National Prayer Time

Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD, the people he chose for his inheritance. Psalm 33:12

Today in the United States we are observing the National Day of Prayer. As much as atheists and others try to abolish God and prayer from this country we were founded on principles in God's word. This nation cannot survive without God's intervention. When men try to be more powerful than God it is a recipe for disaster. Making up our own rules for what is right and wrong, as is happening now with marriage,  is also not a good thing. The Bible is pretty clear on what is right and what is wrong and evil. 

Each and every day when you get up, in addition to other prayers you offer to God be sure to remember to pray for this nation. Some of those reading may not live in the United States so  pray for your own country and its' leaders. God is the one who gives us our freedom. It is not from mere men. He will only stand for man's arrogance for so long. 

If we continue to 'spit in God's face' so to speak, our blessings will not continue. When people wake up and get so busy they have no time for talking to God or reading their Bible then they are on a slippery slope of not being prepared for the days ahead when things will get rough. 

Today stop where you are and give thanks for this great land and what we have been blessed with, much we take for granted sad to say. Then pray for God to use you in a mighty way to help be a witness for Him. 

PRAYER: Lord I thank you for this country. I thank you for the Founding Fathers who acknowledged you and prayed to you as they founded this great land. We pray for revival in the hearts of men. In Jesus' name. Amen.

Love Meter

Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’There is no commandment greater than these.” Mark 12:30-31

How is your love meter registering? Loving all people can sometimes be tough. Sometimes it is even difficult to love those closest to you. Love is the greatest commandment. Loving people above things and above yourself. Being unselfish and kind. Being gentle when you would rather be rude. Showing love to the unloveable or even those people you maybe do not agree with. 

Review 1 Corinthians chapter 13 when you get a moment. It is called the 'love chapter' in the Bible and has valuable scripture that if followed can keep your life on track and your love meter full. Pray each day and ask God to give you love for all kinds of people. We even are supposed to love and pray for our enemies. Now that one is tough especially of someone has hurt or betrayed you. Human nature wants to lash out and God's nature wants us to love unconditionally. There is your assignment. Go into the world and show God's love.

PRAYER: Give me the ability Lord to love others through you. Open my eyes to hurting people and help me show kindness and respect in addition to love. In Jesus' name. Amen. 

Beyond This World

Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth. For the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. And there was no longer any sea.I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God. Prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying. Now the dwelling of God is with men, and He will live with them. They will be His people and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain. For the old order of things has passed away. Revelation 21:1-4   

Death is going to come to everyone. As much as Hollywood movies such as 'Forever Young' try to depict  freezing people until a cure is found for their disease we  all will die. Death isn't to be feared. It should be feared if a person hasn't  asked Jesus into their hearts.

Grieving hurts. The loss of a baby, a child, or a teen especially is difficult. God loves you my friend. Do not turn your back on Him. There is joy to come in His kingdom. 

PRAYER: Lord losing friends and family to death is hard but help me rejoice when they go home to meet you in the clouds. I look forward to heaven when it is my time. In Jesus' name. Amen. 

Press On!!

Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:13-14

There are times in life when maybe you just feel like quitting.  You pray and pray and pray some more about an area in which you are waiting for a breakthrough but then discouragement sets in. The Bible does say in Luke 18:1 to pray and never give up. A defeatist attitude comes from the enemy of our souls,Satan. He is the one who tries to get you to quit, not go to church, not be "religious", have wrong thinking, speak poorly of others, act superior to others, and just any thing  that pulls you away from the Lord and causes a lack of hope.

Press on my friend. Charge ahead. Keep going. Don't quit. Believe. Hope. Your hope is in the Lord Jesus and every word of the Bible is true. Even when things don't seem to be changing maybe the Lord is also trying to work out something in your own life. Hang in there and run your race to win.

PRAYER: Forever Lord you are faithful. You hear my prayers and I know you love me. Give me strength to endure while I wait. In Jesus' name. Amen.

God Is Good, All The Time!!

I remain confidence in this, that I shall see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Psalm 27:13

In the movie 'God's Not Dead' currently showing nationwide in the US in approximately 1700 theaters, one of the phrases repeated over several times was "God is good, all the time. All the time, God is good." I have started trying to remember this when I am tempted to be upset about something or think wrong thoughts.  God has a plan and He will prevail. All the junk going on in the world, the lies,the deceit, the evil, the hurt, the pain, will one day be gone. This world is not forever.  While we are here for however long that is, we are supposed to be serving the Lord. Now of course those who have not yet accepted Christ or who are atheists would laugh at this notion. "That is a little fanatical now isn't it being religious all the time" some might say.

