Good Morning Guided, Secure, Child-Like, Followers of Jesus! Thank You Lord! May we grow in this as we humble ourselves and offer ourselves to You for Your will to be done in, through, and around us and for Your glory. May we yoke to Jesus well and be part of His team and plans today. Amen!
God is speaking and wanting to direct your steps all the time. Are you attentive? Willing? Obedient? Yoked to Jesus? God has given us the Holy Spirit to guide us. PTL! Where's He steering you today? What is He revealing to do, correct, or wait for? God created you and placed you right where He wants you for such a time as this. Trust Him and ask for help to follow well. Check out Charles Stanley's devo below about obeying God's promptings. Be still, know, hear, receive, process and follow well today!
Maybe you are in troubling times, or find what God has for you today a bit troubling. Are you shrinking back? Caving in? Giving up? Stop it! Be still. Lift some redirecting praise. Run to your High Tower! Allow Him to shelter, protect and lead you today. Check out Our Daily Bread below. God is our refuge. Maybe the Holy Spirit is leading you to go as His agent of comfort, redirection, or help to someone mired deep in the muck of life--DO IT! He is you Helper, Refuge and Strength!
Many of us are very many season past our childhood. Remember what it was like? Remember the zeal and fresh faith life and action when you first came to saving faith? That is still available to us. PTL! In fact, Jesus reminds us through the Upper Room today that we can still choose childlike faith. It is available. And it is very beneficial and actually crucial to choose that always! It's just plain old simple faith--believing God for everything and that He is able and will respond well. Childlike faith overpowers any fears, doubts, concerns and hindrances we face each day. It's the faith of the Little Train that Could...I know I can. I know I can by the grace of God! God carries us through or over the deep waters ahead. Climb on His lap and receive His love today! Believe and receive His help today as you take each baby step in faith like a child. I envision skipping along God's path for me today singing with joy and thanksgiving knowing He is with me leading me, and that He's already overcoming what ever I will face and providing all I need. Come Lord! Your will be done! I believe! I trust You. Fa-a-la-la-la... Thanks! Amen!
Check out The Word for You Today as well below. We are promised the abundant life in Christ. There is nothing like living the dream for real, in Christ. What joy we can know and enjoy--contagious joy! What peace we can experience as we abide in Christ and His love, peace and the joy of our salvation. Satisfaction and joy grow as we abide, follow and allow God to use us each step of the way through life. Nothing else satisfies like the good fruit produced by childlike faith and action! And it feeds on itself and grows. Part of that is asking and allowing the Holy Spirit to fill, guide and use you each day. It comes alive as you ask Jesus to be the Lord of this day and of your choices and as you go. Faith keeps growing and so does good fruit as you do! Maybe praying the Serenity Prayer daily will help you start off with a right focus as you die to self, prepare your heart, ask Jesus to be Lord and then follow with childlike faith looking for where He is at work and joining Him. Great fruit is in reach as you do! Amen! That is the abundant life we are promised and it is not dependent upon our circumstances or seasons of life. Fa-a-la-la-la PTL!
At the bottom is the Harvest Prayer blog about unity and some prayer starters. We are in this together. God's best is for us to partner together as we travel through this life. He even desires for churches to work together too. Keep praying into that for you and us. How does God want to grow more small groups and house or neighborhood gatherings? How does He want us to partner with other churches and ministries? Who is He raising up and stirring to lead some of these? Which others is He leading us to partner with--even other churches and ministries? God is in the revival business and as we go and grow with others, we will see more of that developing and producing good fruit. It has that snowball rolling down a hill effect too! Share what you are hearing with Sarah, Mike and me too so we can pray and help. God is on the move! Revival is at hand! Let us be committed to our parts in that! Amen! Yesterday we gave bread to 53 people. Some of our bread ministry gals are from other churches. Half of the 18 that gathered last night for dinner and huddle are not members of our church. PTL! God has already begun! Seek Him for what's next. Thanks!
He really does have some great plans for each of us and us together to discover, process, prepare for, and to do. We all have our custom parts in His Good News Delivery Co. and no part is any less important. Each of you are known, loved, matter and are created and placed here for such a time as this! PTL! Be still, know and follow well and dwell in His shalom and joy today with childlike faith as you skip merrily along His way! Fa-a-la-la-la! Amen!
C.S.
ODB:
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The remarkable 2019 movie Little Women sent me back to my worn copy of the novel, especially the comforting words of Marmee, the wise and gentle mother. I’m drawn to the novel’s depiction of her steadfast faith, which underlies many of her words of encouragement to her daughters. One that stood out to me was this: “Troubles and temptations . . . may be many, but you can overcome and outlive them all if you learn to feel the strength and tenderness of your heavenly Father.”
Marmee’s words echo the truth found in Proverbs that “the name of the Lord is a fortified tower; the righteous run to it and are safe” (18:10). Towers were built in ancient cities to be places of safety during danger, perhaps because of an enemy attack. In the same way, it’s through running to God that believers in Jesus can experience peace in the care of the One who’s “our refuge and strength” (Psalm 46:1).
