It’s Music Monday. I’m fascinated at how the Lord’s message can be wrapped in a song. The lyrics capture our hearts before we realize what is happening.
Craig by Walker Hayes reminds us how we should treat one another. Craig is not judgmental, and he is generous. The Lord shines brightly through Craig’s life. I want to be more like Craig.
Can you help me? This was the plea of many people in the Bible. Jairus asked for help to heal his daughter. The beggar who was blind and sitting along the road asked for help. Lazarus’ family asked for help. Many people asked for help, and the Lord never chased them away. He helped them.
In teaching his disciples about prayer, Jesus reminds us it is okay to ask the Lord for help.
Luke 11:3-4 says, “Give us each day our daily bread. Forgive us our sins for we also forgive everyone who sins against us. And lead us not into temptation.”
In other words, “Lord, can you help me?” We have permission to request help.
In an ever-changing, chaotic, imperfect world, we can ask the Lord for help.
When our morning is off to a bad start, we’ve overslept, kids fighting, and waffles burning, we can ask the Lord for help. He will help us.
When we are feeling overwhelmed and stressed at work, we can ask the Lord for help. He will help us.
When we are forced to decide and every choice seems wrong, we can request the Lord’s help. He will help us.
When we become impatient or angry too quickly, we can put in a change request with the Lord. Our Heavenly Dad knows we are not perfect, and we still need to grow, so he is more than willing to help us.
1 John 3:2 says, “We are already God’s children, but he has not yet shown us what we will be like when Christ appears but we do know that we will be like him for we will see him as he really is.”
When we’re wrestling with guilt from yesterday’s mistakes, we can ask the Lord to take it away. He will help.
Psalm 103:12 says, “He has removed our sins as far from us as the east is from the west.”
When you and I are struggling just to make it through another day, we can call on the Lord, and he will help us.
When we have little issues or life-changing events, we can say, “Lord, can you help me?” He will help us.
King David needed the Lord’s help in his life. We know David made many mistakes and spent much time dealing with adverse situations. He was not afraid to ask for help, and the Lord helped him.
David writes in Psalm 86:1-5, “Bend down, O Lord, and hear my prayer. Answer me for I need your help. Protect me for I am devoted to you. Save me for I serve you and trust you. You are my God. Be merciful to me, O Lord, for I am calling on you constantly. Give me happiness, O Lord, for I give myself to you. O Lord, you are so good, so ready to forgive, so full of unfailing love for all who ask for your help.”
We can ask our Dad for help. He will not be upset with us for needing help. He will compassionately and graciously help you and me.
Is there an area in life you could use the Lord’s help? Ask him to help you. Share your experience in the comments.
Have a friend who would find this post beneficial? Please share it with him or her.
Before Amen: The Power of a Simple Prayer by Max Lucado is a great resource on prayer.
Clutching his dad’s hand, the wide-eyed boy was walking through the toy isle. He noticed every toy on the shelf and asked for most of them. “This is only $10. Can I have it?” “Wow! Can you put this on my Christmas list?” Trying to convince his dad to buy another toy, the boy said, “We could play with this together, Daddy.” The boy tried all the tricks to get a new toy, but the dad’s response was the same.
“Maybe another day,” the dad calmly replied, “not today.”
This scene plays out in toy isles everywhere. Kids want many things, and they are not afraid to ask for what they want, and parents hear their requests. Likewise, our Heavenly Father allows us to ask for what we want in prayer.
Prayer is a conversation between us and our dad, and like all kids, we have a lot of wants and needs. We do have permission to ask for what we want.
It is okay to make requests of God. We don’t have to worry he will become upset with us if we ask for something. God hears and answers us, and his answer always comes at the right time. God answers us in his timing.
If you’re like me, you pray for something and want it immediately. We didn’t ask to wait. We asked for the answer, but God delays. He does not provide the answer the same day or even the next day. We keep praying and God keeps delaying.
“Is he ever going to answer? Is he ever going to respond,” you and I wonder? We believe it is time to receive the answer to our prayer long before God knows it is time. Jacob’s family can relate.
