I didn't start listening to Christian music when I was young in the faith, but I wish I had. I enjoy listening to Christian music, especially when the songs are based on scripture and reinforce the word of God, because through music I can learn scripture or get encouraged in a different medium than the written word.
Often I find the Lord nudges my heart through the Christian music I know towards repentance, faith, and trusting him. If you're new to Christian music I wanted to share some of my favorite songs (and singers). Of course I can't recommend every song and album anyone has ever done, but you'll learn to filter and this gives you a start. I'll note there are no Christian hymns on here. I love the hymns. Seems like I need to make another list. Some of my favorite more modern Christian songs are:
I don't link to the songs to respect copyright integrity. You can check out the artist's official page or album. They're worth the listen. To God be the glory, Sarah
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Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Romans 12:12 NIV The beginning of a new year, is the time for resolutions. I'd decided to make my "resolution" a little differently so as not to immediately abandon it. My real resolution, was to be intentional, especially in my relationship with the Lord and how I lived out my faith in Him.
One of the most important parts of our faith walk is our prayer life. So in an effort to be intentional about my relationship with Jesus that's where I started. Like any relationship, the frequency, depth, and attention devoted to our conversations with God directly affects our relationship with Him. The more frequently we pray then the deeper and more personal our prayers become and with it our attention to both our requests and His answers increase. The small step I took to improve my prayer life was starting a prayer journal. I knew that with persistence my prayer life would improve as will my attention to His presence. In the past I got overwhelmed at the need for prayer in every aspect of life (self, friends, community, world...), tapered off, stopped prayer journaling, and stopped intentionally praying ... This time was different. I wanted my prayer time to be special, a time set apart. Prayer Partner, I don't want to discourage you from praying before bed or doing prayer bursts throughout your day. The Bible tells us to pray without ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5:17) but we are also instructed to sit with and spend time with the Lord (Matthew 6:6). I started small: I used the PRAY acronym from KSBJ, a Christian radio station here in Houston, TX. P-praise, R-repent, A-ask, Y-yield. I bought a planner with room for daily scheduling, limited of course, but I write out P R A Y vertically and fill it out for the day in the morning. I write out my praises, my repentance, my needs and wants (ask), and a yield statement. Example: Today's Date P: (Today's praises) R: (Ways I know I've sinned and repent for. If you don't want a hard copy here, just spend some time in self-examination and repentant prayer.) A: (Wants and needs) Y: (Yield Statement--e.g. Lord I yield to your will and goodness. In Jesus' name, amen.) As I write it out I pray over each item. I'm not sure you'd find anything inspired in my prayer for today, but I started my day with Christ and focused, a least for 10 minutes, on just the Lord. How is your prayer life, Child of God? Are you intentionally praying? While I edit this post I realize I don't do this daily any more, a reminder to start again... or to do something more simple on the days I don't take as much time in intentional prayer. Even if we fail to pray deeply every day, if we make prayer a routine part of our life I wonder how much more we'll recognize the Lord's hand in everything. During our prayer time we can remember how desperately we need Christ's forgiveness, how thankful we are for all the big and little things in our lives, and how ultimately everything is in the Lord's hands. Let me know how your life changes and I'll keep you updated on my journey. * Report 1 year later: Though I like the ideas I wrote, I don't always hold to them, the PRAY model, anyway. I keep it posted in case it helps you start a new discipline of prayer. Now, after using the PRAY model for months I keep a prayer journal by turning a daily planner to write down the prayer requests of that & the previous day. It's not a structured prayer, just a list of people & requests to pray over. I tend to put names & the subject matter, if it's really sensitive sometimes just the prayer, no names. God knows who it is. I write this to encourage you to just pray! It'll become a habit and you'll see the Lord answer in remarkable ways. To God be the glory, Sarah Will you join me in prayer? Dear Lord, you know me completely. I want to know you. Give me endurance to be faithful in my prayer life. Let our time together fill the gaps in my heart and overflow to my interactions with others so that praying becomes as natural as breathing. In Jesus' name I pray, amen. Reflection: If you keep a prayer journal: How has keeping a prayer journal affected my faith walk with the Lord? If you don't keep a prayer journal: Could the practice of writing out my prayers help me focus my prayers and help see God's hand in my life? Faith-In-Action: Carve out at least 10 minutes in your day for 3 days to practice the P-R-A-Y (or some other) type of prayer journaling. How does it affect your faith walk? If you have a prayer journal also go back and look at former prayers and think about how the Lord answered your requests. Copyright Jan 2016, Be Blessed Prayer. All rights reserved. This is the day the LORD has made; We will rejoice and be glad in it. Psalm 118:24 (New King James Version) Did you wake up this morning with a smile on your face, excited to start the day? All to often I used to wake up like a grump. "Morning person" is not a descriptor anyone who knows me would choose to use.It's hard for me to really engage until I am out of my fog.