Wherever you are you can make a difference for the kingdom of God. Look at your life as a ministry. Your life is not just about one hour on Sunday. It is also not about acting 'holier than thou' but about shining the light of Jesus' wherever you go regardless of your circumstances. When humanly you would want to explode over a situation just say "God is good, all the time!" He really is!

PRAYER: I know everything in life has a purpose. Good stuff and not so good. Things work out. Help me Lord to be an example for you each day as you indeed are good! In Jesus' name. Amen.

Hated, Beaten, Rejected

Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts. Colossians 3:16

When watching The Passion of the Christ  and the scene where Jesus was being whipped, it struck me how awful hating is. When you hate you may not be  whipping your victim, but nevertheless the love of Christ is not in you. 

Jesus died a horrible death on the cross for you and me, all  sinners.  If you are a Christian you shouldn't be backbiting, being ugly, harboring jealously or resentment, but should be loving your fellow man, even those hard to get along with or hard to understand. The more we love the more we are transformed into the likeness of Christ.

When Jesus was tortured he said not one ugly word. How many reading this feel like telling  off a fast food worker when they can't hurry up? No one is beating us up, but our thoughts and words may not be like that of a Christian. 

Jesus was in severe pain but he only said "forgive" not call me a lawyer so I can sue! Let the love of Christ dwell in you. 

PRAYER: Thank you Lord for dying for our sins. I look forward to your kingdom some day when I leave this Earth. In the meantime help me show your love. In Jesus' name. Amen. 

Be Happy Everyday!

This is the day the Lord has made; We will rejoice and be glad in it. Psalm 118:24

Hopefully you woke up today in a good mood ready to face yet another day God has blessed you with here on Earth. We are not here to serve ourselves alone. We are here to serve the Lord and love people, all people.

Sometimes if you wake up feeling depressed, gloomy,sad, and alone, try saying out loud the verse above. Say it over and over if you have to. If you are away from things of the Lord and feeling sort of out of it, go get a Bible and open to the book of John in the New Testament and rejoice. Make a list of your blessings in life instead of dwelling on your problems. Pray for other people. Do something nice for someone, even a stranger. Purposely think on good things. 

Each and every day is a gift from God and a reason to be glad. If you are feeling down it is because Satan likes to get you to be this way. When you feel bad tell Satan to get behind you. Now go out and be happy!

PRAYER: I love you Lord and I choose this day to rejoice and make the enemy mad. Help me be kind today regardless of feelings. In Jesus' name. Amen. 

Just Pray

Jesus was telling them a parable about their need to pray continuously and not to be discouraged. Luke 18:1

What do the following things have in common? Crosses on road, angry drivers, wrecks on the highway, rude people in stores, the person with a sad look on their face. Each of these reminds us of times that prayer is needed.

The cross on the road indicates that a valuable loved person lost their life in a crash and hurting friends and family are no doubt left behind.  Those who pass us with road rage obviously need peace. When you come upon an accident on the highway, such as I did recently coming back from Kentucky, then the first reaction should be to pray. Often times shoppers can get pretty nasty to store clerks and maybe somethings going on with them that needs prayer. Those people we  see every day who seem to frown more than smile need a smile and prayers. 

Instead of focusing all the time on ourselves why not look around for opportunities to pray for others. We may not know specifically what they need but God does. Just pray!

PRAYER: Create in me Lord a desire to love others more than myself. Give me compassion for those who are hurting. Open my eyes to the needs around me. In Jesus' name.Amen.

Geez, Must Be Nice!

I am not saying this because I am in need for I have learned to be content in whatever the circumstances. Philippians  4:11

Have you ever caught yourself uttering the phrase that is my title today? I know I have and I have had people say it to me. Usually it is out of frustration of yearning for something you are not experiencing or something you do not have.  Recently mine has been comparing myself to other writers, some I know, wondering why it is taking me so long to get that book done I am talking about. Basically the root cause of speaking this phrase would be a jealous spirit. Jealously is not a "fruit of the Spirit" so if you find yourself saying this then you know it is not from God. Perhaps you desire someone else's lifestyle or some gift they have such as singing or being creative.

God is a god of contentment, peace, joy and not one of frustration,anger, envy, and bitterness. The scripture for today basically is saying to us, "be happy now and do not be concerned what others have". God has given each person what he or she needs and each of us has a different course of life. We are not all to be carbon copies of the other. That would be dull and boring. It is hard though if you are having a hard time with something to see someone apparently breezing through life. Do not let Satan make you tempted to want what they have. Remember to be happy where you are and to rejoice with those who rejoice as it says in Romans 12:15.

PRAYER: Thank you for where I am in life. Help me not be desirous of another's skills, talents, abilities, or possessions but be thankful or what I have and where I am. In Jesus' name. Amen.

