March 19, 2024

Lord, Teach Us to Pray – Week 13

Last week we concluded our series on prayer entitled Lord, teach us to pray! Each week we asked with that same desire as Jesus’ disciples did — ”Teach {me} to pray.” And graciously He did, didn’t He? This week, I would like to join in as we finish this part of our journey together.

We have now completed our study A Daughter’s Worth from the book by Ava Sturgeon. All week we have been focusing on God and the optimism that our hearts have as we do so. We have been SO encouraged and exhorted!

  • On Monday, Diane shared about giving honor and praise to God.
  •  On Tuesday, Teresa reminded us that God is holy and that we can live holy lives.
  •  On Wednesday, Jordan talked about having happiness and joy.
  •  On Thursday, Tonya communicated about trusting in Him, knowing He cares for us.
  •  On Friday, Tina shared about our eternal Hope of life with God.

As such our focus has been all about God!  Nothing wrong about that, hmmm?  Every day we have so very much to be thankful to God for and to voice our praises to Him!  Whether by ourselves in our own hearts as we pray…or when we fellowship in our small groups or Bible studies (like this one!)…or perhaps when we gather to corporately praise and worship in the churches we belong to…we are living our lives right NOW praising our God and our Lord. AND we look forward to raising our praises forever! That’s right…we will be right along with the angels and the host of heaven!

Revelation 5:11-14
Then I looked, and I heard the voices of many angels on every side of the throne and of the living creatures and the elders, and they numbered ten thousand times ten thousand and thousands of thousands,  Saying in a loud voice,  Deserving is the Lamb,  Who was sacrificed, to receive all the power and riches and wisdom and might and honor and majesty (glory, splendor) and blessing!  And I heard every created thing in heaven and on earth and under the earth [in Hades, the place of departed spirits] and on the sea and all that is in it, crying out together, To Him Who is seated on the throne and to the Lamb be ascribed the blessing and the honor and the majesty (glory, splendor) and the power (might and dominion) forever and ever (through the eternities of the eternities)!  Then the four living creatures (beings) said, Amen (so be it)!  And the elders [of the heavenly Sanhedrin] prostrated themselves and worshiped Him Who lives forever and ever.

We SO look forward to this time…it is our HOPE!  We wait for the return of our Lord to gather His church together.

Revelations 22:20,21
He Who gives this warning and affirms and testifies to these things says, Yes (it is true). [Surely] I am coming quickly (swiftly, speedily). Amen (so let it be)! Yes, come, Lord Jesus! The grace (blessing and favor) of the Lord Jesus Christ (the Messiah) be with all the saints (God’s holy people), those set apart for God, to be, as it were, exclusively His). Amen (so let it be)!

Yes, come, Lord Jesus, come! Amen!

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In this final week of our study A Daughter’s Worth, we have focused on living optimistically because of how great our God is…honoring and praising Him…living holy because we CAN BE holy…having true joy…resting in Him, trusting Him…looking forward to eternal life with Him. All of which are great reminders of how much worth we truly have!

Instead of a question this week, I ask you to proclaim this TRUTH,  ‘I, _________ (insert your precious name here) am a daughter of the Most High God, and to Him I am of SUCH worth! One way in which my Father shows me just how much worth I have to Him is ________________________________!

(Please share with us in the comment section what you wrote…I’ll post mine, too.)

Oh. How. He. Loves. Us. So. <3

The following is a video of a beautiful rendition of the Lord’s Prayer being sung by the Martins.  enjoy!  perhaps this might become your favorite  way of praying this prayer that Jesus instructed His disciples (and us!) when He answered their plea, “Lord, teach us to pray!”



Our next study “Not a Fan – Teen Edition” will begin in February, 2013.  Please check back often for more details.  If you have a question about GCH:decaf, please email us at GCH_decaf@girlfriendscoffeehour.com.

The Resolution for Women: The Affirmation Crusade

Memory Verse:

You did not choose Me, but I chose you.

I appointed you that you should go out and produce fruit.

John 15:16

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A crusade can be defined as a vigorous concerted movement for a cause or against an abuse.”

Yes, precious girlfriends, I agree with Priscilla….. what we need is indeed an AFFIRMATION CRUSADE!!!

My primary Love Language just so happens to be “Words of Affirmation.” Not only do I love to hear them…. but I am very generous in giving them out! Today’s lesson made me stop for a minute and think about why I might be so intentional about this and if I am only this way with certain people, or am I free with my affirming words to all I come in contact with.

I really think that I am so intentional about this because of the negative words I was bombarded with growing up. Of course, not everyone in my life did that, but 2 very close people to me did….. and it hurt. It made it hard for me to speak those words over myself for many years, but through understanding the truth of God’s love for me, I have been able to break that cycle.

It is important to be your friends’ biggest cheerleader! You might just be the only woman in their life who affirms them and that alone can completely change their perspective on their day.

I know I am hardest on my family and I am working very hard to change that. I expect a lot from them… more than I should. I do affirm them and cheer them on, but I also can be very critical. I am really going to intentionally do my best to squelch my critical spirit and focus more on building them up!

SO…. we have the “why”… so we need to know the HOW!”

How can you be intentional about affirming other women in your life? I’ve compiled a list here and I would love it if you could add to it in the comments section of the blog today! Let’s think outside the box and see what we can come up with together! Maybe a friend surprised you with some awesome words in a unique way that spoke directly to your heart. How did she do it?

 

You could……..

Write a letter….. you know, snail mail! How awesome is it to get something besides a bill in your mail box?!? Decorate the envelope in a fun way too! You can even address it “To the beautiful Mrs. Megan Smidt!!!” 😀 (…just a suggestion…)

For my daughter’s 14th birthday, we had a slumber party and all of her girlfriends wrote annonymous “love letters” that were full of affirming words and we left them all over our town. We put them on grocery store shelves, the pick up counter at Starbucks, in random mail boxes, and even in the pews at church. The girls had so much fun spreading this joy and Vicky has told me that her friends have continued to leave these letters around town even after they went home! We need to be modeling this behavior not only for our friends but also our children!

Sing them a song on their voice mail. It could be something like “That’s what friends are for” or “Beautiful, beautiful”

You could greet them in a fun way the next time you see them. Instead of greeting them with a simple “hello, ” How about giving them a huge hug and compliment them on something they are wearing or their hair. You could even address them as your “gorgeous friend” or your “most incredible sister.”

Make them a banner the next time you know they are coming to your house! Make it big and bright for all the passers-by to see! Hang it across your garage or over the front door so they can’t miss it!

Send them random txt messages every once in a while just letting them know how much you love that they are in your life!

Send their husband or kids a letter telling them how much it means to YOU that they let you have time together. Tell them how much your friend means to YOU!

What can YOU come up with???? What will you do this week to INTENTIONALLY affirm your closest sisters in Christ?

Priscilla points out to us that “…this resolution not only affects you. It will also enhance the women around you as they experience the affirmation that BUBBLES up from the security you’re living in. This should be our MANDATE, our CAMPAIGN. A MOVEMENT of women linked by our resolution and devoted to seeing it manifested in the lives of the women around us.”

WHen we are living OUR lives secure and complete in the authentically unique way that God created us, our salt and light is contagious! Give away your compliments freely to yourself and all those you love and see your love spread to all those around you! Let’s be infectiously bold in our own unique ways for our Lord and Savior! He commands it <3

AUTHENTICALLY ME

I will accept and celebrate my uniqueness,

and will esteem and encourage the distinctions I admire in others.

Signed x       Megan “Lucy” Smidt               

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Let’s Pray: 

Dear Lord, we praise You for all of the unique qualities you have blessed us with! You have made each of us so unique for Your purposes to be fulfilled when we are true to who you created us to be. That is so awesome! Give us Your revelation into anything we are not seeing that might be keeping us from Your very best of us in this area. Help us take off our masks and be excited to show the world the beautiful and sometimes rough women you have so specifically made each of us to be. We love you, Lord, and we thank Your for Your perfect ways! In Your Son’s name we pray, amen <3

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Today’s blog assignment: 

Explore for a little bit why you are or are not affirming in your words to your girlfriends. Also… think about if there are any women in your sphere who you are not comfortable affirming…. why do you think that is? Then….. resolve to commend all of the women in your life for their unique value and worth to you this week! Read the resolution out loud and sign your name below it in your book.

If you are not a member of our OBS Facebook Group, and would like to be, please send us an email and we’ll be happy to place you!!   Our email address is:  GirlfriendsCoffeeHour@gmail.com

my blog: www.glorytoglorylifecoaching.wordpress.com

My Craig’s blog about the Men’s Resolution journey: www.adversusmundi.wordpress.com

Many blessings,

Megan 🙂