Matthew 6:33

 

But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, 

and all these things will be added to you.

Matthew 6:33 ESV 

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Please join me this week in praying for contentment for ourselves and others. May we rest in the hope of Jesus Christ. Pray that those who do not have a personal relationship with Christ come to know Him. Pray that we recognize the daily blessings that God bestows on us. He provides for all of our needs. Let us be thankful for having food, water, shelter, and clothing. Praise God for His unfailing love and grace.

I'll post daily reminders on:

twitter @7DegreesOfMe

Instagram @7DegreesOfMe
Pinterest Prayer Group #7thHourPrayerPower

Facebook group 7th Hour Prayer Power

#7thHourPrayerPower #bibleverse #bible #contentment #peace #hope #prayer #faith #love #sufficient #needs #ChristAlone #Matthew

Seek contentment

 

When I graduated from high school, I had my whole life planned out. Unfortunately, I didn't involve God in my plans and actually, turned away from Him when I got to college. From there, my life was a downward spiral to destruction. It weighed on me for over twenty-five years until I reconnected with God. That connection made a huge difference in my life, but I still struggled with negative feelings from my past.

     It wasn't until I found a remarkable counselor that I was finally able to work through my past and move on.

     I've heard people say lately: 

• "I don't need a therapist. I just need to pray more and read the Bible more." 
• "I'll be fine. I'm giving it all up to God." 
• "Time heals all wounds." 

     All of those things help and are a great first line of defense, but what if God wants you to seek counsel? What if He directed you here to plant the seed? God gives people the gift and education to help others for a reason. 

     So if you are struggling right now. If you cannot possibly be content because of something happening in your life, or in your past, please consider seeking the counsel of those who can help you.

     Your church may have people to help you. But, if not, here are some resources.

Faithful Counseling (Christian organization)

K-Love (Yes, the music station. They have pastors on staff to help you.)

Psychology Today (If using this link, I encourage you to find a Christian counselor and one who does EMDR - at least, it worked for me.) 

The young lions suffer want and hunger; but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing.

Psalm 34:10 ESV

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Please join me this week in praying for contentment for ourselves and others. May we rest in the hope of Jesus Christ. Pray that those who do not have a personal relationship with Christ come to know Him. Pray that we recognize the daily blessings that God bestows on us. He provides for all of our needs. Let us be thankful for having food, water, shelter, and clothing. Praise God for His unfailing love and grace.

I'll post daily reminders on:

twitter @7DegreesOfMe

Instagram @7DegreesOfMe
Pinterest Prayer Group #7thHourPrayerPower

Facebook group 7th Hour Prayer Power

#7thHourPrayerPower #bibleverse #bible #contentment #peace #hope #prayer #faith #love #sufficient #needs #ChristAlone #counselor #therapist #seek #Psalms

True contentment

 

Take a moment to think about your own level of contentment. Do you have all that you need? Do you have the basics of life (not the extras that we can all live without)? Do they bring you contentment? Satisfaction?
     It's okay if the answer is 'no.' We're human, and it's our human nature, or rather our sinful nature that keeps us wanting more. Or is it?
     The poorest people of Lima, Peru live in what we would consider squalor. Their houses are built out of whatever materials they can find. They don't have clean drinking water. There's trash everywhere. Yet, they're happy and content. If you were to tell them they're poor, they wouldn't know what you're talking about. They may covet their neighbor's electricity (and may take it upon themselves to tap into it), but that's the extent of their "want."*
     Every time I think about them, I feel ashamed of my own occasional dissatisfaction with life. I have God in my life; I don't need anything or anyone else. But, there are times I find myself longing for this or that. Sometimes the longing is over a relationship, or having time, or needing direction and I take all of those types of things to God. Sometimes it's more materialistic like escaping to a foreign country. That I just keep to myself because I realize it's not a need.
     Whatever is keeping you from contentment, examine it and then let it go. Count your blessings. Praise God for His mercy, love, and grace.

The Bible verse of the day just popped up on my phone, and how fitting:
   Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. Mark 11:24 ESV

I absolutely love what Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians. It really stops me in my tracks and makes me realize how difficult his life was, yet he said time and time again that he considered his life gain. Dwell on verse 10 below.

6 Working together with him, then, we appeal to you not to receive the grace of God in vain. 2 For he says,
          “In a favorable time I listened to you,
               and in a day of salvation I have helped you.”
Behold, now is the favorable time; behold, now is the day of salvation. 3 We put no obstacle in anyone's way, so that no fault may be found with our ministry, 4 but as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: by great endurance, in afflictions, hardships, calamities, 5 beatings, imprisonments, riots, labors, sleepless nights, hunger; 6 by purity, knowledge, patience, kindness, the Holy Spirit, genuine love; 7 by truthful speech, and the power of God; with the weapons of righteousness for the right hand and for the left; 8 through honor and dishonor, through slander and praise. We are treated as impostors, and yet are true; 9 as unknown, and yet well known; as dying, and behold, we live; as punished, and yet not killed; 10 as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, yet possessing everything.
2 Corinthians 6:1-10 ESV

*This description is from what I've learned from Missionaries who've been in Lima and from the photos I saw of the area where they were serving.

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Please join me this week in praying for contentment for ourselves and others. May we rest in the hope of Jesus Christ. Pray that those who do not have a personal relationship with Christ come to know Him. Pray that we recognize the daily blessings that God bestows on us. He provides for all of our needs. Let us be thankful for having food, water, shelter, and clothing. Praise God for His unfailing love and grace.

