November 28, 2024

Encouraging One Another

January 24, 2014 by

SeekingHimLogoCome and listen, all you who fear God,
and I will tell you what He did for me.
For I cried out to Him for help,
praising Him as I spoke.
Psalms 66:16-17

Listening to others tell me about what God has done in their lives is like reading a good book or watching a good movie. I always get excited and sometimes my eyes water. I love hearing about how doctors tell women they are infertile but, by the grace of God, they get pregnant with no trouble! Or how circumstance after circumstance piled on top of a person and they just couldn’t make sense of any of it and felt that all hope was gone but, God showed up and changed everything!

I especially like the stories of how a person prayed…waited…hoped…and struggled…waiting for God to fulfill a desire. Somehow those stories make waiting a little more bearable.

It is easy for us to get consumed and weighed down by our circumstances. I oftentimes find this is the case when we get into the mindset that somehow we are the only one in the world who has ever experienced, is experiencing, or will experience our situation.

And that’s why as Hebrews 10:25 advises us to,

…not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing,
but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.

Fellowship with other believers is important.

Fellowship with other believers isn’t about “paying” a church or getting attendance records up. No, fellowship with other believers is about encouragement. We are reminded through the lives of our fellowbelievers that we are not alone! Together we are stronger.

A cord of three strands is not quickly broken
Ecclesiastes 4:12

We aren’t called the body of Christ for no reason!  We are meant to work together.

*  ~  * ~  * ~ * ~ *

Lord, I am so thankful for every person you have placed in my path to spur me forward on my journey. You have given me strong friends in the most unlikely places and from the most unlikely people. Thank You for reminding me that I never know how similar I really am to a person until I get to know them. You are so awesome for creating such diversity among Your people and only the Creator of the universe could bring us together…in Jesus’ name. Amen.

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A Charging Cheetah

January 23, 2014 by

SeekingHimLogo

There’s something I’ve wanted to do but haven’t yet….

Recently, my family was riding along in the car when my daughter asked my husband a series of questions. She asked him his favorite animal in which he replied, “Cheetah,” not knowing that she was going to say that the qualities of the animal you choose might represent what kind of person you would choose as a spouse. We laughed when she told us that. Oh, it’s just fun…how could I ever be like a cheetah? But then, after a few moments of silence, as we thought about it… well, maybe I am. I can be intense—especially if I’m running toward a goal for the Lord. (And at times, I also can be like the cheetah sprawled out under a shade tree doing absolutely nothing!)

I’ve been praying…and the time is now.

Come and hear, all you who fear God,
and I will tell what He has done for my soul.
I cried to Him with my mouth,
and high praise was on my tongue.
Psalms 66:16-17

This coming week, I’m determined to cast fear aside and be a charging cheetah. I’ll pick up the pen and begin writing a project that has been on my heart for quite some time. It’ll be one of the biggest projects I’ve ever attempted. Hopefully, it will bring God glory at its completion; therefore, it’s worth chasing after! I’ve been praying about this, and I know the time is now. God has answered my prayer as the project will soon begin! (He has been patient with me.)

But truly God has listened; He has attended to the voice of my prayer.
Blessed be God, because He has not rejected my prayer
or removed His steadfast love from me!
Psalms 66:19-20

I give Him great praise! I could not begin to attempt such a project without Him nor would I want to! I want it to be saturated with love for Him and Holy Spirit-led in every step.

People may think that something has to be completed for a prayer to be answered—but not for me! Sometimes, the beginning is the hardest. Ask a runner how hard it is to run, and you might be surprised to hear that the hardest part is getting to the track and beginning! That requires much discipline to plow through feelings, to push away other distractions, and get moving! Once you’re on the track, the running is easy. As a cheetah and as a runner must begin to run, so must a writer begin to write.

So, what is God asking you to do that you have been putting off?

Is there something He wants you to start or try?  If God has your heart, you can at least try for Him! All of us should be able to proclaim Psalms 66:16-17 at any point along the way as we see what He’s doing in us and for us.

Jesus may return or call me home before I get finished, for I don’t ever know what the future holds. But when I stand before Him face to face, I will at least know I tried with all my heart. I will not regret having many unwritten pages in my heart not spill out for others to read when there is much to share and much work to do to make an impact for His Kingdom.

