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Are You in Need of Wonder Working Power
Happy New Year!
Do you wish you could twitch your nose or snap your fingers and presto, what you long for would appear this year? The fact is, those techniques may work in movies, but not real life. However, God does work wonders. Sometimes those wonders take time. Other times, moments. Regardless of the timing, our Heavenly Father is the One on whom we are to set our hearts if we’re in need of wonder-working power. Moses is but one of many who needed a miracle and God stepped in. Listen to his words of praise in Exodus 15:11. “Who is like You among the gods, O Lord? Who is like You, majestic in holiness, Awesome in praises, working wonders?” If we’re in need of wonder-working power, we can go to God, be still in His presence, ask Him for help, and listen to what He quietly impresses on our hearts. Have your Bible, pen, and journal with you so you can turn to a Bible verse He directs you to look up and so you can write down what He prompts you to do. Imagine a year of God’s wonder working power in your life. It’s not a fairy tale. It’s real and it’s available for the person who seeks Christ and desires to glorify Him with their life.
Lord, You are the WORKER of WONDERS! We love and adore You. We look to You for the wonder working power only You can provide. We ask that You do in us what we cannot do, that You be in us what we cannot be, that You speak through us as only You can. May You be glorified in our lives this year.
TAKE ACTION
GET: Prayers of My Heart journal so you can record what God impresses on your heart so you are sure to follow up and walk in His will.
JOIN: Prayers of My Heart Gathering on Facebook for encouragement/tips on journaling.
Let’s Get This Right
Have you ever considered that because Christ paid for your sins you are worthy of heaven? Say that a few times to yourself and let it sink in. “I am worthy of heaven.” Believers are found worthy of heaven ONLY because Christ is worthy and exchanged His righteousness for our sin. He gave us His righteousness. Colossians 1:10 reminds us of the implication – “so that YOU will walk in a manner WORTHY of the Lord, to please Him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God;” In other words, we’re to walk in a manner worthy of or “suitably” for our Lord. We may have a hazy understanding of what it means to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, but we know what it means to be suitable. A child who puts on dirty clothes for school is told to put on something suitable, something clean for school. In the same manner, we are to walk worthily (suitably) of the Lord. Let’s get this right this year.
JOURNALING TIP: I wrote in the Meditations section of my journal, “walk in a manner worthy of the Lord,” Colossians 1:10. It’s a verse I want to put to memory. Writing and reviewing it helps keep me focused on this important calling.
Lord, thank You for making us worthy of Your presence and of heaven. Help us walk worthily of You!
Excerpt from If God is In Control, Why Am I a Basket Case?
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Not Much or A Year of Much Thanks?
Have you ever been asked, “What’s going on” and you replied, “Not much” or maybe, “keeping busy.” But what if you were asked what you were thankful for last year; but not only last year, but for each day last year? Could you answer? You could if you had kept a gratitude journal. Why would you want to do that? Is it a crazy thought that each day we have something for which to be thankful? No, and it’s incredibly advantageous. Research proves that people who journal their thanks are more optimistic about life than those who don’t. No doubt, that’s why 1 Thessalonians 5:17 says to pray without ceasing and in everything give thanks. This does not mean we’re to say, “thank you, God, for the car wreck.” It does mean we’re to be mindfully thankful that God is with us and will see us through whatever we face. Begin the practice of writing your thanks to God each day. This time next year, you’ll have a collection of daily gratitudes.
Start the New Year Strong with 2020 Vision
“I can see better. Colors are brighter. Whites more white. I have 20/20 vision!” Can you relate to those comments? You can if you have a new eyeglass prescription or had cataract surgery. Seeing clearly is a welcomed blessing. It affects our outlook and quality of life. The same is true for spiritual vision. What is spiritual vision? How can we achieve 20/20 spiritual vision in 2020?