I'll post daily reminders on:

twitter @7DegreesOfMe

Instagram @7DegreesOfMe
Pinterest Prayer Group #7thHourPrayerPower

Facebook group 7th Hour Prayer Power

#7thHourPrayerPower #bibleverse #bible #contentment #peace #hope #prayer #faith #love #sufficient #needs #ChristAlone #poor #humannature #Corinthians #GospelOfMark #want #covet

God has a sense of humor

A little joke from God, and a lesson in waiting on Him.

Every morning I pray for words to share with you, but sometimes they don't come in the timeframe I need them to and I get impatient. This morning was one of those times. I got frustrated and decided to just post a Bible verse.
     I chose Philippians 4:19. Scrolling through the images already created with this verse (on the YouVersion app), I realized that I have used all of them in the past, and almost stopped to look for a different verse. Lo and behold, the very last one was the image above. Notice the pencils? God provided a short anecdote (that's what this is, lol) that fits into my allotted writing time, that brings Him glory as supplying all of our needs. It's also a lesson in waiting on Him and trusting in Him.
     God is so cool! I love seeing Him at work.

And my God will supply every need of yours

according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 4:19 ESV

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Please join me this week in praying for contentment for ourselves and others. May we rest in the hope of Jesus Christ. Pray that those who do not have a personal relationship with Christ come to know Him. Pray that we recognize the daily blessings that God bestows on us. He provides for all of our needs. Let us be thankful for having food, water, shelter, and clothing. Praise God for His unfailing love and grace.

I'll post daily reminders on:

twitter @7DegreesOfMe

Instagram @7DegreesOfMe
Pinterest Prayer Group #7thHourPrayerPower

Facebook group 7th Hour Prayer Power

#7thHourPrayerPower #bibleverse #bible #contentment #peace #hope #prayer #faith #love #sufficient #needs #ChristAlone #amwriting #patience #Philippians

A senior moment, a Psalm, and a life well lived

 

I need to make a correction with yesterday's post. I started out talking about 'comfort' but then switched to 'contentment.' We talked about contentment in Women's Group, but the subject of Sunday's sermon was comfort. Somehow, I meshed the two together. Like I've said in the past, I sometimes still experience these chemo-brain moments. (Maybe I should face the fact that they're really senior moments.) 

     Speaking of senior moments, for the life of me, I can't think of one thing that I was going to write about this week. Yesterday I was full of ideas, but did I write them down? No. No, I did not.

     So, I paused and read Psalm 37:1-11 ESV:

Fret not yourself because of evildoers;
be not envious of wrongdoers!
For they will soon fade like the grass
and wither like the green herb.
Trust in the Lord, and do good;
dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness.
Delight yourself in the Lord,
and he will give you the desires of your heart.
Commit your way to the Lord;
trust in him, and he will act.
He will bring forth your righteousness as the light,
and your justice as the noonday.
Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him;
fret not yourself over the one who prospers in his way,
over the man who carries out evil devices!
Refrain from anger, and forsake wrath!
Fret not yourself; it tends only to evil.
For the evildoers shall be cut off,
but those who wait for the Lord shall inherit the land.
In just a little while, the wicked will be no more;
though you look carefully at his place, he will not be there.
But the meek shall inherit the land
and delight themselves in abundant peace.

You can read the rest of the Psalm here.

     This whole passage describes what we need to do to be content. How often do we look at others and wish we had what they had? It doesn't even have to be material things. I used to be jealous of a woman who didn't have to work. She wasn't a 'housewife' either. Her husband worked full-time, took care of the house, cooked, ran errands, and did the laundry. She was free to do whatever she wanted, whenever she wanted. What I didn't see was the downside of that. They had no relationship to speak of. She wasted most of her life sleeping. Now, because of how she lived, she has all of these health issues and can't do much of anything even if she wanted to. Why would I want any of that?
     I want my life to have meaning and the only way to do that is to serve the Lord. That means sharing the gospel, praying, reading my bible, reaching out to others. God has a reason for putting us in the situations He puts us in. It may be so that we meet that one person who needs to hear our story. That person then may reach ten people, and each of those people may reach thirty people. We may not know how God used us to plant seeds until we get to Heaven but we can be satisfied and content knowing that our individual lives each have meaning. Pray without ceasing that His will be done. Then, you will know contentment.

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Please join me this week in praying for contentment for ourselves and others. May we rest in the hope of Jesus Christ. Pray that those who do not have a personal relationship with Christ come to know Him. Pray that we recognize the daily blessings that God bestows on us. He provides for all of our needs. Let us be thankful for having food, water, shelter, and clothing. Praise God for His unfailing love and grace.

I'll post daily reminders on:

twitter @7DegreesOfMe

Instagram @7DegreesOfMe
Pinterest Prayer Group #7thHourPrayerPower

Facebook group 7th Hour Prayer Power

#7thHourPrayerPower #bibleverse #bible #contentment #peace #hope #prayer #faith #love #sufficient #needs #ChristAlone #correction #retraction #Psalms #purpose

Where to find contentment

 

During Women's Group yesterday morning, we landed on 1 Timothy 6:6 (and beyond) which prompted a conversation about comfort. Later, it turned out that the entire sermon was focused on comfort, too. So, this is our topic for the week. It's another area that could take us to so many different places and lead us to pray for so many different people, going through a variety of situations that are anything but comfort-giving.