The Bible records a severe famine causing everyone to run out of food except those listening to Joseph, Jacob’s son. God put Joseph in place before the famine to prepare Egypt and save Jacob’s family. Because of Joseph, Jacob’s family was able to escape the famine in Egypt where they enjoyed a peaceful time until Pharaoh’s death.
A new Pharaoh came to power who did not know Joseph and was threatened by the size of Jacob’s family. Israel finds themselves enslaved to the Egyptians. They are forced into hard labor, so they cry out to God. They cry out to the Lord day after day, but day after day, they are still working for the Egyptians.
Meanwhile, God was preparing Moses to lead Jacob’s family out of Egypt. In his timing, God answered their prayer.
Exodus 2:25 says, “He looked down on the people of Israel and knew it was time to act.”
God did not answer Israel’s prayer for years, but he did answer. God may not answer our prayers today or even tomorrow, but he will answer. Perhaps the Lord is preparing the answer just like he was for Jacob’s family.
Meanwhile, we keep praying with the hopeful knowledge our dad answers when its time.
Make a list of requests you are waiting on God to answer. Entitle the list When Its Time and pray often for these requests. God will provide the right answer in the right time.
Please share this post if you know someone who would find it helpful or encouraging.
Before Amen: The Power of a Simple Prayer by Max Lucado is a great resource on prayer.
Do you ever stumble over your words when you pray? You hear other people offer eloquent prayers. You hear these well-crafted masterpieces and compare your own prayers which you believe are anything but well-crafted masterpieces.
“I’m not eloquent enough,” you and I think. We tell ourselves, “My prayers are just not good enough.” The Bible says differently though.
Jesus, in teaching his disciples about prayer, shows us prayers do not have to be fancy. Eloquent words are not necessary. Well-crafted masterpieces are not required. We can just be ourselves in the conversation of prayer.
Prayer is a conversation between our dad and us.
Luke 11:2 says, “When you pray, say, ‘Father….”
It is impossible to realize the full potential of our prayer life unless we understand who God is and who we are before him. Understanding this can relieve the fear of not being fancy enough in our prayers.
God is our father, our dad, our daddy. He has our best interests at heart and wants to provide for us. He is a caring, loving dad who has already given us his son. This shows you and I how deeply he cares for us.
We are God’s children.
Romans 8 says, “The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children.”
Being God’s kids means he is going to look out for us. He will open doors needing opened, and close doors needing closed. He will take care of us.
Since God is our dad and we are his kids, we do not have to worry about the words we use when we pray. Dad doesn’t mind if we stumble a little. He doesn’t mind if our sentences are not always cohesive. Daddy doesn’t mind if we do not pronounce every word correctly. He doesn’t require eloquence.
God is thrilled when we talk with him. We do not have to let of how well we do it stop us. He just wants to talk with us.
Try praying as if you are having a conversation. Don’t worry about being well-spoken. Just talk. Share how it helps your prayers in the comments below.
Know someone who would benefit from this post? Please share it with him or her.
Before Amen: The Power of a Simple Prayer by Max Lucado is a great resource on prayer.
“Lord, teach us to pray,” was the request of the disciples. They understood the importance of prayer, and how powerful of a tool prayer is for the Christian. So, they wanted Jesus to help them develop a better prayer life.
I too would like to have a better prayer life. Prayer is important and powerful but can be overwhelming especially if our faith is new to us. I’m glad the disciples asked Jesus for this lesson, so you and I have his answer to help teach us.
Here are some tips Jesus gives us in his prayer lesson, assurance God hears us, and 3 reasons why we should pray.
We should pray because…
Prayer is just a conversation with the Lord. It gives us a chance to talk with him about everything. The Bible says God is our Dad and he desires to hear from us. We love talking with our children, so why wouldn’t the Lord love to hear from us?
Matthew 7:7 says, keep on asking and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking and you will find. Keep on knocking and the door will be opened to you.”
James 5:16 says, “The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results.”
Yes, we are assured the Lord answers us.
Matthew 7:8 says, “For everyone who asks, receives, everyone who seeks, finds, and to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened.”
