November 24, 2024

A Daughter’s Worth: Week 12 / Day 3 – Receiving Happiness from God

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Today’s blog is brought to you by Jordan Spring:

I’ve got the joy, joy, joy, joy down in my heart!” Do y’all remember singing that song? I loved that song as a child, and there are times when I get it stuck in my head. Have you really thought of the words to that song? “And I’m so happy, so very happy… I’ve got the love of Jesus in my heart.”

I’ve noticed lately that the majority of us view joy as an emotion. “Today I’m feeling joyful…” Joy is a state of being. It’s a constant resting in Jesus and a constant trusting that He is in control. And the coolest thing about joy– The Lord will give it to you! All you have to do is ask.

A lot of us, myself included, sometimes become attached to our grief. We become comfortable in our sadness, and the thought of getting out of it scares us. How messed up is that? The enemy deceives us into thinking that if we are happy or have joy, we have something to lose. But if your joy is found in JESUS, you don’t EVER have to worry about losing anything! He is faithful, and He promises to never leave us nor forsake us.

As believers we should be the most joyful people… We have a SAVIOR who loved us SO much that He died for us! So that we would have abundant life on this earth- free from the chains of sin, and so we could have eternal life in Heaven! That’s reason enough to be joyful…

Lets Pray:

Jesus, thank You for loving us. We are SO thankful that You are a God who wants to give us JOY! You don’t want us stuck in depression… Thank You for that! I pray that we would not cling to our grief, but that we would walk through it, and in Your timing, let it go. Help us to accept Your joy! In Your name, Amen.

May the Joy of the Lord fill Your Heart Today & Everyday,

Jordan



Galatians 5:22-23 says, But the fruit of the Spirit is love, JOY, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.  You are promised these things with Jesus in your heart!

If you haven’t invited Jesus to become your Lord and Savior, and would like to, please pray with me know.

Lord Jesus, I need You.  I see that now.  I invite you today to be my Lord and Savior.  Lord, I’ve tried to find my own way, and I haven’t been able to.  I ask You to forgive me, Lord.  I ask You to cleanse me of all unrighteousness in my life, and to come be the Lord and Savior of my life today.  AMEN.

If you just prayed that prayer, we would like to hear from you.  This is a BIG day in your life, and we want to celebrate with you!  Please email us a GCH_Decaf@girlfriendscoffeehour.com.   May God richly bless you!!

 

A Daughter’s Worth: Week 12 / Day 2 – Recognize the Holiness of God

 

It is very fitting that the final week of our study is coming to a close just before Christmas.  It could not be more perfect to recognize that God wants to “come alive” in our hearts and lives than at Christmas when we celebrate Jesus coming to live with us.  We began this study learning who we are to God and just how much HE loves us.  We continued the study to learn how we are to respond to HIM as Father.  It has truly been an awesome journey to realize what A DAUGHTER IS WORTH to God.  He gave His only Son for you.  Your life matters to HIM.  How will you show Him how much HE matters to you????  Words are cool and everything, but ACTIONS speak louder!!

How are you going to bring HIS love to LIFE inside of you?  God calls us to be different from the world.  He wants us to be holy, like he is holy.  Today’s lesson focuses on church and how we are to recognize God’s holiness.  I would like to challenge you to think outside the box (the church box) and apply God’s call to YOUR LIFE – how you live every day.  When people think of you, do they think “holy”?  Hmmmm

The only time many of us use the word ‘holy’ is when we need an adjective to make something seem important.  Like cows and moly and poo.  Well, “HOLY” is important. It means to show a devotion to God and to a life of virtue; to set apart or worthy of respect by association with God.  Holy means being completely WHOLE just like GOD.

“But now you must be holy in everything you do, just as God — who chose you to be his children — is holy.  For he himself has said, “You must be holy because I am holy.”

1 Peter 1:15-16

Peter says we have been chosen to be God’s children – HIS Daughters – and we are to be holy, LIKE HE is HOLY.  God is calling out this generation to bring HOLY back.  Don’t be afraid, BE BOLD.  Can there be any safer place to be than a chosen daughter of the King of KINGS?  When God makes a promise, HE DOESN’T BREAK IT!!  All those promises in the Bible; they are still good.  God is still providing for every promise He ever made.  All those promises in the Bible – they are YOURS.  Claim them, they are free.  Let those promises bring holy to life inside of your heart.

