Tag: encouragement

The Lord Is God

Psalm 100:3 NIV, “Know that the LORD is God. It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.”

Know that the Lord is God. What a powerful statement! He is God regardless of what may come our way. He knows all and sees all. He is the Good Shepherd who is faithfully watching over us, His precious sheep, at all times. It’s a comfort to know that God cares about us so much. He’s involved in even the simple details of our everyday lives.

Photo by: Kailash Kumar of India 🇮🇳

We belong to the Lord and He knows the plans He has for us. Knowing that He knows, is the reason we don’t have to worry. Instead we can choose to trust Him. Don’t let worry creep in and try to destroy the peace He has so freely given to you. I encourage you to, “Know that the Lord is God”, and receive His peace today.

Forgetting The Past

Philippians 3:13 NIV, “Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead,”

There are some things about the past that are beneficial to us, such as remembering how far God has brought us from, remembering the times He has delivered us, or remembering the lessons we have learned as we’ve grown in Christ. However we’re told in this verse, we shouldn’t let anything about our past hold us back from moving forward in our relationship with the Lord.

We shouldn’t allow ourselves to be saddled with guilt and shame from our past sins. Once we’ve repented of our sins, we are to receive God’s mercy and forgiveness and walk in freedom. Of course the enemy doesn’t want us to walk in that freedom, so he will constantly try and remind us of our sins and failures. We must meditate on God’s Word, so that we won’t forget what God says about our past sins….

Psalm 103:12 NLT, “He has removed our sins as far from us as the east is from the west.”

Photo by: Sagui Andrea of Italy 🇮🇹

Sometimes forgetting the past can be tough, especially in situations where we are still dealing with the consequences of our sins. But just remember that God’s grace is sufficient. He will provide for you. He will give you strength, hope or whatever it is you need each day. He will never abandon you, so therefore, “keep straining toward what is ahead”, and never forget that God loves you.

Rest In Jesus

Matthew 11:28 NLT, “Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.”

Jesus gives us rest, spiritually and physically. He paid the price for our sins so we don’t have to wear ourselves out trying to compensate for our wrongdoing with our works. We can rest in His finished work on the cross . I recently heard a sermon that stressed how important it is for us to also rest physically. Our bodies need time to heal from the daily toil of life. Even God rested during creation.

Genesis 2:2 NLT, “On the seventh day God had finished his work of creation, so he rested from all his work.”

Photo by: Lisa Fotios of the UK 🇬🇧

Rest is something that is definitely worth praying over. Through prayer we can stay connected to Jesus and He will help us to maintain balance in our lives spiritually and physically. We can trust Him to give us the rest we need. Don’t let fear or worry hold you back from finding rest in Jesus.

Always Be Prepared

1 Peter 3:15 NIV, “But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect,”

We may not always be aware, but there are people who are watching us when we claim to be a Christian. They are watching to see how we respond in certain situations. They are examining our words and our actions. In the world today, truth has become whatever people want it to be, instead of what God says it is.

Many live their lives focused mostly on their own desires, with little or no regard for the Lord. Living that way leads to hopelessness. As Christians we have the privilege to help bring hope to a dying world through Jesus Christ. We must be careful not to get caught up in the ways of the world, so that we will be an effective witness for Him.

Photo by: Nappy of the USA 🇺🇸

We must also be prepared to give an answer explaining why we have placed our faith and hope in Jesus. We must be ready to explain why we love our Savior and have chosen to give our lives to Him. We must know in our hearts, what makes being a Christian different from any of the other “truths” that people believe in.

As we answer questions about our faith in Christ, we must do so with gentleness and respect. Love must be the root of our faith so that it will be what we show to others. People aren’t really impressed with how many times a week we go to church, or how many Bible verses we know. However, when we show people love through our actions, they will be more prone to believe the words that we speak, and want to know more about our Jesus, the Savior of the world.

Photo by: Christina Morillo of the USA 🇺🇸

Early Morning Prayer

Psalm 5:3 NIV, “In the morning, LORD, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait expectantly.”

Have you ever had those times in the wee hours of the morning where God woke you up for prayer? We know that our God is not limited by time. He’s always available around the clock. Whenever He wakes us for prayer, we shouldn’t hesitate to answer His call to spend quality time with us.

