Truly Thankful

"O give thanks unto the LORD; for He is good: for His mercy endureth for ever." (Psalm 107:1)

Thanksgiving. What a beautiful holiday. A day where we stop and count up our blessings.

... or that's the idea.

Thanksgiving, especially among Christians, is known as a day for giving thanks. But how often do we just say vaguely, "Oh, yes, I'm thankful for all God did," or 'I'm grateful for ___________"--and leave it at that?

Thanksgiving ought to be a real thing. Every day, we are called to give thanks in everything (1 Thess. 5:18). But on this day which is specifically set aside to be grateful, I think we should really be purposeful about giving thanks.

"Rejoice in the LORD, ye righteous, and give thanks at the remembrance of His holiness." (Psalm 97:12)

Draw up a list. Write out....

• the things that you're grateful you have. 
• The moments you got to experience. 
• The people you're grateful to have in your life.
• The works that God did in your life this year.
• The things you learned.
• The areas you grew in.
• The little pleasures (or big ones) of the year.
• The things that He's brought you through or given you throughout all your life.

Look at your blessings for real! Nothing is too small or too big to write down. Count your blessings and I promise you will see what God has done for you. 

"Give thanks unto the Lord, call upon His name, make known His deeds among the people." (1 Chronicles 16:8)

Then share some of those things with someone. Encourage them in the Lord. Bless them by sharing His works with them. Sing His praises! Let people know what an amazing GOD you have!

"It is a good thing to give thanks unto the LORD, and to sing praises unto Thy Name, O most High." (Psalm 92:1)

Take time to speak with God personally in prayer and thank Him for what He's done for you. Praise Him for His wondrous works & ways. Take time to read His word & really meditate on what He's done for us & given us and continues to do for & give to us. Our God is awe-inspiring! Worship Him!

"O LORD my God, I will give thanks unto Thee for ever." (Psalm 30:12)

And remember to keep being grateful & thanking Him & worshipping Him. When you feel like grumbling, thank Him for 3 things. When you feel worried, praise Him for 3 things. When you feel angry, thank Him for 3 things. Keep on seeing what God does for you & find JOY in it! 

Just be truly thankful. 

"The blessings that you take for granted someone else is praying for." 

When upon life’s billows you are tempest-tossed;

When you are discouraged, thinking all is lost;

Count your many blessings, name them one by one, 

And it will surprise you what the Lord hath done. 

Are you ever burdened with a load of care? 

Does the cross seem heavy you are called to bear? 

Count your many blessings, every doubt will fly, 

And you will be singing as the days go by. 

When you look at others with their lands and gold, 

Think that Christ has promised you His wealth untold. 

Count your many blessings, money cannot buy 

Your reward in heaven, nor your Lord on high. 

So amid the conflict, whether great or small,

Do not be discouraged, God is over all; 

Count your many blessings, angels will attend, 

Help and comfort give you to your journey’s end.

Count your blessings, name them one by one; 
Count your blessings, see what God hath done; 
Count your blessings, name them one by one,     
And it will surprise you what the Lord hath done. 

-Johnson Oatman, Jr. 

Dear Broken

Dear Broken:
You, with the tears on your cheeks and in your heart. You, standing alone in the darkness. You, with bowed head and aching soul. You, with your heart in pieces and your confidence in rags. 

You are not alone. 

You are not beyond repair. 

For every broken heart, there is a balm. For every sin-stained soul, there is a cleansing. For every tear-filled eye, there is a comfort. 

You are not alone. Another heart has been broken for you. Another soul has shuddered in the agony of separation for you. Another eye has wept for you. 

His name is Emmanuel--God with us.

He has paid the price for your redemption. See, He stands before you with hands outstretched. Behold the love in His eyes. Hear His voice as He calls.

"Child, you are not unwanted. I suffered measureless agony for you. You are not unloved. I love you with an everlasting love; I loved you before the earth was formed. I have sustained you every day of your life. I have kept your heart beating; I have filled your lungs with air. Child, I have done the ultimate sacrifice for you. I died, that you might live. I shed My blood, that you might be washed clean and made pure. I came to earth, I took upon Myself the form of man, I suffered the infirmities and trials of mankind--for you."

Dear heart, know this. You are not beyond redemption. The wages of sin is death, but Jesus purchased your freedom. You have only to ask. He is eager and willing to wash your sins away, to fill you with His peace and joy. He is waiting patiently, unwilling that you should perish. 

There is redemption in Jesus. It has been proven by countless souls throughout the ages. You are not excepted. Whosoever wills--that is you. He promises to save you, if you will go to Him, repent, and ask for His salvation. 

Dear broken, there is Light in the darkness. There is a Friend who loveth deeper than a brother. There is an assured Hope. There is plenteous Redemption. There is perfect Peace. There is great Joy.

