In closeness to Me, you are safe. In the intimacy of My Presence, you are energized. No matter where you are in the world, you know you belong when you sense My nearness. Ever since the Fall, man has experienced a gaping emptiness that only My Presence can fill. I designed you for close communication with your Creator. How I enjoyed walking in the garden with Adam and Eve, before the evil one deceived them!
When you commune with Me in the garden of your heart, both you and I are blessed. This is My way of living in the world--through you! Together we will push back the darkness, for I am the Light of the World.
Psalm 32:7
English Standard Version
You are a hiding place for me;
you preserve me from trouble;
you surround me with shouts of deliverance.
Genesis 3:8-9
English Standard Version
8 And they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden. 9 But the Lord God called to the man and said to him, “Where are you?”
John 8:12
English Standard Version
Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”
Note: The devotion and scriptures are from author Sarah Young. If you haven't already, please purchase the book and support the author.
Also, bookmark https://bibletags.blogspot.com/2019/06/jesus-calling-366-days.html to have an easy link to the entire year of these entries.
How can you and I stay close to our Lord as He is close to us? St. Benedict wrote a rule for those who lived in the monastery he established. One aspect of it was the incorporation of the admonition of Psalm 119:164 “seven times a day I praise You for Your righteous ordinances.” So the monks practiced a time of reading scripture, morning prayer, mid-morning prayer, noontime prayer, mid-afternoon prayer, evening prayer(vespers), and nighttime prayer. The bell would ring in the monastery and everyone stopped whatever work they were doing and went to prayer which primarily focused on reading the psalms. The question for you and me is how might we practice the essence of “seven times a day I praise You for your righteous ordinances”. The beauty of Benedict’s rule is that it provided that time of reflection roughly every three hours to get the believer back to the closeness suggested in today’s reading. We must be careful not to legalize this practice but how might each of us capture the essence in our own relationship with our Lord ultimately to His delight?
ReplyDeleteAmen Bob! We must keep asking Jesus to remind us to stay in His presence and feast on His Word often throughout the day. It is like miracle gro for our souls and I long to be like a green tree planted by the rivers of waters that bringeth forth fruit in my season and then my leaf shall not wither and whatsoever I do shall prosper. In Him only, we are inwardly renewed, watered, refreshed and nourished.
DeleteI love the miracle grow analogy, Jeanne. For our Father is the miracle worker! It's a hot, dry time in northern CA, and the readings lately have brought the dew, fresh rain and nurtured me in clear waters, thanks to many of your posts. Thank you Bob, for the encouragement to set a prayer practice that is meaningful and consistent in our daily lives. For me, each day it begins here. Thank you Jesus Calling! ✝️♥️
DeleteRock of Ages, cleft for me,
DeleteLet me hide myself in Thee;
Let the water and the blood,
From Thy wounded side which flowed,
Be of sin the double cure;
Save from wrath and make me pure.
Not the labor of my hands
Can fulfill Thy law’s demands;
Could my zeal no respite know,
Could my tears forever flow,
All for sin could not atone;
Thou must save, and Thou alone.
Nothing in my hand I bring,
Simply to the cross I cling;
Naked, come to Thee for dress;
Helpless look to Thee for grace;
Foul, I to the fountain fly;
Wash me, Savior, or I die.
While I draw this fleeting breath,
When mine eyes shall close in death,
When I soar to worlds unknown,
See Thee on Thy judgment throne,
Rock of Ages, cleft for me,
Let me hide myself in Thee.
The best way to stay close to our Lord Jesus is not through religious practices or vain repetitions but to enter in to a personal RELATIONSHIP with Him. That provides constant communion with Him, not just 7 times a day. Moslems also are religious and pray 5 times a day.
DeleteAmen! Our relationship with Him is most important. He is with us every moment of every day and we must keep our heart open to receive what He offers and we must speak to Him often. His Ears are always open to our voice and our heart.
DeleteI am a granny..love my grandsons and tell them many times while I care for them I love you..three simple words repeated over and over and they love to hear those words because they come from the heart. My prayers can be repetitive but I make time to pray and open my heart to my Savior..my intimate time with HIM..I love you Lord! JESUS..JESUS ..AMEN and AMEN!
DeleteThank you for sharing this, Bob.
DeleteA lovely reminder to talk with our God and to praise him throughout the morning, day and night.
I know for me this frequent communing with our Lord brings peace and joy to me and to those around me 💗🙏
Our God is so good
Love, prayers and blessings dear JC family
❤️🙏
Brandy
Sweet sister Jeanne. I love your words in prayer so much! 😄🙌🏼
DeleteMiracle grow for our hearts, spirits, bodies and souls!
Amen! Our God is so mighty and good!
Prayers, Love and blessings
❤️🙏
Brandy
How are you, dear Brandy? Hope and pray God's faithfulness has been covering you and your family. Much love.
DeleteThanks Bob for the post back on 2018! Liturgy of the Hours. A beautiful practice of worship and gratefulness.
DeleteDear Jesus, help me to look toward the light, and give me strength to rebuke the darkness! Amen.
ReplyDeleteAmen!
DeleteDear Lord, continue to be my guide toward the light! Amen
DeleteThank you for poating these.
ReplyDeleteGod I pray for the flow of this intimate time with u not so much to stop in the what I’m doing all the time but involve communication with you as a Fluent conversation and friendship throughout my day walking with You. You are always close it’s me that wonders so please help me keep fixed on You!
ReplyDeleteGod why is my world so dark where us the light I do pray I'm a good person I'm no saint but I whatever sin I do do I ask for forgiveness so why is my world so dark I wake up every morning with just worries please pray for me
ReplyDeleteI am praying for you.
DeleteLove the visual of:
ReplyDeletePsalm 32:7
You are a hiding place for me; you preserve me from trouble; you surround me with shouts of Deliverance.
And....
Zephaniah 3:17
The Lord your God is among you; He is mighty to save. He will rejoice over you with gladness;He will quiet you with His love; He will rejoice over you with singing.
thank u jesus for bring me out of my darkness and leading me each and every day. thank you jesus
ReplyDeleteThank you Father in Jesus name for the comfort and never ending love.
ReplyDeletePsalm 119:105 King James Version (KJV)
ReplyDeleteThy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.
Thank You Jesus.
Well, I wrote a whole post, thanking all of you for your incredible prayers and blessings to me and for my daughter and then LOST IT! Now, I have to run, but THANK YOU - each and every one for your mighty believing and powerful prayers. I am humbled and will keep you posted as our prayers are answered. <3
ReplyDeleteNorah, it is all good in God's eyes! We are a very special family and one by one we will lift up one another!! Blessings on your day!! This is the day the Lord has made, let us be glad and rejoice in it!! Happy Wednesday!! 😁😍😎
DeletePraise be to God for this new day! I will work on remaining close to You throughout this day, Lord, and feel peace in you keeping me safe.
ReplyDeleteThank you Jan, for your prayers and words of encouragement yesterday. I left feeling a sense of hope that I haven't felt in over 5 years. Much work to do, but I will let the light of Jesus in.
Lord, help all on here who are on here see Your light. Thank You for answers to prayers of others. Amen. CO
Isaiah 26:3
DeleteYou will keep him in perfect peace,
Whose mind is stayed on You,
Because he trusts in You.
