Day 4

To Do-ers List: Walk by Faith

Learning to walk by faith is also a process.

We stumble.

We stagger.

We fall. Bumped, bruised, and hurt-yes. Vanquished-no. We are not beaten because we fall; we are only beaten if we refuse to rise. We get up and try again. We learn to walk by faith.

What does a walk of faith look like?

A walk of faith looks like a series of good decisions based on the truth of God’s Word.

• A friend invites you to a party. You know your parents would not approve. You also know they will never find out. You say no. You walk by faith. “Children, honor your parents.”
• Your co-workers are chewing up a colleague no one likes (for good reason) at the lunch table. You change the subject. You walk by faith. “Let no unwholesome talk proceed out of your mouth.”
• Your husband has asked you to make a pie for tomorrow’s work picnic after he has just delivered a five-point lecture on how to park the car. The nerve of him. You make the pie. You walk by faith. “Repay evil with good.”
• Your sister/spouse/boss/mother-in-law snaps at you during a conversation. You choose (it takes all your strength) to answer with respect. You walk by faith. “Repay no one evil for evil.”
• You KNOW God has called you to serve in the new ministry at church. It doesn’t make sense – everyone says so. Some say you aren’t qualified, skilled, or educated enough to do it. God calls you anyway. You say yes. You walk by faith. “Be on your guard before Him and obey His voice.”
  

Walking by faith is obeying God when it’s easier not to.

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Walking by faith is usually scary, uncomfortable, and involves stepping out of the usual. But I have to tell you, I have never regretted a single step of faith. How do we avoid walking by sight? By keeping our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfector of our faith.

What is the outcome of walking by faith?

Our faith grows.

The faith of others grows.

Our lives produce fruit.

We are entrusted with greater work.

The greatest benefit of walking by faith is listed in verse 9 … we please our Father.

For Today:

Make decisions based on faith; not fear, not feelings, not the usual. When faced with a decision today ask yourself, What would a faithful person do? And do it.

Use the To-Doers List Study Guide or a journaling app to plan and journal  your day.

• To Do-ers List Journal Page PDF
• Days Lite: My Wonderful Life App free app from App Store.

For ideas on how to walk by faith, please check the resources below.

•  How Strong is Your Faith?
• Keeping Faith Strong Through the Summer

Please take a moment to pray and ask God for His strength to walk by faith. Don’t forget to leave a comment in the comment section below. Have a blessed day!

Missed a day? Don’t worry. Just click on the links below!

To Do-ers List, Day 1: Love God

To Do-ers List, Day 2: Love Others

To Do-ers List, Day 3: Pray ’bout Everything

by Mary Kane

Copyright 2015

all rights reserved

Day 3

To Do-ers List: Pray ’bout Everything

6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; 7 and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. 8 Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things.

Philippians 4:6-8

Be anxious for nothing.

In today’s verse, God tells us to be anxious about NOTHING. Speeding tickets … tests … denting the car (I did that this week, ugh!) …  broken relationships … money … college …  kids … etc.

NOTHING.

How are we to be anxious about nothing? Instead of worrying, God gives us something else to do. Pray. Pray ’bout everything. Big things, little things, hurtful things, fun things, special things, ordinary things … everything. The Greek word for everything used in today’s verse is the little tiny word pas, which simply means every thing. As my favorite Bible teacher says, If God tells us to pray ’bout everything, it’s because everything can be affected by prayer.

When you pray, tell God everything on your heart. Pour out your feelings. Finally, (gulp, big leap of faith) ask Him to answer your prayer according to His will.

What happens after we pray?

And the peace of Christ will guard your hearts and minds …

I have dealt with stress in my life; I know this one. Anxiety has left its mark upon my soul. But, God promises to guard our hearts and minds if we offer Him our prayers and supplications (confiding in God about personal needs) with thanksgiving. In general, when do we offer thanks for something? When someone has completed a service for us. God knows our prayers before we offer them. He is already acting before we say Amen. That is why we can thank Him.

When I have finished praying, I can’t say I have always felt peaceful. But, this is where faith comes in. Remember,

this life we live as Christians is a walk of faith, not feelings.

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After we pray ’bout everything and thank God for acting according to His will, we have one more job to do: we meditate. Meditate on what?

Good things.

True things.

Lovely things.

