Tag Archive | prayer

Joy

Aug27

You, O Lord, rule forever; Your throne is from generation to generation. Lamentations 5:19 NASB

Your throne, O God, is forever and ever; A scepter of uprightness is the scepter of Your kingdom. You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness; Therefore God, Your God, has anointed You With the oil of joy above Your fellows.
Psalms 45:6‭-‬7 NASB

Are you anointed with the oil of joy?

There is much joy to be found in knowing God is eternally seated on His throne. Our God who rules in righteousness and justice and love.

On awakening this morning and checking on the hurricane hitting the Louisiana and Texas coast, I read “this could have been so much worse”. Were you praying for the people in the path of this storm? God answered prayer. It may not have been the way we wanted but it was better than expected. Did you thank Him for His mercy in this situation?

As numbers seem to be rising in Covid cases, are you turning to, relying on the One who sits upon the eternal throne? God has this. Are you abiding in His strong tower? Is He your refuge?

But You, O Lord, abide forever, And Your name to all generations.
Psalms 102:12 NASB

God is your only hope in a world seeking their own way, truth and life. Jesus is the only way, truth and life and no one comes to the throne of the Father but by Him. Can you rejoice in that? Can you enter into the Holy of holies and bow before the throne? If not it is time to bow down in surrender to God and His will. That is where real joy is found even when everything around you is falling down.

“But You are the same, And Your years will not come to an end.
Psalms 102:27 NASB

Hallelujah!

🌹The joy of the Lord is our strength.

Continually Seeking Him,

Sharon

Do Not Fear

Aug26

Let us examine and probe our ways, And let us return to the Lord. We lift up our heart and hands Toward God in heaven; We have transgressed and rebelled, You have not pardoned.
Lamentations 3:40‭-‬42 NASB

“We lift up our heart and hands toward God in heaven;”. Do we? With repentant hearts or with raging fists?

Nothing happens without the approval and working of the Lord God. He did not make all of creation, including people, and then not involve Himself in His creation. As you look around what do you see? Are we looking for pardon yet living our lives as if our Creator has no say or part in where we go, what we do? If so, we need to “examine and probe our ways”. When we do we will find that we need to return to the Lord.

God is patient not wanting anyone to perish but He is also holy and just and will not allow us to continue in disobedience to Him.

Now is the time to seek the Lord with repentant hearts, turning to Him, crying out to God who can redeem you and give you peace even when the rebellious world around you is falling apart.

You have heard my voice, “Do not hide Your ear from my prayer for relief, From my cry for help.” You drew near when I called on You; You said, “Do not fear!” O Lord, You have pleaded my soul’s cause; You have redeemed my life.
Lamentations 3:56‭-‬58 NASB

🌹Are you experiencing peace, content in the Lord or are you walking with and looking like the world around you?

Continually Seeking Him,

Sharon

The LORD Spoke

Jul28

The Lord spoke to Manasseh and his people, but they paid no attention.
2 Chronicles 33:10 NASB

These are some of the saddest words. “The Lord spoke but no one paid attention”.

THE LORD SPOKE BUT NO ONE PAID ATTENTION!

Do you hear the Lord speaking today? Your Creator speaks. He speaks by means of His Holy Spirit through the word (Bible), prayer (conversation with the Lord) and events happening around. Look around you. What do you see? Has God’s church, His people, turned their backs to Him? Sought their own way?

“Have you not done this to yourself By your forsaking the Lord your God When He led you in the way? Jeremiah 2:17 NASB

God’s church needs to return to Him. His way. His will be done. Bow down before our God in repentance and seek Him. God demands our full allegiance. He desires our complete surrender to His will, purpose and way. He desires to bless His people.

When he (Manasseh) prayed to Him (God), He was moved by his entreaty and heard his supplication, and brought him again to Jerusalem to his kingdom. Then Manasseh knew that the Lord was God.
2 Chronicles 33:13 NASB

🌹Do you truly know the Lord God? If not, today is the day of surrender to Him.

Continually Seeking Him,

Sharon

Grandchildren

Jul13

I make a point to rise early every morning to have coffee with my Lord. I start with telling Him how much I love Him and why I love Him. I thank Him for so many things, each day different in my thankfulness.

I share with Him my sin and brokenness, my failures, and that always ends in thankfulness for Jesus’ death and resurrection. Also thanking Him for clothing me in His righteousness.

I then begin to pray for others. I try real hard to pray with a spiritual perspective – God to be glorified, lives to be transformed, salvation to be granted, invitation to salvation be seen – in all situations. I pray for God’s work in the life of His church and the leaders He has appointed.

It ends with asking God to use me “this day” and for understanding of His word as I partake of His sweet words. This goes well with my second cup of coffee.

About now you might be asking what does this have to do with grandchildren (in case you forgot, the Title is Grandchildren).

Well, if you recall, I rise early to be with the Lord because I am kinda partial to my time with Him and I don’t like interruptions. My 5 year old granddaughter is staying with us and she woke up right after I retrieved my second cup of coffee and read Psalm 128.

