Encouragement through the power of the Spirit

Month: December 2015

Prayer for Christmas

I have been praying for many families through the holiday season. I’m sure you have too. I am reminded of people who are not here to celebrate the season with their loved ones, and sometimes the holidays just seem to be too much.

I have thought about the scripture in Luke 14:26. Jesus pretty much lays it out to not love your family or your life above him. Before I became a Christian, I thought he was a jerk to say the least, who hates their family? Now I understand Jesus is the only constant.

He is my comforter.

He is my teacher.

He is my advocate.

He is my love.

He is my everything.

Family isn’t constant. We try to love but often we fail. We are human. When life becomes hard to often we run to humans before God for comfort. We refuse to move forward and look to the past holding on to the hurt. Luke 9:62 talks about moving forward in life. Jesus was blunt, love him, don’t idolize your family, and move forward don’t live in the past.

Ouch, hard words.

Loving words actually.

When we know God not know of God, the level of intimacy surpasses anything on earth. When we busy ourselves loving others. The past with all of the past hurts doesn’t sting as much, life is moving forward. When we understand God is our ultimate healer and not our family, life is less stressful on everyone. I have been in the position of trying to make someone happy. The pressure of making someone have  peace and happiness was unrealistic .

Joy, peace, contentment,  and love come from God.

Prayer for today: Please God allow healing in our hearts. Let us love others. Please take the sting out of our past, missing others, and wanting our life to be different. Please let us rest in your love moving forward with intimacy with you.

In Jesus name Amen.

Did Mary Know?

I often wonder if Mary knew:

Knew her savior baby would serve and not reign in a traditional role of a king.

Knew he would be crucified in the end

Knew her life would be esteemed by some mocked by others

I know in my life, when my  prayers expectations on God didn’t line up with God’s answers, I felt rejected.

My child died. I don’t understand Why.

My parents weren’t the greatest. Why?

Relationships have failed. Why?

Why so much pain on earth?

When I think of Mary:

Was she scared to be a virgin and pregnant?

Did she wonder why a manger away from her family?

Did she question Jesus hanging on the cross, her son dying in front of her?

God never promised an easy road in life. He did promise to never leave or forsake us. I need to be reminded sometimes that God’s plan is more than my pride, my plan, and failure to lay my life down for his. This holiday season I am reminded of Mary’s willingness to follow even when it probably didn’t make much sense here on earth.

God’s Timing and Strength

business-abstract-time_G1fyPZw__LI am writing this now because I have procrastinated. I hate the feeling of being down to the wire.

I struggle with God’s timing as well.

I have been praying for my trust to build. I need to be content where I am now not where I want to be while working toward the goal God has laid before me.  I don’t understand why this is so difficult. I should be grateful for a clear goal. I should be content making progress. Frankly most days I want the end goal to be accomplished and then another goal to work on. My focus goes away from God who gave me the goal. I turn my focus to my timing and my work.

My God given gifts and talents become my idols.

I no longer trust in God to work through me and use me keeping my eye on him.

I rely on myself trying to obtain my goal in my timing through my strength.

2 Corinthians 3: 4-6

“We have this kind of confidence toward God through Christ. It is not that we are competent in ourselves to consider anything as coming from ourselves, but our competence is from God. He has made us competent to be ministers of a new covenant, not for the letter, but of the Spirit. For the letter kills, but the Spirit produces life.”

I am so self-defeating sometimes. Life really doesn’t need to be rushed, controlled, as stressful, as I make it.

God is working through me in his timing for his purpose. I need to be content and trust the process one simple goal at a time.

Prayer for today:

Please God let me get out of your way, work through me. Please let my focus be on you resting in your timing. I am competent through you not in my strength but in yours. In Jesus name, Amen