Power Verses for Today:

Ephesians 4:26 (NIV) Let no unwholesome talk come out of your mouths,
but only what is helpful and for building others up according to their
needs that it may benefit those who listen.

Psalm 141:3 (NIV) Set a guard over my mouth, O lord; keep watch over
the door of my lips.

Psalm 63:3 (NIV) Because your love is better than life, my lips will
glorify you.

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Father, help me to speak and think in the way of Philippians 4:8: Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable--if anything is excellent or praiseworthy--think about such things.

I don't want any unwholesome talk or thoughts to be in my mind or depart from my lips. If that makes me a prude, a goody two-shoes, then so be it. I'm doing it for You. I'm not perfect so I expect to sin and be tempted to sin, but Father, I know with Your great love and support that I can be a woman after Your own heart, one who speaks and thinks in obedience to Your commands.

In Jesus' Name I pray,
Amen

Lord, Please be my strength where I am weak (2 Corinthians 12:9). Flood my heart with Your amazing peace (Philippians 4:7). I praise You for supplying everything I need today to live a godly life for You (2 Peter 1:3 &4). Thank You that You are transforming me by the power of the Holy Spirit. I trust You with my life. In Jesus' name I pray, amen.

1 John 5:14-15 says, "This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him."

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DISCERNING AND ACTING on God's will does not mean you'll never have difficult days or feel lousy sometimes. But choosing to live in alignment with God makes you more joyful, compassionate, and peaceful, even on bad days. Debra K. Farrington, Hearing with the Heart

GOD GUIDES us first through his Word, then through our heartfelt desires, then the wise counsel of others, and then our circumstances. At that point we must rely on our own sound judgment… . God gave each of us a brain, and he expects us to put it to good use.
Bruce K. Waltke, Finding the Will of God

Dear Lord, it's hard to be holy and Christ-like when I feel so PMSy! Help me, please, to maintain a sense of peace and not to feel as though I want to yell, "Get to the point!" to an innocent caller on the phone. I'm so sorry I have let my hormones get the best of me but I know You are greater than they are. I'm hoping more of You will kick in and less of the PMS. Also, I feel like I'm laying an egg. Please let it either be golden and worth something or take the pain away at the very least. Thanks, God. I know You're watching over me, even when I feel like the wicked witch of Mississippi.

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your
paths straight." Prov. 3:5-6

That's me, Lord. I don't understand all the trappings of my earthly body. Somehow make me a blessing to someone today. I lean on You and acknowledge that You are my God, my Great Physician, who can set me on the path to follow Your will and Your direction.

Only a Sunday God?

In a topic that had more to do with maternity clothes than wearing pants to church on Sunday I blog:

Aquaintance "does not approve of" women wearing pants to church on Sunday. There's food for thought. I had always been brought up in churches where you wore dresses Sunday morning and more casual clothes, pants or even jeans, on Sunday nights and Wednesday nights. At a church we visited recently on a Sunday morning I saw the women my age dressed in pants. Other women who were older than I wore pants also. I was surprised but not offended or put off. I just thought, "Cool, the times, they are a'changin'." I asked a friend the next day (whose church we are going to visit next weekend) if members of her church (much bigger church, same demonination) wore pants. She said, "That's all I wear. In fact, I wear to church what I wear to work." I'm thinking, "This is good!" I love wearing nice pant suits and it would certainly add variety to my church wardrobe to be able to wear them.

So anyway, I'm in the bathroom just a minute ago and the snippet of what my aquaintance "does not approve of" popped in my mind.

I think my aquaintance is perfectly entitled to wear what she wants to church. She wasn't judging anyone but her pregnant daughter who could only fit into pants at the time and she didn't approve of her wearing them to church but I don't think WWIII broke out over it.

So I'm washing my hands in the bathroom, looking at my pretty butterfly dress in the mirror (it is beautiful if I do say so myself) and my thought was, "Is God only a Sunday morning God?" If it stands to reason that we must wear dresses to church on Sunday (morning's especially) as a dress code out of respect to God, would it not also stand to reason that since God is always with us we should always wear dresses? Things that make me go hmmmm.......

+++God, I will worship You any time, any place. You are with me when I'm in my pj's in the morning, when I'm in dresses at work, in jeans afterwards or shorts on the weekends. Thank You for telling us not to worry about the clothes we wear. In Christ's Name. Amen.+++

Father, make me a nonconformist - not in a denominational sense, but
in a dynamic sense. Forgive me if I have allowed the world to squeeze
me into its own mould. Change my way of thinking to Your way of
thinking. In Jesus' Name. Amen.

