“Have you ever wanted God so much that nothing else mattered? Have you ever been so thirsty for Him that you bypassed your iPhone, your favorite television show or a trip to the movies because you longed to spend time with God?”

 To read more, please click on the link!  Thirsty

Image: Danilo Rizzuti / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Join Jane VanOsdol and Mary Kane as they discuss how to live a life of purpose in 2012. Be sure you also check out the blog series on this same topic. We share several ideas with resources on how to live a life of purpose, but we’d also love to hear your ideas too. Please share them in the comment section below or on the blogs’ comment sections.

To listen, scroll to below the share button and look for the little mp3 icon. Click on the sideways triangle, mp3 icon, download link or “Play in Popup” link. You can also listen to it on iTunes.

Resources:

The Cost of Discipleship By Dietrich Bonhoeffer / Touchstone

Slave: The Hidden Truth About Your Identity in Christ By John MacArthur / Thomas Nelson

The Total Money Makeover: A Proven Plan for Financial Fitness, Third Edition By Dave Ramsey / Thomas Nelson

The Power of a Praying Parent By Stormie Omartian

“Like the cold of snow in time of harvest is a faithful messenger to those who send him, for he refreshes the soul of his masters.”   Proverbs 25: 1

When I look at this photo, I am reminded of how delicate and fragile life is … of how much we should cherish this gift God has given us. What do you have to celebrate in your life today?

P.S.-Pray Specifically!

“Combining the power of scripture with the power of prayer.”

Please read Mark 9:17-29.

Like the father and his son in today’s passage, have you been dealing with the same problem for a very long time? Sometimes when a trial or challenge continues to oppress us, we begin to lose hope that we will ever be healed or delivered; we waver in unbelief. What should we do with our doubt or unbelief? Just as the man in Mark 9, take your unbelief to Jesus. Tell Him all about your doubts and ask Him for His divine help. And your Heavenly Father, who is your “refuge and strength, a very present help in times of trouble,” will come to your aid.
Please make this prayer your own by inserting your name or an appropriate pronoun into the blanks as you pray.
Dear Holy Father,
_______________ have/has been struggling with this issue for a very long time. Your word promises that if ___________ can believe, than all things are possible for me. Lord, ____________want to believe You, but I struggle at times with unbelief. Right now as best as I can, I cry out to You and ask that You help ___________ with my unbelief. Thank you Jesus that You now live to intercede on my behalf. Thank you that You are working all things for ________________ good. Please help me to trust in You with all of my heart and lean not on my own understanding.
In Jesus Holy Name,
Amen

Image: Ambro / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

FIRST LESSON.

‘Lord, teach us to pray;’

Or,The Only Teacher.

‘And it came to pass, as He was praying in a certain place, that when He ceased, one of His disciples said to

Him, Lord, teach us to pray.’–LUKE xi. 1.

HE disciples had been with Christ, and seen Him pray. They had learnt to understand

something of the connection between His wondrous life in public, and His secret life of

prayer. They had learnt to believe in Him as a Master in the art of prayer–none could

pray like Him. And so they came to Him with the request, ‘Lord, teach us to pray.’ And in after

years they would have told us that there were few things more wonderful or blessed that He

taught them than His lessons on prayer.

And now still it comes to pass, as He is praying in a certain place, that disciples who see

Him thus engaged feel the need of repeating the same request, ‘Lord, teach us to pray.’ As we

grow in the Christian life, the thought and the faith of the Beloved Master in His never-failing

intercession becomes ever more precious, and the hope of being Like Christ in His intercession

gains an attractiveness before unknown. And as we see Him pray, and remember that there is

none who can pray like Him, and none who can teach like Him, we feel the petition of the

disciples, ‘Lord, teach us to pray,’ is just what we need. And as we think how all He is and has,

how He Himself is our very own, how He is Himself our life, we feel assured that we have but to

ask, and He will be delighted to take us up into closer fellowship with Himself, and teach us to

pray even as He prays.

Come, my brothers! Shall we not go to the Blessed Master and ask Him to enrol our

names too anew in that school which He always keeps open for those who long to continue their

studies in the Divine art of prayer and intercession? Yes, let us this very day say to the Master,

as they did of old, ‘Lord, teach us to pray.’ As we meditate, we shall find each word of the

petition we bring to be full of meaning.

‘Lord, teach us to pray.’ Yes, to pray. This is what we need to be taught. Though in its

beginnings prayer is so simple that the feeblest child can pray, yet it is at the same time the

highest and holiest work to which man can rise. It is fellowship with the Unseen and Most Holy

One. The powers of the eternal world have been placed at its disposal. It is the very essence of

true religion, the channel of all blessings, the secret of power and life. Not only for ourselves,

but for others, for the Church, for the world, it is to prayer that God has given the right to take

hold of Him and His strength. It is on prayer that the promises wait for their fulfilment, the

kingdom for its coming, the glory of Go

slothful and unfit we are. It is only the Spirit of God can enable us to do it aright. How speedily

we are deceived into a resting in the form, while the power is wanting. Our early training, the

teaching of the Church, the influence of habit, the stirring of the emotions–how easily these lead

to prayer which has no spiritual power, and

T

strength, that availeth much, to which the gates of heaven are really opened wide–who would

not cry, Oh for some one to teach me thus to pray?

Jesus has opened a school, in which He trains His redeemed ones, who specially desire it,

to have power in prayer. Shall we not enter it with the petition, Lord! it is just this we need to be

taught! O teach us to pray.

