunnel, and torn wrist cartilage, that it is excruciating to sit at the computer to post messages lately. Unfortunately, I can’t take any type of pain meds like aspirin or even Tylenol because of the many side effects.
Please pray that this will pass quickly so that I can again be able to use the computer to share the messages God puts on my heart. Again, mostly messages that others have so graciously shared, but still amazing encouragement and inspiration that helps us through our day.
Thank you so much for including me in your daily prayers.
Blessings to all of you.
Sharon
What is right
Don’t ask God to do what you want.
Ask God to do what is right.
~ Max Lucado
Lead us not into temptation? The Lord’s Prayer « Anchor for the Soul
Lead us not into temptation? The Lord’s Prayer « Anchor for the Soul.
A new understanding of “The Lord’s Prayer.
Jesus proves God wants intimacy with us
Posted: 06 Sep 2011 12:00 AM PDT
By Jon Walker
When you pray, do not be like the hypocrites! They love to stand up and pray in the houses of worship and on the street corners, so that everyone will see them. I assure you, they have already been paid in full. (Matthew 6:5 TEV)
— — —
“Christian prayer presupposes faith, that is, adherence to Christ. He is the one and only Mediator of our prayers. We pray at his command, and to that word Christian prayer is always bound.” Dietrich Bonhoeffer
— — —
Bonhoeffer notes that Jesus is proof that God wants intimacy with us. Jesus came to create a bridge to God, and we become intimate with the Father through Jesus.
This is a problem when we pray in pride. Prideful prayers set us up to be false mediators between others and God. They slyly say, “Look at how I pray. Watch me and see how persuasive I can be with God.” They suggest we have a special connection with God independent of our connection through Christ. That encourages others to believe our prayers have more meaning before God than their prayers, when the truth of the Bible is that anyone connected to God through Jesus can approach the throne of grace boldly (Hebrews 4:16).
Bonhoeffer says, “[Jesus] is the one and only Mediator of our prayers. We pray at his command, and to that word Christian prayer is always bound.”
This is the reason we pray in the name of Jesus and why eliminating the name of Jesus from our prayers is a significant theological issue.
It is important to note, then, the distinct difference between being an intercessor for others and any arrogant attempt to be a mediator for them. We do not connect anyone to God; Jesus connects them to God. But Jesus calls us to intercede on behalf of others, standing beside them and sometimes instead of them as we fulfill the law of Christ by carrying the burdens of others to God in prayer (Galatians 6:2).
Related articles
- Becoming like Jesus in Prayer (sharinhislove.wordpress.com)
- When Speculation Replaces Faith (sharinhislove.wordpress.com)
Verse of the Day – Live a quiet life
VERSE:
Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life, to mind your own
business and to work with your hands, just as we told you, so that
your daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so that you
will not be dependent on anybody.
— 1 Thessalonians 4:11-12
http://www.SearchGodsWord.org/desk/?query=1+Thessalonians+4:11-12
THOUGHT:
What’s your ambition? I don’t know about you, but I’m not so
sure I could say my ambition is to “live a quiet life ….” But
when I hear the reason for that directive, I understand. So many
people I meet are frazzled, run down, and exhausted with all their
“busy-ness.” So let’s make a commitment to cycle down a little,
trust God more and more each day, and seek to live a life that wins
the respect of those around us!
PRAYER:
O precious and righteous Father, I need your help to learn to
slow down and tend to my own responsibilities instead of running
around out of control and without purpose. Please grant me not only
the wisdom that I have been praying for, but also the patience and
quietude that I need for that wisdom to change my heart and mind.
In Jesus’ name I ask it. Amen.
Becoming like Jesus in Prayer
Posted: 05 Sep 2011 12:00 AM PDT
By Jon Walker
When you pray, do not be like the hypocrites! They love to stand up and pray in the houses of worship and on the street corners, so that everyone will see them. I assure you, they have already been paid in full. But when you pray, go to your room, close the door, and pray to your Father, who is unseen. And your Father, who sees what you do in private, will reward you. (Matthew 6:5-6 TEV)
“True prayer does not depend either on the individual or the whole body of the faithful, but solely upon the knowledge that our heavenly Father knows our needs. That makes God the sole object of our prayers, and frees us from a false confidence in our own prayerful efforts.” Dietrich Bonhoeffer
— — —
Prayer is an intimate conversation with your Heavenly Father.
When you try to impress others with your ability to pray, you mock that intimacy. You appear to be focusing on the Father when you’re actually focusing on yourself — your needs, your wants, your ability to persuade and bully God, and your desire to impress others with your knowledge of how to get God to give you what you want when you want it.
