A new creation

 

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. 

The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.

2 Corinthians 5:17 ESV

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Please join me this week in praying for the new year. Pray for physical, mental, and spiritual healing. Pray that through the turmoil, we will see an unprecedented number of people come to know Jesus and that God will be glorified through it all. Pray for the Church to be united and of one mind so that non-believers may see the peace and hope we have in Jesus.

I'll post daily reminders on:

twitter @7DegreesOfMe

Instagram @archadia27
Pinterest Prayer Group #7thHourPrayerPower

Facebook group 7th Hour Prayer Power

#7thHourPrayerPower #BibleVerses #bible #Jesus #NewYear2021 #new #hope #God #love #mercy #faithfulness

New each morning

 

The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; 

his mercies never come to an end; 

they are new every morning; 

great is your faithfulness. 

“The Lord is my portion,” 

says my soul, 

"therefore I will hope in him.”

Lamentations 3:22-24 ESV

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Please join me this week in praying for the new year. Pray for physical, mental, and spiritual healing. Pray that through the turmoil, we will see an unprecedented number of people come to know Jesus and that God will be glorified through it all. Pray for the Church to be united and of one mind so that non-believers may see the peace and hope we have in Jesus.

I'll post daily reminders on:

twitter @7DegreesOfMe

Instagram @archadia27
Pinterest Prayer Group #7thHourPrayerPower

Facebook group 7th Hour Prayer Power

#7thHourPrayerPower #BibleVerses #bible #Jesus #NewYear2021 #new #hope #God #love #mercy #faithfulness

Rivers in the desert

This year, when the ball drops and the clock strikes twelve, we'll rejoice like never before for having survived a year like none other. Because we are God's children, we have the assurance of knowing that whatever 2021 brings, we'll persevere, adapt, and continue to praise God, our Father who loves us and cares for us.
     This is Google's 2020 video. I love that the word most searched for was "why". To me, that says that people are searching for something deeper, and it's my prayer that maybe in that search, they'll find God.

Google - year in search 2020

As we get ready to say goodbye to 2020, let go of any ill-will and focus instead on the road that God is laying out before us. Through Him, all things are possible. (Matthew 19:26b)

 

“Remember not the former things, nor consider the things of old. 

Behold, I am doing a new thing; 

now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? 

I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.

Isaiah 43:18-19 ESV

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Please join me this week in praying for the new year. Pray for physical, mental, and spiritual healing. Pray that through the turmoil, we will see an unprecedented number of people come to know Jesus and that God will be glorified through it all. Pray for the Church to be united and of one mind so that non-believers may see the peace and hope we have in Jesus.

I'll post daily reminders on:

twitter @7DegreesOfMe

Instagram @archadia27
Pinterest Prayer Group #7thHourPrayerPower

Facebook group 7th Hour Prayer Power

#7thHourPrayerPower #BibleVerses #bible #Jesus #NewYear2021 #new #hope #God #sovereignty #perservere #survival #plan

A future and a hope

 

Each year I write about the coming new year, usually choosing a theme instead of a resolution. I don't always post these to my blog, because sometimes I don't finish writing it, or sometimes I finish writing but just don't get around to posting it. For 2020 I had trouble settling on a theme and wrote about a couple of ideas but never finished them. Then, March came and blew everything out of the water anyway. There was no way I could have planned for that, and definitely no way I could have adhered to any pre-2020 "ideal" of how I should handle such a tumultuous year. 

     As of this writing, there have been 19.1M cases of the virus in the U.S. and 333,000 deaths. There have been 80.7M cases worldwide and 1.76M deaths. Countries all over the world have had to be in lock-down to slow the spread of this virus. Economies have tanked. Unemployment has soared. Businesses have gone under. Hospitals and funeral homes are overwhelmed. 

     In our country alone, we've seen division and violence like never before. People are getting killed for asking customers to wear a mask. Health and political officials are receiving death threats for doing their jobs. I never thought I'd see and hear the things that have transpired this past year in a country like ours. If I weren't a child of God, I honestly don't know how I would have survived the year.

     I haven't settled on my theme for 2021 but someone said that the word for 2020 should be "perseverance," because even with everything I stated above and all of the things I didn't include (aka Australian bush fires, Black Lives Matter protests, the explosion in Beirut, murder hornets, West Coast fires, Nashville explosion, etc...) we're here, doing the best we can, adapting day to day, and praising God for His sovereignty through it all. 

For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, 

plans for welfare and not for evil, 

to give you a future and a hope.

Jeremiah 29:11 ESV

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Please join me this week in praying for the new year. Pray for physical, mental, and spiritual healing. Pray that through the turmoil, we will see an unprecedented number of people come to know Jesus and that God will be glorified through it all. Pray for the Church to be united and of one mind so that non-believers may see the peace and hope we have in Jesus.

