April 19, 2024

Anxiety

November 25, 2015 by

seekingHimthanksgivinggraphic

Do not be anxious about anything
but in everything
by prayer and petition with thanksgiving
present your requests to God.
Philippians 4:6

*  ~  ♥  ~  ✞  ~  ♥  ~  *

Brethren, the essential cure for worry is prayer.  And here are the  following reasons… Through prayer

1) we renew our trust in the Lord’s faithfulness by casting all our anxieties and problems on Him who cares for us

 

…Casting all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you.
1 Peter 5:7

Matthew 6:25 – 34

2) God’s peace comes to guard our hearts and minds as a result of our communion with Christ Jesus

Then God’s peace,
which goes far beyond anything we can imagine,
will guard your hearts and minds
in union with the Messiah Jesus.
Philippians 4:7

You keep him in perfect peace
    whose mind is stayed on You,
    because he trusts in You.
Isaiah 26:3

Colossians 3:15

3) God strengthens us to do all the things He desires of us

I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.
Philippians 4:13

4) we receive mercy grace and help in time of need

Therefore let us draw near with confidence
to the throne of grace,
so that we may receive mercy
and find grace to help in time of need.
Hebrews 4:16

5) we are assured that in all things God works for our good

I am not saying this because I am in any need,
for I have learned to be content in whatever situation I am in.
Philippians 4:11

And we know that God causes all things to work together for good
to those who love God,
to those who are called according to His purpose.
Romans 8:28

Therefore, I urge each one of us not to murmur and worry when we face the  adversaries of this life.  Take it to God in prayer.  He is the Author and Finisher of our faith.  And there is nothing hard for him.  All things are possible.  Remember He has all the power to change any situation.  He was able to part the Red Sea for the Israelites to pass through; is it impossible for Him to take care of that problem you have?  He was able to calm the storms; do you think He can’t calm your storms?  Remember He never changes.  He is always the same… yesterday, today, and forever.  Whatever He says He will do, He will do it.  He said to cast all your cares to Me and I will take care of you.  And He will.

*  ~  ♥  ~  ✞  ~  ♥  ~  *

Dear Lord, we bless You, we glorify Your Name for there is not any other God besides You.  You are the great I AM, the immortal, the  invisible, the One who is sovereign.  We bless You for You are God. We thank You for the everlasting love and mercy You shower upon us. We give You all the praise, Lord.  Thank You for Your Word that shows us Your lovingkindness for as long as You shall take care of our petitions; we see Your greatness, dear Lord. We thank You for taking care of our anxieties.  Help us, Lord, to trust You with our lives and everything about us more and more in Jesus’ name.  We give You all the praise and all the glory.  Thank You, Father, for answering our prayers.  In Jesus’ name I have prayed.  Amen.

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His Promises For You

September 11, 2015 by

encouragementbloggraphicromans15

You keep him in perfect peace 
whose mind is stayed on You,

because he trusts in You.

Trust in the Lord forever,

for the Lord God is an everlasting rock.
Isaiah 26:3-4

*   ~   ♥   ~   ✞   ~   ♥   ~   *

My mind has not been at rest lately.  In fact, if I am completely honest, I haven’t allowed God to have my anxious thoughts—until today.  Have you ever gotten so tired that you finally gave in?  I wish I could tell you that I had this grand revelation and that I willingly handed it all over.  Honestly, God has been proving over and over and over that He is so capable of taking care of my affairs much more than I am.  See, this season of my life is so different for me in that I have two of my children living away from me now and I truly have to give them over to Him, physically and mentally.  Oh, this is very hard…so I went to His Word and found  many verses on just this.  I thought I would share because I know that, even though we are all in different seasons, we all need to trust in Him.

But You, O Lord, are a shield about me, my Glory, and the One who lifts my head.
Psalm 3:3

He is a shield when the world is coming at us in all directions.  And, when it seems that we are defeated, He lifts our heads out of the shame and into His grace.  He wants us to look up at Him and let His glory shine so bright that it dims all the hard that is around us.

For everyone born of God overcomes the world.
This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith.
1 John 5:4

Did you read that?  It says “everyone“…that means you, too.  You were born an overcomer.  In Jesus we have victory over the world because He died and overcame it for us!  All we have to do is have faith.