‘Lord, teach us to pray.’ Yes, us, Lord. We have read in They Word with what power

Thy believing people of old used to pray, and what mighty wonders were done in answer to their

prayers. And if this took place under the Old Covenant, in the time of preparation, how much

more wilt Thou not now, in these days of fulfilment, give Thy people this sure sign of Thy

presence in their midst. We have heard the promises given to Thine apostles of the power of

prayer in Thy name, and have seen how gloriously they experienced their truth: we know for

certain, they can become true to us too. We hear continually even in these days what glorious

tokens of Thy power Thou dost still give to those who trust Thee fully. Lord! these all are men

of like passions with ourselves; teach us

gifts of the heavenly world are for us. O teach us to pray so that we may receive abundantly. To

us too Thou hast entrusted Thy work, on our prayer too the coming of Thy kingdom depends, in

our prayer too Thou canst glorify Thy name; ‘Lord teach us to pray.’ Yes, us, Lord; we offer

ourselves as learners; we would indeed be taught of Thee. ‘Lord, teach us to pray.’

‘Lord, teach us to pray.’ Yes, we feel the need now of being taught to pray. At first there

is no work appears so simple; later on, none that is more difficult; and the confession is forced

from us: We know not how to pray as we ought. It is true we have God’s Word, with its clear

and sure promises; but sin has so darkened our mind, that we know not always how to apply the

word. In spiritual things we do n

according to the law of the sanctuary. In temporal things we are still less able to avail ourselves

of the wonderful liberty our Father has given us to ask what we need. And even when we know

what to ask, how much there is still needed to make prayer acceptable. It must be to the glory of

God, in full surrender to His will, in full assurance of faith, in the name of Jesus, and with a

must be learned. It can only be

learned in the school of much prayer, for practice makes perfect. Amid the painful

consciousness of ignorance and unworthiness, in the struggle between believing and doubting,

the heavenly art of effectual prayer is learnt. Because, even when we do not remember it, there

is One, the Beginner and Finisher of faith and prayer, who watches over our praying, and sees to

it that in all who trust Him for it their education in the school of prayer shall be carried on to

perfection. Let but the deep undertone of all our prayer be the teachableness that comes from a

sense of ignorance, and from faith in Him as a perfect teacher, and we may be sure we shall be

taught, we shall learn to pray in power. Yes, we may depend upon it, He teaches to pray.

‘Lord, teach us to pray.’ None can teach like Jesus, none but Jesus; therefore we call on

Him, ‘LORD, teach us to pray.’ A pupil needs a teacher, who knows his work, who has the gift

of teaching, who in patience and love will descend to the pupil’s needs. Blessed be God! Jesus

is all this and much more. He knows what prayer is. It is Jesus, praying Himself, who teaches to

pray. He knows what prayer is. He learned it amid the trials and tears of His earthly life. In

heaven it is still His beloved work: His life there is prayer. Nothing delights Him more than to

find those whom He can take with Him into the Father’s presence, whom He can clothe with

power to pray down God’s blessing on those around them, whom He can train to be His

fellow-workers in the intercession by which the kingdom is to be revealed on earth. He knows

how to teach. Now by the urgency of felt need, then by the confidence with which joy inspires.

Here by the teaching of the Word, there by the testimony of another believer who knows what it

is to have prayer heard. By His Holy Spirit, He has access to our heart, and teaches us to pray by

showing us the sin that hinders the prayer, or giving us the assurance that we please God. He

teaches, by giving not only thoughts of what to ask or how to ask, but by breathing within us the

very spirit of prayer, by living within us as the Great Intercessor. We may indeed and most

joyfully say, ‘Who teacheth like Him?’ Jesus never taught His disciples how to preach, only how

to pray. He did not speak much of what was needed to preach well, but much of praying well.

To know how to speak to God is more than knowing how to speak to man. Not power with men,

but power with God is the first thing. Jesus loves to teach us how to pray.

What think you, my beloved fellow-disciples! would it not be just what we need, to ask

the Master for a month to give us a course of special lessons on the art of prayer? As we

meditate on the words He spake on earth, let us yield ourselves to His teaching in the fullest

confidence that, with such a teacher, we shall make progress. Let us take time not only to

meditate, but to pray, to tarry at the foot of the throne, and be trained to the work of intercession.

Let us do so in the assurance that a

most beautifully. He will breathe His own life, which is all prayer, into us. As He makes us

partakers of His righteousness and His life, He will of His intercession. too. As the members of

His body, as a holy priesthood, we shall take part in His priestly work of pleading and prevailing

with God for men. Yes, let us most joyfully say, ignorant and feeble though we be, ‘Lord, teach

us to pray.’

‘LORD, TEACH US TO PRAY.’

—–0—–

Blessed Lord! who ever livest to pray, Thou canst teach me too to pray, me too to live

ever to pray. In this Thou lovest to make me share Thy glory in heaven, that I should pray

without ceasing, and ever stand as a priest in the presence of my God.

Lord Jesus! I ask Thee this day to enrol my name among those who confess that they

know not how to pray as they ought, and specially ask Thee for a course of teaching in prayer.

Lord! teach me to tarry with Thee p

sense of my ignorance, of the wonderful privilege and power of prayer, of the need of the Holy

Spirit as the Spirit of prayer, lead me to cast away my thoughts of what I think I know, and make

rit.

