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Tag Archives: Live for Today

Pray When You are Confused About an Uncertain Tomorrow

9 / 18 / 209 / 18 / 20
Helping you live with boldness when you are confused by an uncertain tomorrow although things try to get in the way with God's help, you can LIVE today! #LiveToday #TomorrowisANewDay #Prayer #CountingMyBlessings #WWGGG

When our daughter was a toddler she found the difference between today and tomorrow very confusing.

We’ would say, “We are going to to do (something fun) tomorrow.”

And she would always respond with delight and great enthusiasm.

But the next morning when she got up she would ask, “Is it tomorrow?”

Of course, we would reply, “No, it’s today.”

At which point she would get very sad and say, “But I want it to be tomorrow so we can do __________.”

(It sounds like our personal version of who’s on first, doesn’t it?)

And even when we would tell her, “Honey, we are going to do __________.”

She would look at us confused and say, “But it’s not tomorrow.”

Little children aren’t the only ones who have trouble understanding the difference between today and tomorrow.

You and I can so easily waste today worrying about tomorrow. Waiting for tomorrow. Procrastinating until tomorrow. Starting over tomorrow.

But the truth is, whatever we think about tomorrow we can only live today.

Corrie ten Boom wrote:

“Worrying is carrying tomorrow’s load with today’s strength- carrying two days at once. It is moving into tomorrow ahead of time. Worrying doesn’t empty tomorrow of its sorrow, it empties today of its strength.”

So, let’s take a closer look at what the Bible says and surrender our worry and uncertainty about tomorrow to the Lord.

Pray When You are Confused About an Uncertain Tomorrow

Helping you live with boldness when you are confused by an uncertain tomorrow although things try to get in the way with God's help, you can LIVE today! #LiveToday #TomorrowisANewDay #Prayer #CountingMyBlessings #WWGGG

When You’re Worried and Uncertain about Tomorrow

“So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today.” 

Matthew 6:34

Father, I surrender my thoughts to You. Please grant me Your peace and help me live today without worrying about tomorrow. By Your grace, help me know the difference between planning for tomorrow and worrying about tomorrow. Guide me as I set goals and help me put You first in everything I do . . . that I might live each day for Your glory. Amen.

When You’re Tired of Waiting for “Tomorrow”

Wait patiently for the Lord.
    Be brave and courageous.
    Yes, wait patiently for the Lord.

Psalm 27:14

Father, Please give me the courage and strength I need today. Sometimes today is hard because You’re asking me to wait. Please give me patience. By Your grace, give me everything I need to trust You today. Whatever is going on in my life . . . You promise to give me everything I need when I seek You first. Please lead me today, make Your will clear to me, and give me all I need to follow You in faith today. Amen.

“Darkness comes. In the middle of it, the future looks blank. The temptation to quit is huge. Don’t. You are in good company… You will argue with yourself that there is no way forward. But with God, nothing is impossible. He has more ropes and ladders and tunnels out of pits than you can conceive. Wait. Pray without ceasing. Hope.” ~John Piper

When You’re Tempted to Procrastinate Until Tomorrow

“Tomorrow is often the busiest day of the week” ~a Spanish Proverb

Fight the good fight of faith, grabbing hold of the life that continues forever. You were called to have that life when you confessed the good confession before many witnesses. 

Ephesians 5:15–17

Father, please give me the strength I need today. By Your grace, help me plan my days well without over-planning so I’m not tempted to procrastinate. Give me the energy I need each day and help me remember to pause and rest in Your presence. By Your all-sufficient grace help me stay focused on You that I might do Your will as You reveal it to me. Amen.

“You cannot escape the responsibility of tomorrow by evading it today.” ~Abraham Lincoln

When You’re Tempted to Carry Guilt and Shame Into Tomorrow

“The voice of sin is loud, but the voice of forgiveness is louder.” ~Dwight L. Moody

 If we confess our sins to Him, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness.

1 John 1:9

Father, I am so sorry for failing to trust and obey Your will the way You want. I try so hard but fall short every day. And the enemy taunts and tells me I’m useless, that I’ll never change, that I need to wear my guilt like a label across my heart. But You are faithful to forgive because You want to forgive. You proved Your unfailing love by allowing Jesus to suffer my punishment on the cross.

Thank you! Help me live today with the joy of forgiveness and help me generously extend that same loving forgiveness to the people You place around me. Thank you for washing me clean today and for every new tomorrow You give me to try again. Amen.