Good morning and a huge thank you for all of you that stand in agreement with me in thoughts and prayers for my daughters total and complete healing! I'm looking at how big our God is and not at the struggle my daughter is dealing with. I choose to speak to the mountain knowing that God is bigger than any problem or illness we must deal with in this world!! Sing to the Lord for He is good!! Walk by faith and not by sight. If we believe then God will take care of the rest. We must all surrender our lives up to Him, Amen. ❤❤❤
ReplyDeleteP.S. I will update you as I know more about my daughter!!
Thanks CeCe for reminding us that God is bigger and greater than all our issues.May we focus on Him so that we can go forward with the Lord ,He sees the whole picture and holds the future !
DeleteFather, thanking You for another blessed and gifted mid-week day. Your Mercy and Your Grace ushered me into this day and I say THANK YOU.
ReplyDeleteAfter reading the devotion, this morning dear Lord, I stand in agreement and sing to the tone of:
"I am Thine oh Lord, I have heard Thy voice and it told Thy love to me, but I long to rise in the arms of faith and be closer drawn to Thee..., Draw me nearer, nearer blessed Lord to the cross where Thou hast died, Draw me nearer, nearer Blessed Lord, to Thy Precious Blooding side..."
Yes Lord, please draw me nearer to You through the power of Your Holy Spirit!
JC family, the Lord is good and His mercy endureth forever. Praying with and for all circumstances and requests spoken and unspoken on this blog. May the God who answers by fire, hear our prayers and manifest ALL that which concerns us in Jesus name!
Bless and safe day to all!
Maplewood NJ
*bleeding
DeleteMaplewood NJ
It is my usual practice to get my coffee in the morning and sit with Him and also connect with you all. As I was walking down the hall of the hotel, I was practicing thankfulness and out of my heart I said to Him, "thank you for talking with me" throughout my day. In my room, I sat and read today's thoughts, "I designed you for close communication with your Creator". No surprise right?!
ReplyDeleteAnd yesterday I woke up and before leaving bed, I again practiced thankfulness as I repeated these words to myself, "this is the day the Lord has made. I will rejoice and be glad in it." Shortly after I read Maplewood's words which mentioned the God of Peace. Those words reminded me of
Romans 15:13. May the God of hope fill you with all Joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope through the power of the Holy Spirit.
The main point on my heart is we only seek Him as we are drawn to Him. I am only recieving as I am allowing myself to be drawn by Him into a position to receive. So dear one I want to encourage you and myself and say keep positioning yourself to be drawn. Keep waiting on Him as He is faithful and not a respecter of persons. He is showing us that God alone suffices.
Thank you all for sharing especially yesterday. This body of believers is special and I thank Him for this "church" as we assemble and seek Him.
So to develop that thought further, if we could draw ourselves close to Him, it could become prideful. The subtle thoughts can creep in that we become close to Him by our actions. That is not the case because a relationship with our mighty God is based on Grace and based on receiving and based on His strength.
DeleteI believe that is why we sometimes seem to struggle in growing close to Him. To show us He is the source.
Keith --- Your point about keep positioning yourself so we may be drawn to our Lord hit home. It is something I am working on. I find that the more I talk with the Lord the more the crooked places on my path "straighten". It brings great encouragement! And most of all, God alone suffices! Thanks for sharing. Continuing prayers for you. Great blessings to you.
DeleteAmen, Amen to Your points Keith!
DeleteGod bless.
Maplewood NJ
Point on... Keith. Love your thoughts. Blessings
DeleteThank you Keith for those words of
DeleteEncouragement. We all need to be reminded to press in close to our God. He delights in us!😊
Amen! An encouraging reminder indeed. Thank you and may God bless you. CO
DeleteStill great advice Keith. Thanks!! We must, like the monks who pray 7 times through their day, continually stop what we’re doing and plug ourselves back into Him and get back into His presence and empty our minds of garbage and worry so we will be open and ready to receive. Stay close to God and He will stay close to you. Amen.
DeleteI totally get that fine line between hearing the voice of God, his guidance and communication, and the thought that we know what is best in every circumstance. Watch out for that pride thing 😉
DeleteGood morning Lord and JC family. Thank you Lord for this day. Thank you for opening our eyes and refreshing our tiredness. We know you are listening to our prayers for our daughters, our friends who are struggling. We won't give up or give in to the evil one for you are our strength, for you alone are Lord most high forever and ever. Amen!
ReplyDeleteAll my hope is in Jesus!!! Please pray for Mandy!!!
ReplyDeleteMe too Amen! Jesus please keep Mandy safe and bless them in Jesus’s name. Amen
DeleteThank you Lord for this place. We all come together so different but we all have one thing in common. Jesus you are our lord and savior; we need you. Our goal is to draw ever closer to you, to seek you more through prayer. Our struggles, our fears become so much more bearable knowing you are with us. Thank you Chris Payton and all JC Warriors known and unknown for the sharing of your hearts..for sharing your love of Jesus Christ, our lord and savior..king of kings lord of lords. Jesus we trust in you; come holy as spirit.
ReplyDelete**come holy spirit **
DeleteLove Conquers All - Thank you for your prayers "our lord and savior..king of kings lord of lords. Jesus we trust in you; come Holy Spirit." AMEN!
DeleteAmen Loveconquersall! He is our strength & deliverer! Our ever present help in times of trouble! He is faithful & true! Hallelujah!
DeleteYes! Come Holy Spirit come!
DeleteMaranatha!!! As God calls us into intimacy with Him, it is a blessing to see each other in those moments. Thanks for your post, LCA.
DeleteAmen! Thank you for this beautiful prayer. God bless you.
DeleteBlessings from France
Amen! So blessed to be here with Jesus and my sweet family. We are standing on the immovable Rock together with our eyes upturned and our hearts wide open to receive!
DeleteJoining in all of the above. Amen.
DeleteAmen and amen 🙏
DeleteI've been missing seeing posts from Blessings from France. I hope all is well with you there. I come here early so you have usually left a post by the time I get here.
ReplyDeleteHave a great weekend all of you JC family out there. It is pretty in Michigan right now with a crispness already in the air and hints of the soon-to-come fall. Stay safe and healthy and keep your mind on our Lord's presence with you. God Bless you all.
I miss our BFF as well. She was kind enough to dress us up in the Armor of God. I hope our BFF is Ok!
DeleteFall? Still burning hot here in the South. But that makes me strive harder for Heaven, because I hear it's hotter in hell.
Mon ami is with us and will extend a blessing but for the moment is not led to post as in the past. There will come a time when posts will resume. Mon ami is such a blessing.
DeleteI am presently spending my last day with family in MI, KM. Fall is creeping in this AM, had to put on an extra sweatshirt for my morning devotions (the Lord was dressed the same). Autumn, such a beautiful time of year. I so miss it living in AZ.
Thank you for your kind posts K and Brie. I know I don't post as much as I used to but I'm still here daily to read and pray for everyone ♡
DeleteI'm doing okay but I know that I need to focus more on God and lay my worries at His feet.
I am so thankful for you all. Be blessed.
Blessings from France
Thank you Bob. I saw your post after I posted.
DeleteEnjoy your last day with your loved ones. I love Autumn too and can't wait to make some Fall recipes.
