Acts 5:29

 

But Peter and the apostles answered, “We must obey God rather than men.

Acts 5:29 ESV

Have a safe and happy 4th of July. 

*********

Please join me this week in praying for guidance from our loving Father. Let's ask Him what He wants us to do or say. Pray that in everything we do, we please Him. Let's also pray for friends and family who get too wrapped up in people-pleasing and deny what God would have them do. 

I'll post daily reminders on:

twitter @7DegreesOfMe

Instagram @7DegreesOfMe
Pinterest Prayer Group #7thHourPrayerPower

Facebook group 7th Hour Prayer Power

#7thHourPrayerPower #bibleverse #bible #PeoplePleaser #ask #gospel #calling #supplication #judged #prayer #seekGod #serve #listen #stop #SpiritualGift #SermonOnTheMount #epistles #Church #ChurchBody #Christ #Acts

Proverbs

 

When a man's ways please the Lord, he makes even his enemies to be at peace with him.

Proverbs 16:7 ESV 

The fear of man lays a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord is safe.

Proverbs 29:25 ESV

*********

Please join me this week in praying for guidance from our loving Father. Let's ask Him what He wants us to do or say. Pray that in everything we do, we please Him. Let's also pray for friends and family who get too wrapped up in people-pleasing and deny what God would have them do. 

I'll post daily reminders on:

twitter @7DegreesOfMe

Instagram @7DegreesOfMe
Pinterest Prayer Group #7thHourPrayerPower

Facebook group 7th Hour Prayer Power

#7thHourPrayerPower #bibleverse #bible #PeoplePleaser #ask #gospel #calling #supplication #judged #prayer #seekGod #serve #listen #stop #SpiritualGift #SermonOnTheMount #epistles #Church #ChurchBody #Christ #Proverbs

Stop and listen

 

This last sentence of today's Bible verse, "and try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord" made me wonder how difficult is it to determine what pleases the Lord? I think we know when we're doing something pleasing versus something displeasing, but I believe the real question is, "Am I doing what the Lord has called me to do?"

     There are really two different discussions here. We can behave in a way that is Christlike and that pleases Him. How we handle situations and how we treat others are situations where it's pretty easy to know right from wrong. Doing the best we can to adhere to the Ten Commandments (as elaborated on by Jesus. Read the Sermon on the Mount, Matthew Chapters 5-7), meaning: trying not to hate because to hate is to commit murder in our hearts, trying not to get caught up in lust, because that is committing adultery in our hearts, etc. Even if we stumble, we know whether or not we please Him.

     The other discussion that is more difficult to grasp is doing what God has called us to do. As the Church, we're to serve one another, love one another as ourselves, serve one another. As individuals, and this is where it gets tricky, God has given each of us certain gifts and He tasks us to do specific things for the Kingdom. In this way, we are all different parts of the same body, working separately (yet together) to make a unified body which is the Church.

     There is so much to unpack in all of this, but I can't do it here. It's all in the epistles, and I get really excited about exploring what God wants me to do for Him. This is really the basis for the book I'm writing and for what I'm developing to become my "ministry." It all comes down to listening to God. Talk to Him. Ask Him what he wants you to do for Him. Then, be still and listen. That will please Him.

For at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light (for the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true), and try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord.

Ephesians 5:8-10 ESV

*********

Please join me this week in praying for guidance from our loving Father. Let's ask Him what He wants us to do or say. Pray that in everything we do, we please Him. Let's also pray for friends and family who get too wrapped up in people-pleasing and deny what God would have them do. 

I'll post daily reminders on:

twitter @7DegreesOfMe

Instagram @7DegreesOfMe
Pinterest Prayer Group #7thHourPrayerPower

Facebook group 7th Hour Prayer Power

#7thHourPrayerPower #bibleverse #bible #PeoplePleaser #ask #gospel #calling #supplication #judged #prayer #seekGod #serve #listen #stop #SpiritualGift #SermonOnTheMount #epistles #Church #ChurchBody #Christ

Love deeply

 

“Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms.”

1 Peter 4:8-10 NIV

*********

Please join me this week in praying for the strangers that we have opportunities to serve. Pray that the Lord will guide us and that the Holy Spirit will prompt us to do His will in being hospitable. Pray for an open and loving heart so that we can show and spread the light within us to everyone we meet.

