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The 12 Days of Thanks Giving: Day 4, God’s Word

November 19, 2014 by MaryK 5 Comments

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Day 4: God’s Word

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” John 1:1

 

God’s word [wurd] noun

1. the Bible.

 

We would not get very far without God’s Word.

In Genesis 1:3 God speaks creation into being. The whole universe comes together at His words. Sun, moon, stars, seas, plants, animals, people. Everything. Without God’s Word nothing would be here. Fast forward many years to the birth of Jesus. John 1:14 tells us that Jesus not only speaks God’s Word, He is God’s Word. “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us.” God sent Jesus to earth to fix the break in the relationship between man and God brought about by sin. God’s Word gives us new life when we accept Jesus as our Savior.

After salvation, God’s Word continues to play a most important role in our lives. Through it God instructs and encourages us. He molds us and disciplines us. He shapes us into His image through our obedience to His Word and the Holy Spirit’s work in each believer. It’s important to grasp the power of His Word. Hebrews 4:12 tells us “For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.”

Pray God’s Word

I am so thankful for scripture and it’s power in my life. If you’ve not yet begun praying it, this is a perfect time to begin.

  1. Ask the Holy Spirit to give you a scripture for your prayer requests.
  2. Begin praying God’s Word over people and into situations.
  3. Memorize scripture. The more verses you know by heart, the more effectively you can pray.

More of God’s Word

If you’d like to explore this theme further, please listen to  How to Pray God’s Word.

Also, you must check out this beautiful Pinterest pin I found highlighting some of God’s Words.

 

Comment

Please leave a comment below in the Speak Your Mind section on what God teaches you today about His Word.

 

Previous Links

  • Introduction
  • Day 1: Light
  • Day 2: Cleansing
  • Day 3: Sacrifice

By Mary Kane

All rights reserved.

copyright 2016

god’s word. Dictionary.com. Dictionary.com Unabridged. Random House, Inc. http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/god’s word (accessed: November 18, 2014).

Filed Under: 12 Days of Thanks Giving, Blog, Holy Days & Holidays, Thanksgiving Tagged With: creations, God, God's Word, Holy Spirit, Jesus, obedience, power, prayer, praying, salvation, Savior, scripture, Word

How To Measure Up to God’s Standard, Part 2

October 10, 2014 by Jane VanOsdol 5 Comments

“Therefore, this is what the Sovereign LORD says: ‘Look! I am placing a foundation stone in Jerusalem, a firm and tested stone. It is a precious cornerstone that is safe to build on. Whoever believes need never be shaken. I will test you with the measuring line of justice and the plumb line of righteousness.” (Isaiah 28:16-17a NLT)

In Part 1 of this post, we left Israel in limbo waiting through 400 years of silence from God. I can’t imagine living my whole life without any sign or word from God. Finally, God breaks His silence, and He does it through a series of spectacular angelic visitations. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Blog, Encouragement, Insights, Living Truth Tagged With: angel, cross, God, Grace, Jesus, law, plumb line, prayer

How To Measure Up to God’s Standard, part 1

September 4, 2014 by Jane VanOsdol 3 Comments

Then he showed me another vision. I saw the Lord standing beside a wall that had been built using a plumb line. He was using a plumb line to see if it was still straight. And the Lord medium_249770397-2said to me, “Amos, what do you see?”

I answered, “A plumb line.”

And the Lord replied, “I will test my people with this plumb line. I will no longer ignore all their sins. The pagan shrines of your ancestors[a] will be ruined, and the temples of Israel will be destroyed; I will bring the dynasty of King Jeroboam to a sudden end.”                    Amos 7:7-9

~

(Just in case you’ve never used a plumb line, let me explain how it works. Basically a plumb line is a long string with a weight at the end. When you want to establish what is perfectly true or vertical, you suspend the string from the top of a structure and then let it unfurl itself so that the weight dangles straight down without touching the wall or object you’re trying to align.  When it stops moving the vertical line or true has been established. I used one years ago when I was wallpapering my kitchen.)

I am so taken with these scriptures today. I can just picture God   [Read more…]

Filed Under: Blog, Encouragement, Insights, Living Truth Tagged With: Amos, creation, God, Israelites, law, plumb line, prophets, true, vision

Boost Your Faith and Your Fitness in Seven Weeks

August 6, 2014 by Jane VanOsdol Leave a Comment

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Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers. 3 John: 2

Have you ever wanted to step out in faith for a work you felt God was calling you to do yet felt that something was holding you back?

It can be frustrating trying to figure out what you’re missing. Over the years Mary and I have discovered a few things that it takes to be an effective worker for God’s kingdom. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Bible Studies, Blog, Faith & Fit Tagged With: available, challenges, Faith & Fit, fit, fitness, God, health, Jesus, online Bible study, physical health, recipes, smoothie

How to Pray

July 25, 2014 by Jane VanOsdol 2 Comments

ScripturegraphicArticleHowToPrayFD2 “Prayer is entering into relationship with God so we can determine His will in the matter and call His will into existence upon the earth.” 

Elisabeth Alves, Becoming a Prayer Warrior (22)

I love this definition of Elizabeth’s. It makes me feel like I’m in partnership with God by helping usher in his kingdom to the earth. Audacious work, don’t you think?