Are you with me? Let’s be charging cheetahs for the sake of Christ and move forward with intensity! Pray, and give Him glory for spurring us into action for His Name’s sake. Pray throughout the process, and give Him great glory when the work is done! And, at the end, maybe we can rest under that shade tree for just a bit…before we get up and run with all we have once again for the glory of Christ!!!

I  wrote most of this devotional while my husband was in a meeting after church. He climbed into the car and said, “I thought of you. There was a picture of a cheetah in the pastor’s office.” 🙂

*  ~  * ~  * ~ * ~ *  

Dear Lord, let our intensity be set afire because of You and You alone! Let our excuses, pitiful feelings, and earthly distractions dissolve completely away as we set before us the desire to complete those things You are calling us to do. We love You. Let our lives show that in the ways we serve You relentlessly. Thank You, Lord, for dying on the Cross for us…that alone is enough to keep us moving passionately and intensely forward in the goals You give each and every one of us! In Jesus’ precious Name I pray, amen.

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Do Not Harbor Sin

January 22, 2014 by

SeekingHimLogo
If I had cherished sin in my heart the Lord would not have listened.
Psalm 66:18

Those who take pleasure in unrighteousness have no hope of answered prayer when they call on God. God wants us separated from sin, only then will he respond to us as a Father to a son.  2 Corinthians 6:14 says “Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness?”

Sin comes to us in different forms. One way of sinning is by being disobedient to God. When we live in disobedience we become children of darkness; therefore there is no way the light of God can fellowship with the darkness.

Sin separates us from God and it is not the will of God that we should live sinful lives. God tried to make it simple by simply saying “If you confess your sins, I am faithful and just to forgive you.”  What is it that we do instead? We confess today yet we do again tomorrow and take advantage of His grace and mercy to us.

I have learnt in life that most of the prayers we pray are unanswered not because we don’t know how to pray or that it is not time yet but it is because we harbor sin and God cannot answer us. In Jeremiah 29: 12-13, God is saying “Then you will call upon Me and come and pray to Me and I will listen to you. You will seek Me and find Me when you seek Me with all your heart.”

Everything starts from the heart. And therefore we have to take care of what is in it. Remember in Proverbs it is written, “Above all things guard your heart for it the wellbeing of your life” (4:23) meaning out of it there are springs of life or death. As long as you are in the right standing with God your heart will spring forth life; if vice versa, then doom.

Therefore I beseech you, my sisters, that we should let God direct our path…letting Him be our light so that we see where we are going. He should be our Salvation and our Strength. Let us hide the Word of the Lord in our hearts so that we do not sin against God. God loves us and He wants us to fully obey him—so therefore, let us not harbor sin.

*  ~  * ~  * ~ * ~ *  

Lord, I thank You and bless You for all who You are and what You have done in our lives. I pray, Lord, for Your continued grace for us all. May the Holy Spirit be with us and guide us as we meditate on this Word further. We thank You for Your goodness and mercy that is following us all the days of our lives. In Jesus’ name we have prayed. AMEN!

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He Heard My Prayer

January 21, 2014 by

SeekingHimLogo

Come and hear, all you who fear God;
let me tell you what He has done for me.
I cried out to Him with my mouth;
His praise was on my tongue.
If I had cherished sin in my heart,
the Lord would not have listened;
but God has surely listened
and has heard my prayer.
Praise be to God,
who has not rejected my prayer
or withheld His love from me!

Psalm 66:16-20

Oh, what sweet words to hear—that He has not withheld His love from me! How many times, as mere humans, have we felt like we have done something totally unredeemable only to discover the God of the universe loves us unconditionally. All we have to do is repent, ask for forgiveness, and receive the blessings.

Maybe you have asked for a boyfriend, job promotion, your spouse to change or love you more. Maybe you have asked for your kids to love and respect you. Whatever your circumstances, our God is more than able to meet your needs. All you have to do is turn the attention to Him. He desires a relationship with you. When your friendship with God changes you may be surprised at how strong you feel and how your self-confidence increases.

As when Jesus prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane, His prayer was not answered in the way He wanted (Luke 22:39-46).  But Jesus knew His Father had a bigger plan. A plan that would effect the whole world. Talk about trusting! Most of us know how Jesus sufferd and died on the cross. He was alone, naked, beaten, and abandoned. But three days later, a miracle happened, Jesus rose from the dead! Every word He had spoken was fulfilled, every Scripture spoken about His birth, death, and resurrection was made true.