Today is the National Day of Prayer. My heart was lifted as I listened to Focus on the Family. I wish I had gotten to hear all of it. The speaker was Marilyn someone who talked about, of course, prayer! I pray for the spiritual renewal of our country, that the institution of marriage would be upheld. Genesis 2:24 says: "For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh." I pray that we would fight to keep marriage sancitified. I pray that our President would stand strongly for what he believes in and lead our nation, not only politically, but in the way God would have him to. We are commanded to pray by God. Matthew 6:5; Romans 12:12; 1 Thess 5:17. I pray that we would not only pray but listen. Marilyn someone gave a good analogy this morning. She said that when she took her child to the doctor she told the doctor, "She has an ear ache, she is running fever, and her throat is sore." She said if she had just told the doctor her child's symptoms and had not listened for the answer (which would contain the prescription) the child would certainly not be any better off for it, and neither would she!

God, I pray for our nation. I pray for our President, the Vice President, all our federal leaders, state leaders and local leaders. Help them guide us to turn our nation back to You. I fear for the world, Lord. The sanctity of marriage is under strong attack from satan, people are saying, "Oh, it's no problem for gays to be married." It is! Father, Your own word tells us that! Help us turn back to the Bible and soften the hearts of people who want tolerance yet are not willing to stand up for what they believe in. Help us to bring everything to You by prayer and petition, trusting that You, not just the words we pray, will be faithful and just to us. The slogan "Prayer Changes Things" is so misunderstood. It is You who changes things through our prayers. You hear us, Lord, and I praise You for that. Thank you for sending Jesus to die for the sins of all mankind. I pray for my friends who are not Christian, that You would prompt them to make a decision that will change their lives forever and enable them to reign in eternity with You. Help me to be selfless instead of selfish. Help me not to gossip and to be directed by You throughout my day. I love You, Lord, and I praise Your holy Name. http://www.inpop.com/radio/artists/tree63/song.html


http://www.family.org/fmedia/misc/A0030190.cfm

In Jesus Name I pray,
Amen

How much longer before You come for us, O God? I read an article in the newspaper about an 81 year old woman beaten, 81! What in the world would someone want to beat an 81 year old woman for? You were with her, though. She called out to You silently in prayer and her attacker immediately stopped and ran! You are our Helper in times of trouble indeed, Lord. This morning I read an article about a baby thrown away, less than a day old. Suffocated. Oh, God, how can You continue to let us live like this? What is our world coming to? Surely You will come back for Your people soon. I don't understand why bad things like this happen. I mean, I know it's sin in the world, Adam and Eve and all that, but God, why must it be so bad? There is such an increase of violence in our country (and others) and the Godlessness is horrible. I used to not know anyone who didn't claim You as their Savior, but now I know more people who are not Christian than those who are. You tell us in 2 Timothy 3:1-5: "In the last times perilous times will come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, without natural affection, truce breakers, incontinent, fierce, despises of those who are good, traitors, heady, high-minded, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God. Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof, from such turn away." We truly are living in the last times, aren't we? I trust You with all of my heart to provide and protect us in our daily lives. Help me to live a life of hope and not fear or depression. Lord, help me find more good stories to read! Help me see the good in the world instead of all the bad. Dear Father, I need You in order to live a life worthy of Your calling. I acknowledge that I have sinned against You by directing my own life. I thank You that You have forgiven my sins through Christ's death on the cross for me. I now invite Christ to again take His place on the throne of my life. I surrender all to You once again. Fill me with Your Holy Spirit as You commanded me to be filled, and as You promised in Your Word that You would do if I asked in faith. I pray this in the name of Jesus. As an expression of my faith, I thank You for directing my life and for filling me with the Holy Spirit. Amen.

I thank You that You are more powerful than any of my circumstances. Today I ask You to increase my faith and to extinguish the fear that threatens to sap strength from my soul. Please help me to focus on You, not my fear. I lift up my shield of faith in the name of Jesus, amen.

Romans 12:1 states: Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God--this is your spiritual act of worship.

It's said that the problem with living sacrifices is that they can sometimes crawl off the alter. Well, look at me. That's just what I did! How can I remain a living sacrifice, God? My dad has gotten my dander up again. I need Your peace, again. And I will again later, I'm sure.

1 Thessolonians 5: 16-18 says: Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus. Okay. So I can pray continually for Your guidance and keep surrendering myself to You each time I try to crawl off the altar. I know You want more from me than the act of surrender. You want a life of surrender. Your Word, in 2 Cor 12:9-10, says: But he said to me, "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. That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong. Father, I am weak in this area of caregiving. Please be my strength and give me a servant's heart. Help me to know that after I get some rest, good rest, that I'll be back to my normal self and not be so muddled. I love You, God, and I praise You for Your strength. Please work in my life according to Your will and purpose. I give You free reign. I feel better already! In His Name, Amen.

Magnificent Love

"Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it
is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily
angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in
evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts,
always hopes, always perseveres."

(I Corinthians 13:4-7)

God, help me to be patient, kind, free of envy, not boastful or full of pride. Help me not to be rude or self-seeking. Help me not to have a quick temper or be a historian of wrongs done toward me or others. Help me never to delight in evil but to rejoice in your truth. Help me always to be protectful, always trust others, always hope and always persevere - and in doing those things, I will be "Love" just as You want me to be.