Drawing Closer to Christ

Does God Hear Our Prayers?

Psalm 120:1 NLT, “ I took my troubles to the LORD; I cried out to him, and he answered my prayer.”

Yesterday I had brunch with a friend from church. During our conversation, we started discussing how it can be tough as a Christian when we pray continuously but don’t always understand how God is working in our lives.

We sometimes have questions or prayers that seem to go unanswered. She told me that she’s learning to just give all her concerns to the Lord, and trust that He is working all things together for her good (Romans 8:28). We both agreed that even though we don’t always have all the answers at the present time, we can look back and see how God has always been faithful. He’s always provided exactly what we need, when we need it. He’s never late.

Last night, I was going through some blog posts that I saved and came across this one from my big brother Matt @ Jesusluvsall: “When God Answers Prayer”. It reminds us that God never forgets us. He is our sovereign Lord, who is always on time with the answers we need. Be encouraged as you read it! And keep trusting God as you wait for answers!

He Is Our Help

About 10 years ago, I attended a women’s breakfast at church and they gave us the magnet you see in the picture. In the beginning I had it in my desk at work, but for the majority of the time it has been on my refrigerator. I woke up this morning with this verse on my mind. Our help comes from the Lord. We can lift up our eyes to Him everyday. He will perfect everything concerning us (Psalm 138:8).

Psalm 121:1-8 KJV, “1 I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help. 2. My help cometh from the Lord, which made heaven and earth. 3 He will not suffer thy foot to be moved: he that keepeth thee will not slumber. 4 Behold, he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep. 5 The Lord is thy keeper: the Lord is thy shade upon thy right hand. 6 The sun shall not smite thee by day, nor the moon by night. 7 The Lord shall preserve thee from all evil: he shall preserve thy soul. 8 The Lord shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in from this time forth, and even for evermore.“

Enjoy this song, “My Help”.

(Written by Jackie Gouche Farris, and sung by The Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir.)

May the Lord bless and keep you.🙏🏿

No Shrinking Back

Thanks Jacquie @ Joy Cottage for encouraging us not to shrink back in our faith in Jesus.

#MySaturdayShare

Joy Cottage

But our way is not that of those who shrink back to destruction, but [we are] of those who believe [relying on God through faith in Jesus Christ the Messiah] and by this confident faith preserve the soul. Hebrews 10:39 (AMP).

There
are seasons of becoming reacquainted with God’s necessary attributes for living
a godly life. For me, this is a season of remembering that His grace is
essential and sufficient for the ability to walk through pain, loss,
disappointment, failed expectations and so on. I desire to be faithful in
loving service regardless of circumstance, so that means no shrinking back. No
going back to familiar ways of dealing with (difficult times in life). Those methods
that the unredeemed nature relies on, that try to take over when I feel vulnerable
emotionally or physically.

Why is this important? Because as Hebrews 10:39 tells us; to shrink, or to turn…

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Prayer for Spiritual Growth

Today, I’m meditating on Paul’s prayer for spiritual growth in Ephesians 3:14-21. Enjoy the prayer and have a blessed day. He can do more than we can ask or think according to His power that is at work within us.

Ephesians 3:14-21 NLT

14For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, 15from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name, 16that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man, 17so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; and that you, being rooted and grounded in love, 18may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, 19and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled up to all the fullness of God.

20Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us, 21to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen.

Whether In Plenty Or In Want

Psalm 92:4 NIV, “For you make me glad by your deeds, LORD; I sing for joy at what your hands have done.”

The goodness, mercy, kindness and love that God gives to us is a never ending spring of joy. He satisfies the desire of every living thing (Psalm 145:16). In Him is everything we could ever need and more. God is a good Father who willingly provides for His children. He always has our best interest at heart.

I know that there are plenty of times in life where we may find ourselves wondering why God allows times of lack when His resources are never ending. We may wonder why He allows pain when He is the Great Healer. We may even question why He allows injustice to wreak havoc in the world around us, since He is the God of Justice.

I think it’s human to have questions. I also think God is big enough to handle our questions and feelings. He desires for us to be honest with Him, and freely share our hearts with Him. He doesn’t stop loving us, even during times where we struggle in our faith. He understands our weaknesses and has compassion on us.

Philippians 4:12-13 NIV, I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through him who gives me strength.”

Paul struggled too. He went through ups and downs just like we do. He knew that regardless of what he had to endure, He could rely on the strength of Jesus to carry him through. We don’t have to have all the answers. We don’t have to ignore all our feelings. We are precious to the Lord, and He invites us to cast all our cares on Him.

Through Jesus, we have the strength we need to accomplish all we have to. He is our Source. He makes us glad! Whether in plenty or in want, we can trust in Him to carry us through.

Share Your Passion Tag

Thank you big brother Matt @ Jesusluvsall’s Blog for including me in this Share Your Passion Tag. 😁 I’m thankful for your blog. You are a kind and compassionate person who shows the love of Jesus through the work you do to help immigrants and refugees. Your testimonies of perseverance through chronic illness inspire others to not lose hope. 🕊 🕊

The goal of the #ShareYourPassion Tag, created by https://absolutelytrueconfessions.com, is for bloggers to uplift other bloggers and inspire their readers. Bloggers who are tagged are encouraged to talk about their passions outside of blogging, and how to use those passions to help others. Love this!

Rules of the #ShareYourPassion Tag:
• Repost the #ShareYourPassion logo (above) on your acceptance post.
• Tag the blogger’s site that nominated you.
• Share a bit about your passion(s): Hobbies outside of blogging that keep you busy in your free time. What would you like to accomplish with these things? How could you use your passion(s) to be a blessing to others and show them the love of God?
• Nominate ten other bloggers and spread the joy!

💕❤️One of my main passions in life is helping people. I’ve done this mostly through participating in various volunteer opportunities over the years. One of my favorites is when I volunteered at a pregnancy shelter. It was for single pregnant women. I used to stay once a week overnight at the shelter so I could offer support if any of the women went into labor during the night. I also helped provide transportation to and from prenatal appointments, and church. I felt a connection with the women since I too was a single parent. I always looked forward to spending time with them. Most importantly, being a part of this ministry gave me a chance to share the love of Jesus. 💕❤️

🤗 I’m tagging the following, if you choose to participate…

“…But the greatest of these is LOVE.” (1 Corinthians 13:13)

Confidence in Christ Jesus

1 John 5:14 NIV, “This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us.”

It was a busy weekend for me, as I continue packing for my upcoming move. It always amazes me how much stuff can accumulate over time. I still have a few Little Golden books from when I was little. Going through all this stuff, reminds me of the many stages of life I have been through. When I see items from years gone by, I can see how fast time has flown.

The love and care that God shows us does not change. Circumstances may change. People may change, or we may even change. But God, He remains the same. His faithfulness is constant. During times where my needs were lacking, I knew God would somehow provide for me. Because He always has, and I know He always will. That’s the confidence we have in knowing Christ. In Him, we have a firm foundation. We can be sure. Sometimes we hesitate to believe, but when it comes to Him, we don’t have to hesitate. We can freely trust and believe.

As we start this new week, His presence is with us and living in us through the Holy Spirit. We can ask Him for what we need. Every need we have, rather big, small or somewhere in between, He has promised to lovingly supply. When your heart feels anxious and life tries to overwhelm you, remember that God is still greater than whatever or whoever.

May you be blessed, as you walk in the confidence that comes from knowing who you are in Christ Jesus our Lord.

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