I'll post daily reminders on:

twitter @7DegreesOfMe

Instagram @archadia27
Pinterest Prayer Group #7thHourPrayerPower

Facebook group 7th Hour Prayer Power

#7thHourPrayerPower #BibleVerses #bible #Jesus #NewYear #2020 #2021 #new #hope #God #sovereignty #perservere #survival #plan

The perfect gift

 

Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, 

coming down from the Father of lights 

with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.

James 1:17 ESV

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Please join me this week in praising God for sending His only Son and allowing us to share in that experience through the teachings of the Gospels (See Luke 2:1-7). Praise Him for all of the new lives He brought into this world in 2020 and for giving us that 'breath of fresh air' when we needed it most. Let us pray for the health and welfare of all of those born this year and their families. May they dwell on the joy and miracle and blessings of new life.

I'll post daily reminders on:

twitter @7DegreesOfMe

Instagram @archadia27
Pinterest Prayer Group #7thHourPrayerPower

Facebook group 7th Hour Prayer Power

#7thHourPrayerPower #BibleVerses #bible #baby #miracle #blessing #love #life

Out of the mouth of babes

 

Out of the mouth of babes and nursing infants

You have ordained strength,

Because of Your enemies,

That You may silence the enemy and the avenger.

Psalm 8:2 NKJV

Some good commentary can be found at EnduringWord.com

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Please join me this week in praising God for sending His only Son and allowing us to share in that experience through the teachings of the Gospels (See Luke 2:1-7). Praise Him for all of the new lives He brought into this world in 2020 and for giving us that 'breath of fresh air' when we needed it most. Let us pray for the health and welfare of all of those born this year and their families. May they dwell on the joy and miracle and blessings of new life.

I'll post daily reminders on:

twitter @7DegreesOfMe

Instagram @archadia27
Pinterest Prayer Group #7thHourPrayerPower

Facebook group 7th Hour Prayer Power

#7thHourPrayerPower #BibleVerses #bible #baby #miracle #blessing #love #life

A Child is born

 

For unto us a Child is born,

Unto us a Son is given;

And the government will be upon His shoulder.

And His name will be called

Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God,

Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

Isaiah 9:6 NKJV

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Please join me this week in praising God for sending His only Son and allowing us to share in that experience through the teachings of the Gospels (See Luke 2:1-7). Praise Him for all of the new lives He brought into this world in 2020 and for giving us that 'breath of fresh air' when we needed it most. Let us pray for the health and welfare of all of those born this year and their families. May they dwell on the joy and miracle and blessings of new life.

I'll post daily reminders on:

twitter @7DegreesOfMe

Instagram @archadia27
Pinterest Prayer Group #7thHourPrayerPower

Facebook group 7th Hour Prayer Power

#7thHourPrayerPower #BibleVerses #bible #Jesus #Christmas #Bethlehem #miracle

The Christmas Star

 

During the Christmas season, I often wonder what Mary and Joseph must have been going through and feeling. Giving birth is a miracle in and of itself, but to give birth to our Savior? Wow! I can't even wrap my head around that. I wonder, 'was it an easy delivery?' 'were they overwhelmed in His presence?' 'Was He cognitive of who He was?'
     This past week there was a lot of media attention on the conjunction of Saturn and Jupiter and how it was the "Christmas star" as if to explain away a one-time event by demonstrating it happens about every 400 years. I didn't do my due diligence in researching this because I didn't know I was going down this path until just now, so if I have something wrong, I apologize. However, the star of Bethlehem wasn't a one-night occurrence. Matthew 2:9-11 tells us that the star led the wise men to the house where Jesus was. By the time they got there, Jesus may have even been anywhere up to two years old, so the star led them for at least several months.
     If I'm way off on this, let me know and I'll change it. It just upsets me when something that was so obviously a "God-thing" is explained away as something normal (albeit rare). It takes away from the miracle, and from the rejoicing.
     So, let your hearts be filled with the joy of the miracle of His birth, dwelling on this most perfect Gift from our Father in Heaven.

And you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth,

Luke 1:14 ESV

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Please join me this week in praising God for sending His only Son and allowing us to share in that experience through the teachings of the Gospels (See Luke 2:1-7). Praise Him for all of the new lives He brought into this world in 2020 and for giving us that 'breath of fresh air' when we needed it most. Let us pray for the health and welfare of all of those born this year and their families. May they dwell on the joy and miracle and blessings of new life.