I'll post daily reminders on:

twitter @7DegreesOfMe

Instagram @7DegreesOfMe
Pinterest Prayer Group #7thHourPrayerPower

Facebook group 7th Hour Prayer Power

#7thHourPrayerPower #BibleVerse #bible #hospitality #love #SpiritualGift

Faith and determination

Last week I wrote that I wasn't able to find the words to write. Every time I tried to write it was a struggle or just came across sounding pessimistic or preachy. As a result, I also haven't been writing/working on my book, or submitting to magazines/contests. Yesterday, I spent a lot of time in meditation about it. This one contest I really wanted to submit to because it is just so "me." It's about using meditation as a function of your art. I do that all the time. I always ask God for words, guidance, and inspiration. Then I try to focus only on Him; shut out the rest of the world and listen for Him. I'm calling the article, "Be Still", as in Psalm 46:10.

     I started writing and thinking, "This is terrible. I should just give up. Why am I doing this?" Then, I got a notification of a tweet from David Jeremiah which read: "Perhaps one of the reasons we have been sheltered at home is so God can quiet us." I saw that as, 'so we can be still,' which I saw as a sign to get back to work. Then, I worked for a while and started to doubt again and I got an email that one of the articles I submitted is going to be published! I saw that as a sign, too!

     During our online worship services Rick has been devoting some of the service to our Kids' Corner and frankly, I've gleaned a lot of good stuff from his messages. The past few weeks have been about determination. So, in light of my day yesterday, I saw that as a good topic to pray for. 

     God gives us spiritual gifts. He gives us the means and resources we need to use them, but sometimes, we're like Moses standing before God Almighty, being told what He wants us to do and yet we have the audacity to say, "No, Lord; I can't do that. You've got the wrong person." God doesn't always give us an Aaron to help out, but He does promise to always be with us. When God is with us, who can be against us? 

I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.

2 Timothy 4:7 ESV

*********

Please join me this week in praying for the determination needed to do what God calls us to do. Let's pray for the faith needed to hear His voice and follow Him without question.

 

I'll post daily reminders on:

twitter @7DegreesOfMe

Instagram @archadia27
Pinterest Prayer Group #7thHourPrayerPower

Facebook group 7th Hour Prayer Power

Using our spiritual gifts

Use your spiritual gifts for the edification of the church body

One of the things God is leading me to do is to write down other women's stories. I'm extremely excited about it especially because I've spent the last nine years working on writing my story and have always felt that it was not what God wanted me to do, so now I get why. ... Okay, so I was going to leave this next part out, but then decided, Nah - so if you want to debate this, go for it, but I don't feel like it - this is just my opinion ... This is how I see free-will versus God's plan. I had the freedom to choose to write my story because it was something I really, really wanted to do, so I did it, feeling that it wasn't part of God's plan for me, so He let me go down that 9-year-long rabbit trail that led nowhere for my own personal satisfaction and then He posted a detour sign that brought me back to His path for me. Isn't that just awesome?!
     I thought about bringing up this new venture in our women's bible study group Sunday morning but then decided against it until I was closer to being ready to start, till I was more organized, etc. In our group we were talking about judgment (Romans) and that we're all sinners and to never forget our own testimonies, our own past and someone said, "We each have a story to tell" and I realized that if that wasn't God telling me to share, then I don't know what else it could've been, so I shared.
     One of the women who I had in mind to interview anyway came up to me after group and said that her brother has been telling her for years that she should write down her story. That about knocked me over and I said "I would love to write it," so that's my first project and I'm super psyched about it! I can't wait to get started!!!
     Then, the sermon started out about we should be for each other, not ourselves (so I took that as writing about others instead of myself - another 'whoa' moment!). Then, the sermon went on to talk about some of the same things we were talking about in women's group even though it was a different subject, it still touched on the same things we were discussing which seems to happen a lot whenever we study, but I guess this is probably enough sharing for today.
     To bring this back around to our topic for this week, our Pastor had a few stories about other churches and it's really heartbreaking, so encouragement, lifting each other up, growing the church through mission work circled back around (in my thought process) to growing, caring, and maintaining the churches we have here at home. So, if you're part of a church that seems to be slipping in attendance, consider praying about how you can use your spiritual gifts to help heal the church body.

What then, brothers? When you come together, each one has a hymn, a lesson, a revelation, a tongue, or an interpretation. Let all things be done for building up.

1 Corinthians 14:26 ESV

*********

Please join me this week in praying for the healing and growth of our local churches.

I'll post daily reminders on:

twitter @7DegreesOfMe

Instagram @archadia27

Facebook group 7th Hour Prayer Power