Tuesday's Prayer ~ Thank You Heavenly Father

My Dearest Heavenly Father,


Oh, how blessed am I to have You as the head of my life. You are the author and finisher of faith. I put my trust in You. I live, move, and have my being in You, oh Lord. Please continue to show and teach me Your ways. I pray that you order my footsteps in the way you will have me to go. When I am down, You pick me up. When I am weak, You give me joy to renew my strength. When I am in despair, You are my comforter. When I don't know what to do, You are my Wonderful Counselor. You are all these things to me and more. Knowing that I have all these divine atrributes in You, there is no way You will ever steer me wrong. You steer me out of my messes to be a message. And I thank You Father in the name of Jesus.


You know everything about me; And yet, You saw fit to choose me to be part of Your royal priesthood and Your holy nation. I am part of Your own special people. Thank You, God for seeing me worthy enough to have called me by name. I ask for forgiveness for all the times I have not live up to Your standards. I aim live a life that is pleasing in Your sight. I know I am a work in progress. So, continue to work on me in the name of Jesus.


I refuse to be defeated by satan's tactics. Everytime the devil tries to break me down, I will stand in the name of Jesus. I will cry out Your name. You will incline Your ear to me and answer me in the midst of my troubles. There is no one like You, oh God. You are the King of kings and the Lord of lords. You are Hosanna in the Highest. A thousand tongues are not remotely enought to give You all the praise, honor, and glory due to You. Because You are an awesome and mighty God. You will reign forever. And I consider it to be an honor and privilege to be part of Your Heavenly Kingdom. I give You all the praise, all the glory in the mighty name, of Your Son, my Saviour, Jesus. Amen.

Manic Monday ~ Chosen and Called

First, let me start by saying, "Happy Manic Monday!". My monday has been a bit crazy or should I say a little bit.........manic. But, it's funny how the devil tries to distract you or send big potholes your way just to get you all rattled up on the inside. However, I am here to tell the devil he cannot rattle God's children. We have the peace of God living on the inside of us. And because of God's peace, we have every authority in the name of Jesus to crush satan like a soda can.  "And the God of peace will crush Satan under your feet shortly. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen," (Romans 16:20).    Amen to that!!


Now moving on, this week's theme is based on 1 Peter 2:9, "But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light". If by any chance you are experiencing an identity crisis as far as knowing who you are to God, this is one of many scriptures you should read on daily basis.  We are going to fous on two words: CHOSEN and CALLED.




chosen ~ [greek word: eklektos; #1588] - to pick, gather; the word designates one picked out among the larger group for special service and privileges.


We have been chosen, hand-picked, by God to be part of a generation that is of a royal priesthood, a holy nation populated with His own special people. In additon to that, we were chosen to be recipients of God's unmerited favor. Hallelujah! We were, also, chosen to be represenatives of Jesus Christ and to be a reflection of God's glory.



"For you are a holy people to the LORD your God; the LORD your God has chosen you to be a people for Himself, a special treasure above all the peoples on the face of the earth." (Deuteronomy 7:6)


Holy doesn't mean we are perfect or better than anyone else. It means that because we made the divine choice to enter into a personal relationship with God, He has set us apart for His very own purpose. We are His holy nation that is supposed to stand out from the world, whereas people can see that there is something different about us. And the more we reflect God's glory and the love of Jesus in our hearts, the more other people will become curious on a how (they, too) can become a citizen of a holy nation. Amen and Amen!!



called ~ [greek word:kaleo; Strong's #2564] - to invite or to summon, and is especially used of God's call to participate in the blessings of the kingdom.


From this definition, I understand that not only has God chose us, but He CALLED us to participate in the blessings of His kingdom. Three of those many blessings are being free from bondage (darkness), walking in the light of freedom and receiving a new life through the blood of Jesus. God called us from death to life. Another great thing is that since we have been called out of darkness, we are no longer slaves to sin, but slaves of righteousness. Sin has no more authority in our lives by the power of the Holy Spirit and in the name of Jesus!! Can I please get a "Hallelujah!" on that one.



"Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Romans 6:11)



"But God be thanked that though you were slaves of sin, yet you obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine to which you were delivered. And having been set free from sin, you became slaves of righteousness." (Romans 6:17-18)



We have only began to scratch the surface of our theme for this week. I cannot wait to see what God has in store for us and how He plans to bless us in His holy and matchless word. Amen.

