How to Pray the Right Way and Avoid the Wrong

Fold your hands and bow your head.

Sit, stand, or kneel.

Written, spoken, or silent.

Memorized or in your own words.

What is the right way to pray?

The disciples asked Jesus, “Lord teach us to pray.”

And Jesus said… “Pray like this:”

Our Father in heaven,
    may Your name be kept holy.
(Praise God for who He is and commit to living for His glory.)
May Your Kingdom come soon.
(Pray for Kingdom growth and personal anticipation of Jesus’ return.)
May your will be done on earth, as it is in heaven.
(Pray to trust and obey God’s plans and purposes for Your life.)
Give us today the food we need,
(Pray for God’s daily provision and wise stewardship.)
and forgive us our sins,
(Pray with humble repentance.)
    as we have forgiven those who sin against us.
(Pray with grateful indebtedness demonstrated in grace, mercy, and love.)
And don’t let us yield to temptation,
(Pray for wisdom to discern and strength to resist temptation.)
    but rescue us from the evil one.
(Pray for awareness of God’s faithful presence and protection.)
Matthew 6:9-13

Jesus’ gave His disciples and us the perfect model for prayer. I wonder . . . what else we can learn about prayer from Jesus.

12 Things to Learn about Prayer from Jesus

Spend time alone in prayer –

Jesus often slipped away to be alone so He could pray. Luke 5:16

Pray with Faith –

“And when you pray, don’t be like those people who don’t know God. They continue saying things that mean nothing, thinking that God will hear them because of their many words. Don’t be like them, because your Father knows the things you need before you ask Him.” Matthew 6:7–8

Pray for others –

Then the people brought their little children to Jesus so he could put his hands on them and pray for them. Matthew 9:13

^“I am praying for them. I am not praying for people in the world but for those you gave me, because they are yours.” John 17:9

Pray with others –

Jesus took Peter, John, and James up on a mountain to pray. Luke 9:28

Pray often –

Jesus often slipped away to be alone so He could pray. Luke 5:16

Pray with gratitude and praise –

At this time, Jesus was full of the joy of the Holy Spirit. He said, “I thank You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth.” Luke 10:21

Pray before making important decisions –

One day soon afterward Jesus went up on a mountain to pray, and He prayed to God all night. At daybreak, He called together all of his disciples and chose twelve of them to be apostles. Luke 6:12–13

Pray with persistence –

One day Jesus told his disciples a story to show that they should always pray and never give up. Luke 18:1

Pray with humility –

Instead, he beat his chest in sorrow, saying, ‘O God, be merciful to me, for I am a sinner. I tell you, this sinner, not the Pharisee, returned home justified before God. Luke 18:13–14

Pray for and forgive others –

“But I say to you, love your enemies. Pray for those who hurt you.“ Matthew 5:44

Pray with submission –

“My Father! If it is possible, let this cup of suffering be taken away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine.” Matthew 26:39

Pray for unity in the church –

^“I pray that they will all be one, just as you and I are one.” John 17:21

6 Things Jesus Said to Avoid When You Pray

Don’t be a hypocrite –

“When you pray, don’t be like the hypocrites. They love to stand in the synagogues and on the street corners and pray so people will see them. I tell you the truth, they already have their full reward.” Matthew 6:5

Don’t repeat empty memorized words you don’t mean –

“And when you pray, don’t be like those people who don’t know God. They continue saying things that mean nothing, thinking that God will hear them because of their many words.” Matthew 6:7

Don’t withhold forgiveness –

“But when you are praying, first forgive anyone you are holding a grudge against, so that your Father in heaven will forgive your sins, too.” Mark 11:25

Don’t pray for anything contrary to God’s Word –

So be careful how you live. Don’t live like fools, but like those who are wise.Make the most of every opportunity in these evil days. Don’t act thoughtlessly, but understand what the Lord wants you to do. Ephesians 5:15–17

^“For it is my Father’s will that all who see His Son and believe in Him should have eternal life. I will raise them up at the last day.” John 6:40

Don’t worry –

“Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me. John 14:1

Wow! It’s a lot to remember isn’t it?

Add to this all of the do this and don’t do that books that have been written about prayer, and maybe we start to understand the reason why we talk about it so much but get lost in the doing.

