Monthly Archives: November 2016

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A THANKSGIVING PRAYER

November 21, 2016 11:30 pm , Leave a Comment ,

in-everything-give-thanks

No matter what circumstances we are facing in our nation, we can breathe deeply and rest in knowing we have a good heavenly Father. His son, Jesus Christ, is the anchor that keeps us from sinking into the depths of darkness as we press into Him through prayer.

We have so many spiritual blessings to be thankful for. Let’s pray and thank our Father for His love and goodness.

Father,

Thank You for Your never-ending mercy and grace. As we join together with our families and friends this Thanksgiving, let us rejoice over the gift You have given us through Your son, Jesus Christ. Thank You for all that He gives us and how He enables us to live with an abundance of hope, joy, peace, and love. Let our gratitude flow from our hearts every day and let us always remember that You blessed us to be a blessing to others. Help us share Your love every day and always do good to each other. Let us never stop praying and be thankful in all circumstances.  We pray in Christ’s name. Amen.

“See that no one pays back evil for evil, but always try to do good to each other and to all people. Always be joyful. Never stop praying. Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.”

1 Thessalonians 5:15-18

May you all have a blessed and beautiful Thanksgiving celebration with your families and friends.

XOXO,

Amy

Posted in: Holidays, Prayers , Tagged: , ,

KEEPING FOCUSED ON THE THINGS THAT MATTER MOST

November 9, 2016 10:31 pm , Leave a Comment ,

jesus-we-look-to-you

After spending too much time reading articles about do-it-yourself projects, a thought came bursting into my head: “I’m done! I’m done with wasting time on trivial things.” A zealous determination rose up in my spirit like I’ve never had before.

In the previous months, I had spent so much of my time on repainting walls and restoring furniture instead of working on the things I knew God desired for me to do.

Creating beauty in my home and inviting people over for meals are two of my greatest passions. Creating a pretty home is not a bad thing, but it can be a burdensome thing if it begins stealing my focus away from eternal things.

Over and over again, the Lord has reminded me of the words in James 4:14: “You do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.”

In the blink of an eye, our time of passing through this earth is over. Do I really want to be known for being the “Home Project Expert” when I’m gone? No. I want to be remembered mainly for the love and encouragement I’ve sewn into lives.

How do we stay focused on eternal things when there are so many mundane things tugging at our minds? I think we sometimes need to reassess our priorities. That’s what I had to do. I had to stop reading decorating blogs and stop watching decorating shows. Those things were just feeding my desire to do more projects.

To be completely clear, I’m not saying I will never do another project around my house. I’m sure I will tackle a home project again in the future, but I’ve chosen not to make it a high priority.

After resetting my priorities, I don’t feel the pressure to rip down the bathroom wallpaper that’s nearly two decades old. One hundred years from now, whether or not I updated my bathroom will not matter.

Our relationships with people and with Christ will matter eternally. The time we spend seeking to find God’s assignments for each of our lives and the time spent helping others will be what lasts forever.

What new thing is Christ calling you to do that will have an eternal impact? Are you called to work with elderly people, start a ministry for foster children, or use your gift of music to uplift people?

Will you join me in seeking wholeheartedly to know Christ’s heart better and go passionately after the things that will have an eternal impact? Whatever it is any of us are called to do, Christ will give us faith and help us to stay focused on what matters most as we keep our eyes focused fully upon Him.

“Let us keep our eyes fixed on Jesus, on whom our faith depends from beginning to end.” Hebrews 12:2

Posted in: Devotions , Tagged: , , ,

PRAYING FOR AMERICA AND THE ELECTION

November 6, 2016 4:22 pm , 2 Comments ,

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We’re living in really dark times; however, the darkness will not overtake us if we stay surrendered to the will of God for our lives. It’s a time for excitement as the day draws nearer for Christ’s second coming. Even though no one knows the day or hour, we can see the signs all around us that we’ve entered the season of preparing for the Lord’s return.

I’m very excited about the years ahead and I truly believe God is going to turn this nation around in due time. For the past six years, I have strongly sensed in my spirit that the U.S. is called to be the light of the world. It’s time for the Church of America to arise in the darkness and pray fervently for change in our country.

Our prayers are more important for America’s future than any of us can imagine. Will you please join me in praying for God’s perfect will to come forth in America?

Dear Heavenly Father,

Thank You for the vision You have for the United States. Please keep Your hand firmly placed upon our country and heal our land. Let America be a holy nation, a group of people who will proclaim the praises of Your goodness. Revive the Church of America and make us light-bearers. Please turn things around in our cities and let Your chosen one be elected as our president. It is our desire to have a leader who will support Israel and will support our values. We are grateful our nation was founded upon Your truth, and we ask You to appoint the leader who will help to reinstate the foundation of our biblical principles. We know that it is You alone who can bring change and we trust You to carry our nation out of the darkness and into Your marvelous light. We pray in Your name, Christ. Amen.

“But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.” 1 Peter 2:9

Have a blessed Sunday!

Amy

Posted in: Prayers , Tagged: , , ,