Prayers of My Heart
Do You Wish You Had Eyes in the Back of Your Head?
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Have you ever wished you had eyes in the back of your head? I could have used eyes in the back of my head when our children were little. Eyes in the back of my head would be comforting at the airport when walking to my car at night after a speaking engagement. What do we mean by “eyes in the back of our head”? It speaks to our desire to be safe and to be able to sense what’s happening that we can’t see. How comforting to know that just as God was a rear guard to the Israelites when they escaped Egypt, and Isaiah 52:12 describes God as a rear guard to the Israelites in the new kingdom, Jesus is a rear guard to us today. He watches over us. We’ll not know until heaven how many ways and times He’s protected us from evil. The Lord is our rear guard. We can thank Him, and we can pay attention to His still quiet voice.
Lord, thank You for being our REAR GUARD and for all the ways You watch over us and protect us. How comforting to know You’ve got our back.
Record God’s names and titles in Prayers of My Heart prayer journal so you’ll have a keepsake of all 365.
“… the Lord will go before you, And the God of Israel will be your REAR GUARD.” Isaiah 52:12
A Better Way
“Can you make a copy of this?”
...my friend asked, as we visited at my office in the early years of Hill Country Ministries.Read more...
Praise to the One Who Appoints
“Son of man, I have appointed you a watchman to the house of Israel; whenever you hear a word from My mouth, warn them from Me” (Ezekiel 3:17).
Have you ever considered that God appoints people, times, places, and more? Contemplate the following:
“So Sarah conceived and bore a son to Abraham in his old age, at the appointed time of which God had spoken to him,” Gen 21:2.
“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, And before you were born I consecrated you; I have appointed you a prophet to the nations,” Jer 1:5.
And the Lord appointed a great fish to swallow Jonah, and Jonah was in the stomach of the fish three days and three nights,” Jonah 1:17.
“So the LORD God appointed a plant and it grew up over Jonah to be a shade over his head to deliver him from his discomfort. And Jonah was extremely happy about the plant,” Jonah 4:6.
“He (Jesus) appointed twelve, so that they would be with Him and that He could send them out to preach, Mark 3:14.
“Take heed, keep on the alert; for you do not know when the appointed time will come,” Mark 13:33.
“And inasmuch as it is appointed for men to die once and after this comes judgment,” Hebrews 9:27.
Yes, God appoints times, people, places, events, and more. What has He appointed us to do? Read the Bible and we’ll find out!
Lord God, ONE WHO APPOINTS people, places, and times, rather than fret, help us accept Your appointed times and gratefully respond to that which You appoint us to do.
When It Seems Like God Isn’t Answering Your Prayers
“Mommy, why isn’t God answering my prayers,”
my daughter asked when she was in elementary school. I turned and looked deeply into my child’s sad eyes. My daughter wasn’t being accusatory. Her soft voice revealed her hurt. She felt God was ignoring her. Do you ever feel like God isn't answering your prayers?Read more...
Praise to the MIRACLE WORKER
“So then, does He who provides you with the Spirit and WORKS MIRACLES among you, do it by the works of the Law, or by hearing with faith?”
Have you ever wished for a miracle? Jesus was and still is a MIRACLE WORKER. But consider the combination of the two words: miracle and work. Perhaps we think of a miracle as happening with the twitch of the nose as in the 1970’s show “I Dream of Jeannie.” However, Jesus’s life indicates that His miracles weren’t effortless. They took energy and power. (Luke 8:46) They sometimes required the other person taking part in faith. (John 5:8-9) They took place as the person was acting in obedience. (John 9:6-7) Rather than prayerfully demanding, “God, do it now,” perhaps we should pour forth thanks for the ways He has already worked in our lives. Perhaps, we should open our hearts to hear and obey what He tells us to do.
Praise to the MESSIAH
“He found first his own brother Simon and said to him, ‘We have found the MESSIAH‘ (which translated means Christ).”
Jesus came to earth as a baby so He might grow into a man; but not just any man. He came from heaven to die for our sins. He came as our MESSIAH. Jesus’s cousin, John the Baptist, recognized that He was the Lamb of God who had come to sacrificially take away the sins of the world. Andrew, who heard John announce who Jesus was, followed Jesus and asked where He was staying. After spending time with Jesus, Andrew went and found his brother, Simon Peter, and told him, “We have found the MESSIAH.” Andrew was intentional about his search for the MESSIAH. He was intentional about telling others he had found the Savior of the World. Andrew had it right. He knew there was more than our temporary earthly lives. His focus was on the Savior and pointing others to Him. How much like Andrew are we?