God bless you
Blessings from France
So happy to have you with us dear BFF. We all must try to keep Christ reigning in our hearts above all. Would love to sample some of the fruit of those good fall recipes. Stay well and be blessed
DeleteI understand 100% BFF. I was led by God's Holy Spirit similarly this past July. As God's Holy Spirit leads us, so shall we follow. Continued blessings and prayers for you and our entire JC family, both those led by God's Holy Spiit to post or not to post. Love to all.
DeleteOOPS! Spirit
DeleteWith all of your posts about Fall, Kathy, BOB, BFF, and Jeanne, Thank you for helping me to get a clearer understanding of Sarah Young's devotion today...Ever since the Fall, man has experienced a gaping emptiness that only My Presence can fill...😉
DeleteGood morning JC family 💖. Thank you warriors for prayers for my eye procedure. Last one this morning. I know God is guiding the doctor's hands. Your prayers means the world to me. It encourages & strengthens me, calms me. Bless you all🥰
ReplyDeletePraying for you and your medical team, Jan! Love you
DeleteThe hands of Jehovah Rapha is upon you Jan. Go in peace, it shall be well!
DeleteMaplewood NJ
Joining in prayers for you Jan.
Delete🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻 For you Jan. Awaiting the Victory report. God be with you.
DeleteJoining warriors in prayers Jan!
DeleteBlessings from France
Praying for you Jan and Looking forward to hearing the victory report as well!
DeleteWith love
Brandy
🙏💕🙏
Joining with the other JC Warriors in lifting you up in prayer today, Jan, for a good outcome for today's eye procedure. I have always felt your shared prayers and hope you feel the same from all of us today. Blessings. CO
DeletePraying for you dear Jan. May God guide the doctor’s hands as you hold tightly onto His Unchanging Hand. Looking forward to the good news of His faithfulness.
DeleteMark 8:22-25 I had to include this to you Jan after Brie's typo..or was it? May God's Holy Spiit restore you wholly. Much love to you.
DeleteGod has your clear vision in His hands, blessings and prayers for you today, Jan!
DeletePrayers to you jan. Mindy in Spokane, wa
DeleteHello Jan how are your eyes doing today ? May God continue to heal and restore you !We thank you Father for touching Jan with your healing hands.
DeleteSuch sweet encouraging prayers from each of you😘. A year later it still warms my heart to read once again. I'm doing well Min thank you for asking. Still praying for your Mom that blood pressure issues will be resolved soon in Jesus' name. Amen.
DeleteLoving Heavenly Father- Thank You that believers no longer have to go to a specific physical place to experience Your Presence. Jesus, the ‘mediator of a new covenant’ made it possible for us to worship and feel Your Presence anywhere. He is the one who made this new relationship with You possible through His death on the cross for all. Thank You for revealing Yourself most clearly in Christ, who is the Word of God made flesh (John 1:1–18). Thank You that under every administration of the one covenant of grace, Your closeness is manifested when both old covenant believers and new covenant believers are able to count on Your Presence, and when we study and read the Word and meditate on it.
ReplyDeleteYou promised to manifest Your Presence in special ways and at special times, and You do. Thank You Lord. Thank You also for the many blessings we recieve when we read the Bible, hear it preached and taught. In doing so, we are enjoying a personal encounter with You, our Loving Creator. Thank You for attending to every word of Scripture, for every word was given by You and embodies Your authority and truthfulness (2 Tim. 3:16–17). Teach us Holiness and humility because they are inextricably linked, and Jesus showed us that at the heart of holiness is humility. Whereas pride is at the root of all sin.
Thank You for living Your way in the world through us and fighting with us to push back all the devises of the enemies. You are indeed the ‘Light of the World’ in which we live.
Each time we come to worship and praise You Lord, may we find happiness, laughter and joy in Your presence, as well as thankfulness brimming with worship, deeply reverent before You.
We love You and thank You for first loving us. Your grace is sufficient! It is in Jesus' name this prayer is rendered. Amen!
Blessings and Peace to all.
Maplewood NJ
And Lord, thank you for my twin bd sis, who shares the oil for her lamp with us so our lamps can burn more brightly. She is a blessing!
DeleteAmen and thank you Maplewood! Yes Bob , she generously shares His wisdom and light, and feeds me well every day! Jesus is the New Covenant and His reign is forever. He has been tempted and tried in every way possible so He knows what we are subject to on a daily basis. He understands our human frailties, frustrations and fears. He’s always available to us and just a whisper away. I try to whisper the Sweetest Name often through my day. How blessed we are that He understands us so well and knows our hearts like no other. My Redeemer is my closest friend, my refuge and the lover of my soul. We are all of one accord. Amen.
DeleteDear Heavenly Father God,
ReplyDeleteTo reach for more of my true life Source, I have many other reasons to lean towards Jesus, The Light of the world today: Your Light is essential to my survival and so is dispersing Your Light to others. You are the Light of the World! Would you gracefully remind me of who You are, whose I am, and what I need to do, to seek and disperse your light, so together we can push toward the light, like a palm tree does? I ask. I pray. I thank. In Jesus' Name, Amen.
Well prayed Brie, Thank you. Amen.
DeleteI offer a song for you, Brie, in response to your request to be shown ‘what I need to do’. “Love Me, that’s all I ask of you”. Listen to the words of that song as God singing to you. They describe the covenant relationship He has established in His Son’s blood with us soooo well. Be blessed, Brie!
DeleteThanks Bob!
Delete�� Love Me with all your heart, that's all I want love.
Love Me with all of your heart as I love you
Don't give Me your love for a moment or an hour
Love Me always as you've loved Me from the start
With every beat of your heart...
Just promise Me this, that you'll give Me all your kisses
Every winter, every summer, every fall.
With every beat of your heart.
Thanks Brie and Bob! Such sweet words of love. He loved us before we were even born. And His love for us is beyond measure and unconditional. We are loved just as we are, and no matter how old we are, we will always be His beloved children.
DeleteFor your listening pleasure
Delete❤️🎶 https://youtu.be/uxs7qevmy50
And today Lord, while You are lighting our way, lightening our load, and enlightening us with Your Pure Light, would You please send Your Light and Your Power to our daughter and son-in-love? Even if You don't, we know You remain our Light in the Darkness. SHINE! JESUS! SHINE! In Jesus' Name, I ask. I seek. I knock. I praise. I thank. I yield. Amen.
DeleteGood Morning and Blessings to each of you, my JC Family! I am off work until next Wed morning and who wakes up at 5:30? Yep - no sleeping in for me today. We were blessed to have our youngest son and his 2 boys spend the night last night as my DIL is out of town until Sunday. So, I had 3 of my Grands here last night - running, laughing, crying, hugging (one said to the other, "Hug me!" And she replied, "Uh, VIRUS! Oh well!" We all cracked up.
ReplyDeleteI realize now that I woke up so early to make sure I had this time to fellowship with my Father and focus on the many mighty miracles of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. It is with those thoughts and Words tucked in my heart and mind, that my day will be the very best. There will plenty of time to sleep - someday!
Prayers for each of you and your requests over the last few days. Hoping to tune in later and hear some updates.
