prayer - CHRISTIAN REP

Gifts Of God’s Grace

Marie — Tue, 02 Apr 2013 02:55:53 +0000

I love the Grace of God.

I love the fact that HE looks for us! He wants to spend time with us. Not just hear our prayers, but he longs to just spend time together.

Isn’t that an amazing thought?

The King of Kings and LORD of Lords wants to spend time with us?

We wake in the morning and God sees us in our sleepy slumber and thinks, “THERE she/he is…. I HOPE they spend some time with me today!” or maybe it is something like “I hope we can sit and remember the wonderful things that made him/her smile yesterday! What a smile it will bring again today!”

OR maybe it will be, “I can’t wait until she/he sings today! I know it’s never on key, but it’s pure joy to my heart!”

But I wonder how often God may think “ Well, at least they talk to me in prayer, they think they need so many things…I wish they would just trust me more.”

Are we guilty of that?

Are we guilty of using and abusing the grace that God so freely gives us? We know His grace will reach farther than our minds can even imagine.

Do we use HIS grace as a get out of jail free card? Saying “well, I know that isn’t right but God will forgive me.”

It’s true, HE will – but intentionally trampling all over the gift of God’s grace is not a way of keeping the sweet fellowship that we all need, not to mention the horrible image of God that we are reflecting.

Imagine how your heart would sink if your children did that day in and day out. Imagine how your heart would feel if your child was known as the child that took advantage of your good graces. It’s not a feeling I want to endure.

God thinks we are so amazing and so precious that He sent His only Son to die for us. His grace is a blood bought gift that I treasure from the King of Glory.

I HOPE that you treasure it as well.

Majesty gives us grace.

Royalty paid our debt

The King of Kings loves us more than we can ever know.

Yes, we can come as we are, but think about bringing your best after we are part of HIS family.

Yes, HE calls us friend, but gladly show the respect that Royalty deserves.

Yes, we are his child and He will always adore us, but let’s love and ADORE our Father!

God’s Grace….don’t take it for granted.

1 Timothy 1:14
And the grace of our Lord was exceeding abundant with faith and love which is in Christ Jesus.

2 Timothy 2:1
Thou therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.

2 Timothy 1:9
Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began

Titus 2:11 For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men

Col 3:23 And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men;

1 Corinthians 1:3
Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.

httpv://youtu.be/gQzrqmcwg8o

httpv://youtu.be/Oj06mYUj5Wk

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Marie is the founder/President of Spreading Joy Corporation, a Non Profit that is dedicated to reminding others of the simple joy of giving. To find out more about making a difference for others without breaking the bank, more encouraging articles and more about her book Spreading Joy Daily please visit her site at http://www.spreading-joy.org

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The Purpose Of Practice

Mike Messerli — Wed, 24 Oct 2012 21:46:39 +0000

What is the purpose of practice? Practice means you haven’t mastered something yet, but are working on it. Here’s a simple definition from the dictionary,

Practice- repeated performance or systematic exercise for the purpose of acquiring skill or proficiency.

It’s the work we do so it doesn’t look like it took any effort at all to do it. It’s mastery of a skill. Archers shoot hundreds of arrows at a target until they are able to hit the center with precision. Gymnasts practice hours each day to make impossible feats of gymnastics seem effortless.

Practice makes a hack at the piano a master musician who draws thousands to hear him play. When we say, “I wish I could do that.” He would reply, “You can if you practice eight hours a day for about 20 years.” Practice. It’s the disciple we use to master something and become proficient at it.

My wife recently had surgery. She didn’t look for a doctor who was new to this type of surgery. She looked for someone who had done thousands of them. Why? His practice had made him a master at this difficult procedure.

You get the idea, don’t you, but I’m sure you’re wondering where I’m going with all this. I’m setting the stage for these amazing and often overlooked words from Jesus,

“Beware of practicing your righteousness before men to be noticed by them; otherwise you have no reward with your Father who is in heaven.” -Jesus, Matthew 6

What he didn’t say is “don’t practice…” He said be careful how and where you practice. Then, for the rest of the chapter he deals with the things he wants any disciple to master by practice- prayer, giving, fasting, etc. What we often miss in the words of Jesus is this- you will be practicing these things to master them, just be careful where and how you do it.

