Speaking God’s Word to Yourself

When our granddaughter moved away to begin life on her own, I gave he a flip-over calendar with a Scripture prayer or blessing on each page. I bought myself the same calendar, and told her that every day I would pray whatever prayer or blessing was on that date.

Today’s prayer of blessing is beautifully simple—May God’s peace cover you, His hope inspire you, His joy uplift you, His love surround you.

I sent her a note that I had prayed for her, and sent her this affirmation to speak and think about, especially on those days when things haven’t gone right—

I’m not discouraged, disappointed or frustrated, because God’s peace covers me, His hope inspires me, His joy uplifts me, and His love surrounds me, and I am precious in His sight!

I share it with you because this time of year it is easy for me to feel discouraged, disappointed, and frustrated. Rather than give in to those emotions, there is much peace to be found in speaking affirmations to ourselves based on God’s Word. Makes me think of something one of our favorite authors, Dallas Willard, said: We spend too much time listening to ourselves and not enough time speaking to ourselves.

So, dear ones, speak these words of peace and affirmation and let God’s peace, hope, joy, and love encourage you. And in addition, may His Presence guide you, His faithfulness encourage you, His strength enable you, His hand uphold you, His face shine upon you, and His favor rest upon you.

Our Shield From Holiday Stress

This morning I turned to Psalm 115, and my eyes lighted on verses 9, 10, and 11, where I had circled the same phrase in each: “…he is their help and shield.” In Hebrew words are repeated for emphasis, and to repeat this phrase three times makes it superlative, most important for us to pay attention to.

It struck me that in this Advent season of the year leading up to our Savior’s birth, we very much need God to be our help and shield. We need His help to keep in step with the Spirit to avoid the materialism the world constantly promotes. We need His help to keep our eyes on Christ, to avoid being swept away by torrents of busyness—much of which is good, but will keep us from God’s best if we let it. 

We must call out to God, our shield, to protect our minds from information overload, our hearts from being distracted by traditions that can take over our time and energy if we let them. Often, the more we try to simplify, the more complicated this season of the year becomes.

Father, be our help and shield…surround us with Your presence so that everywhere we go, in everything we do, we have the sense of being close to You.  Help us to recognize distractions for what they are, so that we can avoid or dismiss them.

Keep our hearts focused on Jesus, our Savior and Redeemer, so that all that we do will be done in His name and for Your glory. 

In Jesus’ name, amen.

Are we true worshipers?

It's the start of a new year--and a good time to gut check your prayer life.

Are you a true worshiper in your prayer life?

The first thing Jesus taught us about prayer was that we must worship in spirit and in truth, if we’re to be true worshipers. He told the Samaritan woman at the well, "True worshipers will worship in spirit and in truth." [John 4:21]

Jesus was not talking about emotion or feeling, but an act of the will; we choose to worship, or not. He went on to say, "God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth." [John 4:24]

Because God is spirit, our understanding of Him and our response to Him, must be in harmony with Him as a spiritual being. There must be something in us that can recognize and value Who God is, something that allows us to know and to experience Him. As our eyes are equipped to receive light, and our ears are designed to take in sound, we were created with body, soul and spirit, that we might commune with Him with our spiritual nature.

We were created for worship, equipped for prayer.

God is Spirit, and as we worship Him, true worship must be with our spirit in  harmony with His will and His purpose. True worshipers live in a continuing spirit of worship, rather than simply setting aside a special time for worship.

We’re created with the capacity to be those true worshipers, and we can live in a spirit of worship and truth, if we only will.

Prayer for today -- Lord, help us to be true worshipers, who live in a continuing
spirit of worship, for we ask in Jesus’ name, amen.

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