Tag: prayer

Blessings To You On Mother’s Day

As I was reflecting on Mother’s Day, some very valuable advice that was given to me by my cousin Sandra came to mind. She said, “Always pray for your daughter, because there is something special about a mother’s prayer.” My daughter who is now 23, was about 11 years old when Sandra spoke those words. Her words of wisdom have always stayed close to my heart.

I know my mother has diligently prayed for me throughout my life. Her prayers for me have made a difference, and they continue to do so. As mother’s, we are so blessed to have the gift of prayer. We can’t be everywhere, we can’t know everything, and we definitely can’t fix everything (although we may sometimes try), but our Lord can. Knowing that He is always present, and that He is never without answers, is what gives us peace as Mom’s.

God’s love covers everything, all the joys and the pains of motherhood. I’m so thankful for His love, because no matter what changes in our lives or the lives of our children, His love will never change. I pray you find never ending strength and hope as you continue to trust God for His best in the lives of your children. He hears your prayers and always has a plan, so never cease to pray for your children.

Happy Mother’s Day! 🌷💛🌷

1 Thessalonians 5:17 (KJB), “Pray without ceasing.”

Photo by: Pixabay

Keep on Praying

1 Thessalonians 5:17 GNT, “Pray at all times,” 1 Thessalonians 5:17 NLT, “Never stop praying.”

Prayer, is our lifeline. Being able to constantly communicate with our Heavenly Father, anytime of day or night is an honor and a privilege. Rather we’re tucked away in our secret prayer closet, or driving down the street, we can talk to the Lord. I love that we can ask God for help as we go about our daily tasks or even when we’re struggling with a work assignment. We can trust Him to bring the clarity and direction we need, no matter what the situation is that we’re facing.

Photo by: Ric Rodrigues of Brazil 🇧🇷

Choosing to trust God in the midst of our storms, and in the midst of uncertainty is the same as choosing victory. There is absolutely no difference. We can’t lose when we choose Jesus. No matter how circumstances may look at the time, by faith we know that He has already won our battles.

Remember, we don’t have to have all the answers, we just need to have Jesus, He is the answer. His presence, strength, and peace will sustain us. Sometimes the answers to our prayers come in the most unexpected ways. You never know how, when, or through whom the Lord will move on your behalf. Therefore, my brothers and sisters in Christ, never stop praying.

O LORD, Hear Me As I Pray

Psalm 5:1-2 ESV, “O LORD, hear me as I pray; pay attention to my groaning. Give attention to the sound of my cry, my King and my God, for to you do I pray.”

Dear Heavenly Father,

Thank you for hearing and answering our prayers. We don’t have to carry our own burdens, because we can cast them on you. We give you all of our worries, doubts, fears, brokenness and pain. Thank you for promising to supply all of our needs according to your riches in glory in Christ Jesus. Help us to find contentment and peace in you during these difficult times. Keep our minds sound and filled with your truth. Protect our bodies from illness and disease, and keep us safe and healthy. Thank you for comforting us through the trials that we face. You are always near, and we thank you for your continuous presence with us. Thank you that your Holy Spirit leads us on level ground as we trust in Him daily. Show us areas of our lives where we need to repent. Give us a pure heart, and help us to draw closer to You, as we diligently seek you each day. Teach us to represent you well in all that we say and do. Speak to our hearts about the things that should be a priority in our lives, and help us to obey your voice. Thank you Father for loving us with an everlasting love. Thank you for the power of prayer and the joy of thanksgiving. Through your power working in us, may we love you, love others, pray without ceasing, and be thankful always, this is your will for us in Christ Jesus. Greater is He who lives in us, than he who lives in the world! Thank you Father for who you are and for all that you do.

In the name of Jesus we pray. Amen.

Have a blessed day and keep trusting in our God, His faithfulness will never end.

Photo by: Fabian Wiktor of Berlin, Germany 🇩🇪

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.

Believing God For More

James 2:17 NKJV, “Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.”

As we grow in our relationship with Christ, we also grow in our knowledge of His love for us. Knowing that He loves us, should cause us to love Him and want what He wants for our lives. God’s ways and thoughts are higher than ours (Isaiah 55:8-9), so wanting what He wants will mean having to step out on faith and start believing Him for more.

Believing God for more will most likely be uncomfortable, because it often causes us to have to leave behind what is familiar in order to embrace the new thing God wants to do. It requires letting go of old thought patterns, old habits, certain activities or people that we are used to.

Embracing the new thing that God wants to do, may even cause us to experience rejection by people. However, rejection is a good thing when it positions us to experience the better things that God has planned for us. Simply living to please ourselves or others will get us nowhere. Continuously resisting the changes God allows to come our way, will not take us to higher levels in Christ.

Photo by: Luis Quintero (from Panama 🇵🇦)

Since we have entered into a new year, I know many of us are waiting in expectation for the great things that are ahead. With that, will come opportunities to learn to step out on faith, believe God for more, and take action. Whatever the more is that God has placed in your heart, don’t let fear of the unknown keep you from being obedient and taking action. Make your requests known before our all powerful God (Philippians 4:6). He is willing to give you what you need. Follow the little promptings the Holy Spirit gives you, because little things mean a lot on the journey to the bigger things He has in store.

God will strengthen your faith and take away any fears you may have as you believe Him for more. 2020 will only be a year of change, if we are willing to make the changes God requires of us.

If you would like prayer as you believe God for more, you can let me know in the comments or via email, I’m thankful to pray for you!

drawingclosertochrist@gmail.com

Happy New Year “2020”

Isaiah 40:31 AMP, ”But those who wait for the Lord [who expect, look for, and hope in Him] shall change and renew their strength and power; they shall lift their wings and mount up [close to God] as eagles [mount up to the sun]; they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint or become tired.

Happy New Year to you! It is my prayer that you have a Spirit lead 2020 as you wait in expectancy for all God has planned for you. May you continue to draw closer to Christ and find comfort, peace, healing, and direction in the truth of His unfailing Word. I pray that you would find security and strength in knowing that God’s presence is with you and that His love for you will never cease.

Photo by: Jill Wellington (from Michigan 🇺🇸)