  • faith that He will help you with that marriage that is at the brink of defeat
  • faith that He can heal that illness that you have been battling for so long
  • faith that He can take care of that child that you feel is lost forever

Nothing is too much for Him! We have the victory in Jesus!

Be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid of them!
The Lord your God will go ahead of you.
He will neither fail you nor forsake you.
Deuteronomy 31:6

What a comfort to know that, no matter where you or your children go, He goes before you all.  When you are sending those babies back to school…pray that God will go before them, and that He will be at that homeroom before they are, and that He will give them peace.  Or, when you have a meeting that you are really unsure about…ask God to meet you there; even in the parking lot to walk in with you.  He will!

Be strong and have courage to do this life that He has called you to live.  You have nothing and no one to fear when He is with you.  Lastly, remember His promise to never fail you or forsake you.  Oh, how loved we are by our Creator.  I don’t know about you but, after reading these promises, I am full of joy and cannot stop smiling!

*   ~   ♥   ~   ✞   ~   ♥   ~   *

Where are you today, my friend?  What do you need to trust Him with?  I encourage you to pray these verses to your Heavenly Father asking Him to do what you cannot do by yourself.  Perhaps write these verses down on notecards and put them where you can see them daily.  He wants to encourage you and fill you with peace that only He can give you. I pray that you will feel it today!

Let’s pray!
Dear God, You are so awesome and amazing and so full of love for Your children.  Oh Lord, thank You that You never change and that all Your promises are true.  Thank You for all those who went before us—those whose stories are written in the pages of Your Word—to teach us and to prove to us that You will take care of us.  You will provide.  You will never fail us.  You will never leave us. And, Lord, for those today who are having a hard time trusting You, I pray that You show up today in a big way so that they will know beyond any doubt that it is You!!!  We love You and we praise You. In Jesus’ name, amen.

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Glorious Living w/ Coach Megan: Trusting God {a prayer exercise}

October 18, 2013 by

GL header

Dear Megan,

Lately I have really been struggling with trusting God and I feel horrible about it. In my heart, I know what I need to do, but my mind is fighting me every step of the way. I don’t know if you can help, but I just don’t know where to begin.

~T

My dear T, we have all walked through these seasons and I am so happy you have reached out for help. In addition to being in the Word daily and having as much quiet time with the Lord as possible, I have found this prayer exercise to be very helpful in training my heart to work with my mind in letting go and trusting God with every single little thing. I pray this is a blessing to you.

Trusting God {a prayer exercise}

A five-minute exercise you can do anytime you need to.

Your heavenly Father promises relief from adversity for those

who honor him, have faith, and trust him.

A word from scripture:

Even in darkness, light dawns for the upright. Psalm 112:4 (NIV)

 ***

The way of the righteous is like the first gleam of dawn,

which shines ever brighter until the full light of day. Proverbs 4:18 (NLT)

Meditation Guidance:

 1. Tell your Heavenly Father that you are looking to Him for relief, like the dawn, to come. Talk about your faith and trust in Him. Speak of your doubts also. Use these scriptures to shape your prayer:

I rise early, before the sun is up; I cry out for help and put my hope in your words.

I stay awake through the night, thinking about your promise.

In your faithful love, O Lord, hear my cry; let me be revived

by following your regulations.

Psalm 119:147-149 (NLT)

***

Desperate, I throw myself on you: you are my God! Psalm 31:14 (MSG)

***

To you, O Lord, I offer my prayer; in you, my God, I trust. Psalm 25:1-2a (GNT)

***

But even when I am afraid, I keep on trusting you. Psalm 56:3 (CEV)

***

Even if I go through the deepest darkness, I will not be afraid, Lord, for you are with me.

Psalm 23:4 (GNT)

2. Talk to your heavenly Father about the despair and darkness in your life. Cry out to God. Use these scriptures to help you:

O Lord, hear me as I pray; pay attention to my groaning.

Listen to my cry for help, my King and my God, for I pray to no one but you.

Psalm 5:1-2 (NLT)

***

Listen, God, I’m calling at the top of my lungs: “Be good to me! Answer me!”

Psalm 27:9 (MSG)

***

Hurry with your answer, God! I’m nearly at the end of my rope.

Don’t turn away; don’t ignore me!

Psalm 143:7 (MSG)

***

Look on me and answer, Lord my God. Give light to my eyes, or I will sleep in death.

