By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us. And we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. But whoever has this world’s goods, and sees his brother in need, and shuts up his heart from him, how does the love of God abide in him?
My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth. And by this we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before Him. For if our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and knows all things. Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence toward God. And whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do those things that are pleasing in His sight. And this is His commandment: that we should believe on the name of His Son Jesus Christ and love one another, as He gave us commandment.
1 John 3:16-23 NKJV
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Please join me this week in praying for truth. Let's pray that God reveals the truth to those who are blind to it, believers as well as unbelievers. Many are misinformed. We need to share the truth of the gospel and be compelling and direct in our testimony. Please pray that God paves the way for us to share, softening hearts, giving us courage, strength, and wisdom.
Lying lips are an abomination to the Lord, but those who act faithfully are his delight.
Proverbs 12:22 ESV
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Please join me this week in praying for truth. Let's pray that God reveals the truth to those who are blind to it, believers as well as unbelievers. Many are misinformed. We need to share the truth of the gospel and be compelling and direct in our testimony. Please pray that God paves the way for us to share, softening hearts, giving us courage, strength, and wisdom.
I think most of us know this passage, but to understand how the truth will set us free, we need to read the whole passage:
Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, “If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”
They answered Him, “We are Abraham’s descendants, and have never been in bondage to anyone. How can You say, ‘You will be made free’?”
Jesus answered them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, whoever commits sin is a slave of sin. And a slave does not abide in the house forever, but a son abides forever. Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed.
John 8:31-36 ESV
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Please join me this week in praying for truth. Let's pray that God reveals the truth to those who are blind to it, believers as well as unbelievers. Many are misinformed. We need to share the truth of the gospel and be compelling and direct in our testimony. Please pray that God paves the way for us to share, softening hearts, giving us courage, strength, and wisdom.
This is why I like to look at more than one version of the Bible, especially if I'm unclear about something... For this particular verse (1 Timothy 2:15), the NKJV says, "Be diligent..." but the ESV says, "Do your best..." Those two phrases don't denote the same amount of urgency (IMO). My husband is always saying, "The best way to recognize error is to know truth." He's heard that saying from various sources, and I've personally taken it to heart. When I think back to all of the misconceptions and just flat-out wrong biblical "interpretations" that I've believed in the past, it really upsets me. I had a hard time understanding the bible and so I just took people's word about what it meant. It turns out they were wrong. Maybe they didn't understand it either. Several years ago, my husband got me a John MacArthur Study Bible, and introduced me to commentaries. I attend a church that is focused on preaching from the Bible, verse by verse and so I'm learning now. I was biblically illiterate and I wasn't alone. Too many Christians don't take the time to read and study the Bible. It's God's guidebook for how to live our life here on Earth, and how to know we'll spend eternity with Him. When I was growing up, it was a "thing" for people to try "find" themselves. Everything they were searching for is in the Bible. Why am I here? What's the meaning of life? How can I find true peace? True love? True joy? It's all in there. Don't let the quantity of your biblical knowledge prevent you from sharing the gospel, though. You can comfortably and honestly share your testimony. If you're asked a question that you don't know the answer to, don't guess, just say you'll find out and get back to them. I don't mean to sound preachy, but this emphasis on "truth" has come up so many times over the past few weeks that I felt compelled to share it with you, and for us to pray about it. In my mind, truth leads to trust. We're less inclined to listen to someone who constantly lies than we are to someone who we can trust to be honest with us.
- Know truth and speak truth. - Be confident in your belief.
- Share your testimony.
- Study scripture.
Be diligent to present yourself approved to God,
a worker who does not need to be ashamed,
rightly dividing the word of truth.
2 Timothy 2:15 NKJV
Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved,
a worker who has no need to be ashamed,
rightly handling the word of truth.
2 Timothy 2:15 ESV
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Please join me this week in praying for truth. Let's pray that God reveals the truth to those who are blind to it, believers as well as unbelievers. Many are misinformed. We need to share the truth of the gospel and be compelling and direct in our testimony. Please pray that God paves the way for us to share, softening hearts, giving us courage, strength, and wisdom.