Helping you live with boldness when you are confused by an uncertain tomorrow although things try to get in the way with God's help, you can LIVE today! #LiveToday #TomorrowisANewDay #Prayer #CountingMyBlessings #WWGGG

“Isn’t it nice to think that tomorrow is a new day with no mistakes in it yet?” ~L.M.Montgomery

When You Need to Remember to LIVE Today

“Even if I knew that tomorrow the world would go to pieces, I would still plant my apple tree.” ~Martin Luther

The Lord is my shepherd;
    I have all that I need.
He lets me rest in green meadows;
    He leads me beside peaceful streams.
He renews my strength.
He guides me along right paths,
    bringing honor to His name.

Psalm 23:1–3

Father, thank you for Your provision, guidance, and rest. You truly do give me everything I need each day. Please help me walk peacefully with You today. Keep me from worrying about tomorrow’s unknown and give me the faith I need to trust You even when I don’t understand. Life can be hard and confusing but when You are with me teaching and leading . . . I have Your all-sufficient grace to flourish in the good things You have prepared for me. I love You, Lord. You are all I need today, tomorrow, and forever. Amen.

I love this quote from Henri Nouwen. It reminds of simple ways you and I can live for God’s glory today . . . without worrying about tomorrow’s uncertainty.

“Did I offer peace today? Did I bring a smile to someone’s face? Did I say words of healing? Did I let go of my anger and resentment? Did I forgive? Did I love? These are the real questions. I must trust that the little bit of love that I sow now will bear many fruits, here in this world and the life to come.”

So friends,

Celebrate today.
Live with confidence that God has You covered in His grace, mercy, and love.
Have hope for tomorrow, but don’t wait for it to live . . . get up and boldly experience all God has for you.
Follow where the Lord leads you and trust Him to bless you with the goodness of life that only He can give. 

May He bless you today and tomorrow!

Thank you so much for joining me today.

And a thank you to BibleGateway.com for sources.

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The Best Way to Live One Day at a Time and Actually Enjoy It

7 / 30 / 18

You and I sacrifice contentment and joy when we fail to live one day at a time. 10 goals to help you focus on today and enjoy life more.

Jesus said, “Don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries.” Matthew 6:34

Solomon wrote, “Don’t brag about tomorrow since you don’t know what the day will bring.” Proverbs 27:1

Isaiah wrote, “Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past.” Isaiah 43:18

Don’t worry. Don’t brag. Forget the past.

Live for today.

That’s what I want …. simple, faith-filled, focus on what God is doing in my life today. I want to let go of yesterday and leave tomorrow where it belongs—in the future!

But even though I want to faithfully live in the present, I fall short way too often. The enemy of my soul constantly taunts me with regrets and worries and my thoughts wander off to places that discourage and dishearten me.

Though I know I’m sacrificing peace, joy, contentment and so much more when I choose to focus on past or future “what ifs,” I still have days when I don’t feel well or circumstances don’t go the way I want challenging me to lose focus and retreat into the past and the future.

I need help.

I can’t do it on my own. I need God’s Holy Spirit to help me live one day at a time – free of regrets and worries.

I’ve made a list of “Just for Today” goals that I believe will help me. I’m hoping they will help you too…

10 Just for Today Goals to
Enjoy Life One Day at a Time

You and I sacrifice contentment and joy when we fail to live one day at a time. 10 goals to help you focus on today and enjoy life more.

1.   I will make healthy choices. 

I will make every effort to eat a healthy diet, stay active, and get the rest I need with balance and without obsession.

Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself, for God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body.  Corinthians 6:19–20

2.  I will be kind to myself and others.

I will remember how much God loves me and wants the best for me. I will not sabotage His work in my life with unhealthy choices. And I will extend kindness and compassion to the people God places around me.

When we are outrageously kind to ourselves it’s easier to be kind to others. (Wow, I need to work on this one! I can say some terrible things to myself)

3.  I will choose to find joy in every day.

With God’s help, I will live in this moment and look for reasons to be joy-filled and happy.

It’s so easy to focus on what’s wrong and what’s missing. I am trusting the Spirit to help me…

 Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. Philippians 4:8

4.  I will trust God’s plans for me and follow where He leads me.

If you’re like me, you make your plans and you’re sure they’re right. Changes and interruptions can be the beginning of my day heading south.

