strength – Grow Anyway

STOP and ABOUT-TURN

December 14, 2022December 13, 2022by Liz Goss2 Comments

There are 2½ weeks left in 2022 and I have a message for you: stop and about-turn. When you read those words, they probably caught in your throat and you instantly thought of something. We all need to stop and turn around in some area. So let’s look at twenty things we can stop doing and how we can turn them around with truth from scripture.

STOP: taking control

ABOUT-TURN: remember God is in control

“And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.” – Romans‬ ‭8‬:‭28‬ ‭[NLT‬‬]

STOP: worrying

ABOUT-TURN: pray

“Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.” – Philippians‬ ‭4‬:‭6‬-‭7‬ ‭[NLT‬‬]

STOP: saying “I can’t”

ABOUT-TURN: say “I can”

“For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength.” – Philippians‬ ‭4‬:‭13‬ ‭[NLT‬‬]

STOP: giving into temptation

ABOUT-TURN: escape temptation

“The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure.” – 1 Corinthians‬ ‭10‬:‭13‬ ‭[NLT‬‬]

STOP: giving up

ABOUT-TURN: persevere

“So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up.” – Galatians‬ ‭6‬:‭9‬ ‭[NLT‬‬]

STOP: letting anger control you

ABOUT-TURN: forgive

“Sensible people control their temper; they earn respect by overlooking wrongs.” – Proverbs‬ ‭19‬:‭11‬ [‭NLT‬‬]

STOP: letting your mind wander

ABOUT-TURN: control your thought life

“We destroy every proud obstacle that keeps people from knowing God. We capture their rebellious thoughts and teach them to obey Christ.” – ‭‭2 Corinthians‬ ‭10‬:‭5‬ ‭[NLT‬‬]

STOP: filling your mind with garbage

ABOUT-TURN: fill your mind with virtuous things

“And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.” – Philippians‬ ‭4‬:‭8‬ ‭[NLT‬‬]

STOP: hanging out with people that lead you to sin

ABOUT-TURN: find friends that help you grow

“Don’t be fooled by those who say such things, for “bad company corrupts good character.”” – 1 Corinthians‬ ‭15‬:‭33‬ ‭[NLT‬‬]

STOP: feeling guilty

ABOUT-TURN: confess and be forgiven

“But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness.” – ‭‭1 John‬ ‭1‬:‭9‬ ‭[NLT‬‬]

STOP: sinning over an over

ABOUT-TURN: confess your sin and stop

“People who conceal their sins will not prosper, but if they confess and turn from them, they will receive mercy.” – Proverbs‬ ‭28‬:‭13‬ ‭[NLT‬‬]

STOP: doubting

ABOUT-TURN: trust

“But if you have doubts about whether or not you should eat something, you are sinning if you go ahead and do it. For you are not following your convictions. If you do anything you believe is not right, you are sinning.” – Romans‬ ‭14‬:‭23‬ ‭[NLT‬‬]

STOP: looking everywhere for truth

ABOUT-TURN: look to God’s word

“All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work.” – 2 Timothy‬ ‭3‬:‭16‬-‭17‬ ‭[NLT]

STOP: asking everyone around you what to do

ABOUT-TURN: ask God

“So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most. – Hebrews‬ ‭4‬:‭16‬ ‭[NLT‬‬]

STOP: blaming other for our wrongdoing

ABOUT-TURN: take responsibility

“For we must all stand before Christ to be judged. We will each receive whatever we deserve for the good or evil we have done in this earthly body.” – 2 Corinthians‬ ‭5‬:‭10‬ ‭[NLT‬‬]

STOP: getting drunk

ABOUT-TURN: take your problems to God

“Don’t be drunk with wine, because that will ruin your life. Instead, be filled with the Holy Spirit,” – ‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭5‬:‭18‬ ‭[NLT‬‬]

STOP: speaking harshly

ABOUT-TURN: be gentle with your words

“Patience can persuade a prince, and soft speech can break bones.” – Proverbs‬ ‭25‬:‭15‬ ‭[NLT‬‬]

STOP: holding people responsible for their wrong doing

ABOUT-TURN: love each other

“Most important of all, continue to show deep love for each other, for love covers a multitude of sins.” – ‭‭1 Peter‬ ‭4‬:‭8‬ ‭[NLT‬‬]