    What 1 Timothy 6:6 is talking about, though, is being content when our basic needs are met. John MacArthur wrote: "This Gr. word means, "self-sufficiency," and was used by Stoic philosophers to describe a person who was unflappable and unmoved by external cirucumstances. Christians are to be satisfied and sufficient, and not to seek for more than what God has already given them. He is the source of true contentment..." *
     People talked about finding contentment in their spouses, in their homes, with their lives. I personally don't find it in any of those places. I don't think I've ever been content in those areas. It's not that I seek something extraordinary--maybe I'm just searching, praying for contentment that others seem to have. But then, isn't that covetous?
     Our Women's Group leader then said that "My hope is in Christ alone. Everyone else will let us down." That was kind of my 'aha' moment of the day. It was as if God was answering all of the thoughts swirling through my mind during the discussion: Christ alone. Everything else is temporal. Everything else is insignificant.

But godliness with contentment is great gain, for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world. But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content. But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs.

1 Timothy 6:6-10 ESV

*MacArthur, John (1997). The MacArthur Study Bible, New King James version.

     Thomas Nelson, Inc. Nashville, TN.

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Please join me this week in praying for contentment for ourselves and others. May we rest in the hope of Jesus Christ. Pray that those who do not have a personal relationship with Christ come to know Him. Pray that we recognize the daily blessings that God bestows on us. He provides for all of our needs. Let us be thankful for having food, water, shelter, and clothing. Praise God for His unfailing love and grace.

I'll post daily reminders on:

twitter @7DegreesOfMe

Instagram @7DegreesOfMe
Pinterest Prayer Group #7thHourPrayerPower

Facebook group 7th Hour Prayer Power

#7thHourPrayerPower #bibleverse #bible #contentment #peace #hope #prayer #faith #love #sufficient #needs #ChristAlone

Isaiah 12:2

 

"Behold, God is my salvation;

I will trust, and will not be afraid;

for the Lord God is my strength and my song,

and he has become my salvation.”

Isaiah 12:2 ESV

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Please join me this week in praying for those who are suffering, and those who feel helpless to do anything about it. Please pray that they keep their focus on God, that they don't waver in their faith. Pray that they find encouragement in the word and through prayer. Pray that they lean on their brothers and sisters in Christ who love them.

I'll post daily reminders on:

twitter @7DegreesOfMe

Instagram @7DegreesOfMe
Pinterest Prayer Group #7thHourPrayerPower

Facebook group 7th Hour Prayer Power

#7thHourPrayerPower #bibleverse #bible #helpless #worry #trust #prayer #faith #love #suffering #pain #purpose #strong #courageous

Deuteronomy 31:6

 

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 suffering, and those who feel helpless to do anything about it. Please pray that they keep their focus on God, that they don't waver in their faith. Pray that they find encouragement in the word and through prayer. Pray that they lean on their brothers and sisters in Christ who love them.

I'll post daily reminders on:

twitter @7DegreesOfMe

Instagram @7DegreesOfMe
Pinterest Prayer Group #7thHourPrayerPower

Facebook group 7th Hour Prayer Power

#7thHourPrayerPower #bibleverse #bible #helpless #worry #trust #prayer #faith #love #suffering #pain #purpose #strong #courageous

Give it up to God

My experience has been that when I give my problems up to the Lord, my load seems lessened, my problems or worries seem smaller, more manageable. I'm able to think clearer.

     Someone posted this on Twitter yesterday and it kind of brought things into perspective:

"Today is the tomorrow you worried about yesterday." Dale Carnegie 

     I tried to remember all of the things I've worried about this week and did any of them happen? Did my worries do anyone any good? The answer to both questions is "no."

     Then, I looked at what I've prayed for this week, and were any of them answered? Did my prayers do anyone any good? The answer to both questions is "yes."

     God is here for us. We need Him. We can't go this alone. Look to Him when you feel helpless. Lean on Him.

I lift up my eyes to the hills.

    From where does my help come?

My help comes from the Lord,

    who made heaven and earth.

He will not let your foot be moved;

    he who keeps you will not slumber.

Psalm 121:1-3 ESV

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Please join me this week in praying for those who are suffering, and those who feel helpless to do anything about it. Please pray that they keep their focus on God, that they don't waver in their faith. Pray that they find encouragement in the word and through prayer. Pray that they lean on their brothers and sisters in Christ who love them.

I'll post daily reminders on:

twitter @7DegreesOfMe

Instagram @7DegreesOfMe
Pinterest Prayer Group #7thHourPrayerPower

Facebook group 7th Hour Prayer Power

#7thHourPrayerPower #bibleverse #bible #helpless #worry #trust #prayer #faith #love #suffering #pain #purpose

To my email subscribers

 Blogger is doing away with their "subscribe" feature in mid-August, so you'll no longer receive email updates of new posts. I plan to move my blog to another platform soon so you can either subscribe when I do that (follow me on social media) or email me at archadia7@yahoo.com and I'll jot down your email address and notify you when I get set up at my "new place."

twitter @7DegreesOfMe

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All we can do is pray

 

There is a woman who worries to the point of excess. Not only does she worry about family and friends, but also about things that have nothing to do with her. She builds up these 'what if' scenarios in her mind about things that could go wrong, some of which are so creative and outlandish that it scares me.

     I've tried to convince her that she suffers from anxiety, but she doesn't believe me and, therefore, won't do anything about it. The physical results of this are high blood pressure and a stroke. So then I worry. It's a vicious cycle, isn't it? Worry begets worry. Anxiety begets anxiety. All of it takes a toll on us.