I've not shared the gospel with people who I know don't want to hear it. In my mind, I was "respecting" their wishes. To "push" my religion on them would be disrespectful - honestly, that was probably more of an excuse than a reason.
But, then a Pastor gave a sermon in which he shared a dream. He was standing in line, waiting to get checked into heaven when a man whom he recognized walked past him, going the opposite direction. The Pastor called out his name.
He looked up and asked the Pastor, "Did you know about this?"
And the Pastor answered, "Of course."
The man asked him, "Why didn't you tell me?"
That really hit me hard. It's not up to me to decide who to tell, and who not to tell; I should tell everyone! I'm still working through this process because I'm not very good at it, but I realize that I shouldn't make assumptions about the people I come in contact with. If the Lord places it on my heart to say something, then I try to say something.
Pray for opportunities and words and courage. If you share in a respectful way, and people don't want to hear, then hopefully they will be respectful of you and your beliefs, too and not react in a negative way.
But in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy,
always being prepared to make a defense to
anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you;
yet do it with gentleness and respect,
1 Peter 3:15 ESV
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Please join me this week in praying that we remember to treat one another with respect. During this time of incredible divisiveness, when it's so easy to get angry with those who have opposing viewpoints, we have to remember, that no matter what, we are all brothers and sisters. Our goal here is to bring the lost to know Christ. We can't do that without showing respect to everyone we meet.
I wrote a month ago about how my husband's death got me to go to counseling. You can read it here, if you want. After that counselor, I was convinced of the benefits of seeing someone instead of just taking medication. We all need someone whom we can tell everything to and who won't then judge our friends and family based on things we say. Since the first therapist was specifically a grief counselor, I couldn't keep seeing her to deal with my PTSD, so I found someone through my insurance company's website. I didn't know what questions to ask or what qualities to look for, so I chose a person who had a great smile. Her methodology was 'talk therapy' in that I talked and she listened. (Really, talk therapy is psychotherapy which you can look up if you're interested). This didn't really work for me, but I didn't know any better and assumed this was just how it was done. After a couple of months, she quit, so I started asking people about their counselors and eventually met my current therapist. She uses multiple methods but what has been a miracle for me has been EMDR which is a means by which you use both halves of your brain to process something. Anyway, even with all of the craziness of 2019, I felt "cured". I was finally able to handle stuff. I got away from taking sleeping pills, anti-anxiety medicine. My relationship with God was deeper than it had ever been. Everything was good! Then, March 2020 hit and rattled me so intensely that all of the progress of the previous three years was totally undone. I don't even know why. Yes, the pandemic, lockdown, unemployment, isolation, etc...but why couldn't I handle it? Maybe I needed to be in the Bible even more, or in prayer even more. It seemed like those two things should've "fixed" everything. I felt like I shouldn't need to go back to my therapist because I was cured and my faith should get me through this hiccup in the road. I meditated on verses such as:
Casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.
1 Peter 5:7 ESV
I have said these things to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”
John 16:33 ESV
I put off calling her for 5 months. Then, it occurred to me, why is this any different than any other illness? Does God tell us to not seek help when we're sick? If I had a toothache, would I feel like my faith alone should be the cure? God uses people, and earthly methods to help His children. In reality, I wasn't calling her because of my pride. It didn't make sense to me why I was feeling the way I did and I was trying to deal with it and fix it myself. I was using my faith as an excuse to shield my pride. Calling her was like admitting defeat. God revealed all of that to me just now. I didn't see it. All I knew was the lie I was telling myself all those months: I should be able to handle anything. Jesus says in Matthew 7:7, “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you." He doesn't say how it will be given or by whom. So, please don't think that seeking a therapist is a sign of weakness; don't let it wound your pride or ego. Understand that therapists help us heal. They are a God-send to help us deal with this chaotic, sinful world. Pray for guidance to find the therapist who's right for you.
If you or anyone you know is suffering from any sort of mental condition, please reach out to someone. I encourage you to seek counseling; it has made a world of difference to me. Go to
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/therapists/ to search for a therapist in your area. You can then filter the results to show only Christian counselors, then by issues, gender, therapy methods (including EMDR), etc. if you want. Pray for the strength and courage to take this vital step to recovery.
