Sunday, May 24, 2009

Overcoming Tough Times

I read another book recently, titled "Overcoming Tough Times - God's Plan for Your Life". (I don't recall the author, but will look it up and add it here in the future, along with a link.) Once again I jotted down 30 prayers that spoke to me and helped me through some hard times. Maybe they will help someone else, as well.

1) Dear Lord, Even when I am discouraged, even when my heart is heavy, I will earnestly seek Your will for my life. You have plan for me that I can never fully understand. But You understand, and I will trust You today, tomorrow, and forever. Amen.

2) Lord, when I face the inevitable disappointments of life, give me perspective and faith. When I am discouraged, give me the strength to trust Your promises and follow Your will. Then, when I have done my best, Father, let me live with the assurance that You are firmly in control, and that Your love endures forever. Amen.

3) Lord, sometimes my problems are simply too big for me, but they are never too big for You. Let me turn my troubles over to You, Lord, and let me trust in You today and for all eternity. Amen.

4) Dear Lord, every day can be an exercise in character-building, and that’s what I intend to make this day. I will be mindful that my thoughts and actions have great consequences in my own life and in the lives of my loved ones. I will strive to make my thoughts and actions pleasing to You, so that I may be an instrument of Your peace every day. Amen.

5) Dear Lord, I have so much to learn. Help me to watch, to listen, to think, and to learn, every day of my life. Amen.

6) Dear Lord, thank you for the mentors whom You have placed along my path. When I am troubled, let me turn to them for help, for guidance, for comfort, and for perspective. And Father, let me be a friend and mentor to others, so that my love for You may be demonstrated by my genuine concern for them. Amen.

7) Lord, sometimes this world is a terrifying place. When I am filled with uncertainty and doubt, give me faith. In life’s dark moments, help me remember that you are always near and that You can overcome any challenge. Today, Lord, and forever, I will place my trust in You. Amen.

8) Lord, I pray for an attitude that is Christlike. Whatever my circumstances, whether good or bad, triumphal or tragic, let my response reflect a God-honoring attitude of optimism, faith, and love for You. Amen.

9) Dear Lord, your timing is seldom my timing, but Your timing is always right for me. You are my Father, and You have a plan for my life that is grander than I can imagine. When I am impatient, remind me that You are never early or late. You are always on time, Lord, so let me trust in you…always. Amen.

10) Dear Lord, when I have questions or fears, I will turn to you. When I am weak, I will seek your strength. When I am discouraged, Father, I will be mindful of Your love and Your grace. I will ask You for the things I need, Father, and I will trust Your answers, today and forever. Amen.

11) Heavenly Father, free me from anger, resentment, and envy. When I am bitter, I cannot feel the peace that you intend for my life. Keep me mindful that forgiveness is Your commandment, and help me accept the past, treasure the present, and trust the future…to you. Amen.

12) Dear Lord, let me raise my hopes and my dreams, my worries and my fears to you. Let me be a worthy example to family and friends, showing them the importance and the power of prayer. Let me take everything to you in prayer, lord, and when I do, let me trust in your answers. Amen.

13) Lord, sometimes life is difficult. Sometimes, I am worried, weary, or heartbroken. And sometimes, I encounter powerful temptations to disobey your commandments. But when I lift my eyes to you, Father, you strengthen me. When I am week, you lift me up. Today, I will turn to you for strength, for hope, for direction, and for deliverance. Amen.

14) Dear Lord, when I open myself to you, I am blessed. Let me accept your love and your wisdom, Father. Show me your way, and deliver me from the painful mistakes that I make when I stray from your commandments. Let me live according to your word, and let me grow in my faith every day that I live. Amen.

15) Dear Lord, help me speak courteously to everyone, including myself. And when I make a mistake, help me to forgive myself quickly and thoroughly, just as I forgive others. Amen.

16) Lord, I will focus on your love, your power, your promises, and your Son. When I am week, I will turn to you for strength; when I am troubled, I will turn to you for patience and perspective. Help me guard my thoughts, Lord, so that I may honor you this day and forever. Amen.

17) Heavenly Father, your word is a light unto the world; I will study it, and trust it, and share it. In all that I do, help me be a worthy witness for you as I share the good news of your perfect son and your perfect word. Amen.

18) Lord, when life is difficult, I am tempted to abandon hope in the future. But You are my God, and I can draw strength from you. Let me trust you, Father, in good times and in bad times. Let me persevere, even if my soul is troubled, and let me follow Your Son, Jesus Christ, this day and forever. Amen.

19) Lord, sometimes I face challenges that leave me breathless. When I am fearful, let me lean upon you. Keep me ever mindful, Lord, that you are my God, my strength, and my shield. With you by my side, I have nothing to fear. And with your Son, Jesus, as my Savior, I have received the priceless gift of eternal ife. Help me to be a grateful and courageous servant this day and every day. Amen.

20) Heavenly Father, even when it seems to me that you are far away, you never leave my side. Today and every day, I will strive to feel your presence, and I will strive to sense your love for me. Amen.

21) Heavenly Father, let today and every day be a time of worship. Let me worship you, not only with words and deeds, but also with my heart. In the quiet moments of the day, let me praise you and thank you for creating me, loving me, guiding me, and saving me. Amen.

22) Dear Lord, give me the courage to dream and the faithfulness to trust in your perfect plan for my life. When I am worried, give me strength for today and hope for tomorrow. Today, Father, I will trust you and honor you with my thoughts, my prayers, my actions, and with my dreams. Amen.