Today some are revisiting the very idea of practice and it has many confused. What this whole discussion is about is simply this- sanctification. All of these things Jesus talks about in Matthew 6 are simply the disciplines of sanctification. They are things we do to grow into Christlikeness. And, clearly Jesus knew we needed practice so he gives us guidance to perfect our practice.

What’s the goal? Hebrews 10:14- “He has made perfect forever those who are becoming holy.” The goal of practice is to become like the one who has saved us. It’s the practice of perfecting godliness (2 Cor. 7:1) and doing it intentionally that produces Christlikeness.* Then, one day, after all your practice, you will hear these words, “Well done, good and faithful servant.”

*A comment that will arise is this- “But what about the Holy Spirit’s work in us. You left that out.” Yes, I left it out for brevity. I am very aware that godliness and Christlikeness must happen as the Holy Spirit works in us and with us, but for brevity and focus on the topic I left this portion of sanctification for another day.

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Hope In Emptiness

Marie — Mon, 01 Oct 2012 23:26:58 +0000

I love that with the Resurrection there is hope in hopeless situations.

I love that even though it looks like things will end, that the beginning is right there in Christ, A new beginning in Christ. I love that when I feel that all is lost, the SONrise will remind me that the day can be even brighter when I choose to focus on HIM.

I love the joy we have in knowing that the gift of the cross is open and available for anyone who seeks peace that passes all understanding.

As we follow Jesus all the Way, This is my prayer for each of US

Lord, help us not to:

Focus on those that hurt me or use me for their gain. Even when I “thought” they were true friends. (Luke 6:28 Bless them that curse you and pray for them which despitefully use you)

Focus on how it looks like I’m not reaping from the goodness I’ve sown, when I’m so very blessed even though it’s not financial.

Focus on the impossibility because I know that with God all things are possible.

Focus on the why’s, the doubts or fears because I know to do so limits the good that I can do for the Lord.

Focus on the pain that engulfs my heart sometimes because in doing so, it blinds me from noticing and helping others that are hurting.

Focus on the famous because when I do, I lose sight of the forgotten ones that you bled and died for.

Focus on being powerful and mighty and just simply remain available for anything that you have for our life.

Focus on our inefficiencies but rather wrap my heart around the fact that I can do all things through Christ because HE strengthens me.

Focus on the past, because it will bog down my future with guilt, shame and keep me from pressing towards the great things God will do through me….right HERE, right NOW.

Lord, do help us to keep our eyes on YOU and to remain hopeful right in the middle of the impossible, because of the Empty Grave.

Remember:

Because of the empty grave, there is hope in emptiness.

Keep your eyes on the Lord. Hopelessness will try to consume you at some point in your life, but look to the empty tomb, and the hope in the Resurrection of Christ and know that He loves you enough to take on death, hell and your fears for you.

Don’t focus on fear or failure. Focus on the Father.

Yes, I will
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zWm5QmjXKyo

In Christ Alone
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rInAgpnmMnA

I will Follow
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0myWuADYea8
Marie Wikle the Founder and President of Spreading Joy Corporation wants to empower everyone to make a difference and give without guilt.
Here is a personal Warm Welcome to Spreading Joy. You’ll find links to interviews, no cost ways to make a difference and other things that are guaranteed to bring a smile to your heart.

We want to rise above the discouragement of high prices, the obstacle of dead ends and the disappointment of our comfort zone. We want to be the change that is so desperately needed.

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Heart Direction

Mike Messerli — Wed, 13 Jun 2012 00:42:44 +0000

“May the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God and into the steadfastness of Christ.” 2 Thes. 3:5.

I’m fascinated by this short, simple verse. It’s a prayer of Paul for those suffering in Thessalonica. I would have prayed “May the Lord direct your minds…” but Paul prays for heart direction. There is a knowing of the heart that the mind cannot comprehend. There is an assurance of the heart that the mind cannot grasp. There is a relationship with God of the heart that the mind can only dream about. In this time of rest and sabbatical I have been seeking the face of God. It’s a passion I acquired from David the king. He pursued the face of God. I can only imagine what that looks like because, in truth, it’s a heart quest, not a quest of the mind.

