Month: August 2013

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The Prayer of Jabez

I shared this meditation backed in 2011 with a group of fellow believers.   I came across it, and thought it was a good word to share again.

The following comments were taken from www.AllAboutPrayer.org .  I hope you will be encouraged by this word today.  Have a faith filled weekend.
Peace and blessings,
Denise

Prayer of Jabez: What is it?
The Prayer of Jabez comes from the Bible. In 1 Chronicles 4:10, we read: “And Jabez called on the God of Israel, saying, Oh that Thou wouldest bless me indeed, and enlarge my coast, and that Thine hand might be with me, and that Thou wouldest keep me from evil, that it may not grieve me! And God granted him that which he requested.” The prayer is composed of four parts. First, Jabez asks God to bless him. Second, he asks God to enlarge his territory or increase his responsibility. Third, he prays that God will be with him and stay close. Lastly, Jabez asks that God keep him from harm so that he will be free from pain.
Prayer of Jabez: Why is it important?
The Prayer of Jabez reveals that Jabez understands what many people do not — there is only one God and He should be the center of our work God wants to bless every life. But, we must first make the choice to invite God into our life and ask for His blessings. Jabez wants to succeed and increase his sphere of influence for God. The specific sphere of influence is not important. What is important is that when we want to reach for goals and accomplishments that we have God on our side. Proverbs 16:3 says, “Commit thy works unto the LORD, and thy thoughts shall be established.” It is critical to understand and practice this in a close relationship with God. Further, it is equally important to stay close to God and rely on His continued support and guidance throughout life. Jabez clearly knows and prays specifically to the One who can protect him from evil and pain — God. At the end of the verse it is clear that God approved of this faithful prayer by granting it. It is also important to see that Jabez was passionate in his plea to God: “He cried out to the God of Israel.” God wants to hear that we need Him through passionate prayer.
Prayer of Jabez: What does it mean to you?
The Prayer of Jabez reminds us that everybody struggles with choosing to rely on himself or God. Whether you are a focused Christian
or just searching to find out more about God, life is a growing process. However, it is very clear in reviewing the Prayer of Jabez, as well as the rest of the Bible, that God is faithful in caring for those who seek Him. Jabez sets a great example of how God wants everyone to come to Him through constant and passionate prayer. If you are looking to start a relationship with God or improve your existing relationship with Him, start with prayer. God answers prayers when you trust Him (1 Chronicles 5:20). Prayers to God also please Him (Proverbs 15:8). We can all learn from Jabez and faithfully pray to God always in everything that we do.

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A Promise

Blessings to you.

My scripture today comes from Isaiah 58:9-14 New King James Version (NKJV)

9 Then you shall call, and the Lord will answer;
You shall cry, and He will say, ‘Here I am.’
“If you take away the yoke from your midst,
The pointing of the finger, and speaking wickedness,
10 If you extend your soul to the hungry
And satisfy the afflicted soul,
Then your light shall dawn in the darkness,
And your darkness shall be as the noonday.
11 The Lord will guide you continually,
And satisfy your soul in drought,
And strengthen your bones;
You shall be like a watered garden,
And like a spring of water, whose waters do not fail.
12 Those from among you shall build the old waste places;
You shall raise up the foundations of many generations;
And you shall be called the Repairer of the Breach,
The Restorer of Streets to Dwell In.
13 “If you turn away your foot from the Sabbath,
From doing your pleasure on My holy day,
And call the Sabbath a delight,
The holy day of the Lord honorable,
And shall honor Him, not doing your own ways,
Nor finding your own pleasure,
Nor speaking your own words,
14 Then you shall delight yourself in the Lord;
And I will cause you to ride on the high hills of the earth,
And feed you with the heritage of Jacob your father.
The mouth of the Lord has spoken.”

What an amazing promise for us who are grafted into the Holy Branch.  Honored ones move into the fullness of this divine promise, and become the restorers and repairers of the breach. Let your light shine, draw men unto the Lord, compel all to seek the Lord. Remember: This is a promise from the one who was and who is, and who is to come. (Asher hayah V’hoveh v’yavo)

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Elul

On August 6, according to the Jewish calendar the month of Elul began. This month is significant because it is in preparation for Rosh Hashanah which begin at sunset Wednesday, September 4, 2013 and ends at nightfall Friday, September 6, 2013. It is a time of repentance, reflection, and forgiveness.  It calls us to clear our minds, souls and bodies of the things which separate us from God.   As I’ve been studying this significance of this month, I’ve learned special prayers will be offered for past sins committed not only by the individual, but also for the entire family. I am reminded of Nehemiah, who upon his return to Jerusalem, asked God to forgive him, and Israel their past sins. It is a beautiful prayer.  It recounts everything Israel did in the past, and include the sins of those present at the time of the dedication of the temple. No one was exempt.

