Our Job…

Our Job…

What is our job as Christians?  Such wisdom comes from the Bible: Ephesians 6 offers great insight, especially in the times we live in:

1Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right.

2Honour thy father and mother; which is the first commandment with promise;

3That it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth.

4And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.

5Servants, be obedient to them that are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in singleness of your heart, as unto Christ;

6Not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but as the servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart;

7With good will doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men:

8Knowing that whatsoever good thing any man doeth, the same shall he receive of the Lord, whether he be bond or free.

9And, ye masters, do the same things unto them, forbearing threatening: knowing that your Master also is in heaven; neither is there respect of persons with him.

10Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.

11Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.

12For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

13Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.

14Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;

15And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;

16Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.

17And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:

18Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;

19And for me, that utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly, to make known the mystery of the gospel,

20For which I am an ambassador in bonds: that therein I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.

21But that ye also may know my affairs, and how I do, Tychicus, a beloved brother and faithful minister in the Lord, shall make known to you all things:

22Whom I have sent unto you for the same purpose, that ye might know our affairs, and that he might comfort your hearts.

23Peace be to the brethren, and love with faith, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

24Grace be with all them that love our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity. Amen.

Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
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Eph 6:12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high [places].
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Eph 6:13 Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
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Eph 6:14 Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;
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Eph 6:15 And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;
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Eph 6:16 Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.
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Eph 6:17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:
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Eph 6:18 Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;
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Eph 6:19 And for me, that utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly, to make known the mystery of the gospel,

God Never Forgets Us

How many times have you gone to do something, only to be distracted by something else? Whether it is something as simple as the phone ringing and going to answer it, while you were getting ready to do the dishes or take out the trash?

Life happens so quickly, that we forget to take care of things. We often forget to pray. After all, praying takes so much time from our busy lives and those few minutes we can be doing so much more. No matter what the situation is in our lives though, we may forget to talk to the Lord, but God never forgets us.

When I first became a Christian, I remember hearing about how great God’s love for us is. The when we confess our sins, that He is faithful and just to forgive our sins. (1 John 1:9). I imagine Him tossing them into the ocean and them falling so far down that they are gone. As far as the east is from the west (Ps 103:12) – that is how much He cares for us! And if He cares that much, how can He possibly forget us?

Sure with our minds, that are limited by what we know we can see and do physically, we also want to limit God. If we can’t do it, then how can He? If we can’t do it, why should He? Its simple, because he loves us.  He loves us so deeply, that even when we turn our backs on Him (and we do) he waits patiently for us to remember Him. He waits for us to call on Him. He waits for us to seek Him. And when we do (this is the really exciting part) HE IS THERE! Waiting with open arms!

I realize that this line of thinking can open up the questions that people love to ask; If God cares, then why is there disease? Why is their sickness? Why? Why? Why?

If God loves me and never forgets me, why doesn’t He answer my prayers? I firmly believe that God ALWAYS answers my prayers. Sometimes the answer is “yes”. Sometimes the answer is “no”. And sometimes the answer is “wait”.  The only answer we WANT to hear or are willing to hear is yes. Anything else, we don’t want to hear. Since we are unwilling to hear anything but yes, then it must be that God doesn’t hear us.

Lord,
Open our hearts and minds to your will. Help us to hear you, even when you tell us something we don’t want to hear. Help us to understand your ways. Your word says that if we seek understanding, you will give it to us. Help us to not only be willing to seek understand, but to accept the questions and answer that come with understanding.

Help us to know our limitations, our frailties, so that in our weakness you can make us strong. Help us to remember that you never forget us, even we we have turned away and forgotten you. Let us be a light set to shine upon a hill for others to know and love you.

We thank you for your grace and mercy in all things,

In Jesus Name we pray.

Amen.

Prayer for today

Father God,

We thank you for your mercy and grace that you have shown our nation. We thank you that you continually watch out and keep us. Help us Lord to know your will. To know what you would have for your people. Help us to accept your healing hand in our lives and in our nation. Let us rejoice in the knowledge that you are a supreme God. You are Jehovah-Tsidkenu. The Lord our Righteousness. (Jer. 23:5, 6, 33:16)

Thank you Lord for your tenderness toward our nation. For helping us to see you through the turmoil that appears on the horizon. Thank you for bringing the rain, Lord. To our nation, to your people, through your people. We thank you for being a Holy God. Worthy of our praise.