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Please join me this week in praying for those who suffer from any type of mental illness. Pray that they will find strength and hope and comfort in the Lord. Let's also pray that they seek earthly counsel and aid.
The last three years of my first marriage were the hardest, but they were also the best. It took a while to get to the good part though. When he was diagnosed with stage 3 colon cancer, we were told his odds were about 50-50. The surgeon gave him even worse odds, so we ignored him. At first, everything was horrible. The whole process of getting started with treatment is very debilitating in that there are so many unknowns, and we spent so much time looking stuff up online and reading books because the time between diagnosis and actually starting treatment was about two months. That can seem like an eternity. We felt an urgency to start treatment, or at the very least meet with our oncologist and get answers, but nothing about the entire journey happened quickly. Because of this added stress, I began feeling like I was going to die. All the camomile tea in the world couldn't calm my heart or mind. I was praying diligently by that point, and it was in answer to those prayers that God got me to finally see a doctor. Our insurance was no longer accepted by my family doctor (I had been going there since I was a child; it was hard to move away from him), so I had to find a new doc. In the waiting room, I filled out all of these forms. I was getting anxious and stressed out. Then I got to the form where I had to mark the symptoms and illnesses experienced. With each checkmark, it began to sink in how sick I really was...all of the chest/breathing questions, check, all of the head questions, check, all of the digestive questions, check, all of the mental questions, check, check, and check. I started crying. When did I get so messed up?! By the time we got the exam room and the doctor came in, I was balling. My husband had to translate what I was trying to say and filled in about his diagnosis. The doctor said part of it was a type of pre-grieving, which made sense. My husband and I were one, as in Genesis. We went everywhere together, even worked together; we were inseparable. My thoughts were never of what it would be like without the verbal abuse. It was always more like, what will happen when half of me is stripped away? The doctor also said I was suffering from anxiety and depression so he prescribed some medicine for those. Those pills changed my life. For the first time in 27 years, I was able to cope with difficult situations. The medicine didn't get rid of all of my physical symptoms that resulted from anxiety, but it diminished the severity of them. I was taking a lot less over-the-counter medication. I also went through some testing to make sure none of my physical issues were because of physical disease. They weren't. Everything checked out. With all of this taken care of, and my increased prayer life, and getting back into the word, I was able to focus better on taking care of my husband through this horrible disease, and juggling work, family, finances, and all of the other parts of my life.
I just want to encourage anyone who's reading this who needs help with a mental condition to seek help. Just go to your family doctor and begin a conversation with what you're struggling with. Pray to our Father for guidance and courage to ask for help.
For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.
2 Timothy 1:7 ESV
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Please join me this week in praying for those who suffer from any type of mental illness. Pray that they will find strength and hope and comfort in the Lord. Let's also pray that they seek earthly counsel and aid.
For a long time, I felt "broken." I had completely lost my sense of self, and my life just wasn't my own. Then my husband was diagnosed with stage 3 colon cancer, and I really lost it. Fortunately, God had brought me back to Him right before this. I wouldn't have survived this time otherwise, but I'll talk about that tomorrow. Here's the video I mentioned yesterday. I'm really embarrassed to share it because I'm not proud of the decisions I made back then (and also because I didn't know I moved my mouth so weird when I talk). Still, most of you have seen it already anyway and this week is about putting myself out there in the hopes of encouraging others who struggle with different mental issues to seek help. It's not a weakness. A big part of depression is physical and has to do with the synapsis in our brains (or something like that). When this pandemic hit, it felt like all of the work I had done to heal was immediately undone and left me feeling broken once again. A dear friend sent me this, and it really helped, so I'd like to share it with anyone out there who needs to know this message: Me: Hey God. God: Hello..... Me: I'm falling apart. Can you put me back together? God: I would rather not. Me: Why? God: Because you aren't a puzzle. Me: What about all of the pieces of my life that are falling down onto the ground? God: Let them stay there for a while. They fell off for a reason. Take some time and decide if you need any of those pieces back. Me: You don't understand! I'm breaking down! God: No - you don't understand. You are breaking