Prayers of My Heart
What’s Coming Up Behind You
Have you ever been driving and keeping your eyes on the road before you when suddenly a car came up too fast behind you? If so, you probably know the startled feeling and hope that the driver slow down rather than rear end you. Often, we speak of the Lord leading us, but Isaiah 52:12 also speaks of Him as watching out for our backs. “… the Lord will go before you, and the God of Israel will be your REAR GUARD.” In this verse, God is referred to as a rear guard to the Israelites when they escaped Egyptian bondage. God is also our rear guard. He watches over us, leads us, and not until heaven will we know how many times He’s protected us from encroaching danger and evil. Just as it was important for Moses and the Israelites to pay attention to and follow God’s instructions, it’s important for us to pay attention and follow His instructions. How do His warnings and instructions come to us? In the Bible and the Holy Spirit’s promptings.
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.
It’s easy to forget how God “prompts” us. However, if we record His promptings and verses applicable to our life, we can reread and follow them. Recently, I was able to get a great deal on Prayers of My Heart prayer journal and want to pass HALF OFF savings to you – $7.50 instead of $14.99. It’s a perfect Christmas gift for teachers, friends, family, and your Bible study group so get one for yourself and those on your Christmas list WHILE AVAILABLE at this price.
Where is Jesus When Natural Disasters Occur
Wildfires. Flooding. Volcanoes. Tornadoes. Earthquakes. Have you been affected by a natural disaster that killed a loved one, destroyed your livelihood, injured a loved one or caused you physical harm? Have you lost everything and in devastation raised your fist and asked God why? There are many questions we won’t have answered until heaven. But we can know this for sure. Jesus explained to the disciples that our current world is under the rule of Satan. He wanted us to know that and that He is praying for us. What is Jesus praying? Among the myriad of things, we know that He prays as in Luke 22:32, that our faith not fail. John 17:15, 24 record Jesus’s prayer that we be kept from the evil one and we see His glory. When we watch loving Christians respond to those suffering natural disasters, we’re seeing the face and hands of God.
Lord Jesus, thank You that You care for us and pray for us. Thank You for those who reach out to others in times of crisis.
When You Face Something Beyond DIFFICULT
Do you ever find something to be beyond difficult? If so, I can relate. I’ve often found myself in “over my head.” I wanted to quit. Many of the things we find difficult are not those we can or should give up on. Our marriage, parenting, families, job, health, church, and friendships all require commitment. When we find them to be difficult, we can remember what Jeremiah 32:17 says, that with God NOTHING IS TOO DIFFICULT. “Ah LORD GOD! Behold, You have made the heavens and the earth by Your great power and by Your outstretched arm! NOTHING IS TOO DIFFICULT FOR YOU.” This is an incredible reminder. Rather than crater under pressure, we can call on God who “made the heavens and earth by His great power and outstretched arm.” He can help us with whatever we’re facing. We can be assured that with God, NOTHING IS TOO DIFFICULT. Call on Him. Prayerfully record in Prayers of My Heart the things weighing you down that you feel you can’t do. Ask God how to handle them, then record how He guides you in the “Meditations, Notes, and Prayer” section. Date and record your thanks to Him as He walks you through each day.
LORD, NOTHING IS TOO DIFFICULT FOR YOU! Thank You for Your presence and Your power.
Do You Need a Miracle
Do you need a miracle? Something extraordinary in your life? What do we mean when we use the word miracle? Webster’s defines miracle first and foremost as “a surprising and welcome event that is not explicable by natural or scientific laws and is therefore considered to be the work of a divine agency; just as rising from the grave.” Another definition is “a highly improbable or extraordinary event, development, or accomplishment that brings very welcome consequences;” such as “it was a miracle that more people hadn’t been killed or injured.” Perhaps it’s that last definition we use most often. “It’ll be a miracle if I can manage everything going on in my life.” Or, “It’ll be a miracle if my child can get off drugs.” Or, “It’ll be a miracle if our marriage makes it.” Let me ask again, “Are you in need of a miracle?” If so, our best bet for experiencing one is to bring Jesus into the equation. Galatians 3:5 describes Him as 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?” As we consider Jesus, the Miracle Worker, it’s important to consider the combination of the two words: miracle and work; along with the word “faith.” Our miracle isn’t going to happen with the twitch of our nose as the 1970’s show “I Dream of Jeannie” depicted. If we study Jesus’s miracles, we see they involved energy and power (Luke 8:46), most often required a person taking part in faith (John 5:8-9), and often took place as the person acted in obedience (John 9:6-7). Maybe Jesus is showing us that rather than demanding, “God, do it now,” we should thank Him for how He has already worked in our lives and faithfully take the steps He shows us.
COMING SOON: PRAYER WALL
Wishing for a Smile On Your Face?
