Coming Soon! The 12 Days of Easter

Days 1-12: Devotional Journey to Easter

“Jesus said to her, ‘I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die …. ‘” John 11:25-26

At Only By Prayer, we invite you to join us for our 12-day journey to Easter. Starting Wednesday, March 25, we’ll post a short devotion every morning that will encourage you to pray, reflect, and prepare your hearts for Easter Sunday. Although the devotions will only take minutes to read, we think they will linger with you throughout the day, inviting you to draw closer to God.
Be sure to check our home page for the newest post each day. We’d  love to hear your thoughts about how God is working in your life, so feel free to comment at the end of each entry.

Easter [ee-ster]

noun
1. an annual Christian festival in commemoration of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ, observed on the first  Sunday after the first full moon after the vernal equinox, as calculated according to tables based in Western churches on the Gregorian calendar and in Orthodox churches on the Julian calendar.
2. Also called Easter Sunday; the day on which this festival is celebrated.
3. the Easter season; the week following Easter.
Prayer:
Dearest Father,
As we look forward to Easter, we ask that you help us to slow down and ready our hearts to listen to what you  have for us in this season. May we not take Jesus’ sacrifice lightly, but remember all He has done so that we can have eternal life. In His holy name, Amen.
easter. Dictionary.com. Dictionary.com Unabridged. Random House, Inc. http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/easter (accessed: March 23, 2015).


Lent Day 12, Fasting that Pleases God by Mary Kane

Are you intimidated by the practice of fasting? Does the thought of going forty days without food make you faint from hunger? Relax–God is not impressed with the length of your fasting or the depth of your suffering, but with the heart of your scarifice. To do the Lenten devotion Fasting that Pleases God please click on the link.

Image: Paul / FreeDigitalPhotos.net



Introduction to Lent

Lent is a time of preparation for Easter. It is a reflective time, where we focus on getting our “spiritual houses” in order. This year of 2012, Lent begins on Ash Wednesday, February 22 and goes through Holy Saturday, April 7. Mary and I would like to invite you to join us each day with a scripture reading and a focus for that day. Just click on the tab Devotions and then Lenten Devotions for that day’s reading.

We will be exploring these themes during Lent this year:

  • Self-denial
  • Fasting
  • Simplicity
  • Spiritual growth
  • Seeking God’s will
  • Repentance

We are praying that all of our hearts will be changed as we embark on this journey together.

Won’t you join us?

Image: Janaka Dharmasena / FreeDigitalPhotos.net



Take 5! Pray Often by Mary Kane

Do you often feel overwhelmed  by all that you have to do during the course of a normal day? In order to get your life undercontrol you need to Take 5!and spend a little time with the Lord! To do the study “Pray Often” just click on the link!