The Good News

Although there is a lot of truth modeled and spoken by Jesus about prayer, there is only one important thing to remember.

Prayer is simply expressing your heart to the Father who loves you
and then surrendering your life to Him.

That’s neither complicated or rule-filled. It is simply a conversation with the One who loves you most and best.

That I can do. That you can do.

So, pray often. Talk with your Father. He loves you. He’s waiting to sit and talk with you.

I always enjoy hearing from you! Please take a minute to say ‘hi’ and share your thoughts below.

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What You Can Expect from The Faith Project and Prayer

4 / 1 / 167 / 7 / 16

Freedom

Love

Wisdom

and now…

Prayer.

So much has been said and written about prayer. How to pray. When to pray. What to pray. Where to pray.

Journals. War Rooms. Lists. Methods.

I’ve read dozens of books on prayer. I’ve started countless journals. Set up my “War Room.” Written Bible verses. Taught Bible studies. Written blog posts.

Yes, I’m a student of prayer.

And I want to let you in on a secret…

I am not now nor have I ever been satisfied with my prayer life.

I’m inspired by people like:

Brother Lawrence -“There is not in the world a kind of life more sweet and delightful than that of a continual conversation with God.”

Oswald Chambers – “Prayer does not fit us for the greater work; prayer is the greater work.”

Corrie ten Boom – “Any concern too small to be turned into a prayer is too small to be made into a burden.”

Martin Luther -“I have so much to do that I shall spend the first three hours in prayer.”

Mother Teresa – “Prayer is not asking. Prayer is putting oneself in the hands of God, at His disposition, and listening to His voice in the depth of our hearts.”

And although their words inspire, they also make me realize how far I fall short of where I want to be.

I wonder if you share my struggle.

I know I could simply add my thoughts to the plethora of words written on the subject but then I wonder…is there really anything more to say?

So, I’m committed to more…

More than just talking and writing about prayer. More than just reading verses and posts about what others have done. I’m committed to:

PRAYing
Digging Deep – to look for answers to big questions, to ask God for His truth, to seek His will and follow it, to forgive my past failed attempts at prayer and give Him my future intention and hope.

What You Can Expect This Month from
The Faith Project and Prayer

Personal stories . . . past and present.

Past stories like the time I called Rev from the hospital, sobbing and telling him I needed him to come and pray with me. And a long list of other times we prayed through illness, infertility, loss, and heartache. I can’t share any of our stories without telling you about the emotions behind the prayers. Things like doubt, fear, confusion, pain, anger…

Hard truth . . . and what to do.

If we’re honest we’ll admit there are times when it’s hard to pray. When we don’t have the right words. When we’re confused and afraid. When we’re hurt and angry. When we’re hopeless and heartbroken.

Digging deep . . . searching together for answers to our questions.

I want to know your questions about prayer. I want to dig deep and ask God to help us with answers to some of our tough questions about prayer.

Questions like:

Why should I pray if God knows what I need?
Why didn’t God answer my prayer?
How long should I repeat the same prayer request?
How can I make my prayers more meaningful?
Am I really supposed to pray for my enemies?
Is there a right way to pray? A wrong way?

What questions have you always wanted to ask about prayer? You can leave a comment here or if you’d prefer your question be confidential send it to my email at deb@debwolf.com.

Praying . . . with and for each other.

I want to know what you’re praying about. I want to know how I can pray for you. Let’s share our prayer requests and the ways God is answering them. Let’s pray for each other, for our friends and families, for our country, for big and small. Let’s do more than talk, let’s be a community of friends who pray for each other.

More than just talking and writing about prayer I want to look for answers to big questions, to ask God for His truth, to seek His will and follow it.

So, let’s talk with God about everything and ask Him to help us grow in faith and prayer.

Prayer is simply a two-way conversation between you and God. ~ Billy Graham.

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

Now it’s time for…

Faith ‘n Friends Blog Hop

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Feature Post

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@ Searching for Moments

Am I Strong Enough?

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No More Rules Blog Hop

Add 1-2 of your favorite faith/life posts.
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We would appreciate it if you would
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5 Verses to Pray When You Need Wisdom

3 / 9 / 162 / 3 / 18

You’re tired. You’ve done it your way long enough. You’re ready for a change, but how?

Jesus’ brother, James wrote:

If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and He will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking. James 1:5

If you need wisdom. Ask. That’s it?