STOP: holding grudges

ABOUT-TURN: forgive

“But when you are praying, first forgive anyone you are holding a grudge against, so that your Father in heaven will forgive your sins, too.”” – Mark‬ ‭11‬:‭25‬ ‭[NLT‬‬]

STOP: following whatever ideas you want

ABOUT-TURN: discipline yourself by scripture

“Do not waste time arguing over godless ideas and old wives’ tales. Instead, train yourself to be godly.” – 1 Timothy‬ ‭4‬:‭7‬ ‭[NLT‬‬]

Now for the challenge:

Pick one thing to STOP from the list above.
Write down what you need to do to ABOUT-TURN.
Memorize the related scripture verse (or carry it around with you) this week.

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Compassion from the Gut

November 9, 2022November 8, 2022by Stephanie Murillo1 Comment

“But when He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted, and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd” Matthew 9:36 KJV

Where in your body do you feel your strongest emotions? Temples? Back of the neck? Shoulders? Stomach? Where might your body register an overwhelming feeling of pity? The ancients believed that the seat of compassion and other strong emotions was the bowels. That may seem strange, but today’s scientists say that we have a nervous system in our digestive tractthat communicates with the brain, playing a key role in our overall health. Those “gut feelings” are real!

Perhaps the scholars who translated the New Testament into Greek accidentally explored a bit of this gut-brain connection when they wrote in Matthew 9:36 that Jesus was “moved with compassion.” Jesus was flooded with emotion when he saw masses of people who were “harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. The ancient Greek language did not have a word that expressed this gut-feeling of pity, a feeling that moved one to take action, so they coined one: “compassion.” When Jesus was “moved with compassion,” He experienced very deep emotions; His eyes gushed tears; and His heart was bursting with pity for the sufferers He saw before Him. The compassion He felt was visceral, a yearning He felt in every inch of His gut, a body-soul response to misery that moved Him to do something about what He saw.

Jesus has been compassionate from the very beginning. He was moved by compassion to take on a mission to reverse the terrible effects of the fall of man, before we even knew we needing saving. Compassion moved Him to enter the world humbly as a vulnerable infant, stooping low to bring heaven to us. Compassion moved Jesus to take our sicknesses and carry our sorrows (Isaiah 53:4). His compassion moved Him to restore sight to the blind (Matthew 20:31) and to heal the leper (Mark 1:41). Compassion for the demon-possessed man moved Jesus to cast out that evil spirit (Mark 5:19). Great pity moved Him to restore a dead son to life when He saw the terrible grief of the widow at the gates of Nain (Luke 7:13). Jesus took our punishment because He was moved by compassion for so many lost lambs (Isaiah 53:5). The compassion of Jesus is still here today. We have the Bible, giving us access to truth even if there is no teacher available. God still raises up men and women who are willing to share their faith-walk with others as they take compassionate action when they see a need. Perhaps the greatest compassion of Christ is that He has sent His Spirit to dwell with us right now, touching our hearts, and moving us to come to God’s throne of grace. We can come freely to ask for help and the energy to respond to the needs we see. In compassion Jesus has taught us to pray, and in compassion He has promised to meet our needs when we sin, when we fail, and when our enemies abuse us.

Jesus was moved by His compassion to take action; we are called to do the same. That is why Paul pleaded with the Philippians to let their own deeply-felt compassion result in unity, humility, service to others, and a life that could be a light to those still in darkness (Philippians 2:1-18). If you read theses verses in the King James Version, bowels get involved in verse one! Paul also urged the Colossians to clothe themselves with “tenderhearted (bowels of) mercy” as a love response to God (Colossians 3:12). When have you received the compassion of Jesus? Were you moved to some kind of response? When have you been “moved by compassion” to take some kind of helping action? Where might you need to respond now because God is asking you to pour out mercy from the deepest part of yourself?

Prayer: My Savior, I am so grateful for Your compassion towards me. You are a fountain of mercy that never runs dry. Help me to offer this same compassion to others with the same love that motivates You. Amen.