     As I was preparing to write this, it occurred to me that it all comes down to control. I can't do anything about the actions and decisions of others, so I'm going to worry about them. At least in that way, I'm doing something. It fills two needs within us:

- to be in charge

- to help others

     How often have you said or heard others say, "All we can do is pray?" All we can do--as in, we can't really do anything. Oh well. At least praying makes us feel like we're doing something. That is just so wrong! Praying should be our first defense! It's THE prize, not the consolation prize! 

     Jesus prayed all the time. Do you think He would do that if it was just an exercise in futility? Do you think Jesus prayed because He didn't feel like He could do something more important? No! Of course not! He did it because it was an important course of action and because He knew His Father in Heaven heard His prayers.

     Our prayers can make a difference in the lives of others. So, whenever you feel helpless or emboldened (in other words, always), pray to our Father, who loves us.

“Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, 

believe that you have received it, 

and it will be yours.”

Mark 11:24 ESV

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Please join me this week in praying for those who are suffering, and those who feel helpless to do anything about it. Please pray that they keep their focus on God, that they don't waver in their faith. Pray that they find encouragement in the word and through prayer. Pray that they lean on their brothers and sisters in Christ who love them.

I'll post daily reminders on:

twitter @7DegreesOfMe

Instagram @7DegreesOfMe
Pinterest Prayer Group #7thHourPrayerPower

Facebook group 7th Hour Prayer Power

#7thHourPrayerPower #bibleverse #bible #helpless #worry #trust #prayer #faith #love #suffering #pain #purpose

When there's no sorrow

 

As is typical, whatever the topic we're praying about, suddenly I see many posts about the same subject. God is so cool when He does stuff like that!

Two examples from yesterday: 

"If God brings you to it; He will bring you through it." (found on Twitter)

<--- then I found this on FaceBook

It's things like this that show me how God orchestrates everything, even the little stuff. Maybe we don't understand the pain and suffering. We ask, 'how can a loving God allow this?' The truth is that sin and death entered the world when Adam and Eve disobeyed God. That is why we suffer. We have to remember that it's just for a short time, though. Soon we'll be resting where there is no more sorrow and no more suffering. God made it so that that could happen because He loves us so very much.

For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith.

1 John 5:4 ESV

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Please join me this week in praying for those who are suffering, and those who feel helpless to do anything about it. Please pray that they keep their focus on God, that they don't waver in their faith. Pray that they find encouragement in the word and through prayer. Pray that they lean on their brothers and sisters in Christ who love them.

I'll post daily reminders on:

twitter @7DegreesOfMe

Instagram @7DegreesOfMe
Pinterest Prayer Group #7thHourPrayerPower

Facebook group 7th Hour Prayer Power

#7thHourPrayerPower #bibleverse #bible #helpless #worry #trust #prayer #faith #love #suffering #pain #purpose

Verbal and emotional abuse

 

There was a man who was an alcoholic. When he drank too much he became belligerent. He would say cruel things. Then, at some point during his adult life, he was just belligerent all the time. He was a narcissist. He suffered from depression. He was neglected as a child. His wife didn't know all of these things before they got married. She didn't know that as soon as they got married, the alcoholic, narcissistic, man-child would emerge.

  When this side of him surfaced, his wife was confused. What happened to the fun-loving jokester who she thought she was marrying? He would have outbursts and say terrible things to her. He got in her face and yelled whenever she did something that upset him.

   She moved into his house after the wedding. Her few measly possessions, sentimental ceramic figurines, she placed gingerly on the shelf above the tv. The rest of her things were in the bedroom.

   One day he said, "You should put these figurines away."

   She asked, "Why?"

   He said, "They could get broken."

   She laughed it off as a silly idea. Surely he was joking. He wasn't.

   The next day she came home from work to find her favorite figurine broken into several pieces. She looked at her husband in disbelief, "What happened?"

   He just shrugged. Without even looking at her he said, "I told you you should put them away. They could get broken."

   With tears in her eyes, she boxed up the rest of the figures. They've remained in that box for thirty-six years.

   That was just the start of the verbal and emotional abuse. Family and friends told her she should leave him, but she couldn't imagine doing that. She believed she couldn't live without him. Whether that was something that he managed to plant in her mind, we'll never know, but she stuck it out for twenty-five years until he died. It was a co-dependent relationship. She suffers to this day from PTSD, depression, and anxiety; so do her children. Even though he's been dead for ten years, certain things still trigger those old responses. 

   None of this is even the tragedy. The truly sad part was that she walked away from God three years before meeting this man. She suffered alone with her children without the loving hands of her Heavenly Father. Thankfully, He called her back to Him and embraced her with open arms. He got her through the last few years of being a wife and caregiver to her dying husband.

   To anyone who feels like God has abandoned them during their darkest hour, I just want you to know that He is right there with you. You may not realize it during that time, but believe me, you don't want to know the feeling of being apart from Him through the valleys of life. Know He is there and that He loves you. He is holding your hand.

“Fear not, for I am with you; Be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, Yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand."

Isaiah 41:10 NKJV

For I, the Lord your God, will hold your right hand, Saying to you, ‘Fear not, I will help you.’

Isaiah 41:13 NKJV

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Please join me this week in praying for those who are suffering, and those who feel helpless to do anything about it. Please pray that they keep their focus on God, that they don't waver in their faith. Pray that they find encouragement in the word and through prayer. Pray that they lean on their brothers and sisters in Christ who love them.