I ask that you keep my friend and her Pop in your prayers, as well as my friend whose husband has dementia (she calls it 'the long goodbye,'). Both of them are going through this - one with her Dad and one with her Husband.
Praying for the safety of my loved ones traveling. "No matter where you are in the world, you know you belong when you sense My nearness." I will send this to my DIL and let her know that she is still close in our hearts.
Have a blessed day and, Father, please remind me all day that, "Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”
I am glad you had a blessed time with your family dear Norah! Praying for you and all your requests. God be with you.
DeleteBlessings from France
And you are well on your way to a blessed day, Norah. 🙏🏻 for each person’s need as you requested and as He wills. May God be glorified! Be blessed, Norah (hardly needs to be said but comes out of the love shared here)!
DeleteSo happy you’re enjoying your three grandsons! I sure do know the joy it brings! Tomorrow my middle son and my daughter in love and grandson (2 on 9/15) are coming to stay with us at the beach house for a week. I can’t wait! I’ll be cooking up a storm today as I want to be a Mary and not a Martha. Praying for your friends and their father and husband. We just had our sister in law with Alzheimer’s over two days ago. She is deeply caught in her wilderness but she still enjoys life as best she can. God wants us to come to Him in our brokenness. I told her He knows her frustrations, needs and fears and is holding her very tight in His love and care. He will comfort and guide your friends and their loved ones because He is ever faithful. Praying
DeleteNorah- Enjoy your time off with your grand-babies!
DeletePraying for your family's safe travels and your friend's restored health. God is good!!
Maplewood NJ
Father, draw me close to You and reveal Your beautiful presence to me. I want and need You in my life forever. Thank You Jesus. I will bless, praise, and rejoice in the Lord continually and always. Amen.
ReplyDeleteTurn around, Janet and see He has been walking behind you your whole life and that is how we see His presence in the moment. Be blessed, Janet!
DeleteAmen Janet and Bob. He has led us all to this moment, safely and lovingly.
DeleteI have a prayer request for travel mercies for my brother, sister-in-law and nephew. They are going on a 2 weeks vacation tonight and will be driving for more than 10 hours. Can you please pray for their protection and safety, as well as for their salvation.
ReplyDeleteThank you JC fam!
Blessings from France
Praying for them now, BFF and traveling grace and Mercy prayers will continue until you say they are safely back home.
DeleteYou got it BFF🙏. It's Done! Amen.
DeleteGracious Lord, grant Your travel mercies to mon ami’s family along their way Grant them a blessed time away with each other. Keep them healthy In their travels and may they return safe and sound, richly blessed from their vacation. And when all is completed so well, may they see Your love upon them. Amen
DeleteDear BFF, praying:
DeleteFather God thank you for putting a hedge of protection around BFF’s loved ones and also Norah’s daughter in love. May they travel safely wherever they go and have good trips. Thank you in the name of Your Son, Jesus Christ. Amen.
BFF-I stand in prayer with JC family, for your family's safe travels and well being during their vacation and return home.
DeleteStay blessed.
Maplewood NJ
My heart is so delighted when we walk around my garden in the cool of the day oh Lord. It's the perfect time, when my mind is fresh & have not been cluttered by the noonday concerns.
ReplyDeleteYes Jan... while the dew is still on the ground...
DeleteAmen to that Jan and Brie😊. He sure can fill an uncluttered mind! We should seek Him early so He can do just that.
DeleteThankyou for reminding me of this this morning. I will fill with Him first, before the clutter comes. Mindy, spokane
DeletePraying for traveling mercies for Norah's DIL, along with your family, BFF, and for those who have loved ones traveling but didn't post.
ReplyDeleteSaying additional prayers now for your friends, Norah.
Janet, I pray you pause and feel God's presence. He is with you.
Thank you for your post, Brie. I need the graceful reminder, and just reading your post, along with Bob's response, helped me.
Blessings to all on here! Keeping this JC Family in my prayers throughout the day. CO
Thanks for your prayers and blessings CO!! Wishing you God’s blessings in your day and life. Amen. We all need those graceful reminders.
ReplyDeleteAs many of you may remember, we had a situation with our water that temporarily requires us to clean the debris from the secondary filter about every hour. In keeping with Bob's 2018 post,
ReplyDelete"The question for you and me is how might we practice the essence of “seven times a day I praise You for your righteous ordinances”. I will try to empty debris from the filter of my heart each time I empty the debris from our water filter, praying and praising nearer my God to Thee. Prayerfully, both will be a little cleaner at the end of the day!
�� I need Thee every hour
Most gracious Lord
No tender voice like Thine
Can peace afford
I need Thee, O I need Thee
Every hour I need Thee
O bless me now, my Savior
I come to Thee
I need Thee every hour
Stay Thou nearby
Temptations lose their power
When Thou art nigh
I need Thee, O I need Thee
Every hour I need Thee
O bless me now, my Savior
I come to Thee
I need Thee every hour
In joy or pain
Come quickly and abide
Or life is vain
I need Thee, O I need Thee
Every hour I need Thee
O bless me now, my Savior
I come to Thee
O bless me now, my Savior
I come to Thee
I'm all about cleaning, and love your way of thinking, brie!😂
DeleteLove that song Brie. Now cleaning will be attached to it🤗. Thank you dear.
Delete❤️🎶 https://youtu.be/tZIMDcgrF-Q
DeleteThanks for the link, Audra. I really needed to hear I NEED THEE!
DeleteJust as I was last year, again this year I am still working on,
Delete...I will try to empty debris from the filter of my heart (aka de-brie)...
I Need Thee too!
DeletePraying for your water situation and all bad affects from Ida God is mighty to save and provide. Amen sisters, We all need to empty the garbage and useless clutter from our hearts, minds and homes. 💗🙏Help us Jesus!
Pastor Louie Update - "Louie had a good night. All systems are working so it looks like he may come home later today. They started him on solid food this morning Pray he continues to improve. We all know a hospital is not the place to rest so he is anxious to get home and get some uninterrupted sleep. Continue to pray for the pending biopsy results. We should have them on Tuesday. We are thankful for everyone's continued prayer and encouragement. He is working all things out for His glory."
ReplyDeleteSassyMom, praying for sweet sleep for Pastor. Sleep brings on healing & that is what his body needs.
DeleteOh my dear warriors 💕. All is well, success! Thank you for all the loving, caring prayers you sent into the heavens for me. Love you all dearly🥰.
ReplyDeleteHappy Birthday, Chris. May God bless you and yours with many more Happy ones! We are glad you are here!
ReplyDeleteAnd He said, "My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest." (Exodus 33:14). And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart. (Jeremiah 29:13). Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded. (James 4:8).
ReplyDeleteHeavenly Father, thank You for being You. You are so wonderful and amazing. There is no one better than You. You are all powerful and supreme. You are the most high. There is no one above You. No one compares to You. You mean so very much to me. I am so grateful to be Your child. Thank You for sharing Your perfect Presence with me. Remind me that in order to find security in You, I have to stop looking/finding security in everything else -- nothing in this world will offer me the security I have in You. Help me to let go and let You love me. You want to hold me and bless me. I am weak and broken. You want to strengthen and fix me. Help me to let You love me. This world keeps pulling me down and You just want to lift me up. You want to hold my hand and walk and talk with me. You came and died for me. You gave Your life for me. You gave me everything -- even though I don't deserve it. You love me anyway. Thank You Jesus. I praise You Lord always. Let my surrender to You be my "all on the altar". I am Yours and You are mine. We are one. In Jesus name, I pray, Amen.