The Lord hears our prayers, and he does answer us. Sometimes, the answer is no, but God does always answer us.
Here is a model which helps us understand how our prayers are always answered.
Like a caring parent, God will always give us what is best.
Matthew 7:11 says, “So if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Heavenly Father give good gifts to those who ask him.”
A young boy asked his parents for a baby brother, and seeing a perfect opportunity to teach their son a valuable lesson on prayer, the parents said, “Alex, if you pray each morning and evening for one month, you will get a baby brother.”
Alex was all in for a couple weeks. He didn’t miss a prayer time. Each morning and evening he prayed for a baby brother. About the third week, Alex was tired of praying and stopped, but he didn’t say anything to his parents.
The month ended, and Alex’s mom left for a few days. When she came home, she called Alex into her bedroom. Alex entered the room to see his mom sitting on the bed holding her newborn sons. The couple had twins.
“Look at your baby brothers,” mom said. “Aren’t you glad you prayed for one month?”
Alex thought for a moment and responded, “Aren’t you glad I stopped after only two weeks?”
Here are 5 tips to remember when praying.
Think of prayer as if you were talking to your mom or dad or friend. Have a conversation with God just like you would one of them. Share your experience in the comments below.
How has the Lord answered your prayers? Encourage us by sharing in the comments below.
Please share this post with a friend who would find it helpful or encouraging.
Before Amen: The Power of a Simple Prayer by Max Lucado is a great resource on prayer.
Feeling trapped in a hopeless situation? Please know there is always hope in this promise the Lord makes us.
John 14:2-3 says, “My Father’s house has many rooms. If that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you. And, if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.”
“I’m coming back for you,” Jesus promises. In a world filled with broken hearts and unkept promises, these words of Jesus give us a promise in which we can fully trust. The promise is coming from a trustworthy source.
Jesus and his disciples are having an intense conversation. Jesus is preparing the disciples for events which will soon take place. The news is unsettling. It is perplexing and frightening to the disciples, so Jesus requests their trust and assures them of his return. Jesus’ words were a familiar comfort to the disciples.
Jesus made his promise of returning in an everyday way to his disciples. An engagement would have immediately come to mind.
Weddings were done differently in the first century as the marriage was arranged. When it was decided a bride and groom would be married, the groom would make a promise to his bride.
He would say something like, “In my father’s house are many rooms, and I’m going to prepare a place for you. When I have finished preparing the place, I will come back to get you. You know the way to the place where I am going.”
Newly married couples would live in the groom’s father’s house. If there were several generations living there, it could be a large structure. Upon their engagement, the groom would return to his father’s house to prepare the necessary addition to the home. The only hitch was he did not know when the addition would be completed. His promise did not include date and time. He just promised he would return to get the bride.
While she was anticipating her groom’s return, the bride learned how to have a successful household from her mother, and at night, she would place a lamp in her window so the groom could find her if he returned. The couple would have a beautiful wedding ceremony when the groom returned.
Think again of Jesus’ words. “My Father’s house has many rooms….” Jesus is giving us the promise of a groom. He has gone to prepare a place for us.
Like a first century bride, our job is to prepare for his return, and just like the bride, we don’t know a date or time.
Jesus is off preparing a place for us, and he has promised us he will return. He has promised you and I he will return, and if we trust him, we can find much hope in this promise.
If you are feeling hopeless, cling to this promise. For there is always hope in Christ.
How do you find hope in this promise? Share in the comments below.
Know someone who would find this post encouraging? Please share it with him or her.
Zack and his dad were hiking in the mountains of Tennessee on a sunny afternoon. Zack’s dad hears from above, “Hey dad! Catch me!”
Horrified to see Zack falling from an above cliff, the dad quickly put himself into position and successfully caught Zack. A moment passed while the dad calmed his nerves. Then he asked, “What happened?”
“I jumped,” the boy replied.
Why on earth did you jump,” the dad inquired.
Zack answered, “Because I know you are my dad and I knew you would catch me.”
Zack had complete trust in his dad because he was Zack’s father.
