Live with Passion
When You Want to Run Away, Run Here
Do you ever want to run away from your circumstances, the evil in our world, or perhaps your own wayward thoughts? If so, go to God, who David likens to a STRONGHOLD. In Biblical times a stronghold was a high place, a place of retreat, and for many years it was David’s safe house. In 2 Samuel 22:3, after the Lord saved him from Saul, David wrote these words of praise,
My God, my rock in whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation, my STRONGHOLD and my refuge.
Is God your stronghold? If so, you are well aware that He wants you to come to Him. You are well aware that you can leave your fears, Satan’s lies, and your wayward and go to the Lord, your stronghold. Do you have a story of a time that you sought God as your stronghold? You retreated in prayer or to your Bible and by doing so, He kept you mentally, emotionally safe? I’d love to hear your story. Comment below.
Heavenly Father, thank You for being our STRONGHOLD. Thank You that we can scale the heights of heaven and Your Word and find renewed strength in Your presence.
Pray with Purpose, Live with Passion: How Praising God Can Transform Your Life – on Amazon
If You’re Under Attack
Do you feel under fire by a barrage of personal, financial, physical, spiritual, or other attacks? If so, call out to your Heavenly Father, who David describes in Psalm 3:3 as a SHIELD about him. Put on the spiritual armor He’s given you. (Ephesians 6:13) Take His Word and soak your heart and mind in it. (Psalm 119:97-98, 110-111, 114) Jesus hasn’t left us alone to suffer through life’s trials by ourselves. Cover yourself with His love and truth. (from Pray with Purpose, Live with Passion)
Lord, thank You for being a SHIELD about us. Help us stay under the protection of Your divine armor and Word.
“You, O Lord, are a SHIELD about me, My glory, and the One who lifts my head.” Psalm 3:3
Learn more about Pray with Purpose, Live with Passion HERE.
Have You Ever Wished You Had Someone to…
Have you ever wished you had someone to watch your back? Or better, to watch over your soul – your mind, emotions, and will? The fact is, believers have just that person in Jesus. First Peter 2:25 tells us “…you were continually straying like sheep, but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Guardian of your souls.” When doing research for my book, Pray with Purpose, Live with Passion about God being the guardian of our soul, I discovered that the word “guardian” is translated from the Greek word episkopos and means an “overseer, a man charged with the duty of seeing that things done by another are done rightly.” (page 98) What a blessing for us to have God as the Guardian of our souls!
God assumes responsibility for being the Guardian of our soul, but it is our responsibility to tune into Him and follow what He tells us to do both in the Bible and when the Holy Spirit prompts us during the day. Begin each day prayerfully greeting God and lifting up your soul to Him. Invite Him to fill your soul, then pay attention to His prompts throughout the day. You know how I value opening my prayer journal every morning and recording His attribute that I share with you. Being still in God’s presence with pen in hand and journal open is an invitation for God to prompt us how to pray and also to what He wants us to do. If you haven’t yet tried journaling, this time in our lives is the perfect time. Prayers of My Heart Journal
LORD, thank You for being the GUARDIAN of our souls. Help us be ever sensitive to Your Word and will.
Pray with Purpose, Live with Passion
I Knew You Were Going to Do That
WATCH on YouTube. LISTEN on Podbean. LISTEN on Apple Podcasts
I knew you were going to do that. Have you ever said those words to a close family member or friend? You were able to say that because you had been around them so much. Could we also say in praise to God, “I knew you were going to do that” when He does something miraculous or extraordinary? Deuteronomy 5:24 says, “God has shown us His glory.” In other words, when we pray and ask God to work in someone’s life or in our life and He does, we can joyfully praise Him, “I knew You were going to do that.” Such words reflect our faith in God’s presence and provision. If you’ve never smiled heavenward and praised God, expressing your confidence in Him, why not? Begin the journey toward greater intimacy with God. Watch, listen, or read “Pray with Purpose, Live with Passion.”
I Can’t God, I’m Praying
WATCH on YouTube. LISTEN on Podbean. LISTEN on Apple Podcasts
Recently while reviewing my teaching videos of Pray with Purpose, Live with Passion, I was reminded of one morning when I was praying. The Holy Spirit brought to mind a point to include in a chapter. Noting the point, I continued to pray when the Spirit nudged me, “Write it down now.” My response? “I can’t God, I’m praying.” Oh yes, I realize how ridiculous that sounds. I laughed at myself. It woke me to a stark realization, though. Prayer is two way conversation if we give our Heavenly Father a chance to speak to us. We see His desire to have two way conversations throughout the Bible. God and Abraham. God and Moses. Jesus and Peter. They walked and talked together. We can have that kind of prayer life. My book Bible study, Pray with Purpose, Live with Passion can help you develop greater intimacy with God. Prayers of My Heart journal gives you a place to record how the Lord impresses you.
Gliding or Transforming
Looking at my watch, I noted my shower would have to be a hurried one. Quickly shaving one leg, I wondered why the razor glided so smoothly over my leg. Then I realized the blade cover was still on the razor. Thinking about it, I realized the same can happen to our soul if we attend church but let a sermon glide over us. What’s the problem with that? It’s not doing what the Word of God is intended to do – change us. Second Corinthians 3:18 reminds us that God isn’t interested in gliding over sin but rather removing it so we reflect Christ. Which best describes us? Spiritually gliding or experiencing change, being conformed to the image of Christ? Learn how to get rid of the sin stubble in your life. Read, watch, or listen to Pray with Purpose, Live with Passion.
