Category: Encouragement

Posted on

Power of Prayer

The Apostle Paul was a not only a preacher, but he was also a great writer of encouraging letters, and a man committed to prayer.

This morning, I want to share two of his prayers with you. They are prayers that have stood strong for thousands of years. They are prayers that have the power to change our lives.

I’m praying these prayers for you.

“… He also told us about the love you have from the Spirit. 9 Since the day we heard these things about you, we have continued praying for you. This is what we pray:

that God will make you completely sure of what he wants by giving you all the wisdom and spiritual understanding you need; 10 that this will help you live in a way that brings honor to the Lord and pleases him in every way; that your life will produce good works of every kind and that you will grow in your knowledge of God; 11 that God will strengthen you with his own great power, so that you will be patient and not give up when troubles come.

Then you will be happy 12 and give thanks to the Father. He has made you able to have what he has promised to give all his holy people, who live in the light. 13 God made us free from the power of darkness. And he brought us into the kingdom of his dear Son. 14 The Son paid the price to make us free. In him we have forgiveness of our sins.

15 No one can see God,
    but the Son is exactly like God.
    He rules over everything that has been made.
16 Through his power all things were made:
    things in heaven and on earth, seen and not seen—
all spiritual rulers, lords, powers, and authorities.
    Everything was made through him and for him.

17 The Son was there before anything was made.
    And all things continue because of him.
18 He is the head of the body, which is the church.
    He is the beginning of everything else.
And he is the first among all who will be raised from death.
    So in everything he is most important.

19 God was pleased for all of himself to live in the Son.
20     And through him, God was happy to bring all things back to himself again—
    things on earth and things in heaven.
God made peace by using the blood sacrifice of his Son on the cross.

21 At one time you were separated from God. You were his enemies in your minds, because the evil you did was against him. 22 But now he has made you his friends again. He did this by the death Christ suffered while he was in his body. He did it so that he could present you to himself as people who are holy, blameless, and without anything that would make you guilty before him. 23 And that is what will happen if you continue to believe in the Good News you heard. You must remain strong and sure in your faith. You must not let anything cause you to give up the hope that became yours when you heard the Good News. That same Good News has been told to everyone on earth, and that’s the work that I, Paul, was given to do.” Colossians 1:8-23 ERV

And now add to it this prayer from Ephesians:

“ So I bow in prayer before the Father. 15 Every family in heaven and on earth gets its true name from him. 16 I ask the Father with his great glory to give you the power to be strong in your spirits. He will give you that strength through his Spirit. 17 I pray that Christ will live in your hearts because of your faith. I pray that your life will be strong in love and be built on love. 18 And I pray that you and all God’s holy people will have the power to understand the greatness of Christ’s love—how wide, how long, how high, and how deep that love is. 19 Christ’s love is greater than anyone can ever know, but I pray that you will be able to know that love. Then you can be filled with everything God has for you.

20 With God’s power working in us, he can do much, much more than anything we can ask or think of. 21 To him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus for all time, forever and ever. Amen.” Ephesians 3:14-21 ERV

In prayer we tap into God’s power. Through prayer lives change, our lives change, by the power of God.

If you feel awkward and unable to find the “right” words in prayer, pray the ones above. Trust God and His great love. He will give you the wisdom and spiritual understanding you need for each day. His power working in you will be more than you can even imagine.

There is real power in prayer!

Posted on

Light the Way

I read a little quip recently. It went something like this. Do you know the purpose of the little toe? Its job is to find furniture in the dark.

Isn’t that the truth? I can certainly recall a number of times when I have gotten up in a place that I am unfamiliar with, not having sufficient light in the room and stubbed my little toe on the edge of a bed or chair. Yikes that hurts!

God doesn’t want us walking around in the dark. He has provided us with light for our way.