Dear soul, if you have wandered from Him, know this: He is abundant in mercy and rich in love. He will receive you with open arms if you return to Him. Know that He is all you need to repair you. He is the Great Physician, the only one who can stitch back together the ragged pieces of your heart. Bring the bits and pieces of your messy self to Him. Entrust your bleeding heart in His hands. He will never fail you. Trust His promises. 

Dear broken, in Jesus there is all you need and crave. 

Broken does not mean beyond use. Broken does not mean beyond help. Broken does not mean worthlessness. 

Dear soul, Jesus is the only One for you. He is the only One that can help you. He's the only One that can change you. He's the only One that can heal you. He's the only One to get glory. Come to Him and fall down at His feet. He will raise you, free you, bless you. 

Dear broken, do not despair. Do not give up. There is hope for you. There is light. There is help. Over and over God tells you so in His word. And God does not lie. Take Him at His word and go to Him in faith. I challenge you, go read book of Romans, the book of Galatians, and the book of Ephesians. Over and over you will see, there is redemption. Read the whole Bible; over and over you will see the theme: there is redemption. There is hope. In Jesus Christ. 

Dear Christian, if you are struggling in the darkness, know this: He has not forsaken you. Cling tightly to Him and believe His word. He will see you through this. The light is still there. Soon the morning will break, and you will understand. Until then, hold on to Him and claim His grace. It is enough for you, for His grace is measureless. 

Dear heart, I pray that if you have never turned to Jesus for salvation, that you would do so. I pray that if you have wandered, that you would return. I pray that you claim the redemption and grace in Christ Jesus. There is only one thing that can vanquish your darkness, and it is the Light of the World--Christ. I pray that you know that Light and abide in it. 

God bless you, dear one. My heart aches for you. I pray you turn to Jesus, for He is the only way to have peace. 

Please, stay. Please, seek the Light. Please, do not despair. 

There is hope. There is hope. THERE IS HOPE. 

Do not give up. I promise that Jesus is all you need. I promise that if you hang on to Him, you will find the peace you are looking for. 

I promise, because I know it. I have experienced it. 

"Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost." (Rom. 15:13) This is my prayer for you.

Dear heart, choose hope. 

 

Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. --John 14:27.

These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world. --John 16:33.

Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on Thee: because he trusteth in Thee. --Isaiah 26:3.

This I recall to my mind, therefore have I hope. It is of the LORD's mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness. The LORD is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in him. The LORD is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him. It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the LORD. --Lamentations 3:21-26.

For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope. --Romans 15:4.

That by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us: Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and stedfast, and which entereth into that within the veil; --Hebrews 6:18-19.

It's Okay to Ask for Help

In this world there's a huge pressure to be strong. "You've got this." "You can do it." "Just keep pushing on." "You're strong." And all the other catch-phrases running around.

There's a good side to all this encouragement. But there's also a downside to it. The downside that weakness is made out to be at terrible thing. That everyone expects you to be strong. That you're supposed to do it all on your own. There's a sort of attitude going around that implies that people talking about their problems are just self-centred brats who won't try to help themselves out of their problems.

I struggle a lot with asking for help. I love my friends and I don't want to sadden them. To reach out for sympathy, to admit that I'm hurting and that I need some care, makes me feel guilty. Guilty for bothering them. Guilty for turning the attention to me.

And yet, I need help. That's how I process my pain. I need someone to listen to me pour out my story & my feelings, to sympathize, to let me know they care. I don't need them to fix my problem necessarily--I just need them to listen to me until I've let it all out & processed it all.

I need people to help me.

Is that weakness?

No.

It is strength. It takes strength to pull off the mask and show your mess. It takes strength to admit you can't do it yourself. It takes strength to be real instead of being perfect.

It takes strength to ask for help. 

So reach out and ask for help. I know you wanna be there for your friends and help them through their low points. But you know what? They want to be there for you too. They want to help you too. Friendship works both ways. It's a mutual build-up. To ask each other's help isn't weakness. It's being real and building a real friendship.

There's a fine line between just constantly complaining & being a parasite, and just asking for help because you're struggling, of course. I'm not talking of those false friends who just live off of you. i'm talking of the real people who need help but are afraid to ask for it.

And I'm here to tell you, it's okay to ask for help. 

It's not attention-seeking to admit you're hurting and that you need someone to care for you. It's not unkind to admit you need the kind of help you offered them. It's not weakness to admit you can't do it yourself.

It's okay. It's right. It's wise. Because we weren't made to carry our burdens alone. We were created to help each other. To build each other up. We weren't created to be alone. We were created to be together.