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.
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Praise to the MAGNIFICENT
“…He has granted to us His precious and MAGNIFICIENT promises, so that by them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust.”
Are you tired of life as it is? God understands. He never intended us to do “life” apart from Him. He created us to share life in Him and with Him; to live by His divine nature and experience His MAGNIFICENCE. We can get back on track. We can experience Christ in His fullness. How? Receive Jesus as Savior. Be filled with His divine nature through His Spirit. Renew your mind with His Word, the Bible. Saturate your heart with His ways and promises. Live and walk by God’s MAGNIFICENT divine nature, the Holy Spirit.
LORD, You are MAGNIFICENT and Your promises are MAGNIFICENT. Thank You for salvation, by which we become partakers of Your divine nature. Thank You for the Bible and Your Spirit by which we walk by Your magnificent, divine nature.
Record your praise to God that He is “Magnificent” in Prayers of My Heart. Pray for yourself and intercede for your family to live by God’s magnificent promises.
Praise to the LORD Our God
“For what great nation is there that has a god so near to it as is the LORD OUR GOD whenever we call on Him?.”
Following the Israelites exodus from Egypt, Moses recounted their conquests and urged the people to obey God’s Law. In his discourse, he spoke the poignant words in Deuteronomy 4:7. Ponder them with me.
“For what great nation is there that has a god so near to it as is the LORD OUR GOD whenever we call on Him?”
Have you ever thought about his words – that the LORD OUR GOD is OUR God and whenever we call on Him, He’s NEAR? Do you feel hopeless? Are you at the end of your rope? Are you going through a mundane day? Or, is your schedule packed? Regardless of your circumstance, remember – our great God is NEAR whenever you call on Him. That should make our heart sing.
LORD OUR GOD, You are near when we call on You. We’re humbled and in awe of You.
The Bible is a JOURNAL of God’s work in people’s lives. Consider journaling His work in your life. It will bless you to be able to recount His dealings and give you all the more reason to praise Him.
Praise to the LORD of HOSTS
“O LORD OF HOSTS, the God of Israel, who is enthroned above the cherubim, You are the God, You alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth. You have made heaven and earth.
Who do you call on when you’re in distress, when the world is caving in around you, and there is no one who can help you? Who do you call out to when you’re alone and powerless to change a situation? Those times have a way of humbling us. Whereas we may have been too busy to pray, we suddenly find we’re continually praying. We’re calling on God, crying out to Him. Such was the case with King Hezekiah when Sennacherib, king of Assyria, threatened to overtake Jerusalem. Hezekiah prayed and prayed hard. Listen to his prayer:
“O LORD OF HOSTS, the God of Israel, who is enthroned above the cherubim, You are the God, You alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth. You have made heaven and earth. Incline Your ear, O LORD, and hear; open Your eyes, O LORD, and see; and listen to all the words of Sennacherib, who sent them to reproach the living God. … Now, O LORD our God, deliver us from his hand that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that You alone, LORD, are God.” Isaiah 37:16-17, 20
Needless to say, Hezekiah didn’t want to be a defeated king. He didn’t want Jerusalem to be taken over by an enemy. But his prayer also points to a noble reason to pray for God’s deliverance – so people know that the LORD is God of all the kingdoms of the earth. When we pray, do we pray only for ourself? Or, are we praying so that God is glorified in the situation?
LORD of Hosts who is enthroned above the cherubim, we worship You and recognize You as God alone of all the kingdoms of the earth. Rule in our hearts and minds so You are glorified through our lives.
NEWS: On July 10, Harvest House Publishers released my updated Prayers of My Heart prayer journal. I received an early copy and God led me to begin a #AttitudeOfGratitude movement. I encourage you to get a copy, proceeds benefiting Hill Country Ministries 20 year mission to spread the Word & Love of Jesus. Click to Watch the Live Video where I explain 7 Reasons to Journal, how to get the most out of journaling, and how to join the #AttitudeOfGratitude movement. Debbie Taylor Williams LIVE
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