God's Word Is Flawless

God my Father, Your way is perfect!  Your Word is flawless!

 

Search my heart, O LORD. Search it continually.  I long to choose Your perfect way! Give me the desire and strength to follow You today.

 

O LORD, my God, it's thankful Tuesday! Allow me to count the many blessings and give You thanks! (Name 5 things, people, or situations to give God thanks for!)  Thank You, LORD, for: 1)_______, 2)_______, 3)_________, 4)_______, 5)__________.  (Share your thanks in the comments!)

 

Jesus, in Your name we pray _____ will take refuge in You and know You as his/her shield.  We pray _____ will find Your Word to be flawless and can trust You with his/her life dreams and plans.  In Your holy name, we pray God's perfect will be accomplished in us and through us. Amen

2 Samuel 22:31

“As for God, his way is perfect: The Lord’s word is flawless; he shields all who take refuge in him.

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Why should I share what I'm thankful for?  Let me quote someone one from a study:

"The joy we get from praying produces emotions of joy. When we share those feelings and emotions with others, our joy multiplies." ~~ Mary Southerland in her study "Laugh More ... Live Better".

God's Ways Are Perfect

Before beginning today's prayer, close your eyes, take a deep breath ... Let it out.  This is your time with God.  Allow your heart, mind, body, and strength to turn and focus on Him.  Still your worries.  Still your fears.  The following prayer is ONLY a guide!  Expand on it!  OR Skip down to the scripture and focus on the passage.  Make this personal for God and you.

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My God, You are the Rock and Your ways are perfect! You are faithful and cannot do anything wrong.

Father, in the light of Your perfection, I feel small. How many times have I judged another based on "my" idea of perfection?  Yet You are so merciful to me ... May my eyes be closed to the "imperfections" of others and my heart open, overflowing with Your love!

Jesus, thank You for not waiting for me to abide by God's Laws to save me!  At the same time, I'm grateful for those Laws because each Word teaches me about who God IS.  Thank You for the gift of the Holy Spirit, who guides me and teaches me.

Jesus, in Your name, we bring before the Father _______.  We pray ______ will proclaim the name of the LORD and praise the greatness of our God!  May _____ know Your works are perfect and You will be faithful to him/her forever!  We pray the Father's will be done in our lives today. Amen

Deuteronomy 32:1-4
Listen, you heavens, and I will speak;
    hear, you earth, the words of my mouth.
² Let my teaching fall like rain
    and my words descend like dew,
like showers on new grass,
    like abundant rain on tender plants.

³ I will proclaim the name of the Lord.
    Oh, praise the greatness of our God!
⁴ He is the Rock, his works are perfect,
    and all his ways are just.
A faithful God who does no wrong,
    upright and just is he.

God's Mercy Extends to ALL Who Trust Him!

God, my Savior, Mighty One; You have performed mighty deeds! Your mercy extends to all who trust You, from generation to generation!

LORD Jesus, give me a heart for God. Create in me a deep longing to seek God and to be in His Presence each day.

Father, I am so thankful for the promise You made to Eve and Abraham!  There are many others too! You have proved Your faithfulness in the story of their lives!  You showed each mercy!  You show me the same mercy!!  Thank You for Your faithfulness! Thank You for Your mercy!

Jesus, You are the Mighty One!  You have done great things for ______!  We pray _____ will fear You and trust in You.  We pray You'll continue to show Your mercies to  _______. As we close, allow us to offer You another round of praise. May our souls glorify You, LORD! You fill the hungry with good things! May we hunger for You today and share the spiritual bread and physical bread You have so graciously given us with someone needing Your mercy. We pray in Your holy name, Jesus. Amen

Luke 1:46-55

⁴⁶ And Mary said:

“My soul glorifies the Lord
⁴⁷     and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
⁴⁸ for he has been mindful
    of the humble state of his servant.
From now on all generations will call me blessed,
⁴⁹     for the Mighty One has done great things for me—
    holy is his name.
⁵⁰ His mercy extends to those who fear him,
    from generation to generation.
⁵¹ He has performed mighty deeds with his arm;
    he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts.
⁵² He has brought down rulers from their thrones
    but has lifted up the humble.
⁵³ He has filled the hungry with good things
    but has sent the rich away empty.
⁵⁴ He has helped his servant Israel,
    remembering to be merciful
⁵⁵ to Abraham and his descendants forever,
    just as he promised our ancestors.”

