This morning the 22-month-old little girl that I babysit came running up to my doorstep as cheerful as ever. As I swept her up in my arms and greeted her, I thought about how today is election day and how amazing it must be to be a toddler without a care in the world.
As we took a walk around the neighborhood, she swung her arms with her chin held high, exclaiming about the trees and the neighborhood dogs that she saw and singing a song.
I was reminded of Yeshua’s words about having faith like a child.
And he said: “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 18:3)
Of course, as adults we have the responsibility to take action in our country, but as children of God we have to remember to trust in Him above all else.
We need childlike faith to trust that we are provided for, cherished, and protected by or heavenly Father.
Whatever the election holds, let’s not lose that childlike faith.
Let’s keep recognizing the beauty in the world, and trusting in our Father to supply all our needs.
Let’s learn from a toddler, and remember that…
“This is the day that Yahweh has made. Let us rejoice and be glad in it.” (Psalm 118:24)
Lately I’ve been pondering my past and my future. Perhaps it’s on my mind even more than usual since I’ll be turning twenty soon. It’s funny how it felt like I’d always be a teen. I’m a little sentimental as this stage slips away, but life isn’t going to feel any different, and I’m excited for whatever the future holds.
The other day an acquaintance shared some wisdom with me. “Time flies,” she said, as her sweet brown eyes smiled at me beneath her white hair, “Cherish each day. Take a moment in the morning just to soak it up and thank God.”
She’s right.
Time isn’t “flying” for me, but I know that one day it’ll feel that way.
I want to make a habit now of cherishing each day and living each year on purpose.
This month I’m joining Kings Blooming Rose in their Give Thanks x7 Challenge. It’s pretty easy. Simply write down seven things each day that you’re thankful for.
Often we don’t realize how deeply we are blessed until we pause and recognize His goodness in our lives.
I haven’t lived long, but still I’ve seen His hand lead me year by year–sheltering my heart from what I thought I wanted, and giving me more than I could have dreamed.
Bless Yahweh, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name! Bless the Yahweh, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits, who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit, who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy, who satisfies you with good so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s. Yahweh works righteousness and justice for all who are oppressed. He made known his ways to Moses, his acts to the people of Israel. Yahweh is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. He will not always chide, nor will he keep his anger forever. He does not deal with us according to our sins, nor repay us according to our iniquities. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us. As a father shows compassion to his children, so Yahweh shows compassion to those who fear him. For he knows our frame; he remembers that we are dust. As for man, his days are like grass; he flourishes like a flower of the field; for the wind passes over it, and wit is gone, and its place knows it no more. But the steadfast love of Yahweh is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear him, and his righteousness to children’s children, to those who keep his covenant and remember to do his commandments. Yahweh has established his throne in the heavens, and his kingdom rules over all. Bless Yahweh, O you his angels, you mighty ones who do his word, obeying the voice of his word! Bless Yahweh, all his hosts, his ministers, who do his will! Bless Yahweh, all his works, in all places of his dominion. Bless Yahweh, O my soul!
What are seven things that you are thankful for today?
Yesterday I did something that I had gotten out of the practice of doing. I opened up the Intercessors for Israel prayer e-mail and prayed along.
Every time that I pray along with these weekly prayer prompts, I feel so strengthened and connected to the Father. It keeps me up to date on current events in Israel, and also fills me with hope that the Father is hearing our prayers.
If I want to be so committed to this, why don’t I pray along more often?
Any excuse I come up with isn’t good enough.
I’ve always struggled with praying consistently for Israel for years. I’m not proud of that, but it’s the truth.
Distraction is often zapping our time, efforts, and prayer life.
But if we open up the Word of Life, and quiet our soul to hear His still small voice, we will know His heart. We will know His will. We will know how to pray.
Sometimes there are many prayer requests on our hearts. We have family, friends, communities, and worldwide issues to pray for. And we need to focus on these important things. But we also need to remember to always “pray for the peace of Jerusalem” (Psalm 122:6).
photo from pinterest
That small strip of land, about the size of New Jersey, is unlike anywhere else in the world. All the earth is His, but Israel is His special treasure.
For the YHVH has chosen Zion, he has desired it for his dwelling, saying, “This is my resting place for ever and ever; here I will sit enthroned, for I have desired it. I will bless her with abundant provisions; her poor I will satisfy with food. I will clothe her priests with salvation, and her faithful people will ever sing for joy. “Here I will make a horn grow for David and set up a lamp for my anointed one. I will clothe his enemies with shame, but his head will be adorned with a radiant crown.”
(Psalm 132:13-18)
His heart is for Israel.
With so many people in the world standing against Israel today, we must stand up for this Promised Land.
The other day a dear friend of mine reminded me of this conversation from the movie Facing the Giants:
Since I haven’t watched the movie in years, I had forgotten this little story.
It caused me to ask myself some questions.
Do I pray with faith?
Do I take action, knowing that God will supply all my needs?
Faith is trust.
But it’s also the works that are done because of that trust. It’s stepping out on those waves because we see Him walking towards us with His hands outstretched, and that is enough to make us risk the impossible.
“So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, isdead.”
{James 2:17}
May His Words sink deep.
John 15: 5-17
I am the vine, you are the branches;
he who abides in Me and I in him,
he bears much fruit,
for apart from Me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in Me, he is thrown away as a branch and dries up; and they gather them, and cast them into the fire and they are burned.
If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you,
ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. My Father is glorified by this,
that you bear much fruit,
and so prove to be My disciples. Just as the Father has loved Me, I have also loved you; abide in My love.
If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love;
just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love. These things I have spoken to you so that My joy may be in you
and that your joy may be made full. This is My commandment,
that you love one another, just as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends. You are My friends if you do what I command you. No longer do I call you slaves,
for the slave does not know what his master is doing;
but I have called you friends,
for all things that I have heard from My Father I have made known to you. You did not choose Me but I chose you,
and appointed you that you would go and bear fruit,
and that your fruit would remain,
so that whatever you ask of the Father in My name
He may give to you. This I command you, that you love one another.
I want to open my heart and let His Word speak truth.
Psalm 139:1-18
O יהוה, you have searched me and known me!
You know when I sit down and when I rise up;
You discern my thoughts from afar.
You search out my path and my lying down
and are acquainted with all my ways.
Even before a word is on my tongue,
behold, O יהוה, you know it altogether.
You hem me in, behind and before,
and lay your hand upon me.
Such knowledge is too wonderful for me;
it is high; I cannot attain it.
Where shall I go from your Spirit?
Or where shall I flee from your presence?
If I ascend to heaven, you are there!
If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there!
If I take the wings of the morning
and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea,
even there your hand shall lead me,
and your right hand shall hold me.
If I say “Surely the darkness shall cover me,
and the light about me be night,”
even the darkness is not dark to you;
the night is bright as the day,
for darkness is as light with you.
For you formed my inward parts;
you knitted me together in my mother’s womb.
I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.
Wonderful are your works;
my soul knows it very well.
My frame was not hidden from you,
when I was being made in secret,
intricately woven in the depths of the earth.
Your eyes saw my unformed substance;
in your book were written, every one of them,
the days that were formed for me,
when as yet there was none of them.
How precious to me are your thoughts, O God!
How vast is the sum of them!
If I would count them, they are more than the sand.
I awake, and I am still with you.
May this be our life’s prayer.
Let’s make room for Him.
Make room for Him to interrupt our schedule. Make room for Him to change our dreams for the future. Make room for Him to be our sweetest love.
Let’s not just “go through life,” let’s grow through it, becoming more dependent upon Him, more trusting of His goodness.
It’s a life-long journey–learning to say “Thy will be done.”
A little while back I shared about the power of prayer, and some scriptural reasons to pray. The Father has been showing me, over and over this year, how important prayer is. He’s been convicting me to pray about more aspects of my life, and to “not be anxious in anything, but in everything through prayer and supplication, let your requests be made known to God.” (Philippians 4:7)
photo from pinterest.com
Keeping a prayer journal is a wonderful way to remember prayer requests and to build a prayer strategy.
As far as choosing a notebook, I’ve found that a three-ring binder is a great option. I’ve used a regular notebook for a prayer journal if it’s only focused on one subject, but when it comes to a book with multiple prayer requests, a three-ring binder is excellent for organization.
Benefits of using a three-ring binder:
You can rearrange the pages as desired. (If I fill a sheet of paper with prayers for a certain person, I can move a blank page to the next spot and keep writing.)