I have been known to grumble under my breath when things don’t go my way. Today I decided to take another approach. As she climbed up onto my lap we sat as I read to her. What a precious moment and opportunity to look at God’s perspective and allow Him to speak through me to my granddaughter.

God had other plans this morning. Thus the reason a little later than usual and with a testimony instead of a devotion.

‘Your kingdom come.
Your will be done,
On earth as it is in heaven. Matthew 6:10

Continually Seeking Him,

Sharon 🌹

My Will

Jul9

‘Your kingdom come. Your will be done, On earth as it is in heaven. Matthew 6:10 NASB

From the Lord’s prayer. Your will be done. Hmm. Have you ever thought on that? God’s will be done… On earth as it is in heaven.

What do we truly seek? Where is our thoughts, heart, mind focused?

The age old problem of my will or God’s will. It’s nothing new.

How can we know God’s will?

Through the prayerful reading of God’s word. Through the fellowship of His saints. Through seeking His will with open eyes looking for His work around us (circumstances).

Unfortunately we get complacent in our walk and we become just as Israel did in the wilderness.

They wandered in the wilderness in a desert region; They did not find a way to an inhabited city. They were hungry and thirsty; Their soul fainted within them. Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble; He delivered them out of their distresses. Psalms 107:4‭-‬6 NASB

They finally woke up and cried out to the Lord and He delivered them.

Why do we wait to desire God’s will until we’ve made a mess of our lives? Now is the time of repentance. Now is the time to seek God’s will, His kingdom, His righteousness.

🌹Suggestion: Read Psalm 107 with God’s will in mind. Evaluate your life and what you see in the world around you. Do you see God’s will or man’s will?

‘Your kingdom come. Your will be done, On earth as it is in heaven. Matthew 6:10 NASB

What is your response?

Crop Sowing and Reaping

Jul1

You have plowed wickedness, you have reaped injustice, You have eaten the fruit of lies. Because you have trusted in your way, in your numerous warriors,
Hosea 10:13 NASB

You’ve heard the saying, “You reap what you sow”. Sowing wickedness reaps injustice and the fruit of lies.

Being people of a sinful nature we tend to reap poor crops because the seed we sow is planted with wrong motives and watered with pride, deceitfulness, selfishness, greed and so forth. Self-centered sowing, trusting in our own abilities or in those who “know best”, the powers that be (Government, Military, people of influence, etc.)

Where should our trust be?

Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but I trust in the name of the Lord my God. Psalm 20:7

🌹 Begin with the seed of trust; fertilize with the Word of God; water with the abounding love and grace of God. Prayerfully wait on the Lord, trusting in a bountiful harvest.

Continually Seeking Him,

Sharon

God Is My Salvation

Jun26

“Behold, God is my salvation, I will trust and not be afraid; For the Lord God is my strength and song, And He has become my salvation.” Isaiah 12:2

Salvation: trust with no fear. Are you there?

Is He your strength and song? Is He the first one you run to when times get rough or when decisions need to be made; seeking His strength? Is He the continual song of your heart? Has He become your salvation?

🌹Today is the day to truly believe with conviction and say:
God IS my salvation. I WILL trust and not be afraid.

(Seek a close Christian friend for prayer, guidance, if you need assurance regarding your salvation).

Continually Seeking Him,

Sharon

Have You Been There?

Jan13

Coming before the Lord with a heart so heavily burdened?

Believing you have been called for “such a time as this”? (Esther 4:14)

Questioning the calling because things aren’t going according to your plan?

But because you made the right choice to go before the Lord, you find encouragement and affirmation?

The battle belongs to the Lord and His will be done. During my quiet time this morning, the thought came to mind that I need to put on the armor of God. My additional “going deeper” passages for the day included Ephesians 6:11:

Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil.

His Word still speaks today to burdened hearts. Seek Him. I now face this day without the burden, encouraged, and knowing without a doubt I am right where God has placed me for such a time as this.

Be blessed. Seek Jesus!

Continually seeking Him,

Sharon

Morning Perspective

Jan6

Give ear to my words, O Lord,
Consider my groaning.
2 Heed the sound of my cry for help, my King and my God,
For to You I pray.
3 In the morning, O Lord, You will hear my voice;
In the morning I will order my prayer to You and eagerly watch. – Psalm 5:1-3

Ever wonder or even tried talking to God through prayer in the morning and then eagerly watch for the movement of God in your day?

If you want to see God and His glory you ought to try. Walking daily with Him, beginning with conversation, brings about a whole new perspective on your day.

Continually seeking Him,

Sharon

Fruit of Repentance

Jan3

Therefore bear fruit in keeping with repentance – Matthew 3:8

So what does it mean to “bear fruit”?

for you were formerly darkness, but now you are Light in the Lord; walk as children of Light 9 (for the fruit of the Light consists in all goodness and righteousness and truth), – Ephesians 5:8-9

Is your “Christian” walk consistent with goodness, righteousness and truth? If this fruit is not evident in your life then now is the time to evaluate your walk and kneel before God in true repentance.

Continually seeking Him,

Sharon