I have been praying for something this week that I REALLY, REALLY want God to say yes to. But . . . I realize that what I want may not be His best for me. And I have to accept that with joy. If God says no, then I know it’s because of one of three reasons: it’s not good for me, it’s not the right timing, or He has something better for me. I have
Read More →When I came home from East Asia after four years, this sign was on my bed. Mom had written these words on a poster board to welcome me home. It made me smile and cry at the same time, in a good way. I felt loved. I took a picture of it so I could keep it with me as a sweet reminder. How do you feel when you hear these words from someone? I
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I’m often asked what I do in my quiet times alone with God. I wrote a previous post on one method I sometimes use, Walking Through the Tabernacle. To be honest, I don’t have a set routine because I don’t want it to become mechanical, but I do have certain things that I incorporate into my quiet times each day. A Devotional Reading I like to begin by reading from a devotional book. Sometimes I use
Read More →We pray and pray for something, believing that God will do it. But, when God doesn’t answer in the way we had prayed, do we doubt that God answers prayer? God does answer prayer, but not always in the way we ask or in our timing. When He doesn’t answer in the way we ask, we need to consider the possibility that something is not right in our prayers. Am I praying with wrong motives, perhaps
Read More →Do you look at prayer as an obligation or as a necessity? For some, prayer has become nothing more than a routine ritual they go through out of a sense of obligation. Jesus saw prayer as a necessity, not an obligation. No matter how busy He was, He always took time to pray. He knew the importance of spending time alone with the Father in prayer. Martyn Lloyd-Jones wrote in his book, Studies in the Sermon on
Read More →What exactly are spiritual disciplines? Many people hear that phrase and think of them as drudgery, not delight. Just the word discipline alone sounds difficult and uncomfortable. But they can and should be a delight for us. Let’s look closer at these disciplines by addressing three questions often asked. What is the meaning of spiritual disciplines? Simply said, they are the habits of devotion that promote spiritual growth. They call us to move beyond surface
Read More →How do you measure spiritual growth? What characteristics do you look for? What activities would you be participating in? You may list some of the characteristics that signify spiritual growth as fruit of the Spirit, a repentant heart, sensitivity to the Holy Spirit, consistency in your walk with God, the practice of spiritual disciplines, love for God and for His Word, obedience, fear of God, a changed life, and dependence on God. But to what degree do those
Read More →Some of you may be floundering in your faith today or struggling with pressing on in a specific season of life. You may be a young mom who is exhausted, a caregiver who is worn out, a wife in a difficult marriage. Perhaps you are in a job that is requiring more from you than you can handle, or you are fighting a sickness or disease. These challenges can hinder you from pressing on to
Read More →So how do you determine God’s will? Once you’ve prepared your heart and you’re walking in the power of the Holy Spirit, what is the process of discerning God’s will and making a wise decision? Here are some resources to help you walk through the process: 1. Prayer – Luke 6:12-13 – Jesus spent the entire night in prayer to choose the disciples. 2. Word of God – Psalm 119:105 – “Thy Word is a lamp to
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Happy New Year to all! This morning as I spent time with the Lord, I found myself reflecting on some “unanswered” prayers this year, or prayers not answered in the way I had desired. I was reading from the book The Valley of Vision, page 271. This prayer truly spoke to my heart this morning. May it be an encouragement to you also as we begin a new year, with new and continuing prayers, which
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