Blog
Are You in Emotional, Physical, or Spiritual Bondage?
Do you ever feel “tied up” in a spiritual, physical, or emotional bondage? Are you concerned for a loved one who is in bondage? If so, pray to the Lord on the basis of Psalm 116:16 which says, “O Lord, surely I am Your servant, …You have LOOSED MY BONDS.” This verse reminds us that God can do what no one else can do. He has loosed us from the bonds of death and given us eternal freedom. “Unbind him and let him go,” Jesus directed those who watched Him raise Lazarus from the dead. “Unbind her. Unbind him,” Jesus commands when we call to Him in faith to loosen chains that bind us.
Lord, You are the great and mighty God who LOOSENS BONDS. We praise You for the bonds of death from which You’ve set us free. Please loosen and set free those who are still in bondage. Loosen any emotional, spiritual, or physical bondages that may remain in our lives. Free us to run the race You’ve set before us. We look to You to do what only You can do.
Plain. Simple. Truth.
“Up to 60% of the human adult body is water. The brain and heart are composed of 73% water, and the lungs are about 83% water.”
So we get that our body needs water. But, what about our spirit? It needs spiritual water: Living Water, the Holy Spirit. Jesus explained.
“If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, ‘From his innermost being will flow rivers of living water.’ But this He spoke of the SPIRIT, whom those who believed in Him were to receive; for the SPIRIT was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.” John 7:38
As water is to our body, so the Holy Spirit is to our spirit. Our body needs water. Our spirit needs Living Water. Plain. Simple. Truth. Reach for Him. Drink deeply.
Sweet Jesus, thank You for coming from heaven to speak truth into our lives. Thank You for giving us Your Spirit as LIVING WATER to cleanse and fill us so we can live in Your presence forever.
When Final Isn’t Final
During our lifetime, we’ll lose someone to death. Jesus’s disciple, John, saw Jesus die. The scourging. The nails. The cross. The blood and water. The tomb. It seemed final. But then, John saw Him again! Imagine what it must have been like for him to see Jesus transformed from the cross’s goriness to heaven’s gloriousness. John was overcome. “When I saw Him, I fell at His feet like a dead man. And He placed His right hand on me, saying, ‘Do not be afraid; I am the first and the last, and the LIVING ONE; and I was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of death and of Hades.’” (Revelation 1:18) Why did John fall like a dead man when he saw his friend in heaven? Jesus is glowing! His eyes are brilliant. His voice tumultuous. He told John to bring us the message that He has the keys of death and Hades. In other words, after your death you don’t have to be locked in death. God recreates repentant sinners with a glorified body, soul, and spirit capable of living eternally in His presence. How can we not tell everyone we know that a glorious resurrection awaits them if they call on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ for salvation?
LIVING ONE, brilliantly glorious One, even though we can’t see You, we believe in You. Help us love You more each day so our lives are displays of Your glory; drawing others to You.
Praying for our unsaved friends and neighbors is crucial. I designate a column in the Week at A Glance section of Prayers of My Heart to pray for the United States and Unsaved. What do I pray? Check out this short SLIDE SHOW.
Guess Who Is Listening
Do you ever wish that someone would listen to you? You may have even asked someone with whom you were talking, “Are you listening to me?” They may say yes, but you wonder if they’re really hearing you. We don’t have to wonder if God listens to us when we call on Him and pray to Him. In Jeremiah 29:12, He clearly states that if we pray, He’ll LISTEN. “Then you will call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and I will LISTEN to you.” Imagine that! Ponder that. The God of the universe listens to you. Are you taking advantage of the incredible opportunity to talk to Him? Are you waiting in His presence to see how His Spirit in you prompts you to perhaps a verse, word of comfort, or course of action? What a great privilege it is to call on God and pray to Him.
Heavenly Father, thank You for LISTENING when we come to You and call on You in prayer!
Get Excited About This
Prayer of Praise
Lord Jesus, I praise You, the LAST ADAM, for giving me a new birth through your life-giving Spirit.
Prayer of Repentance
Heavenly Father, forgive me for rebelling against you as Adam did; for hurting You and others. Thank You for Jesus taking my sins on His body and receiving the penalty of death that was due to me. I believe Your Son is Jesus Christ, whom You sent from heaven to give me new, spiritual life. Thank You for the promise of eternal life in Him. I repent of my sins and receive the gift of His Spirit with eternal gratitude. Cleanse me of my sins and fill me with Your Spirit so I can live for You.
