Pray Honestly, Openly, and Frequently to the Lord

 

“Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done.”
Philippians 4:6(NLT)

“How can you tell me not to worry – that’s all I know how to do!”

Worrying is what many of God’s people do best these days. Not because we want to, but because it’s so much happening all around us that worrying is the first response many of us run to. None of us could have predicted that we'd face times like these. They are dangerous times, and things have been this way for a long time. People are struggling to keep their lives together. Many women are facing evictions and abandonment right now and they don’t know where to turn. As with any challenge, this season is a reminder of how delicate and fragile life is. Circumstances and situations reveal that we are definitely not in control, and if there’s anyone that thought they could live without God’s grace and mercy, they are experiencing a wake-up call like no other.

Whenever and whatever the crisis, God tells us in His Word how to approach it. He tells us to go instantly into prayer about it. 1John 5:14(ESV) tells us, "And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us." Nothing slips by our Heavenly Father. He is fully aware of everything we're going through. As a matter of truth, He knew we'd face it long before we ever thought about it. He knows every detail of every-and-any-thing that has ever happened, in your life and in the lives of everyone else. Regardless of the situation, or how conditions appear, He tells us to pray.

The Apostle Paul, tells us in 1Timothy 2:1-2(NLT), “1 I urge you, first of all, to pray for all people. Ask God to help them; intercede on their behalf, and give thanks for them. 2 Pray this way for kings and all who are in authority so that we can live peaceful and quiet lives marked by godliness and dignity.” As God’s children, we are to take on His nature and begin to move in what He has called us to do. We are to pray for others as well as ourselves. We're to pray for those in governmental authority, whether we agree with them or not. God's Will is that believers have a life of peace, and in order to live in peace, we are to align our thoughts, words, and deeds with the example of Jesus Christ. This means that we don’t just sit on our hands and complain about our situations; we get busy trusting God and praying in faith. 

2Timothy 1:9(NLT) says, “For God saved us and called us to live a holy life. He did this, not because we deserved it, but because that was his plan from before the beginning of time—to show us his grace through Christ Jesus.” Even in the midst of our pain and turmoil, we must have confidence that God saved us and called us. We couldn't do anything to earn the blessings He's given us through Christ. It's because of God's grace that we have received His tremendous provision, protection, and care. We must pray to invite the power of God into our situations and to demonstrate that we honor the reality and magnitude of who our God is. He's truly awesome and amazing. He's loving towards us, and He delights in helping us. We should go to Him with everything, from the least to the greatest details of our lives. James 5:16 tells us that the prayers of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results. We have been given the authority of Jesus Christ in the earth, and this authority allows us to partner with God to set a path of change in our lives.

If you want to see results, pray. Even though you don't know what tomorrow may bring or how your circumstances will change, pray honestly, openly, and frequently.  Our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, knows exactly what to do, and he knows exactly how to help. He wants you to trust his love enough to pray and believe that he will not and cannot fail you. No matter what we're going through, we must pray in faith. God helped those before us, and they faced greater peril and desperation than we can imagine. Just like them, He didn't bring us this far to leave us. Remain diligent in prayer and believing. Do not doubt God's power, and be confident that He will never leave or forsake you when your trust is firmly planted in Him. ■

Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.

The Holy Bible, English Standard Version (ESV) is adapted from the Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the U.S.A. All rights reserved.

“Pray Honestly, Openly, and Frequently to the Lord”, written by Kim for https://rescuefromdomesticviolence.blogspot.com© 2021. All rights reserved. All praise and honor to God through Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior

God Wants Our Eyes Open

Galatians 5:1(MSG)

“Christ has set us free to live a free life. So take your stand! Never again let anyone put a harness of slavery on you.”

 “Why am I constantly being hit with one problem after another? Why can’t I catch a break?”

I heard a counselor for Domestic Violence and Abuse victims say that many individuals continue to suffer under their abusers because they haven’t reached a point of not wanting the person in their lives anymore. I must admit that I was surprised and a little shocked when I heard that, but it expanded my thoughts about the mindsets of both the abuser and the person being abused. There is no question that a person being abused must come to a place where they realize God doesn’t want anyone being treated that way. They must also recognize they deserve better and that God will help them.

Many of us will endure mistreatment and abuse a long time before we begin to trust God and free ourselves from darkness. Galatians 5:1 tells us that our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, has set us free. He did this when he came to live on the earth, became human like us, sacrificed his life and was resurrected from the dead by the Holy Spirit. Hebrews 2:14(NLT) says, “Because God's children are human beings—made of flesh and blood—the Son also became flesh and blood. For only as a human being could he die, and only by dying could he break the power of the devil, who had the power of death.”