I love this quote from Shauna Nyquist…

“I’m practicing believing that God knows more than I know, that He sees what I can’t, that He’s weaving a future I can’t even imagine from where I sit this morning.” 

And with His help, you and I can trust that His plans, even His interruptions, are for our good and His glory although we may not see it at the moment.

5.  I will repent and confess my sins to God trusting that He faithfully forgives me. 

I’m one of those people who will relive past mistakes and own the guilt again and again. Rev teases me for often taking the blame for things that aren’t even my fault or my doing. Talk about joy robbers!

So, I am committing myself to trust God’s promise…

But if we confess our sins to Him, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness. 1 John 1:9

And remember that when I doubt His forgiveness I doubt His love.

When you and I trust Jesus’ sacrifice we must also trust its sufficiency to cover our sins.

6. I will forgive others the way God has forgiven me.

I will give the gift of forgiveness to those who hurt me. Jesus included our need to forgive each other in the prayer He taught…

Forgive us our sins, as we have forgiven those who sin against us. Matthew 6:12

Sometimes the pain seems to great to forgive but I am trusting that because Jesus spoke of the importance of forgiveness, His Spirit will help me accomplish it.

This quote from Max Lucado is so good…

“Forgiveness doesn’t diminish justice, it entrusts it to God.” 

The Best Way to Live One Day at a Time and Actually Enjoy It by Deb Wolf @ Counting My Blessings

7. I will plan and prepare for my day asking God to guide me.

With God’s help, I will use today’s 1440 minutes intentionally.

I’ll admit, this one challenges me. I can so easily get distracted and unfocused. I want to strive to become a better steward of every moment of life God gives me.

“Productivity is never an accident. It is always the result of a commitment to excellence, intelligent planning, and focused effort.” ~Paul J. Meyer

8. I will not over-plan my day. I will leave time for stillness and rest. 

“The key is not to prioritize what’s on your schedule, but to schedule your priorities.” ~Stephen Covey

I’ve written a personal mission statement. Having a mission statement makes it easier for me to know my priorities and schedule in a way that leaves me time to breathe. It also leaves time for God’s unexpected interruptions and best of all it makes time spent in His Word and in prayer a priority.

9.  I will accept the unexpected … do what I can and trust God with the rest. 

Whatever a day brings, I will trust that God is greater than my circumstances and live with confidence that He is able to give me the strength to endure.

And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. Romans 8:38

I will trust His love!

10.  I will refuse to worry.

Worry is a joy stealer! It is impossible to worry and experience joy!

And right after Jesus told His followers to “Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and He will give you everything you need.”

He said…

“So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today. Matthew 6:33 –34

We can trust Him! With God’s help, we can simply do what we are given to do today, and leave tomorrow to the mercy and grace of God trusting that when we His Kingdom and live for His glory, He will supply everything we need to live … one day at a time.

And finally – I will count my blessings.

I began blessing counting during a time when my heart hurt so much it seemed impossible to see anything good. A discipline God used to strengthen me and fill me with hope. I’m a committed counter now.

Everyone was gripped with great wonder and awe, and they praised God, exclaiming, “We have seen amazing things today!” Luke 5:26

I want to pay attention! I want to see the amazing things God is doing and count every blessing one day at a time!

This quote from Ida Scott Taylor sums it all up beautifully…

“One day at a time- this is enough. Do not look back and grieve over the past, for it is gone; and do not be troubled about the future, for it has not yet come. Live in the present, and make it so beautiful that it will be worth remembering.” 

What things do you do to help you live one day at a time and enjoy it?

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When You Need to Know God’s Will for Today

4 / 9 / 184 / 9 / 18

You have been given a gift of 24 hours. What does God want you to do with it? What is God's will for today?

Some days I get up and I’ll admit, I’m thinking big picture wondering what God wants me to do with however many years I have left? 

But most of the time, I just want to get through today. 

This is the day the Lord has made. We will rejoice and be glad in it.  Psalm 118:24

Rejoice, be glad, and live today. 

Sounds simple, doesn’t it?

If only I could do that consistently. 

I worry about the mess I made yesterday and the possibilities of tomorrow even though Jesus said…

So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Matthew 6:34a

Did you know the verse before is the what we should do instead of worrying? And it’s my verse of the year…

Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and He will give you everything you need. Matthew 6:33

Seek God’s will for today and live! 