I'll post daily reminders on:

twitter @7DegreesOfMe

Instagram @archadia27
Pinterest Prayer Group #7thHourPrayerPower

Facebook group 7th Hour Prayer Power

#7thHourPrayerPower #BibleVerses #bible #Jesus #Christmas #ChristmasStar #conjunction #Saturn #Jupiter #WiseMen #Bethlehem #miracle

Before you were born

 

My husband will notice people's nametags wherever we go and greet them by name. So, to the cashier at the grocery, the waitress, the teller,...he'll say something like, "Good morning, Judy! What a beautiful name! Did you know that God knew your name even before you were born?"
     I admire his ability to share God and the gospel with everyone. He seems to do it so easily and so smoothly. When I've commented about it, he tells me that, 'you just have to look for an opening.' He also tells me that it gets easier with practice.
     This particular introduction is especially wonderful because it lets people know that they are special, unique, and loved by God, the Creator who knew them even before they were conceived. While we aren't all appointed prophets to the nations like Jeremiah, I feel like the Bible verse is still relevant to all of us because we're all to share the Good News everywhere we go, therefore we are all God's messengers.

“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and 

before you were born I consecrated you; 

I appointed you a prophet to the nations.”

Jeremiah 1:5 ESV

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Please join me this week in praising God for sending His only Son and allowing us to share in that experience through the teachings of the Gospels (See Luke 2:1-7). Praise Him for all of the new lives He brought into this world in 2020 and for giving us that 'breath of fresh air' when we needed it most. Let us pray for the health and welfare of all of those born this year and their families. May they dwell on the joy and miracle and blessings of new life.

I'll post daily reminders on:

twitter @7DegreesOfMe

Instagram @archadia27
Pinterest Prayer Group #7thHourPrayerPower

Facebook group 7th Hour Prayer Power

#7thHourPrayerPower #BibleVerses #bible #family #baby #born #miracle #blessing #love #life

Fearfully and wonderfully made

 

For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother's womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well. My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them.

Psalm 139:13-16 ESV

I came across Charles Spurgeon's commentary of these verses: “If we are marvelously wrought upon even before we are born, what shall we say of the Lord’s dealings with us after we quit his secret workshop, and he directs our pathway through the pilgrimage of life? What shall we not say of that new birth which is even more mysterious than the first, and exhibits even more the love and wisdom of the Lord.”

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Please join me this week in praising God for sending His only Son and allowing us to share in that experience through the teachings of the Gospels (See Luke 2:1-7). Praise Him for all of the new lives He brought into this world in 2020 and for giving us that 'breath of fresh air' when we needed it most. Let us pray for the health and welfare of all of those born this year and their families. May they dwell on the joy and miracle and blessings of new life.

I'll post daily reminders on:

twitter @7DegreesOfMe

Instagram @archadia27
Pinterest Prayer Group #7thHourPrayerPower

Facebook group 7th Hour Prayer Power

#7thHourPrayerPower #BibleVerses #bible #family #baby #born #miracle #blessing #love #life

The miracle of life

 

Amid all of the illness and the unprecedented number of lives lost in a single year, there have been many, many blessings of babies being born. Every time I heard of a birth, ... it's kind of hard to describe the feeling - almost like a breath of fresh air; a brief moment of calm, of normalcy.
     I thought during this week of celebrating the birth of our Lord and Saviour, we might pray for all of the babies born this year and remember how blessed we are to have such a loving and merciful Creator to watch over us and guide us through this life. He knows each one of us intimately, even each hair on our heads. He has a plan for our lives.
     Even among death, life continues and is renewed, just as even among graves, flowers bloom.
     I found this bible verse which I must have read many times, but it never stuck out in my mind as a 'wow' kind of thing until today. I've been blessed to give birth twice, and aside from the effect of accelerated hormones, it's really an emotional experience. On one hand, I had this human being growing inside of me and that's its own miracle. On the other hand, I was anxious for the child to be born - anxious as in, couldn't wait, but also in nervous about how she would change my life and uncertain if I was up for the challenge. There was also the anxiety of childbirth - because of the curse, it is extremely painful, but we forget the pain. If we didn't, we would never have more than one child.

When a woman is giving birth, she has sorrow because her hour has come, 

but when she has delivered the baby, 

she no longer remembers the anguish, 

for joy that a human being has been born into the world.

John 16:21 ESV

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Please join me this week in praising God for sending His only Son and allowing us to share in that experience through the teachings of the Gospels (See Luke 2:1-7). Praise Him for all of the new lives He brought into this world in 2020 and for giving us that 'breath of fresh air' when we needed it most. Let us pray for the health and welfare of all of those born this year and their families. May they dwell on the joy and miracle and blessings of new life.

