Daily Spiritual Meditations - May 21

[bluidkiti]

Baskets of Blessings Day 21 by SGLY Ministry

Blessing: Health and Strength
Do not be wise in your own eyes; Fear the LORD and depart from evil.
It will be health to your flesh, And strength to your bones. Proverbs 3:7-8 NKJV

Message:
This blessing is physical. Fear the LORD, stay away from evil doings, don’t live according to your own wisdom or will and you will be blessed with good health and strength. A very good blessing to receive!

**********

Finding Time to Pray by Milt Harris

Pray continually (I Thessalonians 5:17 NIV).

Several years ago I felt motivated to expand my prayer life. My wife’s family meets bimonthly to pray for concerns and we’ve seen the power of God at work. But some serious issues needed ongoing prayer. Since I already used my morning prayer time to pray for my immediate family, when could I pray for the extended family?

God showed me I could pray for my wife’s family and my family on my commute to work and then during my ten-minute walk between the parking lot and office. All total, I found an extra hour to pray.

To help me remember to pray, I used visual cues. For example, my wife’s niece and family live along my route to work, so I prayed for them as I drove past their neighborhood. Similarly, when I drove near a church plant where my children attend, I prayed for growth for their church.

Now I’ve retired and don’t have a commute, so how can I pray more? I can pray whenever I do tasks that don’t require my full concentration. And so could you. For example, pray while you run errands, exercise, or walk. Pray while doing household chores, yard work, or taking a shower. And for visual cues, pray for neighbors while walking to the mailbox. Pray for children and schools when passing schools. And pray for pastors and congregations when you drive by a church.

If we ask God, He will show us how to “pray continually.” He knows our schedules and when we can pray more. He’ll help us “pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests” so we can “be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints” (Ephesians 6:18 NIV).

Questions: Keeping a prayerful heart is a habit we can grow in. What is one way you could suggest to find more time to pray? Do you use visual aids to remind you to pray for specific people and situations?

**********

Count Our Blessings - Literally

James 1:12 Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him.

Some people feel that they never receive blessings in life. That everyone else has the best luck and not them. I contend that we all have blessings bestowed upon us - it's just a matter if we can actually see them. Sometimes we are just so down in life that we can't see the rainbow.. because we are facing the wrong direction.

So, I have a challenge for you. You can do this in a journal or post it notes, etc.

Write down each and every blessing you receive on the day. Do it for a week straight. And I mean every blessing. I think what you will see is that on day 1 you might write 5 or 6 things down.. if that. By Day 7, I think you might find that you can see life a little better because you are actively searching and your list will be much longer. Our outlook on life is how we see life - sometimes we just need to turn around to see it all.

Good luck and I truly hope you do this to see how you are blessed.

Recovery Box

**********

How to Resist Rejection - by Joyce Meyer

Do you feel as though the world is against you? Does it seem that no matter how hard you try no one is pleased? Maybe you have conflict with a family member. Perhaps your boss finds fault with your work.

Sooner or later you will experience some form of rejection. Not everybody will like you. Some may even aggressively dislike you. No one enjoys being rejected, but you can learn to handle rejection and get on with your life if you remember that Jesus was also rejected and despised. If you feel rejected, give your hurt to God...

Prayer Starter: Lord, I can’t please everyone all of the time. I will concentrate on being a God pleaser and not a man pleaser. The rest I leave in Your hands, Lord. Grant me favor with You and with men, and continue transforming me into the image of Your Son. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

**********

And Peter answered Him, Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water. He said, Come! So Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water, and he came toward Jesus. — Matthew 14:28-29 (AMPC)

Fix Your Eyes on Jesus by Joyce Meyer

When Peter stepped out of the boat at Jesus’ instruction, he was doing something he had never done before. As long as he remained in faith by keeping his eyes on Jesus, he was successful. It wasn’t until fear gripped his heart that he began to sink.

Peter’s mistake was that he became preoccupied with the storm. When he focused on the circumstances around him rather than the Savior close to him, he lost his faith and began to doubt. Romans 4:18– 21 tells us that Abraham did not waver in his faith when faced with difficult circumstances. He was aware of his situation, but instead of becoming preoccupied with it like Peter, he was determined to focus on God’s ability and presence in the middle of his situation.

I believe that you and I can learn from Peter’s mistake and Abraham’s example. We can be aware of our circumstances without being preoccupied with them. We can purposely keep our eyes on Jesus, trusting in faith that He’ll provide the miracle we need. When the storms come in your life, focus on Jesus. Stay determined to walk with Him no matter how high the waves are, and know that He’s always with you—no matter how strong the storm.

Prayer Starter: Father, please help me to keep my eyes fixed on You. Thank You for saving me when I feel like I’m drowning, and for keeping my faith strong. In Jesus’ Name, amen.