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Standing in Awe of God

September 28, 2022September 27, 2022by idellazell5 Comments

“Let all the earth fear the Lord; Let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of Him.” Psalms 33:8

The Hebrew word translated into ‘awe’ in the Bible is yirah, pronounced yir-ah. It often directly translates into fear, like ‘fear of the Lord,’ but it can also mean respect, reverence, and worship. But, make no mistake about it, yirah is strongly connected to ‘trembling’.

In Psalm 2:11, the Bible tells us to Serve the Lord with fear, and rejoice with trembling.

The kind of fear we are discussing today is not natural fear, demonic fear, or the fear of man but it is the kind of fear that motivates us to seek the Lord and be moved to a deeper belief and trust in him. This is the kind of fear the Bible speaks about in Prov. 19:23 says “The fear of the Lord leads to life, so that one may sleep satisfied, untouched by evil.”

For example, you were faced with a heavy trial that leaves you in pain mentally, physically, and emotionally. This is the kind of pain so deep in your gut that you thought you would die. It may have been so devastating that you may have said “there’s no way I am going to come out of this alive!” You began to spiral downwards into a deep depression which seemed to be the end of your life. But one day, you heard a message about fearing God and loving him and that you can possibly be healed from your damaged emotions. As soon as the message was over, you ran to the altar, raised your hands as a sign of surrender, and invited God into the depths of your soul. You began to praise him. You opened your mouth and said “thank you Jesus” “thank you Jesus” and the next thing you knew, you were feeling light and free. You felt warmth through your body and you begin to cry. As the tears rolled down your face, you rejoiced because you knew that something took place in your heart. You had been transformed and felt as if a weight had been lifted off your shoulders. It is at this point that you stand in awe of God and his miraculous healing power. This encounter has caused you to draw closer to God and revere his holiness and power in your life. This, my friend, is a great example of fearing God!

How about you? Do you fear God? Do you revere God? Do you stand in awe of him?

These may be questions you never contemplated but today I want to bring this subject of fearing God to your attention because it is through the tough trials that you will learn to “fear God and keep his commandments as it is our whole duty.” (Eccl. 12:13)

My challenge to you today is for you to respond to the word of God in Prov.2:1-5 and seek to understand the fear of the Lord!

¹ My son, if you receive my words, And treasure my commands within you,
²So that you incline your ear to wisdom, And apply your heart to understanding;
³Yes, if you cry out for discernment, And lift up your voice for understanding,
⁴If you seek her as silver, And search for her as for hidden treasures;
⁵Then you will understand the fear of the Lord, And find the knowledge of God.

In Prov. 23:17, the Bible admonishes us to continue in the fear of the Lord all day long. “Do not let your heart envy sinners, But be zealous for the fear of the Lord all the day”

Father God, I pray for every person that will read this blog. I pray that they will have a greater desire to fear the Lord and stand in awe of him especially when they are going through hard trials. I pray for them to have a deeper hunger and desire to dig deep into your word and have a strong foundation so that when the storms of life come they will not be defeated but will stand in awe of you no matter what. I pray this in Jesus’ Name!

Scriptures for further study:

Ps. 19:9, Prov. 1:28-29, Ps. 34:11, Prov. 3:7, Job 28:28, Prov. 10:27, Ps. 25:12-14, Prov. 14:26-27, Eccl. 12:13, Prov. 15:6a, Prov. 22:4, Ps. 115:11, Deut. 13:4 and Prov. 1:7a.

liz goss

You Can Experience God Now!

September 21, 2022September 20, 2022by Liz Goss1 Comment

Could it be that God needs to grow us into people who can handle having a deeply personal relationship with Him? It is always easy to point our faces to the sky in exasperation and wonder where God is. After all, we are trying to find Him. We are seeking. Isn’t that our job? To seek?

This my friends is limbo land and we’ve probably all taken up residence here at some point in our lives. Feeling like we are holding up our end of the bargain and begging God to just show up. Seeking. Knocking. Very focused on getting right before God and trying to manage our inevitable disappointment because we just can’t feel Him.

But while we are focused on feeling God’s presence, finding God’s will and knowing what He wants us to do, God is just… here. I know it sounds too good to be true after all our trouble and effort but it’s actually (sorry) not required. Our striving doesn’t earn His notice. He is noticing you right now.