I'll post daily reminders on:

twitter @7DegreesOfMe

Instagram @archadia27
Pinterest Prayer Group #7thHourPrayerPower

Facebook group 7th Hour Prayer Power

#7thHourPrayerPower #BibleVerses #bible #family #baby #born #miracle #blessing #love #life

What love is

 

Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

1 Corinthians 13:4-7

Please continue to pray for the healing of family members and their relationships and for these specific prayer requests:

- that daughter R soften her heart toward her mother.

- that daughter J reach out to her father.

- that daughter R not feel alone in a house filled with family.

- that relationships are strengthened in the M household, and mended in the G household. 

- for peace and comfort for everyone who has lost a family member this past year.

- that a married couple becomes "one flesh" as promised in Genesis. The wife feels they are more like roommates than soulmates. Her husband, C is either unable or unwilling to show her love.

- please pray for D and family.

- pray for mother S and daughter R that their relationship is strengthened.

- that relationships in the P family and R families are strengthened.

- pray for better family communication between D and her daughter S.

- please pray for C.O. and family who just lost a brother to covid, and M.G. and family who just lost an aunt to covid. Also, pray for wife C who has just been hospitalized with covid and her husband who has it also and is home alone recuperating.

- please pray for L's FIL.

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Please join me this week in praying for families and for healing between family members. Pray that relationships will be mended this holiday season and that families will be united.  Pray for comfort and peace for those families who have lost loved ones this year.

I'll post daily reminders on:

twitter @7DegreesOfMe

Instagram @archadia27
Pinterest Prayer Group #7thHourPrayerPower

Facebook group 7th Hour Prayer Power

#7thHourPrayerPower #BibleVerses #bible #family #relationship #unity #forgiveness #love #reconcile

A crown to the aged

 

Please continue to pray for the healing of family members and their relationships. Please pray specifically:

- that daughter R soften her heart toward her mother.

- that daughter J reach out to her father.

- that daughter R not feel alone in a house filled with family.

- that relationships are strengthened in the M household, and mended in the G household. 

- for peace and comfort for everyone who has lost a family member this past year.

- that a married couple becomes "one flesh" as promised in Genesis. The wife feels they are more like roommates than soulmates. Her husband, C is either unable or unwilling to show her love.

- please pray for D and family.

- pray for mother S and daughter R that their relationship is strengthened.

- that relationships in the P family and R families are strengthened.

- pray for better family communication between D and her daughter S.

- please pray for C.O. and family who just lost a brother to covid, and M.G. and family who just lost an aunt to covid. Also, pray for wife C who has just been hospitalized with covid and her husband who has it also and is home alone recuperating.

"Children’s children are a crown to the aged, and parents are the pride of their children."

Proverbs 17:6

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Please join me this week in praying for families and for healing between family members. Pray that relationships will be mended this holiday season and that families will be united.  Pray for comfort and peace for those families who have lost loved ones this year.

I'll post daily reminders on:

twitter @7DegreesOfMe

Instagram @archadia27
Pinterest Prayer Group #7thHourPrayerPower

Facebook group 7th Hour Prayer Power

#7thHourPrayerPower #BibleVerses #bible #family #relationship #unity #forgiveness #love #reconcile

No hate

 

We've added family members to pray for so please read through the list and lift these brothers and sisters up as we continue to pray for the healing of family relationships this week, whether it's a need for reconciliation, forgiveness, healing, grieving. If you know of anyone specifically for us to pray for, let me know their first initials, or just their relationship, so that we can pray for them also.

Please pray 

- that daughter R soften her heart toward her mother.

- that daughter J reach out to her father.

- that daughter R not feel alone in a house filled with family.

- that relationships are strengthened in the M household, and mended in the G household. 

- for peace and comfort for everyone who has lost a family member this past year.

- that a married couple becomes "one flesh" as promised in Genesis. The wife feels they are more like roommates than soulmates. Her husband, C is either unable or unwilling to show her love.

- please pray for D and family.

- pray for mother S and daughter R that their relationship is strengthened.

- that relationships in the P family and R families are strengthened.

- pray for better family communication between D and her daughter S.

- please pray for C.O. and family who just lost a brother to covid, and M.G. and family who just lost an aunt to covid. Also, pray for wife C who has just been hospitalized with covid and her husband who has it also and is home alone recuperating.

If someone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, 

he is a liar; 

for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, 

how can he love God whom he has not seen?

1 John 4:20 ESV

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Please join me this week in praying for families and for healing between family members. Pray that relationships will be mended this holiday season and that families will be united.  Pray for comfort and peace for those families who have lost loved ones this year.