Scriptures References to 1 Peter 2:9
"And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to [His] purpose. For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified," (Romans 8:28-30).

"God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.", (1 Corinthians 1:9).

"In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will,"(Ephesians 1:11).

"But we are bound to give thanks to God always for you, brethren beloved by the Lord, because God from the beginning chose you for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth, to which He called you by our gospel, for the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ,"(2 Thessalonians 2:13-14).

"And for this reason He is the Mediator of the new covenant, by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions under the first covenant, that those who are called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance,"(Hebrews 9:15).

Sunday's Scripture Reading ~ 1 Peter 2:9

It's time for another Sunday Scripture Reading. As always, I hoped and prayed that everyone had a great weekend. Yesterday, a few girlfriends and I celebrated a dear friend's, more like a sister's, birthday. We went to Outback Steakhouse. By the way, they make a mean potato soup. Delicious!! We had a blast. We laughed until our stomach hurts. It's a blessing that we can get together and have fun. We love doing life together. Happy Birthday, Francesca!! Love ya!!




 Happy Birthday, Fran, Fran!!



This is the scrumptuous potato soup. Mmmm...Mmmm...good!!


Now, as for today's scripture reading, our theme for the week will be based on 1 Peter 2:9.




"But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;" (1 Peter 2:9)


It's a blessing to know that God chose me way before I even thought about chosing Him to be my Heavenly Father by accepting His only Son, Jesus, to be my personal Saviour. Isn't that something?? God said so Himself, when He said, "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you; Before you were born I sanctified you,...," (Jeremiah 1:5). Then on top of that, God informed me that I was royalty, an heiress to the throne.


All I can say is WOW!! And give Him the praise!! So, if you are ready to dig a little deeper this week, well then away we go in the name of Jesus!!

Other Bible Translations for 1 Peter 2:9
"But you are not like that, for you are a chosen people. You are royal priests, a holy nation, God’s very own possession. As a result, you can show others the goodness of God, for he called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light." (nlt)


"But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light." (niv)


"But you are the chosen race, the King's priests, the holy nation, God's own people, chosen to proclaim the wonderful acts of God, who called you out of darkness into his own marvelous light." (gnt)



"But you are God’s chosen and special people. You are a group of royal priests and a holy nation. God has brought you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Now you must tell all the wonderful things that he has done." (cev)


"But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a dedicated nation, God’s own purchased, special people, that you may set forth the wonderful deeds and display the virtues and perfections of Him Who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light." (amp)

Saturday's Stop and Reflect ~ Psalms 130

This Week's Scripture for July 22 - July 28, 2012

Nuggets of Reflection:

• The Lord is our portion, especially when it seems like we have nothing else left.
• Put all your hope in God and wait patiently for Him to deliver.
• Don't stress. Enjoy life and receive the joy of the Lord while you wait.
• Don't let the devil fool you while you wait. God's word clearly states that He is good to those who wait for Him.
• There is always hope in God's salvation.

 


Psalms 130
(Waiting for the Redemption of the Lord)

Out of the depths I have cried to You, O Lord;
Lord, hear my voice!
Let Your ears be attentive
To the voice of my supplications.

If You, Lord, should mark iniquities,
O Lord, who could stand?
But there is forgiveness with You,
That You may be feared.

I wait for the Lord, my soul waits,
And in His word I do hope.
My soul waits for the Lord
More than those who watch for the morning—
Yes, more than those who watch for the morning.

O Israel, hope in the Lord;
For with the Lord there is mercy,
And with Him is abundant redemption.
And He shall redeem Israel
From all his iniquities.

Feel Free Friday ~ Enjoy Your Weekend!! :)

I love Fridays!! Don't you?? I am excited about for today's post. Feel Free Friday is about feeling free to Enjoy Your Weekend!!  Yep, you heard me!!  Enjoy Your Weekend!! This whole week we talked about Lamentations 3:24-25. One of the key points is putting your hope in God and waiting patiently on Him to deliver. While you are doing that, it doesn't mean that you should waddled in self pity or not enjoy life, but 100% of the opposite.




If you truly put all your hope in God, you can have joy in the Lord. The bible says, "The joy of the Lord is your strength," (Nehemiah 8:10 ). And it's that same strength you can use to wait patiently on the Lord and to feel free to enjoy your weekend!! Amen and Amen!!