God Is Merciful

Note To Those New to the Blog:

The following prayer follows the Four Steps of Prayer and focuses on praying scriptures.  For more details on The Four Steps of Prayer, click here to read a blog post about this particular prayer guide. I encourage you to read it through once silently and then read it through again out loud.  When you enter into the 4th paragraph of the prayer, think of someone you desire to pray for and insert his/her name into the provided blank.  Re-pray that section of the prayer as many times as you desire placing a different name in each time you pray it.  I do ask you to excuse typos! LOL

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God, our Father, Is there a god who compares to You? A god who pardons sin and forgives transgressions? NO! You are The God of mercy there isn't another like You!

Lord Jesus, purify me.  Have compassion on me and tread my sins underfoot.  Hurl all my iniquities into the deep sea. May I live in surrender to You!

Thank You for Your faithfulness! You keep all Your promises and have never failed me.  Thank You for showing me mercy and for not staying angry with me!

Jesus, in Your name we lift up ______.  We pray You will have compassion on _______ and You will tread  _______'s sins underfoot.  We know You  love _______ and each of us; You delight in showing mercy! Jesus, we pray God's will be done today on earth as it is in heaven. Amen

Micah 7:18-20

¹⁸ Who is a God like you,
    who pardons sin and forgives the transgression
    of the remnant of his inheritance?
You do not stay angry forever
    but delight to show mercy.
¹⁹ You will again have compassion on us;
    you will tread our sins underfoot
    and hurl all our iniquities into the depths of the sea.
²⁰ You will be faithful to Jacob,
    and show love to Abraham,
as you pledged on oath to our ancestors
    in days long ago.

Four Steps of Prayer: Prayer 101

Before I begin, I'd like to share something to help ease your mind and heart about prayer.  I desire to "bust some myths" about prayer. In Mary Southerland's 5 week study, "Laugh More ... Live Better" on Joy, she writes about pray producing joy:

1. Let go of worry about praying a 'right' way.
2. There is no 'right' posture or place for prayer.
3. Prayer helps us 'tune in' to the presence of God.

Its hard to talk with God when we are anticipating how He's going to answer our prayer, when He's going to answer, or dictate instruction on how and when to answer us. When we try to use God like our "magic genie in the lamp", we become frustrated with God and say "I prayed to You and You didn't answer me!" or "You didn't do what I thought needed to be done!" When our prayer focus is on "I" and not Him, we loose some of our joy. This is the purpose of the Four Steps Of Prayer. Its a guide. Its ONLY a guide! It guides me (and hopefully you) in placing my focus on Who my focus should be on: God.

Here is the Four Steps used by Moms In Prayer International:

1. Praise
2. Confession
3. Thanksgiving
4. Intercession

In Southerland's study and in the booklet people receive when attending The Emmaus Walk, both use ACTS:

1. Adoration
2. Confession
3. Thanksgiving
4. Supplication

Both mean the same thing!  We'll now pick them apart one by one.

Praise/Adoration

Begin your prayer with giving God praise for who He IS!  Enter into His presence focusing on God's name(s), character, or an attribute. 

Giving God praise, "exalts God and gives Him glory", "helps us focus on God and not our situation", "brings about an awareness of God's Presence", "dispels the enemy's power".  (Taken from the Moms In Prayer Booklet).

God is: love, good, faithful, justice, light, the rock, fortress, shield, strength, joy (just to name a few)
For more praise helps, visiting Moms In Prayer website www.momsinprayer.org and click on "Leader's Corner" then click on "Prayer Sheets".  On the right side will be more links, click on "Attributes of God" and a PDF will open!  Feel free to print!

As they began to sing and praise, the Lord set ambushes against the men of Ammon and Moab and Mount Seir who were invading Judah, and they were defeated. 2 Chronicles 20:22

Yet you are enthroned as the Holy One; you are the one Israel praises. Psalm 22:3
 

Great is the Lord and most worthy of praise; his greatness no one can fathom. Psalm 145:3
 

Confession

This part of the prayer allows you to clear your heart and mind before God. Confess sins, to become humbled, to ask Him to search you. It's about surrendering your will for His will. It's us realizing we ARE human with human frailties and asking God to give us the strength, to empower us with His Holy Spirit  to do what He is desiring us to do. 

Now, I hear you! "Vivian, I'm a Christian. Jesus lives in my heart. I don't sin everyday. Why do I need to this time of confession?"