I'll post daily reminders on:

twitter @7DegreesOfMe

Instagram @archadia27
Pinterest Prayer Group #7thHourPrayerPower

Facebook group 7th Hour Prayer Power

#7thHourPrayerPower #BibleVerses #bible #family #relationship #unity #forgiveness #love #reconcile

Inherit only wind

 

Whoever brings ruin on their family 

will inherit only wind, and the

 fool will be servant to the wise.

Proverbs 11:29

Please continue to pray for the healing of family relationships this week, whether it's a need for reconciliation, forgiveness, healing, grieving. If you know of anyone specifically for us to pray for, let me know their first initials, or just their relationship, so that we can pray for them also.

Please pray 

- that daughter R soften her heart toward her mother.

- that daughter J reach out to her father.

- that daughter R not feel alone in a house filled with family.

- that relationships are strengthened in the M household, and mended in the G household. 

- for peace and comfort for everyone who has lost a family member this past year.

- that a married couple becomes "one flesh" as promised in Genesis. The wife feels they are more like roommates than soulmates. Her husband, C is either unable or unwilling to show her love.

- please pray for D and family.

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Please join me this week in praying for families and for healing between family members. Pray that relationships will be mended this holiday season and that families will be united.  Pray for comfort and peace for those families who have lost loved ones this year.

I'll post daily reminders on:

twitter @7DegreesOfMe

Instagram @archadia27
Pinterest Prayer Group #7thHourPrayerPower

Facebook group 7th Hour Prayer Power

#7thHourPrayerPower #BibleVerses #bible #family #relationship #unity #forgiveness #love #reconcile

Fervent love

 

We're praying for the healing of family relationships this week, whether it's a need for reconciliation, forgiveness, healing, grieving. If you know of anyone specifically for us to pray for, let me know their first initials, or just their relationship, so that we can pray for them also.

Please pray 

- that daughter R soften her heart toward her mother.

- that daughter J reach out to her father.

- that daughter R not feel alone in a house filled with family.

- that relationships are strengthened in the M household, and mended in the G household. 

- for peace and comfort for everyone who has lost a family member this past year.

- that a married couple becomes "one flesh" as promised in Genesis. The wife feels they are more like roommates than soulmates. Her husband, C is either unable or unwilling to show her love.

But the end of all things is at hand; therefore be serious and watchful in your prayers. And above all things have fervent love for one another, for “love will cover a multitude of sins.” Be hospitable to one another without grumbling. 

1 Peter 4:7-9 ESV

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Please join me this week in praying for families and for healing between family members. Pray that relationships will be mended this holiday season and that families will be united.  Pray for comfort and peace for those families who have lost loved ones this year.

I'll post daily reminders on:

twitter @7DegreesOfMe

Instagram @archadia27
Pinterest Prayer Group #7thHourPrayerPower

Facebook group 7th Hour Prayer Power

#7thHourPrayerPower #BibleVerses #bible #family #relationship #unity #forgiveness #love #reconcile

Pray for widows & widowers

 

The number of people at our church who have lost loved ones this year is just overwhelming. I can't help but think and empathize with what they're going through right now, spending their first Christmas without a spouse, parent, sibling, friend.
     Please remember them this holiday season. Even though we can't necessarily visit in person, there are so many ways in which we can reach out and let them know they are loved. Be creative if you can. If you can't, that's fine, too. A phone call, card, text, IM, email, would go a long way in making a difference this year.
     Also, be in prayer for the countless families dealing with loved ones who are sick or hospitalized right now. And for those people who can't get together this year because of Covid.

He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.

Psalm 147:3 ESV

Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows* in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world.

James 1:27 ESV

She who is truly a widow* left all alone, has set her hope on God and continues in supplications and prayers night and day,

1 Timothy 5:5 ESV

*I would add, widowers as well

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Please join me this week in praying for families and for healing between family members. Pray that relationships will be mended this holiday season and that families will be united.  Pray for comfort and peace for those families who have lost loved ones this year.

I'll post daily reminders on:

twitter @7DegreesOfMe

Instagram @archadia27
Pinterest Prayer Group #7thHourPrayerPower

Facebook group 7th Hour Prayer Power

#7thHourPrayerPower #BibleVerses #bible #family #relationship #alone #widow #love #widower #death

Pray for family relationships

 

During the holidays I'm more aware of friends' family situations...the neighbor who's estranged from his children, the friend who's daughter seems to always be angry at her, the relative who's immediate family just isn't able to get into the spirit of the season this year. On top of all of that, having to be extra careful this year when and if we do gather is putting a strain on some families.
     I would like for us to pray for all of them this week, that their hearts and the hearts of their family members be softened so they can reconcile. If you know of anyone specifically, let me know their first initial, and/or their relationship, so that we can pray for them also.