Yes, Lord. Help me to let you love me and let go of the illusion of control. Thank you for your heart felt prayer, Janet. I'm with you on it! 🙏
DeletePraying with you and for you dear Janet! Beautiful prayer.
DeleteAmen Audra! May He strengthen and help you in all ways good sisters.
“You search and keep on searching and examining the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and yet it is those [very Scriptures] that testify about Me; and still you are unwilling to come to Me so that you may have life.” (John 5;39-49)
ReplyDeleteLoving Father, I give thanks to You for another day. You are in the Driver’s seat of my life and oh, how good it feels to know that I am not in control but You are. Thank You for Your Will that I need to be done in my life. Lord, never my will, but Yours be done. Let my plans, decisions, words, thoughts and actions be according to Your Will. If You have to cancel, detour or reject any of my petitions, I know it is all for my better good and Your Glory. You always have and give us Your very Best! May Your Living Word influence me and broaden my understanding to a deeper and intimate relationship with You. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
As Believers, having an intimate relationship with God begins the minute we receive Jesus Christ as our personal Savior in faith. We draw near to God through faith in Christ who alone gives us access to Him (Hebrews 4:14-16, 7:25 and Philippians 3:9). King Solomon knew the importance of intimacy, he knew that apart from God he would not be who he was and because of his intimate relationship with God, he was blessed more than he could ever imagine!
The essence of our Christian life is a personal, intimate relationship with a God that totally changes us. He wired us with the desire to be drawn to Him (John 6:44). Intimacy with God is always available to us free of charge and it is as easily accessible to us as His promises. The more we trust God, the closer we allow Him to get to us, as Trust is at the heart of any intimacy. The scripture tells us that God is intimate with all those who trust Him (Nahum 1:7), so the more we trust Him, study His Word and stay in prayer, the more intimately we come to know Him for Who He is. All Loving, all kind, compassionate, forgiving Father!
“As for God, His way is blameless. The word of the Lord is tested [it is perfect, it is faultless]; He is a shield to all who take refuge in Him.” (Psalm 18:30).
Blessings and Peace.
Maplewood, NJ
I trust you, Jesus! You are who you say you are.
DeleteThanks dear Maplewood! Such wonderful truth about the gift of God in our lives and hearts through our intimate relationship with Him that He most generously offers us. I am safe in His presence. I long for it and seek it. He really is my hiding place and I can run into His Arms anytime because He is always there listening for my voice, reading my heart, understanding my thoughts, preparing my way and comforting me like no other.
DeleteAs lives were lost in NJ and other areas due to Hurricane Ida, let's remember to keep the families in prayer. Many are left without homes as well and the damage left behind is devastating, but God is still on His throne and we give thanks to Him for Peace, comfort, restoration and strength.
ReplyDeleteThere's always a beginning and an end to everything. However, Thank God that He is The Alpha and The Omega (The Beginning and End).
Sending lots of blessings and Peace to all those affected by the storm.
Maplewood NJ
Amen Maplewood, NJ. And Lord please help me to forgive all of those "so called leaders" who hijack the airspace, boasting of all the provisions they have and can provide, and all they say they are doing to help, when our reality sees none of it trickling down to quench parched tongues striving to survive with no electricity/ water/gasoline in 100 degree temperatures inside our dwelling places. I know You forgive them, and me, Lord, please help me to rise from my prayer and do likewise. I look to You. I ask. I seek. I knock. I praise. I thank. I yield. In Jesus' Name. Amen.
DeleteI have no words, Brie. Come Holy Spirit!
DeleteI have no words either, Audra... except - Thank God we have THE WORD, on which we can always trust YAHWEH for The Way, The Truth and The Life! Praise and Thanks for the real Shelter in The Storm to Whom our souls are anchored. As Maplewood NJ would say, On the Solid Rock I stand; everything else is sinking sand! (or hot air balloons) 😊
DeleteJoining your prayers for those suffering and homeless in NJ and other areas affected by Ida and also all those across this world in dire need of life giving provisions and power,
DeleteFather, Help your people and put righteous brethren in charge of governing and caring for them. Guide their steps according to Your Will. Thank You for this in the Name of Jesus.
Heavenly Father, thank You for always being with me. Hold my hand and let us walk together, rejoicing through the day. Let us push back the darkness and walk together in Your radiant, glorious light. Thank You for the privilege of having Your precious presence with me at all times. You truly bless me. Thank You Jesus. I praise You Lord always 🙏 🙌.
ReplyDeleteDear Heavenly Father, God, I am
Deletegreatly humbled at the thought that You want to walk through the garden with me! That humility is truly deepened when I realize that You actually enjoy walking in the garden with me.
Please protect me and mine from satan's soul robbing, and its continual interference and snares, which thwart me from this walk with You, the Ruler of My Heart.
I need Your help to commune with You in the garden of my heart, even during those times, until both you and I are blessed
to enjoy walking in the garden together again. In Jesus' Name. Amen.
Amen and Amen! Thank you dear Janet! We are so very blessed to be with Him every second and He loves us with a perfect love. We are well taken care of. We have no Choirmaster today and our Pastor can’t get a Sub until next week. He asked me to pick out the songs and sing them without backup. There are only 3 of us singing today. Thank God my daughter in love from CA is a great singer and will be with us until tonight when she flies home. God provides all our needs. May He help our light to shine brightly for Him, and also surround her and all those traveling today with traveling mercies, and strengthen all our weaknesses. May our grandson’s first Birthday party go smoothly too.
ReplyDeleteThank You dear Father for all this and for answering our prayers and healing our infirmities in Jesus’ Name we pray. Amen.
Rick and I are going away to LBI in NJ for 4 nights and I can’t wait to lie in the sun and rest. God is so good! May He bless, strengthen, guide, heal and protect all of you and your loved ones, my dear JC Family. Thank You Jesus.
ReplyDeleteHave a wonderful vacay and 2gether time. Love you!
DeleteEnjoy every minute, Jeanne!! So deserved!
DeleteAww thanks dear Brie and Norah. I sure will. I really need some down time. God knows. I'll be praying for you and our dear JC Family. By the way, Nathaniel's party was wonderful. He even got to hit the Pinata! And my cupcakes were a hit! Everyone had fun and there were 9 children. God bless them all!
DeleteStarting my devotions this glorious Lord's Day, I just wanted to sing to my Jesus. There's are many hymns and songs to our Risen Lord and for me this morning, this one expressed my heart to Him: Fairest Lord Jesus: https://youtu.be/DY7HjUxGS6U
ReplyDeleteGood morning dear JC family💞. Reading Brother Keith's entry 2019 was inspiring. "Let's put ourselves in a position to be drawn to God". Let's no put our God in a position to ask, "where are you"? So today I'm reexamining, Jan where are you? Am I steeped in fear, worry, anxiety, depression, hurriedness? What is keeping any of us from being present & accounted for when God walks through the garden of our hearts seeking our companionship. Let's be eagerly waiting for Him! Praying for a restful, blessed day for each of you🙏💞
ReplyDeleteCar 54 Where Are you?
