Tag: praise

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Joy In The Journey.

Over the course of this past week I have felt what both my husband and my mother have said, the weight of the world on my shoulders. It was not that I had intended to take this heavy burden. However, over the course of this past year you or I have not had to look far to see brokenness and the need for Jesus. It was not that I was trying to be him, but I have felt the deep need to intercede, stand in the gap, and lay out not only my cares but the cares of others too.

It was not until late last night until the burden lifted. I laughed and laughed at short clips of video’s and suddenly I felt light again. I felt thankful. I began to thank God for laughter. Oh how I needed to laugh and smile again. When I woke up this morning I felt not heavy burdened but thankful to had woken up with a restful night of sleep. As the day went on the thankfulness continued. I thanked him that I was able to drive in a car that is paid off that he provided. I thanked him for being able to buy name brand things if I wanted to (even though I made sure to add the only time I was going to buy name brand was if the cheap stuff did not work as well as the name brand). I got groceries and thanked him for yet again meeting our needs this week. I got on the phone with my husband and thanked God for his protection and a wonderful husband who brings me closer to him. The list goes on, but thankfulness for today lightened the load.

With all the things that kept going wrong, I missed what was going right. When I was focused on past sufferings, it brought anxiety and worry into my tomorrow. Thankfully, Holy Spirit fixed my focus and gave me thankfulness for today.

“So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today.” -Matthew 6:34 NLT

Where are you today? No matter what you have dealt with, don’t think about yesterday and do not worry about tomorrow. Focus on the blessings of today. When we focus on the problem rather than who is walking with us in the midst, peace can soon dissipate. However, God was with us yesterday, he is with us today, and he will be with us tomorrow too. I want to challenge you, right here, right now. What are you thankful for?

Like me, maybe your focus was off course so it was hard to see the good or where God was in the mix. Ask Holy Spirit for help with setting your focus back on him. Ask to have his perception, reminder of his promises, and to have his thoughts. He will reveal something to be thankful for even if you do not think there is a reason to be. I also challenge you to continue in thanksgiving. Giving praise to God for who he is and all he has given you.Thanksgiving enables us to have joy in the journey because we are focused on his goodness rather than our circumstance. Like me, I believe you will find that the heavy burden will soon lift.

“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. 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 4:6-8 NLT

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A New Song of Praise!

No matter what you are going through, you can have full assurance that God is there to deliver you and help you through. Throughout reading Psalm 40 this morning I could not help but want to shout out praise for all the glorious things he has done! He has brought me out of the pit of darkness, just barley surviving. Into the solid foundation upon Jesus Christ. The more and more I think about all he has done, the more I agree with King David that his faithfulness and great things he has done cannot be numbered!

Have you ever sat there and really thought about what God has done for you?

Take THIS MOMENT to thank him!

I am so thankful we are able to have a relationship with God. I am so thankful that his plan for us is to prosper and have life abundantly! I am thankful for him being our refuge in the storm and that no weapon formed against us shall prosper.

I am thankful that the creator, the ALMIGHTY GOD, delights in me and knows every single detail down to the number of hairs on my head!

Truly, no one can compare with God.

He never breaks a promise, he is always someone you can depend on. God is always on time. He knows what we need before we need it and has already made a way for his promises to come to pass. God calls us his children, a royal priesthood, his saints. He told us if there is something we desire to simply ask, seek, and knock!

God is not one that hides his face. He has told us that if we seek him wholeheartedly, he will be there.

GLORY TO GOD!

He does not lack in compassion, grace, or mercy.

He does everything out of his abundance!

His constant love and truth will always guard us.

He has exchanged the spirit of heaviness for a spirit of praise.

God you have given me a new song!

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God’s Exchange For Your Praise

God never gives an even exchange…
You pour out your love on him, he pours it right back.
You come in praising him with anxiety, he leaves you with his peace.
You come in with depression, you leave with joy.
You come in with burdens, he brings you freedom.

We go in to pour out our love upon him and we end up blessed. Our Father is a giver even when we are giving thanks unto him!

I will praise You with my whole heart; Before the gods I will sing praises to You. I will worship toward Your holy temple, And praise Your name For Your lovingkindness and Your truth; For You have magnified Your word above all Your name. In the day when I cried out, You answered me, And made me bold with strength in my soul.

Psalms 138:1‭-‬3 NKJV

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Oh My Jesus😭

Please take the time to prayerfully read through this scripture before reading the post:

Who has believed our message? To whom has the Lord revealed his powerful arm? My servant grew up in the Lord ’s presence like a tender green shoot, like a root in dry ground. There was nothing beautiful or majestic about his appearance, nothing to attract us to him. He was despised and rejected— a man of sorrows, acquainted with deepest grief. We turned our backs on him and looked the other way. He was despised, and we did not care. Yet it was our weaknesses he carried; it was our sorrows that weighed him down. And we thought his troubles were a punishment from God, a punishment for his own sins! But he was pierced for our rebellion, crushed for our sins. He was beaten so we could be whole. He was whipped so we could be healed. All of us, like sheep, have strayed away. We have left God’s paths to follow our own. Yet the Lord laid on him the sins of us all. He was oppressed and treated harshly, yet he never said a word. He was led like a lamb to the slaughter. And as a sheep is silent before the shearers, he did not open his mouth. Unjustly condemned, he was led away. No one cared that he died without descendants, that his life was cut short in midstream. But he was struck down for the rebellion of my people. He had done no wrong and had never deceived anyone. But he was buried like a criminal; he was put in a rich man’s grave. But it was the Lord ’s good plan to crush him and cause him grief. Yet when his life is made an offering for sin, he will have many descendants. He will enjoy a long life, and the Lord ’s good plan will prosper in his hands. When he sees all that is accomplished by his anguish, he will be satisfied. And because of his experience, my righteous servant will make it possible for many to be counted righteous, for he will bear all their sins. I will give him the honors of a victorious soldier, because he exposed himself to death. He was counted among the rebels. He bore the sins of many and interceded for rebels.
Isaiah 53:1‭-‬12 NLT

As I read this chapter, I cannot help but be emotional about what Jesus had endured for us to be whole and healed.

I reflect on the fact that he had done absolutely nothing wrong, never decieving anyone, never sinned, and suffered the worst kind of death for us. Jesus did everything out of the abundance of his love and still does today.

Take a moment to reflect:

Can you imagine being falsely accused and going through a crucifixion? Being alone and laying down your life for those who won’t even acknowledge who you are? Laying down your life for those who ultimately betrayed you?

Not forgetting to mention, Jesus even though he was oppressed and suffering, stayed quiet and did not speak a word.

I think this speaks volumes about how we are called to live. Jesus being our perfect example, never complained and only spoke out of love.

Most of us, myself included, complain on a daily basis. The weather is too hot, too cold, ect. Yet, Jesus going through the worst suffering all alone and not deserving it, chose to be quiet and endure.

This blows me away and also convicts me to ask Holy Spirit for help. I need his help with complaining (which is the absence of thankfulness) but to also help me be quiet when I suffer. If I cannot say anything in love or thankfulness, it is better to say nothing at all.

Many times love comes in the form of correction. As I have been meditating on this, Holy Spirit has gently corrected me and showed me areas where I need to be more diligent and seek him in. But the reason why it made a difference is because it was done in love.

A question I had for God was how did the Lord endure such gruesome suffering and not complain or speak?

Lets be real, humble, and transparent. I have a hard time not complaining about the weather and when someone does me wrong I even have had the urgency to lash back. But Jesus, he doesn’t do this. How!?

If you read there is a verse that he pointed out to me that changed my perspective not only on suffering but the love of Jesus.

“When he sees all that is accomplished by his anguish, he will be satisfied. And because of his experience, my righteous servant will make it possible for many to be counted righteous, for he will bear all their sins. I will give him the honors of a victorious soldier, because he exposed himself to death. He was counted among the rebels. He bore the sins of many and interceded for rebels”-Isaiah 53:11‭-‬12 NLT

First, Jesus was not focused on his anguish and his suffering. He had the eternal perspective that what he was enduring was worth every ounce of pain he felt.
When we are suffering we are not called to focus on the things of earth but the things of heaven.

Second, his eternal perspective was a relationship with us. Jesus suffered to set us free, make his whole, and for our healing.

I am in awe that he not only stayed quiet during the trials because he only spoke in love and thankfulness. I am also in awe that his eternal perspective that gave him the strength to endure the worst kind of suffering was his love for us. Yall I am in tears writing this.

My prayer for you today is that even if you are suffering, being falsely accused, feel alone, and are being rejected. You remember that Jesus knows how you feel and died for you to be whole and healed. I pray that you forgive as freely as he has forgiven us. I pray that he puts a door over your mouth so you may not speak thoughtlessly and you always speak the truth in love or do not speak at all, following his perfect example. I pray that you continually get a deeper revelation of his love for you and your grab ahold of his love that makes you whole and healed.

ABBA, I thank you for sacraficial servant love. I can only pray that we follow your example. I thank you for your mercy and grace and that you have died to make us whole, free, and healed. There is nothing you will not do for us. In Jesus name, Amen.

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You Are Not Alone

I’ve come to this place where I seem to be putting in an endless amount of effort in everything I do. The more I try, the more I become weary. I have come to a place of tiredness and a place where I feel far from God.

I am saying this to be transparent. Not for discouragement. I say this to help one of you that may be going through the same thing. This season of my life has been one of correction, repentance, and a need for endurance. It has been one where if I focused on feelings, I would be lost.

A relationship with God is not based upon feelings. But is based upon Faith and the solid foundation of truth, God’s Word.

So, even though I feel weary, he is renewing my strength.

Even though I may feel sad, he is near to the broken hearted.

It may seem like I am surrounded with defeat, but I am more than a conqueror.

It feels like these promises will never comes to pass, but I am in the waiting and his word cannot come back void.

I may feel far from God however he said he will never leave me not forsakeme. He will always be there to deliever me!

Even though the doctors say there is no change, by his wounds I am healed.

Things do not make sense right now, but I lean not on my own understanding, he will make my path straight.

There will be times where your emotions want to take over. But, focus on the perfector of our Faith and the one who will never let us down, Jesus. Surround yourself in his presence and praise him through the storm. You are not alone and you are so loved! Feelings may lie, but his word stands true, now and forever and ever.