Beautiful things.

Praiseworthy things.

Why?

Because prayer is a battle of the mind.

Satan will try to knock us off track. The world will entice us to worry. Our mind will try to lead us back to our familiar comfortable habit of worry. We must control our thoughts and focus our mind. What we think about is our choice. Stop the worry cycle. Turn your worries into prayers.

Worry-prayer-thanksgiving-true thoughts.

Worry-prayer-thanksgiving-true thoughts.

Prayer-thanksgiving-true thoughts. Leave the worry out.

Pray ’bout everything.

For Today:

As you go about your day, pray ’bout everything. Laundry, dishes, driving, washing your hair, mowing the lawn, exercising, texts, phone calls, chores, friends, enemies. Cover it all in prayer. Pray ’bout everything.

Use the To-Doers List Study Guide or a journaling app to plan and journal your day.

• To Do-ers List Study Guide PDF
• Days Lite: My Wonderful Life App free app from App Store.

Prayer Resources:

• The Prayer Notebook App  I love using this app! You’ll never forget a prayer request again. The Prayer Notebook even comes with an alarm for specific requests.
• How To Pray Read this post for suggestions on how to enhance your prayer life.
• Prayer Strategy:  When You Don’t Know What To Pray This post outlines a strategy for praying through life’s difficult and tragic situations.

Start the day off on the right foot. Pray now for God to show you things to pray for and to remind you to pray throughout the day (or set the timer on your prayer app). Don’t forget to leave your comments below. I can’t wait to hear from you!

Have a prayerful day.

In case you missed the first two days, click on the links below.

To Do-ers List, Day 1: Love God

To Do-ers List, Day 2: Love Others

Mary Kane

copyright 2015

all rights reserved

Day 2

Since we started our series with God’s Greatest Commandment: Love God, it is fitting that we move on to His second greatest commandment: to love others as we love ourselves. Ouch! That is a tall order. In my opinion, it is easier to love God than to love other people. Other people can be annoying. They can let us down. And quite often they don’t love us back. How can we love somebody who does not love us? How can we love others?

Fortunately, loving others is a choice we make, which does not depend on their attitude towards us.

Loving is a choice, not a feeling.

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Identifying others.

Today’s verse uses the word neighbors. Love my neighbors … I don’t even know some of my neighbors. In the Greek, others/neighbors transliterates as plesion, which means “neighbor, friend, any member of the Hebrew nation and commonwealth; according to Christ, any other man irrespective of nation or religion with whom we live or whom we chance to meet.” Did you notice the spatial/geographical progression of the definition? Neighbor … friends … Americans … any person in the world. So others refers to everybody in the whole world. Wow! While it is impossible for me to tangibly love everyone, I can love others whom I chance to meet.

Loving others as you love yourself.

How do I love me, let me count the ways. Start by thinking about how you treat yourself. You take the best piece of cake for yourself (the one with the frosting flower). You sit in the chair, which affords the best view of the TV screen. You order first (always) at Panera. You ride in the front seat of the car. When with your friends, everyone eats at your favorite restaurant and shops at your preferred stores. Loving others calls for a 180 attitude adjustment.

Do you want others to pray for you? Pray for them. Do you desire mercy? Show mercy. Do you like encouragement? Encourage others. Do you want others to love you? Love others.

Love others as you love yourself.

For Today:

Before you start your planning for today, take a moment to pray for God’s guidance and power as you seek to love others. Today, as situations arise which involve others, think of how you’d wish to be treated and treat them accordingly. Be especially aware of people who:

• cut you off in traffic (you and I have NEVER done this).
• are slow in the checkout lane.
• bring you food you did not order (or forgot to leave off the onions-again).
• are late for an appointment, meeting, or dinner.

Use the To-Doers List Study Guide or a journaling app to plan and journal your day.

• To Do-ers List Study Guide PDF The study guide is very essential to your learning!
  
• Days Lite: My Wonderful Life App free app from App Store.

For ideas on how to love others, please check the resources below.

• Love Like Jesus
• Love By Faith

Don’t forget to leave a comment in the comment section below. Have a blessed day. Remember to love others!

In case you missed day 1, click on the link below:

To Do-ers List, Day 1: Love God

By Mary Kane

all rights reserved.

copyright 2015

Day 1

To Do-ers List: Love God

“37 Jesus said to him, “‘You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and great commandment.” Matthew 22:37-38

God is a list maker.