Proverbs 18:10 tells us protection comes from God’s “name”—which refers to all of who He is. Scripture describes God as “the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness” (Exodus 34:6). God’s protection comes from His mighty strength, as well as His tenderness and love, which causes Him to long to provide refuge to the hurting. For all who are struggling, our heavenly Father offers a place of refuge in His strength and tenderness.
By Lisa M. Samra
REFLECT & PRAY
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How have you experienced God’s strength in times of trouble? Where have you seen His comforting care?
Heavenly Father, please help me to run to You in both good times and times of struggle.
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SCRIPTURE INSIGHT
The Hebrew word saghav is used twenty times in the Old Testament, and except for one occurrence in Deuteronomy 2:36, it’s only found in poetry passages. It occurs three times in the book of Proverbs (18:10, 11; 29:25). The word is rendered “safe” in Proverbs 18:10 and “too high to scale” in verse 11. It means “high,” “lofty,” “inaccessibly high”; something or someone who is safe, secure, out of reach.
Furthermore, the word fortified is used in Proverbs 18:10 and 11. “Might” or “strength” is what’s in view—physical, material, social, political. The contrast in these verses is between those who find their refuge in God and those who find security in possessions. In Psalm 20:7, David declares where our allegiance should be: “Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God.”
Arthur Jackson |
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UR: Childlike Faith
Jesus said, “Truly I tell you, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.” - Mark 10:15 (NIV)
Eli was four years old and learning to swim. He could cross the shallow end of the pool with ease, but he had been afraid of swimming across the deep end. Then in one swim lesson, Eli did it.
As we were walking up to the house, I encouraged him about his monumental accomplishment. I asked him, “How did you do it?” Without hesitation, Eli said, “God helped me.” I thought, If only my first thought would be, “God helped me,” when I face huge challenges in my life! Where would I be in my walk with God?
Jesus loved children for their simple faith. They were willing to climb up into his arms and rest, knowing that Jesus loved and protected them. God’s power is made perfect in childlike faith. David demonstrated childlike faith when he used a stone from the creek to slay Goliath. (See 1 Sam. 17.) The stones weren’t magical, but David’s faith in God overpowered the giant.
The next time we face overwhelming fear, I pray we have the childlike faith to cross the deep end and entrust ourselves to God. God will help us!
TODAY'S PRAYER
Dear God, whenever we are afraid, help us to trust you with childlike faith. Amen.TWFYT:
Harvest Prayer Blog and Starters:
March 7 - A Canopy of God’s Blessing
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Behold, how good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell in unity! It is like the precious oil on the head, running down on the beard, on the beard of Aaron, running down on the collar of his robes! It is like the dew of Hermon, which falls on the mountains of Zion! For there the Lord has commanded the blessing, life forevermore. (Psalm 133)
Can you imagine what it would be like for your entire community to be under a canopy of God’s blessing? It’s hard to imagine; isn’t it? I read the incredible firsthand account of the 1949 – 1952 Hebrides Revival. For three years, God’s tangible presence was known throughout the island of Lewis. Simply put, virtually all the people were either experiencing the conviction of the Lord or the joy of the Lord. What would happen if God commanded a blessing on our unity that resulted in the tangible presence of the Holy Spirit resting upon our communities? Let’s ask!
Lord Jesus, today I come pleading with you for a work of grace upon our community. I see the devastating results of the curse of sin and death. My city needs to see the blessing of God’s Spirit resting over our area as a tent over a family. Your Word promises a commanded blessing on brothers and sisters as we walk in unity. We need a sovereign breakthrough. Break off our petty divisions. Unearth our fallow ground. Resurrect our broken unity. Send forth your power and might to heal our land. You are our living hope! Bring unprecedented unity in my life, family, neighborhood, church, city, state, nation, and world. Root this work in your transforming work on the cross. Let the oil of the Holy Spirit drip down over your Body in our area. Make us a beautiful reflection of a blessed land. Be exalted here. Humble us in the lifting up of your mighty name. Use me as an ambassador of unity. I ask for a work of peace and healing to be wrought today in our town. We need you. We are desperate for what only you can do! We trust you today for this work of love in our community.
--Adapted from Praying God’s Word Over Your City: 40 Days of Prayer for A Transformed Community by Trey and Mary Anne Kent. This book is available at prayershop.org. Use the code CONPSP3 at checkout to receive an additional 10% discount.
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- Pray for any persons you know who are dying spiritually.
- Pray for opportunities to invite them to the sumptuous wedding banquet of the king (Mt. 22:2-10).
- Praise God, who fills you with rich spiritual food (Isa. 55:2).
- Thank God for not allowing you to go hungry for spiritual nourishment.
- Confess any craving you may have for things which are not spiritually satisfying (55:2).
- Commit yourself to daily feeding on Jesus, the living bread (Jn. 6:51).
- Ask God to instill in you a hunger for the Word of Life.
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