365 Days of Praise
Are You In Need of Something BEAUTIFUL?
THANK YOU for YOUR PRAYERS for “Starting Strong with 2020 Vision.” Here are just a few of the comments we received:
- “I want you to know that was the most powerful, from-the-well- of-truth message I have heard you give. I got goosebumps. The Holy Spirit was surely present.”
- “I was so blessed by the whole morning and by the poem God put on your heart! Thank you for being His mouthpiece to me.”
If you weren’t able to attend, you can watch “Starting Strong with 2020 Vision” here. Prayers of My Heart Journal.
Do you have enemies? Are you fearful? Is there trouble anywhere? David, the psalmist, can relate. But he kept his eye on the ball. That is, he kept his eye on God, His past and His present faithfulness. He knew God to be the beauty in the ashes; the righteous in the midst of evil. And David chose – just like we can (and are) to gaze and meditate on God’s beauty and His eternal temple to which we’re headed. In the midst of the agony and defeat, discouragement and doubt, we can say, “One thing I have asked from the Lord, that I shall seek: That I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, To behold the beauty of the Lord and to meditate in His temple.” Psalm 27:4
BEAUTIFUL LORD, we praise You. Thank You for being the beauty in our day and the One on whom we can gaze and meditate.
Case Dismissed!
I wish sin wasn’t a part of my life, but it is. I miss the mark of holiness every day. Jesus doesn’t want us to live under condemnation, though. Remember when the Jews wanted to stone a woman caught in adultery and Jesus told her to go and sin no more? He told her He didn’t condemn her. He wanted her to live free. Free of adultery. Free of guilt and condemnation. He wants the same for us. Jesus is our Advocate, as 1 John 2:1 explains, “My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an ADVOCATE with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous;” Jesus is our Advocate, just as He was for the adulterous woman. Only when we arrive in heaven will we fully appreciate the magnitude of Jesus winning the case for our freedom by taking our guilt on the Himself.
Lord Jesus, thank You for being our Advocate and winning our eternal freedom.
Are You A Worrier
Whether we’re shopping for a car or a computer, we typically ask, “How powerful is it?” Why do we ask? We want to know if what we’re considering to buy is sufficient for what we need. We may not realize it, but sometimes we may question God’s power. Why would I say that? Because we pray about something and then we worry. If we really believed that nothing is impossible with God, then worry wouldn’t have a place in our lives. If you tend to be a worrier, 1 Chronicles 29:11 is a verse you might want to carry with you and read throughout the day, “Yours, O LORD, is the greatness and the POWER and the glory and the victory and the majesty, indeed everything that is in the heavens and the earth; Yours is the dominion, O LORD, and You exalt Yourself as head overall.” If we’ve given our concerns to God, we can rest assured that He is all-powerful to accomplish what is in His will. We can confidently trust in Him.
Lord, You are the ALL POWERFUL, omnipotent God! We praise You that nothing is impossible with You.
Why FOR Never Works
Do you get frustrated when you “blow it” in regard to your Christian walk? I certainly do. Almost every day, I’m mindful of something I should have done, could have done that would have brought honor to Christ. The reminder in 2 Corinthians 3:5 helps me in those times of frustration. It says, “Not that we are adequate in ourselves to consider anything as coming from ourselves, but our adequacy is from God.’” The word “adequacy” in this verse means sufficiency, ability, or competency. Here we find a key to our desire to live “for” Christ. We can’t live “for” Him in our own strength. Rather, we need to let Christ live His life IN and through us. His adequacy is the key. Our ability to be and do that to which God calls us is from God. We can pray, ”Fill me with YOUR Spirit so I walk by Your ADEQUACY.” That is our hope-filled prayer.
Thank You, LORD, for the adequacy You give us in Christ Jesus.
*This is one of God’s 365 attributes for which we can look up, praise, and trust Him. To learn about His other attributes and ways you can know God and praise Him, join us HERE.
Go to the Top
“May I talk to the manager, please?” The person with whom I was talking was friendly but didn’t have the authority for what I needed. At times, we may feel that we need advice or direction and family and friends are willing to help, but we need direction from someone higher up. In those times, Jesus is the right person to ask. Ephesians 1:20-21 says Christ is “seated at His (God’s) right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come.’” If we have a situation that calls for the highest input, there is no one higher than Jesus. He is ABOVE all. And, this is the good news. He is our friend, brother, and bridegroom. He offers, “Tell me your needs. Let Me help you.” What a wonderful Savior!
