365 Days of Praise

“fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfector of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.;”  

Hebrews 12:2

Have you ever struggled in your faith? Have you wondered how God could let His Son die for us? Our coming to God in righteousness through Christ’s shed blood was not forced upon Him. Although the Romans pounded the natils into His holy hands, neither “they” or the Jews orchestrated Jesus’s death. It was His doing – to lay down His life; to be a substituionary sacrifce for us. He authored & wrote that by faith we could come to His Father. And now? What Christ has done in principle – perfecting us by making us “right” with God; He now does in our daily walk. He draws us to Himself in love. He empowers us through His Spirit to live the Christian life and be His lights on earth. Praise to Jesus, the AUTHOR & PERFECTOR of FAITH!

Lord Jesus Christ, AUTHOR and PERFECTOR of my faith, I adore You. You bless me in my salvation. You bless me as You draw me close to You, perfecting my faith. I praise You!

“For a child will be born to us…And His name will be called…Prince of Peace.”

Isaiah 9:6

“When are we getting our Christmas tree? Tonight?  Tomorrow?” Vicki, my sister, and I could not wait for the annual tradition of selecting the massive evergreen that would stand as a centerpiece in our home for the month of December.

Although most of the time it was fun to select the tree, occasionally a few stressful moments crept into our otherwise fun filled evening.  One of us might have our heart set on a short, full tree, while the other had her heart set on a tall, willowy one.

Upon arriving home, additional differences sometimes surfaced when deciding where to put the green giant or whether clumps or single strands of silvery tinsel should decorate each bough.  I wonder if God ever shook His head at how easily our Christmas feathers were ruffled over the smallest details.

What about you?  What ruffles your Christmas feathers?  What upsets the peace and goodwill that is sung about during this season of peace?  This year, let us remember that Christmas is not about the tinsel or the tree, but rather about Christ….the Prince of Peace!

CHRISTMAS PEACE

Christmas is not the tinsel.

Christmas is not the tree.

Christmas is about God’s love,

His love for you and me.

Christmas is about the season

When in each of our lives

We thank God for our Savior

Who gives to us new life.

A baby born of woman, yet God

A God born of man, yet divine

God gave to the earth a Savior

Peace, eternal, divine.

So if you are seeking heaven

Would you look and seize the Truth

God’s gift of Jesus on earth

Is God’s gift of Peace to you!

“The Lord is my portion,” Psalm 119:57a

Would you like a helping of mashed potatoes? How about gravy on your turkey? As Thanksgiving approaches, images of buffet lines with mouth watering foods appear on magazine covers and cooking shows. “I’ll take a portion of that,” we say in relation to food. But how often do we consider the Lord as our Portion? We may admit we’re familiar with “The Lord is my Shepherd,” but not, “The Lord is my Portion.” Lately, I’ve been struck by this verse. Why? Because I’m not always mindful of it. Although the Lord has given Himself to me to satisfy my deepest needs; too often I grab from the world’s buffet. I hold to a loaf of what someone said that hurt me. I refill my cup with their critical words. I empty my plate only to refill it with the same temptation. The result? I’m left longing. But what if instead I turned my back on the world’s buffet and reached for the a heaping portion of the Lord? What if I took a slice of the bread of life and read a chapter in the Bible? What if I drank in the living water of His Spirit? The fact is, “The Lord is my Sheperd,” but  He’s also, “…my Portion.” I’m reaching for Him this week. How about you? What’s in your hand?

A few days ago I was feeling STRESSED! Yes,  I had begun my morning in praise and prayer. Yes, I had read my Bible and been blessed and encouraged. But LIFE STILL HAPPENS, doesn’t it. And, life can be stressful. Rather, it is stressful. Jesus said, “in the world you HAVE tribulation.” Not, “may have” tribulation.  So how do we handle the stress that accompanies tribulation? Christ’s remedy is for us to REJOICE. “Rejoice?” we might ask. Are you kidding me? I’m stressed. I want to scream. I want the world to stop and me to jump off. Rejoice? And that’s where I was a few days ago. I spelled it out for my sister in a text. “I’m so STRESSED.” My phone rang the next instant. Linda didn’t say “Hi, honi,” like she usually does. There was no small talk. Instead, what fell on my ears were the Scriptures at the end of this post. I encourage you to put your name in the blank and then hear the words as coming straight from Jesus’s heart; because He loves you and is there for you in your stressful situations. AFTER you hear His words of comfort, please click HERE and then share this post on facebook or forward it to your friends. If you’re watching the videos that follow, it will help to get the word out on PRAYER if you click the “thumbs up” in the upper right portion of the video. The reason I’m asking you to share what’s going on with the prayer journal is because God has stirred many people’s hearts to become more passionate and purposefully in their prayer lives. Many have order the prayer journal and we’re all anxiously awaiting a new shipment of the journals so everyone can begin journaling. The reason I’m asking you to share this post is because many people are feeling stress for lots of different reasons. Please receive the encouragement for yourself; then share the reminder that even even in the midst of stressful times, our Lord is with us, He’s on the throne and we can can REJOICE in that.  Now, from God’s heart to yours.