It’s absolutely no different from standing up and saying, “Look at me so you can be impressed with how connected I am with God!”
Eugene Peterson paraphrases Jesus’ comments this way: “The world is full of so-called prayer warriors who are prayer-ignorant. They’re full of formulas and programs and advice, peddling techniques for getting what you want from God. Don’t fall for that nonsense. This is your Father you are dealing with, and he knows better than you what you need” (Matthew 6:7-8 MSG).
If your motivation in prayer is to impress people, then Jesus says you will get what you want: praise from other people. In truth, that is exactly what you are asking for when you pray to impress: “Give me the praise of others.” Since your behavior exposes your beliefs, the presumption with prayers like this must be that praise from people can be used to pay bills or get you out of a jam when you’re flat on your back in the middle of some mess.
Jesus indicates God sees no need to reward you for these self-promoting prayers. They represent worldly thinking. Why would God reward you for that when he wants you to pray like someone who is part of the kingdom of heaven?
Prayer is still the ultimate plan
You can find many free ecards on the following site. I have enjoyed these for years. So I decided to let you in on a wonderful way to share our faith and encourage others along the way.
Daily Promises – August 18 – Don’t be unbelieving
Matthew 18:19 KJV
as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven.
In today’s promise, Jesus is speaking to his disciples and is encouraging them about their relationship with His Father in prayer. In the verse previous to this one, He tells them that whatever they bind on earth will be bound in heaven and whatever they loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. I wonder how the disciples reacted to Jesus’ statements? After all they were just fisherman and common folk, yet Jesus exhorted them that they had an audience with the Creator of the universe any time, night or day.
When I have reflected on this passage in the past, I have always wondered about the words ‘any thing‘. Did Jesus really mean that they could have any thing they asked for if there was agreement by two or more? It seems that He said what He meant because any thing means any thing! However, we know from other Bible verses that the things that Jesus are referring to are definitely linked to the things that are already in God’s heart.
However, this should be a huge encouragement to each one of us today! God invites us to link our hearts with other believers on earth and come before His throne room and make our requests known to God. Don’t be timid and don’t be unbelieving. Come with a heart full of faith believing that God hears your requests and has a desire to answer your prayers!
Have You Been Invaded? | God’s Grace, ftw.
Have You Been Invaded? | God’s Grace, ftw..
Katherine has written an amazing, thought-provoking, message that will challenge all of us to think positively.
They look silly standing there naked
God understands our prayers . . .
Time To Take a Risk « Story of the Day–climbinghigher
How should I pray?
For days I mourned, fasted, and prayed to the God of heaven.
Pray like this:
Our Father in heaven, may your name be honored.
May your Kingdom come soon.
May your will be done here on earth, just as it is in heaven.
Give us our food for today, and forgive us our sins, just as we have forgiven those who have sinned against us.
And don’t let us yield to temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.
Aligning my will to God’s
E. Stanley Jones described the effect of prayer on us like this:
Prayer is not pulling God to my will, but the aligning of my will to the will of God. Aligned to God’s redemptive will, anything, everything can happen in character, conduct, and creativeness. The whole person is heightened by that prayer contact. In that contact I find health for my body, illumination for my mind, and moral and spiritual reinforcement for my soul. “Prayer is a time exposure to God,” so I expose myself to God for an hour and a half or two hours a day, asking less and less for things and more and more for Himself. For having Him, I have everything. He gives me what I need for character, conduct, and creativeness, so I’m rich with His riches, strong in His strength, pure in His purity, and able in His ability.
Content is derived from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation and other publications of Tyndale Publishing House
How is your prayer life?
Our prayers bring us into God’s presence.
The Lord is righteous in everything he does; he is filled with kindness. The Lord is close to all who call on him, yes, to all who call on him sincerely. He fulfills the desires of those who fear him; he hears their cries for help and rescues them.
Then Saul said, “Let’s chase the Philistines all night and destroy every last one of them.” His men replied, “We’ll do whatever you think is best.” But the priest said, “Let’s ask God first.”
The next morning Jesus awoke long before daybreak and went out alone into the wilderness to pray.
Then if my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and heal their land.
About this promise
The most universally practiced yet least understood of human experiences, prayer is one of the great mysteries of the Christian faith. Its simplest definition is communication with God. Yet so often we approach prayer like a one-way telephone conversation, forgetting that God also wants to speak to us. Prayer appears nearly on every page of the Bible as the very essence of a faith relationship with the living God.