DeleteLord please free me from the idols that distract me from You. In Jesus' Name. Amen.
Jesus, Thank You for reminding us to keep our focus on You instead of this fallen world. Remind us to stay in Your Presence. Amen.
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeletePrayerfully, I just want to thank You Lord
ReplyDeletehttps://youtu.be/YLa9Ac5CAnM
Thank You Lord! That praying bird was amazing and such a gift from God! Amen dear Sassy Mom! I just want to thank You Lord.
DeletePlease pray for my Grandson, Charlie. He has a migraine - he's only 7. His head is throbbing. I've prayed for him with his Daddy and then we gave him Tylenol. Please, Father, I want to see him delivered. In the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
ReplyDeleteThank You Father for taking Charlie's headache away. Give him comfort and relief and give his family peace of mind, in Jesus' Name we pray. Amen
DeleteIn the name of Jesus, healing prayers to Jehovah Rapha to relieve the throbbing and give restful sleep for sweet little Charlie.
ReplyDeleteLittle Charlie is sleeping peacefully. Thank you, JC Family for your prayers!.
ReplyDeleteJC Warriors: This one of the more balanced and informative articles about Sarah Young:
ReplyDeletehttps://religionnews.com/2023/09/03/sarah-young-publicity-shy-superstar-author-of-jesus-calling-dies-at-77/
She obviously touched a lot of folks later in life. JC was published in 2004 and she was 77 when she died 9.1. So in her late 50s and the next 20 years, she sold over 45 million books! But I do wonder how many communities like this one multiply that number incredibly. Thank you Sarah. Peace and Joy to you in the next life. Amen.
Thanks for the link to an informative article, Brother Friend, Madfox. I am thankful that Sarah, Chris, posters and prayers are saying YES! to God every single day. Untold thousands are becoming a part of His Kingdom as a result.
DeleteMy heart was happy to learn Sarah prayed for Jesus Calling readers while on earth. I am comforted knowing she must still be praying for us in Heaven.
May we all spend devotional time listening to God, and when prompted by God's Holy Spirit, jotting down what comes to mind. My struggling fledgling Christian journey has greatly benefitted from your sharing yours, and from all who pray and post here. May God and each other continually bless one another. In Jesus' Name. AMEN!
Thank you Madfox. Jesus Calling has played a big role in my journey and walk with the Lord. And thank you Chris for creating this blog and using Sarah's writings to draw so many people together in Christ. This definitely shows the power of God! Peace be with you 🙏.
DeleteAppreciate you sharing this article about Sarah, MadFox. I remember when her book was given to me many years ago and how much it helped my walk with God. Grateful to have been given her book and so grateful to Sarah for her writing. How often does an entry apply to what each of us is going through?! Grateful, too, to Chris and how I "happened" upon this awesome site! (Totally God directing my steps on that one!) Discovering this site with so many believers has been such an unforeseen blessing. I'm imagining how awesome it was for Sarah to walk through heaven's gates and see Jesus face to face. No more pain or suffering. How glorious for her.
DeleteWhen Jesus Called, Sarah answered. She was His True Missionary.
DeleteAs Oswald Chambers said, The missionary’s secret is truly being able to say, “I am His, and He is accomplishing His Work and His Purposes through me.”
That, He did Sarah. That, He did! Well done His Good and Faithful Missionary. Rest in His Eternal Peace. In Jesus' Name. AMEN!
All of these comments on the article about Sarah reflect my thoughts. So grateful for her books and this online family of believers!
DeleteWhat a great article, dear MadFox! God bless you for sharing it! Thank you so much! I had been reading Jesus Calling for awhile before I found this wonderful blog which has become my second home. I didn’t know much about Sarah but I sure learned a lot from the article!
ReplyDeleteJesus Calling was a life changer for so many people. The light of Christ is present in Sarah’s writings. We are blessed that she has touched all of us here. And thanks to Sarah and Chris and his family, we are a family too.
Thanks for praying for traveling mercies for my sister Janet who is flying in from Missouri this morning, and Rick and I are also traveling today. May God protect all of us out on the road today! Have a safe and blessed Labor Day! God is in charge so we are well taken care of!
ReplyDeletePsalm 91:1-2
He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress; My God, in Him I will trust.”
Thank you God for all of your gifts to our Jeanne! Her Mom is better, her sister Janet is coming in to relieve Jeanne by staying with their Mom, and she and Rick can have a wonderfully blessed vacay with a freed up mind and Your Traveling Mercy. I appreciate all You do for all of us. In Jesus' Name. AMEN!
DeleteJoining in prayers for Janet, Rick, and you Jeanne as you all travel. May our heavenly Father protect and guide you safely. In Jesus name, I pray, Amen 🙏. God bless!
DeleteSafe travel & landing for Janet. Safe travels for Rick & you dear Jeanne. ❤️🙏🌈
DeleteJumping on this "traveling mercies" train for Jeanne, Rick, and her sister Janet. Yes, Jeanne, enjoy time away with Rick! I'm imagining there will be some grateful exhales while away. Enjoy.
DeleteThanks dear Brie, Janet, Jan and NJS. Love you all so much. I was busy shopping and baking a frittata this morning so I didn’t see your sweet prayers and messages till now. All went well because God is so good!. Janet arrived safely and we all enjoyed a nice meal together. My Mom is doing well thank God. Happy to have our Janet home. Feeling His sweet peace covering all of us. On the road with my one true love now, praising our faithful God with so much gratitude. Thank You Jesus!💗
DeletePraise the Lord for all good outcomes and time together, Jeanne!
DeleteThe LORD is with you while you are with Him. If you seek Him, He will be found by you; but if you forsake Him, He will forsake you. (2 Chronicles 15:2). One thing I have desired of the LORD, that will I seek; that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD, and to inquire in His temple. (Psalm 27:4). But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. (Ephesians 2:13). By this we know that we abide in Him, and He in us, because He has given us of His Spirit. (1 John 4:13). Seek the LORD while He may be found, call upon Him while He is near. (Isaiah 55:6).
ReplyDeleteThanks for these encouraging and beautiful verses! Love you, Janet.
DeleteYou I seek oh Lord while You may be found. Bless you for sharing dear sister. ❤️🙏🌈
ReplyDeleteThank you MadFox for sharing about Sarah. Her book was given to me by a sweet friend. It was tucked in a condolence basket after my father passed. Her book cradled me during those difficult times. I soaked up every word. I'm sure there are tear marks on some pages. Then I found this place where other fellow sojourners seeking after a closer walk with Jesus penned their innermost desires after reading Sarah's message for the day. Now Sarah is beholding the face of the ONE! the Christ! The Lamb of God of Whom she shared with all of us. Hallelujah! Happy homecoming Sarah!❤️
ReplyDeleteOh! HAPPY DAY! Thank God Sarah said yes. I often think Sarah touched and turned more lives of other people toward God, than many clergy. And also Chris who extended her reach to many many more people, and to us JC Prayer Warriors, who continue offering a more sincere taste of God's communion, and forgiveness than I have ever received inside a building. May I go and do likewise. In Jesus' Name. AMEN!.
