Tag: prayer

What God’s Doing – Joy, Peace, and Hope are Possible

Posted on by Dorci

I thought it would be fun to start a new Sunday thing where we share what God’s speaking into our hearts through the teaching we heard at church or in our own studies.

It’s so good to encourage each other, reinforcing those lessons and convictions, and cheer each other on as He heals us along the way.

This morning, after celebrating what God’s done in the last few years to enlarge our church, first the building, which made room for new people, (yay, God!), our pastor’s teaching centered around these words of Paul:

 

“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him,
so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”
Romans 15:13

I don’t know about you, but sometimes joy, peace, and hope can seem hard to come by. The fires of trial and suffering just want to suck those right out of you.

BUT, “by the power of the Holy Spirit.”

That word power is no wimpy power. In the Greek it is dunamis, where we get our word dynamite. It means force, miraculous power (by implication a miracle itself), ability, abundance, meaning, might, strength, violence (as in the violence or fury quenched by our brothers and sisters in Hebrews 11:34).

God wants to do so much in and through us, and if we continue abiding in Christ, being filled with the Holy Spirit, and keep on praying continually – about EVERYTHING, at ALL TIMES! – and praise Him through the fire, we WILL walk through the valleys with that deep down miraculous joy of our salvation, know His peace, and have hope.

What greater testimony is there to an unbeliever, or even a struggling believer, than to walk through the flames with inexplicable joy and peace.

I needed that. And if you do, too, I hope it encourages you to remember God is ready, willing, and able to give us everything we need to walk in victory. Just hang on.

Now, what is God speaking into your heart?

PS – If you need prayer, please let me know.

 

Heavenly Father, help us keep our eyes off the flames and onto You. And we ask, in your perfect timing, when the flames have done their job and burned off the dross, we ask that you would quench them and bring times of refreshing. In the meantime, as we hold onto Jesus, we pray for a generous measure of the miraculous joy, peace, and hope that only you can give. Thank you, Lord. In Jesus’ name I pray, amen.

Sunday Praise and a Prayer for God’s Glory

Posted on by Dorci

“Jesus did many other things as well. If every one of them were written down, I suppose that even the whole world would not have room for the books that would be written.”
John 21:25

 

People photo created by jcomp – www.freepik.com

Dear Heavenly Father, we praise your holy Name. You are salvation, and all power and glory and majesty are yours. May we never stop singing your praises, our Abba, our Adonai, our Immanuel.

Even in my own life, I feel these words of your servant John are true. You have saved me, protected me, provided for me, blessed me, and done more for me than I could ever fully express, or even know myself.

Thank you for all you’ve done, all you are doing, and all you will do for your children, to care for us and mature us until we meet with you face to face. May your light ever shine through us, and may the words of our testimony always be seasoned with salt.

May we remember your amazing grace and mercy, especially during times of trial.  When we can’t understand, may we lean on your understanding, on your eternal plans, which are far greater than we could ever fully grasp.

May you always be our life, our hope, our peace, our constant presence.  May we get rid of those things, those bad habits, the ungodly attitudes, anything that could keep us from being filled to overflowing with your Holy Spirit who will mature us and enable us to do all you have for us.

Father, the world so desperately needs you. Use us for your glory. We desire to bear orchards and orchards of fruit and lay up our treasures in heaven. May you make it so.

In the glorious name of Jesus, our Savior, our Redeemer, our Friend, amen.

Sunday Praise and a Prayer

Posted on by Dorci

Dear Heavenly Father, there is nothing so important in this life than to praise you for all you are, all you’ve done, and all you will do. Our praise begins and ends with you for your love, your forgiveness, and your faithfulness and goodness toward us. There is nothing we could ever do to deserve it, but the sacrifice of your Son paved the way for us to receive it, and the indwelling of your Holy Spirit generously portions it to us.

We are in awe that you would do this for us.

Father, you are the Great Gardener, and we thank you for tilling the soil of our hearts that we could receive the Word of Truth and believe in Christ, for the softening of our hearts when we allow the world and our own sin to harden them, and that you might continually plant new seeds of truth, watering them, growing them, producing in us fruits of righteousness, peace, and joy, and bringing our faith to maturity as only You can.

