Showing posts with label Comfort. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Comfort. Show all posts

Friday, September 4, 2015

Desperate Prayers


Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort. 2 Corinthians 1:3

We’ve all been there. Crying out in desperation to the Lord. 
  • A crisis that almost destroyed my family and, even now, the pain hits me, without warning, like the proverbial ton of bricks.
  • My sister, who’s caught in a horrible job that threatens to cripple her.
  • My closest friend Joanna who struggles with the death of her husband; lonely days and even lonelier nights.

Desperate prayers: for deliverance, for miracles, for new jobs, for emotional or physical healing. 

Sometimes, we feel abandoned and wonder why He doesn’t step into our circumstances and answer our prayers.

In those panicked moments, we might hear God whisper, “Don’t pray only for the work of My hands, pray also for the work of My Spirit.”

He doesn’t promise that He will intervene. He promises that He will indwell.

What do we need most when we face a new sunrise?
  • Strength to get out of bed.
  • Peace when things make no sense.
  • Energy to make it through the next hour, or even the next five minutes.
  • Clarity to remember how to do the daily tasks ahead of us.
  • Guidance to make decisions and to respond to the situations we face.

Above all, we need the fullness of God’s Spirit to well up within us and do through us what we are incapable of doing on our own.

We need God Himself.

In those desperate times, He gives us His Word to guard our hearts and minds.

Strength: It is God who arms me with strength. Psalm 18:32
Peace: And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:7
Energy: But those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. The will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.
Clarity:  For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind. 2 Timothy 1:7 (New King James Version)
Guidance:  Since you are my rock and my fortress, for the sake of your name lead and guide me. Psalm 31:3

When you are desperate, pray for God to move in your situation, but don’t forget to ask Him to express His grace in your mind, heart, and soul.

Share with us:
How has God's strengthened your heart and guided your thoughts through difficult times?




Thursday, April 3, 2014

Ever Regifted? Don't Lie to Me!



Shame on you – I can hear you shaking your head.

“I’ve never done that!” you say.

And look! You didn't even bother to rewrap it - you just stuck a couple bows on it!

Get real - We've all done it.
 
Someone gives us a perfectly wonderful gift –
 
EXCEPT
  • We already have two of them.
  • We have no use for one.
  • And the secret reason: it’s ugly!

I can honestly say I’ve never regifted – to a person.

I pack mine up and take it to Goodwill.

Regifting to the greater good, so to speak.

 
We've been given gifts so great it’s impossible to fathom:

  • Jesus gave His life to give us the gift of forgiveness.
  • Jesus’ resurrection gives us freedom from Satan’s power.
  • Jesus is alive and He offers us eternal life, to live with Him forever.

We never get enough of this.

We certainly have use for them.

These are things we should regift with joy and love.

 
And how can they hear if nobody tells them? Romans 10:14 (MSG)

Don't worry, you don't have to run around spouting the plan of salvation to everyone you meet.

Just refer to God when it naturally fits into the conversation.

"No, I didn't see the game, I was in church."
"I'll pray for you."

Even more gifts - God gives us Himself:

  • He is Love.
  • He is Peace.
  • He is Faithful.
  • He is Strength.
  • He is Comfort.

But, how can we regift God?
Can we offer His gifts to others?

We can:

  • Be loving to those around us – even if they don’t deserve it.
  • Be a peacemaker when there is unrest.
  • Be faithful to someone who needs you.
  • Be strength to someone who is weak.
  • Be comforting to someone struggling.

The BEST part about regifting God is that we still have it!

We don't give it away.

We don't lose it.

Every time we "regift" God, He fills us with even more!
 
When have you regifted God?
When has someone given Him to you?