“For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.”

Hebrews 4:12 ESV

God knows what is in your heart.  Do not be deceived to think that you can say one thing and act another and God will not know.  Give God permission to change your heart to be like HIS and He WILL.  It’s a promise.  You won’t regret living your life for Jesus, but you will regret it if you don’t.  This season of Christmas when we celebrate Jesus being born as a baby and coming to life a life as a human, embrace the story of His holiness.  Take it inside you and let it change your heart.  Let your heart break for the things that break HIS heart.

Let Love Come to LIFE Inside of YOU this Christmas!  As Ava tells us, “As a worthy daughter, being holy is both challenging and rewarding.  You may not be perfect every time, but working toward purity is all that God asks.  Don’t be frightened by a lifestyle of holiness; after all, the Holy Spirit is in you, making all things possible.  Praise God for His presence, and most of all, acknowledge His awesome holiness.” (p. 171)

Let’s Praise God together:

Father, we praise You for WHO You are.  We thank You for Your promises to care for us and lead us and guide us every day.  Father, we give You permission to bring our hearts to life inside us and make us burn to be Your hands and feet.  Make us holy like You are holy.  Make us whole and complete in Your love.  We love You, Lord.  Thank You for loving us so much that You sent Your Son to this earth as a baby to be a sacrifice for our sins.  May our generation be one that lives to love others the way You would have us to.  Continue to teach us your ways.   AMEN

My love to you all and Merry Christmas,

Mama T <3

If you have come to a place that your heart is telling you to ask Jesus into your life as Lord and Savior, please ASK HIM.  It’s easy, it’s free and it’s the best gift you could give Him for Christmas.  We invite you today to ask Him into your heart.

Please pray with us:

Lord Jesus, I come to You today and ask You to be my Lord and Savior. I have learned who You are through this bible study Lord, and I want to know You personally.  I admit that I am a sinner, I confess the sins that I have in my heart, and I believe You will forgive me for all my sins. I ask You now to come into my life, as my personal Lord and Savior. AMEN!

If you prayed that prayer today, let us know.  We would love to rejoice with you as you celebrate you BIRTHday as a sister in Christ.

If you are interested in joining us in our GCH:decaf  
Teen Girls Ministry, please click the sign-up form button at the top of our webpage. Just follow the instructions on the form and hit submit. We’ll be happy to add you to one of our Online Bible Study Groups! Please email GCH_Decaf@girlfriendscoffeehour.com for more information.

GCH: Victorious Healing – Are You Living the Abundant Life?

GCH_John10_10

Scripture tells us that Jesus has come to give us life, an abundant life!  Are you living that abundant life?  Or are you bombarded by past hurts, hang-ups, and habits, so much that you don’t even know what an abundant life looks like?

Beginning January 6, 2013, Girlfriends Coffee Hour will introduce a brand new online Bible study ministry: GCH:Victorious Healing.  We believe that Jesus Christ is THE answer to not only an abundant life, but to victorious healing!

This 8-week study, “Life’s Healing Choices” by Pastor John Baker of Saddleback Church, has been used in Celebrate Recovery groups nationwide.  Thousands of people all across America, who have gone through this study, have learned about the healing grace that comes through knowing Jesus Christ intimately, and allowing Him to work in their heart.

We are so very excited to invite you to join us for this amazing study of victorious healing!  The study will be done online, so it’s available to you at YOUR convenience!  We will have a ministry team available to you on Facebook, that will walk with you through this study, so you will never have to walk alone.  We’ll be beside you all the way!

This study isn’t for the weak at heart, or for the person that isn’t serious about seeking God for healing!  It is going to take some work on YOUR part to get to the abundant life that is promised through Jesus Christ.  But, we promise if you stick with it, you will see some results!!  What have you got to lose?

So register today to reserve your spot!  While you’re at it, invite someone else to join you and do the study together!  To register, click HERE.  Once we receive your registration, you will be contacted with further details!

Until then, we hope you will enjoy this song….