As you walk through your day, be aware of what you say, what you do, what your read, and what you watch. I have been trying to be more conscious of this as well and sometimes I fail. The Holy Spirit is working on me to turn away from things that would distract and keep me from a closer walk with our Father.  I pray that God will be patient with me, not give up on me, and keep searching Him out.  How about you?

*  ~  * ~  * ~ * ~ *  

Father, thank You that you hear and answer our prayers. Thank you for the opportunities You have given us and forgive us for the ones missed. I so want to love you the way Jesus did! Please put people in my life, path, and areas of influence who will push me, stretch me, and grow me for Your Kingdom’s sake. Help me to see where others need Your touch and let me let go of me and focus on You. I love You, Father!  Amen!

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God Hears

January 20, 2014 by

SeekingHimLogo

But certainly God has heard me; He has attended to the voice of my prayer.
Blessed be God, Who has not turned away my prayer, nor His mercy from me!
Psalms 66:19-20

When we speak, God hears us. He hears us when we speak in everyday conversation. He hears us when we talk to him through prayer. Even when we think God is not listening—He is. God is omnipresent. He is aware of everything.

I remember both times that I was pregnant with our son and daughter. I prayed for a boy when I was carrying our son. I almost jumped off the table when the ultrasound technician told us we were having a boy. I fist-pumped when God answered my prayer for a little girl. I wouldn’t have minded another boy, but I asked God to let His will be done. I told God if He wanted us to have a little girl then to please let the baby be a girl. That must have been what God wanted because that was how He answered my prayers. I have several friends who have sons. Each time that they had their last child and were wanting a girl, I prayed for them to have a girl because they were praying for a girl. There was only one mom that He gave a boy instead of a girl. (But then, of course, I was not the only one praying for them.)

My point is that God listens to us all. He does not turn away from us. He is our heavenly Father. He loves us all. God is not going to turn from us at any time. God is listening to us even when we are not in prayer. He knows our heart. He knows our wants, needs, and desires—even when we do not tell Him directly.

Evening, and morning, and at noon, will I pray, and cry aloud:
and He shall hear my voice.
Psalms 55:17

No matter what time of the day or night we talk to God, He will hear us. I talk to God whenever I want or need to. I will talk to Him when I drive, take a shower, or just about anytime I want to. Thanks to the death of Christ, I can talk to God anytime I want and in a way that I can. God hears me no matter the way in which I talk to Him.

*  ~  * ~  * ~ * ~ *  

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for Your wonderful listening and answers to our prayers. The answers may not be the ones we want, but they are the ones that are best for us. You know us better than anyone here on Earth. Thank You for Your love and mercy. In Jesus name, Amen.

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Call Upon Me

January 18, 2014 by

SeekingHimLogo

Then you will call upon Me
and go and pray to Me,
and I will listen to you.
Jeremiah 29:12

Do you ever have those days where you just need to be heard?  The day is going so well that you just want to share, or the day isn’t going as well and you need to take a weight off of your heart.

Let these words seep into your heart and mind… I will listen to you… say what? Someone will listen to me without the fear of them having to top my story, listen to me without a cell phone in their face, or a distraction taking their attention during our time together?  Someone I don’t have to pay or track down?  Yes!

Call upon Me and go and pray to Me….

It still seems surreal to have someone that will listen with unconditional love, and all I have to do is call on Him, all I have to do is pray to Him. Simple talk,  just like He is a friend sitting next to me.

Call to Me, and I will answer you,
and show you great and mighty things,
which you do not know.
Jeremiah 33:3

I used to be intimidated by prayer, I felt that it had to be this super strict, structured time of silence, and if this wasn’t done then my prayer wouldn’t work. Well, as I grew and matured, I found that this wasn’t true.  Now when I read verses like the ones above I love the word “call.”  To me this means that He is available at any time.  When I’m driving and I need to talk to Him. When I’m in a meeting and I need help biting my tongue.  When I need to feel His presence all I need to do is call.  All I need to do is pray to Him. All you need to is pray to Him.

