Forwarded Messages

If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking. But when you ask him, be sure that your faith is in God alone.  Do not waver, for a person with divided loyalty is as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is blown and tossed by the wind.  (James 1:5-6 NLT) Father, give me wisdom as I begin this new day.  Help me to use my time,the time You have allotted me, wisely, not wastefully. Father, give me wisdom as I write these words. Please put words into my mind and allow them to flow into thoughts that are good news to the poor, that announce pardon to the imprisoned, recovery of sight to the blind, words that set the burdened and battered free, and words that announce, "This is God’s year to act!" (Luke 4:18-19 MSG). Father, give me wisdom so that when I speak I will say things that are pure and clean and words that help and give life to those who listen. Father, give me wisdom to lead my fami...

I think sometimes that I don't understand anything about prayer. I pray a lot, mind you. It's just that I don't understand a great deal about it. I sometimes pray for good things, and they don't come. At other times, I pray for myself or others to be spared bad things, yet they still happen. How does prayer work? How do I know what to pray for? Do questions such as these ever bother you? Maybe at least part of our problem is in praying for wrong things. If that is the case, then I can certainly begin to see how praying could be confusing. When we are wrong-headed in what we ask, we can hardly blame God for failing to answer. Let me try to make sense of what I am struggling to say. Back in the earliest days of the church, Peter and John were called before the religious authorities of Jerusalem. They were ordered to stop preaching about Jesus in the city. They were, in fact, threatened that bad things would come down on them if they didn't stop. Duly wa...

Dear God,  I know that a thousand years are as a day to you, but we humans are bound up in time. As a new year is about to begin, please teach me to...

Holy Spirit: The Power Source 06 I love this chapter because I love the Holy Spirit and His work in me and to me and through me and for me. I love how God chooses and uses ordinary people to do extraordinary things for His fame and glory.  I live to know Him and make Him known.  One of my most favorite verses in the bible is 2 Corinthians 4:7 But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power i s from God and not from us. The all surpassing power of God IS GOD – IS the Holy Spirit who lives within us! Ephesians 3:20 puts it this way: Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us… The Holy Spirit lives in me.  wow.  that ’ s huge.  audacious.  awesome!  He lives in me as a guarantee of the promises of God for eternity and He ’ s in me to empower me to serve God and shine for Him.  He is the potter and I am the clay and He is ...

Lord, help me look ahead. It's time to look ahead. Help me to turn my attention away from the things that have already passed and direct my focus toward the things that are yet to be. I've spent too much time looking back. I have spent too much time dwelling on the things that I cannot change. I have spent too little time on the opportunities that lay ahead.

Hello God, I called tonight To talk a little while I need a friend who'll listen To my anxiety and trial.

1. Wake UP!!! Decide to have a good day... "Today is the day the Lord hath made; let us rejoice and be glad in it." Psalms 118:24   2. Dress UP!!! The best way to dress up is to put on a smile. A smile is an inexpensive way to improve your looks... "The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at outward appearance; but the Lord looks at the heart." I Samuel 16:7   3 . Shut UP!!!

This is a story written by a doctor who worked in Africa . One night I had worked hard to help a mother in the labor ward; but in spite of all we could do, she died, leaving us with a tiny, premature baby and a crying two-year-old daughter. We would have difficulty keeping the baby alive; as we had no incubator (we had no electricity to run an incubator). We also had no special feeding facilities. Although we lived on the equator, nights were often chilly with treacherous drafts. One student midwife went for the box we had for such babies and the cotton wool that the baby would be wrapped in. Another went to stoke up the fire and fill a hot water bottle. She came back shortly in distress to tell me that in filling the bottle, it had burst (rubber perishes easily in tropical climates)...

An unemployed graduate woke up one morning and checked his pocket. All he had left was $10. He decided to use it to buy food and then wait for death as he was too proud to go begging.. He was frustrated as he could find no job, and nobody was ready to help him. He bought food and as he sat down to eat, an old man and two little children came along and asked him to help them with food as they had not eaten for almost a week. He looked at them. They were so lean that he could see their bones coming out. Their eyes had gone into the socket. With the last bit of compassion he had, he gave them the food. The old man and children prayed that God would bless and prosper him and then gave him a very old coin. The young graduate said to them 'you need the prayer more than I do.' With no money, no job, no food, the young graduate went under the bridge to rest and wait for death. As he was about to sleep, he saw an old newspaper on the ground. He picked it up, and suddenly he saw an a...

