Peace through Prayer

As the deer pants for the water brooks, so pants my soul for You, O God (Psalm 42:1 NKJB).

There is a difference between praying our prayers & really praying.  We should want a relationship with God above anything else in the world.  Most people pray without really wanting intimacy with God.

I thirst for God, the living God, When can I come and stand before him? (Psalms 42:2) - Do you want God that much?  Be honest.  Talk to God about how you are really feeling!  That kind of honesty in prayer will pave the way for God to heal the real needs & not just take care of the whims.  

Use Psalm 42 as a model on how to pray to God.  This will lead you into deeper levels of prayer.  Let the steadfast love of God draw you back to the loving arms of the Father.  Remembering what God has done in your life will lead you to expect answers to your prayers.

Stop Complaining!

I said to myself, "I'm going to quit complaining!" (Psalm 39:1 TLB)

There are two choices we can make when we are faced with things that trouble us, either about ourselves or others.   We can complain or we can confess.   We need to learn one from the other, only then can we have greatness in Christ.

The Bible is very honest about human nature...after all who knows us best?  Our creator who made us!  Psalm 39 gives us a plan on how to deal with frustration.   God wants to hear our honest feelings IF we are ready to take them to confession. 

We all have complaints about our job, money, or situation, but complaining to others may make them think that God cannot take care of us.   We should take our complaints directly to God.  When we turn our complaints into confession we link ourselves to the power of God.

Challenges & Opportunities

              Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord, O my soul! (Psalm 146: 1 NKJB)

Have you ever wondered what life would be like without all the challenges & opportunities?  What if you did not have full days & busy schedules?  Would you ever realize the strength you obtain from God which goes beyond your human capabilities?

Many of us complain about busy schedules, but it is good to have a full life.  The important thing to focus on is, what are we accomplishing?   The abundant life in Christ is at full speed, we are never finished.  It is not wrong to be busy if we are doing God's work in His power.

Psalms 146 shows that help from people is temporary but help from God is lasting.  So in your business you need to learn to draw your strength & get your help from the Lord.   How do we do that?  One way is to "Praise God"!

Valley of Fear & Worry

                    Though I walk through the valley...Thou art with me (Psalm 23:4 KJV)
    
In Psalms 23 God is seen as a dependable shepard & a caring guide.  We must follow God & obey him.   He is our only hope of eternal salvation.   In the first verse it says, "The Lord is my shepard."  Just as Christ is the shepard, we are His sheep...not frightened animals, but obedient followers, wise enough to follow the one who will lead us in the right places. 

When we allow God to guide us, we have contentment.  When we choose to go our own way we cannot blame God for the life we create for ourselves.   God knows the places that will restore us.  We will reach these places if we follow Him obediantly.

 Death throws a shadow over us as humans because it is something that we cannot control.   We can struggle & win over pain, injury, grief, & disease but our strength & courage cannot overcome death. It has the final word.   Our shepard is the only person who can walk with us through this valley.
                 
Our shepard not only walks with us in our life, but in our death, & to the other side - eternity.  So what is your fear or worry?  What is your valley of death?  God does not make fun of our fears. He understands.  He wants us to know that if we put our hand in His, we can make it through anything.

Bible: Flowing Streams of Water to Feed Our Life

We have flowing streams of the whole Bible as water to feed the tree of our life.   Each day that we read a portion of the Bible it is water that feeds our spirit.   The residual effect is a beautiful life & the fruit of character.

Each day we need to put our roots in Christ, then we are refreshed.   Out of His word Christ will give us a thought that will change our day.  Expect nothing less!  Think about His Word,  spend time reading & thinking about what you have read.  It means asking yourself how you should change so you're living how God wants.   Knowing & thinking about God's Word are the first steps in applying it to your everyday life.   If you want to follow God more closely, you need to know what He says.

The more we want to obey God, the more fruitful we are.  If you want God's blessing, make friends with those who love God & His Word.   God wants to prosper you!  The word "prosper" in the Bible does not mean you will not encounter failure or difficulties.  Nor is it a guarantee of health, wealth, & happiness.  Prosperity in the Bible is this:  When we apply God's wisdom, the fruit we bear will be good & receive God's approval.  Soak up God's Word, producing actions & attitudes that honor God.   We must have God's Word in our hearts.

Forgiveness Towards Others

The cross makes every year a year of celebration & freedom. Jesus death cancels our sin & gives us the freedom to be forgiving. What if we committed this whole year to be one where we set people free by loving them? That can happen through us if it happens to us.

There are three steps to a year of celebration. First, accept forgiveness from Christ. Second, ask for forgiveness from anyone you have hurt. Thirdly, forgive those who have used or hurt you.

Make a list of people who need your forgiveness. What does God want you to say & do for them that lets them know that they truly are forgiven. I have had to ask God to help me when I asked him to forgive some who have hurt me. The two that came to my mind were people who had already passed away.

Hope for the Future

The true sign that we have a relationship with Christ, is that we believe in the future more than the past. We can not look at our past for confidence from things we have accomplished, nor can we look at our past in order to condemn ourselves for the failures & sins in our life.

He has plans for each one of us to grow in His grace so that we have hope in our future. Hope gives us the ability to dare, strength to face our day to day struggles, & the ability to live adventurously.

Hope comes from something or someone else. True hope comes from Christ & His ability to create something wonderful in our lives. His resurrection is our ultimate source of hope. Nothing, not even death could defeat Him. So if He is in us that means we cannot be defeated.