But you’re nervous. Is praying for wisdom like praying for patience? Will you come up against more tough decisions or opportunities to practice wisdom? Are you afraid you’ll fail agaaaaiiiinnn.

You and I have opportunities to be wise or foolish every day.

And I don’t know about you, but I get tired of learning the hard way. I need advance knowledge to avoid as many wounds as possible.

So, I’m asking God to help me. I’m turning to His Word and prayer, and I’m asking Him to give me upfront wisdom . . . ready for the challenge, up to the test wisdom.

Will you join me?

I’ve found 5 verses we can add to our War Room walls to help us.

5 Bible Verses to Pray When You Need Wisdom

James 1:5–8

If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and He will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking. But when you ask Him, be sure that your faith is in God alone. Do not waver, for a person with divided loyalty is as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is blown and tossed by the wind. Such people should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. Their loyalty is divided between God and the world, and they are unstable in everything they do.

Father, forgive me. I have divided loyalty. I want to have faith in you alone. I want to trust your truth and wisdom, but voices coax and pull me with half-truths, okay lies really, and I listen. I’m so sorry. I’m tired. I want Your wisdom. Please help me. Grow my faith. Help me know that You are who You say You are, that You can and will do what You say, and that Jesus is the Way, Truth, and Life. I surrender my life to You, my Lord and my God. Amen.

Proverbs 2:1–6

My child, listen to what I say and treasure my commands.
Tune your ears to wisdom, and concentrate on understanding.
Cry out for insight, and ask for understanding.
Search for them as you would for silver,
seek them like hidden treasures.
Then you will understand what it means to fear the Lord,
and you will gain knowledge of God.
For the Lord grants wisdom!
From His mouth come knowledge and understanding.

Father, help me to know and obey Your perfect will. Teach me Your truth and bless me with the courage and strength I need to follow it faithfully. I long for insight and understanding . . . gifts given through Your Spirit. I will study Your Word and learn Your commands, and with Your Spirit’s help, I will do my best to glorify You and obey. Help me, Father. I know Your ways are best. Give me all I need to trust and obey. Amen.

James 3:17

But the wisdom from above is first of all pure. It is also peace loving, gentle at all times, and willing to yield to others. It is full of mercy and the fruit of good deeds. It shows no favoritism and is always sincere.

Father, Your wisdom is pure. Pure. Free of additives. It never is wisdom plus something. It is rock solid lasting truth. We’re so foolish. Looking for worldly knowledge to somehow work along-side or replace Your wisdom. Forgive us, Father. Help me to see through worldly lies. Help me to know and live by Your peace-loving, gentle, humble, servant wisdom. Just saying that makes me realize how different it is from the world’s way that tells us to “take care of number one.” No more. By Your grace, I will live for Your glory and follow Your wisdom.

Proverbs 8:12, 33–34

I, Wisdom, live together with good judgment.
I know where to discover knowledge and discernment.
Listen to my instruction and be wise. Don’t ignore it.
Joyful are those who listen to me, watching for me
daily at my gates waiting for me outside my home!

Father, I need to make better decisions. I need good judgment that helps me know and follow Your will. Help me set safe boundaries. Keep me from foolishly getting as close as I can to worldly thinking that goes against your Word. I want to know Your will. I want to fulfill Your plans and purposes. I want to serve You with all I am and all I have. I want to live for Your glory. I want the joy that comes from living for You alone. But Father, I need Your grace. On my own, I can’t. But by Your grace through Jesus, I can anything You have prepared for me. Help me Lord, for Jesus’ sake. Amen.

Ephesians 1:16–18

I have not stopped thanking God for you. I pray for you constantly,asking God, the glorious Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, to give you spiritual wisdom and insight so that you might grow in your knowledge of God. I pray that your hearts will be flooded with light so that you can understand the confident hope He has given to those He called—His holy people who are his rich and glorious inheritance.

Father, I lift up my loves to You. Protect them. They need wisdom. I love them so much and want them to know the joy of following Your truth and wisdom. Draw them close to You. Grow their faith. Give them a love for Your Word and prayer. Open their hearts and minds to understand Your truth. Help them trust and obey You. Protect them from the world’s lies.