Please pray:

- that daughter R soften her heart toward her mother.
- that daughter J reach out to her father.
- that daughter R does not feel alone in a house filled with family.
- that relationships are strengthened in the M household, and mended in the G household.

Bearing with one another and, 

if one has a complaint against another, 

forgiving each other; 

as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive.

Colossians 3:13 ESV

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Please join me this week in praying for families and for healing between family members. Pray that relationships will be mended this holiday season and that families will be united. 

I'll post daily reminders on:

twitter @7DegreesOfMe

Instagram @archadia27
Pinterest Prayer Group #7thHourPrayerPower

Facebook group 7th Hour Prayer Power

#7thHourPrayerPower #BibleVerses #bible #family #relationship #unity #forgiveness #love #reconcile

He will help you

 

Behold, all who are incensed against you shall be put to shame and confounded; those who strive against you shall be as nothing and shall perish. You shall seek those who contend with you, but you shall not find them; those who war against you shall be as nothing at all. For I, the Lord your God, hold your right hand; it is I who say to you, “Fear not, I am the one who helps you.”

Isaiah 41:11-13 ESV

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Please join me this week in praying for those who are bullied. Pray that they find the strength and encouragement to not succumb to the lies they're told. Pray they seek Jesus and find the hope they need to get through this difficult time. Pray that witnesses will step in and step up to help and defend the bullied. Let's also pray for peace, unity, justice and that hearts be softened.

I'll post daily reminders on:

twitter @7DegreesOfMe

Instagram @archadia27
Pinterest Prayer Group #7thHourPrayerPower

Facebook group 7th Hour Prayer Power

#7thHourPrayerPower #BibleVerses #bible #antibullying #stopbullying #bullying #prayer

Courage

 

Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the Lord your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you.”

Deuteronomy 31:6 ESV

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Please join me this week in praying for those who are bullied. Pray that they find the strength and encouragement to not succumb to the lies they're told. Pray they seek Jesus and find the hope they need to get through this difficult time. Pray that witnesses will step in and step up to help and defend the bullied. Let's also pray for peace, unity, justice and that hearts be softened.

I'll post daily reminders on:

twitter @7DegreesOfMe

Instagram @archadia27
Pinterest Prayer Group #7thHourPrayerPower

Facebook group 7th Hour Prayer Power

#7thHourPrayerPower #BibleVerses #bible #antibullying #stopbullying #bullying #prayer

Vengeance is not mine

 

I don't consider myself to be a vengeful person, but I can hold a grudge. Sometimes the grudge lasts for decades. This is especially true of several clients we've had who have treated us badly, and a couple of whom treated me very badly.

   During this insane year that we're all going through, I've spent a lot of time in self-reflection thinking about how I can become a better person, a better Christian. Usually, the answers are pretty tough and involve things like "love your enemy." I keep trying, though. It seems like Satan has been working overtime all year long and fighting him off is taking a lot of extra effort on my part. I'm sick of it, frankly.

   The solution is to ramp up my focus on God. It makes life so much easier when I have those moments of enlightenment and am able to see the senselessness in my negative feelings, anxiety, stress, bitterness. Those moments come when I'm able to say (and truly believe) "I know you've got this, God. So, I'm just going to give it all up to You. I surrender." God will see that justice is done. He will protect me. All I have to do is put Him first, and others second. He'll take care of the rest.

You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against the sons of your own people, 

but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the Lord.

Leviticus 19:18 ESV

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Please join me this week in praying for those who are bullied. Pray that they find the strength and encouragement to not succumb to the lies they're told. Pray they seek Jesus and find the hope they need to get through this difficult time. Pray that witnesses will step in and step up to help and defend the bullied. Let's also pray for peace, unity, justice and that hearts be softened.

I'll post daily reminders on:

twitter @7DegreesOfMe

Instagram @archadia27
Pinterest Prayer Group #7thHourPrayerPower

Facebook group 7th Hour Prayer Power

#7thHourPrayerPower #BibleVerses #bible #antibullying #stopbullying #bullying #love #bekind #forgiveness #prayer

Saved from enemies

 

I call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised, and I am saved from my enemies.

Psalm 18:3 ESV

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Please join me this week in praying for those who are bullied. Pray that they find the strength and encouragement to not succumb to the lies they're told. Pray they seek Jesus and find the hope they need to get through this difficult time. Pray that witnesses will step in and step up to help and defend the bullied. Let's also pray for peace, unity, justice and that hearts be softened.