Let me tell you a story. I walk the local mall. One day, I saw this lady who had come from one of the restaurants. She was loaded down with all kinds of cooking supplies. Oil, flour, eggs. Two large "trays" of eggs. I heard this voice "Offer her help in carrying the eggs." I stopped walking; a brief pause. I continued. The Voice:  Offer her help in carrying the eggs. I paused. She was closer to the door. I kept going. One more time the Voice: Offer her help in carrying the eggs. I almost went to help! Then I rationalized "She'd probably say 'no' anyway." The Voice, "It's the offer that counts." I kept going. My heart felt heavy! So I prayed "Lord, help her get to the car without breaking all those eggs." The Voice: THAT! Was YOUR task!

I cried! 

Sometimes we see sin as: adultery, lying, taking God's name in vain, murder, stealing. Sin IS disobedience! I knew in my heart I had ignored God's Spirit prompting me to offer the lady help. I kept on walking just like the people in Jesus's story "The Good Samaritan". 

 
Confession isn't always about a "sin" BUT it is always about surrender, yielding. It's about living in submission to God's perfect will! It's about asking Him to "search my heart" and being humbled before Him.

Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. Psalm 139:23-24

But your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden his face from you, so that he will not hear. Isaiah 59:2

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. 1 John 1:9

Thanksgiving

Giving God credit and thanking Him for what He has done, is doing in our lives. 

Sounds simple doesn't it? NOPE!

The most miserable people are the ones who are the most ungrateful. Ingratitude breeds resentment, jealousy. Discontent with everything God has given them! 

Stopping to count our blessings and give God an offering of thanks begins to change us! Contentment. Joy. Realizing how blessed I am inspite of how little I have. 

 

What has God blessed you with? Name family members by name, friends by name, things He has provided (home, vehicle, food, clothes, etc.). Thank Him for His ultimate gift to you! Jesus! Thank Him for paying the price Sin demanded. Thank Him for the sunshine and the rain. Thank Him for your struggles! 

What? 

You read right! Say "Lord, I don't know why I am going through this BUT I thank You for the chance to be a witness to others about Your faithfulness to me."

To be honest, I think this part of prayer has changed me more than "Confession" has changed me. It's so easy to focus on what we don't have than it is to give thanks for what we do have. I heard a joke once about the man with 6 kids and he man with 6 million dollars. The question is "Who's content, the man with 6 kids or the man with $6 million?" The answer is "The man with 6 kids because he doesn't want any more!" The point is the man is content with 6 kids for many reasons! (Hahaha) The man with $6 million isn't satisfied because he always wants MORE! 

God HAS given you GOOD gifts! Give Him thanks! (Trust me ... It takes a few days before the light bulb pops over your head IF you are a person who has mostly focused on the "I have nots".)

Those who sacrifice thank offerings honor me. Psalm 50:23a
Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. 1 Thessalonians 5:18
Supplication/Intercession

Praying for others.

Intercession:

Standing in the "gap" for someone who doesn't know Christ. Standing in the "gap" for someone who is broken hearted and can't pray for him/herself. Standing in the gap for a school, community, etc.  

Supplication:

Lifting up needs of other people. Supplication "is the combination of intercession and petition" (Worship Booklet for Pilgrams; Walk to Emmaus 3rd Edition pg 46). It is "asking God to meet the needs of other people" (Laugh More study).

He saw that there was no one, he was appalled that there was no one to intervene; so his own arm achieved salvation for him, and his own righteousness sustained him. Isaiah 59:16

And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people. Ephesians 6:18

This is a HUGE amount to take in!  If you notice, praying takes the focus off of "me" and puts it on God and others.  It is about what God desires instead of what "I" desire.  It's about what others need instead of what "I" need.  Is it ok to tell God "my" needs?  YES!

Prayer 102 will focus on "Praying the Scriptures".  Again, there is no "right" way to pray!  Just be open and honest with God!  No sense in trying to hide what is on your mind and heart because He already knows it. :)
 

My Shepherd, My Comforter

My Shepherd, You are my Comforter! When I am in the dark valley, You are with me.  You guide me. You protect me. Because You surround me, I do not need to fear! God, You are my Comforter!

 
Jesus, may Your words guide me. I pray I'll indulge each morsel of Your Scriptures. I pray Your Holy Spirit will teach me to apply each sweet Word to my life!
 
I thank You, Jesus, for Your Rod and Staff which are Your Word -- the Word of God.  I especially thank You for David and all the  Psalms You inspired him to write!  Each one is a reminder of who You are!  Thank You for this precious treasure!
 