Dear __________, Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice! Let your gentle spirit be known to all men. The Lord is near. Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things. … practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you. Philippians 4:4-9 

Heavenly Father, thank You that we can rejoice in You no matter what is happening. Thank You that You are KING, on the throne, and in control. 

When we enter our prayer time in the mornings, it’s a miraculous experience. Long before man invented the cell phone, God created us with the capacity to commune with Him and He with us. Our spiritual wiring is activitated when we repent and call on the Lord Jesus for salvation. Just like we may receive a credit card in the mail, but have to call the number on the label to “activate” it; so God has reached out to us in Jesus Christ. We need only call on Him. We confess, “JESUS is LORD” and believe in our hearts that God raised Him from the dead. He equips us with the Holy Spirit. THAT’S WHY I’M SO GRATEFUL to be ABLE to LIFT UP MY SOUL to HIM EVERY MORNING.

What I record in my Prayers of My Heart Journal most often begins with PRAISE. For instance, my morning reading of Psalm 50 beginning with verse 1 is, “The Mighty One, God, the LORD, has spoken, and summoned the earth from the rising of the sun to its setting.” In the first column of my “Week At A Glance” (labeled LORD), I record Mighty One Who Speaks. I momentarily ignore the columun lines and write across the page, “Speak to our hearts. We listen, respond, and obey.” That’s a good prayer request, don’t you think? And, it was prompted by God’s reminder to me of WHO HE IS. I then record specific requests for loved ones, friends, our church, and nation.

To You, Oh LORD, I lift up my soul. What a blessing to be able to do that every morning.

Pray with Purpose, Live with Passion TIP: Read a Psalm or Proverb every day. Look for a way in which God reveals Himself. Use your praise of Him as the springboard for your prayers as in the above example.

Prayer journaling, for me, is inspirational!

Why? First of all, prayer is not just about us pouring out our requests to God, but also about God pouring His will into us—what He is doing and accomplishing.

Can you imagine the disciples “telling” Jesus where they were going next on their missionarg journey, how they were going to get there, and who they were going to heal? I

nstead, we find the disciples following Jesus and listening to His instructions.

Yes, at times they questioned Him. “Rabbi, the Jews were just now seeking to stone You, and You are going there again?” (John 11:8). But then they listened and followed.

Many times I’ve knelt with my Bible open and my prayer journal in hand, not knowing how or what to pray. But in those times of silence, the Lord directed me even as Romans 8:26 says. In those times, the Holy Spirit brings to mind prayer requests that have direction and insight that I would not have thought of. The joy of being led by God’s Spirit and recording His requests is dynamic and didactic when we kneel with Bible and journal in hand. It’s two-way communication with the Father.

On the paper you see only words, but in lives you see change as the dynamic Spirit of God the Father moves on behalf of His children and kingdom.

                                                             Friends, today I’m posting a different post because 
PRAYERS OF MY HEART” hit the #1 BEST SELLER in the category of PRAYER last week on Amazon. I’m THRILLED that YOU have a heart for prayer! Since the “Week at A Glance” section is unique, I want to share with you how I use it. Once you get the hang of it, you’ll LOVE opening your journal, seeing the names of those for whom you’re praying; and going under their name with your petitions and THANKSGIVING as you see God working in their lives!

1st   Open your journal and fill in the week. Read the Scripture at at the top of the page. Let the encouragement SINK INTO YOUR HEART and MIND. Beside the first row, jot down the date. (This isn’t really necessary. It’s just a habit I have.)  In the first column write “LORD.” (Again, this isn’t mandatory. I just love beginning my prayer time by focusing on an attribute of God.) Think through the other people for whom you regularly pray. After years of journaling, I now use initials. K is for my husband Keith. He’s in the 2nd column. T & A are for my son and his wife and kids. L & C are for my daughter Lauren, her husband and kids. FAM is for the rest of Keith’s and my families. Continuing on the right side of the journal under “Prayers for Others,” my columns look like this:

FR (for friends) MIN (for ministry) CH (church) US/US (for the USA & the Unsaved) BK (for books I’m writing/have written) SP ENG (for Speaking Engagements)

The boxes are SMALL. The point of this section is not pouring out your heart in INK. Do that in the “Meditations, Notes, & Prayers” section. The “Week at A Glance” is for you to record the “sound bite” of the prayer on your heart. For instance, I might have on my heart, “Oh, Lord, I’m grieved for our nation. All the killings, our own citizens turning against us; the moral decline. Lord, help us return to You. Convict us. Raise up the church to be a light in our country and world. Let it begin in us and our homes.” This is NOT where I record every word of that prayer. Rather, I pray those words, but in the BOX under US/US, I record, “RETURN TO YOU;” a sound bite of the prayer. 