“A light shines in the dark for those who are good, or those who are merciful, kind, and fair.” Psalm 112:4 ERV

So many obstacles can be placed in our way on this path of life but God gives us light so we can maneuver around the pitfalls and the stumbling stones and even those sharp edges of furniture.

“I gain understanding from your instructions, so I hate anything that leads people the wrong way. 105 Your word is like a lamp that guides my steps, a light that shows the path I should take.” Psalm 119:104-105 ERV

God gave us His word so that we will have a well-lit path and not be caught in darkness. Jesus said He came to bring light to the world.

“Then Jesus said loudly, ‘Everyone who believes in me is really believing in the one who sent me. 45 Everyone who sees me is really seeing the one who sent me. 46 I came into this world as a light. I came so that everyone who believes in me will not stay in darkness.'” John 12:44-46 ERV

Jesus said that He was the light of the world. He shines in the dark places and lights the path so we don’t lose our way. He brings light to our souls and salvation to our lives.

Lighthouses were built as a beacon of safety for ships that had been out at sea. As they returned home the beacon would light the way. But it was almost necessary to have smaller lights lining the rocky shoreline. These lower lights steered the ships from danger.

Jesus is the light of the world. He is the bright beacon. God’s word is the lamp that lights our paths and we are the lower lights that are also necessary to bring others to safety.

“ You are the light that shines for the world to see. You are like a city built on a hill that cannot be hidden. 15 People don’t hide a lamp under a bowl. They put it on a lampstand. Then the light shines for everyone in the house. 16 In the same way, you should be a light for other people. Live so that they will see the good things you do and praise your Father in heaven.” Matthew 5:14-16 ERV

I like to think of us, as believers in Christ, like the moon. We have no real light of our own but we glow with the light that we have absorbed from the Son. We are a reflection of His light.

As we continue to stay in fellowship with the Lord and read His word, we will be a light to others.

This little light of mine – let it shine!

Posted on

Not Enough Time

One of the things I hear most from people is they would like to read the Bible on a regular basis but there just isn’t enough time.

This morning, I would like to have you read an entire chapter of Psalms with me.

“All of you nations, come praise the Lord! Let everyone praise him. 2 God’s love for us is wonderful; his faithfulness never ends. Shout praises to the Lord!” Psalm 117 CEV

end of chapter. done.

There was enough time for that and look what we learned.

God’s love for us is wonderful and his faithfulness never ends!

If you’ve ever experienced betrayal by a friend, then you will be encouraged to know that God’s faithfulness to you never ends.

If you’ve ever heard the crushing words of “I just don’t love you anymore” then shout praise to God because His love is wonderful and it never ends.

If you never read another chapter in the Bible read this one over and over again. Each morning, in each stressful moment, in the quiet of a hospital room or in the roar at a sporting event, read this chapter.

Take a screen shot and keep it in your phone.

God wants you to know that He loves you; you can trust Him, He is faithful!

Now if you have just a little more time, there are a few more verses I’d like you to read.

“Praise the Lord! He is good. God’s love never fails. 2 Praise the God of all gods. God’s love never fails. 3 Praise the Lord of lords. God’s love never fails…23God saw the trouble we were in. God’s love never fails. 24 He rescued us from our enemies. God’s love never fails. 25 He gives food to all who live. God’s love never fails. 26 Praise God in heaven! God’s love never fails.” Psalm 136:1-3,23-26CEV

Seems like a pretty important message that the Father wanted you to hear. God’s love never fails.

Never be too busy, make time for the important. God’s love never fails!

Posted on

Chosen – Not Left Out

Several weeks ago, I had the opportunity to share with a ladies’ group at a church in the Phoenix area. The teaching the Lord gave me was “Chosen Before the Foundation of the World”.

“ Before the world was created, God had Christ choose us to live with him and to be his holy and innocent and loving people. 5 God was kind and decided that Christ would choose us to be God’s own adopted children. 6 God treated us with undeserved grace because of the Son he dearly loves, and so we should praise God.” Ephesians 1:4-6 CEV

Stop and think about that. Before God said, “Let there be light”, He choose us to be His adopted children.