23) Dear Lord, when I am confronted with things that need to be done, give me the courage and the wisdom to do them now, not later. Amen.

24) Heavenly Father, when I focus intently upon you, I am blessed. When I focus too intently on material possessions, I am troubled. Make my priorities pleasing to you, Father, and make me a worthy servant of Your Son. Amen.

25) Lord, sometimes life is difficult. Sometimes, I am worried, weary, or heartbroken. But when I lift my eyes to you, Father, you strengthen me. When I am weak, you lift me up. Today, I turn to you, Lord, for my strength, my hope, and my salvation. Amen.

26) Heavenly Father, forgiveness is your commandment, and I know that I should forgive others just as you have forgiven me. But, genuine forgiveness is difficult. Help me to forgive those who have injured me, and deliver me from the traps of anger and bitterness. Forgiveness is your way, Lord; let it be mine. Amen.

27) Heavenly Father, when I am fearful, keep me mindful that you are my protector and my salvation. Give me strength, Lord, to face the challenges of this day as I gain my courage from you. Amen.

28) Lord, you are my rock and my strength. When I grow weary, let me turn my thoughts and my prayers to you. When I am discouraged, restore my faith in you. Let me always trust in your promises, Lord, and let me draw strength from those promises and from your unending love. Amen.

29) Dear Lord, let your purposes be my purposes. Let your priorities be my priorities. Let your will be my will. Let your word be my guide. And let me grow in faith and in wisdom today and every day. Amen.

30) Dear Jesus, because I am your disciple, I will trust you, I will obey your teachings, and I will share your good news. You have given me life abundant and life eternal, and I will follow you today and forever. Amen.

Have No Fear...

Fear not, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God, I will strengthen you to difficulties; I will help you; I will hold you up and retain you with My right hand of rightness and justice... For I hold your right hand; I am the Lord, who says to you fear not; I will help you! - Isaiah 41:10, 13

Saturday, May 23, 2009

Burnout

And Jesus said to them, The Sabbath was made on account and for the sake of man, not man for the Sabbath; so the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath. - Mark 2:27-28

It wasn't until I read this that I realized I had not been "resting" on the Sabbath, as God intends. I have been such a work-aholic most of my adult life that I have not made time to obey God's ordinances. If we reap what we sow and all I sow is stress, then I will pay the price. I'm making a promise not to let that happen again.

Friday, May 22, 2009

Why do bad things happen to good people?

We all go through periods of time when it feels like our world is spinning out of control, or at least parts of it. I recently went through such a period which lasted for over 2 years... not that there weren't many things in my life to be thankful for during that time. But when it came to my job, I felt as though I was working in Mordor and the office (or the company) was cursed; everyone who worked there left feeling worse than when they started and nothing I ever did seemed to change it...it was not a positive environment.

After months of wishing my way through each day, I still felt helpless, hopeless, and was barely hanging by a thread; I knew I needed something to motivate me and I knew I had to get serious. I don't know why it took me so long to put on my armor for this spiritual warfare, but I was eventually drawn to a Christian bookstore and felt certain that was exactly where I needed to be. There were many great, intriguing titles, but three in particular spoke to me. The first was 21 Reasons Bad Things Happen to Good People by Dave Early. It was exactly what I needed to help me through the dark and gloomy days at work, and exactly what I needed to help motive those around me. I jotted down the following points from the book to help remind myself why we face adversity:
  • God gave people the ability to choose, and some people choose evil;
  • Often, good things come from bad situations that would not have occurred otherwise;
  • To stretch us for greater personal and spiritual growth, like strengthening the roots of a tree to withstand the force of a hurricane’s wind; without the sand there is no pearl. He uses the bad to make us better people.
  • To remind us that we are not “home” yet; the earth is not our final destination. It is a wilderness and only in heaven can we expect perfection from the world and the people around us.
  • To help shape us into the likeness of Jesus; like a sculptor who chips away the excess stone to reveal his masterpiece, or like a potter who has to mold and bend his clay, so God has to chip away at our undesirable traits to help make us more like Jesus.
  • To make us more humble and open our hearts to other lessons from the Lord;
  • To bring us closer to God; it is the down-trodden and broken who turn to the Lord, we rarely turn to him when times are good. If he wants our attention, He may bring us down to bring us closer to him.
  • To prepare us for much better and bigger things to come; it is only after the storm that we can see the rainbow.
  • To provide an opportunity or prepare us for a miracle;
  • To encourage and spread testimony of his work;
  • To equip us to minister to others; if we don’t experience hard times how can we counsel and comfort others who experience the same? To allow us to reach someone for Christ that might not have been reached otherwise.
  • To remove our self-reliance and independence and remind us that we need to rely on God alone.
  • To give us instruction and discipline from our Father; it is training, not punishment.
  • To refine and test our faith; like metal is made tougher and stronger with fire, God is the goldsmith and we are the metal.
  • To remind us that we are not the only one(s) who suffered; Suffering provides us with a better perspective of the greater suffering that Jesus endured for us.
  • To remind us that we need others, our friends (the church), to help us through the hard times; we can’t go it alone and shouldn’t try.
  • God is constantly battling with Satan and we may be a player in this unseen battle; if we react to tough situations with faith and perseverance, God beats Satan again.