Tag Archive | religion

Struggling in Prayer

Sep11

Many people struggle with being a “good” prayer warrior. We feel that we need to carry the conversation instead of being still. We strive to say the right words, many times throwing out those “religious” words or quoting scripture. God already knows the scripture, after all He wrote them. He already knows what we are going to say before we pray.

Do we put too much emphasis on the “what we pray” instead of Who we are praying to? Sometimes just being in His presence is enough. God just wants our attention, our devotion, our focus, not because He needs it but because we need it. God already knows the outcome of all His Creation. Prayer just opens our eyes to see results and participate in what He is accomplishing. Our focus is Him. Prayer opens our eyes to see what He is doing.

🌹“Cease striving and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.”
Psalms 46:10 NASB1995
https://bible.com/bible/100/psa.46.10.NASB1995

Continually Seeking Him,

Sharon
https://indasharonjesus.org

Living By Faith?

Jun23

If anyone thinks himself to be religious, and yet does not bridle (control) his tongue but deceives his own heart, this man’s religion is worthless.
James 1:26 NASB1995
https://bible.com/bible/100/jas.1.26.NASB1995

Are the words that come from our mouth God honoring? Is it truth that springs from our lips, refreshing, soul lifting, even in the presence of non-believers?

I said, “I will guard my ways That I may not sin with my tongue; I will guard my mouth as with a muzzle While the wicked are in my presence.”
Psalms 39:1 NASB1995
https://bible.com/bible/100/psa.39.1.NASB1995

I will delve further into the controlling of tongues more in chapter 3 of James.

Pure and undefiled religion in the sight of our God and Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world.
James 1:27 NASB1995
https://bible.com/bible/100/jas.1.27.NASB1995

What is pure and undefiled religion in the sight of God?

First it is to be doers of the word and to live by faith, for the righteous shall live by faith. Under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, we being justified and righteous by our Lord, are given the opportunity to join in our Lord’s work as He works through us. Serving our Lord by feeding the hungry; quenching the thirst of the thirsty; welcoming strangers into the church; clothing the naked; visiting the sick; and visiting those in prison.
So let us learn to do good; seek justice, reprove the ruthless, defend the orphan, plead for the widow. Let us, because Jesus purified us for Himself, be a people zealous for good works.
Romans 2:13a/Galatians 3:11b/Matthew 25:35-36/Isaiah 1:17/Titus 2:14 NASB1995

🌹For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.
Ephesians 2:10 NASB1995
https://bible.com/bible/100/eph.2.10.NASB1995

Continually Seeking Him,

Sharon
https://indasharonjesus.org

The Vine Evaluation

Oct26

I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing. John‬ ‭15:5‬ ‭NASB1995‬‬
https://bible.com/bible/100/jhn.15.5.NASB1995

Self evaluation is a tough thing to do, but a very good thing for us to practice.  John 15:5 is a good tester of whether we have a relationship with God or whether we are just participating in religion.

To grow in our Christian walk we must know, and abide in Jesus. We need to be fed by the Word – Jesus – and grow in the power of the Holy Spirit. This is relational. We speak to Jesus through prayer. Jesus feeds us through His word. The Holy Spirit guides us on our walk with strength that we, the branch, received by our feeding through the Vine, Jesus.

Are you being fed? Fed correctly?
Whatever your source of feeding is will depict what you will produce.

‭‭Then God said, “Let the earth sprout vegetation, plants yielding seed, and fruit trees on the earth bearing fruit after their kind with seed in them”; and it was so.
Genesis‬ ‭1:11‬ ‭NASB1995‬‬
https://bible.com/bible/100/gen.1.11.NASB1995

‭‭Being attached to the Vine we will produce Kingdom fruit.

because of the hope laid up for you in heaven, of which you previously heard in the word of truth, the gospel which has come to you, just as in all the world also it is constantly bearing fruit and increasing, even as it has been doing in you also since the day you heard of it and understood the grace of God in truth;
so that you will walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God;
Colossians‬ ‭1:5‭-‬6‬, 10 ‭NASB1995‬‬
https://bible.com/bible/100/col.1.5.NASB1995

Are you attached to the vine? Are you in a relationship with Jesus or playing religion? Are you alive in Christ or dead? It’s either/or.
Are you producing fruit for the Kingdom of God?

‭‭And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit,  teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”
Matthew‬ ‭28:18‭-‬20‬ ‭NASB1995‬‬
https://bible.com/bible/100/mat.28.18.NASB1995

Without God we cannot produce fruit!! This is why it is so important to abide in the Vine, Jesus. Without Jesus we can do nothing. NOTHING!! Our productivity is under the management of Christ.

I pray God will draw you to Himself as you evaluate your relationship to the Vine. God bless you.

Continually Seeking Him,

🌹Sharon

Are People Seeing Jesus?

Nov20

I work for a Christian Bookstore chain and have the opportunity of meeting so many different people from all walks of life. I have been blessed by so many – hearing their stories, adventures, and heart.

The other day I had such a blessing.

A mother comes in with her soon to be six year-old daughter on her hip. Her daughter is a down-syndrome child. They were there to buy a Bible for her birthday. I was the one blessed to help with that task. As Mom and I were talking, the girl reaches out for me to hold her. With permission I got to hold this adorable little one as she clung to my neck with her arms and waist with her legs. When it came time for them to leave Mom had to pry her from me but not before a kiss on the cheek given by this loving child. She totally made my day.

I share this story because, I wondered, after they left why she was so drawn to me. She had no apprehension. Did she see something in me that made her feel safe . . . comfortable . . . loved? Did she see Jesus in me? I like to think that is what she saw.

As in water face reflects face,
So the heart of man reflects man. — Proverbs 27:19

Continually seeking Him,

Sharon

 

Who Desires Life?

Apr26

Who is the man who desires life And loves length of days that he may see good? Keep your tongue from evil And your lips from speaking deceit. Depart from evil and do good; Seek peace and pursue it. — Psalm 34:12-14

If you claim to be religious but don’t control your tongue, you are fooling yourself, and your religion is worthless. — James 1:26 (NLT)

What we say is a testimony to all who are in earshot of our words. Do we walk what we talk? Do we speak as to glorify God or do we speak evil and deceit? Do our words exalt our Lord or bring shame upon the Him?

Allow Jesus, our role model, our example “who committed no sin, nor was any deceit found in His mouth;” (1 Peter 2:22) transform you into a person who is an example to others drawing them to Jesus.

Pursue peace with all men, and the sanctification without which no one will see the Lord. — Hebrews 12:14