Tag: prayer

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Trust God’s Wisdom

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Insight is like a life-giving fountain to the one who possesses it,
but folly leads to the discipline of fools.

Proverbs 16:22 NET

This morning’s prayer starter by Criswell Freeman was absolutely perfect and such a needed reminder and source of encouragement for what we are facing in the world and in our individual lives. I have chosen to share it in its entirety. I have included a few definitions of some of the words in the proverb – since I found them helpful for myself. I pray it is a blessing to all who read it and that You will seek, know, and choose God’s wisdom, peace, comfort, and guidance every day.

*Insight: wisdom, knowledge, understanding

*Discipline: 2A branch of knowledge, learning, or practice

*Folly: a foolish act, idea, or practice

Microsoft Bing dictionary

“Where will you place your trust today? Will you trust in the wisdom of fallible men and women, or will you place your faith in God’s perfect wisdom? When you decide whom to trust, you will then know how best to respond to the challenges of the coming day.

Are you tired? Discouraged? Fearful? Be comforted and trust God. Are you worried or anxious? Be confident in God’s power and trust His holy Word. Are you confused? Listen to the quiet voice of your heavenly Father. He is not a God of confusion. Talk with Him; listen to Him; TRUST Him. He is steadfast, and He is your Protector, now and forever.” Criswell Freeman Prayers to Start Your Day, #67, p65

Dear Lord, You are my Teacher, Help me to learn from Your wisdom. And then, let me show others what it means to be a kind, generous, loving Christian. Amen.

Criswell Freeman- Prayers to Start Your Day, #67, p65
Posted in Bible study, From the Insideout, LGG Study

We Depend on our God

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Prayer is an amazing weapon of warfare for the Christian, whether we are on the actual battlefield or on our knees at home – or for that matter in a car or at the sink doing dishes. It has been said in some commentaries that this prayer may have been prompted by David’s battle against the Ammonites in 2 Samuel 10. Whatever the battle and the circumstances – before David and his men strategized and fought the fight his people were praying. They prayed for protection and help. They asked for God to remember David’s sacrifices and grant him the success he desired – and they believed God would deliver. Their prayer bears witness to their expectation –

“Then we will shout for joy over your victory; we will rejoice in the name of our God. -”

Psalm 20:5

Not to go all grammar lesson – but don’t miss the plural pronouns in verse-5, “we will shout for joy”, “we will rejoice’, “of our God”. They prayed as a community of faith and it became an encouragement to David. David seems to remember God’s promises of victory and rest from his enemies and responds with an affirmation of his people’s confidence – with a statement of assurance that God will deliver. We can’t miss the reason – and if you will – the lesson he conveys for such confidence. It’s one of my favorite go-to-passages, a life-line so many times in both the big and the small battles of my life[1}. Perhaps, just as they were leaving for battle – maybe, just when the courage of his men was waning – David declares that their victory will come, not because they are stronger or their “weapons” mightier but because they depend on God.

Some trust in chariots and others in horses, but we depend on the LORD our God[1]. They will fall down but we will stand firm. The LORD will deliver the king; He will answer us when we call to Him for help!

Psalm 20:7-9

What about you? Do you depend on “chariots and horses’, ie ‘money and power’, ‘home and possessions’, ‘friends and family’? Or do you depend on God? Are you praying for our leaders and others – expectantly? Are we preparing to shout for joy when He gives the victory – ready to give Him the honor due His name? These can be daunting questions but if we want to walk in confidence, if we want to be an encouragement to others we must remember wars aren’t just won by the warriors on the battlefields but by those who pray. This is how we gain the victory and find ourselves standing firm when the battle ceases!