Sweet Shepherd, even though ______ is in the dark valley, light his/her path.  May _____ feel Your Spirit surrounding him/her and all his/her fear fade away.  May ______ find comfort in Your Word; comfort for his/her heart.  We ask this in Your name, Jesus, according to the Father's will. Amen
 

Psalm 23:4 (NIV)

Even though I walk

through the darkest valley,

I will fear no evil,

for you are with me;

your rod and your staff,

they comfort me.

God The Living Rock

Special Request: Bowling Green City schools start today! Barren County on Wednesday, Warren County on Thursday. Please keep our schools in prayer!

For those NOT in the area I mentioned, think about the school systems in your area. Lift them up in prayer!
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Praise be to God, for He lives! Praise to You, my Rock! You are the Rock of my Salvation! May You be exalted for eternity!

Lord, may I love You with all my soul! My soul represents my whole being.  Jesus, may I love You with all that I am!

Jesus, as I think of all the wonderful things You have blessed me with, my hearts swells! Thank You for Your timely provision! Thank You for ALWAYS being with me!

Jesus, may ______ love You with all his/her soul. Be ______'s Rock of Salvation! We join together in praying for _______. May we not give up hope on a single soul!  You didn't give up on us! May we be about Your kingdom's work. Give us strength and courage needed to do Your will in Earth as it is done in Heaven. In Your name, Jesus Amen

2 Samuel 22:47
“The Lord lives! Praise to my Rock!  May God, the Rock of my salvation, be exalted!

Deuteronomy 6:5
And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your strength.

Jesus the Compassionate Shepherd

Jesus,

You had compassion on me! You saw me as someone lost, confused, and helpless. Seeing me in such a state, You took pity on me! You wanted to help me! You are COMPASSIONATE!

Lord, I want to see people the exact same way! I pray Your Holy Spirit will give me eyes to see past a person's faults and love them as You love them. May my heart be filled with sympathy and may I be an encourager.

I thank You, Jesus, that Your love knows no limit and Your grace can't be measured. Thank You for becoming my Shepherd! "I once was lost but now I'm found," THANK YOU!

Jesus, _____ lives in a dark world, be his/her Shepherd.  May _____ not be confused and helpless because of Your unfailing love and deep compassion for him/her.  Lord, there are many lost in need of compassion! May we be the ones You use to show compassion! As a new school year begins, use each of us to be Your love to these kids. May we pray for them without fail! Lord, love each mother's child as if he/she the only one on Earth!  Be with the sons/daughters in the military. Wrap Your arms of compassion around their mothers.  Be with the sons/daughters who are homeless, lost, broken, held captive by mental illness, trapped by Satan's lies that they'll never be worth loving; YOUR heart breaks for these!! May we be Your compassion! In Your name, Jesus. Amen

References: "Amazing Grace" and a quote by Augustine "God loves each one of us as if there were only one of us"

Scripture Reference: Matthew 9:36

(NLT) When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them because they were confused and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.

(NKJV) But when He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were weary and scattered, like sheep having no shepherd.

 

God is Patient (Thank Him So!!)

My Very Patient God,

You ARE Amazing! You are not a dictator who forces me into Your service. You are filled with unfailing love. Like a kind love, You wait for me to come to You.

Lord, forgive me for trusting in things of this world. (Think of what you trust in because this is about to become very Vivian!) For me, food, especially sugary food, has been my comfort. The chocolate god has always proven a quick fix to anxiety, anger, frustration, stress. I want this to change! You are the faithful God! I so desire to learn to wait for Your help. May Your Spirit guide me in these times of human weakness to pray, to wait on You!

 

Thank You for being so compassionate!  Thank You for Your love!! Love that doesn't demand anything of me, and that waits for me to realize You are the best choice! Thank You for Your kindness! Thank You for Your patience!

Lord, show _____ Your love and compassion. We pray _____ will wait for Your help and learn to trust You! Lord Jesus, may we as Your Body trust You and wait for You!  May we seek Your guidance over each detail of our lives. May we love as You have loved us. May we show compassion to each other as You are compassion. May we each live surrendered to Your perfect will. In Your name, Jesus, Amen

Scripture Reference: Isaiah 30:18

(NLT) So the Lord must wait for you to come to him so he can show you his love and compassion. For the Lord is a faithful God. Blessed are those who wait for his help.

(NKJV) Therefore the Lord will wait, that He may be gracious to you; And therefore He will be exalted, that He may have mercy on you. For the Lord is a God of justice; Blessed are all those who wait for Him.

God is Good to ALL His Creation!

God of Heaven and Earth,

You are compassionate and merciful! You are good to everyone, both sinner and saint. You shower compassion on ALL Your creation!