Father, I know You love my loves even more than I do. I know You want what’s best for them. You have plans and purposes for them. I surrender them to your care. Fill them with Your love. Teach them Your truth. Give them Your wisdom. In Jesus message, Amen.

Don’t you just love that God wants us to ask Him for things like wisdom?

He wants to bless us with everything we need to live today and face tomorrow.

What is your favorite verse to pray when you need wisdom?

Leave your prayer requests…

and pray for others who have left requests.

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A Prayer for When You Don’t Want to Surrender

5 / 8 / 157 / 29 / 20

^{A Prayer to Surrender Control}

For I know the plans I have for you,’ says the Lord, ‘plans for well-being and not for trouble, to give you a future and a hope. Jeremiah 29:11

Father, It’s hard to give in and give up control, to surrender my wants and wishes, my hopes and dreams to You.

[Tweet “It’s hard to trust when inside I’m screaming, “Me! Me! Me!””]

Please help me, Lord. I know Your ways are best, but my inner two-year-old whines to get what I have set my heart on.

If you're like me . . . you want your own way and you want it now. Here is my prayer to surrender control...

So, I foolishly do things by myself and end up in a mess. You’ll rescue me, won’t You?

I pray, “Your will be done and in Jesus name,” to get Your stamp of approval. You want what I want. You want my happiness . . . don’t You?

I listen to people who tell me what I want to hear, even when I know it’s wrong. You understand, don’t You?

Just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so my ways are higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts. Isaiah 55:9

Father, Help me trust You completely. Help me focus on Your promises. Help me remember the ways You’ve proven Yourself true and faithful.

Lord, forgive me. I’m ashamed of myself.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not trust in your own understanding. Agree with Him in all your ways, and He will make your paths straight. Proverbs 3:5-6

Father, by Your grace and with Your help, I will surrender my all to You.

I am only the manager of blessings You’ve given. Believing anything else is selfish, stubborn, foolish, and idolatry.

There is freedom, comfort, contentment, joy, peace, and understanding in trusting You completely.

In You, there is no need to manipulate people, things, circumstances, or truth. In You I have all I need, and by the power of Your Spirit . . . I have all I want.

Father, by Your grace, help me to begin each day surrendered completely to You with this prayer:

I have surrendered this day to You, Lord. I will follow where You guide and I will do Your will as You show it to me. Father, help me this day to fulfill this vow – that my life might glorify You alone . . . in the name of Jesus and by the power of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Thank you Father for Your grace and mercy. Thank you for Your forgiveness and love.

Thank you so much for joining me today.

And a thank you to BibleGateway.com for sources.

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Remember 5 Things and Bless Your Prayer Life

5 / 7 / 152 / 27 / 16

All day she makes requests. Please help. Please give. Please do. There’s the occasional thank-you as she runs by, but it seems she’s always in a hurry. No time to sit and chat. Just hurried please and thank-yous.

No, I’m not talking about your pre-schooler . . . I’m talking about those of us who go through life shooting up bullet prayers and call it “praying without ceasing.”

I’ve come up with five words that begin with “R” to help me get my head and heart in the right place for continuous prayer:

1. Relationship – Prayer is one of the best things we can do to bless our relationship with the Lord. But how close is a one-sided relationship. How would you feel if a friend or family member only talked to you when they wanted you to fix or give them something? If they insisted on doing all the talking and never wanted to hear anything you had to say.

We were made right with God by His grace. God saved us so that we could be His children and look forward to receiving life that never ends. Titus 3:7

2. Rejoice – The best relationships include remembering reasons to rejoice. Celebrate! Rev and I count “bonus days” and celebrate the anniversary of his heart surgery . . . just to praise God for the miracle. What blessings do you have to celebrate with joy?

Lord, I remember what you have done. I remember the amazing things you did long ago. Psalm 77:11

3. Repent – Be quick to say, “I’m sorry, please forgive me.” No matter how hard we try or how close we are, we say and do things we shouldn’t . . . things that hurt our relationships. Being quick to ask for forgiveness helps us remember that the relationship is what’s most important.

The sacrifice You desire is a broken spirit. You will not reject a broken and repentant heart, O God. Psalm 51:17

4. Requests – In the best relationships requests go both ways. I may make requests, but it is equally important to me that I honor the requests of people I love. We will always have things we ask of God–healing, deliverance, provision, blessings . . . but, it’s important for us to know what God asks of us–love, kindness, compassion, self-control, and obedience.