However, awhile back I heard something that changed the beginning of my days. Someone on the radio described how they greeted each morning with a prayer thanking the Lord for the opportunity of that day. They thanked the Lord for their blessings and then got the day started with joy in their heart. What would your day look like if it started in praise? I really like this verse and I woke up with it in my heart, so I wanted to share. I pray as I'm rousing from my deep slumber and often pray in between hitting the snooze button. When I wake up I thank God for that day, even on the days during those rough seasons of life. Though they're not fully thought-out prayers they start my daily conversation with the Lord first thing. Remembering that He holds my day helps me deal with whatever the day brings. Though I'm still groggy in the morning I try not to be such a grump. (I'm still human so I still have those not-so-pretty mornings, but they're less frequent.) I remember that since I'm still breathing and my heart is still beating then the Lord has purpose for my day, and it is a good day in Him. My days have ups and downs, but when they start in Christ I can handle anything (Philippians 4:13). Praise be to God! To God be the glory, Sarah Would you join me in prayer? Jesus, give me an attitude of gratitude today and every day for the blessings in my life. When I have trouble seeing the goodness you've given me please open my heart to see Your gifts. When I have trouble naming any other blessing remind me that I am forgiven for my sin and brought close to You. You loved me so much You died for me, freed me, and offer relationship with You. You are Lord, giver of Life. In Jesus name I pray, amen Reflection: How do I greet the day, and the Lord, when I rise each morning? Faith-In-Action: Say a prayer of thanksgiving for something in your life to the Lord right now. Make a point of remembering that blessing when your day dips into a less than ideal moment and give thanks again. How does it affect your day? I wasn’t prepared for some of the heart-dropping plunges of doubt and fear that hit me as I lived out my faith in Jesus, my Savior. Attempting to actively live my life in Christ I felt and saw God at work in my life. I had a need and the Lord would answer it. It was amazing-- like something straight out of the Bible. And then the doubt came… Doubt. Followed by fear. They were expertly targeted, extremely effective flaming arrows from the devil that hit their marks in my heart. Fighting faith crippling doubt accompanied by fear wasn't a first-time experience for me, but I this time wasn’t prepared. I didn’t have my shield raised. Using people, situations, and challenges in my life, Satan can stir the doubt pot and I start asking myself: "Am I sure God can be trusted?" "Am I sure Jesus is really the only way to heaven?" “Can God really keep me safe?” I start asking the questions to which I know the answers, but they rattle my trust in God at my core. We need to remember our Bible when our doubt arises. The Apostle Paul tells us that the devil is purposefully targeting us to mess with our lives. In Ephesians 6:16, the Apostle Paul reminds us, "In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith with which you can extinguish the flaming arrows of the evil one." (Ephesians 6:16 ESV). Satan’s flaming arrows will dig deep, hurt, and burn if we aren’t deflecting them with our shield of faith, the Lord’s fire extinguisher. Sometimes such arrows manifest as faith-challenging doubt, paralyzing fear, or isolating distrust. What flaming arrows are you trying to deflect in your life, Prayer Partner? Are flaming arrows hitting their mark, embedding and setting your life on fire OR are you firmly holding your shield of faith and watching the Lord extinguish Satan’s attempts to disable you? Though Satan’s arrows of doubt, fear, and distrust may darken our sky, in His Word, God tells us our defense is the shield of faith that He alone gives us. Faith is a gift of God (Ephesians 2:8), given to us to bring us into relationship with God and shield us during spiritual attack. To strengthen my faith during a low time I continue to practice it even when it’s challenged. I practice my faith by humbling my heart in repentance and praying through the Bible. God’s Word applies personally to me and to you. Praying the Word of God, using Scripture as a personal petition, can be very effective in deflecting Satan’s arrows and renewing my faith in Jesus. If you feel the onslaught of Satan’s flaming falsehoods: fear, doubt, and distrust, make the Bible personal. I encourage you to pray Psalm 91 (about being under attack) or Psalm 23 (about God’s love and providing) within the next 24 hours. I don’t know how, but the Lord will answer you, possibly giving your heart His peace if He doesn't answer otherwise. I encourage you to open your eyes and heart to discern how He answers you when you pray. As believers in Jesus, through His forgiveness on the cross and resurrection from the dead, we are His shield bearers and armor wearers. We can trust the Lord’s promises of covering and protection. We can trust in the God of our salvation! I encourage you to remain in your faith in Jesus Christ when the physical, emotional, and spiritual battle is most intense. Fight fire with faith. Practice your faith, raise your shield, and smell the smoke as Satan’s arrows are each extinguished by the one true God. To God be the glory, Sarah Would you pray with me? Dear Lord, when the flaming arrows shoot my way please strengthen my faith and shield me. I know You are faithful. In Jesus Christ I trust as Lord and Savior. In Jesus Christ's name I pray, amen. By Kristi, a dear friend and guest-writer
The guilt started as we drove home in the dark after a “not so silent night” at my parents Christmas Eve service. Much of motherhood, especially the preschool years, must be met with humor and a lot of patience. This night was no exception. During the Children’s Message (in which all of the kids in the church service were invited upfront), my boys and their partner-in-crime cousin thought it would be a good idea to have a wrestling match. As the pastor closed in prayer our boys were piled one on top of each other like a triple stack at IHOP. Then, at one point during the service I looked around and was alone on the back pew, save for my sleeping 3-month-old in her carrier. The other 9 people in my extended family were in the foyer due to poor behavior! Surprisingly I was not bothered by these chaotic events – it just typifies the season of life that we are in. However, as we drove home that night the mental barrage began: “Once again, another Christmas season has come and gone and I have not claimed the real meaning of Christmas for my family. The Advent wreath underutilized; the Jesse Tree made but not experienced; so many great ideas that never happened. When will I get it right? When will baby Jesus not get lost in the to do lists, the presents to wrap, the Christmas cards to address, the out of town packing?” As this mom guilt was heaped upon my shoulders, all of a sudden it hit me. A silent nudge from God. “What about the rest of the year?” What if I did everything “just right” during the holidays but Jesus was not celebrated the other 11 months of the year? I can surely seize more moments next Christmas season, but if that is the only time of the year that baby Jesus – King Jesus – is lifted up in our house, then something is clearly wrong. What does my everyday life speak to my kids about Jesus? About His love, His patience, His grace and forgiveness. How does discipline in our home bring them to a better understanding of the true reason why He had to come as a baby? How does the joy that I exhibit through trials or suffering demonstrate the power of a living God inside of me? What if Christmas is not like a firecracker that flashes in the sky and fades as quickly as it appeared? What if Christmas is the culmination of this growing crescendo throughout the whole year? This would give greater texture and veracity of the Truth of the Christmas story for our kids. They would know that it is real, not because the calendar says so, but because of a well lived (absolutely not perfect!) life before them. So, for those like me who are burdened by the guilt of “I didn’t do this right… somehow, I missed it again this year…”, let’s throw off the lie that the enemy is feeding us. Christmas is not a once a year celebration! One that we either “got right” or “missed the boat…again!”. The story of Christmas is for every day. Every day I mess up, fall short, and indulge in the selfishness of sin. Every day I am in need of a Savior, a baby Jesus, to come and make things right, to make me new again. Every day I can be part of His redemptive story, living out the Truth before my kids in such an attractive way that they can’t help but notice what’s up with their crazy mom. So, let’s seek Him in the “not so silent” moments of our chaotic lives. And even if we seem to have “missed it” this Christmas, we always have today! As you finish this, reflect on the verses of Romans 8: 1-5 (World English Bible) There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who don’t walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus made me free from the law of sin and of death. For what the law couldn’t do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God did, sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh; that the ordinance of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. Kristi is one of my great friends. I'm blessed to know her over ten years, which is a true gift from God! One of the first things I noticed about Kristi was her joy, which I soon learned comes from her faith in Jesus. I once asked her how she was always happy and she responded, "how else would I be?" She's a devoted wife, mother, and friend with a heart for global Christian partnership and discipleship. I'm excited to welcome her as a guest writer to Be Blessed Prayer. To God be the glory, Sarah Copyright January 2018, Kristi G., All rights reserved. Posted on Be Blessed Prayer with permission. I keep seeing this slogan, "empowered women empower women." It's a catchy slogan, but is it Christ-centered? I meditated on the question, what does it mean to be empowered by the Lord Jesus Christ? I had to ask myself, does my life reflect the Living God's empowerment? As I meditated on the empowerment of Jesus it struck me that empowerment through the Holy Spirit living in me may look very different than the empowerment the world seeks. The empowerment of the Holy Spirit is different things at different times. Yet, empowerment in Jesus Christ through the Holy Spirit is always good. Sometimes empowerment in Jesus Christ is:
Empowered women-in-Christ do empower other women. Empowered women-in-Christ empower other women to be the women that God created them to be, through the strength of the Lord Jesus Christ. Empowered women-in-Christ also empower men to be the men than God created them to be, through the strength of the Lord Jesus Christ. Empowered disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ are servants of the Living God. Through his leading in our lives he makes the world better. Through his empowerment we get to see the change, little by little, to his glory, one Holy Spirit empowerment at a time. What does empowerment in Christ look like for you? To God be the glory, Sarah But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.
-- Words of Jesus, Acts 1:8 I was living in Houston after Hurricane Harvey. The stories of love, compassion, hurt, fear, faith, ____ were incredible, overwhelming, surreal, ________. I didn’t have the words. So what could I do with that?
What do we do as believers in Jesus Christ in such a situation? What do we do when God allows a major storm, physical or otherwise, to touch our life? I stood still in God's Word when I felt overwhelmed. I had already learned to do calligraphy to help my quiet times with God because I can’t do calligraphy well and focus on anything else other than the words… one… by… one. And in that quiet time I meet with God. Writing in calligraphy helped me still my mind, pray, and listen differently. When I felt overwhelmed over it all I came back to the prayer my Savior taught me to talk to my Father, the Lord's prayer. So I shared Jesus’ prayer with you, though you’ve probably heard it before. I pray that you will pray with me, remember Jesus loves you, and trust that God already knows what you need (see Matthew 6:8 and Matthew 6:25-34). As Christians, when we are able, we need to do more than pray, though. We are also the hands and feet of Jesus. After the hurricane had passed my family was able to help others who had been affected. As I thought back to my response later, I think it fell into three categories that we can apply to any storm that enters our lives: 1) We pray. God is still in control even when our world seems like it is spinning out-of-control. No matter what happens God is Sovereign and we can ask him for help and for him to help others. 2) We serve and give where the Lord leads us. My kids were very little when this emergency happened and I was their primary care-giver. Due to health issues I also wasn't able to help with some of the more hands-on help. So I served my family first and I helped make some meals for those who were in need and for those who were helping. My husband was able to have a more hands-on approach where possible. God used us in different, but useful ways. 3) We believe in Jesus as Lord and Savior. When we’re overwhelmed we can recite the character traits of God. God's character gives us renewed hope. He is unchanging, just, loving, merciful, graceful, all-powerful, all-knowing, and all-present, to name a few traits of his character. We can also remember the cross—that Jesus Christ, our God, loved us to death and then beat death with His resurrection. We trust in Him and live out our faith. To God be the glory, Sarah Copyright August 2017, Be Blessed Prayer. All rights reserved. Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Deuteronomy 31:6 ESV I wrote Deuteronomy 31:6 on my blackboard at home where I could see it and remember. Moses spoke this commandment to the Israelites before they went to claim the land that the Lord had promised to them. The "them" in this verse are the Canaanites, inhabitants of that land, who were bigger, stronger, and in all odds likely to kick the Israelites back to where they came. BUT the Canaanites didn't have the Lord on their side.
Moses reminded the Israelites that the LORD their God, the LORD our God, went with them and that they/ we needn't be terrified or even fearful. When we believe in Jesus as our Savior, our Redeemer, our King, then God Almighty, Three-in-One, goes with us. (And God was faithful and delivered on his promise for the Israelite's home regardless of the Canaanites exterior appearances.) It's common for me to hit a wall of insecurity where I hear the deceiver whispers, "you're not enough compared to..." Yet I know what the deceiver doesn't. I don't need to be terrified or fear my "them" because "if God is for me, who can be against me?" (Romans 8:31b). Who or whatever the "them" is in my life, in yours, be it a person who makes life difficult, the fear of the unknown, etc., we need to:
Nothing is bigger than God and in Him all things are possible. Jesus promised his disciples (and us), that "And surely I will be with you always, even until the end of the age" (Matthew 28:20). It's the same promise then (Deut 31:6) and now (Matt 28:20). May the LORD our God be with us. Would you pray with me? Lord Christ, please forgive me my sins and clothe me in your righteousness. Lord, lead me and I will follow for I know you go with me and ahead of me. I pray this in Jesus' name, amen. Copyright March 2016, Be Blessed Prayer. All rights reserved. for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus Romans 3: 23-24 ESV I walked in the house and noticed a smell. Where was it coming from? It seemed to be everywhere. What is this stench and how do I get rid of it?!? And then my searching led to... myself. I was the source of the stink. It wasn't from a forgotten dirty diaper or trash that needed to be taken out... the stench was from me.
Even with the use of deodorant my daily activities and the ridiculously hot weather left me... reeking. Now the question, how to get rid of my odor issue? There was always the go-to deodorant or perfume, but those would only mask my stink, probably lacking in their effectiveness. I needed a shower or bath. I needed to get clean. Isn't my stinky situation just like our problem of sin? We're drenched in it from our daily living and we stink to God, if we're not in Jesus. Oh, it's not that bad you might say... but let's examine our issue from a distance to give us some perspective. Jesus says the first commandment is " 'love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind,' This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself' " (Matthew 22: 37-39, NIV). When we fail to do these two things we sin. The Ten Commandments, (Deuteronomy 5: 6-21) spell out how we are to keep right with the Lord. However, if we truthfully judge ourselves we realize that we just can't do it (stay right with God on our own). We desperately need God's grace, "for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23, NIV). To be right with God, to be in relationship with Him, He can not allow any sin. If we read Isaiah 64: 5b-6 NIV we get a better idea of what our sin looks like to the Lord, "How then can we be saved? All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags". Filthy rags? All of the goodness I do apart from Christ is seen as filthy rags to God? That sounds pretty harsh, unless you compare our "good deeds" which have the stench of sin attached to them to the perfect, clean, holiness of the LORD. (If you think about a rag left outside for weeks left to the elements versus perfectly cleaned, white laundry you get a mental image of the disparaging difference.) We just don't match up, and never will, to the holy perfection of God. Thankfully, though, that's not the end of the story. From the beginning the LORD Almighty had a plan of redemption for us through Jesus Christ. The Lord's grace is seen throughout the Old Testament as he redeems His repentant, sinful children and brings them back to relationship with Him. However, in the Old Testament though God was close with the Israelites, there was still distance. The only way to access Him was through the priests and sacrifices. When Jesus came into the world, he ate with, drank with, and befriended sinners. Jesus ate with, drank with, befriended us. He developed close personal relationships with His followers. He is God with skin. I really can't wrap my mind around it, but I believe it. After he lived his perfect life, died an innocent death, and rose from the dead he offers all who believe in Him a personal relationship with the LORD Almighty through belief in Him, Jesus Christ. He says the only way to the Father is through the Son (John 14:6-7). We all carry the sin-stink. We get cleaned and we lose the permanent stink of sin when we are bathed in the righteousness of the Lord through the blood of Jesus Christ. We are given the gift of faith through God and when we respond by seeking his forgiveness we are transformed and redeemed (Romans 3:24). We give our lives to the LORD. He, not our earthly desires, becomes our master (Romans 6:11-14). And as servants for the LORD we have a challenging walk to walk by living in grace through our faith in Christ and living on earth wrecked with sin. If we don't cling to the LORD through prayer, reading the Bible, and repenting for our sins we can find ourselves distanced from the LORD and listening to voices other than the Holy Spirit. Our walk with the Lord isn't something we just do on Sunday at service time, but it's a daily, hourly, moment-to-moment personal relationship with our God and Creator. Sometimes I think, I'm really struggling with _____ I'm going to ask so-and-so to pray for me... and then I remember I can bring my problem to the Lord I don't have to go through anyone. I have direct access. So do you! It's vital to stay in the Word (Bible) and in a community of believers who holds us accountable for our sins and to the LORD. Not unlike my stinky situation earlier-- if I am stinky and choose to ignore it... eventually I quit noticing the smell, even when it gets worse... my nose will eventually lose its sensitivity. Our relationship with the LORD works similarly, if we keep on sinning without repentance we lose our sense of smell to the stench of sin and quit listening to the voice of the Holy Spirit. The Bible calls it a "hardened heart." I've had friends call me out when they thought I wasn't living in a right way with God. (Note: accountability partners are very special friendships and require a deep level of trust and Christ-seeking hearts.) It doesn't feel good when my sin is brought out and put before me... in fact it feels pretty rotten. I've even been defensive. However, if I look at it in a different way-- not as someone putting me down, but as if I was going to a doctor, an