 

Lord, forgive me for judging o harshly the people I encounter. No matter who they are or what they have done, You love them and desire a relationship with them!  Even the ones on the news, I do not desire to judge them. Only You are the righteous Judge! May my heart be dead to self righteousness and alive with Your compassion!

Lord Jesus, thank You for showing me compassion!  When I think about the cross, THAT should have been me!! The Law demands a blood sacrifice; it demands death! You gave up Your throne. You gave up being omnipotent. You gave up command of Heaven's Army. For what? For me! You were mocked. Hunted down. You walked dusty roads. Then You were tortured. Nailed to a wooden cross like a criminal. You were (are) innocent!  I am the guilty one! I'm the criminal! You took my place! Thank You for Your compassion!

Father, be good to _____.  We know You will!! Show Your compassion on _____, for he/she is Your creation!  Oh, God! May we each be instruments of Your compassion.  May we be a light to those stumbling around in darkness.  May we be joy makers to those who are drowning in sorrow.  May we be Your arms of love to everyone! May we be Jesus to someone today.  In the name of Jesus we pray, Amen

Scripture Reference: Psalm 145:8-9 (NLT)

 

The Lord is merciful and compassionate, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love.  The Lord is good to everyone. He showers compassion on all his creation.

  

God is Slow to Anger!

AGod, You are Compassionate!

You are merciful! You are slow to anger.  When You finally arrive at "I Am mad", You don't stay that way forever! You are filled with unfailing love and You do not constantly accuse me! Your compassion is AMAZING!

Father, in the name of Jesus, I pray Your Holy Spirit searches me through out this day. Take in consideration my actions and words.  Do they testify to You being the compassionate God?  Does my attitude reflect the mercy You have shown me? Lord, judge me accordingly and correct me. I desire to be a woman who shows compassion.

Thank You for not dealing with me harshly! You do not punish me for all my sins!!  Thank You for Your grace covering the things I do out of ignorance; the things I don't do out of fear. You recognize I am human with many weaknesses: tired, hunger, illness, etc. Thank You for being so gentle and tender with me!!

Lord, we come to You on behalf of _____.  Lord, be compassionate with _____ and slow to anger with him/her.  Do not punish _____ for his/her actions nor deal harshly with him/her. Shower _____ with Your unfailing love which will draw _____ to trust You. We know this IS Your will! You don't desire a single member of the human race to be lost for eternity. It breaks Your heart when a soul refuses Your love.  Lord, may we be Your hands of compassion! In Jesus name we pray, Amen

Scripture Reference: Psalm 103:8-14 (NLT)

The Lord is compassionate and merciful,
slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love.
 He will not constantly accuse us,
 nor remain angry forever.
He does not punish us for all our sins;
    he does not deal harshly with us, as we deserve.
For his unfailing love toward those who fear him
    is as great as the height of the heavens above the earth.
He has removed our sins as far from us
    as the east is from the west.
The Lord is like a father to his children,
    tender and compassionate to those who fear him.
For he knows how weak we are;
    he remembers we are only dust.

What I've Learned Since .....

I'm not one to linger in a book study for ages.  I get bored easy especially if I have already read the book and took something from it. Does that make sense?  However, I knew this particular book "I'm Not Good Enough" and Other Lies Women Tell Themselves" by Sharon Jaynes was a needed study.  We started in February and ended this month. Now you are thinking, "Vivian, that's 6 months!" Well, yes, but Girlfriends only meet twice a month! That is only 12 weeks! And there were a couple of times we didn't meet. So, about 10 weeks worth.

I'm glad we did it!  It maybe a study we revisit every couple of years.  It's not just for women! Even though the book is written for women, I believe I could do this study with families or in a group of mixed gender.  Cover it in brown paper so the men can't see the title (LOL) and print up the Lies and the Truth along with a few key notes to pass out.  If Girlfriends revisit it in a couple of years or so, that's how I'll do it.