Why is that so much harder to do than it is to say? Because I’m prone to second-guessing yesterday and fretting about tomorrow. 

I want to do better. 

I want to seek God’s will and live today. 

That’s it! So, I’m fleshing it out and getting specific. 

When You Need to Know God’s Will for Today

 

You have been given a gift of 24 hours. What does God want you to do with it? What is God's will for today?

I need to start with the following… 

1. Let go of yesterday!

♥ Ask God to forgive my sins, failures, mistakes, and messes of the past.
♥ Forgive the people whose sins, failures, mistakes, and messes have hurt me.

I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead. Philippians 3:13

On my own, whew, it’s hard to let go of yesterday … but with God’s help, I can do His will even when it’s hard. 

2. Don’t worry about tomorrow!

I know worry robs me of today’s peace and joy, and truthfully it doesn’t improve tomorrow at all! I can’t live today well if I’m fretting about tomorrow. 

“If you want to be happy, do not dwell in the past, do not worry about the future, focus on living fully in the present.” ~ Roy T. Bennet

Okay – being free of guilt and worry is a great start… what else does God want for my day – today?

3. Love Him – Heart, Soul, Mind, and Strength 

But what does that mean? How do I make that more than just words?

♥ Heart – I will make God my heart’s desire.
♥ Soul – I will trust God and surrender my will (attitudes and intentions), my emotions, my thoughts and feelings, and my body to the truth of His Word.
♥ Mind – I will use my knowledge, my reason, and intellect to know God better each day.
♥ Strength – I will honor God with my abilities, my resources, my service, and the way I love the people around me.

You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength. Mark 12:30

4. Love Others

Love your neighbor as yourself. Luke 10:27b

I believe God wants us to serve Him right where we are. That doesn’t me we can’t pursue new goals or move toward new opportunities.

But today…

You and I should simply do what He has given us to do. Be the best spouse, parent, child, coworker, neighbor, and citizen we can be. We’re not called to “do it all.” We’re called to do our best and love the people in front of us.

For me, that often has more to do with my attitude than my actions; so, I need to remember…

Work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people. Colossians 3:23

When You Need to Know God's Will for Today by Deb Wolf @ Counting My Blessings

And do it…

5. All with an Eternal Perspective

I believe keeping an eternal perspective is the hardest part because everything else is right in front of us. 

The messes I need to confess and forgive, the problems I worry about, the challenges that keep me from loving and serving well, and … well, you get the idea.

Life is hard! 

Which is why you and I need an eternal perspective.

Most of the hard things of life lose their power when I ask myself a few important questions:

Will this matter ten years from now?

Will I even remember next year?

What is God’s view of today’s trouble? How does He want to use this in my life?

What do I need to do to live this moment for God’s glory?

It’s funny my attitude changes when I turn my focus from the problem to the problem Solver – to God Himself.

Two verses keep running through my heart and my head. 

Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek His will in all you do, and He will show you which path to take. Proverbs 3:5–6

Whatever this day brings, good, bad, or somewhere in between, I don’t have to face it alone. God invites you and me to trust Him, to turn to Him, to ask, seek, and knock. He knows the way. 

He is the way. He is eternal, the First and Last … the beginning and the end. And He’s given us a glimpse of His eternal plan so we can live today with His eternal perspective. 

You and I can live today without guilt – when we know we are forgiven; without resentment – when we forgive; without worry – when we trust God’s promises for the future; with love – when we focus on the love He gives us to share with others. 

It’s just a better way to live. 

Today is a new day. A beautiful gift. It holds 24 hours of opportunities, choices, and attitudes. God has given us everything we need to live it for Him. It is precious and full of hope and promise. 

I want to make today the best day possible; after all, it’s a one of a kind opportunity.  24 hours, 1,440 minutes, 86,400 breath receiving seconds. 

I want to live it for God and for His glory! 

I want to…

Love God and His people, all of them.

Know God and make Him known.

Trust Him, seek His will, and follow where He leads.

So, with His help, I will…

1. Repent and forgive.
2. Don’t worry.
3. Love God.
4. Love my people.
5. Keep an eternal perspective. 

That’s it! God’s will for today! 

What do you think? What is God’s will for living one day at a time?

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Hi! I'm so glad you're here! I'm Deb Wolf, a recovering “good little church girl” who has been transformed by grace into a joy-filled blessing counter crazy in love with Jesus. I can't wait to tell you about it...

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