He made the greatest list known to mankind: The Ten Commandments. Immediately after giving His people the commandments, God reveals the Greatest Commandment. Love God with all your heart, soul, mind, and with all your strength. What is the heart of the Greatest Commandment? Love. More important than keeping a list of rules is a heart that beats with love for God. The Greatest Commandment is the key to keeping all the other commandments.

Love God.

How do you act when you are in love with someone? You think of them constantly. You spend every moment possible in their presence. You can’t wait to hear from them. You constantly listen for a text or call. You know their voice anywhere. You find ways to please them. You learn everything you can about your Love.

Loving God.

First on our To Do-ers List is love God. How will that look for you? How will you love God at work, at home, while running errands? How will you direct your thoughts God-ward? When will you be in His presence? How will you listen for His voice? What will you do to learn about Him?

Perhaps you feel anxious about today’s To Do-ers List because you know you don’t love God as you should. Talk to Him. Tell Him you are willing to love Him with all your heart, soul, mind and strength. He will change your heart. Don’t wait for your feelings. Do the love thing.

Right feelings follow right actions.

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For Today:

Spend a few moments in prayer. Ask God to help you love Him with all your heart. He will give you a new heart that beats only for Him. Look for ways to show your love for God in everything you do today.

Use the To-Doers List Study Guide or a journaling app to plan and journal your day.

• To Do-ers List Study Guide PDF
• Days Lite: My Wonderful Life App free app from App Store.

Below are a few resources to help you spend time with Him.

• One Place
• Living Proof Ministries
• Joyce Meyer Ministries

Don’t forget to leave a comment in the comment section below or leave a comment on our private To Do-ers List Facebook page.

Love God.

Have a blessed day.

all rights reserved.

copyright 2015.

To Do-ers List

22 But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. 23 For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror; 24 for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was. 25 But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does.” James 1:22-25

Welcome to To Do-ers List Bible study series. I pray you find this short series beneficial and life changing.

I am a list maker. Most days I start my morning by making my to-do list. My to-do list keeps me focused and helps me make valuable use of my time. God is a doer as well; creating is one of His specialties. We can be listeners, hearers, watchers, thinkers, and gatherers of His word, but there must be a point in time when we become doers.

It is important to note while other Greek words for hearing translate as  “understanding, perceiving, and obeying,” the word used for hearer in the verse above means simply one who passively hears. No action. No engagement. Classic in one ear and out the other. But, God calls us to be doers of His word.

The Bible lists many benefits of being do-ers of the Word.

1. Correction, instruction, and training (2 Timothy 3:16)
2. Wisdom (Psalm 19:7)
3. Freedom (John 8:32)
4. Life (John 6:68)
5. Strength (Joel 2:11)
6. Greater faith (Romans 10:17)
7. Comfort, revival, and peace (Psalm 119:7-16)
8. Plus many, many other benefits.

God has not given us His Word for information, but for transformation. Therefore, the mission of this Bible study series is to change hearers into doers. Each day we will focus on one command from Scripture and apply it to our lives. Every nook and cranny, every chore, errand, and encounter of our lives will be covered in the Word of God.

Starting July 27^th, check our website every morning at 5:00 a.m. to get your To Do-ers List for the day.

From hearers to doers. Are you up for the challenge?

Study Guides:

To help you organize your daily study and record your experiences, please download and print the following PDF, or download the journal app to your favorite Apple device.

• To Do-ers List Study Guide PDF
• Days Lite: My Wonderful Life App free app from App Store.

Please add your name to the comment section below if you are up for the challenge. Don’t forget to comment on your experience in the comment section below!

**If you are starting late, please access the first six days of the study on the links below!**

To Do-ers List Day 1: Love God

To Do-ers List, Day 2: Love Others

To Do-ers List, Day 3: Pray ’bout Everything

To Do-ers List, Day 4: Walk by Faith

To Do-ers List, Day 5: Word in Me

To Do-ers List: Day 6: Always Do Good

Be a doer of the word.

by Mary Kane

All rights reserved. Copyright 2015.

