Our own angels sent by God

Matthew 18: 10 see that you do not look down on one of these little ones.  For I tell you that their angels in heaven always see the face of my father in heaven.  (Jesus)

Until, today I had not given angels much though.  We all have angels who surround us and protect us as we go about our daily lives.  It is pretty incredible to think that we are always in the company of Gods angels.  Our angels see the face of God.  What a reassuring thought this is – God has an army of angels who he sends out to me and you to protect us and guard us. Outwardly we are surround by God’s angels and inwardly we are protected and led by His Holy Spirit.  God has us covered!  We are protected, loved, and blessed!

Please pray with me – Dear father, thank you for sending us your angels to help protect us.  You are such a loving Father who cares so deeply for His children.  Thank you that we can be called your children and enjoy all your rich blessings.  Amen!

Join The Adventure With God!

Psalm 139: 13-14 for you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mothers womb.  I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.

God the creator of the universe created you too!  You are wonderfully made!  Trust God that you have talents and a purpose.  Start by asking God to reveal those gifts to you and then ask God for the courage to walk through the open doors he provides for you to develop and use those talents.  Life with God is an exciting adventure! Go on the journey and discover how many gifts God has given you.  Do not worry what people say as you discover Gods path for you.. All Gods ways are perfect!

Please pray with me - Dear Father you are a beautiful artist and creator of the universe and us.  Thank you for making each one of us unique and gifted.  Help us as we seek to discover our talents.  Help us to find places to serve you with those talents.  We know when we are doing what we are created for we will feel fulfilled.  Thank you Lord for our gifts!  Amen.

Letting Go Of The Past Hurts This Holiday Season

Colo. 3: 12-13 Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.  Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another.  Forgive as God forgave you.

 Is it  hard to see a certain person this holiday season?  You probably have already pictured that person in your mind.  Has that person wronged you in the past? Have they asked you for forgiveness, but you still feel the sting of their hurtful words or deeds?

Ask yourself what keeps you from forgiving that person, is it pride?  God wants us to humble yourselves so he can lift us up.  I believe that means giving that person “grace”.  The same “grace” God gives you and me.  No person on earth is perfect and can say and do everything perfectly.  That doesn't mean letting a certain person continue to hurt you or devalue you, but if you are struggling being with a certain person who has asked you for forgiveness ask the Holy Spirit to heal you of that hurt so you can be merciful as God is merciful.

Please Pray With Me – Dear Father, Please forgive us for not letting go of our hurts and forgiving completely – like you have forgiven us.  I ask your Holy Spirit to heal us of our past hurts and fill us with grace and love for those who have hurt us.  We ask this in Jesus name. AMEN!

Walking With The Holy Spirit

Luke 1:37 “for nothing is impossible with God.”

I feel God calling me to do something different with my life.  As I wait for the Holy Spirit to lead me I need to be content where I am.  I also need to be in step with the Holy Spirit and have the courage to walk through the next “open door” that God Provides. (Sometime courage is being quiet and still before God and sometimes it's doing something unfamiliar)  After all the same Holy Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead is guiding us.  We need to be content where we are right now – knowing that is where God wants us. The Holy Spirit is working in me and you and he does his best work when we are quiet, obedient, courageous, and trusting. In the waiting is where the Spirit does His best work!

Please Pray With Me - Dear Father, we thank you for the Holy Spirit that you have provided for us.  What a powerful gift! Please help us to enjoy the journey we are on as the Holy Spirit works in us.  Help us to have the courage to walk in step with your Holy Spirit. Amen 

Emmanuel God With Us!

Luke 1: 14 The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us.  We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

We celebrate Jesus birth this Christmas season.  Jesus was born to be our savior.  He was born fully God and fully human so he can related to us, our joys and our pains.   Jesus our high priest was sent to earth for me/you to break the barrier between God and us, because of our sin.  When we except Jesus as our savior we can talk with God directly and His Spirit will dwell in us.  What a gift Jesus is for us and what a great reason to celebrate today and this season.  Emmanuel – God with us!

Please pray with me – Thank you Father.  How difficult it must have been to send your one and only son, for us.  Thanks you for the gift of Jesus Emmanuel God with us!  We love you Lord. Amen

God Holy Spirit In Us

1 John 4:13 We know that we live in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit.

I am thankful and humbled that God has entrusted me/you and put His Holy Spirit inside of us. What a gift the Holy Spirit is to us:  We can ask the Holy Spirit to guide us every day.  We can ask the Spirit to control our minds when we are worrying or thinking something that does not honor God.  We can ask the Holy Spirit to heal us. We can ask the Holy Spirit to ___(fill in the blank)__.

The Holy Spirit in us is such a beautiful gift from God.  I am so thankful that I can rely on the Spirit to guide me daily.  I am also thankful that I am not alone in making any decisions.

Please pray with me – Thank you for giving us the gift of your Holy Spirit! Help us to live in such a way to honor that beautiful gift.  Please Holy Spirit order our day and control our thoughts. Amen

We Praise God for Good Times _ Can We Praise Him In Difficult Times?

 Romans 8:28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

Praising God is easy when we experience good news, good health, and abundance.  We should also praise God when we are going through trials or when the news is not so good.

Praise is not a natural response to suffering, but when we praise God it does help us to feel more connected with God, in a powerful way.  God may not take the situation away from us, but it helps us to give God the control over it.  God will and does everything for our good.  Even Trials.

Please pray with me - Dear heavenly Father - I trust you! Although I don't understand this trial - I trust you will give me what I need to sustain me through it.  Thanks you for the good that will come of it in this life and eternity.

Dare To Dream Big

Psalm 37:3-5  Trust in the LORD and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pastures. Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the LORD: trust in him and he will do this; He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn, the justice of your cause like noonday sun.