So if your friend is reaching out for help, don't ignore them. Don't walk away on them. Don't duck out of the conversation. Be there and reach your hand out to them. Let them know you care. Let them know you're there for them. Let them know they're doing the right thing in asking for help. Listen to them and try to help. Be there for them. Point them to the Best Friend & Counsellor. Be strong for them. 'Cause someday you'll need to lean on them. And that's how it should be.

And if you are struggling, please, reach out for help. Maybe some folks will shut down the conversation. Maybe some will refuse to notice. But there are people out there who care. It's okay to ask them for help. That's what they're there for. And when they are hurting, it'll be your turn to support them.

And if you feel like you're all alone and no one cares for you, know this. I care. I care for you, whoever you are. You are a person and you ought to live & be loved. I want you to live & be loved. And know this, too: God cares. The One who formed you in the womb, who keeps you breathing every day, who watches over you--He cares. He knows you can't do it alone and He's standing there just waiting for you to kneel at His throne, cast your burdens on Him, and ask for His help. He's waiting with one hand outstretched towards you, waiting for you to take it, pleading with you to accept His help. The Lord Jesus is standing there, with his nail-scarred hands outstretched, saying, "Child, I paid the ultimate price for you. I showed the ultimate love towards you. Will you accept it?"

God is there for you. Because He cares.

It's okay to ask for help.
It's right to ask for help.
It's wise to ask for help.
It's courageous to ask for help.

Please don't try to do it alone. Show true strength and put your hand in the hand of God. Then you will receive all the Help and Strength you need.

7 Days of Hope Blog Tour

                 

Hope.

Don't we all need it?

Aren't we all looking for it?

When I heard of this blog tour I was really impressed. And I knew I had to join in if I possibly could.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TvA6PYa54sg&list=PLc59ZMsm8vK9ypZejk704KWCdGNGxyU0u&index=5&t=0s

This song has recently become a huge comfort to me. Particularly the third verse:

O Joy that seekest me through pain,

I cannot close my heart to thee;

I trace the rainbow thro’ the rain,

And feel the promise is not vain

That morn shall tearless be.

There is hope, dear. There is a rainbow in the rain. There will be a tearless morn. God is good. There is beauty in the rain. His promises still hold, even in the storm.

Two of my favourite quotes are the following:

"Weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning." (Psalm 30:5). 

"It is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is Thy faithfulness." (Lamentations 3:22-23). 

Recently I have struggled hard with finding hope. Everything was so broken, so miserable, so uncertain. But one thing God has taught me this year is to choose to have hope. He has taught me there’s good coming around the bend. There’s wonder and beauty in everything. There’s always joy and love to be found. Choose to live a happy, beautiful life and life will be happy & beautiful for you. Choose to love and be happy, and you will make others love and be happy. It’s your attitude and choices and lifestyle that makes life hard or ugly or unhappy. Choose joy, and don’t give up hope. Good things are coming, dear ones. Keep noticing the roses. Choose to have a lovely life, and life will be lovely. God is good. Don't give up hope. 

Because our God is a God of Hope. 

“For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope.” (Romans 15:4). 

Everything in the Bible was written ahead of time—because God knew we’d need it—to give us knowledge, patience, and consolation, so that we might have hope. Knowledge—“we know that all things work together for good to them that love God….” Patience—we wait for His hand to work, His time to come, and we continue to serve as we wait. Consolation—we know He loves us and allows all for our good, that His plan is best and will come to pass. And from all this, we have hope—a firm belief and knowledge that all will be well and that the ending to our story is Heaven—the Father’s house.

Keep holding on to hope, friends. <33

And now, here's the rest of the blog tour. Definitely go check out these ladies!

Day 1 (August 16) - SawyerMarie (https://sundropgirls.wordpress.com/)

Day 2 (August 17)- Brooklyn Elysse (http://bensshowersofblessings.blogspot.com/)

Day 3 (August 18)- Katja (https://littleblossomsforjesus.blogspot.com/)

Day 4 (August 19)- Brooklyn (http://fiveshekels.wordpress.com/)

Day 5 (August 20)- Emma (https://sevenbillionsmiles.home.blog)

Day 6 (August 21)- Ellen (http://musingsbyellen.blogspot.com/)

Day 7 (August 22)-Abby Elissa (https://abbyelissa.blogspot.com/)

Speaking Truth

Many of you know I've been on a challenge to read through the English Bible in a year. So far I've made my way through most of Israel's history. I am currently going through the life of Jeremiah and the history surrounding his lifetime. 

Jeremiah had a hard life. He started his ministry as a young man, maybe my age, and was afraid of how he'd be treated for prophesying and saying God's truth. 