It's been a learning experience for me.  I've watched spiritual growth in several women AND that has been a joy!  There's been meetings when it was just me and one other lady.  There's been meetings when there would be 7 or 10 of us.  From this I've learned we shouldn't meet when Spring break is taking place, Summer shouldn't have a deep study more of a devotional and do more fun things, homes get bigger responses than meeting out in restaurants and coffee shops, our church Family Ministry Center (FMC) gets a bigger response than restaurants and coffee shops, Homes vs FMC there is a tie.  Our FMC is a house. People are more comfortable in houses, women are more comfortable in houses.  There is less noise in houses or "Sunday School" rooms because ... here's why we had to leave our dear Starbucks ... LOUD music! We were meeting at 5:30 PM. I kid you NOT that music was turned up around 6 PM. It seemed louder!  There weren't more people in there either. So I don't know if that is a ploy to get people to leave so more can come in or what but its a shame there aren't more coffee shops around that don't play music.   Oh, we aren't the only ones who had this problem! My Pastor has a men's group called Man to Man. They were meeting at Chic-fil-A on Saturday mornings. Couldn't hear each other! So, they moved to the church's kitchen.  Now, Chic-Fil-A does have a children's play place ... So, I really don't know what those guys were thinking! LOL  Anyway, as Girlfriends approach it's 1 year in September, I have learned a thing or two. :) I'm looking forward to learning more!!

With the Moms In Prayer Group, the only time numbers count is when there is only one. LOL Our main prayer target is Bowling Green High School. BGHS is in our church's neighborhood.  We started our chapter in January. Sometime in May, I over heard a conversation that made my heart LEAP with Joy! For the 2012-13 school year the police were NOT called to the school for any felony!! However, on the heals of that news, learned another school police had to go to 6 times!! We also pray for the schools our individual children attend. Like mine will be at Drakes Creek and Greenwood; another lady's will be at TC Cherry.  If moms come with children who are grown, we pray over their children's needs: work, family, etc. It's not for only young children! Its for all moms with children at different stages in life!  In Bowling Green, KY there are 3 registered Moms In Prayer groups.  I highly encourage moms to get connected to a Moms In Prayer group!! PRAYER is the BATTLE!

The Prayer Squad grew out of the Moms In Prayer! It's actually women in training to learn to pray. Now, there is NOT any one way to pray.  Sometimes, people don't realize there is a better way of praying.  Prayer isn't about getting that lousy husband to pick up his socks, it's about the praying wife's attitude toward her husband.  Prayer isn't about trying to get that lazy kid to do the homework, but about the praying mom's attitude and insight into her child.  Prayer isn't about getting God to do what I want but about me doing what God wants.  Prayer changes the heart of the person praying!  Sometimes we need to change the way we are praying. A good place to start is with scripture! Praying using scripture teaches us God's will! Praying His words back to Him aligns us with His will.  We aren't left guessing what His will is when we pray scripture prayers. Something begins to change in us! "Oh, this is what God is like!" or "Oh, this is what God desires for me and my family!" or "Oh, I didn't realize how deep God's love runs!" ... I could go on and on!  You should have seen me the week we did "God Is Good" and the one "God Is Just" ... Those two GOT me!  AMAZING!  I could spend a life time on those two attributes of God and still never fully understand His goodness and His justice!!  His good and our good; His justice and our justice ARE totally different!  What He desires of us and what we demand of each other are in conflict! I bold and underlined those two words for a reason. God desires and we demand.  Because God is Love, He doesn't "demand" His way. He commands His way leaving us the choice and then loves us when we don't choose His way. We demand things of other people and of God, then when it doesn't go our way "Well, so-in-so doesn't deserve my time of day!"  See the difference?  Again, I could spend every blog on this one subject and never touch it in the way it should be done. It's so deep! It's so vast!

So, here's where I'm at. The things I've learned since September 2012!  Looking forward to next week!!

Jesus the Source of Joy!

Lord Jesus, You fulfilled the psalmist prayer request! "Send out Your light and Your truth" for You at the light and You are the truth! "Let them guide me and lead me to Your holy mountain, to the place You live." You are the Way to the Father!

Why do I become so discouraged? Why do I allow my heart to be so sad? Forgive me for giving up hope the moment disaster comes my way! I desire to trust You completely!

Thank You, Jesus, for being my guiding light to God! Thank You for being the Way to God! Without You I would not have access to God! You are the Source of ALL my Joy! I will praise You and thank You with all I have!

Jesus, we pray Your Holy Spirit will reveal to ____ You are the way, the truth, and the life. May _____ know in his/her heart You are the only he/she can come to the Father. We pray _____ will understand in his/her heart that You are the only Source of Joy! Lord Jesus, may we be living examples of what Your joy can do! Your joy is peace of mind and heart. When troubles assail us, may we show we trust You and our hope is placed in You. In Your name, Jesus, we pray the Father's will be done through us. Amen

Scripture Reference: Psalm 43:3-5; John 8:12; 14:6

Send out your light and your truth; let them guide me. Let them lead me to your holy mountain, to the place where you live. There I will go to the altar of God,  to God—the source of all my joy. I will praise you with my harp,  O God, my God! Why am I discouraged? Why is my heart so sad? I will put my hope in God! I will praise him again—   my Savior and my God!