One of the things I find as I get closer to the face of God is his love and joy in my presence. He really loves me! He likes me, he really does. He’s glad to see me. Personally. I feel so inadequate to even be in his presence, unworthy, imposing on his time and attention, but he loves me. As my heart is directed into his love I begin to see myself as he does. I see the me he sees and it brings the same response that Jesus had to the love of the father….steadfastness. As Jesus prayed in the garden, steadfast in his decision to obey the father because of the father’s love for him and for us, he went to the cross steadfast in obedience because he knew the father loved him. I see I cannot walk in steadfast obedience until I know the father’s love. It’s his love that gives me the ability to be steadfast in Christ.

We all go through difficult days, days that challenge our commitment to faith, but the love of God will bring us to a steadfast walk that can only be known to the heart. The mind would say you are crazy, but the heart knows the Father’s love and that makes all the difference.

Visit Mike at Finishing Well.

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Praying Big Prayers

Mike Messerli — Wed, 14 Sep 2011 01:47:36 +0000

^{John 14:13} And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. ¹⁴ You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.

One of the passages of scripture that has troubled me my entire Christian life is this passage in John. These are words from the mouth of Jesus. This is a big invitation to ask. It’s haunting in its scope and difficult in reality. I’ve read many commentaries on this passage and others that speak about prayer, but still these words challenge me. They challenge me in my faith, in my prayers, in my view of God and in my desires personally.

Can I ask for a fancy car? A lot of money? A nice home? Some would tell me yes, that’s exactly what these verses talk about, but then I come to the words that follow the invitation by Jesus, “so that the Father may be glorified in the Son.” My prayers and God’s answers are meant to do one thing- glorify the Father through the Son. Does that limit my prayers? Not really, but it does focus them. Does what I want bring glory to God? Will it make JESUS look good rather than make me comfortable? This is an invitation to big prayers to a big God for a big reason- his glory. Honestly I don’t ask for big things. I should…the invitation has been extended. God wants me to ask. He promises to respond. He even tells me why he will answer.

Visit Mike at Finishing Well.

Could it be that my faith is so small, my prayers are so small because my God is too small? I think I need to see God right sized. I know I don’t always do that. That’s what big prayers and big answers will do….they will help me see God in the right way…so it’s time for some big prayers!

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The most important thing

Mike Messerli — Tue, 12 Apr 2011 14:24:25 +0000

I just finished teaching through the first three chapters of Ephesians and as we finished chapter three we came to Paul’s closing prayer for the first three chapters. After some wonderful theology Paul’s prayer focuses on one thing- that they would understand how much God loves them.

Honestly, it doesn’t seem to fit, but what Paul knew was that if you understand the love of God then everything else fits very nicely, thank you. It’s God’s love that brings all the theology of this book into sharp focus and makes faith possible in the midst of questions we can’t answer. If we could understand the love of God, even a little, it would buffer the pains and arrows of life. It’s that important. In fact, it’s the most important thing.

The atheist will argue with you contending that if God is all powerful and all good we have a problem. From those two parts of God’s nature they try to refute God’s existence, but they are focused on the wrong things. The key thing they must address…the key thing we each must address is the love of God. Does he love us? If so, if there is evidence for God’s love and his resolution of our problem, then I can endure the pains and woes of the difficult days because I know I have a wonderful God who is madly in love with me. It is the most important thing.

So, Paul concludes three amazing chapters with this prayer, “And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, ¹⁸ may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, ¹⁹ and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.”

To know that God loves you is the most important thing….and he does….he proved it at the cross.

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For Today

Marie — Tue, 24 Aug 2010 02:34:16 +0000

A Prayer For Today:

Father,

For today, help your child that is struggling to feel deep peace and happiness even though their mind is filled with thoughts of uncertainty.

For today, bring unspeakable joy in the midst of the storm so that we are reminded that YOU, alone are God and are worthy to be praised.

For today help us to know you are there, holding and comforting us, walking beside us each step of the way, even though our hearts are fearful, worried and unsure.

For today, help us to know that what you have waiting is all that we truly need to get through this day.

Even though we can’t see the rainbow for the rain, for today – help us to trust you, your unfailing love, your never ending grace, mercy and desire for us to be blessed beyond measure.

For today, help us to know that you delight in our delight and that we can be completely free of pain and hurt while we trust you to direct us as you heal our broken hearts.

For today, help us to see what a beautiful soul we are and that our love is a gift to others.

Help us to see that for today and always YOU are all we need.

In Jesus Precious HOLY Name, Amen!

This is my prayer for you today and always!
{{HUGS}} yall

@spreadingJOY

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