And fill me, Lord, with the confidence that with such a teacher as Thou art I shall learn to

pray. In the assurance that I have as my teacher, Jesus who is ever praying to the Father, and by

I will not be afraid. As much as I

need to know of the mysteries of the prayer-world, Thou wilt unfold for me. And when I may

not know, Thou wilt teach me to be strong in faith, giving glory to God.

Blessed Lord! Thou wilt not put to shame Thy scholar who trusts Thee, nor, by Thy

grace, would he Thee either. Amen.

This book is in the public domain and can legally be reprinted.

“That you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God;” Colossians 1:10

Have you thought anymore about how you want to live a life of purpose in 2012?

In the last blog post, we discussed four ways you could do this in 2012. After having some time to mull these over and maybe try a few of the suggestions, let’s look at the next four items on the list.

5. Choose a non-fiction Christian book to read that challenges you. Before you start reading this book, pray and ask that God will change you in the process. Ask Him to show you what you need to learn from this book, and pray that you would be open to making the changes God wants you to make. Stick with it, even if it’s slow going. Actively read the book. If the book is your own copy, this means you should write in the margins, highlight sections you want to remember, and make notes in the text. The more you interact with the text, the more of it you will take in. Try to repeat this process a few times this year. If you’d like a few book suggestions, you could start with one of these:

• I Don’t Have Enough Faith to Be an Atheist by Geisler and Turek
• Mere Christianity by C. S. Lewis, or anything else by him
• Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy by Eric Metaxas

6. Schedule a retreat at a retreat center. Do this with a group from your church, some of your friends, or take a night or two or three by yourself at a retreat center and spend some time with God in prayer. I know you spend time in prayer at your own home, too, but there’s just something different about getting away to a retreat center that you can’t duplicate elsewhere. First of all, when you’re away from home, you can’t be distracted by all the work you think you should be doing at your house. You’ll be able to use the time to completely disengage from the responsibilities of child care, cleaning the house, or doing the laundry–guilt free.

Secondly, retreat centers have resources for you to take advantage of like prayer labyrinths, chapels, libraries and even classes for you to take. Try it. You’ll love it. Ask God to show you what He wants you to learn from the weekend. Be sure you write down what you are learning and where you go from here. You can use the following link to help you find a retreat center near you, searching by your state:  Retreat Finder. Keep in mind that not all of the sites listed are Christian, so research the listings before you make a reservation. I even found a site close to my house that  does not charge a set fee–it’s on a donation basis!

7. Begin a new spiritual discipline in your life. Have you ever wanted to explore fasting? Or perhaps you have an interest in  journaling, or maybe the discipline of self-examen has piqued your interest. Spend some time learning about a discipline and then begin to incorporate it into your life. Both Dallas Willard and Richard Foster have classic books available on the disciplines, and either book would be a good place for you to start learning.

8. Begin praying through the World Watch List of the 50 most hostile, restrictive countries in the world (to Christianity). Open Doors USA compiles this annual list. Click for the 2012 version. You can also sign up at Open Doors to take the 5 Minute Challenge to pray through the list. Each week Open Doors will send you an email featuring the country for that week, information about the country and specific ways you can pray for it.

I’m excited about living a life of purpose in 2012. I wonder how God will change me through this process. Have you tried any of the suggestions yet, or are you planning on doing one soon? If so, we’d love for you to leave a comment and tell us about it.We’ve got four more suggestions to go, and Mary is going to cover those in the next blog post.

Until then, pray on!

Slavery has left its mark upon this great nation. The “land of the free” was once torn apart by the institution of slavery. During the Civil War, many brave men gave their lives to free their brothers and sisters from the bondage of slavery. Jesus also gave His life to free all people from the slavery of sin and death. Once we are released from the chains of sin we are free to become slaves of Christ. To do the Bible study “Free to be a Slave” please click on the link!

Image: Bill Longshaw / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

“That you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God;” Colossians 1:10

Happy New Year!

The start of a new year is always exciting, because I feel like I’ve got a clean slate ahead of me with lots of possibilities. One theme that has been running through my mind is that I want to live a life of purpose in 2012. Mary and I have jotted down some ways we’re going to try to do that this year, and we wanted to share those with you.

So, here’s the first four items on our list:

1. Get involved in something bigger than yourself. It’s easy to get so caught up in our own lives so that all we think about is ourselves and our situations. When we are going though a difficult time, we tend to think the world revolves around us and our situation because we are so inner focused. Having a cause that is outside of yourself is one of the best ways to maintain your stability and a healthy spiritual and mental outlook. It’s a wonderful antidote to depression.

Even if you are physically incapacitated, you can still be involved in world matters simply by praying. I know two women who are just about housebound because of health problems. One of them is actively involved in placing at-risk children in temporary housing, and the other one has a vibrant prayer ministry for people all around the world. Both of them do these activities from their homes.

Here’s a few ideas to get you started on finding a cause to be involved with:

•  Volunteer at a soup kitchen or homeless shelter.

• Extend a micro-loan to a struggling entrepreneur through Kiva and then pray for that person.

• Become a tutor for adults or children.

• Prepare a meal for shut-ins.

• Volunteer at your church.

• Pray for persecuted Christians. You can find information at Open Doors or Voice of the Martyrs.

• Mentor a person younger than you.

• Join something God may be calling you to like the choir, drama group or teen ministry at church.