through. What you are feeling are just growing pains. You are shedding the things and the people in your life that are holding you back. You aren't falling apart. You are falling into place. Relax. Take some deep breaths and allow those things you don't need anymore to fall off of you. Quit holding onto the pieces that don't fit you anymore. Let them fall off. Let them go. Me: Once I start doing that, what will be left of me? God: Only the very best pieces of you. Me: I'm scared of changing. God: I keep telling you - YOU AREN'T CHANGING!! YOU ARE BECOMING! Me: Becoming who? God: Becoming who I created you to be! A person of light and love and charity and hope and courage and joy and mercy and grace and compassion. I made you for more than the shallow pieces you have decided to adorn yourself with that you cling to with such greed and fear. Let those things fall off of you. I love you! Don't change! ... Become! Become! Become who I made you to be. I'm going to keep telling you this until you remember it. Me: There goes another piece. God: Yep. Let it be. Me: So ... I'm not broken? God: Of course Not! - but you are breaking like the dawn. It's a new day. Become!!! ~Author John Roedel
being confident of this very thing,
that He who has begun a good work in you
will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ;
Philippians 1:6 NKJV
If you or anyone you know is suffering from any sort of mental condition, please reach out to someone. I encourage you to seek counseling; it has made a world of difference to me. Go to https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/therapists/ to search for a therapist in your area. You can then filter the results to show only Christian counselors, then by issues, gender, therapy methods, etc. if you want. Pray for the strength and courage to take this vital step to recovery.
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Please join me this week in praying for those who suffer from any type of mental illness. Pray that they will find strength and hope and comfort in the Lord. Let's also pray that they seek earthly counsel and aid.
After moving back home (a second time), I got a job as a receptionist. While working there, I met my future husband. The following 22 years were "difficult." There were a lot of good things, and some wonderful experiences and blessings but the big takeaway were the effects of that time on my emotional and mental health. My husband was emotionally and verbally abusive. It's difficult to explain what it was like, and why I put up with it. Why didn't I leave? I've struggled with that question for the past several years on my road to recovery. The only answers I could come up with are that I felt like he needed me, and like I was handling it. I felt like my reason for living was to, in fact, take care of him. But, the way I handled it was to "freeze." Most have heard of the "fight or flight" response but not a lot has been said about "freezing". I was numb. I spent so many years walking on eggshells, trying to avoid setting him off, but it was just an impossible task. Without realizing it, I just basically shut down. It also didn't help that we were poor and in debt up to our eyebrows. My job was another contributing factor to my mental distress. It was like a continuation of college in the sense that it was an overwhelming workload, impossible deadlines, long hours, and some clients who were just downright cruel. Through all of this, I tried dealing with the anxiety and resulting depression on my own. That's how I handled everything. I was raised to be "strong" and not ask for help. The mental and emotional issues (even if I did "freeze") still managed to manifest themselves in physical ways that I couldn't ignore. My solution was to treat the physical symptoms because I didn't really see any possible way to treat the underlying causes. Plus, I didn't always see the connection between the two. My heart would race and my chest felt heavy. My solution was to drink camomile tea. I had the full array of "digestive disorders" so I always kept with me, everywhere I went, Ultra-Strength Gas-X, Beano, Tums, and Imodium AD. Again, I thought I was successfully dealing with everything. Other than that, there were headaches, and I always seemed to be sick with one thing or another, mostly colds, flu, bronchitis, strep throat, ear infections, and sinus infections. Oh, and I smoked two packs of cigarettes a day and drank on the weekends which didn't help my physical health. The panic attacks sent me to urgent care a couple of times because I wasn't sure what was happening. Around the 21st year of my marriage, though, I honestly thought I was having a heart attack. I began praying to God, unceasing, begging Him for forgiveness, for healing. I swore to Him that I would never leave Him again if only He would save me. That whole experience is it's own testimony which I'll try to share a link to tomorrow. (Again, reminding family not to share any of this with Mom, please. Yes, I'm serious!) So, while God was back in my life, I still didn't know how to give my anxiety to Him or even how to really ask for help. I prayed for other people, and I thanked Him for all of the blessings He did bestow on me and felt a degree of peace in doing that. Like I said, those were "difficult" years. The next 3 years would be the hardest, though.
Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.
Philippians 4:6-8 ESV
Recommended Resources:
Books:
Stop Walking on Eggshells: Taking Your Life Back When Someone You Care About Has Borderline Personality Disorder
by Paul T. T. Mason MS and Randi Kreger
The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma
by Bessel van der Kolk M.D.
- Both books also have workbooks available.
If you or anyone you know is suffering from any sort of mental condition, please reach out to someone. I encourage you to seek counseling; it has made a world of difference to me. Go to https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/therapists/ to search for a therapist in your area. You can then filter the results to show only Christian counselors, then by issues, gender, therapy methods, etc. if you want. Pray for the strength and courage to take this vital step to recovery.
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Please join me this week in praying for those who suffer from any type of mental illness. Pray that they will find strength and hope and comfort in the Lord. Let's also pray that they seek earthly counsel and aid.
The super-condensed version of my fall into the Abyss of Mental Illness began with college. It should be noted that for whatever reason when I left for school, I left my church-life and bibles at home. I even quit praying.
College was absolutely horrible, and abandoning my faith just made it worse, but I didn't realize that at the time. There were project deadlines and all-nighters; my professors were so negative and just downright mean. I was overwhelmed, which led to anxiety and then depression. During my second year, I started having these meltdowns. My main studio professor said it was her job to weed out the weak, and that she did. I ended up dropping out during year 3 of a 5-year program. All of my dreams for my life were shattered and I didn't have a plan B, so, I had to move back in with my parents. I went to church, but my heart and soul just weren't feeling it.
I got a job in Cincinnati, but it didn't pay enough for me to get an apartment so I had to commute from Dayton every day. There was a sleazy salesman at that company who I was warned to 'not get caught alone with,' which freaked me out. He touched me on the shoulder one day and I hyperventilated. Shortly after that, I was fired (it was the 80s).
So, I moved to Michigan to live with my boyfriend, his mom, his brother, and his brother's fiance. My boyfriend and I broke up, so I moved back in with my parents, only, while I was living in Michigan, my grandmother moved into my parents' house and they gave her my room since it was assumed that I was going to marry this guy. I lived in their rec room.
I pretty much felt as if I had hit rock bottom. If only I hadn't turned my back on God, or if I had only asked Him for help during any of this, life might have been more bearable. As it was, I had nothing to cling to.
When the righteous cry for help,
the Lord hears and delivers them out of all their troubles.
The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit.
Many are the afflictions of the righteous,
but the Lord delivers him out of them all.
Psalm 34:17-19 ESV
If you or anyone you know is suffering from any sort of mental condition, please reach out to someone. I encourage you to seek counseling; it has made a world of difference to me. Go to
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/therapists/ to search for a therapist in your area. You can then filter the results to show only Christian counselors, then by issues, gender, therapy methods, etc. if you want. Pray for the strength and courage to take this vital step to recovery.
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Please join me this week in praying for those who suffer from any type of mental illness. Pray that they will find strength and hope and comfort in the Lord. Let's also pray that they seek earthly counsel and aid.
This week I would like for us to pray for those who are struggling mentally and emotionally. I'll share my own struggles in these areas both past and present and I just ask that my family members don't share any of it with my mom. My entire adult life (from age 18 to this very moment and, most likely, far into the future) has been a constant struggle with depression and anxiety. My dad had both and my mom has both but she denies it vehemently. I was diagnosed with PTSD but consider myself "cured" from that. I've had debilitating panic attacks. According to WHO, approximately 450 million people suffer from some sort of mental disorder. Sometimes it's good to reaffirm that we aren't alone in our sufferings. Why am I sharing this? Because it's what God wants me to do. The subject has been weighing on me for several weeks but I kept using the excuse that there wasn't enough time to prepare. God found some extra time for me this weekend, so no more excuses. When I was looking for related bible verses, 2 Corinthians 12:9 really spoke to me. I admittedly have a hard time just outright sharing the gospel, but find it easy (or rather, easier) to testify to how Jesus works in my life. If I can bring Him glory by sharing my weaknesses and struggles, then I feel blessed to do it! He is my rock and my hope through everything.
And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you,
for My strength is made perfect in weakness.”
Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities,
that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
2 Corinthians 12:9 ESV
More tomorrow.
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Please join me this week in praying for those who suffer from any type of mental illness. Pray that they will find strength and hope and comfort in the Lord. Let's also pray that they seek earthly counsel and aid.
I participated in "A Day to Fast and Pray" on April 4, 2020; an event put together by The Gospel Coalition.
Morning prayer - This was time to pray alone and reflect on Psalm 27.
Midday prayer - This was time to pray together with others; either family, neighbors, and/or friends.
Evening prayer - This segment was streamed live online so that the entire world could share this time together in prayer.
The morning prayer.
I was really excited about setting this time aside to spend alone with God, my Heavenly Father. Although I realize that I can do this anytime I just felt like it was scheduled and therefore I would definitely use that time period for that purpose. I usually spend the drive to and from work with God, telling Him about me, praying for others, asking questions, but since I'm home now, I haven't gotten into a daily routine of doing that and it needs to be a priority. So my hope was that this would jumpstart my prayer time at home. This whole week is going to be an experiment in how best to accomplish things each day and how to schedule and prioritize while I'm stuck at home. I do like all of this time at home, but I just feel the need to make the most out of it before I have to go back to the way things were (if that's even going to happen; I believe everything will be very different after this). Unfortunately, that's putting a lot of unnecessary pressure on myself and that gives me anxiety which leads to a whole bunch of other stuff. So, I need to find a balance.
So, back to what I was intending to write here...my morning prayer time was wonderful and my big takeaway from this was love and compassion for others. This wasn't the time to talk to Him about me. This was a time to talk to Him about everybody. One of the topics was to pray for specific fears and the first thing that came to me was that this very well could be the end times and so my fear is for my loved ones who aren't saved. I can't imagine them spending eternity in hell. It worries me so much; I just plead with the Father that He chooses them for salvation and send someone to them who will be able to lift the veil.
I'm also fearful for those who are persecuted. Times like these can bring out the worst in people.
Lastly, I fear for those who have no money right now who are waiting for unemployment to work out the glitches and for the stimulus checks to be distributed.
I also prayed and thought about, if these are the end times (and we might as well imagine they are) what's most important in our lives? Money and possessions aren't important except to provide necessities for life. Like I read once, you never see a U-Haul hitched to the back of a Hearst. (In other words, you can't take it with you). Therefore, what's most important? If you knew that today was our last day on Earth, what would you do? Personally, I'd spend that time with my loved ones, emphatically preaching that Jesus is our Lord and Savior, that if they had any inkling of the great sacrifice Jesus made for each and every one of us, they would fall to their knees and cry out to Him.
Only God our Father knows the time of Jesus' return and so we need to treat each day as if it could be our last one here. We should be all about gathering more souls for heaven.
I wrote at the end of my personal prayer time:
Being isolated, it's easy to focus on me. Through prayer, devotionals, being in His Word, I've worked through my anxieties (not completely) and anger/frustration and am turning outward to focus on others and to deepen my relationship with the Lord.
The midday prayer
I was able to join with some of my church family through Zoom. We talked about what's going on in our lives, how all of this world stuff has affected each of us. We laughed together and cried together. We prayed.
What I took away from this experience is that no matter what we're going through, we as Christians see all of this struggle as an opportunity to draw closer to Him. We see it as a time when our Father is pulling His children closer to Him; He's holding onto us, loving us. He's also tightening relationships among His Church as we reach out to one another and try to meet needs. He's allowing the world to see His character through us by allowing us to reside in this difficult situation and yet we share messages of hope and love and trust in Him.
The evening prayer
My husband and I watched the simulcast along with millions of other Christians around the globe. I felt a connection to the church body. The people who prayed shared heartfelt desires and pleas and praises trusting in the sovereignty of the one true Living God. We know we'll get through this. We know that God is using this for His purposes and it will end in His time. He is good and just. He loves His children deeply and wants us to love Him with every fiber of our being. We need to hold onto each other, hold onto Him. He is our hope.