I'll post daily reminders on:

twitter @7DegreesOfMe

Instagram @7DegreesOfMe
Pinterest Prayer Group #7thHourPrayerPower

Facebook group 7th Hour Prayer Power

#7thHourPrayerPower #bibleverse #bible #helpless #abuse #verbalabuse #emotionalabuse #worry #depression #PTSD #anxiety #trust #prayer #faith

Helplessness

 

Have you ever had that situation where you've felt totally helpless? Maybe you have a child or grandchild who is addicted to drugs or alcohol? Maybe your daughter is married to an abusive man? Maybe your nephew is living with his mentally unstable mother?

     During these situations, we pray emphatically for God to help our loved ones. People try to comfort us with one of the Bible verses we'll be looking at this week. I just wish there was something more that could be done. I wish I had answers. My heart breaks for the people mentioned above and their loved ones who care and worry for them. So I just want to take this week and concentrate our prayers on them. 

For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the 

glory that is to be revealed to us.

Romans 8:18 ESV

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Please join me this week in praying for those who are suffering, and those who feel helpless to do anything about it. Please pray that they keep their focus on God, that they don't waver in their faith. Pray that they find encouragement in the word and through prayer. Pray that they lean on their brothers and sisters in Christ who love them.

I'll post daily reminders on:

twitter @7DegreesOfMe

Instagram @7DegreesOfMe
Pinterest Prayer Group #7thHourPrayerPower

Facebook group 7th Hour Prayer Power

#7thHourPrayerPower #bibleverse #bible #helpless #abuse #worry #anxiety #trust #prayer #faith

What we're capable of

 

As we wrap up this week of prayer, I wanted to briefly talk about, without getting political or upsetting anyone, what we as humans are capable of.
     My husband and I have been watching several Holocaust movies and documentaries lately. One thing that never occurred to me before was that people did an about-face and turned on their Jewish friends, neighbors, and co-workers. For some reason, I thought the Nazis just knew who was Jewish. I never even considered that people were turning them in. Maybe I didn't want to believe it. Anyway, you know what happened from there.
     In our own country, there have been other atrocities. There were the Indians. We had slavery in our country. We've turned on the mentally disabled, Asian-Americans (at least twice in our history), Mexicans, and others. We've demonstrated that we're capable of hatred toward anyone different. It doesn't even have to be skin color or religion. Look at the division between political parties.
     We allow ourselves to get stirred up against whoever is the newest target of choice. We blame them for our troubles. It has to be their fault we're experiencing this, that, or the other because it's certainly not me.
     Look at how often and how easily we're influenced by the views of others. How great would it be if we were more influenced by the views of God our Father?
     I've seen several Tweets lately about Jesus wouldn't do this or that if He were here. If it was an act of love, He most certainly would.
     Look within your own heart and pray to our Father for direction. If you're playing the blame game or having feelings of anger, resentment, bitterness, or hatred against anyone else, pray without ceasing. You can be a significant part of the solution.

And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.”
Matthew 22:36-40 ESV

The blame game
The man said, “The woman you put here with me—she gave me some fruit from the tree, and I ate it.”
Then the Lord God said to the woman, “What is this you have done?”
The woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.”
Genesis 3:12-13 ESV

For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
Romans 3:23 ESV

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed. But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God.”
John 3:16-21 ESV

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Please join me this week in praying for guidance. Let's ask our Father to show us our sin, to show us where we're at fault and how we can make things better in our everyday interactions with others. Let's also pray for softened hearts, discernment, and wisdom in all situations. Pray that God helps us become more Christlike so that nonbelievers will see us and respond by seeking Him.

I'll post daily reminders on:

twitter @7DegreesOfMe

Instagram @7DegreesOfMe
Pinterest Prayer Group #7thHourPrayerPower

Facebook group 7th Hour Prayer Power

#7thHourPrayerPower #bibleverse #bible #sin #blame #Christlike #wisdom #guidance #prayer #forgiveness #confess #love #hatred #racism #division #grace

Jeremiah 3:13

 

Only acknowledge your iniquity,

That you have transgressed against the Lord your God,

And have scattered your charms

To alien deities under every green tree,

And you have not obeyed My voice,’ says the Lord.

Jeremiah 3:13 NKJV

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Please join me this week in praying for guidance. Let's ask our Father to show us our sin, to show us where we're at fault and how we can make things better in our everyday interactions with others. Let's also pray for softened hearts, discernment, and wisdom in all situations. Pray that God helps us become more Christlike so that nonbelievers will see us and respond by seeking Him.

I'll post daily reminders on:

twitter @7DegreesOfMe

Instagram @7DegreesOfMe
Pinterest Prayer Group #7thHourPrayerPower

Facebook group 7th Hour Prayer Power

#7thHourPrayerPower #bibleverse #bible #sin #humilty #Christlike #wisdom #guidance #prayer #forgiveness #confess #Jeremiah

This is a test

 

Whenever our week of prayer here brings the focus inward, one of two things inevitably happens: either God uses that time to test my resolve, or Satan steps up the spiritual warfare. 

     I talked to a Pastor last weekend about that and asked him how do I know which is happening? He said to ask God. Why didn't I think of that?!

