Prayer for Wednesday 1/14

00-Hero Alone-COVER-KINDLE-ThumbnailI praise you, Elohim, Creator and First Cause of all things that live, move, and have their being. You have and are all I need to survive and thrive in this world where Satan is gradually losing his claim to be the ruler. Oh, I know Christians everywhere are lamenting the growing disinterest in and even animosity toward you. But it is not true. You have thousands of thousands in hiding where Christianity is illegal who have not bowed down to the gods of self and fake religions.  Your church will never die, regardless of how often it is attacked and neglected.  Your church will only grow stronger.  I stand with them drawn to you like a magnet. You are the All Mighty.  Just as you will never die, your Bride will never die.  All praise belongs to you, all honor, glory, and adoration. I, in the strength of your ethereal love, fall at your feet and worship you.

Ah, how I thank you, God, for your Bible and pouring out your heart in it. Sharing all the pain you felt through the ages when your loved ones sinned, keeping faith in them anyway, and feeling joy when they stood up for right and returned to you. How you love me, your child, and set me on your knee so you can tell me the stories of long ago as warnings and encouragements to me today. As I read, I can imagine you smiling and nodding and whispering, “Keep reading, my child. There’s more. I put it in there just for you.”

.

I write to encourage souls. Will you help me get the word out about today’s book?          https://amzn.to/2TruhLl

.

00-Hero Alone-COVER-KINDLE-ThumbnailYOU  CAN BE A HERO ALONE: SURVIVAL STORIES FOR THE ISOLATED CHRISTIAN. This book was originally written for brothers and sisters living in countries where Christianity is illegal.  But it is also helpful to prisoners, university students, military personnel, shutins, etc.  Each chapter has the story of a Bible person who had to stand for God alone. Following are simple multiple-choice questions and thought questions ~ “What About You?”.  To BUY NOW, click a book cover or paste this……….  https://amzn.to/2TruhLl

.

#youcanbeaheroalonesurvivalstoriesfortheisolatedchristian, #discouragement, #neglect, #christianlife, #faithfulness, #fallingaway, #prisoners, #militarypersonnel, #universitystudents, #shutins, #alone, #KatherynMaddoxHaddad, #inspiration, #devotional, #worship, #vespers, #meditation,. #godliness, #Christianity, #JesusChrist, #church, #Bible, #Scripture, #HolyBook, #religion, #love, #truth, #faith

Prayer for Thursday 1/2

Golden Cover-KINDLE-thumbnailI praise you, Lord Jehovah, Creator of all things, lover of all people, and keeper of my soul. You gave me freedom of will so I could choose my own path. You gave me freedom of will to acknowledge you or not, follow you or not, love you or not. You gave me the freedom to allow you into my life, my heart, my soul.  Without this freedom I would just be a robot. If I declared I loved you, it would not be true love. True love has a choice. Such love is like an easy breeze on a warm day, like gentle snowflakes on a cold day. So, at the beginning of this new year, I proclaim my love for you.

I thank you for being with me all last year. It held surprises, of course. Among them were the many ups and downs. My dreams were dreamed and a few came true. And now I look out my window at another spectacular dawn. You have given us a new dawn how many times since you created us? Each dawn holds a promise of starting anew. You are the God of second chances. Thank you for standing by mankind no matter how bad we get. Thank you for standing by me. I know you are there and my heart bows to you in crystal gratitude.

.

Golden Cover-KINDLE-thumbnail365 GOLDEN BIBLE THOUGHTS: GOD’S HEART TO YOURS.  Book 1 of the TOUCHING GOD series.  The other two books are 365 Pearls of Wisdom: God’s Soul to Yours, and 365 Silver-Winged Prayers: Your Spirit to God’s.  Use all three in your daily quiet time with God, though each book is a stand-alone.  To BUY NOW, click a book cover or paste this……….https://amzn.to/2ZIwDGQ

.

.

#worship, #prayer, #365goldenbiblethoughtsgodshearttoyours, #KatherynMaddoxHaddad, #inspiration, #devotional, #worship, #vespers, #meditation,. #godliness, #Christianity, #JesusChrist, #church, #Bible, #Scripture, #HolyBook, #religion, #love, #truth, #faith

 

.