"Then said I, Ah, Lord God! behold, I cannot speak: for I am a child. But the Lord said unto me, Say not, I am a child: for thou shalt go to all that I shall send thee, and whatsoever I command thee thou shalt speak. Be not afraid of their faces: for I am with thee to deliver thee, saith the Lord." (Jeremiah 1:6-8)

So Jeremiah began his ministry. It was hard. He was unable to marry or have children. He was hugely disliked by basically everyone. The King and the leaders wanted to kill him or at least harm him (and tried to/did more than once). He was in and out of prison. He was thrown down pits full of mud. He was placed in stocks. His name was slandered.  Jeremiah spoke for YEARS to the King and to the people (about 40 years or so, they say). Warning them. Pleading with them. Agonizing over their bad choices. Begging God to have mercy on them. Speaking the truth in spite of being threatened and hated. 

That is a loooooong forty years. 

There are two episodes in Jeremiah's life that really strike me. 

"And it came to pass the same year, in the beginning of the reign of Zedekiah king of Judah, in the fourth year, and in the fifth month, that Hananiah the son of Azur the prophet, which was of Gibeon, spake unto me in the house of the Lord, in the presence of the priests and of all the people, saying, Thus speaketh the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, saying, I have broken the yoke of the king of Babylon. Within two full years will I bring again into this place all the vessels of the Lord’s house, that Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon took away from this place, and carried them to Babylon: and I will bring again to this place Jeconiah the son of Jehoiakim king of Judah, with all the captives of Judah, that went into Babylon, saith the Lord: for I will break the yoke of the king of Babylon. 

"Then the prophet Jeremiah said unto the prophet Hananiah in the presence of the priests, and in the presence of all the people that stood in the house of the Lord, even the prophet Jeremiah said, Amen: the Lord do so: the Lord perform thy words which thou hast prophesied, to bring again the vessels of the Lord’s house, and all that is carried away captive, from Babylon into this place. 

"Nevertheless hear thou now this word that I speak in thine ears, and in the ears of all the people; the prophets that have been before me and before thee of old prophesied both against many countries, and against great kingdoms, of war, and of evil, and of pestilence. The prophet which prophesieth of peace, when the word of the prophet shall come to pass, then shall the prophet be known, that the Lord hath truly sent him. 

"Then Hananiah the prophet took the yoke from off the prophet Jeremiah’s neck, and brake it. And Hananiah spake in the presence of all the people, saying, Thus saith the Lord; Even so will I break the yoke of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon from the neck of all nations within the space of two full years. 

"And the prophet Jeremiah went his way." (Jeremiah 28:1-10). 

There is this man, Hananiah, who is standing up and blatantly LYING in the name of God, and is being believed. (In verse 15 God sends Jeremiah to tell Hananiah, "Hear now, Hananiah; The Lord hath not sent thee; but thou makest this people to trust in a lie."). Jeremiah spoke up and told the truth. Hananiah went on and lied again. So Jeremiah left. He didn't stand there and argue the point, or scream at Hananiah. He just left. Later on, God told him to go back and talk to Hananiah. But right then wasn't the time. 

Later on, Jeremiah is imprisoned and then rescued and talks with the King. 

"Then said Jeremiah unto Zedekiah, Thus saith the Lord, the God of hosts, the God of Israel; If thou wilt assuredly go forth unto the king of Babylon’s princes, then thy soul shall live, and this city shall not be burned with fire; and thou shalt live, and thine house: but if thou wilt not go forth to the king of Babylon’s princes, then shall this city be given into the hand of the Chaldeans, and they shall burn it with fire, and thou shalt not escape out of their hand. And Zedekiah the king said unto Jeremiah, I am afraid of the Jews that are fallen to the Chaldeans, lest they deliver me into their hand, and they mock me. But Jeremiah said, They shall not deliver thee. Obey, I beseech thee, the voice of the Lord, which I speak unto thee: so it shall be well unto thee, and thy soul shall live. But if thou refuse to go forth, this is the word that the Lord hath shewed me:" (Jeremiah 38:17-21).

Jeremiah knew the King had to choose for himself what he was going to do. He told the King plainly what the issue was, and warned him of the consequences if he chose the wrong. He begged him to choose what was right. But he couldn't do more. The King chose to do what was wrong anyways. I'm sure Jeremiah was heartbroken and frustrated. Maybe he even blamed himself for it. But there was nothing he could do. Zedekiah had to choose for himself. Jeremiah couldn't choose for him.  

Jeremiah ended up getting captured and chained by the Babylonians. He was placed among the other captives to be transported. Perhaps he felt rather bitter. For about 40 years he'd preached and warned and begged and endured hatred and imprisonment and mistreatment of all kind... and no one had listened... and now the city was in ruins, thousands of people were dead, the country was at the mercy of another empire, and he himself was a captive possibly facing slavery. That's a long 40 years or so with apparently no result. 