     So when this week ended up being one of those times, I took his advice. Yesterday I got down on my knees and asked God what was happening. First off, there's something about praying on your knees, or bowing, or laying in the prone position that seems to strengthen our prayer. I confess I hardly ever do any of those things (I talk to God in the car a lot), but I'm going to make it part of the daily prayer life now. I want to totally submit to Him, and to do that, my physical person needs to be in a position of submission as well as my heart and mind.

     As a result (I believe), God answered me right away. "This is a test." Well, I'm just the brown-noser, the push-up-my-glasses-nerd-type person at heart. If it's a test, then I want to get an A+. Anything less might as well be utter failure. My resolve strengthened, I faced my day with a renewed sense of trying hard to be Christlike in whatever situation God threw at me. 

     Honestly, if I'm being generous, I got a D- yesterday. Outwardly I behaved okay when faced with adversity, but inwardly I was angry and resentful and a little bit bitter. I talked about it with my husband and some friends. A Twitter friend said I was doing a good job (thank you, Elizabeth), but I didn't feel like I was. It made me feel depressed. Actually, I've felt depressed all week. So last evening, I did my best to do things for others, which helped me feel better. 

     Today is a new day, and I'm going to try-try-again. Has your week been any different since you've been praying for guidance, for God to show you your sin and/or where you're at fault?

     God loves us so much. The least we can do is try to do right by Him.

For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, 

so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

2 Corinthians 5:21 ESV

About the above photo:

Back in the day, this was a thing that randomly showed up on our TVs. There was a loud noise, this picture, and then the announcement, "This is a test." Or, "This has been a test of the emergency broadcast system. If there had been an actual emergency..." I can't believe I remember all of that from my childhood, but yet I can't seem to remember what day it is.

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Please join me this week in praying for guidance. Let's ask our Father to show us our sin, to show us where we're at fault and how we can make things better in our everyday interactions with others. Let's also pray for softened hearts, discernment, and wisdom in all situations. Pray that God helps us become more Christlike so that nonbelievers will see us and respond by seeking Him.

I'll post daily reminders on:

twitter @7DegreesOfMe

Instagram @7DegreesOfMe
Pinterest Prayer Group #7thHourPrayerPower

Facebook group 7th Hour Prayer Power

#7thHourPrayerPower #bibleverse #bible #sin #humilty #test #Christlike #question #blame #betrayal #wisdom #guidance #prayer #decieved #deception #basicallygood #theFall

Psalm 32:5

 

I acknowledged my sin to you, and I did not cover my iniquity; I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord,” and you forgave the iniquity of my sin. Selah

Psalm 32:5 ESV

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Please join me this week in praying for guidance. Let's ask our Father to show us our sin, to show us where we're at fault and how we can make things better in our everyday interactions with others. Let's also pray for softened hearts, discernment, and wisdom in all situations. Pray that God helps us become more Christlike so that nonbelievers will see us and respond by seeking Him.

I'll post daily reminders on:

twitter @7DegreesOfMe

Instagram @7DegreesOfMe
Pinterest Prayer Group #7thHourPrayerPower

Facebook group 7th Hour Prayer Power

#7thHourPrayerPower #bibleverse #bible #sin #humilty #question #blame #betrayal #wisdom #guidance #prayer #decieved #deception #basicallygood #theFall

Are we basically good?

 

I believe we get caught up in other people's worldviews even when it comes to Christianity. We start to go along with the latest trends even when they're perpetrated by non-believers and even when those trends/beliefs contradict the Bible.

     I know I've talked about this before, so I won't rehash the whole thing (I'll share links in the "You may also like" section below), but one of the biggest lies we tell ourselves is that people are basically good. Just because I didn't kill anybody, does not make me good. The Bible says, "as it is written: “None is righteous, no, not one;" (Romans 3:10 ESV). 

     It's my thinking that we take this concept and double down on it when it comes to ourselves. I'm definitely not speaking about everyone, and it seems to be a lot more prevalent in non-believers and there are a lot of people who go to the opposite extreme, so take some of these general statements with a grain of salt, and stick with me for a minute:

     What occurred to me was that some people just cannot see that what they do or say is "bad." For example, let's say "Don" is one of those people. He spends his workday cursing, yelling, pushing his weight around. Everything has to be his way or the highway. The thermostat is set to his liking. The office organization is based on how he works. If someone doesn't answer his call, he leaves threatening messages. 

     In his mind, he's just doing what needs to be done. If any of his employees take offense, he turns it back on them. There must be something wrong with them if they're cold. There must be something wrong with them if they can't understand his filing system. He even lets his clients know that there must be something wrong with them if they don't return his calls. 

     A lot of this type of behavior is because no one ever corrected him when he was growing up. No one told him it was wrong to be threatening. No one taught him how to work with others, to discuss matters, to compromise. So he has always lived under the assumption that he's good. He's right. He's behaving normally. 

     As sinful man, we need to be taught right from wrong. The major things, like killing, we all know are wrong, but the less obvious things like pride, selfishness, deceit, and betrayal need to be cleansed from our hearts also.

     I guess what I'm saying is that we need to own up to being sinful creatures; we are the descendants of Adam and Eve. The result of their sin still fills us today. We, as Christians, need to be in the word so that we know truth amid the lies the world would have us believe.

If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.

1 John 1:8 ESV

You may also like:

- Show me my sin

- The hard truth

- Are you fooling yourself?

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Please join me this week in praying for guidance. Let's ask our Father to show us our sin, to show us where we're at fault and how we can make things better in our everyday interactions with others. Let's also pray for softened hearts, discernment, and wisdom in all situations. Pray that God helps us become more Christlike so that nonbelievers will see us and respond by seeking Him.