*  ~  * ~  * ~ * ~ *  

Let’s Pray: Dear Heavenly Father, You make talking with You so easy, You are so easy to call, on, to pray to. We as people make rules and regulations that make prayer difficult. Please remind us of the ease and comfort of coming to You. Remind us that when no one will listen, You will.  In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen

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Encouraging One Another

January 17, 2014 by

SeekingHimLogo

Come and listen, all you who fear God,
and I will tell you what He did for me.
For I cried out to Him for help,
praising Him as I spoke.
Psalms 66:16-17

Listening to others tell me about what God has done in their lives is like reading a good book or watching a good movie. I always get excited and sometimes my eyes water. I love hearing about how doctors tell women they are infertile but, by the grace of God, they get pregnant with no trouble! Or how circumstance after circumstance piled on top of a person and they just couldn’t make sense of any of it and felt that all hope was gone but, God showed up and changed everything!

I especially like the stories of how a person prayed…waited…hoped…and struggled…waiting for God to fulfill a desire. Somehow those stories make waiting a little more bearable.

It is easy for us to get consumed and weighed down by our circumstances. I oftentimes find this is the case when we get into the mindset that somehow we are the only one in the world who has ever experienced, is experiencing, or will experience our situation.

And that’s why as Hebrews 10:25 advises us to,

…not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing,
but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.

Fellowship with other believers is important.

Fellowship with other believers isn’t about “paying” a church or getting attendance records up. No, fellowship with other believers is about encouragement. We are reminded through the lives of our fellowbelievers that we are not alone! Together we are stronger.

A cord of three strands is not quickly broken
Ecclesiastes 4:12.

We aren’t called the body of Christ for no reason!  We are meant to work together.

*  ~  * ~  * ~ * ~ *  

Lord, I am so thankful for every person you have placed in my path to spur me forward on my journey. You have given me strong friends in the most unlikely places and from the most unlikely people. Thank You for reminding me that I never know how similar I really am to a person until I get to know them. You are so awesome for creating such diversity among Your people and only the Creator of the universe could bring us together…in Jesus’ name. Amen.

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Finding Peace

January 16, 2014 by

SeekingHimLogo

Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me,
and I will listen to you.
Jeremiah 29:12 NIV

Ever had one of those days where all you want is for someone to listen to you and there is no one around who does not seem to have issues that far outweigh yours? I have. There are some days where I want to vent and I have no one to speak with. Sometimes when I do, and I start to describe what I believe is occuring, it all seems rather silly and unimportant. I begin to wonder why I allowed those thoughts to come in and linger as long as I did. Then I remember that I have God who can and will hear me.

God sent His son Jesus to be that perfect example of what it looks like to share His thoughts.  Ultimately, we have to put our ‘self’ to the side and wait for the Holy Spirit—the Helper—to relay the message from our Father.  When we truly seek our Lord and truly share our burdens, then God is able to use us, an empty vessel for His Kingdom.  When we choose to let go of past hurts and even current ones, God can make us clean. We have to be willing to be on our knees or on our face and have a heartfelt cry out to our Father. Without God at our center, we are nothing but a bag of bones floating along life’s way. I want to dance, I want to sway to the music of God in my soul!

As we go through our week, let’s put away—one by one—the past. Let us focus on what can be, not what could be. Let us remember what it was like when we first believed in our Father. Remember the excitement and longing to do all that God has planned for us.

Paul writes in Galatians 5,

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness,
goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.
Against such things there is no law.
Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.
Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.
Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.

We have to make an effort to follow these seemingly simple instructions. Each day it can become easier with God’s help and seeking His peace in our frantic, busy lives. We just need to make time for God!

*  ~  * ~  * ~ * ~ *  

Father, help us today to not get so caught up in our busyness that we forget to focus on You. We desire to have the relationship that brings us peace. A peace that is only accomplished by a more intimate relationship with You, putting You first in our lives. We want Your love and light to shine so brightly, that others desire to know what is creating our joy. Help us to choose joy in our everyday life. In Jesus Name. Amen.

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He Always Listens

January 15, 2014 by

SeekingHimLogo

 

In those days when you pray, I will listen.
Jeremiah 29:12

Finding God is not a difficult task. He is all around us! The Bible explains, “They know the truth about God because He has made it obvious to them. For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see His invisible qualities—His eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse for not knowing God” (Romans 1:19-20). Stepping outside and basking in what God has made can bring you near to Him.

Even better, we have been gifted with the privilege of prayer. Should we need to find God we simply need to “go a-calling.”

The thing I love about prayer the most is that prayers don’t have to be formal for God to listen. I can recall many times when I have briefly thought about things (not specifically praying for them) that have come to pass. To name a few:

  • Prior to being saved, I wished that I had a friend in my life who knew who I had been and could appreciate and celebrate the progress I had made. The Lord spoke to me and told me that He was that friend and now I have plenty of friends who are walking this faith journey with me. I never would have imagined such a “small” desire would have such a tremendous affect on my life.
  • I had the idea of working in daycare well before the opportunity presented itself. And now I work at a preschool.
  • I had a passing thought about writing for GCH when I first got connected with this community. And when I say passing thought, I mean just a passing thought. It was a quick “Oh, I’d like to write for them.” Of course, my negative mind chatter came up with a million and one reasons why I couldn’t and I didn’t think anything more about it until the opportunity presented itself.

Intentional prayer is important. However, I believe that God listens to all our requests. He hears the ones we cry out. He hears the ones we bow our heads for. He hears the ones we kneel for. And He hears the ones we whisper in our minds. God listens. Even when we may not be talking to Him directly…He always listens.

*   *   *   *   * 

Lord, thank You for seeing me. Thank You that the words I speak and the thoughts I think reach You. And thank You for caring enough about the “little things”—the things I feel are “too small” to bother you with—to answer the whispers that I don’t intentionally bring to you. Thank You for always listening.  In Jesus’ name.  Amen.

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Seek Him in Prayer

January 14, 2014 by

SeekingHimLogoOne sees rich sand in his hand and scrapes more toward him on the beach to build a sandcastle. One holds bright snow in his hand, then piles and shapes more snow on the wintery ground to build a large snowman. Likewise, one can take a verse and find other passages to support and magnify the truth and concept of the original verse. The act of building can accentuate the original in such a way that the “take-away’ is an accentuated memory or a more impactful lesson learned.

Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you.
Jeremiah 29:12

Never believe that you can live without complete dependence on God! If you try to do so, you’ve made one of the biggest mistakes of your life! When I turn through the pages of the Bible, I see many examples of those who called upon God…yielding their lives toward Him in prayer. Come to Him, and He will hear you.

NEHEMIAH

When Nehemiah heard about the destruction of Jerusalem, he at once sought God in prayer for Israel. “As soon as I heard these words I sat down and mourned for days, and I continued fasting and praying before the God of heaven. And I said, ‘O LORD God of heaven, the great and awesome God who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments, let your ear be attentive and your eyes open, to hear the prayer of your servant that I now pray before you day and night for the people of Israel your servants, confessing the sins of the people of Israel, which we have sinned against you (Nehemiah 1: 4-7).
To see how God wonderfully worked through this praying servant, read Nehemiah 1-13.

JESUS

Jesus sought God and said a prayer of thankfulness to God for hearing His prayers and to bring God glory before He performed a miracle—bringing Lazarus back to life. “So they took away the stone. And Jesus lifted up his eyes and said, ‘Father, I thank you that you have heard me. I knew that you always hear me, but I said this on account of the people standing around, that they may believe that you sent me.’ When He had said these things, He cried out with a loud voice, ‘Lazarus, come out.’ The man who had died came out, his hands and feet bound with linen strips, and his face wrapped with a cloth…” (John 11:41-44).
God always heard Jesus’ prayers. Jesus came to earth to do the will of the Father. As Jesus went and prayed to God, so should we. God will hear our prayers!

BELIEVERS IN ACTS

When Peter healed a crippled man by the power of the Holy Spirit in Acts 4, Peter and John were brought before the Jewish Council. “So they called them and charged them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. But Peter and John answered them, ‘Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you rather than to God, you must judge, for we cannot but speak of what we have seen and heard’” (John 4:18-20).
Then, the believers sought God and prayed for boldness. “And now, Lord, look upon their threats and grant to your servants to continue to speak your word with all boldness, while you stretch out your hand to heal, and signs and wonders are performed through the name of your holy servant Jesus. And when they prayed, the place in which they were gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak the word of God with boldness.” (Acts 4:29-31) A prayer-activated boldness through the power of the Holy Spirit is the only kind we should desire!

Seek God, pray at once, and believe with a thankful heart that He hears your prayers and will answer them. Great things, like miracles and boldness, can happen if you seek God and pray to Him. He will hear His people when they come to Him!

Dear God, let us all come to You in prayer. In crisis, in calm, in confusion, and in everyday, let us be a dependent people who recognize that we need You to help us and guide us. With You in all things, our lives are made better and with purpose. We recognize our need. We recognize Your love. Let us recognize You as Lord. In Jesus’ precious Name I pray, Amen.

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