That truth is more than enough to drive out any feelings of insignificance or low self-esteem. We were chosen before there was anything in this universe but God, His Son Jesus and the Holy Spirit.

There has never been a time that we haven’t been part of God’s heart and His plan.

Now, more than ever before, those words “chosen by God” strike a deep chord whenever I read them in the Bible. I am chosen and you have been chosen by God!

Not ever the most popular, best dressed, prettiest or the best at sports, I remember the hurt of not being chosen. But that hurt was healed long ago. It was healed when I realized that God’s love and acceptance was enough. It became my mission, my calling, to let others know of God’s unconditional love.

This morning, while I was reading the last of Paul’s first letter to the Christians in Thessalonica, the admonition he gave them jumped off the page and touched my heart. I hope you don’t mind but from time to time when I come across these “chosen” verses I will be sharing them with you.

“ My friends, we ask you to be thoughtful of your leaders who work hard and tell you how to live for the Lord. 13 Show them great respect and love because of their work. Try to get along with each other. 14 My friends, we beg you to warn anyone who isn’t living right. Encourage anyone who feels left out, help all who are weak, and be patient with everyone. 15 Don’t be hateful to people, just because they are hateful to you. Rather, be good to each other and to everyone else.

16 Always be joyful 17 and never stop praying. 18 Whatever happens, keep thanking God because of Jesus Christ. This is what God wants you to do.

19 Don’t turn away God’s Spirit 20 or ignore prophecies. 21 Put everything to the test. Accept what is good 22 and don’t have anything to do with evil.

23 I pray that God, who gives peace, will make you completely holy. And may your spirit, soul, and body be kept healthy and faultless until our Lord Jesus Christ returns. 24 The one who chose you can be trusted, and he will do this.” I Thessalonians 5:12-24 CEV

Encourage anyone who feels left out. Be patient, be joyful, be prayerful, be filled with peace.

We have been chosen and the One who chose us can be trusted!

Posted on

It’s Today

Dave and I spent the afternoon with our 5 year-old granddaughter yesterday. Her birthday is tomorrow but we celebrated a little early.

Out to lunch and then to the pumpkin patch. Playing in the corn pit, feeding the animals, picking out a pumpkin and just being together. A time of celebrating and enjoying “today”.

Life is filled with today moments. Living, trusting, celebrating what God has done and who He has brought into our lives. Making memories.

Living in the present can be a real struggle; the past is always calling us back – back to better times or the opposite, trying to hold us in bondage to our failures. Then there’s the future and its promises and hopes but it too is filled with what if’s.

Living in the present. I know you’ve heard it said before, but it bears repeating. The “present” is a gift from God so we need to unwrap it and cherish it.

We need to make each day count. Not with the spectacular but with the simplicity. Being thankful for the small things, for the ordinary, for the sunrises and sunsets, for hugs and kisses, for sounds of joy and expressions of love.

“Let the name of the Lord be praised now and forever. 3 From dawn until sunset the name of the Lord deserves to be praised. 4 The Lord is far above all of the nations; he is more glorious than the heavens. 5 No one can compare with the Lord our God.” Psalm 113:2-5 CEV

The sun will rise this morning, and it will set again this evening. Those two events are a continual example of God’s faithfulness. He is always faithful even when we take things for granted. He never changes.

“Jesus Christ never changes! He is the same yesterday, today, and forever.” Hebrews 13:8 CEV

His love, mercy, forgiveness, truth, faithfulness, and holiness remain the same. As long as we have a today, those attributes of God continue.

Enjoy today – God’s grace and strength are yours!!

Posted on

Lessons from Autumn

Raised most of my life in the desert “Fall” never had much impact on my life. However, a few years ago when we first began to camp host in the White Mountains, I was awed by the beauty of this natural change.