NEW! Do you prefer to WATCH rather than read? WATCH on YouTube.
Pray to be Open Lipped
Which are you? Tight lipped or open lipped? In other words, are you reluctant to speak and don’t reveal much about what’s going on inside of you? Or, are you more open lipped and let what you’re thinking and feeling readily come forth? No doubt James 1:19 tells us to be quick to listen and slow to speak when we’re angry. But what about in relation to praising God? In this case we are to be like the psalmist, who prayed in Psalm 51:15:
O LORD, open my lips, that my mouth may declare Your praise.
Are we grateful? Are our hearts flooded with God’s goodness? I hope so. Even when there seems to be nothing for which we can praise Him, we can open our lips and praise Him for His presence with us, His provision for us, and His purposes He will bring forth.
Develop a mindset of gratefulness. Fill your heart with praise. Open your mouth and let your praise flow to God. Pray, “LORD, open my lips, that my mouth may declare Your praise.”
LORD, thank You for who You are and for all the incredible ways You have worked in our lives, are working, and will work. You are worthy of our praise day and night. OPEN OUR LIPS so we declare Your praise.
Record your daily praises in Prayers of My Heart journal.
Do you want to praise God, but don’t know how? If so, HERE’s help.
Are We Smarter than a Donkey
Did you ever watch the TV show, “Mr. Ed” about a talking horse? While it was a fun show to watch, we all know horses can’t talk. However, there is an incident in the Bible in Numbers 22 when God used a donkey to get through to a man who was going in a direction God had forbidden. Yes, a man named Balaam was riding his donkey when suddenly the donkey stopped and refused to budge. What the donkey saw that the man didn’t see was an angel of the Lord with a drawn sword blocking the path. It begs us to consider if we are like the man, ignoring God’s warnings, or like the donkey, paying attention. If we want to be smarter than a donkey, or at least as smart and our eyes open to God’s will, it’s important for us to stay close to God. One way we do that is through prayer. Deepen your prayer life. Pray with Purpose, Live with Passion will help you.
Have You Ever Wished You Had Someone to…
Have you ever wished you had someone to watch your back? Or, better, to watch over your soul – your mind, emotions, and will? The fact is, believers have that person in Jesus. First Peter 2:25 tells us “…you were continually straying like sheep, but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Guardian of your souls.” When doing research for my book, Pray with Purpose, Live with Passion about God being the guardian of our soul, I discovered that the word “guardian” is translated from the Greek word episkopos and means an “overseer, a man charged with the duty of seeing that things done by another are done rightly.” (page 98) What a blessing for us to have God as the Guardian of our souls!
God assumes responsibility for being the Guardian of our soul, but it is our responsibility to tune into Him and follow what He tells us to do both in the Bible and when the Holy Spirit prompts us during the day.
Begin each day prayerfully greeting God and lifting up your soul to Him. Invite Him to overwhelm your soul with His Spirit. Then, pay attention to the Spirit’s prompts and follow them throughout the day. You know how I much value recording each of God’s attributes in my journal every morning…such as “Guardian of My Soul” today. In addition, I stay in God’s presence with pen in hand and write in my journal how God prompts me to pray and make notes of what He stirs my heart to do that day. If you haven’t yet tried journaling or tried it in the past and stopped, give it a try again. It can change your life because you will experience the Guardian of Your Soul watching over you and guiding you as never before. Prayers of My Heart Journal
Quick Start Video 7 Benefits of Journaling Slideshow Why We Love It
LORD, thank You for being the GUARDIAN of our souls. Help us be ever sensitive to Your Word and will.
What’s Your Fragrance these Days
Do you enjoy pleasant fragrances? Did you know that God does, too? Did you know you can be a sweet fragrance to God? He can get a whiff of you and think, “You smell good!” How fun is that – to smell good to our Heavenly Father? How in the world can we smell good to God? Ephesians 5:2 answers that question. It tells us to “…walk in love, just as Christ also loved you and gave Himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God as a FRAGRANT AROMA.” Christ’s sacrificial love and life were a fragrant aroma to God. And, we’re to imitate Christ. When we do, we’re a sweet aroma to our Heavenly Father. What if we haven’t been walking in sacrificial love, but rather been selfish or unloving? We need to acknowledge our sin to our Heavenly Father, repent, and ask Jesus to forgive us. We need to ask us to fill us with Christ’s Spirit. How does that affect our spiritual “aroma”? When writing Pray with Purpose, Live with Passion, I used my daughter’s puppy, Bailey, as an example that we smell like whatever we hold close to our heart. Bailey had a distinct puppy odor and after holding her, her odor remained on me. It wasn’t pleasant so I showered and changed clothes. Just like a dog has an odor, so sin has an odor. If we’re clinging to a “pet” sin, God and others get a whiff of it. What can we do to rid ourselves of the stench of sin? Put the sin aside and bathe in God’s forgiveness and grace. Then, as Christ was, we’ll be a fragrant aroma to God.
Christ Jesus, we praise You for walking in love and giving Yourself as an offering and sacrifice to God; a FRAGRANT AROMA. Help us follow Your example.
***Be a fragrance of Christ to God and others. Share 365 Days of Praise to others by forwarding it as an email or use the social media buttons below to share them on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, or Pinterest. AND, if you like the example of I gave above from Pray with Purpose, Live with Passion, you’ll enjoy plenty more in the online study we’re preparing that can be delivered to your inbox. Stay tuned. 🙂