But Jeremiah's story doesn't end there. He was freed, given food, and sent away to go wherever he wanted to go. He kept ministering. He kept warning and preaching. In the end, he was taken to Egypt because the people still refused to obey God and turn from their sins even a little. His very last prophesy is a warning about the fate of Babylon. But the very end of the book of Jeremiah is overall positive. It tells of all the spoiling of Jerusalem and carrying away of captives, but ends with Zedekiah being taken out of prison and very well treated. 

Recently I've felt a lot like Jeremiah. 

Just this week I was obliged to state some unpleasant truth. And the person I stated them to was not happy and began to try to browbeat me into taking down the truth I'd said (and let go of certain convictions). This was... not easy. I love people and I hate disappointing anyone or hurting them. I was told I was "mean," "vindictive," "hurtful," and "lying." My name was passed around to people and I was told that people were outraged and disgusted with me. I lost a blooming friendship. I was verbally attacked. No one listened to my explanations or my reasoning. At one point I was upset enough that I almost backed down. Thank God for the one friend who stopped me in my tracks and told me with brutal honesty what I was about to do. Faithful are the wounds of a friend, y'all. 

But if there's one thing God's taught me this year, it's the value of Truth. God's Truth must be spoken. It cannot be compromised. It can't be silenced. 

It started when He put it on my heart to speak up and share some truth that I was terrified people would dislike. He led me on to talk more and more boldly about more and more Truth. So now here I am. Messiest, painfullest situation I've ever been in my life--but I am all right, really. I'm scared and upset, but overall, I'm calm and confident in my God's Truth. 

"And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." (John 8:33)

That's so true, guys. I've lived it. If anyone had told me what I'd go through and tell me that I could be this happy and this calm and this untroubled about it, I would have disbelieved them 100%. Yeah, I am scared and upset and unhappy about it at times. BUT overall, like I said--I'm at rest. Because I know I am standing on the Truth. That is the most restful thing ever. 

I had to stop talking to the person because it was pointless. No one listened to anything I had to say; all they wanted was for me to take back the truth I'd said. I felt very sad because the person was making some really bad choices that were really hurting them. But I couldn't do anything about it. They already knew that it was a bad choice. They made those decisions. It wasn't my job to make them choose otherwise. I showed them the truth. They had to choose to believe it for themselves. 

I had it easier than Jeremiah. But it's still hard.

But I still believe that the story isn't over yet. I am free right now. Free from guilt. Free from shame. Free from fear. Free from hurt. It keeps coming back and trying to whisper in my ear that it's back, but with God's help I won't let it win. I will stand firm on the Rock. I'm being fed by God's word and the wise advice and help of good friends. I'm being loved and blessed by so many good, true friends.

I'll keep sharing the Truth. I'll keep warning. I'll keep loving and caring even if it hurts. I'll keep choosing to do what's right, in God's strength and by His grace. If it means forty years of speaking Truth and being hated and mistreated, so be it. Forty years is nothing compared to eternity. 

And when you stand in the Truth, you are truly free.

We Know the Ending

I look around me right now, and what I see is worry and fear. 

Worry about the virus. Are people going to keep dying from it? Will we?  

Worry about police defunding. Are we all going to be left defenceless? 

Worry about police brutality or misuse of rights. 

Worry about the government stealing rights. How much longer will they lock us up and not allow us to do certain things?

Worry about masks. How much longer will we have to wear them? What will they do to us? 

Worry about the economy. Will it crash? What will all this inaction do to it? Will the stores be full again? 

Those worries are real and large, because we have no answers. If you dwell on them, you become filled with fear, dismay, anxiety. Not knowing the answers is a terrifying thing to us all. Hearing all sorts of theories and ideas and fears all around you frightens you, even if you don't believe in those things yourself. Everyone is unsettled and afraid.

But friends, lift your eyes above instead of looking at this world. Remember: this is not our home. 

"For here have we no continuing city, but we seek one to come." (Hebrews 13:14 KJV, emphasis mine). 

We know this earth is headed towards rebellion. 

"This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof:" (2 Timothy 3:1-5 KJV). 

We know the Antichrist is coming. 

"Let no man deceive you by any means: for [the day of Christ] shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God. And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time. For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way." (2 Thessalonians 2:3-4, 6-7 KJV). 

We know this world will burn in the end. 

"But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up." (2 Peter 3:10 KJV). 

We know the ending of the story, because our God knows and He told us. 

"And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming: even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, and with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish;" (2 Thessalonians 2:8-10 KJV). 

So what have we to fear? We already know what will happen. 

"For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord." (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 KJV). 

We are headed for our Home, and that is our destination. Not any country or city here on earth. 

"And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea. And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God. And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away." (Revelations 21:1-4 KJV). 

We’re just pilgrims passing through. 