Word Power

May these words of my mouth and this meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer. Psalm 19:14

There are many times in my life where I forgot to think before I spoke and then regretted it. Words are so important and so is patience before you speak. The wrong words can hurt feelings, bring misunderstandings, and damage relationships.It is always good to pause, take a breath, and think before you speak. This could even mean "emailing" before you think things through.

Our mouth is used to praise God, bless others, share good news, recite Bible verses and so much more. What it should not engage in is gossip, complaining, backbiting, rudeness, anger, cursing, judging or belittling.

It is so hard to wait, at least for me. We want to give our opinion or speak out before knowing the facts. If this describes you as well God can help you gain self control over this. Just ask Him. He is the great Healer and Deliverer. 

PRAYER: I try so hard on my own effort to watch what I say. Give me your strength to master this. Let my words be few and acceptable to you. In Jesus' name. Amen. 

Got Friends?

A man that hath friends must shew himself friendly: and there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother.Proverbs 18:24

Friends are extremely important to me. In my 30 years moving around with the United States Army many of our fellow military and civilian friends have become like a second family to us. We have shared holiday meals and done many things together. I am blessed with a very  large Christmas card list. There have been losses of friends though too, some to early death and some who just were tired of being my friend. Those hurt.

If you have ever been jilted by a dear friend it is very painful and confusing. Nothing you can say or do matters so it is best to let it go and shake the dust off your feet so to speak. Concentrate on the friends who do appreciate you with all the quirks that come with you. Don't force anyone to like you. Only God can change a heart. 

PRAYER: Thank you Lord for the blessing of friendship. Thank you for the way. You have brought people into my life and the lessons I learned from those who "unfriended" me. In Jesus' name. Amen.

Change My Heart Lord

Change My Heart Lord For  the preaching of the cross is foolishness to those who perish; but unto us who are saved, it is the power of God. 1 Corinthians 1:18 Look around you. The world we live in is not God friendly or Christian friendly. The culture tells us to change with the times. The Bible is valid for all times and is still the best selling book of all time. Satan, the great deceiver, has gotten many to cave into his lies. The way to not let this happen is to be spending time regularly in His word so you will recognize when the enemy comes against you.  Evil forces always are at work trying to get rid of truth. We are seeing it today with traditional marriage  being attacked in name of tolerance and  to meet the "times". I am pretty certain marriage means one man and one woman. We have exchanged truth for lies. "Heart transplants" are needed in that even some believers are caught in the trap of listening to Satan more than God.The battle for good versus evil rages on.    When you truly love God you will hunger for His word which is truth. You won't entertain doubts or cave in to deception. PRAYER: I know I need to be alert because my enemy the devil is prowling around trying to change truth into a lie. Keep me discerning of the lies that come my way. In Jesus' name. Amen.

Quality Time

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding;in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight. Proverbs 3:5-6 There is a saying called "having quality time over quantity of time." Many people have lives that are so filled with busy activities they barely have time to sit down and just rest. Seems it is easy to commit to too many things to the point you may become overwhelmed. Even a stay home mom can be guilty of this trying to be on committees and commit to different activities that you can become wiped out and no good to anyone. Especially disheartening is to see well meaning parents who put their child in multiple activities and no down time at all.   During all this rush to please everyone do you try to please God? By this I am referring to giving Him more than a "God is great" prayer. He wants your time and he wants you to rest in Him.  Instead of running all over the place  you need to make sure you run to Jesus. Why not start today and spend some good time with Jesus. Trust in Him, submit your activities to Him. He is waiting for that quality time with you. PRAYER: I need you in my life on a daily basis. Help me Lord as I seek to truly make you number one and cente my activities around you. In  Jesus' name. Amen.

Jesus. Not Just For Easter!

Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold. Matthew 24:12

 It does not take a rocket scientist to  know we are getting closer to the end of times. Subtly the enemy has crept in, spun his web of deceit, and many, even believers, have fallen for it.  Evil is being called good and good being called evil just as it says in Isaiah 5:20. We have ignored the word of God and we are beginning to pay a price for our foolishness. For many, church becomes the thing to do especially if it is Easter or Christmas. Somewhere deep down those persons in the category of only attending twice yearly must really believe in God or maybe they are going because they know they should. 

Jesus wants you to love Him more than just acting like you do. He loves us so much. Imagine if you will a friend wanting to spend time with you but you keep making excuses why you can't. Not much of a relationship would develop now would it? It is the same with Jesus. He wants to spend time with you each day not just on Sunday. He is knocking on your hearts door, why not answer today? 

PRAYER: Lord forgive me for days I wake up and ignore you. I know I have broken your heart. I need more of you in my life each day. In Jesus' name. Amen.