As this month continues, Jews will offer special prayers, recite the 27th Psalm, and be awaken by the shofar[ram’s horn].   The major focus is, however on repentance.  On turning away from the sins that so easily beset us, and going before a Holy God and seeking forgiveness with a sincere heart.  And as we do, our souls are restored, and “He will lead us beside still waters, and anoint our heads with His oil.” Then “goodness and mercy shall follow us all the days of our lives where we shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.”

I’ve taken to heart the significance of this month, and asked the Lord to forgive me, and my family for our sins.  This is a holy time, and because of it,  I will be taking more time to reflect on His word.  So dear readers, my posts will not come as often as before. (You probably noticed)  I encourage you to do the same. Don’t miss this special time. Cover yourself in His word. Spend time only with Him. Turn off some stuff. Get quiet and listen for Him.  Repent. Reflect. Forgive those who wronged you.   Prepare for the coming season with joy, love, appreciation, and anticipation. It is Elul.

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Meditation on Forgiveness

Meditation – Forgiveness- August 9, 2013 at 6:20am written by Michael A. White

Father, I think today about our grudges [bitterness, ill feelings, hatreds, chips on our shoulders), and wonder how we miss our forgiveness lessons, delivered by Your grace, and Your mercy, as our eyes flutter open each day. Time and time again, we read about it, every now and again, we hear about it through Word [the Bible], preached, and daily, we experience, forgiveness, where grudges are terminated from Your thought, and our slates [accounts, tabs, bills], are wiped away, with opportunities for “more” chances, to get right, and to get it right.

We do what we must oh Lord, in our processing of how we feel when we feel wronged [mistreated, offended, persecuted, hurt, wounded]. We may even realize the penalties of carrying the brunt [impact, force, effect, burden], of those feelings alone; we may look angry, bitter, troubled, unforgiving, on the outside to others, while feeling really torn up, hurt, injured, in our spirits, on our insides, oh and maybe Your lack of forgiveness toward us. Are we missing, are we not focusing on the power of forgiveness, not only what is may mean to others [letting them off the hook, giving them a break, a pass], but what it “will” mean to us?

Through You oh God, and by Your son Jesus, our Christ, our Redeemer, we learn the limitless [unlimited, inexhaustible, never-ending], boundaries, the actions of forgiving are, and by our faith, believe, understand, the proper roads to take; if we are wronged, we forgive, wronged again, forgive again, and again, and again, limitlessly, inexhaustibly, never-ending. Maybe we treat resentment [anger, hatred, bitterness, dislike], and forgiveness, as four-letter words, words we shouldn’t say and practice not using them in sentences, or simply call them burdens or yokes [burdens, bondages, loads, annoyances], ready to come to You, our protector and provider of all things good, for more lesson on love, and of course our lesson, targeted [directed, aimed, pointed], specifically [exactly, precisely, in detail], on forgiveness.

Sometimes Lord, we need a revival [renewal, recovery, restoration], lesson on what Your love really means to us. We exercise too much of our own abilities to pick and choose our subsets [subsections, subcategories, subdivisions], when Your love, encompasses [includes, contains, cover], all categories, including forgiveness. Let us each, by You strength learn our valuable lesson, then share them with the world, in the mighty name of Jesus, our Christ, our Redeemer [Savior, Rescuer, Liberator]. Amen.

Read Matthew 18:21-35  A Story About Forgiveness   The Message (MSG)

Matthew 6:14-15 The Message (MSG) 14-15 “In prayer there is a connection between what God does and what you do. You can’t get forgiveness from God, for instance, without also forgiving others. If you refuse to do your part, you cut yourself off from God’s part.

