Good Morning Persevering and Persevering in Prayer Co-Laborers! Amen! Whoever started the saying about the Golden Years must've been talking about someone in their 30's or 40's. Right? Life is hard and gets harder as we age. BUT GOD! He is with us always! He knows the good plans He has for us. Often those good plans come through some stretchingly hard things. Our part is to continue the journey in faith, trust and to keep praying for His Kingdom to come, will to be done and to prepare us to respond as He plans. His plans are good despite the hardness of the journey and as we age, I think, we come to understand more and more how He is working things togethjer for good and are more able to persevere in faith and prayer. We see His hand at work and know His loving presence more intimately and that sustains us and guides us to whatever may come. So keep praying, following and being open to His faithful love and plans. Amen! help us Lord!
Check out the thread for this through the devos below. God is speaking and does have some really good, even though often hard, plans for you and us to discover, grow into and persevere through until he calls us home. Seek first the Kingdom of God! be still and know! Prepare and follow well, my friends! And find some teammates to travel with and uphold. He is working all things together according to His perfect plans and timing and those plans include you, me and all who will come and all who will persevere in faith. Amen!
UR:
Trust in Trying Times
We know that all things work together for good for those who love God. - Romans 8:28 (NRSVUE)
One of the hardest tests of faith I’ve experienced was when I suffered starvation. While kept in solitary confinement as a pre-trial detainee, I was given no food for eight days straight. I cried out to God, “How can you possibly use this to help me?” After my trial, I was housed with other inmates, and I soon understood how my painful experience had changed my perspective in a positive way.
In the prison cafeteria our food portions are small, so there is no shortage of hungry adults here. It breaks my heart to see the look of sadness on a man’s face when he can’t afford to buy more food to supplement the cafeteria’s small portions. When I have money, God moves me to purchase extra food to share.
I believe God used my hardship to soften my heart. It made me more compassionate toward others who suffer from hunger. I don’t always understand how God is at work in my life, especially during difficult times, but I have learned to trust that God is working for my good — to develop my character and make me more Christlike.
Today's Prayer
Dear Father, help us to trust you when we are suffering. Show us how to be more compassionate to others. Amen.
TWFYT:
Harvest prayer:
May 18 - Approaching the Throne of Heaven
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A. W. Tozer pastored a church in Chicago for many years. One time after a minister arrived in Chicago, Tozer called him and said, “This city is a devil’s den. It is a very difficult place to minister the Word of God, and you will come up against much opposition from the enemy. If you ever want to pray with me, I’m at the lakeside every morning at five-thirty. Just make your way down and we can pray together.” One day the minister was troubled and about six o’clock he went to the lakeside. He found A. W. Tozer prostrate in the sand worshiping God. Tozer was a prophetic voice to the church of the twentieth century, and his message grew out of private intimacy with God.
Intimacy with God will always be found in a fresh, living relationship with the Father. That relationship necessitates that we have a time and place to regularly and consistently meet with Him.
When we come into God’s presence we must approach Him with genuineness and sincerity. We must never attempt to impress God with our spirituality and religiosity. Jesus taught His disciples to be careful about how they approached the throne of heaven. He said, “When you are praying, do not use meaningless repetition, as the Gentiles do, for they suppose that they will be heard for their many words” (Matthew 6:7). God is not impressed with the loudness or softness of our voices. He is not impressed with the beauty or multiplicity of our words. He is impressed with the sincerity of our hearts.
Holy Lord, as I come into Your presence, may my heart be completely pure. Draw me into Your throne room through a living, active relationship with You! I don’t want my words in prayer to be empty and religious talk.Guide my heart into purposeful, intimate conversation that is perfectly aligned with Your will and not my own!
--Adapted from The Prayer Factor by Sammy Tippit. This book is available at Prayershop.org. Use the code CONPSP3 at checkout to receive an additional 10% discount.
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