Hey friends, are you ready for week 3 of our study? Here’s a peek at what we will be reading as well as our prayer focus for the week. Meanwhile, I’m committing each of you and this study to the Lord! I invite you to share some prayer requests and/or praises here today. They can be study related or personal. Feel free to like/comment on the praises or requests as a way of encouragement.
Father, You are good. Again, this morning, I am reminded of Your goodness through Your Word that is filled with Your invitations and encouragement to pray. You, the Most High God – Creator and Sustainer of Life, have invited me to pray. What an amazing privilege it is to be Your child, to be invited into Your presence – not just to hear from You but to converse with you – and not only at certain times but continually (Col. 4:2). The invitation comes with the promise that you will hear and answer according to Your perfect will – because You CARE (1 Peter 5:7), because You KNOW our need (Matthew 6:8), because – YOU. ARE. ABLE! (Ephesians 3:20), and because You are loving and kind, full of mercy and grace and compassion of Hope and strength and joy and peace that will guard our hearts and minds as we live in Christ Jesus! (Phil 4:6-7).
I am blessed by Your goodness and the privilege of prayer! You know the desires of my heart Father, but let this not deter me from asking, seeking, and knocking, from telling You my needs or anxious thoughts and cares. And when I ask, let me not doubt but believe – and expect – not my will but Yours to be done. For I know that You are able to do immeasurably more than I ask or even imagine. And may I never forget that this privilege is mine only through the blood and righteousness of Jesus Christ and my faith in Him.
What a Friend we have in Jesus
All our sins and griefs to bear
what a privilege to carry
everything to God in prayerO what peace we often forfeit
O what needless pain we bear
All because we do not carry
everything to God in prayer.
Bing Crosby
If you haven’t read this morning’s “After Thoughts” from today’s Scripture reading – you may want to – to fully appreciate my statement that God seems to be making a point with me about the benefit of encouragement. It will also help you understand why today’s prayer starter was another fingerprint from God. 💜
My daughters and I love to look for and share God’s fingerprints with one another. We do this because we have learned that they are a source of encouragement. This morning I was reminded through a prayer starter that it’s also good to look for opportunities and ways to encourage one another.
Let me repeat the words of “Criswell Freeman” from my reading this morning: “Are you a continuing source of encouragement to your family and friends? One of the reasons God put you here is to serve and encourage other people …”
To verify that this aligns with Scripture consider Paul’s words in 1 Thessalonians 5:11 where he tells the believers to encourage one another and build each other up. Or, the words from the author of Hebrews, who said: Encourage one another daily as long as it is called today so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness (13:24). Encouraging others is definitely a purposeful part of the believer’s life and is beneficial to both the giver and the receiver.
Why? Because not only does it allow God’s light to shine through us – which means He is glorified, but also because, as Proverbs 16:24 says: “Kind words are like honey, sweet to the soul and healthy for the body”.
So here’s my encouragement for today – let’s look for opportunities and ways to encourage others – friends, family, neighbors, a member of your church family and even strangers. It can be as simple as a kind word or “applauding” them for a job well done, helping with a need or sending a text or a card in the mail. Make plans to encourage someone you know who is going through a difficult time or ask God to show you opportunities throughout the day and be spontaneous with the encouragement – or both – see how many people you can encourage in one day and watch for the encouragement God will send you 💜

Are you holding on to the past? Maybe you’re so lost in the good memories that you’re missing out on enjoying the present opportunities to make new ones. Or, perhaps there are pieces from your past that haunt you and taunt you – invoking emotions of fear or resentment and regret – or even anger or bitterness. These emotions can stem from past decisions or words spoken or things left undone. They can also stem from things others have said or done to you. Whatever they are and wherever they come from they are not meant for us to dwell on.When writing about making peace with your past, Criswell Freeman said it like this: “Since we can’t change the pains and disappointments of the past, why do so many of us insist upon replaying them over and over again in our minds? … Obviously we can’t change the past. It is what it was and forever will be. The present of course is a different matter. Today is filled with opportunities to live, to love, to work, to play, and to celebrate life.” To the Israelites, God said it like this: “Do not remember the past events, pay no attention to things of old, look, I am about to do something new…” (Isa 43:18)
If we allow the past to take us captive we will miss all of these opportunities. We will get caught up with trying to recreate or undo or find ourselves trembling in fear or seeking revenge. The apostle Paul had many things to regret in his lifetime but he also said he had many reasons to put confidence in his flesh – he describes both in the third chapter of Philippians but concludes with this summation: “Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself to have attained [perfection], instead I am single-minded: forgetting what is behind and reaching out for the things that are ahead, with this goal in mind, I strive toward the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” (Phil 3:13-14). I know of no better way of making peace with my past or not living in past accomplishments or enjoyments than to fix my mind on God and the opportunities He sets before me today in living out His call on my life and the hope of eternity. Concerning the former, Criswell Freeman concluded: “Instead, live in the precious present, where opportunities abound and change is still possible.”
Father, thank you for the reminder this morning that holding onto or living in the past – for whatever reason – only serves to keep my mind distracted from You. The enemy’s goal is to steal and kill and destroy. He knows that if I am distracted from You I will not know Your peace and instead will follow after my own desires or wallow in sorrows or bitterness or anger and regrets. Christ came so that I might have life and have it to the full – but this is only possible when my mind is stayed on You – for in You there is perfect peace. So, help me to not dwell on the past events of my life, or pay attention to the things of old but instead fix my eyes on You – so that I do not miss where you lead or what You do 💜 In Jesus’ Name –

The Following Prayer Starter is shared from “Prayers to Start Your Day” by Criswell Freeman, Smith Freeman Publishing.
Good morning ☀️ for the sake of peace I almost skipped this particular prayer starter – but seeing how it feeds so perfectly into our current “Know Love” study I am trusting it is meant to be shared. I am praying for openness as you read and an understanding that this is not meant to bash “the media” – not to focus our attention in the media but rather to remind us where our true focus is to be. I believe that media can be, and is often, used for good. However, there is no denying the truth of the statement that it can distort the truth and draw our mind to focus on the world. In this “2020 culture” may our prayer daily echo this mornings starter: “Lord, help us to focus not on the world’s [message], but on the message of Your Son.”