As I bid you adieu, if you haven't already, make some fun and awesome plans for the weekend or just plain ol' relax. Bottomline is don't fret and don't stress just enjoy your weekend because God has it all under control in the name of Jesus!! So, Have a blessed weekend and ENJOY!!



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Quench Your Thirst Thursday ~ You Are My Portion By: Darrell Evans

I love Quench Your Thirst Thursday. It gives me an opportunity to share some great praise and worship music. God always shows me the right song at the right time. That's just how are awesome He is. For this Quench Your Thirst Thursday, we are listening to You Are My Portion, written and sung by Darrell Evans.


This week continue to confess that the Lord is your portion. If all else fails, you know that without a shadow of doubt that God is right there and on time. He is our portion, our everything, and we put our hope in Him. As you listen to this song, I pray that it is a blessing to you in the name of Jesus.

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Wisdom Word Wednesday ~ Hope

It's Hump Day!!! Hallelujah!! That means we are almost there.....to Friday!!! For today's Wisdom Word Wednesday, we are going to focus on hope. Part of Lamentations 3:24 states, "Therefore, I hope in Him!" When you are to point where you feel like you are all alone and have nothing, there is no other peron I would rather for you to put all your hope into, but the Lord God Almighty.

Where there is hope, there is faith. "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen," (Hebrews 11:1). When you put your hope in God, you are believing without seeing the outcome of your situation, that He is going to work it out for the better. This means you are taken ownership of things that are hoped for, but not exactly manifested.

And that is what God wants us to do. He wants us to put our hope and faith in Him, regardless of what our circumstances are. He wants us to see spiritually and not physically. "For we walk by faith, not by sight," (2 Corinthians 5:7). Furthermore, Jesus clearly states, "Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed," (John 20:29).


One of the wisest thing that you can do is to put your hope in our awesome and powerful God.   If at anytime you feel a little discouraged, don't fret or doubt, but, "Be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart, all you who hope in the Lord," (Psalms 31:24). Amen and Amen.





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Tuesday's Prayer ~ My Portion

My Heavenly Father

Where would I be without Your grace and mercy? You are a faithful God. Your love for me is unconditional. You sacrificed Your One and only Son, Jesus, so that I can be reconciled with you. There is no other name I know. There is none like You, Heavenly Father. Even in my disobedience, You still have compassion and give me so much love.

Lord, I come to in repentance for all the times I have disobeyed Your Word, ignore Your commands, and didn't follow Your instructions. In the name of Jesus, I ask you to forgive me. You only, oh God, are my portion. I put every bit of my hope in You. Your tender mercies console me in my time of need.

I will wait on You all day. During this waiting period, I refuse to be ignorant to satan devices. I believe and trust in Your word. And Your word says that You are good to those who wait and seek Your face. Heavenly Father, I extend my prayers on the behalf of those who are in need of Your grace, mercy, compassion, comfort, and most of all, Your unconditional love. I give You all the praise, all the glory, and all the honor in the name of Jesus I pray. Amen.

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Manic Monday ~ Portion and Wait

I am glad that Monday doesn't have be (you know) crazy. Sometimes, I do find it hard to be productive on Mondays. I guess because in my mind I have four other days in a regular work week to make up for it. But today was different. I actually felt like I got some things accomplished today. I feel a wee bit ahead of my game this week. We just have to see what tomorrow will bring.


As for right now, we are going to get started with Manic Monday. This week theme scripture is Lamentations 3:24-25. I do recommend that you read chapter 3. In today's post, I am going to focus on two words:  Portion and Wait.



Portion ~ [hebrew word:cheleq; #2506] - means a part, inheritance, an allotment.

Because everything was taken away from them, the only thing that the tribe of Levi can called their own was the Lord's mercies. They were able to console themselves with God's mercy. "Through the Lord mercies, we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not," (Lamentations 3:22). This verse assures me that no matter how difficult a trial maybe God's mercy and compassion will always be there. And since the Lord is my portion, my inheritance, no one can take that away from me. Therefore, I can put my hope in my heavenly Father.