The air gets brisk, the leaves begin to change – yellow, red, gold. And then they begin to fall leaving the branches bear and preparing to face the cold winter. But fear not, they will not die; they are just going through a stage of dormancy. They come back next Spring with new life, green and luscious.

Nature doesn’t fear change; it embraces it.

We go through changes. It can seem like our leaves are falling off and we are being left without a covering, but nothing could be further from the truth. God is our covering; He is our provider.

Why do we try to handle these changes on our own and then in futility say, “there’s nothing left to do but pray”. Prayer should be the first thing we do and then we should rest from worry while God works it out.

Psalm 138 is a short Psalm, only 8 verses but two major points are made.

1. The Lord places His word in the ultimate position of authority; it is ranked even higher than His name.

2. He promises to perfect those things that concern us.

So we should eagerly trust His word and let Him handle things!

“I will give You thanks with all my heart; I sing praises to You before the [pagan] gods. 2 I will bow down [in worship] toward Your holy temple And give thanks to Your name for Your lovingkindness and Your truth; For You have magnified Your word together with Your name. 3 On the day I called, You answered me; And You made me bold and confident with [renewed] strength in my life. 4 All the kings of the land will give thanks and praise You, O Lord, When they have heard of the promises of Your mouth [which were fulfilled]. 5 Yes, they will sing of the ways of the Lord [joyfully celebrating His wonderful acts], For great is the glory and majesty of the Lord. 6 Though the Lord is exalted, He regards the lowly [and invites them into His fellowship]; But the proud and haughty He knows from a distance. 7 Though I walk in the midst of trouble, You will revive me; You will stretch out Your hand against the wrath of my enemies, And Your right hand will save me. 8 The Lord will accomplish that which concerns me; Your [unwavering] lovingkindness, O Lord, endures forever— Do not abandon the works of Your own hands.” Psalm 138 AMP

Our heavenly Father makes a much better God than we do. He is asking for permission to intervene in our lives. He won’t force Himself on us. He won’t twist our arm until we give in and let Him help. But He will wait patiently and be there when we call.

Like the aspens, He has a plan for our future. Somethings must fall away and then new growth, new life will come.

Trust His word, rely on His strength, find peace in His provision and give thanks!

Posted on

Prayers of Hope

I sit here this morning in prayer for all those in the wake of Hurricane Helene.

Those who have missing loved ones; those who have loved ones who have died and those who have experienced the loss of their earthly possessions.

Praying also for those who are coming to help. First responders, good Samaritans bringing medical aid, food and water, clothing and temporary shelter. Those bringing hope!

I saw a post by Franklin Graham that over 800 volunteers have arrived to help the people in North Carolina. Medical teams, field hospitals, water, clean-up crews working and praying in those communities. May I encourage you to give a donation to Samaritan’s Purse to help fund these efforts.

Many of you are like me. So far away and unable to physically help but we can pray!

Prayer is never a secondary response. Prayer is powerful.

This morning my heart was drawn to two different Psalms.

“I will always praise the Lord.
2 With all my heart,
    I will praise the Lord.
Let all who are helpless,
    listen and be glad.
3 Honor the Lord with me!
    Celebrate his great name.

4 I asked the Lord for help,
and he saved me
    from all my fears.
5 Keep your eyes on the Lord!
You will shine like the sun
    and never blush with shame.
6 I was a nobody, but I prayed,
and the Lord saved me
    from all my troubles.

7 If you honor the Lord,
    his angel will protect you.
8 Discover for yourself
    that the Lord is kind.
Come to him for protection,
    and you will be glad.” Psalm 34:1-8 CEV

“I look to the hills!
    Where will I find help?
2 It will come from the Lord,
    who created heaven and earth.

3 The Lord is your protector,
and he won’t go to sleep
    or let you stumble.
4 The protector of Israel
doesn’t doze
    or ever get drowsy.