I put my carry-on in the luggage compartment and sat down in my assigned seat. It was going to be a long flight. 'I'm glad I have a good book to read. Perhaps I will get a short nap,' I thought. Just before take-off, a line of soldiers came down the aisle and filled all the vacant seats, totally surrounding me. I decided to start a conversation. 'Where are you headed?' I asked the soldier seated nearest to me. 'Petawawa. We'll be there for two weeks for special training, and then we're being deployed to Afghanistan.' After flying for about an hour, an announcement was made that sack lunches were available for five dollars. It would be several hours before we reached the east, and I quickly decided a lunch would help pass the time... As I reached for my wallet, I overheard a soldier ask his buddy if he planned to buy lunch. 'No, that seems like a lot of money for just a sack lunch. Probably wouldn't be worth five bucks. I'll wait...

"If you wake up breathing, you have another chance." I was able to make a fresh start recently. It felt so good to be able to put all of those past mistakes behind me. It felt so wonderful to be able to look towards the future with clear eyes and a clean heart. It felt so glorious to greet the new day with a peaceful mind and a joyful soul.   I didn’t get my fresh start by moving to another town, however. I didn’t get it by starting a new job. I didn’t get it by going on vacation. I didn’t get it by buying something either. I didn’t get it by changing the world around me at all. Those types of changes never work anyway. You can’t clean your house by sweeping the sidewalk, after all.   How did I get my fresh start then? Why, I simply opened my eyes this morning. You see, everyday of our lives can be a fresh start if we wish. Each new morning is another gift from God when we can begin again to clean our house within and to live our lives better than we did before. Each ...

Psalm 23 : The Lord is my Shepherd = That's Relationship! I shall not want = That's Supply! He maketh me to lie down in green pastures = That's Rest! He leadeth me beside the still waters = That's Refreshment! He restoreth my soul = That's Healing! He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness = That's Guidance! For His name sake = That's Purpose! Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death = That's Testing! I will fear no evil = That's Protection! For Thou art with me = That's Faithfulness! Thy rod and Thy staff they comfort me = That's Discipline! Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies = That's Hope! Thou annointest my head with oil = That's Consecration! My cup runneth over = That's Abundance! Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life = That's Blessing! And I will dwell in the house of the Lord = That's Security! Forever = ...

Jesus is only a prayer away. A clerk who helped me purchase a small digital voice recorder told me that he kept one just like it in his car when he worked in California. “When I began driving home after work I switched it on,” he said, “and I talked about everything that happened that day on the job, good and bad. When I pulled into my driveway, I hit the erase button.” Then he smiled. After telling everything to his voice recorder, he apparently had no need to go over the day’s problems with his wife or family. It reminded me of how often I needlessly rehearse my disappointments and problems to others instead of telling them to God. The psalmist wrote: “Trust in Him at all times, you people; pour out your heart before Him; God is a refuge for us” (Ps. 62:8). Twice he spoke of waiting silently for God, his rock and salvation (vv.1-2,5-7). While there is great comfort in sharing our difficulties with a friend, we miss the greatest help if we fail to bring them to the Lord. Joseph...

Every single evening As I'm lying here in bed, This tiny little Prayer Keeps running through my head: God bless all my family Wherever they may be, Keep them warm And safe from harm For they're so close to me.. And God, there is one more thing I wish that you could do; Hope you don't mind me asking, Please bless my computer too. Now I know that it's unusual To bless a motherboard, But listen just a second While I explain it to you, Lord... You see, that little metal box Holds more than odds and ends; Inside those small compartments Rest so many of my friends. I know so much about them By the kindness that they give, And this little scrap of metal Takes me in to where they live. By faith is how I know them Much the same as you. We share in what life brings us And from that our friendships grew... Please take an extra minute From your duties up above, To bless those in my address book That's filled with so much love. Wherever else this prayer ...

Last week, I took my children to a restaurant. My six-year-old son asked if he could say grace.   As we bowed our heads he said, "God is good, God is great. Thank you for the food, and I would even thank you more if Mom gets us ice cream for dessert. And Liberty and justice for all! Amen!"   Along with the laughter from the other customers nearby, I heard a woman remark, "That's what's wrong with this country. Kids today don't even know how to pray. Asking God for ice cream! Why, I never!"   Hearing this, my son burst into tears and asked me, "Did I do it wrong? Is God mad at me?" As I held him and assured him that he had done a terrific job, and God was certainly not mad at him, an elderly gentleman approached the table. He winked at my son and said, "I happen to know that God thought that was a great prayer."    "Really?" my son asked.   "Cross my heart," the man replied. Then, in a theatrical whi...