Mark 11:25 The Message (MSG)  22-25 Jesus was matter-of-fact: “Embrace this God-life. Really embrace it, and nothing will be too much for you. This mountain, for instance: Just say, ‘Go jump in the lake’—no shuffling or shilly-shallying—and it’s as good as done. That’s why I urge you to pray for absolutely everything, ranging from small to large. Include everything as you embrace this God-life, and you’ll get God’s everything. And when you assume the posture of prayer, remember that it’s not all asking. If you have anything against someone, forgive—only then will your heavenly Father be inclined to also wipe your slate clean of sins.”

Colossians 3:12-14 The Message (MSG)  12-14 So, chosen by God for this new life of love, dress in the wardrobe God picked out for you: compassion, kindness, humility, quiet strength, discipline. Be even-tempered, content with second place, quick to forgive an offense. Forgive as quickly and completely as the Master forgave you. And regardless of what else you put on, wear love. It’s your basic, all-purpose garment. Never be without it.

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He entered and walked through

Luke 19:1-10 accounts the story of Jesus and the tax collector Zacchaeus. The story begins with these words, “Then Jesus entered and walked through Jericho” (v1).

Struck by those seven words in verse one, it occurred to me this was the same area where in the OT Joshua and his army defeated the inhabitants of Jericho, and the walls came tumbling down.  The same Jericho, now years later that the Master entered and walked through.  The same vicinity where healing of blind eyes would take place.  The same vicinity wherein grace and restoration would be experienced.

Our Lord entered in and offered an invitation to grace to a tax collector.   As with Zacchaeus, there are walls and rubble all around us [ the sins of our past] waiting for the Master to enter in and walk through.  Just by Him entering in and walking through our walls (vicinity) of pain, suffering, agony, guilt and shame, they are transformed by the Holy of Holies.  When Our Lord Jesus walks through, He offers us the invitation to experience His restorative love and grace, just as He did with Zacchaeus.

Let Jesus enter and walk through the Jerichos of your life.

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Go and Do like wise

Go and do likewise (Luke 10:37) …where to go, and what should you be doing?
Go forth to make it better. Better in yourself, better in your home, on your job, in your community, and within your relationships. By going forward in appreciation, you will establish the fertile soil of compassion that will blossom into a garden; a bountiful garden of God’s love. We were told to do as Jesus did, so today and every day go and do likewise. You will see a wonderful difference in yourself and the world around you.

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The Return

This post was written by Michael A. White, my beloved husband. 

Morning Meditation – The Return

August 5, 2013 at 6:03am

Father, I think today about the simple things in life, and look forward to casting our cares, our worries, our concerns, and our anxieties on You (our all, our everything).  Life itself oh Lord, bears many complications, of which we are not exempt [excused, released, relieved, freed], from.  There might be a sniffle [whimper, cry, weep], as we suffer in our uneasiness [discomfort], or disquieted (lack of calm, peace, ease; anxiety, uneasiness), in our spirits. We can deprive [rob, deny, rid, strip], ourselves of the rights to calmness, composure, tranquility, serenity, the rights to peace, due to our on “failures-to-launch”, or stated differently, not receiving Your calling, to release our cares, our worries, concerns, anxieties upon You.

The vexations [displeasures, upsets, irritations], within our spirits, distractions [disruptions, disturbances, interferences], in our lives, or hindrances [obstacles, barriers, sabotages], can come directly from us sometimes, as we carry life challenges, nor knowing, nor realizing, or forgetting, opportunities to cast [throw, hurl, fling, chuck, pitch, toss], cares [worries, concerns, troubles, problems], about our pasts, presents, futures, cares about ourselves, family, friends, on You (“oh, what a relief it is”). Just thinking about it, begins to bring about a shifting, a lifting, a lightening.

PRAYER

Oh Lord, to be upset, distracted, hindered, are not the roads you’ve paved for us. Lead us our Father, to roads of quiet rest, serenity unmatched, and a peace defying all logic (surpassing understanding). Let our restorations [renovations, renewals, repairs, rebuilding], be strong, firm, and steadfast, because You love and truly care for us. Amen.

The original form of the adopted Serenity Prayer, attributed to Reinhold Niebuhr:

God, give me grace to accept with serenity the things that cannot be changed, Courage to change the things which should be changed, and the Wisdom to distinguish the one from the other. Living one day at a time, Enjoying one moment at a time, Accepting hardship as a pathway to peace, Taking, as Jesus did, This sinful world as it is, Not as I would have it, Trusting that You will make all things right, If I surrender to Your will, So that I may be reasonably happy in this life, And supremely happy with You forever in the next. Amen.

 

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