• If you are housebound, ask some of your favorite ministries at your church if there are ways you can volunteer for them from your home. Maybe you could put together their monthly newsletter. Many ministries are also in desperate need of someone to handle grant writing for them. This is a skill that you can easily learn from your home through an online class. Here is a class that you pay for that teaches you the grant-writing process (http://www.ed2go.com/online-courses/grant-writing-a-to-z.html), but I’ve also seen free tutorials;  also often times the ministry itself will train you to do this if you volunteer for them.

2. Pray faithfully for your family. Sometimes we forget to pray for our families because we are busy praying for other people. Or, we may get discouraged if we don’t quickly see the changes we want to see. Make it a priority to pray for your family. Write down in a safe place detailed requests and perhaps some scripture that relates to the situation and then pray for them several times a week. Remember to record any changes you see in your family–and you– so that you have a record of God working in your lives.

3. Pick a Bible study and see it through to the end. I know I often start a new Bible study with enthusiasm, but half way through it, it can become hard to maintain that motivation. I’ve found that if I stick with it and finish the study, God always does a work in my life. Check out some studies from Beth Moore and Kay Arthur (Precepts) just to name a few to get you started.

4. Take a few minutes each day to connect with God through His creation. Have you ever tried keeping a nature journal? I’m not particularly artistic, but I really enjoyed this activity when I tried it a few years ago. It forces you to slow down and really see things. Study a snow flake. Set up a bird feeder and watch the birds for a few minutes each day. In the warmer months, grow some flower and vegetables. Learn the names of the different trees in your area.

You can keep a traditional nature journal by purchasing a blank artist’s notebook and colored pencils. Sketch as best you can what you see. Or maybe you want to try an online version. Take pictures with your digital camera and upload your pictures to an online gallery, such as Picasa Web Albums or Flickr. You can also use Mixbook, Walmart, Meijer, or any of the other myriad photo applications to make an actual printable book with your photos.

As you begin to observe the world around you, God’s hand prints become so much more noticeable, as does the verse from Ecclesiastes 3:1 “To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven.”

I’ll continue this series in the next blog post. If you have any of your own ideas to add, please leave us a message. Until then, pray on!

Image: vichie81 / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Did you re-gift a gift this year? Did you know that re-gifting is a Biblical concept? God is the author and creator of everything–even re-gifting! To do the study “Re-gifting to the King,” please click on the link!

Image: Naito8 / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Do you tend to be a person of action or do you like to sit back and mull things over? When we encounter God’s Word we are called to act! To do the study, “Doers and Hearers” just click on the link!

Image: Pixomar / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Christmas is one of my favorite times of the year. I love the expectation and the preparation of the season as we ready our hearts and minds for the coming of the Savior. God wants you to know that whatever you are facing this Christmas season you have reason to hope and rejoice because He is with you. To do the study “God With Us,” just click on the link.

<p><a href=”http://www.freedigitalphotos.net/images/view_photog.php?photogid=1556″>Image: nuttakit / FreeDigitalPhotos.net</a></p>

O Come Let us Adore Him

These words have been ringing through my mind today as Christmas draws near, and it’s more than the obvious reason that I’ve heard this Christmas carol on the radio or that Christmas is only five days away. Much more. God has been readjusting my vision this Christmas.

Christmas 2011 will be a different Christmas for us. It’s the first Christmas that we won’t have both of our children with us. For the past 23 years, the four of us have always been together to celebrate. We have our traditions, our special things that we do together as a family to welcome Christmas Day. They’re very much a part of what makes Christmas Christmas for me. Maybe too much so?

As many of you know, our son Jesse is on a walk across America to raise money for the burn center at Riley Hospital for Children where he was a patient in June of 2010. Three months ago when Jesse decided to do this walk, I thought surely he couldn’t be meaning to miss Thanksgiving, his birthday and Christmas. Could he? When I asked Jesse this over the phone, he said, “Mom, how is that going to look if I fly home for Christmas when people are sponsoring me, and I’m supposed to be walking across America?”

The reality that I knew was coming but had been avoiding thinking about had arrived. With the certainty that Jesse would not be home and possibly not Amber either as she now has her fiancé and his family to consider for Christmas plans, I was forced to look at where I was getting my real joy for Christmas from. Was my joy coming from my perfect plans all going according to schedule, or was it from the gift of Jesus in my life?

As I have had to adjust my perception of celebrating Christmas, God has been shifting my focus to where it should be. The priceless gift of having Jesus as my King is coming clearly into focus. To know that He is with me each day in the nitty-gritty good-and-bad that makes up my life is what God is showing me I should be celebrating.

I’m wondering what your Christmas will look like. Maybe you’re struggling through a painful divorce. Perhaps you’re hooked up to a chemo IV. Or maybe you’re blessed this year to have all of your family with you. Whatever your life is or wherever you are this year, Jesus is there. And that’s Something to celebrate.

O Come let us adore Him …

Pray on!

Suffering is all around us. Every one seems to be going through hard times. Lost jobs, broken relationships, bank forclosures… but God has promised that He will use all things for our good. All things? Can we believe Him for this promise? To find the truth concerning trials, please click on the link, For the Good.

Image: Tom Curtis / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

O Antiphons

 The O Antiphons were written in the seventh or eighth century by monks, using texts from the Old Testament. During the Middle Ages, it became the tradition to ring the church bells each night as the Antiphons were being sung. Each of the O Antiphons uses a different title for Messiah. One is read each evening beginning on December 17. Have your family read the English version together each evening as a devotional.

 ( http://www.crossroadsinitiative.com/library_article/801/o_antiphons_of_advent.html.)