“For the promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off, as many as the Lord our God will call to Himself.” Acts 2:39
When Your Head is Hangin’ Low, Try This
Have you ever had your head “hangin” low? Perhaps you were depressed. It seemed everybody or everything was against you. Or, maybe your head was “hangin” low in shame. Or maybe you’re at a crossroad and don’t know what to do. The acclaimed King David knew what it was like to have his head hanging low. He penned these words, “You, O Lord, are a shield about me, My glory, and the One who LIFTS MY HEAD.” (Psalm 3:3) His head had been down, but he knew on whom to focus – the Lord. If your head is hanging low today, remember this comforting truth – God sees you and cares about you. Whatever you’re facing, He can LIFT YOUR HEAD, just as He did David’s. How? For an example, do the following. 1) Turn to Psalm 3:3. and read it. It’s only 8 verses. Read Psalm 1, only 6 verses. 2) Write in your journal a verse that is meaningful to and one that is instructive. Personalize them. For instance, I wrote in my journal, Prayers of My Heart, “7/9/19 Psalm 1:1a, 2-3b. How blessed is the woman whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and in His law she meditates day and night.” What happens when we follow our Father’s instruction and lift our head and eyes to His glorious Word? We find hope, peace, grace, glory. If your head is “hangin” low, lift it to God’s Word.
Thank You, Heavenly Father, for giving us Your Word that lifts our head to heaven. We love and praise You.
So Are You the Life of the Party?
Have you ever looked for “life” in someone or something apart from Jesus? Or, perhaps in your younger years you were “the life of the party.” Maybe in your adult years you bought into the idea that the right job, house, car, or person would bring you what was important in life. But, perhaps later you realized that things and people can disappoint and fall short of our expectations. Our heart will never be happy until we make the Lord our life not just in words but in reality. “Jesus said in John 14:6, ‘I am the way, and the truth, and the LIFE; no one comes to the Father but through Me.’” We find LIFE in Jesus not only for eternal salvation but for daily salvation. Ask Him to live His LIFE through you today.
Lord, You are the way, the truth, and the LIFE! Fill us with Your LIFE.
Who Is Your Spirit Guide
When you were a child, did you play “follow the leader”? If so, you probably remember how important it was to do what the leader did. If they placed their hand on their head, then you were supposed to place your hand on your head. If they touched their toes, then you touched your toes. In order to follow, you had to keep your eye on the leader. You had to pay attention to the leader’s words. In Isaiah 48:17 God explains something that is not child’s play. Rather, it’s an incredible offer by the spiritual coach and mentor from on high. He tells us, “‘I am the Lord your God, who teaches you to profit, Who LEADS you in the way you should go.'” Many people seek out a spirit “guide” or life coach so they can learn the best way to go in life. God freely offers His LEAD for us to follow. He teaches us to profit. How closely are we listening to Him? Are we following His lead?
God, You are our LEADER! What a blessing to follow You!
If You’re Getting Run Over
If you’re a parent or teacher, have you ever “laid down the law” to a child and said, “Look left and right before you cross the street”? Why do we say that? Because we don’t want them to get run over. In like manner, our Heavenly Father lays down moral and ethical laws so we don’t get run over by life and sin. If we don’t listen to Him and we run ahead apart from His laws, we soon find out why He has, in love, given us laws. Isaiah 33:22 spells out the reason we are to obey our Father. “For the Lord is our judge, the Lord is our lawgiver, the Lord is our king; He will save us—” Our Heavenly Father gives us laws to save us from pain, separation, guilt, untimely death, loss, regret, and so much more. In what ways might you be running into streets of sin chasing after a ball of fun, money, or a relationship that God has warned, “Stop”? Our Heavenly Father is our LAWGIVER and Savior. We’re saved from so much pain and blessed beyond words when we listen to Him and follow His commands.
Lord, we praise You, LAWGIVER, for Your commands and instructions that protect and provide for us.
Niagara Falls Not a Teaspoon
Do you ever feel like you’ve sinned one too many times? Have you ever vowed to never again do something, but broke your promise to God? I don’t know anyone who feels like they’re perfect in God’s eyes. I sure don’t. The amazing blessing is that God, in His love, has provided for us to come to Him by means of His lavish grace. Ephesians 1:7-8 explains, “In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace which He LAVISHED on us.” In other words, God’s grace isn’t begrudgingly meted out in teaspoons. Rather, God’s Niagara Falls grace flows over and in us washing away our sins. When you think “God,” think “LAVISH GRACE.”