Having said that, in the midst of declaring that you put your hope in God, you must wait. While waiting, sometimes you may feel like God hasn't heard your cry or you are just alone. The devil may very well try to play with your emotions, get inside your head, and try to get you to lose faith in God. There is hope in God's salvation, but we have to (sigh) wait.


wait ~ [hebrew word:qavah; #6960] - to wait for, expect, hope, the idea of waiting hopefully

Don't let the devil fool you while you wait. God's word clearly states that He is good to those who wait for Him. David had more than enough experience in waiting on the Lord. He talks about it throughout the Book of Psalms.  In Psalms 27:14, David wrote, "Wait on the Lord. Be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart; Wait, I say on the Lord." In His plea for Deliverance and Forgiveness, David said in Psalm 25:5, "...For You are the God of salvation; On You I wait all the day." Our time is different from God's time. David could have waited years for God to delivered him. But, nonetheless, David waited. So, please, "Be patient and wait for the Lord to act; don't be worried about those who prosper or those who succeed in their evil plans," (Psalms 37:7).

Scripture References to Lamentations 3:24-25:
"My flesh and my heart fail; But God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever."
(Psalms 73:26)


"The Portion of Jacob is not like them, For He is the Maker of all things, And Israel is the tribe of His inheritance; The LORD of hosts is His name." (Jeremiah 10:16)


"....You are my hope in the day of doom." (Jeremiah 17:17)


"I wait for the LORD, my soul waits, And in His word I do hope. My soul waits for the Lord More than those who watch for the morning, Yes, more than those who watch for the morning."
(Psalms 130:5-6)

Sunday's Scripture Reading ~ Lamentations 3:24-25

Before I announce the theme scripture for this week, let's continue to lift up the Aurora Community in Colorado and pray for the oppressed, broken-hearted, those who are sick, and depressed. Let's remember to send our prayers out to people all across the nation in the name of Jesus.


This week's theme will be based on Lamentations 3:24-25:

“The Lord is my portion,”
says my soul,
“Therefore I hope in Him!”
The Lord is good to those
who wait for Him,
To the soul who seeks Him.

Lamentations is a book divided into three poems. Lamentations 3:24-25 is in the third poem, which talks about God's mercy, man's submissiveness, and concludes with a prayer. Both verses, indicate a sense of hope and humility in the midst of troubles.

To paraphrase a bit, the tribe of Levi was basically saying..."Lord, you are the One and Only and there's no other. Everything we have is gone. No matter how long it takes, we will wait because all our hope is in You. "


This week we are going to dig in a little deeper. May God continue to add blessings upon the reading of His word.

Other Bible Translations for Lamentations 3:24-25

"I say to myself,
“The Lord is my inheritance;
therefore, I will hope in him!”
The Lord is good to those
who depend on him, to those
who search for him."
(nlt)

"I say to myself,
“The Lord is my portion;
therefore I will wait for him.”
The Lord is good to those
whose hope is in him,
to the one who seeks him;"
(niv)

"I'm sticking with God
(I say it over and over).
He's all I've got left.
God proves to be good to
the man who passionately waits,
to the woman who diligently seeks."
(msg)


"The Lord is all I have,
and so in him I put my hope.
The Lord is good to everyone
who trusts in him."
(gnt)


"The Lord is my portion or share,
says my living being (my inner self);
therefore will I hope in Him
and wait expectantly for Him.
The Lord is good to those who
wait hopefully and expectantly
for Him, to those who seek Him
[inquire of and for Him and require
Him by right of necessity and
on the authority of God’s word]."
(amp)

Saturday's Stop and Reflect ~ Psalm 119:9-17

This Week's Scripture for July 15 - July 21, 2012

Nuggets of Reflection:

• God's word is not empty, but full of power, life, and purpose.
• Whenever you feel a sense of emptiness or feel like something is missing, read and meditate on God's word.
• God's word will never fail. It's prosperous and successful.
• God's word is bond. It holds truth. So, if God says it or have said it, you better believe it.
• Read, Meditate, Speak, and Live the Word of God.

Psalms 119:9-17
How can a young man cleanse his way?
By taking heed according to Your word.
With my whole heart I have sought You;
Oh, let me not wander from Your commandments!

Your word I have hidden in my heart,
That I might not sin against You.
Blessed are You, O Lord!
Teach me Your statutes.