Dec. 17:
O Sapientia, quae ex ore Altissimi prodisti,
attingens a fine usque ad finem fortiter,
suaviter disponensque omnia:
veni ad docendum nos viam prudentiae.

O Wisdom, O holy Word of God,
you govern all creation with your strong yet tender care:
Come and show your people the way to salvation.

Wisdom 8:1

Isaiah 11:2-3; 28:29

Proverbs 8:1-36

John 1:1-5

Dec. 18:
O Adonai, et dux domus Israel,
qui Moyse in igne flammae rubi apparuisti,
et ei in Sina legem dedisti:
veni ad redimendum nos in brachio extento.

O Sacred Lord of ancient Israel,
who showed yourself to Moses in the burning bush,
who gave him the holy law on Sinai mountain:
Come, stretch out your mighty hand to set us free.

Exodus 3:2

Isaiah 33:22; 63:11-12

Micah 6:4

Acts 7:30-31

Dec. 19:
O Radix Jesse, qui stas in signum populorum,
super quem continebunt reges os suum,
quem gentes deprecabuntur:
veni ad liberandum nos, jam noli tardare.

O Flower of Jesse’s stem,
you have been raised up as a sign for all peoples;
kings stand silent in your presence;
the nations bow down in worship before you.
Come, let nothing keep you from coming to our aid.

Isaiah 11:1, 10

Isaiah 52:15

Romans 15:12

Dec. 20:
O Clavis David, et sceptrum domus Israel,
qui aperis, et nemo claudit; claudis, et nemo aperuit:
veni, et educ vinctum de domo carceris,
sedentem in tenebris, et umbra mortis.

O Key of David, O royal Power of Israel,
controlling at your will the gate of heaven:
Come, break down the prison walls of death
for those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death;
and lead your captive people into freedom.

Revelation 3:7

Isaiah 22:22

Jeremiah 13:13; 51:19

Matthew 4:16; 16:19

Luke 1:79

Dec. 21:
O Oriens, splendor lucis aeternae,
et sol justitiae:
veni, et illumina sedentes in tenebris,
et umbra mortis.

O Radiant Dawn, splendor of eternal light, sun of justice:
Come, shine on those who dwell in darkness
and the shadow of death.

Isaiah 9:1; 58:8; 60:18-20

Malachi 4:2

Luke 1:78-79

John 8:12

Revelation 22:16

Dec. 22:
O Rex Gentium, et desideratus earum,
lapisque angularis, qui facis utraque unum:
veni, et salva hominem,
quem de limo formasti.

O King of all the nations, the only joy of every human heart;
O Keystone of the mighty arch of man:
Come and save the creature you fashioned from the dust.

Isaiah 2:4; 11:10

Psalm 47:8; Jeremiah 10:7

Daniel 7:14; Haggai 2:8

Romans 15:12

Ephesians 2:14, 20

Dec. 23:
O Emmanuel, Rex et legifer noster,
expectratio gentium, et Salvator earum:
veni ad salvandum nos,
Domines, Deus noster.

O Emmanuel, king and lawgiver,
desire of the nations, Savior of all people:
Come and set us free, Lord our God.

Isaiah 7:14

Matthew 1:23

1 Timothy 4:9

Psalm 14:7

Phil 4:4

This list comes from http://catholic-resources.org/Lectionary/Advent-O-Antiphons.htm

We’ll be discussing the background of Advent, ways you can celebrate it with your family, and the meaning of Isaiah 7:14. Don’t let the busyness of the season prevent you from truly celebrating Christ’s birth.

To listen to the podcast, scroll down to the bottom of the post and look for the sideways triangle under the print button. Also, here’s a link to last year’s Christmas podcast on Christmas Story: God Uses Everyday People

Podcast Notes

Isaiah 7:14

Nathan: to give, to entrust, to bestow
Sign: owth: a distinguishing mark, a miracle, proof, a remembrance, a warning
 Son: Ben: banah: to build, rebuild, establish, make permanent, to be built up
 Name: Shem: name, reputation, fame, glory
 Emmanuel: el Emanuel: God, God with us

 Resources:

www.crivoice.org/jesse.html

www.blueletterbible.com

More Than A Baby devotional:  http://onlybyprayer.com/our-products/more-than-a-baby-an-advent-devotional/

As I was reflecting this morning on being thankful, one of the things that I am so thankful for is that God pursues us. We may not think about this often, but it is an important quality about God that sets Him apart. In most other religions, the seeker has to constantly try to reach out to the god, hoping to appease him or her. Not so with Jesus. The Holy Spirit is constantly striving to draw others to Him.

And what’s so neat is that it doesn’t stop with our salvation. No, God is constantly calling us to Himself, to a deeper, fuller, richer relationship with Him. Our initial acceptance of Him is only the “top layer” of our journey with Him, and if you stop there, you’ll miss so much more. As we dig deeper, God reveals new facets of Himself, new truths to be discovered, new joy to be experienced, and new work for us to do. We learn deeper prayer that gets to the heart of Him.

And what is the greatest of all, is that we can never get to the point where we can “outgrow” God. He has infinitely more in store for his pilgrims than we know. The deeper we dig, the longer we stay on the journey with Him, the more we’ll discover about Him and ourselves.

Happy Thanksgiving! Continue on your spiritual journey with persistence, just as the Pilgrims taught us so many years ago.

Pray on!

When the chips are down, in what do you place your trust? Money, friends, brains? God’s Word tells us that if we place our trust in anything But Him we’ll end up looking foolish in the end. To do the study “Hope and Trust,” please click on the link!