Darkness belongs to the devil, and darkness has many cousins like fear, doubt, insecurity, bondage, destruction, depression, and death. These are many of the things that the devil uses to overpower people and keep them enslaved. The weapon that he uses to do it with is ignorance. People can’t rise above what they don’t know, so when we are not knowledgeable regarding what God has done for us through Jesus Christ, the devil can keep us oppressed.

2Corinthians 4:4(NLT) says, “Satan, who is the god of this world, has blinded the minds of those who don't believe. They are unable to see the glorious light of the Good News. They don't understand this message about the glory of Christ, who is the exact likeness of God.” Have you ever wondered why when one crazy thing happens, no sooner than you get it handled, another pops up right after it? Sometimes, it’s just one thing after another. Many people become so used to this bombardment of issues and problems, that they think this is the way God wants life to go. This isn’t true. 1Corinthians 14:33 tells us that God is not the author of confusion. He is a God of peace, and He desires us to live a peaceful existence, so that we can have peaceful fellowship in our relationship with Him.

It is important we understand that confusion and chaos are caused by the devil, and he tries to bombard us with this. It’s done to keep us off-guard and constantly responding to struggle, upsets, and problems, so that we won’t have time to focus our faith in God. Heavenly Father wants His kids to know that we have an enemy and this enemy is the devil. God wants our eyes to be open to the tricks of the enemy, because if we’re blinded, then we can’t see the truth. 

If we submit to God, repent from our sins, and trust Him in faith, God will help us. When our trust is in Him, we can be courageous and refuse to walk in darkness any longer. God has given us victory through Jesus Christ, but we must walk in this victory.

Our Heavenly Father wants us to see the glorious light of the Good News of Jesus Christ. God wants us to know that Jesus Christ gave his life as a sacrifice for our sins so that we will saved from a life of bondage and darkness. Ephesians 5:8(NLT) tells us, “For once you were full of darkness, but now you have light from the Lord. So live as people of light!” Heavenly Father created us to be children of His glorious light. If we allow it, His light will shine in our hearts and begin to produce good things in our lives.

It’s time out for not seeing the truth of who God has made us. Whether it is a spouse or significant other who doesn’t treat us well, when you and I don’t know the truth of God’s Word, the enemy can use people that are close to us to keep us blinded from the light of Christ. We must wake up and see it for what it is. Know that every decision you make to walk in your truest, highest self in Christ is a move towards the light. We were created by God to be free, and when we repent of our sins, seek God’s forgiveness, and read His Word more, our lives will be transformed. ■

Scripture quotations marked MSG are taken from THE MESSAGE, copyright © 1993, 2002, 2018 by Eugene H. Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress. All rights reserved. Represented by Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.

Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.

“God Wants Our Eyes Open”, written by Kim for https://rescuefromdomesticviolence.blogspot.com© 2021. All rights reserved. All praise and honor to God through Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior

 

Correction Is Good Medicine

 

“I’ve buried my face in the sand and let my fears run my life!" 

This is what a single mother, told me the other day as she struggled to figure out how she was going to pay her mortgage.  Her husband abandoned her and the kids a few years ago, after admitting that he had never gotten over his first wife.  Admittedly, she knew even before they said “I do”, that her husband wasn’t completely over his ex-wife, but she loved him very much and she had never been married before, so she took a chance on the love she felt in her heart over the constant red flags, her now husband had shown to her. 

As women, we do this all the time – we over-look what is so apparent to us for the sake of being loved.  We forget that God has an anchoring of love so deep for His daughters’ that he wants our hearts to be overwhelmingly fulfilled, much more than we could ever imagine.  

  

If we take the time to reflect, we’ll remember those instances when God sent someone in our paths to slow us down.  It could have been a word that we heard at Sunday service or a word of wisdom spoken to you when you asked questions about whether you should continue dating the man you love, or more distinctly, it was the indwelling Holy Spirit nudging you at the quietest times when you were alone. The point is, we can never over-look when the answer we seek is right in front of us. 

The single mother is not alone, so many women allow their fears of being alone or without love, to be their measuring stick for making decisions.  The easy way out is to suppress what you fear the most in hopes that if you don’t pay it any attention, it will simply go away. But the real truth is, un-resolved fear will only show up in another area of our lives until we are face it and ask God to heal you.   

Proverbs 3:11-12 also gives us instruction on how God corrects us out of the abundance of love that He has for His children…11; My child, don’t reject the Lord’s discipline, and don’t be upset when he corrects you. 12; For the Lord corrects those he loves, just as a father corrects a child in whom he delights.

