"When I heard your greeting, the baby in my womb jumped for joy." Luke 1:44
Even before he was born, John (Jesus' cousin and later known as John the Baptist) jumped for joy to be near Jesus. For the rest of his life, John would proclaim the Good News about a Savior, born of a virgin, come to "take away the sin of the world!" (John 1:29). No matter what the situation looked like, no matter who he spoke to, no matter what the consequences, John spoke boldly for the Messiah and jumped for joy to be near Him.
Dear God, thank you again for sending your Son to be our Savior. Thank you for bringing us to realize our need. Jesus, thank you for being born. In Your name we pray, Amen.
Do you jump for joy to be near Jesus? How would you react if you could physically see and touch Him?
Showing posts with label Joy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Joy. Show all posts
Friday, December 23, 2011
Thursday, October 7, 2010
Psalm 30 prayer
Psalm 30 has been my altar cry for many months. Like many of the psalms, it holds powerful emotion that I identify with, as well as warm promises and blessings that I crave. No one knows our struggle the way our Heavenly Father does, and it seems no one can voice hope for deliverance the way the Bible does.
For those who fight an addiction, or who love someone who fights, know that we lift you to the Father in prayer:
Lord, my loved ones are lost. They ridicule your name while I mourn.
They destroy their lives by chasing pain and pointlessness.
Hear, O Lord, and have mercy on us.
Lord, be our helper!
I will lift you up, because you have lifted me up.
You do not let the enemy rejoice over me.
O Lord my God, heal the ones I love.
Bring their souls up from the grave and keep them alive,
that they might sing praise to your name and give thanks.
May your anger last but for a moment, and your favor for life.
Weeping endures for the night, but may joy come in the morning.
Turn our mourning into dancing, Lord.
Put off our sackcloth and clothe us with gladness.
We will give thanks to you forever. Amen.
For those who fight an addiction, or who love someone who fights, know that we lift you to the Father in prayer:
Lord, my loved ones are lost. They ridicule your name while I mourn.
They destroy their lives by chasing pain and pointlessness.
Hear, O Lord, and have mercy on us.
Lord, be our helper!
I will lift you up, because you have lifted me up.
You do not let the enemy rejoice over me.
O Lord my God, heal the ones I love.
Bring their souls up from the grave and keep them alive,
that they might sing praise to your name and give thanks.
May your anger last but for a moment, and your favor for life.
Weeping endures for the night, but may joy come in the morning.
Turn our mourning into dancing, Lord.
Put off our sackcloth and clothe us with gladness.
We will give thanks to you forever. Amen.
Thursday, September 16, 2010
Prosperity is more than we think
I didn't want to write this post today. As Carol said yesterday, prosperity is a tricky subject in the church. It invites scorn and skepticism. But in an effort to be transparent and give God the glory, it seemed important to share just some of our story and my reasons for bringing this subject to the blog at all.
I ask that mercy would triumph judgment as you learn more about me.
* * *
I press the End button on my cell phone with shaking hands. Bile rises in my throat and I grit my teeth against it.
"O God. I'm going to throw up."
That's not the voice of faith. Take heart, child.
"Take heart? Your Word says the righteous shall not beg. Your Word says You will supply our every need. Your Word says ask anything in Jesus' name and it will be done by my Father in heaven. How can this be happening in light of what Your Word says, God?"
Silence. Of course. Like a patient parent, He waits out my temper tantrum. Or is He, like I do when my toddler throws a fit, thinking of a suitable punishment for my insolence?
I draw a deep breath and swallow. This is the Almighty I'm talking to. Maybe I should dial down the attitude a bit.
"Is this what's it's come to, then? Two years of clawing and fighting to stay out of the pit, and we have to file for bankruptcy anyway? Where is our abundance? Where is the prosperity You promised?"
I know your needs before you ask. Have I not clothed the lilies of the valley and fed the birds of the air? Will I not do this and much more for you?
"Oh, good. I'll just tell those creditors that God knows all our needs and He'll bail us out soon."
More silence, and I wonder what people would say if I really did bring God into our conversation about money. Somehow, I doubt it will change the bottom line.
God doesn't promise a bailout of governmental proportions. I made mistakes in handling my finances, and I have to pay the consequences. If that means bankruptcy or working two jobs or selling everything we own, maybe it will teach me about good stewardship in the future.
I feel a prodding of the sovereign sort. He does not judge me as I judge myself or as the world judges me, and He is quick to forgive. He rescues His children as a father with limitless resources would.
Rescue is still possible. Prosperity is still possible.
But what is prosperity? When I pray for that specific blessing, what am I really asking for? Let me explain in wholly personal terms as I believe this differs for everyone.
For me, prosperity means paying - and paying off - my bills. It means going to the grocery store and not debating about a bar of soap or a package of dinner meat. Prosperity to me is taking a weekend to play with my husband and kids without worrying about the lost income from two days off. I'd like to have enough in savings to pay for a trip to the dentist or car repairs. Enough to give back to the community and the people that have helped us so much in our time of need.
Even more than money, prosperity is the ability to get up in the morning and look forward to the day. To have sufficient rest and abundant peace and joy. To be able to ward off spiritual attacks that threaten to derail my progress in the Lord. To have direction and energy and organization.
That's prosperous living to me. That's what rescue looks like to me.
I know we are not unique in our situation. Millions of people in our country face circumstances like ours. May we all turn to God, "who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all we ask or think, according to the power that works in us" (Ephesians 3:20).
I feel, rather than hear, the Lord's voice. Fear not, child. I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.