Prayer can be confusing. How exactly do I go about it? What praying looks like probably differs from Christian to Christian, but I wanted to pinpoint some of the things that prayer time should include.

 Consistent Prayer Time

First, our prayers need to be ongoing and consistent. See Acts 6:1-4 and Romans 12:10-12. In Acts the apostles recruited some help to free up their time for the important job of “prayer and the ministry of the word.” Whether your work is raising a family, holding down a job, or running a ministry, carving out regular time for prayer is important to that work.

It helps to choose a time of day to pray and then stick to it. Part of that will be based on your own natural body clock, and the other part will be based on your schedule. It has worked out for me to pray in the mornings because I am a morning person. I feel renewed in the mornings; I love the feeling that I have a thus-far unblemished day stretching before me, and to start it with prayer puts me in the right mindset. I also know myself. If I don’t pray in the morning, the tyranny of the schedule takes over, and I rarely get back to prayer later in the day.

My college-aged daughter on the other-hand, can barely function in the mornings but comes alive in the afternoons and evenings, long after I have clocked out for the night. She likes to have her prayer time in the evenings. I also know people who pray while commuting to work by bus or car. Experiment to see what works for you.

 Where to Pray

Having a special place to pray can help you focus and set the mood for prayer. In the warm months (May – October for me), my favorite prayer spot is my backyard deck. The early morning sun, birds singing, and butterflies flitting from flower to flower fill me up with God’s creation, and my prayers seem to bloom right alongside the nature I’m immersed in.

In the colder months, I park on the couch by my picture window which overlooks the backyard deck. I can still see nature in the changing seasons right outside my window.

Naturally, it helps if your prayer place is relatively quiet and free of interruptions. But if you have little ones, don’t be discouraged. Use the free minutes you have, and include your children when you can. What better way to instruct your children to pray than by pulling them up on your lap with you while you pray?

*Update: Special Prayer Places

I’ve recently discovered a church down the block from my house that has a beautiful prayer chapel that is open to the public. Once or twice a month I love to go to this chapel for a time of in-depth, focused prayer with God. I’ve also found a prayer retreat center within 25 minutes from where I live. The grounds and chapel are open to the public, and they also have overnight stays that are very reasonably priced. Google retreat centers Indianapolis (put your city’s name in place of Indianapolis) to see what may be available in your area.

 Methods of Praying

Many people incorporate the ACTS way of praying into their prayer lives. It has been around for a long time, and is a wonderful template for a prayer time.

ACTS

•A stands for adoration. Start by praising God for who He is.
•C stands for confession. Confess your sins to God.
•T stands for thanksgiving. Thank God for the blessings in your life.
•S stands for supplication. Present your requests to God.

*Update: The Hour That Changes the World by Dick Eastman

As an update to this original post I wrote a few years ago, I am now experimenting with this prayer method by Dick Eastman outlined in his book. He breaks a one-hour block of time into 12 segments with a different emphasis of prayer in each segment. I don’t use all of the 12 segments, but have tailored them to me, and my prayer life has been enriched by this method. Adding even a few of the 12 suggested segments will open up new prayer experiences for you.

 Prayer Notebook

I’ve found it helpful to keep a prayer notebook of my requests. I’ve used many different formats over the years and am sure I will change it again, but currently I am using a 3-ring binder that I fill with graph paper. I split the graph paper into 5 or 6 columns. Each column is assigned to a specific person, organization, church or country. I write in the things I know I need to pray for, as well as the things God brings to my mind as I pray. Sometimes I include a monthly calendar on which I have noted any upcoming prayer items that I don’t want to forget. I also keep a little spiral notebook handy to record any ideas God may give me.

*Update to Prayer Notebook

My prayer notebook has changed once again. I am using a three-ring binder and have created eight tabbed sections where I record requests and answers: Monthly, Family, Friends, Strategic, Persecuted Christians, Only By Prayer,Work, and Prayer Team. Some I use more than others, with the Monthly tab getting the most use as I put the most current requests here. Tailor a system that works for you, making it as simple or as complex as you would like.

New! Prayer Journaling

I’ve also added prayer journaling to my prayer time several days a week. I have a special notebook that I use to record any insights God is giving me as I spend time in silence, listening to Him and meditating on His word. During this time, I also use colored pens and pencils to sketch out any pictures of ideas or thoughts He may put in my mind. Always make sure that these thoughts and prayers line up with what scripture says. God will not tell you things that are contrary to His Word. (Do not add to his words, or he will rebuke you and prove you a liar. Proverbs 30:6)

I hope these suggestions spur on your prayer life. If you’d like to explore this topic further, you may want to check out our How To Pray podcast on Praying God’s Word. What are some prayer habits you’ve developed? Please share them below and …

Pray on!

Filed Under: Blog, Prayer, Spiritual Disciplines Tagged With: Elizabeth Alves, God, how to pray, ministry, pray, prayer, prayer notebook, prayer time, prayer warrior, prayers, Word

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Bible study writer. Teacher. Runner. A fan of all four seasons. Loves Jesus. Follow me @MaryKayKane. Read More…

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Writer. Gardener. Traveling across the country. Certified aromatherapist. Outdoor enthusiast. Follower of Jesus. For more information, follow me on Instagram @JaneVanOsdol. Read More…

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