expert-- I wouldn't want a doctor to say, "yeah, you're sick." I'd want them to tell me-- "You have an ear infection and here's how we're going to address it." If I'm left ignorant of my sin, then I'm sick and getting sicker... but if the light of Christ shines on my sin then the Great Physician (Jesus) can heal my sin. And it starts with my recognition of my sin and repentance of it. The medicine of repentance and contrition may "hurt" (i.e. require humility, forgiveness, reconciliation, making amends...) because a journey back to rightness with the LORD after a detour down the path of sin is a journey. Ultimately, however, a right relationship with the Lord Jesus brings healing and rest (Philippians 4:7). Someone who is in a right relationship with the LORD will also bear the fruits of that right relationship: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Galatians 5:22-26). Someone who is filled with all those virtues sounds like someone I'd like to be. Thankfully, if we continue to seek the face of the LORD and a right relationship with Him, we will continue to be transformed in the likeness of Christ and bear the fruits of the Spirit (2 Corinthians 3:16-17). To God be the glory, Sarah Prayer: Lord, I feel the weight of sin on me. It keeps me from you, if I don't bring everything-- the bad and the ugly, to you and repent of my sinful ways. Jesus, save me from the sin that so easily entangles. You are the only Savior and the only way to eternal life. Lord Jesus, I believe in you as my Savior, that you lived a perfect life, died for my sins, and rose again to defeat death so I may know you and one day live with you in heaven. Jesus, guard my heart and mind with your peace so I may run the race that you have marked out just for me and have the endurance to finish well. Lord, in your mercy, hear my prayer. Take... the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit... Ephesians 6:17b-18 The Holy Spirit often reveals Himself to me through the Bible verses He puts on my heart and in my life from Bible study and conversation... Sometimes He uses verses that seem to jump off the page and into my heart when I read my Bible. If the Holy Spirit isn't directing me I have trouble knowing the will of God for my life personally.
How can I hear the Holy Spirit? Ephesians 6: 17b-18 gives us a clue. It says the word of God is the Holy Spirit. Another name for the Bible is God's Word and it is there that we can meet God through the power of the Holy Spirit. In Ephesians 6:18 Paul instructs us to pray. He encourages us as followers of Jesus to make ready our sword, the Holy Spirit, and challenges us as followers of Jesus to pray. The sword is a special instrument of ancient warfare. It has offensive and defensive capabilities, an invaluable dual purpose. If I neglect to read my Bible or pray, ways the Spirit speaks to me, then I am left completely unprepared to defend against the devil, much less gain ground for the kingdom of God. All pieces of the armor of God work together to protect us from the devil, but the sword is the only piece of armor that can help us move forward. Child of God, there is a spiritual war waging around us. As believers in the only Living God we must 1) recognize the spiritual component of our daily lives, 2) suit up in our armor (remembering our sword), and 3) remember the battle and the war is the Lord's! God fights for us. The Lord fights with us. He lives in us. It may look pretty dark in the deepest fighting but we cannot falter. We must never take our eyes off Jesus. We must expect the fight and stay always on our guard. The Lord is faithful to his promises, but if we aren't praying to Him and reading our Bibles we run the risk of forgetting what his promises are! Be encouraged, Child of God. Stay in the Spirit through personal Bible study and prayer. Listen for the voice of the Holy Spirit speaking to you. Remember your sword for the battle right now and the battle ahead. To God be the glory, Sarah Would you pray with me? Jesus, help me recognize the fight I'm in so that I may arm myself in you. Jesus, you fight for me. May my eyes of faith never leave you. In Jesus name I pray, amen. Reflection: Do you feel like you're fighting the spiritual attacks against you with your sword ready? Or do you feel more like you're not sure where your sword is? How would it look in your life to be well armed in the Spirit? Faith-In-Action: Pick two of the following sets of verses to read through for the next 3 days and see if they don't come in handy when you feel the spiritual battle pressing in on you. Here are a few of my favorite Bible verses. I use them as my spiritual road map to bring me back to Jesus when I feel lost. Proverbs 3: 5-6, Psalm 23, Psalm 139, Psalm 16, Psalm 20, Romans 5: 1-11, Romans 8: 26-27 & Romans 8: 31-39, Ephesians 1: 3-14, Ephesians 6: 10-18, Jeremiah 29: 11-13, Matthew 6: 25-33, Philippians 4: 4-13 |
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