5 The Lord is your protector,
there at your right side
    to shade you from the sun.
6 You won’t be harmed
by the sun during the day
    or by the moon at night.

7 The Lord will protect you
and keep you safe
    from all dangers.
8 The Lord will protect you
now and always
    wherever you go.” Psalm 121 CEV

“Father, we pray for all who are recovering from this devastation. Comfort them, protect them, give them courage and hope. Let them experience Your love in a powerful way. Provide for them as only you can. Let them know that You are there! A very present help in time of trouble. In Jesus Name, Amen.”

Posted on

Worthy of It All

I do not enjoy getting up to a messy kitchen, but this morning that is exactly what I encountered.

Let me explain.

Last night when I was getting the coffee maker ready to go for this morning, I took the coffee canister out of the cupboard and the lid came off spilling grounds all over the counter and filling the sink. Ugh!

I grabbed the Dust Buster and began sucking up all the grounds, until the battery died. I had to plug it in and leave it charging overnight. The grounds on the counter had been swept away but the bottom portion of the kitchen sink is still covered.

Now, this is not life-changing disappointment, not earthshaking in the least. Nothing like what those on the East Coast are experiencing with loss of homes, all their worldly possessions and great loss of life. My little disappointment doesn’t even make a blip on the radar screen.

So why mention it?

It seems so insignificant, but God wants us to keep Him forefront in everything. It’s what comes out of the heart in times like this that matter. God wants us to live in His presence of joy, basking in His goodness, not grumbling and complaining about things. In the monumental or the minute’, the heart attitude is what keeps us centered, full of peace and focused on God’s provision and protection.

Throughout the night the lyrics to a praise song kept coming into my head and my heart.

“We give You the highest praise
We give You the highest praise
We give You the highest praise
Jesus our Savior
You’re worthy of it all” by Phil Wickham

We give YOU the highest praise, YOU are worthy of it all!

When we are meditating on the Word of God, day and night, we keep ourselves in an attitude of praise. We keep our eyes focused on Jesus.

“Whatever happens, keep thanking God because of Jesus Christ. This is what God wants you to do.” I Thessalonians 5:18 CEV

“Don’t worry about anything, but pray about everything. With thankful hearts offer up your prayers and requests to God. 7 Then, because you belong to Christ Jesus, God will bless you with peace that no one can completely understand. And this peace will control the way you think and feel.” Philippians 4:6-7 CEV

Notice that these verses don’t say that only when bad things happen that we need a stiff upper lip and we praise. No, it says whatever and anything; in other words, in all things, good and bad, we are to praise God and then we will be controlled by peace.

“Shout praises to the Lord! With all that I am, I will shout his praises. 2 I will sing and praise
the Lord God as long as I live…The Lord God of Jacob blesses everyone who trusts him and depends on him. 6 God made heaven and earth; he created the sea and everything else. God always keeps his word.” Psalm 146:1-6 CEV

If you’re in the midst of a terrible time, praise God that He is there with you and has promised not to abandon you but will bring you through it. If you have little annoyances, praise God that He has promised to keep you in peace as you stay focused on Him.

If you have a sink full of coffee grounds, be thankful that you had enough to make the morning coffee.

In everything, yes everything, give thanks for this is the will of God. He is worthy of it all!

Posted on

A Reliable Cure

Have you ever been to the doctor and had them ask you about your medical history and your family’s medical history? Lots of questions and sometimes you wonder if they are even listening as you answer.

This morning, I have a question for you. Do you have heart trouble? Are there triggers in your life that have or are now affecting your heart?

Then let me give you a prescription for the cure.

“Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.” John 14:1 KJV

Jesus spoke these words to his disciples right before His crucifixion. If anything would cause “heart trouble” for them it would be this, but Jesus’ command was don’t be troubled.