Image: Nutdanai Apikhomboonwaroot / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

For modern day technology-loving Americans, the very word tent can cause tremors of fear and visions of discomfort. When I think of tents my mind conjures images of memorable vacations with family and friends.  While we did not have a lot of privacy while vacationing in a tent, we did have a lot of togetherness.  Togetherness is exactly what God had in mind when He sent his Son to tabernacle (tent) among us. To do the study “Pitch a Tent,” please click on the link!

Image: think4photop / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

It’s hard to believe it, but the holiday season is quickly approaching. This year, Advent begins on Sunday, November 27. I’ve been busy updating my Advent devotional, More Than A Baby. Each day’s devotion features the following:

1. A daily scripture to read and meditate upon.
2. A picture to reflect upon.
3. An Advent song to listen to.
4. A focus thought for the day.
5. An application for you to incorporate into your life.
6. A prayer.

You can click here to see a sample page of the 2011 More Than A Baby devotional.

If you’d like to make the Christmas season more meaningful, my devotional will help you prepare your heart for this joyous season.

The updated version will be available for sale on our Web site on November 15. Here is the link to take you to the page. More Than a Baby. (If you click before November 15, you’ll be taken to the sales page for last year’s version).

Let’s approach this Christmas with a heart that’s ready to receive the our Savior by taking a few minutes each morning to study and worship the Lord!

Pray on!

Advent Wreath Picture courtesy of By Micha L. Rieser (Own work by uploader (wreath and picture)) [CC-BY-SA-3.0 or GFDL], via Wikimedia Commons

“Giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.” Ephesians 5:20

Thanksgiving is one of my favorite times of the year. I’ve always loved the story of the Pilgrims traveling by the Mayflower to America. I especially like how the Native Americans helped the Pilgrims to survive that first devastating winter—it was a time of peaceful coexistence before trouble started between these two groups.

To celebrate Thanksgiving of 2011, Mary and I are having a Thanksgiving contest. We’re giving away a prize to one adult and one student who leave a comment on this blog. All you have to do is share with us in the comment section about something you are thankful for this Thanksgiving. Even if this has been a difficult year for your family, think of one thing you’re thankful for and tell us about it.  By focusing on the blessings God has given us, we can change our attitudes about our circumstances. We’ll randomly choose one adult winner and one student winner from the responses we receive. Be sure to leave your name. We’ll announce the winner on the blog, and then the winner will need to e-mail us your mailing address.

What are you thankful for this year?

Happy Thanksgiving and pray on!

(The painting is called “The First Thanksgiving” by Jean Louis Gerome Ferris, courtesy of commonswikimedia.org.)

Boundaries. We all need them. But what do we do when we realize that we’ve let our walls of protection fall into disrepair? To do the study “Walls of Protection,” just click on the link!

Image: kai4107 / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Praying scripture is a powerful way to pray for yourself and others. I often use this way to pray when I find a scripture that seems to speak directly to a person or situation.

For example, I’ve often prayed Jeremiah 29:11-13 for my children. I pray that they will know that God has a plan for their lives, to give them a future and a hope, and that they will seek God with their whole hearts. These words of God filled with hope and affirmation seem just right to pray for my children.

Recently, I’ve realized that I can also take some of the scriptures that are warnings or admonishments and pray them for myself and others as well. I’ve not often used some of these words in prayer because of their negative connotation, but the Holy Spirit prompted me to pray the opposite of them.

For example, a few months ago I was reading in 2 Timothy and came across verse 7 “ Always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth,” (NKJV). This verse perfectly describes a friend of mine who loves to study and learn, but thus far has rejected the truth of God’s word. I began praying the opposite of this verse for my friend. “God, thank you that you have given ______ an incredible mind that is always seeking, always learning. I pray that he will be always learning yet able to accept your word as truth. Amen.”

Another example of praying the opposites came to me just a few days ago as I was reading in Isaiah chapter 1. Verses 5 and 6 are talking about how the whole person has been stricken with sickness due to rebellion. Note: I am NOT saying that anyone who is sick is rebellious! In this particular case God was talking about rebellious Judah and how most of the people were in such rebellion that the “whole head is sick and the whole heart is faint,” (v 5). Verse 6 goes on to say, “From the sole of the foot even to the head there is nothing sound in it only bruises, welts and raw wounds, not pressed out or bandaged, nor softened with oil,” (NASB).

These words struck me, because if any of you have been reading a blog for Andrea Vellinga (For the Love of Andrea), a survivor of the Indiana State Fair tragedy, which her brother has been writing for her, one of the ways he has been asking people to pray for Andrea is a complete “head-to-toe healing.” As I read these verses in Isaiah, I thought, “That’s where his prayer came from!” Then I realized what a wonderful way this is to pray for anyone who is sick, no matter what the illness is. We can pray specifically for, say, someone’s diabetes to be healed, but if we also include prayers for healing from the “sole of their feet to their head,” we can also be praying for problems we don’t know about that may exist and could be contributing to the diabetes. And, these verses also refer to the whole person—the” whole heart,” so we need to remember that praying for spiritual healing or emotional healing is just as important as physical healing, and sometimes they are connected to each other.

Now, I don’t shy away from some of these “hard” verses, realizing that I can use them to “pray the opposites” for myself and others.

What about you? Do you have an opposite verse you like to pray for others? Feel free to share it below.

Pray on!