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A Daughter’s Worth: Week 12 – Living with Optimism

This is our last week with “A Daughter’s Worth” bible study.  I hope you have enjoyed this study, as much as we have!  Sometimes online Bible studies can be kind of pressing, especially when you have such a busy schedule.  But, one thing that I have learned is that putting God first and foremost, in all things, is an absolute necessity in order for everything else in my life to run smoothly.

The Word tells us to seek Him first and all things will be added unto us.  That means first thing every day, we should be making time for God.  We should be seeking God in our daily schedules, tests, extra-curricular activities, church functions, sports, and more.  If God hasn’t called us to it, we cannot expect Him to bless it.

This week, in Week 12 of A Daughter’s Worth, we will discuss “Living with Optimism” and what that means.  This may be the end of this study, but it’s a very important part of this book!  I hope you will take the time to read it, meditate on what you’ve read, and spend time with God.

Here is your schedule for the week:  

On Monday, Diane will discuss giving honor to God.

On Tuesday, Teresa will discuss recognizing the holiness of God.

On Wednesday, Jordan will discuss receiving happiness from God.

On Thursday, Tonya will discuss resting in the hope of God.

On Friday, Edwina  will discuss looking forward to Heaven with God.

And then to close the week off, Coleen will have a special message for us.  So be sure to stay tuned!

Be sure to check back soon because we will be announcing what’s next for GCH:decaf SOON!!!

Now a word from Miss Morgan:

Hey girls this is our last week, which is crazy; but this week we will be talking about how we should give God glory and that we should know the holiness that God has. God also will give us happiness, which we should learn to accept, and to always have the Joy of the Lord with us.

Lastly we will also be talking about resting in the hope of the Lord, and that we should always look forward to Heaven and living with God forever. It’s weird thinking this life will end, but we will live FOREVER in Heaven with God, which is amazing. I love you girls!!



Before Morgan and I close for today, I want to ask you if you know Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior?  If not, we invite you today to ask Him into your heart.  Please pray with us:

Lord Jesus, I come to You today and ask You to be my Lord and Savior.  I have learned who You are through this bible study Lord, and I want to know You personally.  So today, Lord, I confess the sins that I have in my heart, and I ask You to forgive me and cleanse me of all unrighteousness.  I ask You now to come into my life, as my personal Lord and Savior.  AMEN!

If you prayed this prayer with Morgan and I, would you send us an email?  We’d like to pray with you.  You can reach us at GCH_decaf@girlfriendscoffeehour.com.  

We love you, so does He!

Have a GREAT week everyone!

Morgan & Christi

 

A Lady In Waiting: A Reflection

Here is a little fun fact about me…up until two years ago I have NEVER finished reading a book.  Sometimes I would only get two chapters in, other times I got to almost the end but never made it to the last page of the book.  The first book I have ever finished reading completely was A Lady In Waiting! I remember thinking to myself this must have been a really good book because I actually read the entire thing!  That thought was confirmed when I decided to read it a second time with all of you ladies!  One thing that foolishly kept me reading, the first time around, was thinking if I made it to the last page once I flipped it over I would be guaranteed a husband.  In a way that was such a false thought, but in another way I found out what this book did guarantee for me and it proved to be way better than a husband!

For a girl who really struggled with everything that goes along with men, this book was just what I needed-a Godsend if you will.  When I read the title alone I knew I needed it.  I felt God saying to me, buy this book now!  So I did, and from that moment on I went on a journey with God.  One in which He showed me that my love story is not about just any man I may meet one day, it is about ME and GOD.

The first night I started reading the book I could not stop reading.  I highlighted so many words and sentences, I took notes feverishly; you would have thought someone would be quizzing me the next day on what I was reading.  I honestly could not get enough of GOD’S truth that I was reading on each page.  God used this book to draw me closer to Him.  It was through this book that I learned being single is not about me finding my husband, it is about me finding my God.  After the first night I started reading I decided to really find out all I possibly could about who God was to me.