  

When we veer off the path of Godliness, pain, disappointment and hurt will be the result and for many women, it shows up in what we pay attention to the most – our personal relationships.  Our Heavenly Father corrects us so that we can get our lives back on track, just as any loving father would do for His children that are struggling or hurting.  

Praise God for his correction. He wants us to have a good life, He wants us to have the very best of everything, but just like a loving parent disciplines their child out of love, God does the same thing for us. In those moments when you feel lost, abandoned or that life is out of control, cry out to our Lord and Savior and allow the peace of his love hold on to you.

God Is With You Wherever You Go

John 15:19(NLT), “The world would love you as one of its own if you belonged to it, but you are no longer part of the world. I chose you to come out of the world, so it hates you.” 

Some of us are facing challenges that we’ve never faced before. These are unprecedented times, and we want God to perform the miraculous in a way that we’ve never witnessed. If you’re like me, in the past, you might have heard your mother and grandmother talk about how God showed up and showed out on their behalves. In our younger days, we might not have understood what they meant. Back then, we didn’t quite grasp the magnitude of impact that God’s grace and power made in their lives, but our current circumstances have made the impact of His grace and power crystal clear to us. Life hasn’t been easy, and with everything the enemy has thrown at us, there’s no way we would have made it this far without God. He’s kept us, walked with us through the storm and brought us out of it. Now is not a time for fear and trembling. It’s a time to show God that we know who He is and what He can do. Now more than ever, we must trust Heavenly Father with our whole hearts.

The Christian walk is filled with many obstacles and challenges, and our Lord and Savior never hid this from us. He told the disciples in There is nothing more rewarding and exquisite than living for God through the Lord Jesus Christ, but make no mistake, there is a cost. Trials and tribulations come with the choice to serve our Lord and Savior.  With those challenges will also come great victory and triumph as we travail over life’s difficulties through faith in God. 

There’s something we learn about God as we go through the storms of life, and we would not learn these spiritual lessons otherwise. In Colossians 1:11(NLT), the Apostle Paul communicates his prayer for the faithful in Christ in the city of Colosse. This prayer is necessary for all of us to continue growing in the example of Christ. He said, “We also pray that you will be strengthened with all his glorious power so you will have all the endurance and patience you need.” This is such an important prayer because we desperately need endurance and patience. They build the trust in our relationship with Heavenly Father, and they are necessary to accomplish the goals He has for us.

Going through the pain of a divorce, or dealing with other of life’s hiccups and missteps all require a certain strength and courage. The point that must be impressed on your heart is that with each trial or tribulation you go through, God is with you. He told His people in Deuteronomy 31:6(NLT), “So be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid and do not panic before them. For the LORD your God will personally go ahead of you. He will neither fail you nor abandon you.” In Joshua 1:9(NLT), He said to His people, “This is my command—be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.” God’s people living in Old Testament times were servants, but those of us living after the resurrection of Christ are God’s children. So, beyond a shadow of doubt, we are covered under God’s protection and care. He will never leave or forsake us.

God has a very loving way of teaching us the spiritual lessons of love. He doesn’t force us to learn them, but He walks with us at our own pace. The process of preparation when it comes to marriage is no different. There are some lessons we need to learn, and our patience is not long when it comes to this. We want to be married yesterday, but if we move too quickly, and get ahead of the Holy Spirit, we will end up being disappointed and perhaps devastated by the outcome.  He walks with us, and His ultimate goal is always to see us blessed and thriving in Christ. We are living in turbulent times, but God has not changed nor will He. He is faithful to bless us, so let’s have confidence in Him and trust that He will restore, heal, deliver, and promote us if we remain patient and endure. 

Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.

“God Is With You Wherever You Go”, written by Kim for https://rescuefromdomesticviolence.blogspot.com© 2021. All rights reserved. All praise and honor to God through Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior

 

God, What’s Next?

 

Ecclesiastes 6:10-12(NLT)

“10 Everything has already been decided. It was known long ago what each person would be. So there’s no use arguing with God about your destiny. 11 The more words you speak, the less they mean. So what good are they? 12 In the few days of our meaningless lives, who knows how our days can best be spent? Our lives are like a shadow. Who can tell what will happen on this earth after we are gone?” 

 “My life seems so empty. I’m so tired of the same ol’ thing!”