And that’s why I say God may need to grow us to a place where we are able to have a beautiful relationship with Him. Because He is always with us. Jesus’ parting words to His disciples were: “and be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” (Matthew‬ ‭28:20‬)

God is always calling you to see more true reality. He is always looking for your gaze. Never doubt His perpetual protection or wonderful nature. We just need to get better at understanding Him. We need to learn who He is so we recognize Him. Keep our spirits open and sensitive by thinking on holy things. And most of all, we need to believe that God is with us because all too often we find exactly what we are looking for.

Experiencing God isn’t just about doing more – it’s about seeing more clearly.

VERSES TO PONDER:

“He will cover you with his feathers. He will shelter you with his wings. His faithful promises are your armor and protection.” (Psalms 91:4)

“Why do you ask my name?” the angel of the Lord replied. “It is too wonderful for you to understand.” (Judges 13:18)

“Dear brothers and sisters, when I was with you I couldn’t talk to you as I would to spiritual people. I had to talk as though you belonged to this world or as though you were infants in Christ. I had to feed you with milk, not with solid food, because you weren’t ready for anything stronger. And you still aren’t ready,” (1 Corinthians 3:1-2)

“I don’t mean to say that I have already achieved these things or that I have already reached perfection. But I press on to possess that perfection for which Christ Jesus first possessed me. No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us.” (Philippians 3:12-14)

liz goss

COMMIT TO CHANGE (a how to guide)

August 17, 2022August 16, 2022by Liz Goss2 Comments

Have you ever had something hard to do? Maybe there is an attitude that you want to correct, a habit that’s gotten the better of you or something you know you need to do. But even when you know we need to make a change it can be so difficult. How do we even start?

God gave the Israelites some help in this area. He knew that they struggled with their attitudes, habits and to do what’s right. So he began with this advice:

“And you must commit yourselves wholeheartedly to these commands that I am giving you today. Repeat them again and again to your children. Talk about them when you are at home and when you are on the road, when you are going to bed and when you are getting up.” Deuteronomy 6:6-7 (NLT)

The first step is committing ourselves wholeheartedly… which is hard to do. It’s easy to begrudgingly decide to do something. Or make a change even though you don’t want to. Or drag your feet but to it anyway. But God says we need to commit with our WHOLE heart. Need a song to get this idea flowing?

WHOLEHEARTED by: Rend Collective

Next we have to battle our forgetfulness. Have you ever gone to bed with the best intentions to make a change when the alarm goes off the next morning… just to forget why you were planning to get up early? So what does God suggest? Repetition. God tells us to repeat our commitments over and over to others. Talk about them at home and away, morning and evening.

Do you need to commit to making a change? Do you need to stop or start doing something so that you are bringing glory to God with your whole life? We all do!! Keep Deuteronomy 6:6-7 in front of your eyes this week so that you remember what God is prompting you to work on. And then do it with all your heart.

liz goss

Have You Ever Read Numbers?

July 13, 2022July 13, 2022by Liz GossLeave a Comment

In case you are looking at the screen in confusion, Numbers is the fourth book of the Old Testament (right after Leviticus) and it has nothing to do with math. Instead, Numbers showcases the faithfulness of God. Unsettled and weary as the Israelites often were (and tempted to envy everything they left behind or saw surrounding them) they were the most blessed of ALL people. Even in the wilderness, God dwelled in their midst – no other nation had the presence of God.

I love this book because we get to see God intimately interact with people. It’s breathtaking. Scary. Exhilarating. Frightening. And nestled inside of Numbers is a truth I want to shout from the rooftops: God desires to do life with you.

But in order to do life with a holy and just God we will have to wrestle with this verse from Numbers, “The Lord is slow to anger and filled with unfailing love, forgiving every kind of sin and rebellion. But he does not excuse the guilty.” Numbers 14:18

Interestingly enough the first half that I bolded is usually where people stop the quote. And while it’s a great half – it’s only half. See the Lord is slow to anger and filled with unfailing love, but he’s also pure. He cannot live with unexcused sin, which is why we see example after example of God’s punishment of the Israelite people in Numbers.