When I first read this book, I was just fine waiting on my husband.  In fact, I still had such a sour taste in my mouth about all men; I was perfectly fine waiting forever.  The second time around that was not the case.  Two years later I found myself completely healed from past hurts with men (thank you Jesus).  Honestly, my heart was ready for a relationship and simply got tired of waiting.  This book has helped me learn what I am supposed to be doing while I wait.  Patience is not all about waiting; it is about our attitude as we wait.  Are we sulking in self-pity because we are alone or are we enjoying and making the most of the time we have alone with God?  This book is filled with the joys of singleness-having time with God.  I have found that when serving God that is when I am closest to Him.  I have decided to serve Him every chance I get and not missing out on those chances because of feeling like I am missing out on my husband.

A Lady In Waiting is overflowing with Godly advice on waiting for a relationship, being in a relationship, and the man you will be in that relationship with.  That is the main reason why I sort of kind of believed that I would finally have a ring on my finger after reading.  The fact of the matter is this book is not our life story.  It does not even come close.  God has written a perfectly thought out and breath-taking story for each and every one of us!  He knows our hearts, thoughts, souls, and desires.  He knows what is best for us and wants us to feel His love every moment of every day.  Singleness may be just a season for some and it may be a lifetime here on Earth for some; but thankfully a relationship with God is not just a season and it lasts longer than a lifetime here on Earth.  Our relationship with God takes us into eternity to be with our Bridegroom in Heaven forever and always!  That is where our joy is found, in a right relationship with God.

Being single does not accurately define us ladies in waiting.  In fact we are not single at all we are in a relationship with God.  With that truth shining so bright I am almost embarrassed of what a worldly demand I had when I first sat down to read this book-to have a ring on my finger afterwards.  What a unfulfilling desire to work towards.  The second time I read A Lady In Waiting with all of you I think I finally got “it”.  This book was not created to guarantee a ring on our finger after completion of the last word on the last page of the book.  Quite the contrary, this book was created to guarantee a stronger, closer, more personal relationship with our God!  It is not about the accessory of a shiny ring, it is about the accessory of the love of JesusRings will not last forever but HIS love will! 

I pray that after completion of this book, you accept and show off the most beautiful part of your story, JESUS’ LOVE.  I pray this book has guaranteed the same for you as it has for me, a closer more personal relationship with the complete love of your soul: Jesus Christ!


Let’s Pray: 

Lord, thank you for the study of A Lady In Waiting that you have brought into each of our lives.  I pray that each woman in this study leaves this study with a closer, stronger relationship with you.  I thank you for your many blessings you pour out on us daily.  Help us to remember the beautiful accessory you are in our lives each and every day.  Thank you for the story you have created for us and we trust you to write every page just the way you want!  We love you so incredibly much, Amen.

Your Assignment: 

Spend time reflecting on this study.  Has this study brought you closer to God?  Do you find fulfillment in the accessory of Jesus’ love or are you still waiting for that ring?  Let us know how we can be praying for you!



Our Next Single Women’s Online Bible Study

“Captivating: Unveiling the Mystery of a Woman’s Soul”

by John & Stasi Eldredge

Begins January 6, 2013

Captivating: Unveiling the Mystery of a Woman's Soul

Captivating: Unveiling the Mystery of a Woman’s Soul

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 “Captivating” with you!!

Winning Him Without Words: As They Grow

I am the mom of two girls, 11 and 13. Since my husband and I are both believers, I never had worried about us being good models for them, until we had trouble in our church.

Because of some issues we had, we did not attend church for a year. My main concern during this time was how this was affecting my girls. I didn’t want them to think not going to church was okay. I also didn’t want them to think changing your religion was something that should be done on a whim or taken lightly.

We had many family discussions about our faith during this time. My husband and I had private conversations about what having our daughters confirmed in a certain religion meant to us. Was it a necessity; was it okay to wait until they were older? All the while we were visiting other churches to possibly join and we just were not satisfied with our options. But I didn’t want to just “go” somewhere because I was worried about the confirmation issue. I wanted to find a church that would develop a love for Jesus in their hearts as well as teach them the importance of God’s word.

To make a long story short, we did find a new church home and it’s one our whole family is very comfortable in, even though it is not the type of church my husband and I were brought up in. Our new church home has a refreshing approach to the scriptures. Church is now something we all look forward to. My 11 year old is the most excited and has benefited the most from our change. This makes my heart so happy because I was very worried that entire year of being without a church that our actions were going to send them the wrong message.  They are at such a hard age. These pre-teen and teen years are so impressionable. But not so much by mom and dad anymore, instead they are more apt to want to do what their peers are doing. Thankfully my girl’s friends are all church going people; some attend our new church, which probably helped them to get on board. But I want you all to know that in my own way, I understand the worry you have over your children’s faith.