We pray for the peace and prosperity of our nation. Thank you Lord for allowing us to humble ourselves and come before you in prayer and supplication and thanksgiving.

In Jesus Name,

Amen

No time to worry about tomorrow, today.

Matthew 6:34

34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.

Do you find yourself worrying about what is going to happen tomorrow? Are you caught up in what “might” happen? The bible tells us to not worry about tomorrow for today has enough problems to focus on. Perhaps that is what we are caught up in, worrying about how our troubles will affect us tomorrow. Remember that tomorrow isn’t promised to us. We need to learn to slow down and focus on what is before us this day.

Don’t let the day pass you while you fret about what tomorrow may bring. Don’t get so caught up in the possible down fall of tomorrow to forget to thank God for the things you have this day. If you have children, remember that they grow up fast and you don’t want to use tomorrow wondering what you should have or could have done differently while they were little.

This doesn’t mean that we don’t have to plan for tomorrow. We should always be prepared, but not so focused on potential hazards that we live our lives filled with worry, stress and fear. We need to live each day as it is given. Each day we need to ‘cast all our cares’ on the Lord for He does care for us. (1 Peter 5:7).

Lord,

Help us to live each day in accordance with your word and your will. Help us to remember that you care enough for us that we can bring our burdens, fears, sorrows, regrets and worries to you. That you will carry them for us. That we can lean on and rely upon you with all the things that cause us stress, worry and fear. That we know you are there for us in both our strength and weakness.

Father, help us to hide ourselves in your love, to bury ourselves in your peace that passes all understanding. To know that you care for us with all of our frailty and faults. Lord help us to grow in grace and strength through these things.

We thank you for helping us to know your will for our lives. But even when we are unsure and confused that you stand with us and for us. Help us to remember that when life seems filled with turmoil. Thank you Father for hearing our call and our prayer.

We pray this all in Jesus Name.

Amen.

Reading Suggestion: Just Enough Light for the Step I’m On.

Time to start thinking about Mom

As Mother’s Day is quickly approaching, two days from now in fact, it is time to start thinking about Mom. I know for some people this can be a difficult time of year, whether it is due to the loss of your Mother or because you may have grown up in an environment where you Mother was less than loving. The one thing that we all can do, however, is prayer for our Mom’s. No matter what the circumstances were surrounding your childhood, good or bad, it is in our power to encourage and seek the power to forgive, if need be, through prayer and understanding.

Sometimes it is difficult to be able to forgive wrongs that have been done to us. It can even be difficult to be willing to pray for those who may have done us harm in our past. However, in order to live our lives to the fullest, we need to learn to move forward. One of the ways to work through our problems is through prayer.

Perhaps you have been blessed with a loving, supportive Mom. Prayer still is a wonderful thing, for parents go through struggles and when you pray, you can help them get through it.

Lord,

We thank you for your guidance and support in our lives. We thank you for our parents giving us life. We ask that you will bless them this day to know you and understand your ways. To follow in your path, open their hearts and minds to your will. Wrap them in your arms of love and take care of them. Bless them with health and happiness and the willingness and understanding to follow you. Give them strength to make it through the trials that come each day. Thank you for blessing us with your enduring love and tender mercies.

In Jesus Name we pray, Amen

Prayer Thanking God for His Goodness and Mercy

Father, I thank you for your goodness and mercy. For showing us your love every day. I thank you that you have called your people to you. To worship and praise you, to give us an opportunity to say thank you for your mercies every morning.

Lord, I pray for those who are broken hearted. Those who have been emotionally hurt and feel that there is no one out there to love and care for them. I ask you to wrap your wings of love around them. To hold them tenderly and let them know that they are cared for. That you care for them. I ask that you send someone to them, to touch their lives and show them joy. Let our light shine so that others may know You through us.

We thank you for your compassion that is new every morning.

In Jesus name we pray, Amen.