2 Chronicles 6:40
'Now, my God, may Your eyes be open and Your ears attentive to the prayers offered in this place.' - The Lord is ready and willing to hear your prayers. - What is it that you long for and desire today? - Take those issues and make them a matter of prayer. - May the Father look upon you and may He bless you in all things. PRAYER: Lord, as I start this new week, I take a moment to bring my requests and petitions to You. I make these things a matter of prayer as I trust You to move on my behalf. Amen.
0 Comments
Were your growing up years hard years? Family pain is the deepest pain because it was inflicted so early; it involves people who should have been trustworthy. You were too young to process the mistreatment. You didn’t know how to defend yourself. Besides, the perpetrators of your pain were so large. Your dad, mom, uncle, big brother—they towered over you, usually in size, always in rank. When they judged you falsely, you believed them.
As a result, you’ve been operating on faulty data. “You’re stupid, slow, dumb like your daddy, fat like your momma.” Decades later, these voices of defeat still echo in our subconscious. But they don’t have to! Romans 12:2 says to let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. You are God’s child. His creation. You’ll get through this! You’re part of His family. Being made right with God by his grace, we could have the hope of receiving the life that never ends. Titus 3:7
You may be decent. You may pay taxes and kiss your kids and sleep with a clean conscience. But apart from Christ you aren't holy. So how can you go to heaven? Only believe. Accept the work already done, the work of Jesus on the cross. Accept the goodness of Jesus Christ. Abandon your own works and accept his. Abandon your own decency and accept his. Stand before God in his name, not yours. It's that easy? There was nothing easy about it at all. The cross was heavy, the blood was real, and the price was extravagant. It would have bankrupted you or me, so he paid it for us. Call it simple. Call it a gift. But don't call it easy. Call it what it is. Call it grace. A Gentle Thunder (Max Lucado) 1.“And once the storm is over, you won’t remember how you made it through, how you managed to survive. You won’t even be sure, whether the storm is really over. But one thing is certain. When you come out of the storm, you won’t be the same person who walked in. That’s what this storm’s all about.” ― Haruki Murakami
2. “You may encounter many defeats, but you must not be defeated. In fact, it may be necessary to encounter the defeats, so you can know who you are, what you can rise from, how you can still come out of it.” – Maya Angelou 3. “The most beautiful people I've known are those who have known trials, have known struggles, have known loss, and have found their way out of the depths.” ― Elisabeth Kübler-Ross 4. “The brick walls are there for a reason. The brick walls are not there to keep us out. The brick walls are there to give us a chance to show how badly we want something. Because the brick walls are there to stop the people who don’t want it badly enough. They’re there to stop the other people.” – Randy Pausch 5. “Sometimes adversity is what you need to face in order to become successful.” - Zig Ziglar 6. “Adversity is like a strong wind. I don't mean just that it holds us back from places we might otherwise go. It also tears away from us all but the things that cannot be torn, so that afterward we see ourselves as we really are, and not merely as we might like to be.” ― Arthur Golden, Memoirs of a Geisha 7. “The greater the obstacle, the more glory in overcoming it.” – Moliere 8. “I have not failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work.” ― Thomas A. Edison 9. “I've missed more than 9,000 shots in my career. I've lost almost 300 games. 26 times, I've been trusted to take the game winning shot and missed. I've failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed.” – Michael Jordan 10. “You must make a decision that you are going to move on. It won’t happen automatically. You will have to rise up and say, ‘I don’t care how hard this is, I don’t care how disappointed I am, I’m not going to let this get the best of me. I’m moving on with my life.” – Joel Osteen The day of the Lord will come like a thief. The skies will disappear with a loud noise… So what kind of people should you be? 2 Peter 3:10-11
Great question. What kind of people should we be? Peter tells us: "You should live holy lives and serve God, as you wait for and look forward to the coming of the day of God" (vv. 2 Peter 3:11-12). Hope of the future is not a license for irresponsibility in the present. Let us wait forwardly, but let us wait. But for most of us, waiting is not our problem. Or, maybe I should state, waiting is our problem. We are so good at waiting that we don't wait forwardly. We forget to look… We are too content. We seldom search the skies…We seldom, if ever, allow the Holy Spirit to interrupt our plans and lead us to worship so that we might see Jesus. When Christ Comes (Max Lucado) Lord we pray that you bless every person that reads these motivations. Help them to experience Your love, Your healing , Your provision, Your purpose and Your dream for their lives we pray tis in your Mighty Name Amen