Challenge
At the end of the evening prayer segment, Jeremy Treat encouraged everyone to make a video with the hashtag #JesusChangedMyLife to share during Holy Week. Jesus is constantly working in my life and constantly changing my life as I grow in Him. So, this may seem like it's full of rabbit trails, and I'm sorry it's so long, but here goes (you may have already seen it since I posted it alone on social media):
If you want to talk to me, you can reach-out through any of my social media accounts or email me at archadia7@yahoo.com and we'll set up a way to talk either on the phone or WhatsApp or Zoom, etc...
Or you can reach out to our church's helpline: 937-770-9875. Leave a message and one of our Pastors will call you back.
If you're in search of a church service for this upcoming Resurrection Sunday, visit TheRidgeChurch.net
To do the will of God should be as necessary to our survival as eating each day. It's too easy to say, "Not today, Father" and make excuses because we're too busy pursuing our own selfish needs. The only reason we're here is because He created us. Ask Him each and every day, "What can I do for You today, Lord?" Our Missionaries live their lives doing His will; sacrificing their own earthly wants and needs to go wherever they're needed. I'm in awe of them.
Jesus said to them,
“My food is to do the will of him
who sent me and to accomplish his work.
John 4:34 ESV
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Please join me this week in praying for missionaries and for what we can do to glorify God.
I'll post daily reminders on:
twitter @7DegreesOfMe
Instagram @archadia27
Facebook group 7th Hour Prayer Power
Paul's Prayer for the Ephesians is also my prayer for you:
Ephesians 3:16-19 (NIV) I pray that out of His glorious riches He may strengthen you with power through His Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.
I keep reading this passage over and over again and realize what an awesome prayer this is! This is THE PRAYER for what I seek and for what I hope for. He will STRENGTHEN us as believers with POWER through HIS SPIRIT! We are to be ROOTED and established in LOVE.
TOGETHER with ALL the LORD'S HOLY PEOPLE. We are to work together, learn together, and grow and love together. God created us to be in relationships with one another. Through relationships, we can show the world God's love; we can be the image-bearers He intended us to be, and in so doing, bring honor and glory to Him.
Christ's love is immeasurable. To fully be able to GRASP "how wide and long and high and deep" His love is, I believe, we have to let go of the limitation of loving only with one's heart and try to understand a love that fills the entire soul. With Christ's love, we can never be alone; no earthly problem can be too big to handle, there is nothing that Christ can't do. To "know this love that surpasses knowledge" and what it feels like to "be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God" is the most amazing feeling and goes beyond anything that words can describe!
Sunday, December 31, 2017. The Preacher spoke about this life and about time as a commodity, measured in days. He was speaking on Psalm 90 and suggested that we record each day as a means of numbering our days "that we may gain a heart of wisdom". This is my new project for the New Year. It will bring focus to accomplishing something each day, no matter how small or seemingly insignificant, do something to help others, to make someone else’s day a little better, to let others know they aren't alone.
I believe some people don’t want to commit to Christianity because they don’t feel like they can live a Christian life, or because they don’t want to give up their sinful life. I try my best and that’s all I can do. When I slip up, I pray and ask forgiveness. Christ died on the cross so that I can be forgiven, and so I can have eternal life. I want to spend eternity with everyone I love, and even with those that I’m not too fond of. I wouldn’t wish eternity in hell on anyone. So I try to live my days purposefully. If nothing else, I hope to illustrate what a Christian life looks like, that it is flawed, but it is true and blessed. Even in difficult times, I look to Jesus for answers, guidance, and strength. I have so much to share with you.
Join me in making each day count.
Psalm 90:10-17 (NIV) 10 Our days may come to seventy years, or eighty, if our strength endures; yet the best of them are but trouble and sorrow, for they quickly pass, and we fly away. 11 If only we knew the power of your anger! Your wrath is as great as the fear that is your due. 12 Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom. 13 Relent, Lord! How long will it be? Have compassion on your servants. 14 Satisfy us in the morning with your unfailing love, that we may sing for joy and be glad all our days. 15 Make us glad for as many days as you have afflicted us, for as many years as we have seen trouble. 16 May your deeds be shown to your servants, your splendor to their children. 17 May the favor of the Lord our God rest on us; establish the work of our hands for us— yes, establish the work of our hands.