Lord Jesus, You are ABOVE ALL powers and principalities and names; above all that constrains and binds us, above all our worries. We praise You!
Do You Worry About Dying
I thought I had killed a bee, but I only stunned it. Before I could blink, the bee was moving. There’s a difference between stunning something and abolishing it. When you think about death, does it worry you? Here’s the deal, and it’s great news! Second Timothy 1:10 assures us that we don’t have to worry about death. Why? The verse explains that when Christ died on the cross, He didn’t stun death, but that death continue to be a reality for us. Rather, it says, “ …our Savior Christ Jesus, abolished death and brought life and immortality to light…” In other words, when our body ceases to live, our spirit continues to live. Those who have placed their faith in Christ and whose human spirit is wed to Christ’s Holy Spirit will live eternally in His glorious light. That’s something to celebrate, not fear.
Lord Jesus Savior, we praise You for abolishing death! Thank You for eternal life in You.
I Can’t Do It!
I can’t do it! I can’t live the Christian life God calls me to live. Our Heavenly Father understands that. He knew that Abraham couldn’t fulfill His vision for his life, and He knows we’re not able. So what is our part in living for God? Faith. Faith that God is able. Romans 4:19-21 explains the importance of our faith in God. “Without becoming weak in faith he (Abraham) contemplated his own body, now as good as dead since he was about a hundred years old, and the deadness of Sarah’s womb; yet, with respect to the promise of God, he did not waver in unbelief but grew strong in faith, giving glory to God, and being fully assured that what God had promised, He was able also to perform.” That’s it! Abraham nailed it. God called him to have a son when he was not physically able, but he trusted God to do it. That is how we are to live. Note that the verse says Abraham grew strong in faith. We may feel that our faith is weak, but it can grow stronger.
This is Reassuring
In your lifetime, how many people have you seen take positions of leadership and then be unseated? It happens. People and countries are left shaken … swinging between being hopeful of a new administration or fearful of the one that’s taken office. But our Lord wants us to know that He’s on the throne and He’s not going anywhere. First, there’s no person or spirit or power that can touch Him. Second, if they could, they couldn’t over-power our Lord. If we want someone in our lives on whom we can depend, then we need look no further than the Lord who abides forever. Psalm 9:7 assures us, “…the Lord abides forever; He has established His throne for judgment.’”
Heavenly Father, we praise You that You have established Your throne and no power, person, or principality can unseat You. We love and praise You.
You Can’t Kill Him Dead Forever
LET US KNOW YOU’RE COMING TODAY. CLICK HERE: STARTING STRONG with 2020 VISION. 11-noon. TBC, Kerrville. Or, call 830-895-0100.
Can you imagine the conversations that took place after God raised Jesus from the dead? Some didn’t believe it at first. Others couldn’t help but acknowledge His resurrection when they saw Jesus, touched Him, and observed Him eating fish. He wasn’t a ghost. He wasn’t a figment of their imagination. Five hundred people witnessed seeing the resurrected PRINCE OF LIFE. In other words, they couldn’t “kill Him dead” forever. Jesus walked right back into life. Why? How? Because Jesus is the PRINCE of LIFE. What’s more – He is your PRINCE OF LIFE. He won’t let you stay dead. He’s waiting on the other side when you walk the corridor of death. You need not fear.
Lord Jesus, we praise You, the PRINCE of LIFE.
“…you put to death the PRINCE OF LIFE, the one whom God raised from the dead, a fact to which we are witnesses.” Acts 3:15
Who’s Your Daddy
IT’S NOT TOO LATE, but it ALMOST is: REGISTER NOW for our Jan 8, 11-noon Women’s Gathering. Call 830-895-0100 or click HERE: STARTING STRONG with 2020 VISION.
Have you ever seen the startled look in a child’s eyes when they were afraid of something? On the other hand, have you seen a child recognize their father in a crowded room and run to their father gleefully? Have you seen a child cry and call on their daddy and say “Daddy, Daddy,” or maybe “dada”? It’s hard to believe but Romans 8:15 says believers have “received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, ‘ABBA FATHER;” which means Daddy! Daddy! What does it mean that God is our Abba Father? It means closeness. A personal relationship. He cares about us. That we can call on Him. You may not have had a great earthly daddy, but you have a great heavenly daddy and that’s a reason to be joyful.
LORD, You are ABBA FATHER! We praise and thank You for adopting us as Your child. Help us trust and obey You.
Tick Tock: REGISTER NOW! Jan 8, 11-noon Women’s Gathering: STARTING STRONG with 2020 VISION.