According to today’s passage, what is the testimony God has given us? Leave your answer in the comment box at the bottom of the page. OR, share your favorite part of the passage.
Today’s Scripture: 1 John 5:5-12 (S.O.A.P 1 John 5:11-12)
5 Who is it that overcomes the world except the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God.
Testimony Concerning the Son of God 6 This is he who came by water and blood—Jesus Christ; not by the water only but by the water and the blood. And the Spirit is the one who testifies, because the Spirit is the truth. 7 For there are three that testify: 8 the Spirit and the water and the blood; and these three agree. 9 If we receive the testimony of men, the testimony of God is greater, for this is the testimony of God that he has borne concerning his Son. 10 Whoever believes in the Son of God has the testimony in himself. Whoever does not believe God has made him a liar, because he has not believed in the testimony that God has borne concerning his Son. 11 And this is the testimony, that God gave us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. 12 Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life.
Father, You are good 💜 You heard my simple but heartfelt prayer for uninterrupted sleep and You gave it. Even when I stirred in the early morning hours You lulled me back to sleep – and I praise You! In Your great and mysterious sovereignty – the Scripture reading this morning was from Psalm 116, which says: “Return to your rest, my soul, for the LORD has been good to you.” Yes, in the night You gave me the restful sleep I desperately sought – but the greater gift of Your goodness, as the Psalmist goes on to describe is this –
You have delivered me from death, my eyes from tears, my feet from stumbling that I may walk before You in the land of the living -Psalm 116: 8-9
And as the Psalmist – “I trusted in You when I said, many times over, I am greatly afflicted,” and so also I say with him – “What shall I return to the LORD for all His goodness to me? I will lift up the cup of salvation and call on Your name – O LORD.”
Your praise and goodness will continually be in my heart and on my tongue. My lips will glorify Your great name forever and forever – Amen!
Me, from the inside-out
Father, You are good. In You I have put my trust. Show me Your ways LORD, teach me Your ways for they are right and good like You. Guide me in Your truth and teach me for You are my God and Savior and Your Spirit lives in me for this reason 💙 My hope is in You all day long! Oh how I love and depend on You. (Psalm 25:1-5 and John 14:26)
Father, You are good and You have taught me that when I keep my eyes on You – and remember You are with me – I will not be shaken.
I have set the LORD always before me; because He is at my at my right hand, I will not be shaken. Psalm 16:8
You are my Protector, my Defender, my Strength, my Comforter, Deliverer, Hope and Light and so much more. You are my Everything. Blessed be Your holy name and the Truth of Your promises. 💜
This morning’s prayer reminded me of an old hymn and that led me to chasing down some Scriptures. I’m sharing both (the song and the Scriptures) with the hope and prayer that they will bless your day as much as they have mine.
How Firm a Foundation (John Robbins 1787)
VERSE 1
How firm a foundation, ye saints of the Lord
Is laid for your faith in His excellent Word
What more can He say than to you He hath said
To you who for refuge to Jesus have fled (Matthew 7:24-27)
VERSE 2
Fear not, I am with thee; oh be not dismayed
For I am thy God and will still give thee aid
I’ll strengthen thee, help thee, and cause thee to stand
Upheld by My righteous, omnipotent hand (Isaiah 41:10)
VERSE 3
When through the deep waters I call thee to go
The rivers of sorrow shall not overflow
For I will be with thee, thy troubles to bless
And sanctify to thee thy deepest distress (Isaiah 43:2; Psalm 46:1; James 1:1-2)
VERSE 4
When through fiery trials thy pathways shall lie
My grace all sufficient shall be thy supply
The flame shall not hurt thee; I only design
Thy dross to consume and thy gold to refine (1 Peter 4:12-19; 2 Corinthians 9:8; Isaiah 48:10)
VERSE 5
The soul that on Jesus has leaned for repose
I will not, I will not desert to its foes
That soul, though all hell should endeavor to shake
I’ll never, no never, no never forsake (Matthew 11:29; Proverbs 18:10; Psalm 16:8; Deuteronomy 31:6)
“Father, You Are Good!” This is my heart cry – my battle cry – each new morning. For the knowledge and experience of His Goodness – NOT just what He does but who He is – is what gets me through each day. The knowledge and experience of what He does and Who He is is my STRENGTH when I am weak. It is my PEACE when I am anxious and CALMS me when I am fearful. It is my LIGHT when my pathway seems or is dark and confusing and it is my GUIDE and my COUNSEL when decisions lie before me. It is my COMFORT when I am lonely or sad and my PROTECTION when I am in danger. It is my REST when I am tired and weary. It is the SOLID GROUND beneath my feet when life becomes like shifting sands and it is the very AIR that I breathe when panic seizes me. It is the HOPE of each new day and the GUARDIAN of my mind when I lie down to sleep at night. It is my daily FREEDOM from the law of sin and death and my FORGIVENESS when I fall. Such knowledge and experience EMPOWERS me to WAIT EXPECTANTLY and to TRUST with EXCEEDINGLY GREAT HOPE. It is my JOY and the DELIGHT of my heart to know Him and His goodness.
Taste and see that the LORD is good. How happy is the man who takes refuge in Him! Psalm 34:8
Me From the Inside Out 