Me – from the Insideout

Posted in Bible study, LGG Study

Bridge to Shame Breaker: Tuesday, Week 2

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Have you ever found yourself praying a prayer like David’s in Psalm 13? He was so distraught that he felt as though God was ignoring him. The first of his prayer in Psalm 13 exhibited worry, suffering, fear, and even pride … BUT then he seems to remember his trust isn’t in man or in the events of his life – his confidence and his expectant hope are in the LORD, His God – and he speaks this truth over the anguish of his heart and mind. David said: “BUT I TRUST” … and a prayer of agony, frustration, and distress turned into a prayer of praise and worship! Has God given you a reason to trust Him? Write it down – speak the reason(s) out loud. Has God rescued you before from impending trouble? Has He given you a reason to sing praise to His name? Have you seen and tasted His goodness? Set your mind on these things and proclaim your trust in Your God – the proclamation may not change the circumstances but it will definitely change your attitude and focus when troubles do arise. God’s TRUTH infuses us with Hope and Confidence and changes agony to praise and worship. Me – From the Insideout

Today’s Scripture: Psalm 13-14 (S.O.A.P. Psalm 13:5-6)

Psalm 13 For the choir director: A psalm of David.

O Lord, how long will you forget me? Forever?
    How long will you look the other way?
2 How long must I struggle with anguish in my soul,
    with sorrow in my heart every day?
    How long will my enemy have the upper hand?

3 Turn and answer me, O Lord my God!
    Restore the sparkle to my eyes, or I will die.
4 Don’t let my enemies gloat, saying, “We have defeated him!”
    Don’t let them rejoice at my downfall.

BUT I trust in your unfailing love.
    I will rejoice because you have rescued me.
6 I will sing to the Lord
    because he is good to me.

Psalm 14 For the choir director: A psalm of David.

Only fools say in their hearts,
    “There is no God.”
They are corrupt, and their actions are evil;
    not one of them does good!

2 The Lord looks down from heaven
    on the entire human race;
he looks to see if anyone is truly wise,
    if anyone seeks God.
3 But no, all have turned away;
    all have become corrupt.[a]
No one does good,
    not a single one!

4 Will those who do evil never learn?
    They eat up my people like bread
    and wouldn’t think of praying to the Lord.
5 Terror will grip them,
    for God is with those who obey him.
6 The wicked frustrate the plans of the oppressed,
    but the Lord will protect his people.

7 Who will come from Mount Zion to rescue Israel?
    When the Lord restores his people,
    Jacob will shout with joy, and Israel will rejoice.

Posted in Bible study, LGG Study

Everlasting Covenant: Week 2 David’s Descendants

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Question of the Day: Did God Fulfill the Davidic Covenant? How so?

Today’s Scripture: 2 Samuel 7:18-29; Revelation 22:16 (S.O.A.P. 2 Samuel 7:28-29)

David’s Prayer of Thanks

Then King David went in and sat before the Lord and prayed,

“Who am I, O Sovereign Lord, and what is my family, that you have brought me this far? 19 And now, Sovereign Lord, in addition to everything else, you speak of giving your servant a lasting dynasty! Do you deal with everyone this way, O Sovereign Lord?[a]

20 “What more can I say to you? You know what your servant is really like, Sovereign Lord. 21 Because of your promise and according to your will, you have done all these great things and have made them known to your servant.

22 “How great you are, O Sovereign Lord! There is no one like you. We have never even heard of another God like you! 23 What other nation on earth is like your people Israel? What other nation, O God, have you redeemed from slavery to be your own people? You made a great name for yourself when you redeemed your people from Egypt. You performed awesome miracles and drove out the nations and gods that stood in their way.[b] 24 You made Israel your very own people forever, and you, O Lord, became their God.

25 “And now, O Lord God, I am your servant; do as you have promised concerning me and my family. Confirm it as a promise that will last forever. 26 And may your name be honored forever so that everyone will say, ‘The Lord of Heaven’s Armies is God over Israel!’ And may the house of your servant David continue before you forever.

27 “O Lord of Heaven’s Armies, God of Israel, I have been bold enough to pray this prayer to you because you have revealed all this to your servant, saying, ‘I will build a house for you—a dynasty of kings!’ 28 For you are God, O Sovereign Lord. Your words are truth, and you have promised these good things to your servant. 29 And now, may it please you to bless the house of your servant, so that it may continue forever before you. For you have spoken, and when you grant a blessing to your servant, O Sovereign Lord, it is an eternal blessing!”

