Set us afire, Lord, stir us we pray! While the world perishes, we go our way Purposeless, passionless, day after day; Set us afire, Lord, stir us we pray! --Cushman
Thought for the Day
Talking to Christ about others helps us to talk to others about Christ.
Christmas is coming! Loved ones to see, gifts to give, baking to share. We prepare our homes for the celebration. Yet even more important than this outward preparation is the preparation of our heart. The Advent season is a beautiful reminder to prepare our hearts,as we prepare our homes, to celebrate the birth of our Savior, Jesus! This week we light the first of the four candles in the Advent Wreath, the candle of HOPE.
Is your heart filled with hope? Do you have a confident expectation of your tomorrow? What happens when the road ahead is filled with loss and stress weighs your shoulders down? When confident expectation in life's tomorrow dwindles, what can you do? How can you walk in hope when you feel hopeless inside? The God of Hope is your answer.
"May the God of Hope fill you with all joy and peace, as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit." Romans 15:13
Hope for H elp. - Hebrews 4:16 Hope to O vercome - 1 John 5:4 Hope for P ower - 2 Cor. 12:9 Hope for E ternity - John 3:16
To read this in its complete form, please click on: http://thelife.com/blogs/experience/devotionalforwomen/2008/11/30/
Hopefully, I'll be back next week to post Advent Week Two.
"The LORD is my shepherd, I shall lack nothing. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet water, He restores my soul" (Psalm 23:1-3).
It's in the quietness that God speaks. He nourishes our souls and our spirits. He restores us so that we can function optimally.
We need to be still and listen. It's in those quiet moments that God speaks to us.
Do you feel frazzled? God wants to restore your soul, but He needs you to become quiet to do that.
Before tackling the demands of the day, spend a few moments being still. No music. No reading. No television in the background. Maybe you'll be noticing a flower in your garden or sitting quietly listening to the rain.
And all of it speaks to me of God's order in nature as well as in life.
"Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth. The LORD Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress" (Psalm 46:10).
~Thank you, Father, that I'm always in your Presence. Now as I listen to You in the quietness, let me hear Your voice. Amen.
"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 direct your paths" (Proverbs 3:5 and 6).
Have you ever wondered why you need to pray when God knows your thoughts?
Prayer is deliberate communication with God. He knows our thoughts but He likes for us to communicate with Him frequently. He speaks to us through His Word, which prompts us to interact with Him.
When we pray we don't have to listen to electronic messages before we get to talk to God. He doesn't have voice mail. His line is never busy. We are not put on hold or hear the message, "All calls will be answered in the order received." We read in Isaiah 65:24, "While they are still speaking, I will hear." However, He does not always answer our prayers immediately, sometimes we have to wait for His timing, but He does hear us while we are praying.
Excerpts taken from Christian Women Today Devotional for September 20, 2008