There was a moment during that year where we didn’t have a church that I worried my husband was not going to approve of any of the churches in our small town. He had kept finding something wrong with each of them. Then where would we be? When you are a believer, you NEED a church. Your family needs a church. It is VERY important for many reasons, and I worried about them all! But I did learn a few things during that year!

#1 was not to settle on somewhere just to be in a church.

#2 was do not push the subject with my husband! I really liked one church and my husband did not. If I would’ve pushed my opinions on him to try and make him “come to my side”, we would’ve ended up being miserable in that church too.

And finally, #3, continue to pray. I prayed every night that we would find a church for our entire family, and in God’s perfect timing, we found one.

It took an entire year and 2 visits to our new church, but we finally found our home, and we are all so happy there. It was the best reward for all of my praying and waiting.

Let’s Pray:

Dear Lord, as our children grow, we want to make sure they continue to want to worship You, learn more about You and grow closer to You every day. This is a crazy world we live in, with many negative outside influences that are hard to keep away from our children. Help us in this effort Lord, to keep their eyes focused on You. Help these women in unequally yoked marriages. Please let their children want to follow their lead and keep attending church. Hopefully they can be an example of how precious Your love is to their unbelieving father. In your precious son’s name, Amen.

Your Assignment:

As we end this study, I’d like to hear how God has spoken to your heart. Has anything changed in your marriage? Have you been able to minister to anyone else who is an unbeliever, or possibly someone in the same situation as you? Please share your stories below! I can’t wait to hear them!

Thank you for reading my silly rambles week after week! This is my final blog for GCH. 🙁 It has certainly been an honor to write posts on Winning Him Without Words! And I’m so grateful to have made many great, lifelong friends while doing it! God bless you all!

Sarah

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Our next Women’s Online Bible Study

“Crazy Love” by Francis Chan

Begins January 6, 2013.

To sign up for this new 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 learning about this “Crazy Love” with you!!

We would LOVE to have your feedback on this study! Will you take a few minutes to complete the following survey? Your responses will help us create the best online bible study experience for you! CLICK THIS LINK to fill out the short 10 question form. Your responses are completely anonymous, I promise!! Thank you so much!

Please email Christi@girlfriendscoffeehour.com if you have any questions, or if you have a private comment that you would like to forward to one of our bloggers in regards to their post that day.

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Lady in Waiting: Meditations: You Must Move In, Hannah Whitall Smith

John 15: 9-10

John 15: 9-10

Life can feel so complicated and complex at times, answers can feel so far away and four words “abide in my love” can seem unrealistic and unattainable. How do I abide in His love? How do I find that place that Hannah Whitall Smith describes as a place without the fear of “supposes”? Well, her words tell us to simply move in. John 15: 9-10 does not tell us that we have to be single or married, young or old, whether we have children or not doesn’t matter either. What matters is that we are all children of God and He is our dwelling place, He is our safe place, our place without the worry of fear.

Throughout this study we have had to look deep into ourselves, we have had to ask ourselves questions that may have been difficult, our hearts may have changed, and our way of thinking may have been evaluated; but, in the end it brought us closer to God, closer to our safe place.

I’ve said from the beginning that our relationship is the number one priority, not our status in life. We can abide in His love because He says we can. While you are a lady in waiting, after you are married, and every place in between, abide in His love.

“God is your dwelling place, and you must see to it that you take up your abode there. You must move in.”

 


Let’s Pray:

Dear Heavenly Father, Thank You for a safe place from the fear of the “supposes”.  Thank You for loving us, loving us enough to open Your heart and Your arms to us, regardless of our status. Thank You for using this study to teach us, for using it to help us grow closer to You.  Please help us to continue to grow and learn, please encourage us to abide in You despite the complications of life.  In Jesus’ name, amen.

Your Assignment:

What does abiding in God’s love mean to you?

