you did it to Me

     And the King will answer and say to them, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.’

     “Then He will also say to those on the left hand, ‘Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels: for I was hungry and you gave Me no food; I was thirsty and you gave Me no drink; I was a stranger and you did not take Me in, naked and you did not clothe Me, sick and in prison and you did not visit Me.’

     “Then they also will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to You?’ Then He will answer them, saying, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.’
Matthew 25:40-45 NKJV

Help the poor

He who has pity on the poor lends to the Lord,

And He will pay back what he has given.

Proverbs 19:17 (NKJV)

He who gives to the poor will not lack,

But he who hides his eyes will have many curses.

Proverbs 28:27 (NKJV)

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Please join our prayer group as we spend the week praying for the homeless. Please ask God for guidance as to how to make a difference in the lives of those who are struggling. Listen for God's direction. He answers all prayers.

I'll post a daily reminder to pray on:
twitter @7DegreesOfMe
instagram @archadia27
facebook group 7th Hour Prayer Power

Homelessness

A homeless woman

My only encounter with a homeless person was a woman who used to live on the sidewalk in front of the downtown library several years ago. She never asked anything of anyone that I saw. I drove past her every morning on my way to work and she was always diligently transferring her possessions from one trash bag to another. I often wondered what her story was but never had the courage to ask. One time I did stop and give her some food and money. She couldn't eat the food I offered because of allergies, but she accepted the money with a nod of the head. Another time I took her a box of trash bags because I noticed hers were wearing thin. She asked if they were contractor trash bags. I said they weren't, and she waved me on, talking - or rather muttering to herself about quality bags as if I wasn't there. I didn't know what to do or say, so I left. I felt like my two attempts were failures and so I gave up (way too easily).
She was there, day after day for years, surviving really harsh winters, and I only stopped twice in all that time. I see these stories on the news about a good Samaritan helping a homeless person get back on their feet and I feel that I failed her. My hope is that she is with Jesus now and that I've grown in my faith to the point where I'm more confident and able to try again.

 Whoever closes his ear to the cry of the poor will himself call out and not be answered.

Proverbs 21:13 ESV

Jesus replied, “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and he fell among robbers, who stripped him and beat him and departed, leaving him half dead. Now by chance a priest was going down that road, and when he saw him he passed by on the other side. So likewise a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan, as he journeyed, came to where he was, and when he saw him, he had compassion. He went to him and bound up his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he set him on his own animal and brought him to an inn and took care of him. ...

Luke 10:30-37 ESV

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Please join our prayer group as we spend the week praying for the homeless. Please ask God for guidance as to how to make a difference in the lives of those who are struggling. Listen for God's direction. He answers all prayers.

I'll post a daily reminder to pray on:
twitter @7DegreesOfMe
instagram @archadia27
facebook group 7th Hour Prayer Power

Pray for the homeless

     This week we are praying for the homeless. With the below zero temperatures we've been having for the past two days, I'm even more thankful than ever for our house. We have heat, plumbing, electricity, food and a means to cook the food. We have comfortable beds. I can't imagine living outside all of the time even on fair weather days.
     There are many reasons people become homeless, of course, and you never think it will happen to anyone in your family, but it can very easily. That's why I chose the picture above; we don't know the reason a person becomes homeless and it's not fair to make assumptions, especially assumptions that lend itself to a "holier than thou" attitude. I've actually had two family members become homeless in 2018 for just everyday kind of mistakes that anyone could make. Granted, they didn't have to live on the street because they had a family to help them and shelter them, and they were willing to accept that gift. However, it could have easily turned out different. Think about it. A person could become homeless as the result of a messy break-up or divorce, disputes with a landlord or family, loss of job, loss of income when a spouse passes away. It could be bad advice from a bankruptcy attorney, a physical or mental illness, or poor money management skills. Then, there are the more common reasons we think of like a drug or alcohol addiction.
     I have a couple of different aspects I'd like to talk about and pray about this week when it comes to those who are homeless. Hopefully, I'm not the only one with mixed emotions as to how best to help them. The main point though, as a Christian, is to try to help the less fortunate in whatever capacity we can.

“If your brother becomes poor and cannot maintain himself with you, you shall support him as though he were a stranger and a sojourner, and he shall live with you. Take no interest from him or profit, but fear your God, that your brother may live beside you.

Leviticus 25:35-36 ESV

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Please join our prayer group as we spend the week praying for the homeless. Please ask God for guidance as to how to make a difference in the lives of those who are struggling. Listen for God's direction. He answers all prayers.

I'll post a daily reminder to pray on:
twitter @7DegreesOfMe
instagram @archadia27
facebook group 7th Hour Prayer Power

Look for this photo in my posts: