Spiritual Growth Archives

March 13, 2019

Praying the Promises of God Week 4 – Fear and Peace

Friends, words don’t seem enough to express what fills my heart for the prayers, scriptures and messages you sent. I’ve been overwhelmed by your love and tenderness during this time of grieving.

It’s been a hard, but sweet, time for our family, and the new family God has brought into our lives. It’s never easy to lose a parent, but for Morgan (my daughter’s fiancé) to lose his mom at age 27, just months before their wedding, it’s been devastating. But, our God has been so very present. The day we were heading to his sweet mama’s visitation, Morgan sent me this text when I reached out to check on Him.

Thank you. I feel His presence around me everyday.

Sweet friends, I know that’s, in part, because of your faithful prayers. Thank you!

This week, I’m sharing Scriptures, and my thoughts, on fear and peace. Two areas in my life where I’ve experienced great struggles. Each time, without fail, praying God’s Word brought freedom and hope.

I pray the same for you as you work through these verses as time allows.

Fear

Isaiah 41:10: “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”

Psalm 56:3: “When I am afraid, I put my trust in you.”

2 Timothy 1:7: “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.”

Joshua 1:9: “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”

Isaiah 35:4 “Tell everyone who is discouraged, Be strong and don’t be afraid! God is coming to your rescue….”

Psalm 27:1 “The Lord is my light and my salvation—whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life—of whom shall I be afraid?”

Deut. 3:22: “Do not be afraid of them; the Lord your God himself will fight for you.”

Thoughts the Lord brought to mind …

Do not be afraid, My child. I’m always with you. I will never leave you. I will help you through what you’re walking through and hold you in the palm of My hand.

Know fear is not from Me. I give you My Holy Spirit. In My Spirit, you have access to My power, My love and My mind. My Spirit is stronger than anyone or any circumstances you face. Remember, greater is the One who lives in you, which is Me, than the one who lives in the world.

I am your rescuer and defender! I am your stronghold. So, you should fear NOTHING! I will never leave you or forsake you. Take refuge in Me.

Peace

Philippians 4:6-7: “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

John 14:27: “Peace is what I leave with you; it is my own peace that I give you. I do not give it as the world does. Do not be worried and upset; do not be afraid.”

Psalm 55:22: “Cast your cares on the Lord and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous fall.”

Psalm 46:1: “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.”

Psalm 91:1-2: “He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.”

Galatians 5:22: “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,”

Psalm 4:8: “In peace, I will lie down and sleep, for you alone, Lord, make me dwell in safety.”

Isaiah 26:3: “You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you!”

Thoughts the Lord brought to mind …

Don’t let your worries overcome you, My daughter. Pray about each worry. Bring it to Me with a heart of thanksgiving. I will carry your worries for you and, in return, restore the peace that is yours in Me. It’s a peace that will guard your heart and mind forever and always when you surrender every worry to Me.

Cast your cares upon Me. Don’t you know how much I care for you? I will carry them for you. My Spirit, My power, My love will sustain you. Trust Me.

My Spirit lives in you. The fruit of My Spirit fills you. Peace is part of that fruit. Believe My promise. Walk in My promise. Then, you’ll live abundantly in My promise.

I will keep you in perfect peace when you trust in Me. When you keep your eyes fixed on Me. When you stay in My Word.

I pray these Scriptures minister to your heart. If you’re currently struggling with fear and/or peace, or you’ve struggled in the past and come out the other side, leave a comment sharing the Scriptures that spoke to your heart from our post or your own Scriptures that have helped you. Next week, please come back to visit. I’ll announce two names, chosen from the comments left over the last four weeks, to win some fun gifts.

If you’re just joining in the series, you can catch up here: Week 1, Week 2, Week 3.

38 Comments Filed Under: Bible Study, Encouragement, Prayer, Spiritual Growth

February 20, 2019

Praying the Promises Part 3 – Trust and Surrender

Welcome to Week 3 of Praying the Promises of God! Thank you for the beautiful prayers you left in the comments this past week … your personal prayers and the ones you prayed for each other. What a precious gift to see God’s Word consuming the prayers in each and every comment.

In each of these posts, I include a section entitled, “Thoughts the Lord brought to mind.” Please know my heart. I am not adding to God’s Word with these thoughts. They are my words, not God’s. They come as I’ve spent time soaking in the passages, allowing God to minister to my heart through them. I then share what I’ve experienced about God’s character, His heart, His Word and His promises. My prayer is that these thoughts will help you listen for the Lord’s voice as you spend time with Him in His Word. He does speak to His children. As my dear friend Marilynn Chadwick says, sometimes He whispers and sometimes He roars.