With my lips I have declared
All the judgments of Your mouth.
I have rejoiced in the way of Your testimonies,
As much as in all riches.
I will meditate on Your precepts,

And contemplate Your ways.
I will delight myself in Your statutes;
I will not forget Your word.
Deal bountifully with Your servant,
That I may live and keep Your word

Feel Free Friday ~ Four Verbs.....Please Apply

It's Feel Free Friday!! Woo Whoo!! For this Feel Free Friday, I want you to feel free to put four verbs into action. Not just for today, but everyday as much as you possibly can. And that is to, READ, MEDITATE, SPEAK, and LIVE.

Before you can meditate, speak, or live God's word, you must read the bible daily. After you read it, meditate on it.  Take it all in.


"This Book of the Law shall not depart
from your mouth, but you shall meditate
in it day and night, that you may observe
to do according to all that is written
in it. For then you will make your way
prosperous, and then you will
have good success." (Joshua 1:8)


Think about God's word so that it can become rooted and grounded in your heart. "For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks," (Matthew 12:34). If you have God's word in your heart, you will speak His word.  And the best thing you can do for any situation is to speak His word.

The more you speak God's word and hold fast to every confession in the name of Jesus, the more you will live the word. You will be a doer of the word as well as a hearer. "But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does," (James 1:25). Living God's word is the same as applying it to every area of your life such as relationships, work, home, finances, etc.

Remember what God said in Isaiah 55:11,"So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me void, But it shall accomplish what I please, And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it." It doesn't matter how you activate God's word, it's going to fulfill His purpose and prosper in the thing for He sent it.

Since God's word is truthful, faithful, powerful, fruitful, and righteous; that means....


When you Read God word, you are reading His TRUTH.


When you Meditate on His word, you are meditating on His FAITHFULNESS.


When you Speak His word, you are speaking with POWER.


When you LIVE His word, you are living a FRUITFUL and RIGHTEOUS life.


From this day before, make a decision to apply these four verbs: Read, Meditate, Speak, and Live in the name of Jesus and by the matchless power of the Holy Spirit. When you do so, oh what a reflection of God's glory you will be. Hallelujah and Amen!! :)

Quench Your Thirst Thursday ~ Thy Word By: Marantha Singers

For today's Quench Your Thirst Thursday, it's Thy Word sung by the Marantha Singers. This song has been sung and rearranged by various artists, but one thing remains true....Thy Word. It's the same yesterday, today, and forevermore.  God's word changes everything; but nothing can change it.


This song is based on Psalm 119. It's definitely a must read. I pray that this song is a blessing to you.





   
"Your word is a lamp to my feet
And a light to my path."
(Psalm 119:105)
   
Here's a bonus video....ENJOY!!

Wisdom Word Wednesday ~ Trust in Every Word

Today's Wisdom Word Wednesday is about having the wisdom to realize that God's word is bond. It's a binding security with firm assurance that it will hold without breaking or cracking under pressure.  When you receive Jesus into your heart, you gain access to the power of God's word.


God's word is one of our spiritual weapons that we can use to speak victory over the enemy, over our circumstances, and any obstacle that may come our way. God's word is the foundation of our relationship between us and Jesus. We cannot reach our heavenly Father without an intimate and true relationship with His Son. Trust in every word of God in the name of Jesus.



"Every word of God is pure;
He is a shield to those who put their trust in Him.
Do not add to His words,
Lest He rebuke you, and you be found a liar."
(Proverbs 30:5-6)




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Tuesday Prayer ~ Your Word

Dear Heavenly Father,


I thank you so much for Your word. It holds so much truth. Your word is the kind of word that I can build my foundation on and put in my whole trust. I stand on Your word in Isaiah 55. I accept wholeheartedly Your invitation to abundant life.

I will incline my ear to Your and apply it to my everday life. For Your thoughts are not my thoughts, Nor are my ways Your ways. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are Your ways higher than my ways,and Your thoughts than my thoughts, (Isaiah 55:8-9). With your word, I will look beyond and think beyond what the world says is impossible.

Your word is fruitful and powerful. At all times, it will serve it's purpose. Thank you so much Lord for providing me with a manual, basic instructions on how to live a life pleasing in your sight. Just as it says in Isaiah 55:11,

"So shall My word be that goes

forth from My mouth; It shall not

return to Me void, but it shall

accomplish what I please,

and it shall prosper in the

thing for which I sent it."

Heavenly Father, I know that when you say something that I can believe it and not waver in faith when it comes to Your holy word. I thank You. I praise You and honor Your word in the name of Jesus. Amen.




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