I, Jesus, have sent my angel to give you this message for the churches. I am both the source of David and the heir to his throne.[a] I am the bright morning star.”

LGG Blog
Question of the Day Answer
Let’s Worship

Posted in Bible study, Quiet Time

Psalm 40:11-17

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O Lord, you do not withhold your compassion from me. May your loyal love and faithfulness continually protect me! 12 For innumerable dangers surround me. My sins overtake me
so I am unable to see; they outnumber the hairs of my head so my strength fails me. 13 Please be willing, O Lord, to rescue me! O Lord, hurry and help me! 14 May those who are trying to snatch away my life be totally embarrassed and ashamed. May those who want to harm me be turned back and ashamed. 15 May those who say to me, “Aha! Aha!” be humiliated and disgraced. 16 May all those who seek you be happy and rejoice in you. May those who love to experience your deliverance say continually, “May the Lord be praised!” 17 I am oppressed and needy. May the Lord pay attention to me. You are my helper and my deliverer. O my God, do not delay.

Psalm 40:11-17

Have you ever heard of “Praying God’s Word back to Him”? It’s where you take what You know of God, His character, His Words, His actions, His expressed thoughts and will, what pleases and displeases Him … and you let this knowledge guide your prayers. In some situations it may be praying His exact Words back to Him. Take for example a prayer of repentance/forgiveness – Father, You have said “Do not lie”, please forgive me for lying. However, praying God’s Word back to Him can also flow – not as a direct quote – but rather out of what we have learned from His Word or our experiences with God. I believe, this Psalm is a wonderful example – not only of this type of prayer but of the benefit that comes from it.

We only have to look back at the preceding verses of this Psalm to know that the Psalmist obviously knew God was compassionate and that His love and faithfulness were unfailing – and – he prayed accordingly. How was this beneficial? Because –

  • In his desperation he knew He could depend on God (11)
  • Depending on God’s compassion, love and faithfulness, kept him from losing hope in the midst of a frighteningly overwhelming situation (12-15)
  • It set his eyes on God and even turned His thoughts and prayers to the needs of others (16)
  • Finally, it gave him resolve to trust completely, the One he knew as his helper and deliverer (17)

As one who has suffered from panic attacks, and has watched others in the throes of them, I see the Psalmist overtaken by distress that leads to panic – that leads to desperate thoughts – but who survived. Because, for every thought of panic and distress he called out to God based on knowledge and experience of who He was and what He could do. Doing this didn’t change the fact that he was “oppressed and needy” nor did it give him an assurance of when God would act – but it did offer him an inner-calm and confidence to say –

… You are my helper and my deliverer –

Psalm 40:17

Posted in God is good, Prayer Starters

A Different High Priest

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Without father, without mother, without genealogy, he has neither beginning of days nor end of life but is like the Son of God, and he remains a priest for all time. Hebrews 7:3 (NET)

Father, you are good! And in your goodness, You have given me a Great High Priest. – One who is not born of human descent but sent from heaven. One with no beginning or end – in the order of Melchizedek. One without Sin! One who not only offers a sacrifice on my behalf but who is my sacrifice. Whose Righteousness covers me. Whose peace and love fill me. And one after whom I am being transformed. There is much HOPE in Your goodness and in my Savior and High Priest – Jesus Christ! May His love and light shine brightly through me – today and every day.

Posted in LGG Study

Jesus Our Everything: Week 3

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  • Spend time praying for your friends this week.

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.

Posted in God is good, Prayer Starters

The Privilege of Prayer

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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 prayer

O what peace we often forfeit
O what needless pain we bear
All because we do not carry
everything to God in prayer.
Bing Crosby

Posted in Prayer Starters
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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 💜



Posted in Prayer Starters

Making Peace With the Past

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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 –