Psalm 13:3 (NIV)

 

3. As you wait for your heavenly Father to answer your prayer, meditate on these scriptures to strengthen you:

Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him. Psalm 37:7 (NIV)

 ***

Only God gives inward peace, and I depend on him. Psalm 62:5 (CEV)

***

You, Lord, are my shepherd. I will never be in need. You let me rest in fields of green grass.

You lead me to streams of peaceful water, and you refresh my life.

You are true to your name, and you lead me along the right paths.

Psalm 23:1-3 (CEV)

***

I can lie down and sleep soundly because you, Lord, will keep me safe.

Psalm 4:8 (CEV)

 ***

I know that I will live to see the Lord’s goodness in this present life.

Psalm 27:13 (GNT)

4. Repeat as often as needed and let each and every word in the Scriptures penetrate the depths of your soul. Breathe  in the truth of God’s Word and let satan’s lies tumble on out.

Your assignment: give one thing over to God today to trust Him with.  It can be as small or as big as you want it to be…just give it to Him.  Once you do, it is not yours anymore.  Do this exercise to keep that thing out of your imperfect hands and safely in the magnificent hands of our Lord and Savior!

Blessings,

Megan 🙂

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Glorious Living w/ Coach Megan: Guarding Your Heart

April 19, 2013 by

 

GL header

Dear Megan,

I am really struggling lately and everywhere I turn I hear “guard your heart,” but I don’t feel like I really know what that means. I want to just shut my heart down so it won’t hurt anymore, but I know that isn’t what God is calling me to do. HELP! Any guidance would be appreciated!

~S.

This is such a great question, S, and it is so important to get our heart around it to truly be living the abundant life God calls us to! Thank you for reaching out!

So….What does it really mean to “guard your heart?”

I keep coming back to the same verse: “… and the peace of God which transcends all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:7).  There’s so much meat in this verse; but today I want to talk about a particular piece – “guard your hearts.”

It seems to me, the best way to protect ourselves in this world, in relationships, jobs, dreams, or whatever, is to keep our expectations in check.

There are two verses people often quote with regard to guarding one’s heart. The first is Proverbs 4:23. In the NIV it reads “Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life.” The King James and the NASB, however, choose a slightly different word than “guard.”  NASB says “watch” and KJV says “keep.” And we must remember that in the Hebrew, “heart” actually means far more than the seat of our emotions. It’s our mind, our soul, our inclinations, etc.

When we consider this, and look at the verse in context, it’s not telling us to guard, in the sense of how we might use this word in modern English. It’s not telling us to clamp down, be closed off, walled apart…it’s just telling us to be wise.  Solomon is imparting wisdom to his son and is telling him to remember his words, embed them in his heart and try to keep himself from going astray. It means that we should pursue the truth of scripture, such as that God loves us, is trustworthy, and is for our good, so that we make wise decisions. I don’t believe it means we’re to tense up in self-protection…. But that is what we tend to do, isn’t it?

If we only consider this first verse, we might be inclined to actually forget the truth of God’s ways, His sovereignty, and His love, and take too much into our own hands. We’ll try to desperately control our environment, and every thought and emotion, thinking we’re doing the right thing. We are told to take every thought captive, but here’s where that, in excess, falls apart and ceases to be of God.…

How much angst and stress are you putting into trying to figure out how to guard your heart?

How crazy are you making yourself trying to figure out what to do and not do, so that you won’t get disappointed or disappoint someone else?

 That is not God’s will for you. God wants you to trust Him, be in the moment, and seek His wisdom and guidance ALONG the way…not build a fortress around you so you can’t experience anything! Do you realize that if you guard your heart too much…you may actually miss what God has for you? You may entirely sideline His will and plan because you’re too busy protecting yourself. We need to learn to be okay with uncertainty and just go with it, maybe even open our hearts up a little, remembering that God is good no matter which way things go.

This is where we bring in the second verse. Philippians 4:6-7 reads “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” This is a little different than in the first verse, and they have to be taken together.

Here, it is God’s peace that guards your heart. It is a work of God…not a work of you. God doesn’t want us to live in anxiety and worry. And uncertainty sure causes this, doesn’t it? But instead, God wants us to lay our requests at His feet, thank Him for who He is and what He has already done…and leave it at that, knowing He’ll continue to do good in the future.