 

Sunday 12/22 ~ A God who wants to make you his own

The scripture for today, December 22 (12/22), is 1st Samuel 12:22 as found in the Old Testament of the Bible:

Love Letters of Jesus & his Bride, Eccelsia-THUMBNAIL“For the sake of his great name, the Lord will not reject his people, because the Lord was pleased to make you his own.”

Among all the pretend gods that people have worshiped, there has never been one who made people because he wanted someone to love and wanted them to be his children. Islam, for example, teaches Allah made man to have someone to worship him. Allah has 99 names, but none of them is love. It is the same with other purported gods. Buddhism and Hinduism have gods with no personalities at all; they are just the essence of the universe. So sad.

Oh, how much mankind misses by not opening up to the one and only God.  He wants you to be his child! He wants to lavish you with his love.

God made you because God is Love.  Love must have someone to love. That’s you, dear friend. That’s you!

Amazing love of God. It pleases him to make you his own. It pleases him! You the lowly. You the weak. You the inconsistent. You the sinner.

Let your soul be elevated by the God of Love. Let your heart be warmed. Let your spirit be touched with eternity. Then lift up your voice and shout, “My soul is overwhelmed with joy!”

.

Love Letters of Jesus & his Bride, Eccelsia-THUMBNAILLOVE LETTERS OF JESUS & HIS BRIDE, ECCLESIA is a transliteration of the Song of Solomon.  The Bride and Groom write each other when one is lost and they are trying to find each other.  This is, in a sense, an allegory like John Bunyan’s works. They write after they have spent time together at their wedding feast. Footnotes throughout give life application verses from the New Testament for the symbolism of their betrothed life. Font is in beautiful papyri and each page has a bride watermark.  A beautiful gift for newlyweds, anniversaries, even teenagers to help them consider the sacredness of marriage and loyalty.  To BUY NOW, click a book cover or paste this……….https://amzn.to/34PAKBS

.

.

#love, #loveofgod, #wedding, #marriage, #engagement, #betrothal, #godsown, #Allah, #Brahman, #child, #creation, #KatherynMaddoxHaddad, #inspiration, #devotional, #worship, #vespers, #meditation,. #godliness, #Christianity, #JesusChrist, #church, #Bible, #Scripture, #HolyBook, #religion, #love, #truth, #faith

 

Thursday 12/19 ~ Sweet revenge. Or not.

The Scripture for today, December 19 (12/19), is Romans 12:19 as found in the New Testament of the Bible:

Old Testament Survey-Cover-thumbnail“Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: ‘It is mine to avenge; I will repay,’ says the Lord.”

Thank God, he took away the old Law of Moses and gave you the new Law of Jesus instead. Under the Law of Moses, you had to take revenge yourself. You had to stone adulterers and children who were disrespectful to you as their parent. If someone killed a relative, you were obligated to go out and kill the killer. If someone knocked out the eye or tooth of a relative, you were required to go out and take that person’s eye or tooth.

Now God says to forgive and do good to your enemy (verse 20-21). That’s what God did for you who once was his enemy as a sinner. As you are merciful to others, he is merciful to you.

Forgiveness is not condoning evil, but wishing a better life for whoever did something bad to you. You may forever be afraid of that person, but you must forgive. Hard to do? Indeed! But, with God, anything is possible. So, let go of it. Let go of them. Let God take care of it. He has released you of that burden. Released you to “overcome evil with good”.

.

Old Testament Survey-Cover-thumbnailOLD TESTAMENT SURVEY AND HOW IT RELATES TO THE NEW TESTAMENT is an easy fill-in-the-blank workbook to help you see the contrast in the Old Testament laws and the New Testament “laws”. O.T. leaders were taking revenge everywhere, and so God took revenge on them. The prophets warned them and gave them promises of good to come ~ the Savior.  This is part of the EASY BIBLE WORKBOOKS series.  Great for homeschoolers, private study, small groups.  To BUY NOW, click a book cover or paste this……….https://amzn.to/2tt58Fc

.

.

#vengeance, #revenge, #eyeforeye, #toothfortooth, #judging, #forgiveness, #punishment, #loveoneanother, #loveyourenemies,  #EasyBibleWorkbooks, #OldTestamentSurvey,  #KatherynMaddoxHaddad, #inspiration, #devotional, #worship, #vespers, #meditation,. #godliness, #Christianity, #JesusChrist, #church, #Bible, #Scripture, #HolyBook, #religion, #love, #truth, #faith

Take the clouds away and bring back the sunshine

How to Forgive but Not Forget | Mark Manson

Hebrews 12:15 as found in the New Testament of the Bible:

“See to it that no one misses the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many.”