Enlighten the Eyes of Your Heart
Did you know your heart has eyes, a metaphor for the eye of our mind, the faculty of knowing? It does, and in Ephesians 1:18-19, Paul prays that the eyes of our heart be enlightened. The implication is there is more to see than we realize. More to see of “the hope of Christ’s calling; more to see of the surpassing greatness of Christ’s power.” How did Paul know? He’d been “caught up to the third heaven” where he heard things inexpressible. (2 Corinthians 12:2-4) The man once blinded by Christ’s light now clearly sees Christ’s glory and power.
The Eyes of Our Heart and Mind Communicate
In case you’re not aware, our heart functions as more than a blood pumping muscle. Dr. Caroline Leaf, a cognitive neuroscientist, along with others including the National Library of Medicine and National Institute of Health write on, “Cellular Communications in the Heart,” “cell cross talk” and “intercellular communication.” If cells communicate, affecting our physical heart condition, why would we doubt communication with God affects our spiritual heart condition?
Verses throughout the Bible address the power of our heart to influence our thinking and therefore, lives. “Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it,” Proverbs 4:23. “As a man thinks in his heart so is he,” Proverbs 23:7. As we think in our heart? Our heart thinks? Apparently, yes. Psalm 119:11 speaks of the power of our heart on our behavior. “I have hidden Your Words in my heart so that I would not sin against Thee.” Yes, God created our heart as a spiritual receptor that communicates with our mind and influences our emotions and behavior. Did not Christ say that rivers of living water would flow from our innermost being, referring to the Holy Spirit’s influence on us? (John 7:38)
How Are the Eyes of Our Heart Enlightened?
People seek higher education at universities because learning is enlightening and empowering. Wise believers seek an even Higher education – the mind of Christ – so they’ll be enlightened and empowered to live for Christ. The more Bible knowledge we apply to our heart through prayer and the power of the Holy Spirit, the better our spiritual vision. Join me January 8 at “Starting Strong with 2020 Vision.” Get a Bible study and walk with increased spiritual vision and power in 2020. Information below.
Heavenly Father, thank You for enlightening the eyes of our heart as we read and apply Your truths to our hearts.
YOU’RE INVITED!
Women’s Gathering with Debbie Taylor Williams
What: Starting Strong with 2020 Vision
When: Wednesday, January 8, 2020, 11 -12 noon
Where: Trinity Baptist Church Chapel, Kerrville, TX
Register: Call Gina at 830.895.0100 or register online at https://www.tbck.org/events/. Childcare for infants to kindergarten must be registered.
Email hillcountryministries@gmail.com for more information.
$7.50 includes Prayers of My Heart journal and refreshments. Scholarships available. 
Are You Ready for a New Year
Last year, innocent people were killed. Illness struck suddenly. You made it through one storm and another hit. Are you ready for a new year? If so, may I recommend how Psalm 61:3 describes God. “You have been a refuge for me, a tower of strength against the enemy.” A tower is a high place where we can look at life from God’s perspective, where we pray, pour out our heart to God, intercede for others, and quietly listen for His counsel. If we want to experience God’s best next year, we can. Our Father is a tower of strength and refuge to whom we can go. Start the New Year Strong. Learn more. Register Today. Also be sure to JOIN my new Prayers of My Heart Facebook Gathering. I’ll be there to personally chat with you.
Jesus, tower of strength and refuge, we praise You. When we don’t know how we can get through the next minute, You help us get through the next year. You are our strength and help. Thank You for all the ways You guarded and guided us this past year. We look to next year with joy and hope because of You.
Good Year? Bad Year?