You can add prayer guides that you’ve printed online. Simply hole-punch them.
You can store pictures of people to pray for in the pockets on the inside of the binder.
Writing down prayers definitely has it’s benefits. Sometimes I forget what I’ve prayed for people in the past, and then I’m not as likely to see how Yahweh answered those prayers. But when they’re written down, I can see exactly what I prayed and how He answered.
Here is a fictional sample that I’ve written as an example to get your creativity flowing:
photo from pinterest.com
P.S. If you would like some more resources and inspiration, here a Pinterest board that I’ve started on Prayer.
There’s a lot of hurt in this world right now. There always has been, but at times it hits our hearts more fiercely, like it has worldwide this month.
This world is plain-old messed-up.
Most everyone agrees with this statement (though most everyone has a different idea about what is “messed up”). But how we respond to this truth is crucial.
There are only two options–stand on the sidelines or take action.
With darkness growing thicker around us, we often feel the desire to shrink back and lose hope. This is exactly how Satan wants us to respond. He wants us to become discouraged. He wants us to feel like there’s nothing we can do to make a difference when it comes to these worldwide problems. He wants us to stop praying, interceding, resting upon the Father’s promises, etc.
But if we quiet out souls even while the world is swirling in chaos, we can hear that still small voice. If we open our Bible and cling to every word He has spoken, and rest our souls upon Him alone, then we can have hope.
Our Creator has called us to be courageous. He knew our names before we were born. He has a special calling for each of our lives that will bring Him glory. He has a reason for why we are living in this century and not some previous one. He has set us free from the sting of death. His perfect love casts out fear. He is the God of hope, and He has called us to abound in hope (Romans 15:13).
When we reach the end of our optimism, that’s when His Words are the sweetest comfort. No matter what we’re feeling, His Words are true, eternal, and worth staking our entire lives upon. When our hope is built upon the sand, we can be sure that the storms will drown it, but when it’s built upon the rock–Yeshua (Jesus)–then the peace that passes all understanding can guard our hearts and minds (Philippians 4:7).
photo from pinterest.com
What is our response to terror, the darkness of sin, and rampant rebellion against the Creator of heaven and earth?
Let’s pour our hearts out in prayer and lift up those who are hurting. Let’s confess our sins. Let’s intercede for the lost.
Let’s put our hope upon our God and His eternal kingdom.
Let’s encourage one another to keep walking the straight and narrow path.
By His strength and for His glory, let’s strive to be the difference that we long to see in this world.
P.S. Yesterday a friend and I had a time of prayer for our country. (We don’t live in the same state, so a phone call was the only option). It was amazing to feel the peace that flooded our hearts after lifting up our cares to our heavenly Father. Perhaps there is someone who wants to join you in prayer today.
One of the greatest mysteries of life is that our Creator speaks to us in the simple things.
The other day I was touched by one of those little things. I spent the weekend with my brother and his wife and children. We spent the first day with dear friends of ours, and the next day we went on a shopping trip. My niece was tuckered out after such full and exciting days, and when we arrived back at their home, she was mostly asleep. She didn’t want to walk, she couldn’t keep her eyes open, and she started to cry. That’s when her daddy reached out and said, “Let me carry you.”
And then it hit me.
My heavenly Father is longing to do the same thing for me. When I’m exhausted (physically or spiritually), he wants to carry me. When I’ve reached the end of my strength, he’s more than willing to be the shoulder to rest my weary, confused, aching head upon.
When I rest in that childlike faith, realizing that Yahweh is my Father, and I am his daughter, that’s when perfect love casts out fear.
My heart might try to convince me otherwise, yet there’s a sweet whisper of love and truth…
“Let me carry you.”
Me: But I’ve failed you again. I don’t deserve your love. I’m so flawed and frustrated at myself. Why would you love me?
“Let me carry you.”
Me: But I’m afraid. I can’t let go.
“Let me carry you.”
Me: I want to know you for real. I want to let go of every fear, and walk in your perfect love. I want to be filled from the inside out with your living waters. I want to walk in the power of your resurrection. I want to glorify you with everything that I am. I need you every hour. I need your grace more than ever. I love you. I want to serve you. I offer my life to you.
“Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest.” {Matthew 11:28}