To have the God of the universe taking care of me and holding me up as I go through this life gives me pause. It surely does not get more prosperous than that.
I pray prosperity and abundance on us all,
Shelley
I ask that mercy would triumph judgment as you learn more about me.
* * *
I press the End button on my cell phone with shaking hands. Bile rises in my throat and I grit my teeth against it.
"O God. I'm going to throw up."
That's not the voice of faith. Take heart, child.
"Take heart? Your Word says the righteous shall not beg. Your Word says You will supply our every need. Your Word says ask anything in Jesus' name and it will be done by my Father in heaven. How can this be happening in light of what Your Word says, God?"
Silence. Of course. Like a patient parent, He waits out my temper tantrum. Or is He, like I do when my toddler throws a fit, thinking of a suitable punishment for my insolence?
I draw a deep breath and swallow. This is the Almighty I'm talking to. Maybe I should dial down the attitude a bit.
"Is this what's it's come to, then? Two years of clawing and fighting to stay out of the pit, and we have to file for bankruptcy anyway? Where is our abundance? Where is the prosperity You promised?"
I know your needs before you ask. Have I not clothed the lilies of the valley and fed the birds of the air? Will I not do this and much more for you?
"Oh, good. I'll just tell those creditors that God knows all our needs and He'll bail us out soon."
More silence, and I wonder what people would say if I really did bring God into our conversation about money. Somehow, I doubt it will change the bottom line.
God doesn't promise a bailout of governmental proportions. I made mistakes in handling my finances, and I have to pay the consequences. If that means bankruptcy or working two jobs or selling everything we own, maybe it will teach me about good stewardship in the future.
I feel a prodding of the sovereign sort. He does not judge me as I judge myself or as the world judges me, and He is quick to forgive. He rescues His children as a father with limitless resources would.
Rescue is still possible. Prosperity is still possible.
But what is prosperity? When I pray for that specific blessing, what am I really asking for? Let me explain in wholly personal terms as I believe this differs for everyone.
For me, prosperity means paying - and paying off - my bills. It means going to the grocery store and not debating about a bar of soap or a package of dinner meat. Prosperity to me is taking a weekend to play with my husband and kids without worrying about the lost income from two days off. I'd like to have enough in savings to pay for a trip to the dentist or car repairs. Enough to give back to the community and the people that have helped us so much in our time of need.
Even more than money, prosperity is the ability to get up in the morning and look forward to the day. To have sufficient rest and abundant peace and joy. To be able to ward off spiritual attacks that threaten to derail my progress in the Lord. To have direction and energy and organization.
That's prosperous living to me. That's what rescue looks like to me.
I know we are not unique in our situation. Millions of people in our country face circumstances like ours. May we all turn to God, "who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all we ask or think, according to the power that works in us" (Ephesians 3:20).
I feel, rather than hear, the Lord's voice. Fear not, child. I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.
To have the God of the universe taking care of me and holding me up as I go through this life gives me pause. It surely does not get more prosperous than that.
I pray prosperity and abundance on us all,
Shelley
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
Praying for Prosperity
Happy Tuesday, Pray-ers! As always, last week slipped by when I wasn't looking, and the weekend... Well, I'm pretty sure it didn't happen. Here's hoping you all had a good few days.
And here's praying we all have a great week!
Do you ever pray for prosperity? I do. It's more biblical than some would think (see Joshua 1:7, 1 Kings 2:3, and 3 John 1:2 for a few examples), but it took a long time for me to recognize that my idea of prosperity is not necessarily God's idea. In fact, I think He has a much bigger plan for it than I do. I usually pray for financial income - especially in the wake of losing my job and my husband working too many 14-hour days to make up for it. Sometimes I'll ask for God to prosper us in another way, like joy or understanding, but mostly I just want money. Lol.
I think God wants more for us than that.
The Word says that our expectation comes from Him (Psalm 62:5), and that His plans for us are for good, for a future and a hope (Jeremiah 29:11). That sounds like even more than financial prosperity to me. His idea is for us to have peace, joy, hope, and fullness of Spirit. The enemy can not gain a foothold and steal our prosperity if we're seeking and living in the Spirit of Christ. And money doesn't compare when I'm full of joy and hope. When I have these things, when I'm living in Jesus, I can do all things - even earn financial income.
How do you pray for prosperity? What does it look like to you? Share with us, and let's pray for each other!
Many blessings to you today,
Shelley
And here's praying we all have a great week!
Do you ever pray for prosperity? I do. It's more biblical than some would think (see Joshua 1:7, 1 Kings 2:3, and 3 John 1:2 for a few examples), but it took a long time for me to recognize that my idea of prosperity is not necessarily God's idea. In fact, I think He has a much bigger plan for it than I do. I usually pray for financial income - especially in the wake of losing my job and my husband working too many 14-hour days to make up for it. Sometimes I'll ask for God to prosper us in another way, like joy or understanding, but mostly I just want money. Lol.
I think God wants more for us than that.
The Word says that our expectation comes from Him (Psalm 62:5), and that His plans for us are for good, for a future and a hope (Jeremiah 29:11). That sounds like even more than financial prosperity to me. His idea is for us to have peace, joy, hope, and fullness of Spirit. The enemy can not gain a foothold and steal our prosperity if we're seeking and living in the Spirit of Christ. And money doesn't compare when I'm full of joy and hope. When I have these things, when I'm living in Jesus, I can do all things - even earn financial income.
How do you pray for prosperity? What does it look like to you? Share with us, and let's pray for each other!
Many blessings to you today,
Shelley
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