I'll post daily reminders on:

twitter @7DegreesOfMe

Instagram @archadia27
Pinterest Prayer Group #7thHourPrayerPower

Facebook group 7th Hour Prayer Power

#7thHourPrayerPower #BibleVerses #bible #antibullying #stopbullying #bullying #love #bekind #forgiveness #prayer

Love Your Enemies

 

“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet your brethren only, what do you do more than others? Do not even the tax collectors do so? Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.

Matthew 5:43-48 NKJV

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Please join me this week in praying for those who are bullied. Pray that they find the strength and encouragement to not succumb to the lies they're told. Pray they seek Jesus and find the hope they need to get through this difficult time. Pray that witnesses will step in and step up to help and defend the bullied. Let's also pray for peace, unity, justice and that hearts be softened.

I'll post daily reminders on:

twitter @7DegreesOfMe

Instagram @archadia27
Pinterest Prayer Group #7thHourPrayerPower

Facebook group 7th Hour Prayer Power

#7thHourPrayerPower #BibleVerses #bible #antibullying #stopbullying #bullying #love #bekind #forgiveness

Heart of darkness

 

Usually, we think of bullying as something that happens to and among children, but it prevails even into adulthood. Most likely those who bully have at least one parent who is a bully, but when it's a grown-up, we call it "aggressive" or "driven" or some other word that glosses over the fact that the person is mean or evil. Even as adults, we succumb to the pressures of such an overbearing person by suppressing our true feelings about the situation, being amendable, or just trying to avoid contact with the person.
     While I'm not personally being bullied, I know of people who are, and I know of people who are/were bullies, and it really affects my heart to think about it. It hardens, even blackens my heart, and it's a struggle. I'm a very empathetic person and so there are times when it might as well be happening to me and I wish I had an answer, a solution to this horrible, horrible problem.
     When looking for bible verses about this subject, what seems to be prominent are ones that talk about being courageous in/through our faith in Christ and there are many verses that talk about forgiving those who persecute us. That is really tough sometimes, especially for me. I can forgive easily if the person is apologetic, but if they keep doing the wrong, it gets harder for me. But then I remember where Peter asked Jesus how many times to forgive someone and Jesus' answer was to forgive them as many times as they commit the offense (mega-paraphrasing here).
     So, these are the things I'm praying about; not only to protect and free the persecuted from being bullied, but also to soften the bullys' hearts, and anyone else's heart who is feeling the darkness overtake them right now.

{{{Really good, inspirational video}}}

Whoever says he is in the light and hates his brother is still in darkness.

1 John 2:9 ESV

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Please join me this week in praying for those who are bullied. Pray that they find the strength and encouragement to not succumb to the lies they're told. Pray they seek Jesus and find the hope they need to get through this difficult time. Pray that witnesses will step in and step up to help and defend the bullied. Let's also pray for peace, unity, justice and that hearts be softened.

I'll post daily reminders on:

twitter @7DegreesOfMe

Instagram @archadia27
Pinterest Prayer Group #7thHourPrayerPower

Facebook group 7th Hour Prayer Power

#7thHourPrayerPower #BibleVerses #bible #antibullying #stopbullying #bullying

Pray for the bullied

 

I think the hatred in this country has escalated to a dangerous level. We have leaders instigating divisiveness and violence, spreading lies, stirring up hate. Death threats seem to be the latest solution to disagreements. That type of mentality trickles down to our kids; they perceive it as an acceptable way to handle disputes. 

     Bullying has always been around, but my fear is that it's becoming more commonplace, and we've become more complicit about it. I wish I had a solution, but I don't, except to spread the word about it; to promote 'see something, say something,' and to pray.

     I started '7th Hour Prayer Power' three years ago by praying for bullies. I thought praying for softened hearts was something that could have a chain reaction. If one bully was changed, then maybe another would be changed by example. There's no way of knowing the fruits of those prayers, but I trust in God and have faith that some hearts were changed that week.

     This week, I'd like to pray for those who are being bullied. They live with a level of stress and anxiety that I can't even imagine.

Be strong and courageous. 

Do not fear or be in dread of them, 

for it is the Lord your God who goes with you. 

He will not leave you or forsake you.”

Deuteronomy 31:6 ESV

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Please join me this week in praying for those who are bullied. Pray that they find the strength and encouragement to not succumb to the lies they're told. Pray they seek Jesus and find the hope they need to get through this difficult time. Pray that witnesses will step in and step up to help and defend the bullied. Let's also pray for peace, unity, justice and that hearts be softened.