God uses these quiet and still times to enjoy a unique type of intimacy with us. Embrace those moments, where because of the quiet, you can clearly hear His voice. Even if you don’t seem to hear God speaking anything specific, just enjoy the moment and sit quietly in His presence.

For many of us, the days are so busy, so it’s a blessing when we have these special times to commune with the Lord. There have been many times God woke me, and I felt Him nudging me to pray, and whenever I’ve taken advantage of His offer, I can honestly say, I’ve never been disappointed.

Psalm 119:147 NLT, “I rise early, before the sun is up; I cry out for help and put my hope in your words.”

Photo by: Pixabay

Living a life of devotion to the Lord may require us to get less sleep for whatever the reason. It could be because of early morning prayer, or because of a late night phone call with a loved one who needs someone to talk to. But I’m thankful that He is our strength through it all.

When it comes to the Lord, the gains of obedience to Him, far outweigh any losses we may have. When He asks us to give something up (extra sleep included), it’s because He has something far better waiting for us on the other side of our obedience.

Prayer, an Honor and Privilege

Philippians 4:6 NLT, “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done.”

I’m very familiar with the NIV version of this verse, but I recently read it in the NLT version that I mentioned above, and loved it just as much. We don’t need to worry or be anxious about anything. It’s an honor and a privilege that through Christ Jesus, we can carry all of our needs to God in prayer. Nothing is too small for God to care about, and nothing is too big for Him to handle. We need to challenge ourselves to entrust all things to Him in prayer.

Photo by: Luis Quintero of Panama 🇵🇦

It’s a joy that we can talk to God anytime and anyplace. There is no one formula when it comes to prayer. He delights in hearing our voice, as we tell Him what we need. He is our loving Father who cares about the details of our day. As we pray, we can joyfully thank Him for all He has done and all He will do in the days to come. Don’t worry, just pray to God, about everything.

The Barnabas Award

Thank you to my little sister Herry @ Herry Chic Counsels for this award nomination. Read Herry’s About Me page to discover more about the purpose of her blog. Her posts are a true blessing, and will inspire you in your journey with Christ Jesus. 🌺

Here are the guidelines: 🤗
1) Thank the person who nominated you and share their blog. 2) Think of five bloggers that encourage and inspire you and nominate them. 3) List five things about yourself. 4) Answer the questions you got asked. 5) Finally, ask your nominees five questions. Why five? Because it is the number that signifies grace.

“You have been chosen for this recognition because of the encouragement and inspiration you bring to your readers.”

Five Things About Me: 👩🏿

1. My favorite season is spring. The flowers are beautiful. 🌷

2. I like spicy food. 🌶

3. I used to have 2 pet lizards named Cocoa and Verde. 🦎 🦎

4. My favorite part of flying is takeoff. ✈️

5. My favorite Bible verse is John 3:16. ✝️

Here are the questions that Herry asked me to answer:

  1. Who is the person that has most influenced you in your faith walk? Tell us a little about him/her. My mom. She shares her faith in Jesus daily through her actions of love and kindness.
  2. Other than the Holy Bible, is there another book that you read that encourages you? Can you recommend it to us? 30 Days to a Stronger More Confident You: Secrets to Bold and Fearless Living by Deborah Smith Pegues. This book talks about developing confidence through knowing Jesus Christ.
  3. If you could walk anywhere to spend some “alone” time with God, where in the world would you want to be and why? The park is my favorite place to spend time with the Lord, because being out in nature reminds me of Him.
  4. Do you have a favorite praise song? What is it? I love so many, it’s hard to name one. But I’ve been listening to “Raise a Hallelujah” by Bethel Music a lot lately.
  5. Do you ever send notes or cards of encouragement to someone? Why or why not? Yes I do, it’s a blessing to encourage others. We all need encouragement.

I nominate the following 5 bloggers. If you choose to participate, please answer the same 5 questions. Thank you for the inspiration and encouragement you bring to me and others. Your blog is a blessing! ❤️☀️❤️

Pippi’s Poetry

Garden Faith

The “F” Word

Just a Jesus Girl

Merry Mence