“God, what’s next?” This is often the question we ask Heavenly Father after we’ve gone through either the worst situation we’ve ever faced, or we’re anticipating the next blessing and waiting for instructions to usher it on through. In either case, God can handle any question we throw at Him, no matter the situation. As a matter of fact, He welcomes us to come to Him with anything that is on our hearts. He wants to have an intimate relationship with His kids. This is one of the reasons that He placed His Spirit within us, so that we would know He is always and forever close. 

The relationships between biological parents and their children can sometimes be a very complicated matter, especially as we mature into adulthood, but this isn’t the case with God. We will forever be His children, no matter our age, and we will forever and always need His guidance and help. So, when we ask a question like ‘what’s next?’, there’s no talking back or second guessing what the Father says. Our only choice is to be honest with ourselves and be ready when He gives us the answer. As we mature spiritually, the answer to this question will deepen, because it will include another layer of responsibility to God’s call and purpose for our lives.

In Ecclesiastes 6:10-12, Solomon, the wisest person that has ever lived, was on a lifelong quest to discover the meaning of life. At times, he was somewhat pessimistic, because everything to him in life seemed like an empty pursuit. One of the reasons for this is because his level of wisdom was far in advance of what was available to him at the time. Jesus Christ had not yet come to the earth, and Solomon couldn’t fill in the blanks. He didn’t know the plan of God because 1Corinthians 2:7 tells us that it was kept a mystery. Even so, Solomon made it crystal clear that God is indeed the One with the plan, and the only worthwhile endeavor in life is to pursue God and know as much of God’s Word as possible. 

God rewards us for studying His Word. It is how we show that we are interested in knowing Him, and He is pleased with this because His Word transforms us into who He desires us to be. We are to be like Christ, and this means that we are to get busy doing the same things that Christ did in the earth. Most of us understand that in order to get paid, you have to work. In 2Thessalonians 3:10, God says that if a person isn’t willing to work, they shouldn’t eat. He is letting us know that looking for a handout when we can work, but won’t, isn’t the responsible way to live. We have no other choice but to conclude that work is very important to living a life that pleases God. He made this very clear when He wasted no time assigning Adam the task of taking care of things in the earth. Genesis 2:15(NIV) says, “The LORD God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it.” This is one of the basic lessons about faith that God teaches us from the very beginning. He gives us assignments to take care of certain things, and the completion of those assignments lead to compensation and rewards. Without diligent effort, there can be no reward.

In Hebrews 11:6, God tells us that He is a Rewarder to those that diligently seek Him. Many of us have it in our heads that bosses, executives, and other owners of businesses have this compensation thing in top order. For instance, if we work for two weeks at one of their businesses, it wouldn’t occur to us that we wouldn’t get paid. We’ll even give them our bank information so that at the end of the pay cycle, our compensation for the two weeks is all set. We have this level of confidence in people, so why would we not have even more confidence in God? He’s the ultimate Rewarder, and everything we do for God is compensated by Him. 

Some of us have gotten it into our heads that we don’t have to fulfill our obligation to God. We think we can get away with not doing the things He’s called us to do. We expect His blessings even though we’ve not been responsible to our call; we’ve been more responsible to those in the world than we have to Heavenly Father. We must change this, pronto! The mentality and attitude that allows us to think and behave in this manner will block our faith and keep us separated from the blessings that God desires to give us. 

When we experience some of life’s unpredictable hiccups, sometimes it is because we’re paying too much attention to the world, and we haven’t placed enough focus on God. When this is the case, the enemy will use our ignorance and oblivion to catch us off-guard and this is the worst place to be. If we don’t wake up, our lives could just keep spiraling downward.

Hebrews 6:10-12(NLT) tells us, “10 God is not unjust; he will not forget your work and the love you have shown him as you have helped his people and continue to help them. 11 We want each of you to show this same diligence to the very end, so that what you hope for may be fully realized. 12 We do not want you to become lazy, but to imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised.” This passage cement’s God requirement for the believer. When things in life go haywire, and we feel as though we can’t catch up, sometimes it is because we haven’t awaken to God’s requirement. It’s a requirement to imitate Him by helping others and encouraging them through the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Whether our situations are uncomfortable or rewarding, what comes next is always going to be about our responsibility to the Kingdom of God. Romans 8:28(NKJV) tells us, “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.”  We are called according to GOD’s purpose. He’s our Rewarder, and when we do what HE requires, He will cause all things to work together for our good. When you and I open our minds and hearts to the reality that Kingdom people do Kingdom work, we can always be confident that what comes next will be next level responsibilities and next level blessings. ■

New King James Version (NKJV)

Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.

“God, What’s Next?”, written by Kim for https://rescuefromdomesticviolence.blogspot.com© 2021. All rights reserved. All praise and honor to God through Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior