Blog Archives - Bible Inspired

Sent Out and Protected

6/30/2016

"I have given them Your word; and the world has hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. I do not ask You to take them out of the world, but to keep them from the evil one. They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. Sanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth." -John 17:14-17 (NASB)

While at the store, I ran into a former student. As my students leave middle school, I want each them to find a path to success and happiness. However, I do tend to lose track of time and didn't realize he graduated from high school. As he told me about his plans to attend college and his future hopes and goals, I truly want him to do well.

As their teacher and former teacher, I would like all of my students to head out and be part of the world and to be successful in it. When thinking about God, our Father, I can only imagine how much stronger He feels for each of us. He doesn't want to see us fall victim to the devil. God sent His Son Jesus to guide us and show us God's word and promises in human form. Even though I cannot be with all of my former students, God is with each and every one of us all the time! If we believe in God and follow His will, then we can be protected from evil while living in the world. When we seek God, He blesses us as we live in the world for Him!

We are sent out into the world, but we are protected!

Prayer:
Dear God-
Thank You for protecting and guiding me as I live in this world and await eternity with You. Please continue to protect me and to show me the way through this life. In Jesus' name I pray, amen.

Not Alone

6/29/2016

"So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand." -Isaiah 41:10 (NIV)

We face many different journeys in our lives. Some journeys involve physically moving, even across long distances and even away from family and friends. Other journeys may be intellectual ones that expand our minds or we may embark on spiritual journeys that bring us closer to God. Each of these journeys may begin with fear, nervousness, or anxiety, but we do not have to worry about traveling alone!

God is with us, always. He strengthens and supports us. If we are traveling across distance, He can protect us. If we are learning and growing, He can give us understanding. If we are looking to grow spiritually, He is there to welcome us closer to Him. God is with us on every journey we take. No matter where His will leads, as long as we are following and communicating with Him, He will be sure that our journeys will lead to prosperous ends!

No matter the journey, you are never alone. God is always with you!

Prayer:
Dear God-
Thank You for Your guidance and Your presence in every journey I take. Please continue to guide and support me as I travel, learn, and strive to become closer to You. Through Jesus I pray, amen.

I Need You!

6/28/2016

"You, God, are my God, earnestly I seek You; I thirst for You, my whole being longs for You, in a dry and parched land where there is no water." -Psalm 63:1 (NIV)

We learn that there are certain requirements for life on earth, there are certain things that we need to live. We often categorize these needs as food, water, and shelter. These things may keep us physically alive, but we need more to be spiritually alive. We need to hunger and thirst for the presence of God in our lives!

God wants to be part of our lives. He is pleased when we realize that we need His forgiveness and support in our lives. He can help us if we choose to seek Him. God is always ready and waiting for each of us to come to Him. It is up to us to make the choice to say, "I need You and seek You, God!" Once we recognize our need and call on God, then we can be assured that He will be our water in a dry land, He will be our comfort, support, and strength in whatever we face!

Call out to God, "I need You," then allow Him to be present in your life!

Prayer:
Dear God-
Thank You for loving me and for always being present in my life. Help me to continue to seek You and Your will in all that I do. Through Jesus I pray, amen.

He Cares for You!

6/27/2016

"Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time, casting all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you." -I Peter 5:6-7 (NASB)

Life has ups and downs and we are all sure to experience feelings of happiness, sadness, joy, and despair. I was recently talking with a friend about a mutual friend. Even though our friend is a talented individual, there was a point in time that he experienced hard times, despair, and began to shut down and shut out those that were there to support him. He wanted help, but wasn't letting anyone in to help him!

God blesses each of us with different talents. Even though we are talented in our different ways, we may not realize it. We may begin to shut down and even shut out our biggest supporter - God! We will experience good times and challenging times, but God is always there for us. Even though God is always there for us, we have to be willing to let Him into our lives. If we are humble and trusting God, we will feel His presence in our lives. As we know Him and His will for our lives, we can understand that He cares for us! We are not alone facing challenges and struggles. Instead, we are growing in God and waiting to be exalted and by His side forever!

God cares for you and is with you...forever!

Prayer:
Dear God-
Thank You for always being by my side. Please be with me and others as we face challenges and struggles. Help us to remember that You care for each of us and are helping us grow into what we need to be. In Jesus' name I pray, amen.

Building Up

6/26/2016

"All things are lawful, but not all things are profitable. All things are lawful, but not all things edify. Let no one seek his own good, but that of his neighbor." -I Corinthians 10:23-24 (NASB)

There was a group of students at my school that decided to look for ways to build up other students and the teachers. They formed small groups that chose to look at how students viewed the school and the world and then worked to build up positive perceptions of each other, of the school, and possibly even of the world. The students worked to remain anonymous in order to allow the focus to be on the students and the school environment. They worked to build up each other and the entire school community!

We are called by God to live in Him and to spread His love to our neighbors. As we live for God, we should not be focused on our own glory, but on His glory. As we live to give glory to God, we can seek to build up others. We can do this by listening to how others feel, to act kindly, and to show God's love and support for those around us. We will not always agree with our neighbors, but we can find the good in each of them and show them God's love! As we love and build up our neighbors, God will be glorified!

Don't focus on your own good, but build up others in the name of God!

Prayer:
Dear God-
Thank You for Your guidance in my life. Help me to see the good in my neighbors and allow me to build them up for Your glory. Through Jesus I pray, amen.

Silent Victory

6/25/2016

"And Moses said to the people, 'Fear not, stand firm, and see the salvation of the Lord, which He will work for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall never see again. The Lord will fight for you, and you have only to be silent.'" -Exodus 14:13-14 (ESV)

Whether we attribute it to human nature or the society in which we live, we often feel the need to get the last word. Sometimes it seems that we need to be the loudest to have our voice heard or to have our victory. We see this reinforced through political and advertising campaigns, but sometimes victory can come when we are silent!

Having faith in God is more important than being the loudest. When we have faith in God and we trust in Him, then we can stand firm without fear. With faith in God, we can know His will and His power in making His will reality. There may be times when God calls us to use our voice and to be heard, but there are times when we also need to be silent. We may need to be silent so we can listen and hear God's voice. We may need to be silent to allow God to change hearts and minds, both our own and those of others around us. We may need to be silent to allow God's plan to work in our lives. When we communicate with God through prayer, we can know when to use our voice to be heard and when to be silent to allow God to work in our lives for His victory and glory!

Sometimes you have to be silent to allow for God's victory and glory!

Prayer:
Dear God-
Thank You for being an active part of my life. Help me to know Your will in my life. Allow me to know when to use my voice and when to keep silent. Through Jesus I pray, amen.

Freedom to Serve

6/24/2016

"You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love." -Galatians 5:13 (NIV)

We can think about our rights and be thankful for the freedoms that we enjoy. There are times we may take our freedoms for granted. Whether we consider the freedoms we enjoy because of where we live or because of our faith in God, we also need to realize that these freedoms come with responsibility!

God has offered us forgiveness and redemption. He loves us and will comfort us. God has freed us from sin and worry. We don't have to pay God for all that He does for us, but as believers and followers, we are called to consider more than just ourselves and our own selfish pleasures. We are called to give of ourselves and show God's love to others. We can show God's love by being humble and serving others. We can enjoy and be thankful for our freedoms, then we should use them to humbly serve those around us and glorify God!

Be free in God, then use your freedom to humbly serve others and glorify God!

Prayer:
Dear God-
Thank You for loving me and freeing me from sin and worry. Help me to use this freedom to serve and glorify You. Through Jesus I pray, amen.

Together with His Spirit

6/23/2016

"By this we know that we abide in Him and He in us, because He has given us of His Spirit. We have seen and testify that the Father has sent the Son to be the Savior of the world." -I John 4:13-14 (NASB)

There are times when we can feel stronger or supported when we are with others. We are reminded that there is strength in numbers. It is good to know that there are others that "have our back." While we can rely on others, we have a more powerful supporter when we live in God.

We can rely on God. God is always there to support us and sustain us. Through good times and bad times, we have to abide in God and trust His guidance. We know that we are together with God because He has given us the Holy Spirit to be present in our lives. God has given us His Son to redeem us and cleanse us from our sin. God is ready to support us, we just have to choose to follow Him, call on Him, and live in Him!

Be together with God and know that His Spirit is with you!

Prayer:
Dear God-
Thank You for loving me and guiding me with Your Spirit. Please continue to guide and support me through good times and bad. Through Jesus I pray, amen.

Love Everyone

6/22/2016

"No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us." -I John 4:12 (NIV)

A friend recently posted a quote that reads, "When Jesus said love your neighbor, He knew your neighbor would act, look, believe, and love differently than you...it's kind of the whole point." We are called to love one another. Jesus doesn't tell us to only love our neighbors if they think and act like us. We are called to love everyone!

There are times when we can get caught up in looking for what's right or wrong and we lose sight of the command to love one another. We know that we are all sinners, each and every one of us, but that shouldn't stop us from showing love. We don't have to agree with each other to love each other. We don't have to look alike, act alike, or even believe the same things as our neighbors to love them. Jesus knows that those around us will be different that each of us, but we are called to know God, know His love, and share His love with everyone!

Know God, know His love, and show His love to everyone!

Prayer:
Dear God-
Thank You for loving me even though I am a sinner. Help me to show Your love to everyone. Through Jesus I pray, amen.

Heart and Mouth

6/21/2016

"For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved." -Romans 10:10 (NIV)

Sometimes we find ourselves in situations where we have plenty to say, but it isn't the right time or place to say it. We may have to "bite our tongues," even though our heart knows what it wants to say. Whenever we consider God's love and presence in our hearts, we shouldn't bite our tongues!

When God fills our hearts, we are filled with His love. With His love, we should want to spread God's love and joy to others. We should want to tell them about our faith and our redemption. Once we know God in our heart, it is up to us to open our mouths and let others know about God's grace, mercy, and power. We should feel Him in our hearts and speak about Him with our mouths and actions!

Invite God into your heart and then tell others with your mouth and actions!

Prayer:
Dear God-
Thank You for redeeming me through Your power, grace, and mercy. Please guide my words and actions as I tell others about Your presence in my heart. Through Jesus I pray, amen.

Weak and Strong

6/20/2016

"Therefore I am well content with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties, for Christ's sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong." -II Corinthians 12:10 (NASB)

Some things in our lives challenge us and expose our weaknesses. When we are feeling "down and out", we can choose to continue to be weak or we can look for ways to grow from the experience and become stronger. Even if others seem to "pile on" with insults and persecutions, we have a source of strength in God!

Many that have come before us and in the world today have endured insults, persecution, imprisonment, and even death for their faith in God. These experiences may make a person feel weak, but faith and prayer can help build strength. In our own lives, we can call out to God through prayer and ask Him for strength for ourselves and for others that are facing feelings of weakness. Once we call out to God, we are assured that He hears our prayers and will guide us. If we keep the focus on becoming stronger in Him for the sake of Jesus Christ and His Kingdom, we can know that God will provide us with strength and grace to make it through whatever we face!

When you feel weak, call on God and be strengthened for the sake of Jesus Christ and the Kingdom of God!

Prayer:
Dear God-
Thank You for reassuring me that You are powerful and strong. Help me to always call and rely on Your amazing power and strength. Through Jesus Christ I pray, amen.

Wise Words & Actions

6/19/2016

"Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone." -Colossians 4:5-6

I recently attended a training on ways to teach new standards to my students. One of the expert presenters had been working with the standards for a number of years, even before they were published and adopted. To her, I'm sure those of us more recently exposed to the standards were, in a way, outsiders. We definitely didn't know as much as she did, but she was also pleasant and encouraging, always finding some value in what we were saying.

We are all in different places in our spiritual journeys. Some of us may have started our journey years ago, while others may have only embarked on the journey in recent months, weeks, days, or even hours. Others may not yet have chosen to follow God. No matter where we are in our walks of faith, we need to remember that many times we only get one chance to impact a person's life. As we think about what we say and how we act, we should be reminded that all of God's children have value in His sight. Our words and actions should be guided by God's wisdom so we always have the right response.

Pray for God's guidance so your words and actions are the right ones for fulfilling God's purpose!

Prayer:
Dear God-
Thank You for those in my life that have said the right words to me. Help me to have the right words and actions in order to positively impact the lives around me. Through the power of Your Son, Jesus Christ, I pray, amen.

What time is it?

6/18/2016

"There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens." -Ecclesiastes 3:1 (NIV)

What time is it? It seems that so often our lives are run by the clock. We have schedules to keep, places to be. Sometimes it can feel good just to wake up without something on the agenda for the day! Whenever we are impatient or rushing to keep our schedules, we may be well served to remember that all time is God's time!

No matter how much we try to control time and our lives, everything happens in God's time for His purpose. That doesn't mean that we are or should be just sitting around or drifting aimlessly. Instead of asking what time, we should be asking what should we do with the time we have been given? We can be constantly talking to God about our time and how to use it.

Instead of asking what time, ask what to do with your time!

Prayer:
Dear God-
Thank You for the time that I have been given. Please guide me and show me how to best use it. Through Jesus I pray, amen.

Love One Another

6/17/2016

"A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another." -John 13:34 (NIV)

It seems that tragedy reminds us that we need love and need to love. Whether tragedy impacts us as personal struggle, illness, or other means, or through a tragic public event, we may take love for granted until life-changing events make us stop and reflect. The idea of love in our lives, love for us and love from us, shouldn't be something that waits for tragic reminders.

Jesus reminds us that we are to love one another, just as He loved us. Jesus loves us through the good times and the bad times. He is always there and He calls on us to be there for each other through the highs and lows of life. Jesus reminds us that He loves us. Each of us has value to God and we need to realize this value. After we realize we have value to God, then we can understand how to love others. Whether we agree or disagree, are experiencing the highs in our lives or the lows in our lives, we can love each other. If we struggle to find love, then we can turn to God, a never-ending source of love and forgiveness!

God loves you! Now, go and love one another!

Prayer:
Dear God-
Thank You for forgiving me and for always loving me. Help me to understand Your love for me and to share Your love with all those around me. Through Jesus I pray, amen.

A Safe Place

6/16/2016

"In You, O Lord, I have taken refuge; let me never be ashamed; in Your righteousness deliver me. Incline Your ear to me, rescue me quickly; be to me a rock of strength, a stronghold to save me." -Psalms 31:1-2 (NASB)

Unfortunately, we see a lot of danger in the world around us. I'm reminded of this as the school year ends and there are students that do not look forward to summer because they miss the safety and security of school. School offers a safe place. A place where caring people provide support, care, and even food. While many students look forward to a summer of fun and adventure, others prepare themselves for dangers or neglect that await at home.

We can reflect on the dangers that we may experience in our lives, too. Sometimes this danger comes from the actions of ourselves or others and sometimes it comes from inaction. Whenever we are faced with any of the dangers in our lives, we don't have to fear. We have a source of strength. We have a support system. God can deliver and protect us. All we have to do is call on God, take refuge in Him, and have faith that He will be our safe place and our source of strength!

Find your safe place in God by calling on His name and trusting in Him!

Prayer:
Dear God-
Thank You for being my safe place. Please continue to protect me and to bless me. Through Jesus I pray, amen.

Sweet!

6/15/2016

"And walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God." -Ephesians 5:2 (NIV)

One thing I enjoy about spring and summer is stepping outside and smelling the sweet aroma of the blooming flowers. The fragrant aroma begins with the lilac by the porch earlier in the spring followed by the azalea and then, in the later summer, by the summer sweet. When smelling the fresh, sweet scent of these flowers, we can be reminded of the sweetness of Jesus and His love!

As we go about our lives we should remember the love and sacrifice of Jesus. We can then model our lives after Jesus by walking in love. When we walk in love, we can offer ourselves as a living sacrifice for God. When we follow God's will, we will walk in His love. As we walk in love, our lives can be examples to others of God's grace, mercy, power, and love. Our lives will give off the sweet, fragrant aroma of God's love that will make others smile!

Live your life in God's will so others will experience the sweet, fragrant aroma of God's love!

Prayer:
Dear God-
Thank You for loving me and for allowing me to experience the fragrant aroma of Your love and redemption. Through Jesus I pray, amen.

Love, Not Hate...Even Enemies!

6/14/2016

"But I say to you who hear, love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you." -John 6:27-28 (NASB)

Watching the news may evoke strong emotions of sadness, fear, anger, or even hate. There are people that do horrible things. We may consider these people to be our enemies or at least enemies of our beliefs. Even though anger can be natural and justified, we are called to love and not hate. We cannot heal and help others to heal until we replace hatred with love!

When we know God, we know His love. God loves us even when we are sinners. God wants us to show this same love to others. That doesn't mean we should accept the evil that others do, but it means that we should try to change and overcome the evil in the world with the love of God. If we show each other God's forgiving and unending love, we can overcome our differences and the fear and hate that come with them. We can be united in an everlasting love that covers all sin and can redeem even those that the rest of the world may cast off as lost.

When feeling hatred, remember to turn to God's love and spread His love rather than your hatred.

Prayer:
Dear God-
Thank You for loving me no matter what. Please forgive my sin, remove any hatred that dwells within me, and help me to spread Your love to everyone. In Jesus' name I pray, amen.

Accept His Will!

6/13/2016

"Woe to the one who quarrels with his Maker - an earthenware vessel among the vessels of earth! Will the clay say to the potter, 'What are you doing?' Or the thing you are making say, 'He has no hands' ?" -Isaiah 45:9 (NASB)

In class, I give my students directions. Sometimes my students don't understand the reasons I am asking them to do something. In those times when they have questions, my students may want to argue their point or their way of doing something. There are times when I can take the time to explain the reasons and there are other times when I simply expect my students to follow directions. Like my students, when God asks us to do something, we may ask "Why?" or argue about how we want to it.

God is loving and He allows us to question Him, but we often do ourselves a disservice when we argue with God instead of trusting and accepting His direction for our lives. We can try to run from God or His plan for our lives, but we cannot escape God's presence or our need for God to be active in our lives. Instead of being the clay trying to argue with the potter, we should allow God to form and mold us for His purpose. When we accept God's will in our lives, He will allow us to grow closer to Him and in the process we will prosper!

Instead of arguing with God, accept His will and prosper in His love and support!

Prayer:
Dear God-
Thank You for loving me and for wanting to form me into something great. Help me to accept Your will without argument so that I can prosper and bring others to You. Through Jesus I pray, amen.

It's OK to Trust!

6/12/2016

"But I trust in your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in your salvation. I will sing the Lord’s praise, for he has been good to me." -Psalm 13:5-6 (NIV)

There are times when we may have trouble trusting. There are many reasons that may cause us to mistrust others. Sometimes these reasons are justified. Sometimes the reasons can cause deep hurt that takes a long time to heal. When we feel hurt and have trouble with trust, we may even begin to doubt that we can trust God, but God wants us to know that it is OK to trust in Him!

No matter what we have experienced, we can trust in God. We don't have to worry that He won't be there for us. Whether we are in a time of need or we are rejoicing, He is always present in our lives and His love never fails. He has provided us with salvation through the death and resurrection of His Son. He loves us. He will comfort us. He is there when we we need Him and call on His name We need to take time to talk to Him. As we rely on Him and trust in Him, we can be confident and sing His praises!

No matter what we have faced in the past, present, or future, we can trust in God!

Prayer:
Dear God-
Thank You for being there no matter what. Help me to always remember that I can trust in You, no matter what I face or experience here on earth. Through Jesus I pray, amen.

Get Wise

6/11/2016

"For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there is disorder and every evil thing. But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, unwavering, without hypocrisy." -James 3:16-17 (NASB)

What is wisdom and what does it mean to be wise? Albert Einstein once said, “Wisdom is not a product of schooling but of the lifelong attempt to acquire it.” We often associate wisdom with the combination of knowledge and experience. We may even think of "old" when we think of wise.

Wisdom is more than just experience and using knowledge. Wisdom doesn't automatically make something good nor is it only reserved for when you get "old." We need to consider our motivations and the source of wisdom. Wisdom can be twisted and used for selfish or evil ways or it can be good and pure. When our wisdom comes from God, we know it is good and it is pure. Wisdom from God is filled with peace, love, and understanding. It is built on God's unchanging nature and on His Word. Through prayer and study of the Bible, we can become wiser and live or lives with increasing wisdom for good!

Learn wisdom from God and you will know that it is pure and good!

Prayer:
Dear God-
Thank You for being willing to teach me and to make me wiser. Please help me to embrace the wisdom that You provide and guide me in using it in peaceful, loving, and understanding ways. In Jesus' name I pray, amen.

Reverence

6/10/2016

"Come, let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the Lord our Maker." -Psalm 95:6 (NIV)

The Traveling Wall, the mobile version of the Vietnam Memorial, is visiting my city. While I have visited the Traveling Wall years ago, the significance of the Wall and what it represents remains important. The Wall allows us to reflect on what has happened in the past and how it has shaped us. Sometimes reflecting on the events of our lives and our world remind us that we should bow down before our Maker.

God created us and He loves us. Even though God is love, our sinful nature often creates situations that cause pain and grief instead of peace and love. When we experience these types of painful situations or reflect on and remember the pain that was experienced by ourselves or others, we can be reminded that God offers a solution. God shows us love and He can both heal us and teach us how to live differently. We can remember what God and those that came before us have given us. We can bow in prayer and worship of God, the Lord our Maker, to show our reverence to God and our thankfulness for those who sacrificed for us.

Bow down in prayer and worship of God to show your thankfulness for those who sacrifice for freedom.

Prayer:
Dear God-
Thank You for those that You have placed here to defend freedom and to offer protection. Help me to live in a way that shows Your love and peace and not in a way that causes pain and grief. Through Jesus I pray, amen.

For One Another

6/9/2016

"For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name, that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; and that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled up to all the fullness of God." -Ephesians 3:14-19 (NASB)

There are times when we may feel tossed about by the world. We may have trouble getting our footing as we confront challenges and crises of present in our lives. When we are in need of being rooted with a strong foothold, we can turn to God. We should also be able to rely on each other for support.

We can support each other in many ways. One way that we can support each other is through prayer. Regardless of time and distance, we are able to pray to God for one another. Ephesians (3:14-19) offers an example of a prayer of support for each other. We can ask God for blessings, faith, love, and peace. We can also pray for understanding and fullness that only God can provide. When we spend time praying for each other and building each other up, we can experience a better relationship with and understanding of God's will in our lives!

Pray for one another and spread God's blessings and love!

Prayer:
Dear God-
Thank You for loving me and blessing my life. Please be with all of those that I encounter, blessing them and making Your presence known in their lives. Through Jesus I pray, amen.

Hearing and Doing

6/8/2016

"But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks at his natural face in a mirror; for once he has looked at himself and gone away, he has immediately forgotten what kind of person he was." -James 1:22-24 (NASB)

There are times in our lives when we have to listen to or hear things that are unpleasant. Maybe it is criticism that we'd rather avoid or a direction for our lives that is different than our expectations or outside our comfort zones. We can choose how we react in these situations. What do we see and do?

God give us His Word to guide our lives. We can also communicate with God through prayer. Whether reading the Bible or talking to God, we may not always hear what we want to hear. Sometimes God challenges us and calls us out of our comfort zones. Sometimes God points out our shortcomings. God does all of these things in love. By listening to God and then acting on His Word or His calling, we can become stronger. We just have to trust that God will guide us through it all!

Hear what God has to say and then do what He calls you to do...even if it is out of your comfort zone!

Prayer:
Dear God-
Thank You for loving me and for challenging me. Please give me the strength and wisdom to hear what You are telling me and to act on what You are calling me to do. Through Jesus I pray, amen.

Faithful Seekers

6/7/2016

"And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He s a rewarder of those who seek Him." -Hebrews 11:6 (NASB)

Whenever we are searching for things it is because we believe they exist. Whether we are trying to find the answer to a question, a solution to a problem, or the missing television remote, we believe that each of these things can be found. We don't go looking for things that we know are not there to be found!

Before we can know God and what pleases Him, we have to have faith that he exists! Once we believe in Him, we seek Him and His will for our lives. When we seek and learn more about God, we can know what pleases Him. After we know what pleases God, we can live our lives in ways that please Him! We can be faithful seekers of God and His will for our lives in order to live for Him and please Him!

Be a faithful seeker of God that believes and aims to please Him!

Prayer:
Dear God-
Thank You for being there for me to find. Help me to be a faithful seeker that learns Your will and lives it in my life. Through Jesus I pray, amen.

Miracles

6/6/2016

"So again I ask, does God give you his Spirit and work miracles among you by the works of the law, or by your believing what you heard?" -Galatians 3:5 (NIV)

I recently watched a documentary that asked the question, "Does God still perform miracles in our lives today?" The narrator had initially had his doubts about the stories he heard, even experiences of his own family members. Many of us have read about different miracles that occurred throughout the Bible, but we may be like the narrator, doubting miracles in our lives.

We may doubt miracles for different reasons, but should we? God is just as alive and real in our world today as He was during Biblical times. God still loves us and He still cares for us. Do we doubt that miracles happen because we feel that it is our good deeds or following of the law that brings about such events? Instead of doubting, we should believe what we have heard in the Bible and from God. Through our faith and trust in God, we can be open to experiencing all of the love and power that God is willing and waiting to share with us. As we believe and have faith in God, we can be open to miracles from God that go beyond our imaginations!

Believe and have faith in God, then prepare for His miracles!

Prayer:
Dear God-
Thank You for being willing and waiting to share Your love and power with me. Help me to continue to have increasing faith in You and in Your miracles. Through Jesus I pray, amen.