I'll post daily reminders on:

twitter @7DegreesOfMe

Instagram @7DegreesOfMe
Pinterest Prayer Group #7thHourPrayerPower

Facebook group 7th Hour Prayer Power

#7thHourPrayerPower #bibleverse #bible #sin #humilty #question #blame #betrayal #wisdom #guidance #prayer #decieved #deception #basicallygood #theFall

A new lens

There are so many different ways to look at this idea of acknowledging our potential for sin, taking responsibility for our sin, shifting blame onto others, looking within -- I hardly know where to start.
     Looking at Mark 14:19 in this light (read yesterday's post if you missed it) really made me turn inward and think of various relationships. How many times have I assumed it was the other person's fault that we didn't get along? How many times have I assumed I was in the right and he/she was in the wrong? I've spoken many times about my problem with pride; it makes sense that I would assume the other person was wrong. Now that I'm working on humility, maybe I should revisit the relationship issues I'm having and see how those problems look when held up to the "Is it I?" lens.
     - There's the relationship with the bully client. Is there something I can do to eliminate some of his anxieties? Not that I believe the victim is the one who needs to make concessions, but in a situation like this where it's part of my job and I can't escape it (other than quitting), I need to find a way that we can work together.
     - There's the relationship with a prideful coworker. I quit fighting him a long time ago but recently we've had to work in closer proximity to each other and so those urges I have of correcting him came flooding back. It didn't go over well. Now our offices are nearly 20 feet apart so I can begin working on just letting go when he does things or says things that I believe are wrong.
     - Finally, there's my relationship with my spouse. Instead of blaming him for any problems we have, can I first look at myself and see if there's something I can do to make things better? I have tried in the past and it does make a difference.

     For me, I believe my intentions are good when I try to work on things like this, but then, for whatever reason, my attitude changes back to one of futility and so I give up. A lot of it is probably Satan. You know that whenever we try to become more Christlike, Satan gets all freaked out and interferes. His number one weapon is causing conflict in our relationships. Don't let him win. Fight the good fight. Look within. Pray for help and strength from our loving, caring Father. Ask God to show you if it's you who's at fault and what you can do to fix the situation. He answers us; we just need to ask the questions.

But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, 

“God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”

James 4:6 ESV

Toward the scorners he is scornful, 

but to the humble he gives favor.

Proverbs 3:34 ESV

You may also like:
- Are you deceived?
- Why marriage isn't easy

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Please join me this week in praying for guidance. Let's ask our Father to show us our sin, to show us where we're at fault and how we can make things better in our everyday interactions with others. Let's also pray for softened hearts, discernment, and wisdom in all situations. Pray that God helps us become more Christlike so that nonbelievers will see us and respond by seeking Him.

I'll post daily reminders on:

twitter @7DegreesOfMe

Instagram @7DegreesOfMe
Pinterest Prayer Group #7thHourPrayerPower

Facebook group 7th Hour Prayer Power

#7thHourPrayerPower #bibleverse #bible #sin #humilty #question #blame #betrayal #wisdom #guidance #prayer #decieved #deception 

Is it I?

 

Yesterday during our Women's Bible Study it seemed like God was giving me all of these great ideas to write and pray about this week. During the church service, God seemed to give me even more ideas. Usually, there's just one thing that He says, "this is it," so I was getting really confused until close to the end of the sermon.

     The Pastor read Mark 14:19, a verse I've read many, many times, and always questioned, how could each disciple think it possible that Jesus was talking about him?

 

18 And as they were reclining at table and eating, Jesus said, “Truly, I say to you, one of you will betray me, one who is eating with me.” 

19 They began to be sorrowful and to say to him one after another, “Is it I?” 

Mark 14:18-19 ESV

     The Pastor said that the disciples were showing their humility. They knew that every man was/is capable of any transgression. It's our sinful nature. The disciples didn't put themselves above others. The Pastor asked, how likely would we be to question ourselves in a similar situation? Wouldn't we be more apt to point fingers at everyone else and assume it couldn't possibly be us?

     That's what stuck with me from yesterday. Every time I've read that passage over the years - that's the thing that didn't sit right with me. It didn't sit right because it's not how I would've reacted. I would have assumed it was anyone else but me. It sounds horrible to admit, but I'm being honest and transparent. What an eye-opener!

     So, what about you? How would you have responded to Jesus' announcement?

You may also like:

- Be patient with each other

- Serve with humility

- Pray for humility

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Please join me this week in praying for guidance. Let's ask our Father to show us our sin, to show us where we're at fault and how we can make things better in our everyday interactions with others. Let's also pray for softened hearts, discernment, and wisdom in all situations. Pray that God helps us become more Christlike so that nonbelievers will see us and respond by seeking Him.

I'll post daily reminders on:

twitter @7DegreesOfMe

Instagram @7DegreesOfMe
Pinterest Prayer Group #7thHourPrayerPower

Facebook group 7th Hour Prayer Power

#7thHourPrayerPower #bibleverse #bible #sin #humilty #question #blame #betrayal #wisdom #guidance #prayer 

Psalm 139:9-10

 

If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there your hand shall lead me, and your right hand shall hold me.

Psalm 139:9-10 ESV

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Join me this week in praying for those who are traveling this summer. Pray that people are careful and safe. Pray for patience, kindness, and tolerance. We've all been cooped up for a long time, and sometimes it's easy to let our emotions get the best of us. Please pray for peace and love.