Really?  Bitterness can cause us to miss the grace of God? Bitterness only causes trouble for yourself and others, and defiles you. Bitterness comes from you thinking of yourself more highly than you ought (Romans 12:3), and forgetting that all have sinned and come short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23). Bitterness leads to either bullying or shunning, and ends in broken relationships and a cancer of the heart. It can cost us our eternal salvation.

The opposite of bitterness is forgiveness. Forgiveness does not mean you condone what someone else has done. It means you let go of it and let God handle it. It means you wish the best for the offending person or situation. You can wish even the most hardened criminal will someday turn to God and turn his life around. How many times in your lifetime have you asked God to forgive you for the same things over and over?  God forgives you as you forgive others.

Forgiveness lifts weights off of you until you feel as though you could soar. Forgiveness takes the clouds away and brings back the sunshine. Forgiveness makes sure you do not miss the grace of God.

 

Friday 12/13 ~ Our God-Shaped Emptiness

The scripture for today, December 13 (12/13), is Ecclesiastes 12:13 as found in the Old Testament of the Bible:

Pearls Cover-Palms-300dpi-Thumbnail“Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man.”

When the King James Version was published in the early 1600s, they italicized all words that were not in the old documents of the Bible. The word “duty” above was not in the original. Translators inserted it to help us understand the original. But perhaps, in this case, it did not help. Fearing God is the whole of man ~ not our duty, but our essence.

Fearing the Lord is a gift. Isaiah 11:2 predicted regarding Jesus:

“The Spirit of the Lord will rest on him ~

     “…the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding,”

          “…the Spirit of counsel and of power,”

               “…the Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord.”

Solomon had tried everything to find happiness, as he explained in his book of Ecclesiastes ~ Pleasure (ch. 2), hard work (ch. 3), advancement (ch. 4), riches (ch. 5). None brought him true happiness.  Eventually, he concluded that only one thing can bring that happiness deep down inside where no one and no situation in life can touch it ~ God. God is the whole of man ~ if we let Him be.

Why? Ecclesiastes 3:11 explains it richly: “He has also set eternity in the hearts of men.” Another way to view this is “There is a God-shaped emptiness in everyone’s heart.” Fill your mind with the Word of God. Then God will fill your heart and being, and make you feel complete.

.

Pearls Cover-Palms-300dpi-Thumbnail365 PEARLS OF WISDOM: GOD’S SOUL TO YOURS.  Start your day with one Proverb and one passage from Job, Psalms, Ecclesiastes, or Song of Solomon. Keep them on your heart to help guide your day. These are the wisdom of God. This is book two in the TOUCHING GOD trilogy on inspirational thoughts, wisdom, and prayers. Beautiful original artwork on the cover and artistic font on the inside.  A perfect gift for all occasions.  To BUY NOW, click a book cover or paste this……….https://amzn.to/34h4Zl1

.

.

#fear, #emptiness, #things, #power, #selfishness, #love, #humility, #healing, #Proverbs, #Psalms, #Ecclesiastes, #Job, #Song of Solomon, #meaningoflife, #KatherynMaddoxHaddad, #inspiration, #devotional, #worship, #vespers, #meditation,. #godliness, #Christianity, #JesusChrist, #church, #Bible, #Scripture, #HolyBook, #religion, #love, #truth, #faith

Thursday 12/12 ~ “Marks of an Apostle”

The scripture for today, December 12 (12/12), is 2nd Corinthians 12:12 as found in the New Testament of the Bible:

00-PAUL COVER-Thumbnail-“The things that mark an Apostle ~ signs, wonders and miracles ~ were done among you with great perseverance.”

This is so interesting. These are not things that mark Christians in general, but the Apostles.

Jesus told his Apostles that, when they taught the world about Jesus and baptized them, miracles and signs would accompany the believers (Mark 16:17). The miracles and signs followed conversions of believers by the Apostles to whom he was speaking.

Acts 3:6f and 9:40f involved healing by the Apostle Peter, and Acts 20:9f involved healing by the Apostle Paul which they performed to prove their words were the Words of God.