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Jesus spoke to the people once more and said, “I am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won’t have to walk in darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life.”

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Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.

Joy Comes In the Morning after Mourning

My God, I cry out to You and You answer me! I ask for help and You come to my aide! I will exalt You for You keep me from falling in to despair!  You are faithful to rescue! You are faithful to forgive!

Lord You are angry for only a brief moment. When I ask for forgiveness, not only do You show mercy, You forget my crime by not keeping a record of wrongs.  Lord, I do not want to sin by letting anger control me. I'm going to get angry! However, I don't want to stay angry. I want to let to and give You the cause. I want to forgive others as You have forgiven me.

Lord Jesus, I'm so thankful to You for turning God's wrath away from me! You have turned my mourning into joyful dancing! God's favor is upon me because of Your obedience! I WILL give You thanks as long as I live!

Sweet Lord, weeping may last through the night but JOY comes in the morning! We pray You'll turn  ___'s mourning into joyful dancing! Clothe ___ in joy! Lord, give ___ greater joy than a farmer has when harvesting an abundant crop! Lord Jesus, we pray each will know the joy that brings us peace to lie down and sleep in Your safety. May we make sacrifices in the right spirit and trust in U for ALL provision. In Your name we pray, Amen

Scripture Reference: Psalm 4:1,3-5,7-8; 30:1-5,11-12

Answer me when I call to you,
    O God who declares me innocent.
Free me from my troubles.
    Have mercy on me and hear my prayer.

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You can be sure of this:

  The Lord set apart the godly for himself. The Lord will answer when I call to him. Don’t sin by letting anger control you. Think about it overnight and remain silent. Offer sacrifices in the right spirit, and trust the Lord.

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You have given me greater joy
    than those who have abundant harvests of grain and new wine.
In peace I will lie down and sleep,
    for you alone, O Lord, will keep me safe.

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I will exalt you, Lord, for you rescued me.   You refused to let my enemies triumph over me. O Lord my God, I cried to you for help, and you restored my health. You brought me up from the grave, O Lord.You kept me from falling into the pit of death. Sing to the Lord, all you godly ones!  Praise his holy name.For his anger lasts only a moment,but his favor lasts a lifetime!Weeping may last through the night,  but joy comes with the morning.

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You have turned my mourning into joyful dancing.
    You have taken away my clothes of mourning and clothed me with joy,
that I might sing praises to you and not be silent.
    O Lord my God, I will give you thanks forever!

The Joy of The Lord

My Lord God, I will celebrate for You are God who loves me no matter where I go or what I do! Today is a holy day! It is a day You have made!! I will rejoice and not mourn for You are the source of my joy! The Joy of The Lord is my Strength!

My heart celebrates You!! There are days I'm so focused on my past regrets that my heart cries. Oh, Lord, You have washed my heart clean of the past sins! Forgive me for not forgiving myself! May my heart be glad for You make Your dwelling in me!

Thank You for this sacred day! Sunday thru Saturday are ALL Your days! Thank You for my Family in You! Thank You for blessing me with Your Holy Spirit! Thank You for always looking out for my best interest and withholding a good thing from me. I'm not rich but You are my Father and You bless me with what I need, when I need it!! Thank You for being so good!!

Lord Jesus, may ___ not mourn on such a day as this! May ___ know Your love and rejoice for the joy of The Lord is ___'s strength! Sweet Jesus, may I and my Family celebrate together ... Celebrate YOU! You are our strength, courage, and hope. When things happen that rob us of happiness, may we take courage and know it can't rob our hearts of JOY! Joy, the confidence that we have eternal life in You! We are safe and secure because of Your grace and mercy. May we be about Your work today. In Your name, Jesus, Amen

Scripture Reference: Nehemiah 8:9-12

Then Nehemiah the governor, Ezra the priest and scribe, and the Levites who were interpreting for the people said to them, “Don’t mourn or weep on such a day as this! For today is a sacred day before the Lord your God.” For the people had all been weeping as they listened to the words of the Law.

And Nehemiah continued, “Go and celebrate with a feast of rich foods and sweet drinks, and share gifts of food with people who have nothing prepared. This is a sacred day before our Lord. Don’t be dejected and sad, for the joy of the Lord is your strength!”