Image: graur razvan ionut / FreeDigitalPhotos.net (image of Bible and praying hands)

“Only be strong and very courageous…” I have often been anything but! However, if we study God’s Word we can become fearless followers of Christ. To do the study, “Strong and Courageous,” just click on the link!

Image: photostock / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Ever since I was a little girl, I have loved to follow twisty, turny paths through the woods. Who knew what great adventure could be just beyond the next turn? The Bible compares our lives to paths. In order to follow Jesus, we must follow the path He made for us two thousand years ago. To do the study “Paths,” please click on the link!

Image: Simon Howden / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Recently I attended a prayer retreat with the prayer team at my church. For the first hour we met to discuss a book we had been reading, and then we split up to spend the rest of the time in solitude with God. We were free to go into the chapel, into private rooms, or we could also wander the grounds outside. I headed out into the sunshine, deciding between a trail through the woods, the flower gardens, a prayer labyrinth or the stations of the cross.

My feet led me down a trail into the woods, a cool, peaceful refuge from the heat of the summer day. I settled on a bench and quieted myself, tuning into my surroundings and the Lord. Birds called back and forth to each other and a light breeze ruffled my hair. A ray of sunshine penetrated the trees and landed on me, warming my skin. “Thank you, Lord, for this beautiful place,” I prayed. “Help me to hear you clearly today.”

I closed my eyes and breathed deeply. Then I felt it. The irritating bite of a mosquito. I slapped it away and refocused my thoughts on God. Zing. Another bite. And then another. I snapped my eyes open to see mosquitos swarming around me. Flies soon joined the mosquitoes. Under the bench I saw beetles and a centipede. Uggh! So much for focusing clearly on God. Sheepishly I remembered that before I left that morning, I had slathered on peach lotion. Good grief! The sun was warming my skin, broadcasting the peach scent on the morning breeze to every nearby insect.

I was going to have to move along and find a spot free from pesky insects. I gathered my things when the thought hit me: “Isn’t this what our lives as Christ-followers are to be like?”

The Scent of Jesus

The more we become like Jesus, the more we will emanate the scent and lusciousness of Jesus to everyone, just like a ripe piece of fruit advertises its scent to all who walk by—people and mosquitoes alike. We may sometimes feel that we attract the wrong kind of attention—people antagonistic to our faith may frequently cross our paths. If you’re a person who always seems to be attracting antagonistic or needy people, maybe it’s because you’re doing something right, and they’re being drawn in by the Jesus they sense in you. As God gives you the opportunity, you can then point them to Jesus.

That’s what happened to Jesus. Everywhere He went, people flocked to him. And He loved them all—the tax collectors, the adulterers, the lepers, the little children. All the people groups that society said were outcasts or unimportant, Jesus took the time to love and bring life to.

God impressed upon me that day how important it is for us as Christ-followers to have patience, grace and love with everyone we meet. He allowed me to see that at many different stages in my life, I myself have been a “mosquito” to a believer—and may even be right now!

I think through this little analogy God was telling me we need to expect the mosquitoes in life, and that if we don’t have any, then maybe that’s the real problem, because that means we don’t smell any different from anyone else in the world.

What do you think?

Pray on!

Forest image courtesy of the following:

Image: dan / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Do you pick up coins when you spot them on the ground? Would you stop to pick up a single penny? After all, “A penny saved is a penny earned.” Jesus used a parable about a penny to teach His followers an important lesson. To do the study A Penny Saved,  just click on the link!

Photo Euros, Cash and Coins by Stuart Miles

“Whoever has no rule over his own spirit is like a city broken down without walls.” Proverbs 25:28

A big snowstorm the night before had dropped lots of snow in our city—so much that the schools were closed for the day. But of course that didn’t slow down my 9-year-old son, and he and his neighborhood friends had been outside for hours playing. After awhile, the boys split into two groups and began building snow forts in preparation for a massive snowball fight. They needed strong, sturdy walls to keep the enemy out and to protect “command central” from which they would stockpile their ammo (lots of snowballs) and plan their warfare.

With preparations finally complete, I watched as the boys tried to break into each other’s snow forts, knowing that if they could breach the enemy’s walls, they could probably win the battle.

Today, I’m fascinated by the history of city walls and gates. According to BibleHistory.com, in ancient times, walls around cities were of utmost importance to both cities and villages. Cities were large areas with many homes, a metropolitan area, and were surrounded by protective walls. Villages were smaller areas than cities and did not have walls around them. They were often located close to a city and depended on that city for commerce and protection.

The walls of a city were very tall and several meters thick, with a flat top and towers. The flat top enabled guards to walk along the top edge and see far in every direction—both inside and outside of the city. They could watch for criminal activity inside the city, and they could watch for enemy invasions coming from outside the city.

Towers were built higher than the rest of the wall and were often positioned on top of a gate. They were also located where the walls turned a corner (called corner towers). The towers allowed even greater visibility and also provided a protected place to fire off arrows and hurl other weapons at the enemy. The gates themselves were an important part of a city’s life. The gates were open during the day to allow for commerce and travel and were closed at night to protect the city. Important meetings were often held at the gates.

Ultimately, a city depended upon its walls for protection. If the walls were breached or knocked down, an enemy could overtake the city. Understanding the importance of a city wall helps us understand this analogy as God compares a man who has no rule over his own spirit to a city without walls.

When we go through our days without taking charge over our own spirits, we are like a biblical city that didn’t have a wall to protect it. We are vulnerable to attack from the enemy.