DeleteAmen! 💗
DeleteHeavenly Father, thank You and bless Your holy name! I praise You Lord always and thank You Jesus 😊. Lord, I am so grateful for You in my life! My former life was full of darkness and destruction, no hope or true joy. But You reached Your loving hand out to me and I can't even comprehend how You transformed me and my life. I am still amazed by it. I can't thank You enough Lord! Your power is beyond my understanding. I don't ever want to be without You Lord! I need You and I want You always and forever! I can't make it without You Lord! You are my Lord and Savior! I pray that others that are lost will be found by You. In Jesus name, I pray, Amen 🙏.
ReplyDeleteI am, once again, Janet, going to meditate on your prayer. True for my life as well. Thank you, dear sister. Have a blessed day!
DeleteYour prayer blessed my heart! We have all been called out of our foolish darkness into His brilliant and saving light! How great Thou art!!! Thank You Jesus! You are our everything.
Delete'In His Presence is fullness of Joy.'
ReplyDeleteI woke up with Heaven on my mind and a strong strong sense of His Presence. Somewhere in the waking process 'Heavenly Home' was prominent in my bleary thoughts.
Such a deep deep yearning, longing, the strongest home sickness I've ever known. Any other thought, any other sound, conversation or distraction is an intrusion in that oh so deep longing.
I can't explain it, that's just the way it is. I'm weeping for Home.
I recalled a song I heard many years ago now, "This is what Heaven means to me", singing it through in my mind I am engulfed in such deep precious peace, quietness and contentment.
His Presence is with me right now, and I am with Him as much as I can be, but THEN I shall be FULLY with Him. The capsule of this flesh will have completed its purpose, the corruptible will be changed into the incorruptible. Precious, precious thoughts.
It's not a feeling affecting the physical senses although I'm weeping, it's a deep deep, yes, the deepest strongest yearning of my soul, my deepest need - being with Him.
This need is satisfied now through communication with Him throughout the day, including Him in whatever I'm doing, in whatever is happening. Even so I have to sleep which excludes a portion of the 24 hour day. Eventually the need, the delight of being with Him shall be satisfied continuously, without a break, when I reach our Heavenly Home. It will be in His time, in His way, according to His plan and purpose for my life.
Until then, I hold on with blessèd assurance, enveloped in His Presence, His Love, Peace and His promise " Where I AM, there you will be also".
While we are down here upon the earth we may experience heavenly joy and peace in our hearts, as our Lord and Saviour walks and talks with us (Hebrews 13:5-6); but we are not destined to live down here for ever. We are journey bound on our way, on 'The Way' to our heavenly Home!
The Bible does not tell us all that much about Heaven, but just enough to thrill our hearts as we think of the bliss, the wonder and glory shared by all whose Home it is.
He also promised He would NEVER leave us: Deuteronomy 31:8 " The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged."
Matthew 28:20 "And lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world."
As Sarah Young once put it, expressing Jesus Presence with us: "I am closer to you than your skin".
The moment you say His Name 'Jesus', either out loud or in your thoughts you instantly have His undivided attention.
I encourage you to get into the habit of saying His Name, of talking with Him as you would to a friend or loved one about anything and everything.
He will always respond, drawing you deeper into His Presence, into His Love for you.
Peter, this sharing that you sent had me in chills, tears, and joy, all at the same time. My husband has been experiencing the same thing lately. We have never been ones to focus on the tribulation or Christ's return, as far as naming a time because it says in Matthew that Jesus doesn't even know! However, my dear husband has been reading books lately and the Return of Christ is so alive to him that it almost started bothering me. I told him I felt as if he had one foot in heaven and one on earth! So, I started studying it too, and felt myself being encouraged and more mindful of my actions. Not in the sense that ego was being inflated, but I found myself asking questions of myself, not only, 'What would Jesus do?' But, 'Are you proud of what you are doing - if He were to return this moment, would I feel 'caught' or blessed that I was, indeed, living God's Word? I am sure much of it has to do with the close call to death my DH had; he truly thought he was going to die when he had his bone marrow transplant. Years before that, he had open heart surgery and when we kissed before he went into surgery, we both were very much aware of the dangers and so very thankful when he came out alive and much better off!
DeleteI just wanted to thank you for sharing this. Audra, you said it so succinctly: 'Yes He does. And yes, He will." HA HA...imagine that: Norah being wordy!
Such a powerful sharing of your heart and faith, dear Peter. Our hearts and joy will be full till bursting when we finally look upon the glorious and radiant Face of Jesus! I long for that perfect day! Because of my Mom’s health problems I too have been thinking about Heaven and the end times and Christ’s return. Jesus knows my heart and my thoughts. That is such a comfort. He knows me completely and He loves me just as I am. Even when I slip out of His presence, I belong to Him. I too whisper His Name so often. I know He is always beside me. We are blessed to have a constant friend and Helper with us at all times. Hallelujah!
DeleteYes He does. And yes He will. ✝️♥️
ReplyDeleteAmen, dear sister! 💗🙏
DeleteMadFox, I wanted to thank you, as well, for sharing the article about Sarah Young. What an amazing life. I have often been told by unbelievers, "Of course you trust God and believe in Jesus Christ. You've never been through what I have...." or something of that nature. Knowing about her life makes her writing all the more powerful to me. She was sharing what God was working in her life: day by day.
ReplyDeletePrayers for all of you and lifting the individual requests. I am thankful to have a peaceful day at home with my hubby after the 'gift' of having most of our adult children and their families here yesterday. There was nothing calm about a bunch of 'littles,' playing water-twister, running, playing with water balloons, eating, yelling - did I mention playing?? HA HA....it was a blessing at the time and the memories are sweet. So is the peacefulness of our home today.
God Bless you all and know I'm sending my love in Christ for each of you.
Yes, that article was great to read about Sarah's life and I appreciate MadFox sharing it with us. How great that you enjoyed a houseful of your kids and your grads, Norah! I'm smiling as I type this picturing the happy-chaos that ensued. Happy memories made, for sure!
DeleteThanks for your prayers, sweet Norah! I can only imagine the fun and happy chaos of your littles having a ball together. It’s such a blessing and ialso exhausting! I’m glad you’re resting with your dear hubby. We’re thankful to be on our way to the beach for our mini vacay. Our God is so faithful. God bless you and your beautiful family! And God bless our dear JC Family seen and unseen. Thank You Jesus.
ReplyDeleteIt has been a blessing to spend time with my family and last night we celebrated Mayra's sister's Birthday and it was a joy filled celebration. The day before we had 2 of our grandsons over for a sleepover. I was talking to Gabriel who will be five on 9/15 about my mom who he calls Nana. I told him she is ready to go to Heaven because living for 96 years makes her tired and she really isn't feeling good. We talked about death and I told him that it isn't scary because God's promises are true so someday in Heaven we will be completely happy and perfect and we'll be with Jesus and all our loved ones who we miss. It was a very special time and I know he loves the Lord and he has a strong faith. Gabriel isn't feeling well. He has a bad cough so I hope he'll get better soon. He's starting school on Thursday. I told him I'm praying his cough will go away. Janet's husband went back to Missouri so she is alone with our mom. She said she and our mom had a good day and they are both okay, thank God. I'm so glad and thankful.