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 do life better. How? First, turn from sin and confess Jesus as Lord and Savior. Second, daily meditate on God’s Word to us. Why? Second Peter 1:4 tells us “…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.” In other words, we have the joy and privilege of learning Kingdom ways and promises. Third, begin our morning welcoming our Heavenly Father and praying, “Heavenly Father, thank You for this day. Please fill my spirit with Your Holy divine nature. Help me discern Your ways and walk through my day sensitive to Your voice.” Yes, the Father, Son, Holy Spirit, and Bible are MAGNIFICENT. Renew your mind with His ways. Saturate your heart with His promises. Walk by His MAGNIFICENT divine nature and you’ll soon discover a smile on your face.
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 promises.
Record your praise to God that He is “Magnificent” in Prayers of My Heart. Pray for yourself and intercede for your family to learn and live by God’s magnificent promises.
Good to Consider When We’re Anxious and Praying
Who do you call on when you’re anxious and scared and it seems there is no one who can help you? Who do you call out to when you’re 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 defeated. 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 and through our 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. Your will be done in our hearts and lives so You are glorified.
A Holy Jolt
I struggled with today’s devotional because first I went in one direction and then another. The key verse is 1 Timothy 6:15 and the Lord’s attribute scheduled to be highlighted today is King of Kings. It’s a rich verse. “He who is the blessed and only Sovereign, the KING OF KINGS and Lord of lords, who alone possesses immortality and dwells in unapproachable light, whom no man has seen or can see. To Him be honor and eternal dominion! Amen.” The verse is straightforward. It’s a beautiful verse to read. The context, though, goes contrary to our human bent. Would you share your thoughts as to why the glorious description of Jesus as King of Kings who dwells in unapproachable light is in the context of 1 Timothy 6: 7-19? Warning: if you read it closely, you may get a holt jolt.
“For we have brought nothing into the world, so we cannot take anything out of it either. If we have food and covering, with these we shall be content. But those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a snare and many foolish and harmful desires which plunge men into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all sorts of evil, and some by longing for it have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.
But flee from these things, you man of God, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, perseverance and gentleness.
Fight the good fight of faith; take hold of the eternal life to which you were called, and you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.
I charge you in the presence of God, who gives life to all things, and of Christ Jesus, who testified the good confession before Pontius Pilate, that you keep the commandment without stain or reproach until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, which He will bring about at the proper time—He who is the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone possesses immortality and dwells in unapproachable light, whom no man has seen or can see. To Him be honor and eternal dominion! Amen.” Instruct those who are rich in this present world not to be conceited or to fix their hope on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly supplies us with all things to enjoy. Instruct them to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share, storing up for themselves the treasure of a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is life indeed.
KING OF KINGS, give us a holy jolt to the importance of these words.
PLEASE SHARE WHY YOU THINK CHRIST’S GLORIOUS ATTRIBUTES ARE IN THE CONTEXT OF THESE VERSES. THANKS!
If You’re looking for Someone Kind
I see it in his eyes. They are kind. His eyes say it all. His eyes tell me what’s in his heart. My husband, Keith, looks at me with kind eyes. My response? I feel the most tender of love for him.
The eyes tell us what fills the heart. And, so we wonder. What fills Jesus’s eyes? What if you were in His presence and He looked deeply into your eyes. What if you couldn’t take your eyes away from His. What would you see in His eyes for you? You’d see kindness; kindness beyond anything you’d experienced. Kindness that causes you to love Him with every fiber of your being.
So, the apostle asks in Romans 2:4, “Or do you think lightly of the riches of His KINDNESS and tolerance and patience, not knowing that the KINDNESS of God leads you to repentance?” What a question! Do we? Do we think lightly of God’s KINDNESS and tolerance and patience toward us? In other words, are we going about our day hardly looking Christ’s way? When He convicts us of sin, do we look in Jesus’s eyes and sincerely apologize to Him? Or, are we like a child who is caught doing something wrong and maybe at best, mutters, “sorry.” Or do we simply ignore our Lord?
Look in Jesus’s eyes. Think deeply of the riches of His kindness.
Dear Savior, You are so kind and loving and patient. Forgive us for sinning against You and one another. May we look deeply in Your eyes and and reflect Your kindness to others.
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Record Christ’s attribute, KIND, in Prayers of My Heart. Click to ORDER.
Getting Away with Sin
Do you ever feel like you’re getting a bad rap, that things aren’t fair? Have you wondered why some people get away with things with no apparent consequences? Often, those questions are warranted. As thinking people, we can’t help but wonder at the justice system. But then we must quickly remember that in the end, no one gets away with anything before God. He sees our sin and knows our thoughts. Most importantly, God is JUST. As Psalm 89:14 states,“Righteousness and justice are the foundation of Your throne…” God weighs hearts and motives. He forgives repentant sinners. He deals with unrepentant ones. Lay any vengeance you have toward another person at God’s feet. He will rule justly with the person because that is His nature – JUST.
Lord, we praise you. You are JUST!
TIP: Write God’s attribute that I highlight in each devotional in Prayers of My Heart. Writing it on paper writes it on your brain. When you’re troubled, flip through the pages of your journal and thank God for who He is as you reflect on His nature. It will build your confidence, decrease your stress, and help you live a more joy-filled life. Click HERE to order.