Trust is the foundation for any relationship. Friends must trust each other. Parents and children must trust each other. Husbands and wives must trust each other. Our relationship with Jesus requires we trust him.
Jesus requests in John 14:1 we trust him.
Jesus is having a conversation with his disciples, and he is giving them much to consider. He’s telling the disciples what is going to happen soon, but from their vantage point, there is still a great deal unknown. Jesus knows it is perplexing, maybe even frightening, for the disciples, so he makes a request that they trust him. The same request Jesus makes of us.
What’s going to happen in the future? If you could know the answer, would you want it? I wouldn’t, but the unknown is nerve-racking too. We dislike the unknown. We find it perplexing and frightening just like the disciples, so Jesus says, “Trust me.”
Jesus asks that we trust him. Trust him with our jobs and careers, our families and relationships, our money and financial health, and our lives. Jesus asks that we trust him with everything.
Romans 8:32 says, “He who did not spare his own son, but gave him up for us all. How will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?”
The Lord has proven himself trustworthy by giving us his son. So, the question you and I need to answer is do we trust him? Do we trust him with our jobs and careers, our families and relationships, and money and financial health, and our lives? Do we trust him with everything?
Do we have the complete trust Zack did?
Make a list of the areas of your life where you may need to trust the Lord more. Ask him to help you build that trust. Share your experience in the comments below.
Please share this post with anyone you believe would find it encouraging.
Welcome to Music Monday. I’m always fascinated by songs that can get us thinking about the Lord without even realizing it. The Lord’s encouragement and truth can sneak into a song and grab listeners by the heart strings. Suddenly a simple song thrusts the Lord’s encouragement and truth right before us. Music Mondays look at some of these songs.
The Father, My Son, and the Holy Ghost by Craig Morgan reminds us of the hope we have in Christ. Morgan wrote the song as a tribute to his late son. It reminds us in the most hopeless situations, the Lord gives hope. The last line sums up our eternal hope. “One day I’ll wake up and I’ll be home with the Father my son, and the Holy Ghost.”
Situations may seem hopeless, but in Christ, there is always hope. If nothing else, Heaven awaits.
Will God leave me? This is a fair question, and one we may ask in a difficult time. The Bible says the Lord will not leave us, and Joseph’s story helps us see the Lord can use the difficult stuff to do some amazing work.
Joseph was one of many brothers, and his father loved him the most causing strain among Joseph and his brothers. It may be safe to say his brothers hated Joseph. Not only did his father love him the most, Joseph had some dreams the family found upsetting.
Over breakfast one morning Joseph told his family he had a dream where they all bowed down to him. This angered his brothers, and Joseph’s dad told him not to speak like this again.
A few days after the breakfast incident, Joseph was sent to check on his brothers as they were tending the sheep. They saw him coming and plotted to kill him, but one brother, Reuben, convinced the boys to throw Joseph in a cistern to avoid bloodshed. They did, but later sold into slavery. Joseph found himself in Egypt where he worked. You would think Joseph had enough trouble at this point, but his troubles continue.
While in Egypt, Joseph is falsely accused of a crime and spends a few years in prison. Bad things certainly happened to Joseph.
Joseph’s story reminds you and I bad things happen in life. We are not immune to adversity and trials, yet we can find great encouragement in God’s word. Scripture teaches God will not leave us when bad things happen.
The Lord is committed to staying with us in bad times. Paul, in Romans 8, says the Lord will stay with us when bad things happen.
Romans 8:37-39 says, “No in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation will be able to separate us from the love of God.”
None of these things will cause the Lord to leave us. This is an exhaustive list, and to make sure he covers everything, Paul ends the list by saying, “…in all creation.” I hope you find this statement as encouraging as I do. The hardest of times will not drive away the Lord.
The lost job will come, but the Lord will stay. The money trouble will come, but the Lord will stay. Our hearing or eyesight may go, but the Lord will stay. The disease may infect, but the Lord will stay. The mistake may occur, but the Lord will forgive and stay. Nothing will drive the Lord away. Our relationship may be strengthened amid these seasons.