Help us to be diligent to continually abide in the Vine so you’re free to do in and through us all you have planned that we might bring forth a harvest that glorifies You. 

In Jesus’ Name we pray, amen. 

 

 

 

Lesson From a Rescue #3 – A.S.K.

Posted on by Dorci

I’ve been eating eggs for breakfast for years, and since shortly after we rescued our dog six years ago, he’s virtually insisted I share my eggs with him every morning.

The routine is nearly always the same: he waits for me to get out of bed, dutifully watches as I get out the ingredients, utensils, plate…maybe paces a bit as I cook it up (depending on whether or not he’s deferred eating his own breakfast until he’s had some of mine), walks with me over to my seat, sits as close as he can get, and begins to remind me, repeatedly, that he’s there.

He stares deep into my soul, and if that’s not enough, he accentuates it with some serious begging, or he’ll whimper as pathetically as he knows how. And every once in a while, when he’s especially desperate and I’m not paying close enough attention, he’ll resort to a chest bump to the leg.  

Every day, week after week, month after month, year after year, he thinks he has to remind me all over again. That somehow I’ve forgotten him. Like I could.

All the while I’m reminding him, again, that I know he’s there, just like yesterday, and the day before, and the day before that. I cut off his little pieces and save them until I’m finished, or at least almost. I can’t forget. There’s no way he’d let me. Yes, he’s a dog, but he’s part of my family. He’s my furry little child, and I love him.

“Yes, I know, I remember, you’ll get your eggs when it’s time.”

And so many times during this exchange I think of us.

We have needs and there may be times we’re not sure if God’s going to provide. Has He forgotten me? Does He see me? How is He going to get me out of this situation?

But Jesus tells us our Father knows what we need before we ask Him. (Matt. 6:8)

Yes, we ask for our daily bread (or eggs) and all our needs, but we don’t need to wonder if our Father’s heard us or has forgotten us.

We’re His children and we’re always on His mind and in His heart.  

Still, Rocky reminds me of a command Jesus gives us:

“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.

Which of you, if your son asks for bread (or your dog asks for eggs), will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? If you, then, though you are evil (hurtful), know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask Him!”
Matthew 7:7-11


Rocky’s got it down. He asks, he seeks, and when needed, he knocks his chest right up against my leg. And in the right time, he gets what he’s asked for.

We are invited by Christ Himself to go to our Heavenly Father and A.S.K. – ask, seek, and knock, but not from a place of doubt, not afraid He’s forgotten us, or worse, believing He doesn’t care about us.

We can and must go to Him firmly seated in the foundation of our abiding faith in Him who sent His Son to die for us, who loves us with an everlasting love, and who called us by knocking on the door of our own heart to bring us into relationship with Himself. 

 

“Dear friends, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God and receive from Him anything we ask, because we keep His commands and do what pleases Him. And this is His command: to believe in the name of His Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another as He commanded us.“
1 John 3:21-23

 

With His Love,

 


Related blogs: 

Lesson From a Rescue

Lesson From a Rescue – #2

 

Sunday Praise and a Prayer – Grace, Grace, God’s Grace

Posted on by Dorci

 

Dear Precious Heavenly Father, we come to you today in praise of your glorious name. You are more wondrous and greater than we can ever fully grasp, and still, you live in our souls.

You reside in our hearts, and inhabit our praises. You sit with us and weep when we weep; you’re near to us when our hearts are broken. There is no where we could ever go where you wouldn’t go to bring us back.

Thank you for the grace you give that allows us to believe in your Son, to receive forgiveness through Him, and to live a brand new life – His life, His love, His joy.

You’ve taken us from darkness to light, and continually pour out your grace on us. In place of aimlessness, you’ve given us a maturing faith; in place of fruitlessness, you’ve given us spiritual gifts; in place of brokenness, you heal our hearts; in place of an empty life, you’ve given us an abundant life in you.

Father, may we never take your grace for granted. May we live this life for you to the fullest, obeying you at every turn, remembering the great scope of your love. May we remember how far you went to redeem us so we could know you and walk with you, and some day live in your very presence, the place your grace is preparing for us now.

With all our hearts, we thank you, Precious Lord. In Jesus’ name we pray, amen.