BUT. You and I are living in a time where God’s presence is even more precious because it is accessible. United through the sacrifice of Christ and the gift of the Holy Spirit we have become the dwelling place of God. And while the Israelites could not completely escape their guilt… we can through repentance and faith in Jesus Christ.

Reading the Old Testament is a treasure of truth for our souls, helping us appreciate the true gift of a relationship with God. He wants to live with us. He wants to fight for us. He wants to walk beside us and speak with us. But he will not forgive the guilty. Which is why we need Jesus.

Have you thanked Jesus today for restoring you to God? Did you notice the relationship you now have with God? Don’t miss the heart of the one who knows you best and loves you most. In the book of Numbers, an entire generation of Israelites passed away in the wilderness under the guilt of their sin. God has provided a way back for you this very moment.

If you don’t have a personal relationship with God know that it isn’t because he’s distant. God loves nothing more than to do life with his people. He made a way to remove our guilt at great personal cost. But we have to want it. We have to choose with our lives. God desires to do life with you. Do you desire to do life with him?

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Woman, Why Are You Weeping?

March 23, 2022March 18, 2022by Stephanie Murillo1 Comment

I was eight years old when I found my mother face-down weeping on the couch. I stood there not knowing what to do to comfort her, not knowing the cause of her terrible distress. What I did not know at the time was that she was contemplating suicide and had already accumulated enough sleeping pills to end her life. What I learned many years later was that the weight of guilt and sin had torn all hope away from my mother’s heart and death seemed the only way out of her despair.

“What’s wrong, Mama?” I asked. She lifted her tear-stained face and, with a voice made raw from her weeping, said, “Read Mama something from the Bible, honey.” I raced into my parents’ bedroom to retrieve the only Bible we had, a King James version with tiny print. I knew nothing about the Bible, having just started Sunday School. In desperation, I let the Bible fall open and looked for a place to begin reading. My eyes fell on John 20:15, so I slowly read, “Jesus asked her, ‘Woman, why are you weeping? Who is it you are looking for?’”

I still remember my mother’s reaction to those words. She sat up absolutely startled! She later told me that she felt as if Jesus was right there in the graveyard of her disappointment, self-loathing, and the scattered, broken pieces of her life. Questions from God are potent, and this question powerfully rolled back the stone that was keeping my mother in the tomb. She realized that Jesus was asking her to acknowledge what was causing her pain and to face the fact that she had looked in the wrong direction for the acceptance and affirmation she needed so desperately. She had to face the same question the angels asked the women who entered the tomb, only to find it deserted: “Why do you look for the living among the dead?” (Luke 24:5). My mother’s Jesus was still on the cross; she had not yet met the resurrected Christ. She had not yet encountered the Jesus who announces in Revelation 1:18, “I am the Living One; I was dead, and now look, I am alive forever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades.”

God’s questions to my mother led her on a journey to discover the power and love of a risen Savior. A dear pastor, Dwayne Zimmerman from St. John’s United Methodist Church, mentored my mother and stood by her side as she walked from death into life. His greatest gift to her was to introduce her to God’s grace. The weight of her guilt, which had driven her to the brink of death, was lifted when she invited Jesus into her heart and received his forgiveness. For my mother, Galatians 2:20 expressed the hope, fulfillment, and reason she destroyed those sleeping pills and walked forward into life: “I have been crucified with Christ, and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”

What about you? Are you carrying a burden of sin and guilt that is crushing the life out of you? Might you have been looking in the wrong direction for the help and hope you need? Are you tired of camping in the tombs? Jesus sees your tears. He is in the graveyard with you, asking the one question that can turn you toward life: “Who are you looking for?” Open your heart to Him. Tell Him the truth. Ask the One who mastered death to bring you to life again. He will! He will!