This week, we spend time with the words Surrender and Trust. Oh, these are two of the hardest things to do when walking through trials with God. These words come into play most often when we find ourselves in the “wait room” with God. We’re struggling to trust His timing. His answer. His perceived silence. I’ve walked through each of these waits and am in an especially hard one right now. One thing I’ve learned on this journey, if we don’t run to God, we’ll run away from God. And, that running will take us to an even lonelier, darker place. A place we drift deeper and deeper into uncertainty and doubt.

I have to continually remind myself that in God’s presence is peace and rest and so much more. So, even when we can’t see, feel or hear God, HE IS THERE! He has promised us in His Word He will never leave us or forsake us (Deut. 31:6, Matt. 28:20, Heb. 13:5).

God instructs us to go to Him when we’re in trouble.

James 5:13 “Is anyone among you in trouble, let them pray.”

Psalm 50:15a “… call on me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you.”

Psalm 55:22 “Cast your cares on the Lord and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous be shaken.”

Surrender

Surrender means to yield, relinquish, submit. To raise the white flag. To release the tight grip we have on what we want and place it in the hands of our Abba Father, who is more than able to carry the load.

Isaiah 42:3-4: “A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out. In faithfulness he will bring forth justice; he will not falter or be discouraged till he establishes justice on earth. In his teaching, the islands will put their hope.”

Psalm 147:3: “He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.”

Psalm 61:1-3 (David’s cry to God): “Hear my cry, O God, listen to my prayer. From the ends of the earth, I call to you. I call as my heart grows faint; lead me to the rock that is higher than I. For you have been my refuge, a strong tower against the foe.”

Lamentations 3:22-23: “Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.”

2 Corinthians 10:5: “… ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.

Thoughts the Lord brought to mind …

Surrender your broken places to Me, My child. They are opportunities for you to experience Me in all My fullness and for Me to display My glory.

Always filter your hurt through My unconditional, everlasting, abundant love and compassion.

Invite Me into your pain. I will bind your wounds. My healing balm will soothe your wounded heart and soul.

Surrender everything to Me. Let it all go. I will carry it. My grace is sufficient for you. My power is made perfect in your weakness.

Trust

Psalm 31:14-16: “But I trust in you, Lord; I say, ‘You are my God. My times are in your hands; deliver me from the hands of my enemies, from those who pursue me. Let your face shine on your servant; save me in your unfailing love.'”

Psalm 46:10: “He says, ‘Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.’”

Psalm 119:89: “Your word, Lord, is eternal; it stands firm in the heavens.”

Proverbs 3:5-6: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.”

Matthew 28:18: “Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.”

1 John 1:7: “But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.”

Romans 8:1: “There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.”

Thoughts the Lord brought to mind …

No circumstance, person, place, hurt, or sickness is outside My reach or beyond My control. Nothing burdening your heart is too hard for Me. Trust Me.

Trust Me with Your past. No sin is too great that My Son’s shed blood will not cover. In Me, you’ll find no condemnation, only grace.

My Son gave His life for you. We both love you with an everlasting, lavish love. Never doubt that. We settled that on Calvary, when My Son poured out His blood and the veil was torn. So come to Me. Trust Me with all your heart. Don’t lean on your human knowledge and understanding. Submit whatever you’re clinging to Me. I will show you the way.

As we close today, sit a few minutes with these verses and passages. Invite the Lord to lead you to one or two verses to sit and soak in. It might be a few minutes. It might be 15 or 30 minutes. If you have time, read it in context with what comes before and after the verse. Maybe do a Google search, or look at the Concordance in the back of your Bible for more verses speaking to the same truth or promise. We’d love to know the verses you chose and the ones you found. And if you want to share, let us know what you heard from the Lord.

Finally, if you have any questions about what we’re doing today, please leave a question, and I’ll help as best I can or, with this amazing community, another one of our sisters may help too.

Can’t wait to hear from you!!!

34 Comments Filed Under: Bible Study, Prayer, Spiritual Growth

February 13, 2019

Praying the Promises Part 2 – Struggling with Unbelief

Friends,

Wow! Your response to Part 1 of our series, Praying the Promises of God, amazes me. I love how you shared your stories and the passages that have ministered to you. And, I’m deeply grateful for the words of encouragement you left for me. They truly bless me as I continue to teach God’s Word and slowly work on my next book on prayer. Your comments reveal how women not only love to pray but desire a deeper understanding of prayer and a more active prayer life.

This week our topics are “The Word,” “God’s Sovereignty,” and “God’s Provision.”

THE WORD

Luke 24:31-32: “Then their eyes were opened and they recognized him, and he disappeared from their sight. They asked each other, ‘Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?’”

Jeremiah 15:16: “When your words came, I ate them; they were my joy and my heart’s delight, for I bear your name, Lord God Almighty.”

Psalm 1:1-3 “Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers, but whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and who meditates on his law day and night. That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither—whatever they do prospers.”

Words the Lord brought to mind …

Give My Spirit Lordship over your heart and My Word Lordship over your mind.

Ask Me for fresh manna and new revelations as you meet Me in My Word.

Beware of only ingesting My Word; digest it so it soaks to the marrow of your bones and becomes part of who you are.

My Word is health to your body and healing to your bones. Don’t neglect feeding your body and your soul. I created you; you are precious to me, and I know what you need.

GOD’S SOVEREIGNTY (God is in control)

Matthew 28:17-18: “When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. Then Jesus came to them and said, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.’”

Colossians 1:16-17: “For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together”

Job 26:14: “And these are but the outer fringe of his works; how faint the whisper we hear of him! Who then can understand the thunder of his power?”

Isaiah 55:8-9: “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. ‘As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.'”

Isaiah 46:9-10: “Remember the former things of old; for I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me, declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times things not yet done, saying, ‘My counsel shall stand, and I will accomplish all my purpose,’”

Words the Lord brought to mind …

Every season has its own beauty, look for it! I am there in your midst. Look for Me. Not one thing you are walking through and experiencing is out of My control. I see you.

Don’t miss the wonder of I Am. Of who I am. I Am the One True God. There is no one greater or more powerful. Trust me with all that burdens your heart … that you can’t understand … that you feel you cannot bear … because I am over it all, and I am enough.

I am completely faithful with each place I walk you through, the valleys and the mountaintops. With each place, trust me because I’m drawing you closer to Me.

GOD’S PROVISION

2 Corinthians 9:8: “And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.”

1 Corinthians 2:9-10: “However, as it is written: ‘What no eye has seen, what no ear has heard, and what no human mind has conceived’ – the things God has prepared for those who love him—These are the things God has revealed to us by his Spirit. The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God.'”

Ephesians 3:20: “Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.”

Psalm 107:8-9: “Let them give thanks to the Lord for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for mankind, for he satisfies the thirsty and fills the hungry with good things.”

Words the Lord brought to mind …

I am Jehovah Jireh, your Provider. What I want most is to give you more of Me. Delight yourself in ME, and I will give you the desires of your heart.

I am the God of all grace who longs to give you an unlimited supply of My riches.

Don’t try to do this on your own. Come to Me, My child. Remember in Me, you lack nothing.

I may provide differently than you have asked. Trust Me. I know what is best for you. Be thankful and invest where I have you. You will be blessed when you do.

I am the All-Sufficient One.

It’s God’s sovereignty and provision I seem to struggle with the most. I ask and pray for things that seemingly align with God’s Word and His good plans for me or my family. I tell Him if He answers my prayer, He’ll get all the glory. It will point others to Him. It will grow my child’s faith. But, then, that specific answer never comes. Sometimes, it’s quite the opposite. That’s hard.

It’s in those places I have to trust God’s sovereignty. A sovereignty I know is bathed in love. It’s not a hammer. It’s not cold and calculating. It’s not ruled by harsh decrees. God’s sovereignty flows from a Father’s heart consumed by lavish love for His children. A God who promises to give us the desires of our heart when our desires align with His. That is the key. We’re on a journey of sanctification … of God working in and through us to mold and shape us to become more like Jesus. So, when God withholds that answer or answers it differently, we must trust God is protecting us. What we are seeking will not be beneficial or productive to our process of becoming more like Jesus.

Oh, friends, as we leave today, know your prayers are heard by the One whose love runs deep for you. Who gave His only Son for you. Who placed His Spirit inside of you so you would never ever be without His presence. Let’s commit to trust Him with our unanswered prayers today.

Write your prayer of commitment in the comments. It can be as short as 3 words: “Help my unbelief.” After you share your prayer, read the prayer above yours and pray for her. WE ALL BELIEVE. But sometimes we struggle with unbelief in the “waiting room” of prayer. So, let’s pray for a mighty move of God in our community this week as we boldly ask God to help us with our unbelief, remembering and claiming the promises above.

107 Comments Filed Under: Prayer, Spiritual Growth