"These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. For they that say such things declare plainly that they seek a country. And truly, if they had been mindful of that country from whence they came out, they might have had opportunity to have returned. But now they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for he hath prepared for them a city." (Hebrews 11:13-16 KJV). 

The world will do evil. 

"But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived." (2 Timothy 3:13 KJV). 

But Jesus will conquer, and Jesus shall reign for ever.

"And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war. And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God. And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean. And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS." (Revelations 19:11, 13-16 KVJ).

Our eternity is secure; what is this temporary tent on earth? 

"For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens." (2 Corinthians 5:1 KJV). 

It’ll all turn out right in the end.

"Then cometh the end, when [Jesus] shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power." (1 Corinthians 15:24 KJV).  

Have peace. 

"Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost." (Romans 15:13 KJV). 

"And let the peace of God rule in your hearts," (Colossians 3:15 KJV).

God knows. 

"The Lord is in his holy temple, the Lord’s throne is in heaven: his eyes behold, his eyelids try, the children of men." (Psalm 11:4 KJV). 

He reigns. 

"And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever." (Revelations 11:15).

He will reward.

"Say ye to the righteous, that it shall be well with him: for they shall eat the fruit of their doings. Woe unto the wicked! it shall be ill with him: for the reward of his hands shall be given him." (Isaiah 3:10-11). 

And Heaven is approaching.

"And this is the promise that he hath promised us, even eternal life." (1 John 2:25 KJV). 

Praying for Other Christians // A Devotional

Reading my devotions lately I came across these two prayers that Paul prayed for different churches that he had ministered in. I also noticed that Paul often says he prays every day for these people--probably by name. It struck me that with all this free time many of us have, we should definitely be spending it in prayer. We should be battling daily in prayer anyways, but now we have more time to pray and we should totally make time—set aside time—to pray every day for each other. The fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much—pray for each other! 

So I have a challenge for all of you. I am drawing up a list of the Christians I know, and I am pledging myself to spend half an hour every day praying for them specifically--aside from the praying I do at my devotions. I'm calling it the #ChoosingPrayerWarrior Challenge. And I would love to have others joining in. Let me know if you decide to join in.   

I also decided to look at these prayers that Paul prays in depth. I wanted to know--what sort of things should I be praying for other Christians? 

The first prayer I studied is Colossians 1:9-12. 

“For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God; Strengthened with all might, according to His glorious power, unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness; Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light:”

1. That they be filled with the knowledge of God’s will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding.

• Filled: “Made full; supplied with abundance.”
• Knowledge: “A clear and certain perception of that which exists, or of truth and fact; the perception of the connection and agreement, or disagreement and repugnancy of our ideas.” 
• Will: “Command; direction…. Divine determination; moral purpose or counsel.”
• Wisdom: “The right use or exercise of knowledge; the choice of laudable ends, and of the best means to accomplish them. This is wisdom in act, effect, or practice. If wisdom is to be considered as a faculty of the mind, it is the faculty of discerning or judging what is most just, proper and useful, and if it is to be considered as an acquirement, it is the knowledge and use of what is best, most just, most proper, most conducive to prosperity or happiness. Wisdom in the first sense, or practical wisdom is nearly synonymous with discretion. It differs somewhat from prudence, in this respect; prudence is the exercise of sound judgment in avoiding evils; wisdom is the exercise of sound judgment either in avoiding evils or attempting good. Prudence then is a species, of which wisdom is the genus…. In Scripture theology, wisdom is true religion; godliness; piety; the knowledge and fear of God, and sincere and uniform obedience to his commands. This is the wisdom which is from above.”
• Spiritual: “Pertaining to divine things.”
• Understanding: “Knowledge; exact comprehension.” 

I pray that they are full (abundantly) of a clear, certain knowledge of what God wants them to do, in all wisdom (a right use of knowledge) of divine things. E.G., in the knowledge of what God has said and what He asks of us. One must know this, in order to be sure to carry out His will (His directions).

2. That they might walk worthy of the Lord, unto all pleasing.

• Walk: “In Scripture, to live and act or behave; to pursue a particular course of life.”
• Worthy: “Deserving; such as merits; having worth or excellence; equivalent; with of, before the thing deserved…. Suitable; having qualities suited to; either in a good or bad sense; equal in value; as flowers worthy of paradise.” 
• Pleasing: “Giving pleasure or satisfaction; agreeable to the senses or to the mind; as a pleasing prospect; a pleasing reflection; pleasing manners.”

I pray that they would live and behave like Christ, and in a way that pleases everyone (has their approbation and gives them pleasure).

3. Being fruitful in every good work.

• Fruitful: “Very productive; producing fruit in abundance; as fruitful soil; a fruitful tree; a fruitful season. Prolific; bearing children; not barren. Plenteous; abounding in any thing. Productive of any thing; fertile; as fruitful in expedients. Producing in abundance; generating; as fruitful in crimes.”
• Work: “To act; to carry on operations.”
• Good: “Conformable to the moral law; virtuous; applied to actions.”