Content is derived from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation and other publications of Tyndale Publishing House
How can I make my prayers effective?
I urge you, first of all, to pray for all people. As you make your requests, plead for God’s mercy upon them, and give thanks. Pray this way for kings and all others who are in authority, so that we can live in peace and quietness, in godliness and dignity.
Praying effectively
Paul urges Timothy to lift up requests, prayers, intercession, and thanksgiving.
A request is a need, a deep desire for something we don’t have — something only God can supply.
A prayer is a word of praise and adoration. A more accurate translation of this word from the original Greek might be to “worship in earnest.”
Intercession is praying on behalf of others. Our prayers should regularly reflect this kind of selfless lifestyle.
Thanksgiving involved remembering those past prayers that have already been answered, acknowledging that we not only trust God’s supremacy and involvement in our life but also how his hand has moved and guided us in the past.
When we pray effectively, we do more than communicate with God — we commune with him. We become one in mind and spirit and purpose. Today, let the focus of your prayer time be to connect with God in a very real and personal way, not as a slave would petition his master, but as a son would enjoy the company of a loving and gracious father.
Content is derived from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation and other publications of Tyndale Publishing House
What is the best time to pray?
We can be confident that he will listen to us whenever we ask him for anything in line with his will. And if we know he is listening when we make our requests, we can be sure that he will give us what we ask for.
I love the Lord because he hears and answers my prayers. Because he bends down and listens, I will pray as long as I have breath!
Seize any time
And talking of sleepiness, I entirely agree with you that no one in his senses, if he has any power of ordering his own day, would reserve his chief prayers for bedtime — obviously the worst possible hour for any action which needs concentration. The trouble is that thousands of unfortunate people can hardly find any other. Even for us, who are the lucky ones, it is not always easy. My own plan, when hard-pressed, is to seize any time and place, however unsuitable, in preference to the last waking moment. On a day of travelling — with, perhaps, some ghastly meeting at the end of it — I’d rather pray sitting in a crowded train than put it off till midnight when one reaches a hotel bedroom with aching head and dry throat and one’s mind partly in a stupor and partly in a whirl. On other, and slightly less crowded, days a bench in a park or a back street where one can pace up and down will do.
Content is derived from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation and other publications of Tyndale Publishing House
What should be our attitude in prayer?
Then Eli realized it was the Lord who was calling the boy. So he said to Samuel, “Go and lie down again, and if someone calls again, say, ‘Yes, Lord, your servant is listening.'” So Samuel went back to bed. And the Lord came and called as before, “Samuel! Samuel!” And Samuel replied, “Yes, your servant is listening.”
Speak, Lord, in the stillness, while I wait on Thee; hushed my heart to listen in expectancy.
Speak, O blessed Master, in this quiet hour, let me see Thy face, Lord, feel Thy touch of power.
God revealed
God revealed himself mightily to the prophet Elijah, sending fire to burn the sacrifice on Mount Carmel. But later, as Elijah moped on the mountain, the Lord taught him an important lesson. There was a wind, an earthquake, and a fire — but the Lord was not in any of these. Then came a still, small voice. That was how God chose to speak to His prophet.
The same is true today. We long for fire from heaven to silence the skeptics once and for all, but God doesn’t usually work that way. Long ago He revealed Himself as a helpless baby sleeping in a dirty feed trough, and today He speaks quietly to ordinary people like you and me—if only we are still enough to listen. That is the sentiment expressed by Emily May Grimes in the words of the hymn, “Speak, Lord, in the Stillness.”
Content is derived from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation and other publications of Tyndale Publishing House
Daily Promises – July 21
Jeremiah 30:17 KJV
17 For I will restore health unto thee, and I will heal thee of thy wounds,
saith the LORD; because they called thee an Outcast, saying,
This is Zion, whom no man seeketh after.
In today’s promise, God promises to restore health to our bodies and to bring healing to all our wounds. How the fulfillment of that promise applies to us personally is as unique as each one of us is different. God’s ways are not our ways and the fulfillment of this promise is tailored uniquely to our own circumstance.
Personally, I have suffered partial deafness as a result of a childhood ear infection. I can’t count the number of times that I have received prayer for healing. While the healing has not yet manifested itself, I still hold on to the promise that God is faithful and healing is part of the New Covenant bought and paid for by Jesus Christ.