One night a lady had a dream in which she went to the movies. The movie playing that night was a movie of her life. Each scene was a season of her life, and there were footprints in each scene. She noticed something odd about the footprints.
In the good scenes of her life, there were two sets of footprints. One representing her and the other representing God, but in the bad scenes, there was only one set of footprints.
At the end of the movie, the lady had an opportunity to interview God. “I don’t understand,” she said. “Sir, you promised you would never leave me or forsake me, but in all the tough scenes, there was only one set of footprints. I mean I didn’t do well in math, but if we were both present, would there not be two sets of footprints?”
God answered, “Oh, that’s easy. I had to carry you through all the rough times. You couldn’t make it on your own.”
He’ll carry us in the same way if we just hang on.
Romans 8 reminds us God works everything together for good. He can use the bad things currently happening to do some amazing work. Joseph’s story didn’t end with him in prison.
Joseph was wrongly imprisoned, but he did not stay there. While in prison he interprets dreams for a couple of Pharaoh’s officials and is eventually called upon to interpret a dream for Pharaoh. Joseph says a severe famine is going to take place, and his interpretation is so impressive that Joseph is promoted to an Egyptian official. He is given the job of preparing Egypt for the famine.
Through bad things happening, the Lord put Joseph in position to save his family and help them refocus their attention on the Lord.
If Joseph had not been an Egyptian prisoner, he would have not been an Egyptian governor. The iron chains around Joseph’s feet ushered in gold chains around his neck.
Join me in thanking the Lord today for being with us. Maybe even carrying us through the hardest of times.
Please share this post with someone you think would find it encouraging.
Has this ever happened to you? You notice someone having a difficult time and believe they could use encouragement, but you don’t know what to do. I hope I’m not the only one who has had this experience.
To spite our feeling, we have nothing to offer, we do. We can make a difference. Here are some tips and ways to offer encouragement.
If you are struggling to offer encouragement, here are 4 tips to remember.
We should approach people in the same manner as Jesus. Each time Jesus approaches an individual in the Gospels, he does so compassionately. He shows concern for the situation, and the person can tell he is understanding. We should attempt to approach those around us in the same way.
We know the value of encouragement, but we convince ourselves what we are going to do is not enough to help. However, every act of encouragement makes a difference. If 4 or 5 people encourage a person in small ways, it doesn’t take long before the person is standing on a mountain of encouragement.
The small things count. Smiling as you go through a cashier’s line, being positive with your waiter, and saying hi to someone as you pass in the grocery store counts. Sending a card or note to a friend who is struggling counts. Every act of encouragement counts in the sum.
As you and I go about our daily activities, it is inevitable we’ll meet someone needing encouragement. Make each day count.
Hebrews 3:13 reminds us to encourage one another daily. This verse reminds us to build each other up constantly. Discouragement never vacations, so we cannot afford to take a day off.
Everyone will need encouragement at some point. Discouragement knows how to sneak into everyone’s life, and it seems the Lord responds by placing people in our lives to encourage us, so we should always be ready to offer encouragement.
There is an old story told in which the Devil is having a yard sale. He’s ran out of room in his workshop, and he opens the doors to perspective buyers. The tools of worry, strife, anxiety and division were priced to move.
One buyer noticed a well-used, old tool lying on a corner shelf. As the man was looking at it, Satan said, “That tool is not for sale.”
“I’ll give you whatever you want for it,” the man replied, “just name your price.”
Again, the devil said, “It is not for sale.” Only this time, he offered an explanation. “All the tools for sale are useful. They help me sway people in my direction, but the tool you are holding is responsible for causing the most havoc. For people than my other tools combined.”
The man realized the label was worn and he could not read it, so he asked, “What tool is it?”
The devil answered, “It is discouragement. I could never part with it. I would give up all my other tools, but never this tool of discouragement.”
It is important for us to receive encouragement, so here are 10 ways to offer encouragement.
Offer encouragement to a coworker, friend, or neighbor in the next few days. Share your experience in the comments below. What ways do you offer encouragement? Share in the comments. Know someone who would find this post helpful? Please share it.
Get Encouraged 