I pray that they would produce fruit (bring people to Christ) in abundance in every good action that God would have them do. 

4. Increasing in the knowledge of God.

• Increasing: “Growing; becoming larger; advancing in any quality, good or bad.”
• Knowledge: “A clear and certain perception of that which exists, or of truth and fact; the perception of the connection and agreement, or disagreement and repugnancy of our ideas.”

I pray that their knowledge of God, and their relationship with Him, grows and becomes larger. 

5. Strengthened with all might unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness.

• Strengthened: “Made strong or stronger; confirmed.”
• Might: “Strength; force; power.”
• Patience: “The suffering of afflictions, pain, toil, calamity, provocation or other evil, with a calm, unruffled temper; endurance without murmuring or fretfulness. Patience may spring from constitutional fortitude, from a kind of heroic pride, or from christian submission  to the divine will. A calm temper which bears evils without murmuring or discontent. The act or quality of waiting long for justice or expected good without discontent. Perseverance; constancy in labor or exertion. The quality of bearing offenses and injuries without anger or revenge.”
• Submission: “The act of submitting; the act of yielding to power or authority; surrender of the person and power to the control or government of another…. Obedience; compliance with the commands or laws of a superior.… Resignation; a yielding of one’s will to the will or appointment of a superior without murmuring. Entire and cheerful submission to the will of God is a christian duty of prime excellence.”
• Longsuffering: “Bearing injuries or provocation for a long time; patient; not easily provoked.”
• Joyfulness: “Great gladness; joy.”

I pray that they would be made stronger with all God’s power to have all patience (submission, endurance, waiting, perseverance) 

and long-suffering (patience, calmness), and that they do this with joy  (“a delight of the mind, from the consideration of the present or assured approaching possession of a good.”) There’s a lot in this! Look up these words for yourself and see what endurance and perseverance is. 

6. Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light.

• Thanks: “Expression of gratitude; an acknowledgment made to express a sense of favor or kindness received. Gratitude is the feeling or sentiment excited by kindness; thanks are the expression of that sentiment.”

I pray that they would be grateful and thank God for all He has done for them, and for the reward and hope they have in heaven. 

So let’s reread that prayer now. 

“For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; that ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God; strengthened with all might, according to His glorious power, unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness; giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light:”

I pray that they are full of a clear, certain knowledge of what God wants them to do, in all wisdom of divine things (what God has said and what He asks of us); that they would live and behave like Christ, and in a way that has the approbation of everyone & gives pleasure to everyone; that they would bring people to Christ in abundance in every good action that God would have them do; that their knowledge of God, and their relationship with Him, grows and becomes larger; that they would be made stronger with all God’s power to have all patience and long-suffering, and that they do this with joy; and that they would be grateful and thank God for all He has done for them, and for the reward and hope they have in heaven.

This prayer doesn’t only apply to others. I challenge you to pray it for yourself, sincerely and humbly. What a difference this world would be if every Christian lived like this passage says.

Are you willing to make a change? 

Are you willing to live out the Bible? 

Are you willing to live your life the way God wants you to? 

The second prayer I looked at is from Ephesians 1:14-19.

“For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, … That He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might by His Spirit in the inner man; that Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; and to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.”

1. That God would grant them to be strengthened with might by His Spirit in the inner man.

• Grant: “To give; to bestow or confer on without compensation, particularly in answer to prayer or request.”
• Strengthen: “To make strong or stronger; to add strength to, either physical, legal or moral; as, to strengthen a limb; to strengthen an obligation…. To cause to increase in power or security.”
• Might: “Strength; force; power.”
• Inner: “Interior; internal; not outward; as the inner man.”
• Man: “Mankind; the human race; the whole species of human beings; beings distinguished from all other animals by the powers of reason and speech, as well as by their shape and dignified aspect.” 

I pray that God would strengthen them with His power by His spirit within them.

2. That Christ may dwell in their hearts by faith.

• Dwell: “To abide as a permanent resident, or to inhabit for a time; to live in a place; to have a habitation for some time or permanence…. To be in any state or condition; to continue.”
• Heart: “The seat of the affections and passions, as of love, joy, grief, enmity, courage, pleasure etc…. The seat of the will; hence, secret purposes, intentions or designs.”
• Faith: “Belief; the assent of the mind to the truth of what is declared by another, resting on his authority and veracity, without other evidence; the judgment that what another states or testifies is the truth. Faith is a firm, cordial belief in the veracity of God, in all the declarations of his word; or a full and affectionate confidence in the certainty of those things which God has declared, and because he has declared them. Evangelical, justifying, or saving faith is the assent of the mind to the truth of divine revelation, on the authority of God’s testimony, accompanied with a cordial assent of the will or approbation of the heart; an entire confidence or trust in God’s character and declarations, and in the character and doctrines of Christ, with an unreserved surrender of the will to his guidance, and dependence on his merits for salvation. In other words, that firm belief of God’s testimony, and of the truth of the gospel, which influences the will, and leads to an entire reliance on Christ for salvation.”