Don’t worry about anything, but pray and ask God for everything you need, always giving thanks for what you have. Philippians 4:6

Just be sure you live as God’s people in a way that honors the Good News of Christ. Philippians 1:27

5. Rest – Quiet trust. Time spent with someone we are close to soothes and gives us what we need to feel content, safe, cherished, and hopeful. Spend quiet time, even if it just as you drift off to sleep each night, resting in the Lord. He is all you need now and forever. His love meets you in times of rest.

So you must change your hearts and lives. Come back to God, and He will forgive your sins. Then the Lord will give you times of spiritual rest. He will send you Jesus, the one He chose to be the Messiah. Acts 3:19-29

Five “R’s” to remember . . . ways to have a heart for prayer that will increase trust and bless your relationship with the Lord. Things to remember to “never stop praying.”

It’s Important to Pray with Your Friends

4 / 8 / 159 / 7 / 15

I’m pleased to introduce you to Kathy Cheek today. I met Kathy through our writing at 5 Minutes for Faith.

As a child she was denied the opportunity to go to church. Athough she wasn’t part of church, Jesus was working in her life giving her a desire to know Him.

Today is passionately shares her love for Him at In Quiet Places. Her writing portfolio includes writing for LifeWay, Walk Thru the Bible, David C. Cook, Standard Publishing, Group Publishing, and online at In Courage, CBN.com, Christian Devotions and Internet Cafe Devotions. Please take a minute to visit her site, say hello, and make her feel welcome.

Several years ago I was in a women’s Sunday school class and I remember an intense season when we had some extremely heavy-duty prayer needs. These ladies came to class knowing we would all listen to each request and pray for every need because we believed in the power of the One to whom we prayed. I remember a Sunday morning that went like this as we went around the room sharing our requests.

One lady very quietly admitted her recent divorce was getting uglier and her son wanted to go live with his father and this was breaking her heart. The divorce was extremely difficult and now to have her son want to move out was making a hard ordeal so much harder. Her son blamed her for everything and she could not get through to him.

The next lady said she suspected her step-son was doing drugs. The boy’s father seemed to be in denial that there was any possibility his son would be involved with any drugs.

Someone asked for prayer for their daughter who was a high school senior and experiencing a lot of stress applying to colleges and was having severe migraines.

Someone’s niece who was only fourteen years old was losing excessive weight and her parents worry she has an eating disorder.

Another shared her son in the Army was going to Afghanistan for his second deployment. He and his wife have two young children at home and they are having a very hard time watching him leave again.

Our teacher shared that her doctor had called her husband back to his office following his routine checkup, regarding a test result that concerned him, and the appointment was later that week. She didn’t share any details but we could see that she was worried.

The last request came from the youngest woman in our class. Her one year old baby had an ear infection and this was the third infection in the last few months.

Our teacher and a few other ladies prayed for each lady’s prayer request, and for each request with the same compassion and intensity, for the mother whose step-son might be doing drugs – to the mother whose baby had an ear infection. God cares about them all, and they are all important to Him. He heard every prayer request in that room and each lady in that room trusted God to meet their need as they shared those requests with the class.

I think all of us mothers could remember the days of young children with sore throats and ear infections. The mother whose son was going to Afghanistan again probably wished he was still a little boy too young to go to war. But our children grow up and prayer requests can change from ear infections to migraines, drugs, divorce, eating disorders, and soldiers going to war. We keep praying and we keep taking our cares to God and going to Him in prayer.

We have a great privilege in sharing our burdens with our brothers and sisters in Christ, and we cherish their prayers for our individual circumstances. We grow lighter from the load we carry because the body of Christ demonstrates our love for one another as we pray for each other, and we know our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ cares most of all for each and every prayer request that passes our lips and is uttered in our hearts.

Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. ~ Philippians 4:6-7(NKJV)

Bio: Kathy Cheek writes devotions, inspirational stories and poetry and is published in various Christian publications and regularly guest posts on several devotional and ministry sites. She lives in Dallas, TX with her husband. They have two daughters who also reside in the Dallas area. You can read more of her devotions at In Quiet Places.

5 Simple Secrets to Inner Peace

7 / 14 / 142 / 14 / 16

Today is Celebrate Pandemonium Day – a day to celebrate the chaos, madness, and unexpected.

I’m not much of a fan of chaos or madness . . . you’ll have to figure out how to celebrate turmoil on your own, because at a time when chaos seems to be the rule not the exception I’d prefer to tell you five ways you can reject the pandemonium and enjoy peace.

Peace. Admit it. You want peace. Maybe even peace and quiet.

We live in a hurry—late for everything, behind on payments, racing toward the next bigger and better. Is it any wonder peace seems to elude us?

We want simple and easy, and we want it right now.

The Apostle Paul wrote in a letter to the people in Corinth a recap of some of the chaos he experienced. He was: in prison three times, shipwrecked three times, stoned, beaten, spent a night adrift at sea, faced robbers, and whipped five times. You can read his list here.

Paul knew five simple secrets in his letter to the Philippians.

5 Simple Secrets to Inner Peace.

1. Rejoice – “Always be full of the joy of the Lord.” – Well this one may be simple but it isn’t easy. Of course we aren’t told that it’s going to be easy, we’re told that it will lead to personal peace. Rejoicing doesn’t mean we are necessarily happy about our circumstances. Rejoicing means we trust God enough to find our joy in Him. Knowing—He is our Provider and His love is complete and perfect.

2. Be Gentle – “Let everyone see that you are considerate in all you do.” – Again, not easy but think of how much more peaceful your life would be if you replaced anger and frustration with gentleness and compassion. Not a doormat or weak, but kind and caring. It’s funny my body tenses just typing the words anger and frustration, and relaxes as I type gentleness, compassion, kindness, and caring. Hmm.

3. Don’t worry – “Don’t worry about anything.” – So when are we going to get to the easy ones? The truth is worry is a choice. Even in the worst of circumstances we can choose whether we will worry or give our concerns over to God. When was the last time worrying provided you with anything beneficial? If you are worried and can’t do anything about it – give it to God, and if you can do something . . . then do it and quit worrying. (Hmm, I needed that.)

4. Pray – “Tell God what you need.” – This one is easier. Although I wish I remembered to pray first not waiting until, “there was nothing left to do but pray.” Do you have a friend you call when your heart is hurting or you’re worried and upset? Maybe it’s time you and I fell to our knees before we picked up the phone. Just wondering which one offers the most peace.

5. Give thanks – “Thank Him for what He has done.” – We are quick to tell God what we need. Let’s remember to thank Him for all He has done. When we thank Him, we consciously call to mind His blessings and care, His forgiveness and love.

That’s it – Paul’s 5 simple secrets. Here they are in context:

Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again—rejoice! Let everyone see that you are considerate (gentle – NIV) in all you do. Remember, the Lord is coming soon. Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank Him for all He has done. Philippians 4: 4-6 (NLT)

He follows the list of secrets with a promise.

Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus. v. 7

So celebrate Pandemonium Day if you’d like, but I’m going to shelve as much chaos as I possibly can and do my best to replace it with the secrets to personal peace.

Father, Please help us to apply the five secrets to knowing Your peace. Strengthen us by the power of Your Spirit. We want to find our joy in You. We want to be kind and gentle. We want to pray first and stop worrying. We want to thank and praise You alone for Your countless blessings. Help us to our good and Your glory. Amen.

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You and I are Praying People Waiting on God

6 / 9 / 143 / 12 / 16

Life is hard. Broken hearts. Broken relationships. But... We're not alone. We are followers of Jesus. Praying people waiting on God.

My word for this year is “Celebrate.”

I’ve wanted to keep things light and fun, enjoying the well-known and little-known holidays that happen every day. But these past few weeks I’ve seen so many hurting people.

Praying people waiting on God. People with:

broken relationships.
financial problems.
serious illness.
overwhelming pain.
broken hearts.
worry.
depression.
anxiety.

And the list could go on and on.

I get it. I’ve lived with anxiety and depression. I’ve cried over infertility. I’ve had a broken heart and broken relationships. I’ve worried over seriously ill loved ones. I’ve stood in the cemetery.

Life is hard. Even in those precious moments when it’s not hard for us personally, it’s hard for someone we love.

So now what?

Do we give up and accept the inevitable? M. Scott Peck wrote in The Road Less Traveled,

“Once we know that life is difficult- once we truly understand and accept it – then life is no longer difficult.”