We don’t pick it up again. We let the peace of laying it down guard our hearts. This submission is based on that constant insistence that God loves us and is for our good. I’ll say it 1000 times because it IS the most important thing for us to EVER understand. God loves us with an immeasurable love. God loves us so much in fact, that we may not get our way, because He knows better. He will do what is for our good. Pray this deeply into your heart. Confess and release all your fears that are keeping you from this truth in the wholeness of your life. That is where you’ll find peace and how your heart will be guarded in a way that you can experience all God has for you, in wisdom, joy, and grace.

You see…the enemy wants us to miss out on all the good things God has for us by getting us to worry and doubt. Sometimes we need to sit in uncertainty when we want to RUN!!!! But if we run, we will miss God. We will miss what He wants to show us in the situation, things He wants to teach us, ways He wants to bless us, and ways He wants to use us to bless others. God just wants us to believe Him and go with it. He wants us to have the freedom to experience what He has for us without fear. That may mean living in a lot of uncertainty, but don’t wall yourself up to avoid getting hurt. Just be at peace, let God be God, and take it all one day at a time.

Where might you be wrestling with expectations today? Is it a struggle at work? A living situation? A family situation? A relationship that you just don’t know which way it’s going to go?

Release it.

It’s going to work out exactly as God has planned and it WILL be good, any which way. Just enjoy today. Enjoy God. Enjoy the process. Enjoy the uncertainty with great expectations of what God will do through it. Submit to trusting God, ask Him for discernment in wise actions, and leave the rest to Him. Remember, His ways are not our ways, so we probably won’t be able to figure it out anyway.

AMEN!….. and blessings to you,

Megan 🙂

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A Daughter’s Worth: Week 12/ Day 4 – Rest in the Hope of God

December 20, 2012 by

GCH_LifesJourney

I believe that we all have things that we worry about. It can be hard not to worry and work things out on our own. We have to learn how to truly give our problems and worries over to God, for Him to work out for us. If we tried to work it out on our own, it would probably drive us to a state of frustration and anxiety. It can be hard to give something over to God that you want to fix on your own, when you know that you really cannot.

I can say that I have for the most part of my life, been a worrier. I have always tried to fix things on my own, even when I knew that I couldn’t. I usually made the problems worse for myself. If I only could have given it over to God and rest in the hope that He would fix it for me. It has never been an easy task for me to do. I can now say that I am having to learn how to do this because of the different things that God has placed in my life for me to have to deal with. I am eagerly placing them all in His hands because surely I know now that these are things that I cannot physically handle on my own.

Girls, please don’t take as long as I did to figure that out, that God wants you to bring your worries and problems to Him and rest in knowing that He is going to handle it, in His time. He loves you so much! If you don’t know yet, He really, really does! Give Him a chance to show you : ) Give whatever you may be wrestling with, worrying about, frustrated with, over to Him and watch Him work it out for you, because He loves you and you are most definitely one of His daughters! : ) Rest in knowing that He is on the job!

Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

Matthew 11: 28

Let’s pray:

Dear God thank You for allowing us to take this journey with You called, A Daughter’s Worth. We have learned so much and made so many new friends and Lord we ask that You continue to watch over them and deepen Your relationship with them.

Love, Ms. Tonya : )

 

Have you found things in your life that are extremely difficult to deal with?  We invite you today, to ask Jesus into your heart to help you with these things.   Whether it’s stress, fear, anxiety, temptations, peer pressure, whatever it may be, Jesus can and will give you wisdom, guidance, and rest!  If you would like to ask Jesus into your heart today, please pray with us now:

Jesus, I recognize now that I was not meant to handle all these cares and pressures on my own.  I know now that I can turn to You and ask You to come live in my heart, as my personal Lord and Savior, and I know that You will guide me from now on.  Jesus, I ask You today, right here and right now, to come live in my heart.  I invite You to be my Lord and Savior.  I confess my sins to You today, and I ask for Your forgiveness.  Cleanse me of the unrighteousness in my life.  I thank You now Jesus, for dying on the cross for ME, and for my sins.  In Your Name I pray, AMEN!

If you have just prayed that prayer with us, please send us an email and let us know.

Our email address is: GCH_Decaf@girlfriendsCoffeeHour.com.  We would like to celebrate this day with you!!