 


Our Next Single Women’s Online Bible Study

“Captivating: Unveiling the Mystery of a Woman’s Soul”

by John & Stasi Eldredge

Begins January 6, 2013

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 “Captivating” with you!!

Winning Him Without Words: Teachable Moments

There are limited moments in our daily lives. In this day of the smartphone, the countless activities with the kids, the full-time job, the dinner preparation, and sleep (if we are lucky!), we often are not intentional with how we spend our moments. But think about this – moments are here and gone in a flash. We only have 1,440 minutes every single day. How are you spending each of your minutes? Are you being intentional? Are you taking advantage of the teachable moments that arise with your children or nieces/nephews/other children in your life?

I love Lynn’s story about her prayer bus. She took what would normally be a mundane daily activity – driving the kids to school – and turned it into a time to connect with her kids. She prayed over their upcoming day with them and through this activity, her kids saw that her faith is real. She was able to teach them to rely on God and to turn to God for their needs as they went into their school day. What an incredible gift to her kids!

But we must be ready for these moments. And sometimes we must create them if they are not spontaneously popping up on their own.

Are you ready to drop everything when your son/daughter/niece/nephew/granddaughter/grandson/cousin/any other child in your life drops a teachable moment right in your lap? Often we are so consumed with worldly things and are not so attuned to what is right in front of us. We do not realize it right away…and then the moment has passed. The teachable moment is gone.

So, I challenge you this week to be alert to the teachable moments that will come into your life. Pray that the Lord will open your eyes and your heart to these moments. Seek Him for how to respond; in all situations, show love and grace.

Let’s Pray: Lord, we ask that You open our eyes, ears, minds, and hearts to the teachable moments that our children present to us each day. Help us to minister to their needs as they arise and to give them wise biblical counsel as You guide and direct us. Help us to faithfully guide these children you have entrusted to us, Lord, whether it is through our biological birthing of them or whether it is through adoption, familial relationship, friendship, or any other relationship. In Jesus name, Amen!

Your Assignment: Tell us about a teachable moment you have experienced with a child in your life.

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Our next Women’s Online Bible Study

“Crazy Love” by Francis Chan

Begins January 6, 2013.

To sign up for this new 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 learning about this “Crazy Love” with you!!

We would LOVE to have your feedback on this study! Will you take a few minutes to complete the following survey? Your responses will help us create the best online bible study experience for you! CLICK THIS LINK to fill out the short 10 question form. Your responses are completely anonymous, I promise!! Thank you so much!

Please email Christi@girlfriendscoffeehour.com if you have any questions, or if you have a private comment that you would like to forward to one of our bloggers in regards to their post that day.

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Lady in Waiting: Meditation: Reality Vs. Fantasy

2 Corinthians 10:5

2 Corinthians 10:5

Meditation from page 292 of “Lady in Waiting”.

“An important method of limiting your own self-defrauding is through daily discipline over “prenuptial fantasies.”  Such fantasies may provide you an escape from monotonous reality, but these moments are dangerous.  They will aggravate your struggle for contentment because they are not innocent daydreams, but an attack on your godly contentment.  You may be so used to daily fantasies that you might not even realize when you begin daydreaming again about your prince.”

“Often single women’s struggle with contentment can be traced back to her fantasies more than to her frustrating circumstances.  Just think for a moment about three words from 2 Corinthians 10:5: Casting down imaginations.  Fantasizing about a future with a guy you have been watching in Sunday school or at work is nothing more than your very active imagination.  What should you do when you start daydreaming about a guy you’ve never dated or even formally met?  You must take your thoughts to Jesus and leave them in His capable hands.  This daily discipline of taking your fantasies to Jesus is the foundation for your future as a contented woman, whether you are married or single.”

LET’S PRAY
Father God, we treasure our time with You. So many times we talk incessantly about our needs, our wants, our hopes and dreams. We know that You love hearing our cares, but we also know You love to speak to us also. Help us to slow down in our prayer and devotional time so that we can hear from You. It is You who guide us, and without taking the time to listen to the guidance we will become lost. Thank you Jesus for Your patience and love as we continue the process of drawing close to You.

YOUR ASSIGNMENT
Please share your thoughts on today’s meditation, either in full or in part, below as well as in our Facebook group. Our hope is that you take the time to journal these meditations so that you have them to look back on and use them to help you grow.