And the Levites, too, quieted the people, telling them, “Hush! Don’t weep! For this is a sacred day.” So the people went away to eat and drink at a festive meal, to share gifts of food, and to celebrate with great joy because they had heard God’s words and understood them.

Joy is Present Where God Dwells

God Almighty, Honor and majesty surround You! You are glorious and strong! Wherever You live, strength and joy are present!

Lord, may I bring You the offering You deserve! An offering of an obedient heart. An offering of surrendered will.

You are my strength when I am weak! Thank You for giving me the courage to face today! Thank You for being my Joy! When my heart is down cast by the heavy burden of life, You lift my spirit! Even in times of trouble may my heart be glad because You dwell in me. Thank You for such peace!

O Father! You are THE example! O God, may we not use any man nor woman as an example of who You are to us. You set the pattern for relationships! Lord, may ___ recognize You are glorious and strong. May ___ bring You the offering You deserve. May we worship You in ALL Your glory and splendor! Worship You today, tomorrow, and each day after that You give us breath! In Jesus name we pray, Amen

Scripture Reference: 1 Chronicles 16:27-33

²⁷ Honor and majesty surround him; strength and joy fill his dwelling.

²⁸ O nations of the world, recognize the Lord,recognize that the Lord is glorious and strong.

²⁹ Give to the Lord the glory he deserves! Bring your offering and come into his presence.
Worship the Lord in all his holy splendor.

³⁰  Let all the earth tremble before him. The world stands firm and cannot be shaken.

³¹ Let the heavens be glad, and the earth rejoice! Tell all the nations, “The Lord reigns!”

³² Let the sea and everything in it shout his praise! Let the fields and their crops burst out with joy!

³³ Let the trees of the forest rustle with praise, for the Lord is coming to judge the earth.

Jesus IS the LIGHT

Lord Jesus, You are the LIGHT of the World! I do not walk in darkness because You light the way! You lead to life ALL who follow You!

Lord Jesus, speak Your light in my mind and write Your words on my heart. May my heart burn hot for Your words and my mind meditate on all of Your teachings! You are the Word of God! May ALL Your teachings live in me!

Lord Jesus, thank You for shining brighter than the sun You placed in my day! Your words warm me. Your words nourish my heart, mind, body, and soul!! Your words are the Vitamin D for my spirit! Thank You, Lord Jesus, for being ALL I need!

Lord Jesus, be the light of ___, may ___  follow You and not walk in darkness because he/she will have the Light who leads him/her to life.  Sweet Jesus, may we not give up praying for the world who needs Your Light so desperately! Many people need Your nourishing light and thru the power of the Holy Spirit may we carry them Your Words.  Lord Jesus, we pray in Your name the Father's will be done in our lives! Amen

Scripture Reference: John 1:1; 8:12

In the beginning the Word already existed. The Word was with God, and the Word was God.

Jesus spoke to the people once more and said, “I am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won’t have to walk in darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life.”

God's Word Lights My Way

Father, God who is Light, Your Word is a lamp to guide me! Your Word lights up my path!

Father, forgive me for neglecting to study Your Holy Scriptures! When the psalmist prays "I have hidden Your word in my heart, that I might not sin against You," I can't say that! I DO desire to!  Create inside me a burning desire to study Your Word!

Father, I thank You for William Tyndale, Martin Luther, and many others who You guided to translate Your words into the "common" language! I thank You for the countless men and women who have followed in their footsteps, guided by Your Holy Spirit, to bring us Your words! I thank You for the technology that places many versions and translations of Your Word at my finger tips! I thank You for the audio versions of Your Word! Thank You for making sure I'd understand Your Word!!

Father, the teaching of Your Word gives light so even ___ can understand! Sweet Lord, may we not make Your words hard for anyone. May we be the ones who help carry Your light, Your Word, to those in darkness! In the name of Jesus Christ, we pray. Amen

Scripture Reference: Psalm 119:105, 130 (NLT)

105 Your word is a lamp to guide my feet and a light for my path.
130 The teaching of your word gives light, so even the simple can understand.

Note: I love the New Living Translation. I use it A LOT! However, I like the New King James Version, The New International Version, New Century Version, and many others.  I really like using Bible Gateway's "parallel feature" on it's web site! To view the same text in the different translations or commentary Bibles brings a rich, fullness to studying God's Word.  Bible Gateway and YouVersion both offer apps for downloading to your favorite on the go technology! iPhone, iPad, Nook, Kindle, Android. Both apps offer several translations in audio as well!  Of course, you can always visit www.biblegateway.com for the full effect the site has to offer!