For many of us, September means we bid good-bye to the lazier days of summer as we usher in the busy season of school and holidays and the changing of the seasons .  While I’m sure you’re never at a loss for things to pray about, here’s a prayer list (including a free printable ) to guide your prayers this month!

1. Schools – When you think of how many hours a year children spend in school, (in my state of Indiana it’s about 1,260 hours per year), we can’t underestimate the importance of that influence on our kid’s minds, emotions, and spirits. Let’s remember the school administration, teachers, and of course the students in our prayers.

Verse: 1 Timothy 4:12 “Let no one despise you for your youth, but set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity.”

Prayer: Lord, we pray that our children will never do anything that causes anyone to despise them. We pray they will be quick to confess and repent of sin. May they set an example for others by how they talk and act. Give them a love for and kindness toward people, especially those who are being ridiculed. Grow their faith over the years and may they be an encouragement to other children and adults. Keep them pure in a culture that encourages casual relationships and sex. We pray that their schools will be safe places and their teachers will be honest, wise, godly role models. Amen.

Free printable! Please download this one-page printable I’ve made with specific ways to pray for our schools. Praying for Schools

2. Patriot Day (9-11) – Patriot Day is the day set aside to remember the terrorist attacks on our country on September 11, 2001. With the rise of terrorism around the world, I can’t think of a better time to pray for God to derail the plans of the enemy and protect all nations against terrorist attacks.

Every year on Patriot Day, a moment of silence is held at 8:46 a.m. EST across the nation at the exact time the first plane struck the North Tower of the World Trade Center.

Verse: Psalm 59: 1 “Deliver me from my enemies, O my God; Defend me from those who rise up against me. Deliver me from the workers of iniquity, And save me from bloodthirsty men.”

Prayer: Lord, we pray a hedge of protection around our nations asking that you would keep us from the evil plotted against us by our enemies. Confuse their plans, expose their plots, and deflate the power of the enemy. We ask for their repentance. We pray for the families who lost loved ones on 9-11. Continue to heal them. And continue to restore those who were wounded. May you bring much good out of the evil that was intended. Amen.

3. Addictions – September is the National Alcohol and Drug Addiction Recovery Month. We probably all know someone whose life has been marred by drugs. Let’s pray that our families will not have to suffer through this scourge. We can also pray against those who profit from the drug industry and protection for those who fight against it.

Verse: Psalm 107:20 “He sent His word and healed them, and delivered them from their destructions.”

Prayer: Lord, we pray for those who are gripped by drugs or alcohol. We ask that they would hear Your words of healing and that you would free them from this bondage. We ask for true repentance and that you would restore the years the locusts have eaten. Please disrupt those who are in the business of making, buying, and selling illegal substances. Give wisdom and protection to those who are fighting to end this problem. Amen.

 4. Workforce – September 1 is Labor Day. We all look forward to having that extra day off of work to relax or go on a fun adventure! Let’s remember to pray this month for the workplace.

Verse: Deuteronomy 30:9-10 “Then the Lord your God will make you most prosperous in all the work of your hands and in the fruit of your womb, the young of your livestock and the crops of your land. The Lord will again delight in you and make you prosperous, just as he delighted in your ancestors, if you obey the Lord your God and keep his commands and decrees that are written in this Book of the Law and turn to the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul.”

Prayer: Lord, we pray you would bless our work. May we do it to the best of our ability. May we focus and work diligently, being honest in our words and actions. Help us to bless those around us and give us the courage to talk about You. May the owners/bosses be honest, kind, and wise. We pray for peace and harmony and protection from workplace violence. Give us patience with each other. Amen.

5. Day of Peace – The United Nations has declared September 21 as the International Day of Peace. On this day they urge all hostilities to stop worldwide. Let’s pray for peace starting in our own homes and then broadening our prayers to include the world.

Verse: Hebrews 12:14-15 “Make every effort to live in peace with everyone and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord. See to it that no one falls short of the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many.”

Prayer: Jesus, we ask that a spirit of peace and holiness would descend over our homes. May we extend grace to those when it is needed, yet practice tough love when as you lead. We pray that we can take this peace of Jesus that passes all understanding and extend it outside of our homes into our communities, states, and countries. We ask for fighting and wars to cease. We pray for your Holy Spirit to hover over each nation. Amen.

Thanks for praying with us. Please add any of your own prayers in the comments below.

Pray on!