ReplyDeleteSandy told me she's having problems with her digestive system since the stem cell transplant and the chemo. Praying she'll recover from the terrible side effects and feel more like herself very soon. Her sister and her son will be coming to help her after her daughter goes back to CA. I told her God is always with her. I pray her heart is open to Him now as she goes through this difficult trial. She needs to "commune" with Him "in the garden" of her heart. He knows when we trust Him and seek Him. I'm trying to put all my worries aside and really rest in Him. If you're in the middle of a difficult situation or if you or your loved one needs healing or comfort or guidance, He's only a prayer away, so if you Give Up and Let Jesus Take Over, you'll be able to walk with a lighter load and serve Him better. His Peace is a Constant so rest in it.
Thank You Father for granting us answers to our prayers. May He bring Norah's DH through his infusion tomorrow and destroy every bad cell, and destroy every cancer cell in Sandy and in all our JC Family and their families and continue to shine His Faithfulness over all of us and our dear ones in the Name of Christ Jesus. Amen
Philippians 4:6-7
Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
1 Peter 5:6-7
Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.
May our heavenly Father continue to bless you and keep you and shine His face upon you and your family and loved ones! May your blessings be overflowing! Peace be with you 🙏.
DeleteContinuing to pray for Sandy, Greg , Janet & your mom. Also for you & Rick as you look forward to a much needed R&R. ❤️🙏🙌
DeleteThanks for your sweet prayers, dear Janet and Jan and all our JC Family. May God bless you in every way and help you succeed in your goals and dreams. Praying that you, Janet, and maybe even our Norah will be able to quit smoking with God’s strength and help. We can do all things through Christ who strengthens us. Thank You Jesus!
DeleteSorry. Gabriel will be SIX on 9/15. His brother just turned 3 on 9/1. So many Birthdays and so many Blessings!
ReplyDeleteYou are my hiding place and my shield; I hope in Your word. (Psalm 119:114).
ReplyDeleteAmen!!
DeleteWe have been introduced to this wonderful way to stop & pray at our church. https://www.pauseapp.com/
ReplyDeleteIsaiah 6:1-3
ReplyDelete1 In the year that King Uzziah died, [in a vision] I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and the skirts of His train filled the [most holy part of the] temple.
2 Above Him stood the seraphim; each had six wings: with two [each] covered his [own] face, and with two [each] covered his feet, and with two [each] flew.
3 And one cried to another and said, Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of His glory!
https://youtu.be/pfxIxtdQgh8?si=r-sGjW7fPKm_yfEt
Dear Peter! Beautiful gift! That song blessed my day! I shared it with Sandy, my sister, Mayra my daughter in love, and a brother in Christ. Thank you so much!
DeleteThank you, Peter. Listening to this beautiful song brought goosebumps, such lovely and reverent worship of our God. Have a blessed day.
DeleteII Cor 12:9-10 “…for my grace is sufficient for you, my power is made perfect in weakness. Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weakness. So that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”
ReplyDeleteThank you Anonymous. It's so hard to to remember this verse when our weaknesses are like huge giants looming over us. But remember I must. For my weaknesses are are the pathways to an even closer walk with my Savior. Hallelujah! 🙌🙌🙌
DeleteAmen and thank you dear Anonymous! Yes dear Jan, When the storms come rolling in, and we feel weak and overwhelmed, God is our strength and our power. We may not remember His Word exactly but we know He is with us and for us. We are more than conquerors in His Presence
DeleteLord, thank you that we have freedom to have time with You. Thank you for our churches, Bible study groups, prayer apps, and blogs such as this one. Thank you for wanting us to spend time with you.
ReplyDeleteSharing in your gratitude and your prayer. Amen
DeleteWhat a great lesson for today...in communing with God we are deeply blessed. It is so important to me to take time to read this blog and pray every morning...when I do I find that my day goes better. Sometimes I waste time thinking about how someone offended me or didn't say the "right" thing to me, and I am able to replace those thoughts when I spend time with God. An update: My dear daughter came back from Hope4Cancer in Mexico. She is radiant, feels better than she ever has! They help with detoxing types of treatments, and immune building, and also promote spirituality. They prayed and sang together every morning. It is truly a healing place. She is back to teaching now and will go for her regular scheduled scan in September. Will you please pray with me that that shows cancer FREE results!
ReplyDeleteAlso, my husband will have a total hip replacement in 2 days. He is surely in pain, and really looking forward to being pain free and able to go back to the sports that he loves. Thank you for our prayers for our family. May God bless each one of you and bring you and your families the healing that you need, AMEN and AMEN
So happy to hear of your daughter's progress. Praying for both cancer free results as well as a perfect surgery for your husband. May the Great Physician watch over them both.
DeleteGood morning, Family!
DeleteIsn't it amazing when we truly recognize how much we need our father? All of the posts are beautiful today that I have been reading for years now are full of love and meat for the soul with suggestions to help us stay near the cross. If I may, I would like to add one more. What we focus on the most grows the most and is what drives us; if we feed our Spirit our flesh dies daily, and lastly, when I think of where GOD brought me from and how his promises continue to show up in my life, I find myself just screaming thank you LORD all day, realizing before I was healed of asthma I couldn't breathe without assistance. A specific memory that keeps me grounded happened on 08-21-96. I was rushed to an emergency room while visiting Florida thousands of miles away from. The doctor told my husband I was going to die that day, because there was nothing more, they could do for me. When I think of the goodness of Jesus and all he's done and continue to do in my life I MUST PRAISE HIM. What he did before, he can do it again and more, whatever the struggles, problems and storms in our lives JESUS IS THE ANSWER!
Have a beautiful blessed beyond measure day!
IN HIS LOVE
Dear Ellen, Praising God that our prayers are being answered!
DeleteI continue to thank God for blessing your daughter with a perfect recovery and destroying every cancer cell. May He bring your good husband through a successful hip surgery and carry him through a smooth recovery and effective physical therapy so he can enjoy the activities he loves, and may God’s peace cover all of you!
Thank You Father God for all this in the powerful Name of Christ Jesus. Amen.
Dear God’s daughter, What a powerful testimony! Our God can do it all! You remain in my prayers, dear sister! Amen! Praising Him with a thankful heart! I have seen His faithfulness so many times! Jesus is the Answer and all things are possible in Him! Hallelujah!
Praise God. Continued prayer for your daughter, so glad she has been refreshed and revitalized by her time in Mexico, praying for clean scans. Also praying for your husband’s hip surgery in 2 days.
Delete3 simple words to place in your mind that will allow you to pray without ceasing: ASK - OFFER - ACCEPT. In each thing we do during the day, whether it’s preparing our morning coffee, taking our shower, driving to work or dropping off our children, ASK this be done, OFFER this to God and ACCEPT the outcome with joy and love to God. We are here because He is our God and loves us perfectly. He wants and desires nothing but to be a part of our lives. ASK - OFFER - ACCEPT! I pray at least 60 - 90 minutes every day, but nothing comes close to the change I’ve made in striving to pray without ceasing than when I ASK, OFFER and ACCEPT. This practice is great!
ReplyDeleteGod's continued Blessings for all this day. May the Peace of the Lord be with you. May His Light shine upon you. May His Loving and Healing Hands lift you up and Heal you. God Bless you.
ReplyDeleteWhat a wonderful blessing to begin the day, thank you and God bless your day.
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