Think of it as you do texting. ASAP – as soon as possible. BFF – best friends forever. It’s kind of cool because you may not want someone to pick up your journal and read every word so you can customize abbreviations that you use with God. For instance, (and this may seem a strange example, but unfortunately is one too many women deal with) if your husband beats you, you might record SBM (stop beating me). SBM could also stand for “see beauty more” in the world. So, if your husband, child, or you are “down” all the time, you might record SBM and it mean that in your journal. Inc Hunger could mean “increase humger for You;” meaning you are asking God to increase your appetite for spiritual things. You may at times, record the whole words. “GET JOB.” “HEAL.” “ANOINT.” Your journal is YOURS.

WORD of WARNING. Don’t get crazy about filling in every box every day every week. That’s the beauty of the column format. You may be interceding for someone and their prayer request be the same for weeks. If you’re a mom and trying to get your little one to sleep through the night, your journal may look like this:

EMMA

6/21   Sleep thr nite

6/22   Feel Your Peace

6/23   ”     ”       “

6/24   Patience w/her

6/25   Smooth bed time

Your columns may be for your most practical every day needs and/or for the most intense spiritual warfare on your heart; such as souls to come to faith in Jesus Christ. Mine is a combination of both. The US/US is where I list the names or initials of those for whom I’m praying to come to faith in Jesus. I record different prayers as God brings them to mind.

US/US  (for our nation and the unsaved)

Hunger for You

Convict of spir need

Use me in conversation

I’ll be sharing more about journaling, and am also happy to answer your questions. Simply post them below in the comments section. This is a NEW day of prayer, sweet friends! I’m honored to be sharing it with you. 

“I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you will know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the surpassing greaness of His power toward us who believe. There are in accordance with the working of the strength of His might“

Ephesians 1:18-19 NAS 

Have you “given up” in some area of your life? Did you once aspire to accomplish something, but after several failures, you quit trying? Did you envision who you could be or perhaps, more importantly, what you thought God desired for you, but then….   What happened?  Was it lack of strength, self-confidence, self-control, passion? HOPE. STRENGTH. POWER.  Those are important words in God’s vocabulary. But, if you pay attention – really close attention, those words don’t come naturally to us. They are GOD WORDS. We have to come to an “end” of ourselves and cry out to God for HIS greatness, power, and strength. They are what save us and then empower us to live in a way that glorifies Him and accomplishes His will in our lives. 

My Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank You for accomplishing my salvation through Your great power. Please help me be mindful in my areas of weakness and hopelessness to turn to You; to relinquish my self-efforts at Your footstool. Help me glorify You and show forth Your strength and great power.

16 “There are six things which the Lord hates,
Yes, seven which are an abomination to Him:
17 Haughty eyes, a lying tongue,
And hands that shed innocent blood,
18 A heart that devises wicked plans,
Feet that run rapidly to evil,
19 A false witness who utters lies,
And one who spreads strife among brothers.“

Proverbs 6:16-19 NAS 

The Bible is filled with warnings. Maybe we think, “Oh, this chapter doesn’t apply to me.” But, then again, maybe it does. It warns us of paths on which we should not walk. Maybe many in our churches wouldn’t take another person’s spouse in their arms, but they do in their minds. Anyone who looks at online pornography at sites like atube sex is certainly taking that person to their “bosom.” vs 27. And, what about the 7 things God hates? We must prayerfully ask, “God, am I ever haughty? Do I say things that aren’t true? Do I hurt others? Are my plans ever unrigtheous? Do I ever walk away from Your teachings and therefore run to evil? Am I ever false? Am I guilty of spreading strife? 

As I meditate on these and other verses in Proverbs 6, I’m encouraged by verse 23. “For the commandment is a lamp and the teaching is light; and reproofs for discipline are the way of life.”

My Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank You for the reminders of what You hate. They reflect Your purity and love; which You want to flow in me. Guard my mind and heart today. Guard my husband’s and children’s. Be the light and lamp by which we walk. 

“I do not ask You to take them out of the world, but to keep them from the evil one.”

John 17: 16 NAS 

ENGAGE in PRAYER:  Pray for yourself and others to be kept from the evil one. 

Maybe you’re tired of hearing about “50 Shades of Grey.” Maybe you’ve read all the blog posts you want to read on the harmful effects of violent sex. Maybe you’re ready for something other than arguments for and against the book and movie. But, to me, an important question remains to be addressed: what is the source of the violent sex in 50 Shades of Grey? Is it good or is it evil? Is it of God or the devil? And if it is evil; then, God help us. We should be ON OUR KNEES.  

JOIN me in crying out to God!  

Keep us “from the evil one.” Keep people away from the book and movie, 50 Shades of Grey, and other evil books and movies. Although Christians are in the world, keep us from being “of the world.” “Sanctify us in the truth of Your word.” “Forgive us our sins and deliver us from evil.“