Though there are times when I feel disappointment for not yet receiving my healing, I continue to open up my heart for more prayer. Sometimes that feeling of disappointment can open the door to disillusionment about healing. It is times like this that I need healing of the wounds of my soul. In Jeremiah 30:17, God promises to bring health to our bodies and healing to all the wounds we suffer in our heart. I pray that whatever your circumstance is today, that faith would rise up in your heart and you would believe God for the healing you need for both your body and your soul.
Photo by Barry Adams
Signs of a Healthy Prayer Life
Have you ever experienced the discouragement of an unanswered prayer? Have you found yourself questioning God, wondering “Why didn’t he answer my prayer?” and “Why is he silent now when I need him the most?” As you sit there, you may realize that prayer sometimes seems like a one-sided event, even though we know God’s there.
How do you respond to his silence? Do you try to “figure” God out—the purpose behind it all—asking “Was it because I sinned?” “Is a better opportunity coming?”or “Have I lost God’s favor?” Answering these questions will most likely leave you disappointed and confused. After all, our Lord’s ways are mysterious.
Instead of resorting to gimmicks stating to “pray this and receive,” it’s time to deepen your understanding of prayer itself.
The Bible shows us:
- How to pray.
- Four kinds of prayer (ACTS).
- Three destable prayer forms.
- How Jesus prayed.
- Phrase-by-phrase analysis of the Lord’s Prayer .
- Denied prayers throughout the Bible.
- What to do when God seems silent.
- What to do when waiting for an answer.
- Over 100 biblical examples of prayer.
8 Signs of a Healthy Prayer Life
- Prays frequently and persistently
- Asks in faith
- Acknowledges God’s will
- Depends on the Holy Spirit
- Avoids selfish and hypocritical prayers
- Accepts when God says no
- Knows what to do when God seems silent
- Listens for God to answer
From Rose Publishing
What the Bible Says About Prayer
WHAT HAPPENS IN HEAVEN WHEN WE PRAY?
This is one of the nicest e-mails I have seen and is so true:
I dreamt that I went to Heaven and an angel was showing me around. We walked side-by-side inside a large workroom filled with angels. My angel guide stopped in front of the first section and said, “This is the Receiving Section. Here, all petitions to God said in prayer are received.”
I looked around in this area, and it was terribly busy with so many angels sorting out petitions written on voluminous paper sheets and scraps from people all over the world.
Then we moved on down a long corridor until we reached the second section.
The angel then said to me, “This is the Packaging and Delivery Section. Here, the graces and blessings the people asked for are processed and delivered to the living persons who asked for them.”
I noticed again how busy it was there. There were many angels working hard at that station, since so many blessings had been requested and were being packaged for delivery to Earth.
Finally at the farthest end of the long corridor we stopped at the door of a very small station. To my great surprise, only one angel was seated there, idly doing nothing. “This is the Acknowledgment Section,” my angel friend quietly admitted to me. He seemed embarrassed.
“How is it that there is no work going on here?” I asked.
“So sad,” the angel sighed. “After people receive the blessings that they asked for, very few send back acknowledgments.”
“How does one acknowledge God’s blessings?” I asked.
“Simple,” the angel answered. Just say, “Thank you, Lord.”
“What blessings should they acknowledge?” I asked.
“If you have food in the refrigerator, clothes on your back, a roof overhead and a place to sleep, you are richer than 75% of this world. If you have money in the bank, in your wallet, and spare change in a dish, you are among the top 8% of the world’s wealthy.”
“And if you get this on your own computer, you are part of the 1% in the world who has that opportunity.”
“If you woke up this morning with more health than illness, you are more blessed than the many who will not even survive this day.”
“If you have never experienced the fear in battle, the loneliness of imprisonment, the agony of torture, or the pangs of starvation… You are ahead of 700 million people in the world.”
“If you can attend a church without the fear of harassment, arrest, torture or death, you are envied by, and more blessed than, three billion people in the world.”
“If your parents are still alive and still married…you are very rare.”
“If you can hold your head up and smile, you are not the norm, you’re unique to all those in doubt and despair…….”
Ok, what now? How can I start?
If you can read this message, you just received a double blessing in that someone was thinking of you as very special and you are more blessed than over two billion people in the world who cannot read at all.
Have a good day, count your blessings, and if you care to, pass this along to remind everyone else how blessed we all are.
ATTN: Acknowledge Dept.
“Thank you, Lord, for giving me the ability to share this message and for giving me so many wonderful people with whom to share it.”
If you have read this far, and are thankful for all that you have been blessed with, how can you not send it on??? I thank God for everything, especially my family and friends.