**********

Disappointed? Get Reappointed

Man’s steps are ordered by the Lord. How then can a man understand his way? —Proverbs 20:24

This Scripture has stabilized my emotions many times when I was in a hurry to get somewhere and found myself at a standstill in traffic on the highway. Initially, I get a sinking feeling, then I get aggravated, and then I say, “Well, since my steps are ordered by the Lord, I will calm down and thank God that I am right where He wants me.” I also remind myself that God may be saving me from an accident farther down the road by keeping me where I am. Trusting God is absolutely wonderful because it soothes our wild thoughts and emotions when things don’t go the way we had planned.

I learned long ago that with God on our side, even though we will experience disappointments in life, we can always get “reappointed.” If you or I have a doctor’s appointment and he has an emergency and has to cancel, we simply make another appointment. Life can be that way, too. Trusting that God has a good plan for us, and that our steps are ordered by Him, is the key to preventing disappointment from turning into despair. How do you react when you get disappointed? How long does it take for you to make a transition and get reappointed? Are you acting on the Word of God or merely reacting emotionally to the circumstance? Are you controlled by what is around you, or by Jesus, Who lives inside you?

Trusting God completely and believing that His plan for you is right is infinitely better than trusting your own plan. It is impossible to be mad at someone you really believe has your best interest in mind. And God is always for us, never against us. He is the only One Who can help you and truly comfort you; therefore, it is much better to run to Him in your disappointment than away from Him.

Trust in Him: Trust God to reappoint you—when you do, it will calm your thoughts and emotions.

From the book Trusting God Day by Day by Joyce Meyer.

**********

Moving Out of the Past

Thought for the Day

"Learn from the past - don't live in it. If you get stuck there how can you move forward towards what God has in store for you?"
_________________________________

Today's Word

"Jesus replied, "No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God." (Luke 9:62 NIV)
_________________________________

Today's Prayer

Help me move forward, Lord, by teaching me to turn justice over to You for the hurt that others have caused me in the past. Holding on to feelings that are negative in nature only keeps me stuck from moving forward and realizing the abundance that You have in store for me. Amen

The Whisper Of God

******************************

Bible Verses

“The Lord makes firm the steps of the one who delights in him; though he may stumble, he will not fall, for the Lord upholds him with his hand.” Psalm 37:23-24

*****

“Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.” - 1 Peter 5:6-7

*****

"May the Lord bring you into a deep understanding of the steadfastness of Christ." (2 Thessalonians 3:5)

*****

And he has given us this command: Anyone who loves God must also love their brother and sister. 1 John 4:21

*****

Psalm 67:1 – May God be gracious to us and bless us and make his face shine on us.

*****

Romans 15:5-6 “May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you the same attitude of mind toward each other that Christ Jesus had, so that with one mind and one voice you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

*****

We put our hope in the LORD. He is our help and our shield. Psalms 33:20

******************************

Prayers

To Spread the Gospel

Father God, through Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior you have found my heart worthy enough to save, and have entrusted me to spread the Gospel. You have handed to me the very keys to the kingdom of heaven. Let me not grow weary of His cause. And by His grace and mercies given to me, let me be proven worthy of my call. As your Son taught us, the harvest is plentiful, but the gatherers are few. Let me stand for my call in Jesus Christ and take my place among those who gather, not by argument and rancor, but by living as a shining light before the world, always ready to witness to your gifts, your Word, and your glory. Amen.

*****

For Faith

Most High, Glorious God, enlighten the darkness of my mind. Give me a right faith, a firm hope and a perfect charity, so that I may always and in all things act according to Your Holy Will. Amen.

*****

Lord God, I can think of some of the chemicals my body is made of and the way the different cells of my body interact, but I know how much more a human being really is. I pray that I may always appreciate the wonder of the human body, mind and spirit. I pray for good health, an inquiring mind, and a spirit that seeks all that is good, knowing that I will only be fully at rest and in peace as I live in your presence. Amen.

*****

Dear heavenly Father, thank you for being in charge of my life. I know that I am not just a lost boat drifting in a storm when I belong to You. I thank you that You are guiding me and directing me in all of my ways. Lord, when You choose me to do anything for You, please empower me and give me the grace to accomplish it. I know that my life is planned by You and that each person who comes into it, is sent by You, when I am committed to Your will. May I grow from those encounters and be a blessing to them. I ask this in the name of Jesus. Amen.

*****

Ready to Forgive

2 Corinthians 1:23-2:11

Dear Father, God of forgiveness,

Father, help me, when someone sins, to encourage him or her to repent, then to forgive and comfort that person in your love.

Help all Christians to affirm such loving forgiveness and to comfort each other so that Satan will not gain the advantage over us, for we are not ignorant that his designs are that we should be unforgiving.

In the name of Jesus and in full confidence of salvation through him I ask all these things. Amen.

*****

Dear Lord, grant me the strength to get through today. Grant me your wisdom to handle situations I cannot control.