May this NOT come to you as a SURPRISE... IT IS REAL! have them living around us and in our neighborhood TODAY! we can change it with PRAYERS, and always lending a helping hand to those in need. dont keep this for yourself... FORWARD it to your friends, so our friends and all people will THANK GOD for the food and water that they ALREADY HAVE. This is one more reason why we have to THANK GOD for the food that we can have easily. But in the other hand... ironically. we still WASTE the food that we buy. LET US ALL BE GRATEFUL for what WE HAVE today... We are so BLESSED for the wonderful works of GOD's HANDS in our life. just think of this. . . arent we fortunate to live in this part of the world and not on their side? how many food have we wasted? when it doesnt matched your tastebuds... what did you do? the water is pouring out from the faucet... who cares? its unlimited, BOTTOMLESS... right?!? I pray that this little boy be ALLEVIATED from his suffering... . . and hope ...

A voyaging ship was wrecked during a storm at sea and only two of the men on it were able to swim to a small, desert like island. The two survivors, not knowing what else to do, agreed that they had no other recourse but to pray to God. However, to find out whose prayer was more powerful, they agreed to divide the territory between them and stay on opposite sides of the island. The first thing they prayed for was food. The next morning, the first man saw a fruit-bearing tree on his side of the land, and he was able to eat its fruit. The other man's parcel of land remained barren. After a week, the first man was lonely and he decided to pray for a wife. The next day, another ship was wrecked, and the only survivor was a woman who swam to his side of the land.On the other side of the island, there was nothing! . Soon the first man prayed for a house, clothes, more food. The next day, like magic, all of these were given to him.However, the second man still had nothing. Finally, the fi...

NEW School Prayer Now I sit me down in school Where praying is against the rule For this great nation under God Finds mention of Him very odd. If Scripture now the class recites, It violates the Bill of Rights. And anytime my head I bow Becomes a Federal matter now. Our hair can be purple, orange or green, That's no offense; it's a freedom scene. The law is specific, the law is precise. Prayers spoken aloud are a serious vice. For praying in a public hall Might offend someone with no faith at all. In silence alone we must meditate, God's name is prohibited by the state. We're allowed to cuss and dress like freaks, And pierce our noses, tongues and cheeks.. They've outlawed guns, but FIRST the Bible. To quote the Good Book makes me liable. We can elect a pregnant Senior Queen, A nd the 'unwed daddy,' our Senior King. It's 'inappropriate' to teach right from wrong, We're taught that such 'judgments' do not belong. We ...

last week, i dreamt of a new born baby... it was just a dream yet seems very real. the picture was so clear. i can remember every details... at first, the baby was so tiny, and so reddish... i still have in mind the close up picture of her cheeks and small eyes. then, in the next day she gained weight, almost double her size and she was lying in a hospital bed. i even ask why not in a crib? then somebody said, "she wants her feet up..." then i woke up. that dream was so strange... i was bothered. i even thought that my sister - in - law might be pregnant again... i researched in dreammoods.com... read some dream interpretations. but i wasnt convinced. yesterday, i was waiting for my nephew, derick, to be online. its been a week since we chatted. and i asked my cousin to call him... i waited. fifteen minutes maximum to turn on the PC and be online. almost 30 minutes passed. his YM is still off. i buzzed my cousin again. then he said: something happened. me: what? accident who?...

DEAR GOD: I want to thank You for what you have already done. I am not going to wait until I see results or receive rewards; I am thanking you right now. I am not going to wait until I feel better or things look better; I am thanking you right now. I am not going to wait until people say they are sorry or until they stop talking about me; I am thanking you right now.. I am not going to wait until the pain in my body disappears ; I am thanking you right now. I am not going to wait until my financial situation improves; I am going to thank you right now. I am not going to wait until you answer my prayers and meet my most urgent needs; I am going to thank you right now. I am not going to wait until I get promoted at work or until I get the job; I am going to thank you right now. I am not going to wait until I understand every experience in my life that has caused me pain or grief; I am thanking you right now. I am not going to wait until the journey gets easier or the challenges are r...