Be Blessed!!

 

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Letter from Dad….

December 14, 2012 by

Letter From Dad~

My Dear Child,

You may not know me, but I know everything about you.  I know when you sit down and when you rise up.

I am familiar with all your ways. Even the very hairs on your head are numbered. For you were made in my image.  In me you live and move and have your being. For you are my offspring. I knew you even before you were conceived.  I chose you when I planned creation. You were not a mistake, for all your days are written in my book. I determined the exact time of your birth and where you would live. You are fearfully and wonderfully made.
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I knit you together in your mother’s womb. And brought you forth on the day you were born. I have been misrepresented by those who don’t know me. I am not distant and angry, but am the complete expression of love.

And it is my desire to lavish my love on you. Simply because you are my child and I am your Father. I offer you more than your earthly father ever could. For I am the perfect Father. Every good gift you receive comes from my hand. For I am your provider and I meet your needs.

My plan for your future has always been filled with hope. Because I love you with an everlasting love. My thoughts toward you are countless as the sand on the seashore. And I rejoice over you with singing. I will never stop doing good to you. For you are my treasured possession. I desire to establish you with all my heart and all my soul.

And I want to show you great and marvelous things.  For if you seek me with all your heart, you will find me.  So, Delight in me and I will give you the desires of your heart. For it is I who gave you those desires. I am able to do more for you than you could possibly imagine. For I am your greatest encourager.

I am also the Father who comforts you in all your troubles.  When you are brokenhearted, I am close to you. As a shepherd carries a lamb, I have carried you close to my heart.

One day I will wipe away every tear from your eyes. And I will take away all the pain you have suffered on this earth.

I am your Father, and I love you even as I love my son, Jesus.  For in Jesus, my love for you is revealed. And to tell you that I am not counting your sins. Jesus died so that you and I could be reconciled. His death was the ultimate expression of my love for you.

I gave up everything I loved that I might gain your love. If you receive the gift of my son Jesus, you receive me.  And nothing will ever separate you from my love again.  When it’s time for you to Come home and I’ll throw the biggest party heaven has ever seen.

I have always been your Father, and will always be your Father.

My question is….Will you be my child?
I am waiting for you.

With Love, Your Father,
Almighty God

Please join us for

“Life’s Healing Choices” by John Baker

on January 6, 2013.  

Life's Healing Choicesby John Baker

Life’s Healing Choices
by John Baker

To sign up for this amazing life-changing online Bible study,

click HERE.

We look forward to seeing you soon!

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Announcing our Brand New GCH: Victorious Healing Online Bible Study

December 2, 2012 by

Through life, we often think recovery is only for alcoholics or drug addicts. Regardless of what issue you may be struggling with in life, whether it is financially, emotionally, through chemical dependency, sexual addictions, food issues, lying, depression, anxiety (just to name a few), we all have a hurt or a struggle that causes us pain and hinders our walk with God.

‘All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God’  

Romans 3:23  

There is not a struggle or hurt that is greater or lesser than the other; just as there is no one sinner worse than the other. We all need God’s hope, healing and recovery through these hurts.

So many times we try to fix our problems ourselves, finding that we turn right back to the comfort of our faulty coping skills. This blog will help you realize that no matter what your hurt or struggle may be, God wants to give you hope and healing if you will trust and allow Him to. With the blogs, studies and fellowship of this group, you will have the opportunity to begin to feel the freedom and peace of healing from your hurts and struggles.

We are excited you have decided to join us on this journey- so grab your cup of coffee and get ready for the ride!

Our first GCH: Victorious Healing

Online Bible Study

begins January 6, 2013!

Life's Healing Choicesby John Baker

Life’s Healing Choices
by John Baker

This 8 week study takes the 8 Beatitudes from one of Jesus’ most famous sermons, the Sermon on the Mount – Matthew 5: 3-10. Through the principles outlined in the beatitudes, you will find the hope, healing and happiness God has intended for you. The book outlines how you can leave your past hurts and struggles behind and begin to rely on God to help you focus on the amazing future He has planned for you.   

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To sign up for this Online Bible Study, click HERE and follow the instructions.  You will also be given a link to where you can purchase this bible study.  We’re looking forward to studying “Life’s Healing Choices” with you!!  

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