For Further Study:

Psalm 18:46

Isaiah 42:3

Luke 4:18-19

Mark 26:28

Acts 2:38; 26:16-18

Ephesians 1:7

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Trusting His Absolute Goodness

February 23, 2022February 22, 2022by rachelleepallas1 Comment

I know many Christians, myself included, that have asked, “If I am working so hard to honor God, why am I still struggling?” It’s pretty common to wonder why bad things happen to good people. It is important to remember first that we are not the best judges of “good” and “bad.” The Bible gives us many examples of both righteousness and evil, but we still have a very limited view as humans. One thing that God did make perfectly clear is that all people sin and fall short of the glory of God. We might all agree that many people can be “good,” but we must also remember that no one can ever be “good enough” to earn salvation on their own. When asking ourselves, “Why do bad things happen to good people?” there are two crucial things to consider. First, no person ever has been nor ever will be perfect, except for Jesus Christ himself. Secondly, the world we live in is severely broken.

Our world wasn’t initially created for sin and evil, but it is the unfortunate reality of today. Bad things happen to everyone every day. At times we can pinpoint exactly which of our sins are causing our current suffering. Other times, though, life throws struggles at us for no apparent reason, like when loved ones keep getting sick or when the check engine light goes off for the third time this year. God does not promise us a pain-free life when we become Christians. In fact, many of the greatest heroes of the Bible faced persecution because they were Christians. Just a few of these examples would include John the Baptist, Stephen, and Paul. Even Jesus, the only truly perfect man to walk our earth, faced immense suffering and death while he was here.

Faith is not always easy, nor does it guarantee us an easy life. What God does promise us, though, is that trusting in him is worth it. In his word is where we can always be reminded of his promises. To list just a few examples:

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take.” Proverbs 3:5-6
“Commit everything you do to the Lord. Trust him, and he will help you.” Psalms 37:5
“Those who know your name trust in you, for you, O Lord, do not abandon those who search for you.” Psalms 9:10
“And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.” Romans 8:28

Trust is such a fundamental foundation in any relationship, but it is exceptionally important in our relationship with God. Above all else, God has promised that because of His love for us, we will leave this place one day to receive an eternal life of bliss with him. All we need is to simply have faith that our sins have been forgiven because of Jesus Christ’s sacrifice on the cross. Trusting our Lord may not always be easy when we face hardships, but we can find our hope in his promise of working all things together for our good.

“We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation. And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love. When we were utterly helpless, Christ came at just the right time and died for us sinners.” Romans 5:3-6

Verses for further study: Romans 8:28; Psalm 28:7; Jeremiah 17:7-8; Acts 6-7

Song: Trust In You by Lauren Daigle

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Lighting a Fire Under your Prayers

February 16, 2022February 15, 2022by Stephanie Murillo3 Comments

[Romans 12:12 NIV] 12 Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.

Do your prayers sometimes feel flat, boring, or empty? We often go through seasons in which maintaining a vibrant prayer life can be a real challenge. When we least feel like talking to God is when we most need to hit our prayer bones, but how can we energize our conversations with our Abba, our Daddy-God?

When the Apostle Paul wrote to the Christians in Rome, he knew they were suffering tremendous persecution. So, he sent them an antidote for their poisonous circumstances: be hopeful; be patient; be prayerful. In Romans 12:12, prayer is listed last, but in reality, only prayer makes patience and hope well up in our hearts and minds. Hopeful joy and enduring patience can only grow when planted in a receptive heart, a heart whose ground has been plowed by the Holy Spirit. So, how can a fire be kindled under our prayers when trouble hijacks our peace and energy?

Wrestle

Jacob wrestled with God saying, “I will not let you go until you bless me!” He was dogged in his determination, applying every bit of his strength to hang on to God (Genesis 32). His time with God was heart-work, sweaty soul-work, and spirit work. Jesus put this kind of “sweat-equity” into His prayers as well. But how to wrestle when exhausted? How to keep knocking and seeking when all the fight is gone? The answer is to pray for the energy of the Holy Spirit, God’s form of CPR, to oxygenate and warm your prayers. You can tell God, “Lord, I’m done in. You said in Your Word that you don’t snuff out a smoldering wick (Isaiah 42:3), so please re-light my passion, trust, and love for you. I am going to wait here with You until you give me the spiritual CPR I need to wrestle this through with You. Thank You, Abba!”