So, how do we have rule over our own spirit? By protecting our “walls.”

I believe the main way is by putting on the armor of God as described in Ephesians 6:10-18. God does not leave us without protection while we are living on this earth. We have our armor to protect us from enemy attacks, we have prayer to fight the battle, and we have the Holy Spirit to guide us. We need to be proactive to protect ourselves.

However, the threat is from more than outside sources. Just as the soldiers of an ancient city could see criminal activity within their own city walls, we must also protect ourselves from the battle we fight with our flesh from within ourselves, because it’s just not outside enemy attacks that can hurt us—our own decisions and choices can lead to our downfall as well. Having control over our own spirits means that we live as mature believers, taking control of our emotions, actions and words. It means walking in the Spirit so that we do not gratify the desire of the flesh. We must set a guard on what we watch, read, hear and do.

When we set boundaries, our “walls of protection” can’t be breached, but when we ignore our own boundaries, we can end up saying things we regret; we can end up dwelling on negative, fearful thoughts; or, we can end up in places we shouldn’t be doing things we shouldn’t be doing. We have then breached our own walls of protection, giving the enemy a foothold into our lives. If we repent and make a better choice, we can move forward. If we repeat the bad pattern, it can become a stronghold.

Just as a bunch of 9-year-old boys understood the importance of walls in winning the battle, as Christians we too must be savvy enough to maintain the walls of protection in our own lives.

Thought: Keep your wall of protection in good repair.

Prayer: Dear Jesus, We thank You that You have not left us defenseless. You have given us the armor of God to protect us, prayer to wage the battle and the Holy Spirit to guide us. Help us to make the right choices each day so that we can live in freedom, not in bondage. Amen.

Image: xedos4 / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

What were you born to do? Perhaps you were born to sing. Maybe you were born to run.  Possibly you were born to shop! God’s Word says that if you are in Chirst, then you were Born to Win! To do the study, please click on the link!

Image: graur razvan ionut / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

How many times have you said, “Sure, I’ll pray for you,” when someone shares a prayer request with you, but then you forget about it?

Or perhaps you hear about a situation on the radio that you want to pray for, or you want to add a particular country to your prayer list. It’s easy for these random thoughts and requests to fall into the black hole in our minds.

Part of the problem is that we often think of these requests or someone shares them with us when we’re out and about in the midst of a busy day or maybe when we’re at church. We’re usually distracted by what we’re already doing, so it’s easy for the request to get lost in the multitude of other things that are already going on.

Well, I’ve stumbled upon a few ways to deal with this situation.

One solution is an idea my sister Mary shared with me. When she fears she may forget to pray as promised later because of all the distractions of the here and now, she stops and says, “Sure, I’ll pray for you. Let’s do it right now.” And then she stops and prays with the person right then, trusting that the Holy Spirit will bring that request to mind later when she needs to pray again.

Just lately, I’ve decided to try another tactic to capture these type of what I call “butterfly prayers” that flutter at me through my day. I decided to make a prayer board and hang it on the wall in my home office. I chose my office, because that is where I spend most of my time during the day. I’ve started carrying a small notebook in my purse, and as I hear of requests I need to remember, I write them in my notebook and then add my butterfly prayers to my board to help me remember them. What’s different about these prayers is that often times they’re for people or things not on my usual prayer lists–which makes me prone to forgetting them. And they’re often requests that are time sensitive; they need intensive prayer for a set amount of time. Well, now every time I glance at the board, I see them.

I’ve also added a few other things to the prayer board that I want to be reminded of frequently. Let’s look at a some ways to use this prayer board and brainstorm what you may want to add to it.

First of all, to make the board, I just purchased a bulletin board. You can stop there if you want and be ready to go, but I also covered mine with colorful paper. I added a few sparkly stickers to the top and purchased some fun tacks. That’s certainly not necessary, but it spiffs it up a bit. Then I hung it right where I would see it frequently.  (Just a home improvement hint: my husband recommends using Velcro strips. They’re fast, forgiving, and don’t leave holes in the walls!) Now for a few ideas on how to use the board.

• Add those butterfly prayers that you need to pray for frequently.
• Hang your current scripture memory verse on the board.
• Put a picture of a missionary you’re praying for on the board.
• Put a picture of your sponsored child on the board.
• Are you praying for a certain country or geographic area of the world this week? Add that to your board.
• Choose a name of a persecuted Christian (see Open Doors ) to pray for each day/week and add that name to your prayer board.
• Don’t forget your pastor. I’m sure he or she would appreciate the additional prayers.
• Add any lesson/character trait you’re working on. For example, for the last two years I’ve attended a spiritual retreat. Each time I was at this retreat, the Lord has given me a one-word concept He wanted me to work on. The first year my word was joy. This year the word is focus. I’ve added that word to my board.

Be sure you change out the information on your board as you’re done praying for past requests and new ones come along. You may even want to change the decor on the board to match the seasons and spiritual holidays to help you focus on them as we celebrate them throughout the year.

These are just some ideas to get you started. I’m sure you can think of others, and I’d love it if you’d share those in the comments section below.

Enjoy your prayer board and …

Pray on!

What do you live for? Is there something that you often say you can’t live without? For many of us it’s coffee!  In the Bible, Anna lived for something much more significant than coffee. As a matter of fact, she spent her whole life waiting for one beautiful moment. To do the study One Anna, One Purpose just click on the link!

Image: Sura Nualpradid / FreeDigitalPhotos.net