Somewhere along the way I have stopped completely trusting the Lord to guide me, which has kept me from enjoying His safe pastures.  When I am anxious and trying to figure out every detail I miss God’s blessings that are in that moment. I map out my future and I forget to take God on the trip.

I am reminded again today to dream about how I want my future to look and to invite God into that dream.  I am also reminded in verse 4 that he will give me the desires of my heart if I TRUST him. I need to look into the future trusting God for what He is going to do with joyful anticipation!

Please pray with me - Dear Lord, Please forgive our lack of trust.  Please put your dreams into our hearts and minds.  Please give us courage to run after those dreams! Amen

The Story of Martha and Mary

Luke 10: 38-41 As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a women named Martha opened her home to him.  She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord's feet listening to what he said, but Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made.  She came to him and asked, "Lord, don't you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!"  "Martha, Martha" the Lord answered "You are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken from her."

I must admit when I read this I first side with Martha.  I am a "do-er" by nature.  I have reflected on these verses often as I am trying to slow my pace down in life and spend quality time at the Lords feet; reading the Word, praying, and sitting quietly with God.  It is hard to slow down in  this culture.  It is easy to feel important when we are busy.  Being intentional in quit time is a challenge and goes against our culture. In this holiday season are we being Martha: busying ourselves with shopping and decorating and missing sitting quietly with Jesus and celebrating his birth?

Please pray with me - Dear Father, thank you for your son Jesus. Please forgive us when we get distracted. Please help us to quiet our  hearts and to seek you, especially as we celebrate Jesus our savior's birth.  Amen

Giving God The Control

Matthew 10: 9-10 Do not take along any gold or silver or copper in your belts; take no bag for the journey, or extra tunic, or sandals or a staff; for the worker is worth his keep.

Jesus sent out his disciples to heal the sick and preach the message.  I believe when he did this he wanted the disciples to rely on God for their daily needs and schedule. I usually have good intentions to serve the Lord and do his will, but if I am honest, I want to be in control.  Control is really a form of fear and anxiety.  As a "control freak" an empty schedule/planner is a very scary scenario for me.
To freely serve we need to leave empty space in our schedule/planners.  Ask God daily to order your day and show you His Will for your life.

Please pray with me - Heavenly Father you are Holy and your Will is perfect and good.  Please forgive us for trying to be in control.  Holy Spirit please order our day.  Help us to be at peace as we give you control of our schedule.  You are good and your love endures forever.  Amen

Grace

James 3: 9-10 With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in Gods likeness.  Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers, this should not be.

I am reminded again that God is Holy and I/we are covered by His grace.  Grace is like beautiful fresh warm water that washes over us, so that we may stand in front of God who is Holy and pure.  Grace is a lavish gift from God that we don't deserve, but he gives to us freely, when we confess our sins and turn toward him.   I want to live in humility and extend the grace I am given to others.  Taming my tongue is a good place to start extending grace, peace and love.

Please Join me in praying - Dear Lord thank you for your grace and love. Please help us to receive wisdom from heaven that moves us to be pure, submissive, considerate peacemakers who are full of your mercy. Amen

The Lord Is...........

Psalm 31:24  Be strong and take heart, all who hope in the Lord.

- The Lord is "Hope".

Psalm 32:7 You are my hiding place; you will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance.

-The Lord is our "Rest" and our "Music".

Psalm 32:8 I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go;  I will counsel you and watch over you.

- The Lord is our teacher, counselor, and protector.

Psalm 33:5 The LORD loves righteousness and justice: the earth is full of his unfailing love.

- The Lord is "just" and "Love" .  The Lords has surrounded  us and filled us with his love.

Prayer - Dear Lord helps us to be patient and wait in hope for you.  You are are our protector, shield, and our help.  We trust in your Holy name!

Praise Him Today And Turn From Worry

Psalm 117 Praise the LORD, all you nations; extol him, all you peoples. For great is his love toward us, and the faithfulness of the LORD endures forever.  Praise the LORD!

I don't think I praise the Lord enough or thank him as much as I should.  How do I know this? If I did, I wouldn't worry so much.  I have noticed when I am worshiping, praying, or simply saying "thank you to the Lord" I am uplifted and I stop worrying.  Today instead of worrying about what could be, I am going to try to switch gears,  turn on some praise music and practice thinking and thanking God for everything that is.  Join me in praising God our creator, sustainer, and friend!

Please join me in Praying  - Holy father forgive me for worrying and doubting.  Help me to praise and thank you more.  You are Good and your love endures forever.  Praise the Lord!

Each one should test his own actions.  Then he can take pride in himself, with out comparing himself to somebody else,  for each one should carry his own load. Galatians 6: 4-5

I often get caught in the trap of "comparing myself to others" even when I am trying to do God's will.  I will look at how others are serving the Lord and say to myself, "look how they are serving God - I wish I was doing important work like that". It often makes me feel like I am not enough or doing enough.  The truth is I/we are enough already.  God gave us the gift of being his sons and daughters and we don't need to do anything to be his child.  Instead of looking at what others are doing and how they are serving, I need to take quiet time with the Lord and ask him, "is this what you want me to be doing in this moment of time Lord."  If the answer is "yes" then I can rest in that. If God wants to use me for more - then he will put that on my heart,  mind and in my dreams.  As long as I am giving God the time and the quiet to speak into my heart then I can be confident that he is showing me His Will for my life and for serving.

Prayer -  Lord Jesus Christ and God our father  who loves us please give us encouragement, strength, and peace as we seek you.  May God the father fill us today with His good hope for our lives as we wait for you.  Help us to wait with expectant hope and patients and to trust you! Amen