Have you asked Him? Yes, God knows your needs better than you can…but have you asked Him for things on your heart? What keeps you from asking…is it fear, doubt, or indecision? God wants you to ask, for in James 1:17 it says, ” Every good and perfect gift is from above…” He’s wanting to give you gifts that are over and above what is necessary or expected…all given graciously and freely from your loving heavenly Father. All you need to do is ask.
Psalm 9:1 ” I will praise you, O Lord, with all my heart; I will tell of all your wonders.”
Some of the best encouragement you can give someone is what the Lord has done uniquely in your life. God will bring people across your path that need to hear your own story…because they’re in the same situation right now themselves. By recounting those miracles of God, you not only bless that person, but are once again able to appreciate and thank the Lord for His love and faithfulness.
John 5:24 ” I tell you the truth, whoever hears My Word and believes in Him who sent Me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life.”
You may have heard the Gospel preached a hundred times, but it’s this particular Sunday when you swear the Pastor must have been following you around all week and is now directing his message point-blank at you. There’s no getting around it…Jesus is staring you straight in the eyes and saying, “Now is the time.” And in that moment of realization, repentance, and forgiveness…your soul will pass from death to eternal life.
Psalm 18: 28 “…My God turns my darkness into light.”
When misery shrouds our every move…when darkness and gloom covers over every shred of joy in our life…God is there to wrap us up in His love and mercy. Like a toasty warm blanket, He envelops us with a peacefulness that is inexplicable, but oh so tangible. Allow Him today to wrap you up in His tender love, and turn that darkness into light.
Acts 4:29 ” Lord, enable Your servants to speak Your Word with great boldness.”
What stops us from witnessing to others? What hinders us from courageously, confidently, fearlessly sharing the Gospel? Most times it’s fear…fear of stepping on people’s toes and offending…fear of ridicule and rejection…fear of being called crazy. But in this verse, the Disciples are specifically asking for boldness in all those situations. So our prayers needs to be the same… for as it says in Psalm 138:3, ” When I called You answered me; You made me bold and stout-hearted.”
Psalm 90:11 ” Who knows the power of your anger? For Your wrath is as great as the fear that is due You.”
Can any of us really understand the magnitude of God’s wrath when it’s unleashed on mankind? When we see the devastation of hurricanes, tornadoes, tsunamis, or volcanoes, we see only a tiny fragment of the Lord’s fury and terror. As it so aptly states in Psalm 76:7, ” Who can stand before You when You are angry?”
I Timothy 1:15 “Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners – of whom I am the worst.”
Paul was fully acknowledging his sinful past and gratefully identifying with his eternal future. Sin is broken relationship with God, and with Jesus we have forgiveness from our sins and the promise of eternal life. For John 3:17 states, ” For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him.” Just as Paul, thank you Lord for your merciful kindness to save such a sinner as I.
Hebrews 6:1 ” Therefore, let us leave the elementary teachings about Christ and go on to maturity…”
We need to be constantly growing in Christ…moving forward, not stuck at the starting point going over basic ideas forever. For once we’ve grasped the meaning of the Gospel, the Lord wants us to be continually developing…ever reaching for that goal of maturity in Jesus Christ.
Matthew 6: 34 ” Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”
For some of us worrying is a full-time job. We even like to fret over things we have no control over – like the weather. Then we wonder at the end of the day why we’re so exhausted from worrying over dumb things. Each 24 hour period has enough drama in it…we shouldn’t have to go searching for more. The Lord told us to cast ALL our cares on Him…let tomorrow worry about itself.
Proverbs 14:10 ” Each heart knows its own bitterness, and no one else can share its joy.”
We are so good at hiding and deflecting those inner emotions. We secretly will judge harshly, dwell on mean, angry thoughts, and think up sharp biting comments that we would never utter out loud. Only our heart knows the pain inside. Only our inner self understands the path we’ve trudged through… and only the Lord really knows us.
Safetypinlove 