As you look at your year, are your thoughts, “It’s been great!” Or, are your thoughts more along the lines of, “It’s been a rough or bad year”? Perhaps the “rough” or “bad” is related to finances, work, your marriage, children, parents, friendships. It may be related to your frustration with yourself, that you continue to struggle with the same sin. Whatever the case, something God wants us to be mindful of is that He was there for us in the past and He’s not going anywhere. He’s staying by our side. As Romans 3:26 reminds us, He is “just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.” Developing a grateful heart for who God is and His presence in our lives is a gift to ourselves and to others. Who would you rather be around? A negative, cup is always half empty, or a grateful person, mindful of their blessings in Christ? Psalm 63:4 says, “I will bless You as long as I live; I will lift up my hands in Your name.” I hope you have Prayers of My Heart journal so you can daily lift your hands in praise of God and record a trait/name of Him each day. It is not too late to order. Journaling God’s traits and praying in relation to His character increases our mindfulness of God’s blessings and how we’re to be being transformed into His likeness. JOIN the POMH Gathering on Facebook for encouragement. We’re going to have so much fun sharing how we’re journaling and God’s blessings.
We praise you, Lord, for being both just and our justifier. We are so grateful!
God Isn’t a Cavity
Not Just Any Man
Jesus came to earth as a baby so He might grow into a man; but not just any man. He came from heaven as our MESSIAH. Andrew heard John the Baptist announce that Jesus was the Lamb of God who had come to take away the sins of the world. Andrew followed Jesus and after spending time with Him, went and told his brother, Simon Peter, “We have found the MESSIAH,” John 1:41. Andrew was intentional about his search for the Messiah and after finding Him, was intentional about telling others. What ways can we be more intentional about sharing Christ with others? We can begin by praying for our unsaved friends and for our nation to turn to Christ. I label the last column in the Week at a Glance section of Prayers of My Heart: “Unsaved” so I remember to daily pray for unsaved friends and family. I hope you’re joining me at Starting Strong with 2020 Vision. I’ll be sharing additional ways we can strengthen our prayer life in 2020. Click to register: Starting Strong with 2020 Vision.
How about inviting a neighbor to join you?
Jesus Christ, MESSIAH, You are all good things: love, forgiveness, hope, peace, and joy! Help us be as Andrew; intentional about following You and about telling others about You.
While He’s Away
Jesus told a parable in Luke 19:11-22 portraying Himself as a nobleman who went to a distant country to receive a kingdom for Himself and then return. Before He departed, the nobleman gave talents to His servants so they could carry on His business while He was away. Two of the servants took seriously what He entrusted them to do. When the nobleman returned, he honored them and entrusted more to them. But he called the servant who didn’t do anything with the talent he had given him, “worthless.” (Luke 19:11-22) Let’s break this down. Jesus is the nobleman. At salvation, He entrusts a spiritual gift to every believer so we can do His work on earth while He is in heaven. We are either faithfully doing the good works He’s prepared for us to do (Ephesians 2:10), or, we’re lazy like the unfaithful slave. What a joy for us to get to serve Christ.
Jesus Christ, heaven’s nobleman, stir our hearts to faithfully serve You with the gifts You’ve entrusted to us.
“While they were listening to these things, Jesus went on to tell a parable, because He was near Jerusalem, and they supposed that the kingdom of God was going to appear immediately. So He said, ‘A nobleman went to a distant country to receive a kingdom for himself, and then return;“
Resolution Revolution
Do you make New Year resolutions? Or, have you stopped making them; knowing that you won’t keep them? Are resolutions a good thing or a bad thing? They’re a good thing if coupled with a plan and a tool. For instance, in the Old Testament, God told Moses to build a tabernacle. Then, God gave him the plan. Perhaps you’ve resolved to develop a more consistent and meaningful prayer time with God rather than drop the ball or say the same prayers. If so, Prayers of My Heart journal is your tool to carry out your resolve. Three writing sections offer you inspiration and direction. Begin each day by recording 3 things for which you’re thankful. Then, move to the next section and pray for the people whose names you’ve recorded at the top of each column. Lastly, turn to the final section and write out the verse provided at top of the page to help you hide God’s Word in your heart. Resolve with a plan. You’re on your way to a deeper prayer life and relationship with Jesus.
Heavenly Father, thank You that You make all things new, including us. Help us follow through with our resolve to deepen our prayer life and walk with You. Thank You for new beginnings and the opportunity to grow.