“My son, pay attention to my words and be willing to learn; Open your ears to my sayings. 21 Do not let them escape from your sight; Keep them in the center of your heart. 22 For they are life to those who find them, And healing and health to all their flesh. 23 Watch over your heart with all diligence, For from it flow the springs of life.” Proverbs 4:20-23 AMP

King Solomon knew the way to prevent “heart trouble” was to pay attention to God’s word. It provides health and healing to all who choose to live by it.

The dosing instructions for this prescription were given to Joshua by the Lord.

“Always remember what is written in that book of law. Speak about that book and study it day and night. Then you can be sure to obey what is written there. If you do this, you will be wise and successful in everything you do. 9 Remember, I commanded you to be strong and brave. Don’t be afraid, because the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:8-9 ERV

Twice a day are the instructions but more if needed – day and night.

So, if you are experiencing heart trouble this morning, I’m sending you to my cardiologist, He’s never lost a patient. You have a private consultation with Him, listen to His instructions.

“ I have told you all these things while I am with you. 26 But the Helper will teach you everything and cause you to remember all that I told you. This Helper is the Holy Spirit that the Father will send in my name.

27 “I leave you peace. It is my own peace I give you. I give you peace in a different way than the world does. So don’t be troubled. Don’t be afraid. 28 You heard me say to you, ‘I am leaving, but I will come back to you.’ If you loved me, you would be happy that I am going back to the Father, because the Father is greater than I am. 29 I have told you this now, before it happens. Then when it happens, you will believe.” John 14:26-29 ERV

I guarantee you that Jesus knew about situations that could weaken the heart. He had faced physical and spiritual attacks, mental temptations and reputation destroying lies. In the final night before His death, He was preparing the disciples to withstand the attacks of the heart.

“ I have told you all this now to prepare you. So when the time comes for these things to happen, you will remember that I warned you… 33 “I have told you these things so that you can have peace in me. In this world you will have troubles. But be brave! I have defeated the world!” John 16:4 & 33 ERV

Take the Great Physician’s prescription and keep your heart strong!

Posted on

Awesome Loving Father

Yesterday I had the wonderful opportunity to minister to and with the ladies of DCF in Phoenix. I always enjoy sharing God’s word with these special women.

This morning when I opened my laptop, there on the screen were the key verses from yesterday’s teaching.

“Praise the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ for the spiritual blessings that Christ has brought us from heaven! 4 Before the world was created, God had Christ choose us to live with him and to be his holy and innocent and loving people. 5 God was kind and decided that Christ would choose us to be God’s own adopted children. 6 God treated us with undeserved grace because of the Son he dearly loves, and so we should praise God.” Ephesians 1:3-6 CEV

Think about that – before the world was created; before there was a sky or stars, land or sea, before the elephants or eels, before the apples or the peaches; before the redwoods or the ponderosa pines, God choose us to become His children.

We have been in God’s heart and on His mind for longer than the world has existed. Amazing!

We are not an afterthought, an oops, a mistake; we are planned by God from the beginning to be His chosen ones.

“God always does what he plans, and this is why he appointed Christ to choose us.” Ephesians 1:11 CEV

As I said to those sweet women, there were lots of things in life I was never chosen for; I wasn’t homecoming queen or picked first for the neighborhood softball team, I wasn’t selected for honors choir, nor did I sit as first chair clarinet in high school band.

But I was chosen and so were you!

Chosen to be a part of God’s family; chosen to be loved; chosen to receive spiritual blessings in heavenly places.

“We have everything we need to live a life that pleases God. It was all given to us by God’s own power, when we learned he had invited us to share in his wonderful goodness. 4 God made great and marvelous promises, so his nature would become part of us. Then we could escape our evil desires and the corrupt influences of this world.” II Peter 1:3-4 CEV

I will be sharing more with you from this teaching in the days ahead, but for now, let these words “Before the world was created, God had Christ choose us” settle deep in your heart.

We have been chosen by God!

Privacy Policy Proudly powered by WordPress