We pray that Christ would live permanently in their hearts by faith. (I absolutely love that text on faith.) 

3. That ye, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; and to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge.

• Rooted: “Having its roots planted or fixed in the earth; hence, fixed; deep; radical; as rooted sorrow; rooted aversion; rooted prejudices.”
• Grounded: “To found; to fix or set, as on a foundation, cause, reason or principle; as arguments grounded on reason; faith grounded on scriptural evidence…. To settle in first principles; to fix firmly.”
• Love: “To have benevolence or good will for.” 
• Benevolence: “The disposition to do good; good will; kindness; charitableness; the love, of mankind, accompanied with a desire to promote their happiness.”
• Kindness: “Good will; benevolence; that temper or disposition which delights in contributing to the happiness of others, which is exercised cheerfully in gratifying their wishes, supplying their wants or alleviating their distresses; benignity of nature. Kindness ever accompanies love.” 
• Comprehend: “To understand; to conceive; that is, to take, hold or contain in the mind; to possess or to have in idea; according to the popular phrase, I take your meaning.” 
• Saints: “A person sanctified; a holy or godly person; one eminent for piety and virtue.” 
• Sanctified: “Made holy; consecrated; set apart for sacred services.”
• Breadth: “The measure or extent of any plain surface from side to side; a geometrical dimension, which, multiplied into the length, constitutes a surface; as, the length of a table is five feet, and the breadth three; 5x3=15 feet, the whole surface.”
• Length: “Extent; extension.”
• Depth: “Deepness; the distance or measure of a thing from the surface to the bottom, or to the extreme part downwards or inwards. The depth of a river may be ten feet. The depth of the ocean is unfathomable. The depth of a wound may be an inch. In a vertical direction, depth is opposed to height.”
• Height: “The distance to which anything rises above its foot, above that on which in stands, above the earth, or above the level of the sea; altitude; the measure upward from a surface, as the floor or the ground, of an animal, especially of a man; stature.”
• Know: “To perceive with certainty; to understand clearly; to have a clear and certain perception of truth, fact, or any thing that actually exists. To know a thing precludes all doubt or uncertainty of its existence. We know what we see with our eyes, or perceive by other senses. We know that fire and water are different substances. We know that truth and falsehood express ideas incompatible with each other. We know that a circle is not a square. We do not know the truth of reports, nor can we always know what to believe.”
• Passeth: “To surpass; to excel; to exceed.”
• Knowledge: “A clear and certain perception of that which exists, or of truth and fact; the perception of the connection and agreement, or disagreement and repugnancy of our ideas.”

I pray that they would be fixed firmly, deeply, and completely in love (caring for others, wanting the best for them, doing what they can for them to make them happier), and that it would be their foundation. I pray that they, with the other Christians, would understand how great God’s love is—how wide, how long, how deep, how high—that they would really completely know and understand it, and how overpowering and mind-blowing it is.

4. That they might be filled with all the fulness of God.

• Filled: “Made full; supplied with abundance.”
• Fullness: “The state of being filled, so as to leave no part vacant. The state of abounding or being in great plenty; abundance. Completeness; the state of a thing in which nothing is wanted; perfection.”

I pray that they would be full God’s Spirit. 

Again, reread the prayer.

“For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, … That He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might by His Spirit in the inner man; that Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; and to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.”

So we pray that God would strengthen them with His power by His spirit within them; that Christ would live permanently in their hearts by faith; that they would be fixed firmly, deeply, and completely in love (caring for others, wanting the best for them, doing what they can for them to make them happier), and that it would be their foundation; that they, with the other Christians, would understand how great God’s love is—how wide, how long, how deep, how high—that they would really completely know and understand it, and how overpowering and mind-blowing it is; and that they would be full of the perfection of God.

What a powerful prayer. If Christians are strengthened in God, if they have Christ living fully in their hearts, if they are full of faith, if they are abounding in love, if they know how amazing God’s love for you is, if they are full of the Lord’s Spirit… how different their lives would be. What a change that would make.

Once more, I challenge you to pray this prayer for yourself, honestly and humbly, sentence by sentence. More than just once. We can’t pray that all the Christians we know become perfect and refuse to change ourselves. Are you willing to live a radical, Christlike life? Are you willing to live the way God wants you to? 

God help us all to strive earnestly for perfection. 

~ / / ~

What did God teach you this week?