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

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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

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

Don't worry about tomorrow

Worry. We all do it, but why? I think it's about control. We want to have control over our lives and what happens to us and that just isn't possible. It's God's plan for us and only He knows what's going to happen from day to day. It's those daily decisions that we make (free-will) that we do have control over (and often screw up) that determines how we get to the point where God wants us. It doesn't have to be difficult, but we make it that way by not listening to Him, and by not trusting in Him.
     It was really popular several years ago for people to wear these plastic bracelets that said "WWJD" or "what would Jesus do?" How much better would our lives be if we reflected on that before jumping into situations without thinking? We need to include Jesus in all of our decisions. It would be great to ask Him before making any decision, at least any major one. He will guide your heart and your mind.
     When we worry we're telling God that we don't trust Him to take care of us. We're saying "I've got this" and "I don't need You." I know from experience that whenever I try to go it alone, it never works out well. I turned my back on God for over thirty years and it was awful. Every decision I made was a bad one and seemed to lead from bad to worse until I had the worst panic attack of my life. I was sure I was having a heart attack and that I was going to die. It was then that I prayed and asked Him for help. He delivered.
     These are some of my favorite verses for when I'm worried or anxious and I often email them to others when they're troubled. I suggest reading Matthew 6:25-34 for the complete picture of what Jesus was saying.

Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature?

But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, 

and all these things shall be added to you. 

Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, 

for tomorrow will worry about its own things. 

Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.

Matthew 6:27,33-34 NKJV

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Please join me this week in praying for those who are anxious and for those who suffer from anxiety.
I'll post daily reminders on:
twitter @7DegreesOfMe
Instagram @archadia27
Facebook group 7th Hour Prayer Power

Do Not Worry

Matthew 6:25-34 New International Version (NIV)

Jesus is speaking:

25 “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? 26 Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? 27 Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?

28 “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. 29 Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 30 If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? 31 So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.