I'll post daily reminders on:

twitter @7DegreesOfMe

Instagram @7DegreesOfMe
Pinterest Prayer Group #7thHourPrayerPower

Facebook group 7th Hour Prayer Power

#7thHourPrayerPower #bibleverse #bible #walk #vacation #travel #plans #journey #wisdom #guidance #prayer #faith #grace

God goes before us

 

I've probably shared this before--stop me if you've heard it--but I read Exodus several times and angrily wondered how they could behave so badly when God is right there traveling with them, living among them. Surely they realized that He knew everything they did and heard everything they said. How could they have the audacity to complain when God provided everything they needed, when He saved them from slavery?

     I don't know how many times I read Exodus, and wondered all of those things before I realized,...nothing has changed. I'm no better than the Israelites. God is right here traveling with me, living within me. He knows everything I do, say, think, and feel. He provides me with everything I need and even saved me from a life of slavery to sin. Yet, I have the audacity to complain.

     Driving home from Michigan seemed to take forever. I just wanted to get home, but it was like the harder I pressed, the more obstacles appeared. There was construction, accidents, heavy downpours that made it impossible to see past the nose of my car. None of us felt well. We were exhausted and grumpy. Yet, as soon as we got home, it was as if all was well. 

     Can you imagine how the Israelites felt, traveling for 40 years and just wanting to get home? I empathize with them, especially knowing that the adults never made it to the Promised Land. However, it was because of their lack of faith in God, Who was visible before them the whole journey, Who parted the Red Sea, Who fed them and sustained them. I imagine they hurt God over and over again. 

When I think of how God sustains me and takes care of me, I am in awe of Him. I know I am blessed. He has revealed Himself to me, yet time after time, I don't reciprocate with the unwavering faith that He deserves. I will continue to work on this.

And the Lord went before them by day in a pillar of cloud to lead them along the way, and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, that they might travel by day and by night.

Exodus 13:21 ESV

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Join me this week in praying for those who are traveling this summer. Pray that people are careful and safe. Pray for patience, kindness, and tolerance. We've all been cooped up for a long time, and sometimes it's easy to let our emotions get the best of us. Please pray for peace and love.

I'll post daily reminders on:

twitter @7DegreesOfMe

Instagram @7DegreesOfMe
Pinterest Prayer Group #7thHourPrayerPower

Facebook group 7th Hour Prayer Power

#7thHourPrayerPower #bibleverse #bible #walk #vacation #travel #plans #journey #wisdom #guidance #prayer #faith #grace

Psalm 121:8

 

The Lord will keep your going out and your coming in from this time forth and forevermore.

Psalm 121:8 ESV

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Join me this week in praying for those who are traveling this summer. Pray that people are careful and safe. Pray for patience, kindness, and tolerance. We've all been cooped up for a long time, and sometimes it's easy to let our emotions get the best of us. Please pray for peace and love.

I'll post daily reminders on:

twitter @7DegreesOfMe

Instagram @7DegreesOfMe
Pinterest Prayer Group #7thHourPrayerPower

Facebook group 7th Hour Prayer Power

#7thHourPrayerPower #bibleverse #bible #walk #vacation #travel #plans #journey #wisdom #guidance #prayer 

The best laid plans

 

As my vacation winds down (thank goodness), I battle with the question, "Was it a good vacation or a bad vacation?" I honestly don't know. The best answer is, "It was a vacation." For that, I'm thankful. 

The glass-half-full part of me looks at the fact that I got to spend quality time with my family. I got away from work for a week (except for a few minutes of emails). I got to visit a part of the U.S. where I've never been before, and it was beautiful (see the above photo). 

     The planner in me, however, has several complaints. The most frustrating of which was the weather. I tried to pack for all of the different seasons that can happen within one week in Michigan, which is really similar to the ever-unpredictable Ohio weather, but I missed the mark. 

     Yesterday it was 58 degrees out, with a windchill of 54. It rained and rained and then rained some more. The wind blew so hard that the umbrellas were useless. Of course, that was the day we had to take the ferry back to Mackinaw City, so we were drenched, and our luggage was moist and it just felt like we would never be warm or dry again. When we got to our room, we turned on the heat. I should add that the day we took the ferry to the island it also rained, but it was nowhere near as cold out.

     I've been so out of touch spiritually this week that these types of situations remind me that I should have been talking to God regularly about my plans instead of going off on my own without Him. It would have made a difference, I believe. All of this reminded me of the passage in James:

Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit”— yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.” 

As it is, you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil.

James 4:13-16 ESV

     Not to say that it's the equivalent of making a life-changing plan without Him, but still, things just tend to work out better when we involve our Father in our plans. I don't think one single plan has worked out the way I intended it to this week. Everything's fine, but maybe if I had prayed for guidance or wisdom, I would have packed a sweatshirt. 

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Join me this week in praying for those who are traveling this summer. Pray that people are careful and safe. Pray for patience, kindness, and tolerance. We've all been cooped up for a long time, and sometimes it's easy to let our emotions get the best of us. Please pray for peace and love.

I'll post daily reminders on:

twitter @7DegreesOfMe

Instagram @7DegreesOfMe
Pinterest Prayer Group #7thHourPrayerPower

Facebook group 7th Hour Prayer Power

#7thHourPrayerPower #bibleverse #bible #walk #vacation #travel #plans #journey #wisdom #guidance #prayer