Value God’s Mercy

How much do you value what you are pursuing in prayer? How much do you appreciate God’s grace and mercy to you? When you and I realize that we are seeking an unspeakably precious gift from God, a gift that cost the Lord everything to make it available to us, our prayers can catch fire again. Need more? How about picturing what life would be like if God were to withhold His mercy and love. Spiritual starvation and dehydration are in our future if God does not constantly give us the “bread of heaven” and His “living water.” Let the thought that only God can keep your soul alive lend some urgent energy to your prayers. Martin Luther called this kind of energetic prayer a “bombarda Christianorum,” a great gun based on God’s promises, with which a believer bombards heaven. You can plead, “Lord, you said in Your Word that …… and now I am here to ask You to make good on that promise.” As God’s child, with Jesus in your heart, you are allowed that kind of “holy impudence,” as the Pilgrims called prayers that rattle the gates of heaven.

Trust God

When you trust that God is and that He truly does reward those that pursue Him, you can pray with faith that God will hear and respond. Without this faith, we are just talking to ourselves. But when we pray, “I believe; help my unbelief” (Mark 9:24), that kind of raw honesty opens the door to God’s abundant blessings and a flood of grace.

Pray Constantly

The Apostle Paul would not have triumphed as a prisoner in chains if he hadn’t prayed like he breathed: constantly. He said to “pray in every situation” (Philippians 4:6). Paul knew that life could rob us of hope and joy when we are prayerless. But he also knew the power that time with God releases into our lives, especially when we are constantly praying as if our lives depended on it.

Prayers that Morph into Praise

When you and I realize how precious God’s love and mercy is and how faithful God is to respond to our heartfelt pursuit of Him, gratitude is the result. A grateful person says “Thank you!” constantly, and so must we. Praise is the rent we pay for abiding under the shadow of God’s almighty, protective wing. So, weave your gratitude into those honest, sweaty prayers. We are adopted children who need to be grateful to our Father, who constantly waves a banner of love over us.

Does this process sound like hard work? It is! In fact, effective prayer is impossible without the help of the Holy Spirit, so call out a 9-1-1 when you need a fire lit under your prayers. Just tell God the unvarnished truth about where you are and what you need, then expect a warm response from your Abba, who loves you.

For further study:

Psalm 39:12; 126:5

Luke 7:38

Hebrews 5:7

Luke 17:5

2 Thessalonians 1:11

liz goss

What Do You Believe?

January 5, 2022January 4, 2022by Liz Goss3 Comments

It’s January. A time for resolutions, words of the year, diets, and starting fresh. We boldly declare to the world, or at least our dog, how we intend to change for the better in the days to come. But can I ask a question? In the midst of all this decision making do we stop and ask God for direction and help?

So then, since we have a great High Priest who has entered heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to what we believe. This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same testings we do, yet he did not sin. So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most. Hebrews 4:14-16

Let me break this down a bit for us. Paul was saying, considering we have someone who can continually cover for our sins (that’s Jesus) let’s keep trusting in him! Jesus understands our individual failings since he struggled against the same stuff without giving in. Now we can come directly in front of God himself… imagine!!! Because it is there that we will not get the punishment we deserve but INSTEAD favor and love when we desperately need it most.

Last time I wrote for this blog I talked about God giving us more than we could handle because we were meant to handle it with HIM (you can read that here). But so often the stresses of dealing with this world are too much and we struggle to find our help in God. This is when we tend to turn to things that we are now trying to resolve to change through the formation of resolutions, words of the year, diets, and starting fresh.

Sweet friends. We are all so so human but Jesus understands and tells God about what it’s like so he can have compassion for our troubles. Do we believe this? Do we feel in our hearts the overwhelming love our Father has for us in sending Jesus so that he could know firsthand how fragile our hearts are and forgive us? Hold firmly to this belief and it will turn our hearts to him.

This year has just begun. Take yourself boldly before the throne of God. We are promised mercy and grace so don’t be afraid! Ask God to show you the places he wants to change. Ask him to help you rely more on his strength and less on doughnuts. Tell him of your fear and ask him to give you his peace. Show him your sadness and ask for his joy. Walk right up to that throne and tell God you are exhausted and ask for his power. You will find undeserved favor for it all.

What do you believe? Jesus came to save your soul but also to empower you today. Take hold of who you are in Christ. A mighty warrior for the kingdom of God, bringing his truth to the world through the restoration of our own hearts and minds.