What do you think?

I prefer what Anne Beiler, the founder of Auntie Anne’s Pretzels, said.

[Tweet “My philosophy is: Life is hard, but God is good. Try not to confuse the two. ~ A.Beiler”]

Life is hard. God never promised it would be easy.

But He did promise:

“I will never fail you. I will never abandon you.” Hebrews 13:5

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. Hebrews 13:8

If the Son [Jesus] sets you free, you are truly free. John 8:36

Praise God, who did not ignore my prayer or withdraw His unfailing love from me. Psalm 66:20

Don’t be afraid, for I am with you. Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with my victorious right hand. Isaiah 41:10

This isn’t a motivational pep-talk. This is hope.

And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because He has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with His love. Romans 5:5

Pentecost

1. Pentecost is the day we celebrate the gift of the Holy Spirit.
2. It falls 50 days after Easter (the resurrection of Jesus) and 10 days after Ascension.
3. The first Pentecost is recorded in Acts 2.
4. Jesus promised the Holy Spirit (the Comforter, Encourager, Counselor, and Advocate) in John 16:5–15.
5. 3,000 new believers were baptized, starting the first “Christian Church.”

The Blessing of the Holy Spirit

We believers also groan, even though we have the Holy Spirit within us as a foretaste of future glory, for we long for our bodies to be released from sin and suffering. The Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. For example, we don’t know what God wants us to pray for. But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words. And the Father who knows all hearts knows what the Spirit is saying, for the Spirit pleads for us believers in harmony with God’s own will. And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to His purpose for them.

Can anything ever separate us from Christ’s love? Does it mean He no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death? No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:23, 26–28, 35, 39

Life is hard.

God knows.

He sent the Holy Spirit to give us hope. The confidence that God is able to use the good and bad in our lives for our good and His glory.

It is hope that makes the bad bearable, and reminds us to look past the problems to the promises.

Quotes on Faith, Prayer, and the Bible

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Christianity is not primarily a moral code but a grace-laden mystery; it is not essentially a philosophy of love but a love affair; it is not keeping rules with clenched fists but receiving a gift with open hands. ~Brennan Manning

After I set out to refute Christianity intellectually and couldn’t, I came to the conclusion the Bible was true and Jesus Christ was God’s Son. ~Josh McDowell

It is impossible to enslave mentally or socially a Bible-reading people. The principles of the Bible are the groundwork of human freedom. ~Horace Greeley

Jesus said to the people who believed in Him, “You are truly my disciples if you remain faithful to my teachings.And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” John 8:31-32

Read More

The First of 52 Goals for Living with Intentional Gratitude

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I want to invite you to join me each week in 2013 as I share goals for improving and maintaining various parts of our lives by intentionally looking at them through the lens of gratitude.

Each month I will focus on a different theme:

January – Health
February – Love
March – Forgiveness
April – Attitude
May – Relationships
June – Time Management and Rest
July – Leadership
August – Education
September – Home
October – Growing up – Growing Older
November – Thanksgiving
December – Giving

Each week I will break down the theme for that month and share how I believe an attitude of intentional gratitude will improve that part of our lives. By the end of the year, we will have set and hopefully accomplished 52 goals.

New Year Prayer

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Father, We have closed the calendar on 2012 and opened 2013. The pages are blank and full of wonder to us, but not to You. You see every event, hear every word, and understand every attached emotion.

You know every success we will celebrate, and each failure we will grieve. You are already covering each day with Your love. Your mercy and grace flow through the days and weeks ahead.

Although we may feel uncertain or anxious about the future; You are going before us laying a firm foundation. You provide all we need to move ahead with hope and faith.

The Gift of Help

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I’m stubborn.

Not so much with people, but with projects, technology, and anything that can be thought of as a puzzle.

I tend to believe I can “do it myself,” and I will stubbornly work at something until I either fix it or I am so overwhelmed and agitated I have to give in and ask for help.

Yesterday, was finally an ask for help kind of day.

I’ve worked for hours on the inner workings of CMB. Little details to optimize it’s user friendliness. Each little bit of progress was followed by a huge setback. And the frustrating part . . . nothing looked different. I had nothing to show for my hours of problem solving.

I finally reached the end of my patience and called my hosting company’s tech department.

Thirty minutes later, I had made more progress than had happened in weeks.