In Acts 6:5-6, the Apostles laid their hands on seven men to serve the church in a special way. Of those men, Stephen performed miracles (6:8) and Philip performed miracles (8:5-7), both to prove their words were the Words of God.

In Romans 1:1,11, the Apostle Paul said he wanted to visit the Christians in Rome so he could impart some spiritual gift. In 1st Corinthians 1:6-7 the Apostle Paul said he imparted spiritual gifts to Christians in Corinth.

We have no examples in the New Testament of anyone other than an Apostle passing on the power to perform miracles. Even the writings of the “Apostolic Fathers” in the late 1st and early 2nd century say things like “Even down to those times there were a few miracles being performed including raising the dead.”

Yes, the reason for the miracles was to prove the words of the miracle performer were the Words of God (which had not yet been written down). Now that we have the New Testament (Jesus’ and his Apostles’ teachings in written form) we no longer need the miracles.

They were “marks of an Apostle.” The miracles including, healing, renewing the maimed (making limbs grow back), and bringing people back to life. All of them.

Interesting, isn’t it?

.

00-PAUL COVER-Thumbnail-PAUL: THE UNSTOPPABLE.  One reader declared,  “WOW!  OH, WOW!”  Paul was a stubborn man.  He said of himself, “I was a violent man.” Jesus had to strike him blind and let him stew in his confusion before letting the facts sink into his stubborn head: Jesus, whom he persecuted, was the Son of God.  He spent the rest of his life trying to convince the rest of the stubborn world. He suffered the same kind of torture he had meted onto Christians in his youth.  A stubborn and amazing man.   To BUY NOW, click a book cover or paste this……….https://amzn.to/34ktQnT

.

.

#miracles, #apostles, #giftsofHolySpirit, #spiritualgifts, #Paul, #torture, #persecution,  #katherynmaddoxhaddad, #inspiration, #devotional, #worship, #vespers, #meditation,. #godliness, #Christianity, #JesusChrist, #church, #Bible, #Scripture, #HolyBook, #religion, #love, #truth, #faith

Tuesday 12/10 ~ And soar to heaven itself

The scripture for today, December 11 (12/11), is Romans 12:11 as found in the New Testament of the Bible:

Silver Cover-KINDLE-thumbnail“Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord.”

Sometimes you get physically tired and our spiritual zeal wanes along with it. You just want to rest. Well, while you rest, you can always become a prayer warrior.

When you see friends, ask them, “How was your week/day/month?” Don’t ask them how they are, for they will probably reply, “Fine.” But if you ask how their week has been, that gives them something to talk about. They’ll tell you of things they have been doing. Regardless of what they say, reply, “May I pray for your success in….” or “I’d like to pray for your….”

What the world needs is prayer. Many people have never in their entire life heard someone tell them, “I am praying for you.” Be the first. Open up their lives to the love of God.

Prayer is powerful, especially when you are not praying for yourself all the time, but rather are praying for others. Do you have a prayer list? How many are on it besides yourself? Ten? Fifty? A hundred? Five hundred? Is that too many to cover? Not at all. How long does it take to read 500 names in earnest, sincere prayer?

You may say, “But just mentioning a name is so meaning-less; it’s too simple. God expects me to explain all I know about this person’s problem and then do some begging.” No, he doesn’t; not with everyone. Prayer is so very, very powerful, that just mentioning a person’s name will bring this person before the very throne of God.

Then, even when you are tired and lack physical zeal, your soul can rise up with spiritual fervor and soar to heaven itself.

.

Silver Cover-KINDLE-thumbnail365 SILVER-WINGED PRAYERS: YOUR SPIRIT TO GOD’S is the last of the inspirational TOUCHING GOD TRILOGY.  Each day you are given a suggested prayer of praise, repentance, and thanksgiving.  Your prayer requests are up to you.  Begin or end your day with special time with God, the lover of your soul. Great for Christmas, weddings, graduations, birthdays, promotions, retirements and other gift occasions.  To BUY NOW, click a book cover or paste this……….https://amzn.to/2LHH8V5

.

.

