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December 4, 2013

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God's Grace & Love, Prayer, Thanks & Praise

Count Your Blessings and Give Thanks – (Prayer part 3)

O my soul, bless God. From head to toe, I’ll bless his holy name!
O my soul, bless God, don’t forget a single blessing!
He forgives your sins – every one.
He heals your diseases – every one.
He redeems you from hell – saves your life!
He crowns you with love and mercy – a paradise crown.
He wraps you in goodness – beauty eternal.
He renews your youth – you’re always young in his presence. [Psalm 103:1-5 (MSG)]

God does amazing things for us. He forgives us, redeems us, loves us and fills our lives with countless gifts. He may not cure our every ill, but he always heals our ailing spirits. He may not keep us from aging, but he will always renew our hearts and minds. No matter how difficult life may be, there are always blessings to count. Thank you God. Bless the Lord, oh my soul!

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December 3, 2013

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Joy, Prayer, Thanks & Praise

Praise with Every Breath – (Prayer part 2)

Praise the Lord!
Praise God in his sanctuary;
Praise him in his mighty heaven!
Praise him for his mighty works;
Praise his unequaled greatness!
[Psalm 150:1-2 (NLT)]

Praise isn’t just a response for the good times in our lives; it is a 24/7 deal. We may not like our present situation or be pleased with the current state of affairs, but we can love our God and praise His Holy Name. In the middle of our praise, we might just find joy and that peace that transcends all understanding!

Let everything that breathes sing praises to the Lord! Praise the Lord! [Psalm 150:6 (NLT)]

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December 2, 2013

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Prayer, Wisdom & Guidance

Our Prayer Plates – (Prayer part 1)

Lord, you are the God who saves me. I cry out to you day and night. Receive my prayer, and listen to my cry. [Psalm 88:1-2 (NCV)]

“My Plate” is the latest guide to healthy eating with its five food groups: fruit, vegetables, grains, protein, and dairy. Just as we need an assortment of food to maintain our health, we need various kinds of prayer for spiritual health. Years ago, my pastor preached about the “Five Fingers of Prayer”: praise, thanksgiving, confession, intercession and petition. Praise was to be first and foremost while petition (prayer for ourselves) was to be the last and least. Unfortunately, for me at least, my prayer plate is often too heavily laden with personal appeals and far too light on the others.

Lord, guide our prayers so they begin with praise to you for your glory and are filled with thanksgiving (for everything, not just the things we like). Don’t let us omit honest confession and enthusiastic appeals for others. Guide us, so that it is only after we have offered these prayers that we offer our own personal petitions.

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December 1, 2013

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Holidays & Holy Days, Wisdom & Guidance

Prepare the Way – 1st Sunday in Advent

Thunder in the desert! “Prepare for God’s arrival! Make the road straight and smooth, a highway fit for our God. Fill in the valleys, level off the hills, Smooth out the ruts, clear out the rocks. Then God’s bright glory will shine and everyone will see it. Yes. Just as God has said.” [Isaiah 40:3-5 (MSG)]

As we prepare for the Christmas holidays, Lord, guide us so that we do not forget the reason for the season. Let the desire for peace, love and joy lead us and not our concern for gifts, decorations, and food. May we truly prepare the way of the Lord, not the way of Santa Claus!

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November 30, 2013

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Faith & Hope

We are Never Abandoned

As a deer thirsts for streams of water, so I thirst for you, God. I thirst for the living God. When can I go to meet with him? Day and night, my tears have been my food. People are always saying, “Where is your God?” [Psalm 42:1-3 (NCV)]

Unfortunately, like David, there may be times we feel abandoned by God. Our faith doesn’t make us exempt from troubles nor does it render us impervious to sorrow, depression or despair. Our faith, however, does give us hope. Our hope in God (and professional help, if necessary) can carry us through those desolate and trying times of life.

Why am I so sad? Why am I so upset? I should put my hope in God and keep praising him, my Savior and my God. [Psalm 42:5-6a (NCV)]

A Christian will part with anything rather than his hope; he knows that hope will keep the heart both from aching and breaking, from fainting and sinking; he knows that hope is a beam of God, a spark of glory, and that nothing shall extinguish it till the soul be filled with glory. [Thomas Brooks]

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November 29, 2013

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Attitudes & Behavior, God's Promises, Peace of God

You Deserve a Break Today!

He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside peaceful waters. He renews my soul. [Psalm 23:2-3a (GW)]

Lord, help us to accept our physical and mental limitations. Don’t let our foolish pride keep us from stopping and taking a rest when it is needed. We need to renew both bodies and souls. As much as we may want to, we need to remember we can’t do it all. That’s your job!