I'll post daily reminders on:

twitter @7DegreesOfMe

Instagram @archadia27
Pinterest Prayer Group #7thHourPrayerPower

Facebook group 7th Hour Prayer Power

#7thHourPrayerPower #BibleVerses #bible #antibullying #stopbullying #bullying

Generosity

 

Because of the generosity and support of Southern Baptists, through the Lottie Moon Christmas offering, God's word is being spread all over the globe.
     Our missionaries who have been able to stay abroad through the pandemic are especially thankful for the support they've received from the U.S. so that they can continue to share the gospel. They've come up with creative means during the past 9-10 months to keep the mission work moving forward even during times of isolation. Read their stories of thankfulness by clicking here.

Prayer requests:

PRAISE GOD for the continued work of Southern Baptists who have remained committed to reaching the lost for more than 175 years.
ASK GOD to send more individuals and churches who will be committed to the vision of reaching all nations and all peoples with the gospel.
THANK GOD for sustaining the work of missionaries through all circumstances, including the most recent global pandemic.

As for the rich in this present age, charge them not to be haughty, nor to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy. They are to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share, thus storing up treasure for themselves as a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is truly life.

1 Timothy 6:17-19 ESV

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Please join me for a Week of Prayer for International Missions. Check back each day for information on who we're praying for specifically and to learn more about them.

I'll post daily reminders on:

twitter @7DegreesOfMe

Instagram @archadia27
Pinterest Prayer Group #7thHourPrayerPower

Facebook group 7th Hour Prayer Power

#7thHourPrayerPower #BibleVerses #bible #intercession #petition #missionary #peoplegroup #unengaged #unreached #ministry

Embolden us

 

It's taken a number of years, but missionaries among the unreached people groups of South Asia are seeing some fruit from their labors. Luciano and Sofia Serrano* from Brazil are working with Ralph and Lovie Adair from IMB. The missionaries are working with local Christians to encourage them to spread the Good News with the Muslims of the area. Read their full story by clicking here.

* (Names changed)

Prayer requests:
PRAY local Christians would be bold in sharing the gospel with the Khaleela.
ASK for discernment for the Adairs and the Serranos as they share the gospel and train local Christians.
PRAY the Lord would send more Christian workers to partner with the Serranos and Adairs.

And when they had prayed, the place in which they were gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak the word of God with boldness.

Acts 4:31 ESV

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Please join me for a Week of Prayer for International Missions. Check back each day for information on who we're praying for specifically and to learn more about them.

I'll post daily reminders on:

twitter @7DegreesOfMe

Instagram @archadia27
Pinterest Prayer Group #7thHourPrayerPower

Facebook group 7th Hour Prayer Power

#7thHourPrayerPower #BibleVerses #bible #intercession #petition #missionary #peoplegroup #unengaged #unreached #ministry

Building relationships

 

Pray for the Worthy family who has been planting churches throughout Italy over the last 17 years. They've done this by working with local and U.S. pastors and by building relationships with nationals who have, in turn, built relationships that have made spreading the gospel throughout the country a reality. Read their full story by clicking here.

Prayer requests:

PRAY that the Worthys will continue to build strong relationships in Italy.

PRAY that many Italians will come to faith in Christ as a result of the Worthys’ witness.

PRAY that new Italian believers will gather into churches to reach the people of Italy with the gospel.

Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins.

1 Peter 4:8 ESV

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Please join me for a Week of Prayer for International Missions. Check back each day for information on who we're praying for specifically and to learn more about them.

I'll post daily reminders on:

twitter @7DegreesOfMe

Instagram @archadia27
Pinterest Prayer Group #7thHourPrayerPower

Facebook group 7th Hour Prayer Power

#7thHourPrayerPower #BibleVerses #bible #intercession #petition #missionary #peoplegroup #unengaged #unreached #ministry

In memoriam

 

Pray for the safety of the men, women, and children who serve as missionaries. Let's also pray for those who have lost their lives while serving the Lord; their families and friends who mourn.

At Missions College, there is a wall of names listing everyone who has died while in the field. It's very sobering. They sacrifice so much, as it is. Please take a few minutes to read today's topic (click here), and/or watch the video, then pray with me.

Prayer requests:

THANK GOD for the men and women who, with their children, have traveled to the ends of the earth to share the gospel with those who have never heard.

THANK GOD for the uninterrupted witness of Southern Baptists among the nations for 175 years.

ASK GOD to continue to protect missionaries and their families serving in cross-cultural and often difficult areas around the globe.

Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends.

John 15:13 NKJV

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Please join me for a Week of Prayer for International Missions. Check back each day for information on who we're praying for specifically and to learn more about them.

I'll post daily reminders on:

twitter @7DegreesOfMe

Instagram @archadia27
Pinterest Prayer Group #7thHourPrayerPower

Facebook group 7th Hour Prayer Power

#7thHourPrayerPower #BibleVerses #bible #intercession #petition #missionary #peoplegroup #unengaged #unreached #ministry