"And He said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness'"
(2 Corinthians 12:9a, NKJV) We all go through seasons of difficulty and face storms in life. But during those times, we have to remember that Almighty God is greater than any struggle we face! He’ll take those challenges and use them to strengthen us, but we have to do our part and take a step of faith toward the victory. Think about the caterpillar before it becomes a butterfly. When it’s wrapped in its dark cocoon on the backside of some tree, it doesn’t look like it has many options. But inside that cocoon as it becomes a butterfly, it doesn’t just sit and wait for someone to come and let it out. No, that butterfly knows that it has to make a move if it’s going to be set free to fly. In the same way, we have to do something to get out of the confining places we are in. We have to pray, we have to believe, and we have to press through to victory. Today, no matter what you may be facing, remember His grace is sufficient for you. His strength is made perfect in you. He has given you everything you need to overcome in this life. Now is the time to break free and rise to new levels because He has victory and blessing prepared for you! Heavenly Father, thank You for the strength to make it through any challenge I may face. I choose to put my trust in You. I declare that You are good and faithful. Thank You for equipping me for victory in every area of my life in Jesus’ name. Amen. You are not responsible for doing
it all yourself, right now. Remember a happy, peaceful time in your past. Rest there. Each moment has richness that takes a lifetime to savor. Set your own pace. When someone is pushing you, it's OK to tell them they're pushing. Take nothing for granted: watch water flow, the corn grow, the leaves blow, your neighbor mow. Taste your food. God gives it to delight as well as to nourish. Notice the sun and the moon as they rise and set. They are remarkable for their steady pattern of movement, not their speed. Quit planning how you're going to use what you know, learn, or possess. God's gifts just are; be grateful and their purpose will be clear. When you talk with someone, don't think about what you'll say next. Thoughts will spring up naturally if you let them. Talk and play with children. It will bring out the unhurried little person inside you. Create a place in your home... at your work... in your heart... where you can go for quiet and recollection. You deserve it. Allow yourself time to be lazy and unproductive. Rest isn't luxury; it's a necessity. Listen to the wind blow. It carries a message of yesterday, tomorrow and now. NOW counts. Rest on your laurels. They bring comfort whatever their size, age, or condition. Talk slower. Talk less. Don't talk. Communication isn't measured by words. Give yourself permission to be late sometimes. Life is for living, not scheduling. Listen to the song of a bird; the complete song. Music and nature are gifts, but only if you are willing to receive them. Take time just to think. Action is good and necessary, but it's fruitful only if we muse, ponder, and mull. Make time for play - the things you like to do. Whatever your age, your inner child needs re-creation. Watch and listen to the night sky. It speaks. Listen to the words you speak, especially in prayer. Learn to stand back and let others take their turn as leaders. There will always be new opportunities for you to step out in front again. Divide big jobs into little jobs. If God took six days to create the universe, can you hope to do any better? When you find yourself rushing & anxious, stop. Ask yourself "WHY?" you are rushing and anxious. The reasons may improve your self-understanding. Take time to read. Thoughtful reading is enriching reading. Direct your life with purposeful choices, not with speed and efficiency. The best musician is one who plays with expression and meaning, not the one who finishes first. Take a day off alone; make a retreat. You can learn from monks and hermits without becoming one. Pet a furry friend. You will give and get the gift of now. Work with your hands. It frees the mind. Take time to wonder. Without wonder, life is merely existence. Sit in the dark. It will teach you to see and hear, taste and smell. Once in a while, turn down the lights, the volume, the throttle, the invitations. Less really can be more. Let go. Nothing is usually the hardest thing to do but often it is the best. Take a walk-but don't go anywhere. If you walk just to get somewhere, you sacrifice the walking. Count your friends. If you have one, you are lucky. If you have more, you are blessed. Bless them in return. Count your blessings - one at a time and slowly. |
Ana & Andre Schoonbee God uses us to motivate and encourage the body. Authors
All
Archives
June 2015
|