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Our Next Single Women’s Online Bible Study

“Captivating: Unveiling the Mystery of a Woman’s Soul”

by John & Stasi Eldredge

Begins January 6, 2013

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 “Captivating” with you!!

A Daughter’s Worth: Week 11/ Day 1 – Be Ready to Hear God’s Voice

Phil 1_9_10

The first question Ava asks us this week is have you ever heard the voice of God.  When I was your age I don’t think I ever thought God had a voice.  I surely never heard Him talk to me.  For as much as I prayed to God I never thought of it as a communication; one in which God would actually talk back to me!  As I grow in my relationship with God my favorite moments with Him are when He is talking to me.  Do you believe God talks to us?  Have you ever thought what His voice sounds like?

I have come to find out that His voice sounds like a powerful song full of God’s truths.  His voice sounds like scripture found in God’s living Word.  His voice sounds like my mother, sister, or godly friend who speaks God’s truth and encouragement to me from time to time.  His voice sounds like my grandmother’s letters to me.  All of the ways he talks to me have one thing in common.  God’s voice is found in His truth.  There are lots of things in this world that are filled with God’s truth we just have to open our eyes, ears, and hearts to them.  God’s voice is found differently to everyone, but when you find it you will hear the same thing, His truth!

How do we go about opening up to hear from God?  I just recently have figured this one out, and I continue to learn as I spend time with God.  It is all about the relationship that we have with God.  When I was your age I did not understand what having a relationship with God was.  When I found out that God desired to have a relationship with me, it changed my life!  When I started embracing the relationship I could have with God, I started to open my heart, eyes, and ears to what the Bible had to say about this relationship.  I started knowing God as my God and not just as a God.  I also found the truth of what this relationship is like through lyrics in a Christmas song by Amy Grant.

Fragile finger
Sent to heal us
Tender brow prepared for thorn
Tiny heart
Whose blood will save us
Unto us is born
Unto us is born

I have heard this song over and over again for the last 10+ years, never feeling my heart ever so gently touched by the sound of these words. Last year when I heard these lyrics for the first time in the Christmas season I actually shed a tear knowing the Lord was speaking to me through these words. How beautiful, how precious is our Savior. Tiny heart whose blood will save us and it has, and it will forevermore. How blessed I am to have accepted such a sacrifice. I thank the Lord for bringing me to the point where I am today; as hard as it was. I am to the point where I understand that I will never fully understand the depth of those words, the pain and love behind every one of them.  Have you accepted the beautiful sacrifice of Jesus’ blood?  Are you living in a personal relationship with God?

Are you wondering what a relationship with God looks like?  The relationship itself is different for everyone but there is one factor that is the same with everyone-God.  The only places we can go to find out who He is and what He is like is in the Bible or in praying to Him.  The more time we spend with Him the more we are ready to hear from Him.  When we believe who God is, when we are confident in His truths that is when we are ready to hear from Him!

Really think about how amazing it would be if you could hear from God all of the time.  Wondering what you should do about a situation in your life?  Wondering what is right and what is wrong?  Wondering who you should talk to about this or that?  God has all of the answers for you.  He is willing to tell you what to do, what is right, and is the one we should be talking to about everything in our lives.  It may seem too good to be true.  Do we really have access to a perfect best friend?  One who will always be there for us, and always lead us towards Heaven.  It is true, we do have access daily to our perfect best friend, Jesus.

It is my prayer that you find your relationship with God.  It is my prayer that you desire to hear God’s voice in your life, daily.

Philippians 1:9-10 And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight,  so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ.

Think about where you need to hear God’s voice in your life.  What are you unsure of or needing answers for?  Do what the Bible tells us to do, grow in Christ’s love gaining HIS knowledge and HIS depth of insight so that you may be able to hear HIS voice in your life!

Let’s Pray:  Lord, I thank you for the privilege we have in prayer.  We get to communicate with the creator of the Heavens and the Earth.  Even better, we get to hear back from you!  Thank you for guiding us and speaking to us exactly what we need to hear.  I ask that the hearts of these girls are open to accepting your love and voice in their life.  We thank you for the relationship we have with you!  We love you so much, Amen!

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