#physicalweakness, #spiritualstrength, #prayer, #tired, #rest, #warriors, #silverwingedprayers, #katherynmaddoxhaddad, #inspiration, #devotional, #worship, #vespers, #meditation,. #godliness, #Christianity, #JesusChrist, #church, #Bible, #Scripture, #HolyBook, #religion, #love, #truth, #faith

Sunday 12/8 ~ The meaning of life

The scripture for today, December 8 (12/8), is Ecclesiastes 12:8 as found in the Old Testament of the Bible:

Pearls Cover-Palms-300dpi-Thumbnail” ‘Meaningless! Meaningless!’ says the teacher. ‘Everything is meaningless!’ “

About thirty-five years ago some Christians in England did a sidewalk survey in the downtown of a major city. One of their inquiries was: “What question about your life do you ask the most?”. The answer almost always was, “Why am I here? What is life all about?”.

The entire book of Ecclesiastes is about all the things that the richest and most powerful man in the world did in order to have an enjoyable and fulfilling life: He built palaces and grand temples, he cultivated great gardens, he imported tons of gold and precious stones and fabrics from around the globe, he had numerous wives and mistresses, he built the largest army and navy in the world, he studied every possible subject. At the end, he said it was all meaningless.

The meaning of your life is that you were born to die and walk through a gate. This life is temporary. It is your proving ground. This life is the foyer of the life you will have eternally ~ a life in heaven or hell. You were not put here just to have fun, but rather to live in the very presence of your Maker and take many people as possible with you to the home of God, your Maker, the Lover of your soul. That is the meaning of life.

.

Pearls Cover-Palms-300dpi-Thumbnail365 PEARLS OF WISDOM: GOD’S SOUL TO YOURS contains daily excerpts from Proverbs plus one passage from Job, Psalm, Ecclesiastes, or Song of Solomon.  This is one of three books in the devotional TOUCHING GOD SERIES. Original artwork on the covers and poetic font inside.  A beautiful gift book for Christmas and all through the year.  To BUY NOW, click a book cover or paste this………. https://amzn.to/2rvxON8

.

.

#discouragement, #Christmas, #trilogy, #devotionals, #inspiration, #deathgates, #Job, #Psalms, #Proverbs, #Ecclesiastes, #SongOfSolomon, #yearly, #365, #whyamIhere, #meaningoflife, #inspirationalbooks, # katherynmaddoxhaddad, #inspiration, #devotional, #worship, #vespers, #meditation,. #godliness, #Christianity, #JesusChrist, #church, #Bible, #Scripture, #HolyBook, #religion, #love, #truth, #faith

Saturday 11/23 ~ Eternal Thanksgiving

The scripture for today, November 23 (11/23), is 1st Corinthians 11:23ff as found in the New Testament of the Bible:

Supper-Front Cover-Thumbnail“For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: The Lord Jesus on the night he was betrayed, took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, ‘This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me.’ In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, ‘This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.’ “

How the hearts of Jesus and his closest friends must have been breaking that night. How the apostles must have struggled to hold back the tears. They all knew the religious leaders in Jerusalem were plotting to execute Jesus. They knew he was risking his to be in the city ~ their lives too. How could they part with the one they now knew was the Son of God but also the Son of Mankind ~ their dearest friend?

When you take the communion every Sunday, where are your thoughts? What you’re going to do after church? What someone sitting near us is wearing? How the person in front of us is blocking your view?

Have you ever during the communion wept as Jesus’ apostles must have wept ~ and probably even as Jesus himself wept?

Oh, Jesus, it was my sins that caused you to go through that horrible death!  My punishment! How could you love me that much? I fall at your feet. I am so sorry.

.

Supper-Front Cover-ThumbnailTHE LORD’S SUPPER: 52 READINGS WITH PRAYERS can be used for private meditation during the Lord’s Supper or by whoever is leading the congregation for the communion.  The Lord’s Supper is the main reason early Christians under apostle leadership met on Sundays. They could sing, pray, study any day of the week.  Sundays were specifically for the Lord’s Supper.  To BUY NOW, click a book cover or paste this……….https://amzn.to/37pApsa

.

.

#LordsSupper, #LastSupper, #HolyCommunion, #Mass, #crucifixion, #ransom, #forgivenessofsins, #Thanksgiving, #FirstDayOfWeek, #Sunday, #Worship, #redeemed, #freedfromSatan, #Freedfromsin, #BibleReadings, #inspiration, #devotional, #worship, #vespers, #meditation,. #godliness, #Christianity, #JesusChrist, #church, #Bible, #Scripture, #HolyBook, #religion, #love, #truth