The power of words

21 May 2014 Leave a comment

by jennifermcintyreblog in Devotions Tags: , , , , ,

“With lots of words comes wrongdoing, but the wise restrain their lips.” ~Proverbs 10:19 (CEB)

Words are powerful. Because our words carry so much power, it is important that we learn to say only what is essential. Benjamin Franklin said, “He that would live in peace and at ease must not speak all he knows or sees.” Oh that I could learn this lesson… when to keep my mouth shut! Once the words are out there you can’t take it back. You can apologize for things that you have said, but you can never retrieve them.

Something my mother always told us growing up was, “If you can’t say anything nice, don’t say anything at all.” This is good advice! We should restrain our lips from negative speech, gossip, sarcasm, insincere flattery, coarse jesting, or being funny in a rude way. Instead we should use our mouth to encourage others, looking for and finding the good qualities in people, choosing to speak well of those around us.

This positive speaking of others also helps to adjust our attitude towards those we come in contact with frequently. What our mouth speaks our heart soon believes. If I can speak positively about someone I deal with daily, my attitude towards that person can improve even if they are not my favorite person to deal with!

Guard my words O Lord, may they reflect your love to the world around me. Help me to remember that sometimes silence is wiser than anything I might choose to say. Amen.

Praying in Jesus’ name

20 May 2014 Leave a comment

by jennifermcintyreblog in Devotions Tags: , ,

In that day, you won’t ask me anything. I assure you that the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name. Up to now, you have asked nothing in my name. Ask and you will receive so that your joy will be complete. ~John 16:23-24 (CEB)

Here we find in John 16:23-24 another one of those Biblical truths that we learn but might not think about the truth behind the words. I was taught as a child to end my prayers “in Jesus’ name” I was taught to ask for what I needed in Jesus’s name but I haven’t really thought about what I am doing when I mimic my upbringing. This scripture tells me that when I pray to God using His name He answers me. What this means is that I have been given authority in His name.

The exciting part about this is that when we pray using God’s authority, it is as if He was saying the prayer. That is some powerful stuff! It is almost too awesome to think that when I am saying my payers it is as if God is saying them Himself! That should give me confidence in my prayers. Not only does God know what is in my heart, not only does He hear me when I pray, but when I pray it’s as if He has said the prayer Himself! This gives me a new perspective on the power of prayer.

This perspective on prayer gives me new meaning to prayer. Prayer is powerful. No longer will I think when the situation is bigger than me, “well, all I can do is pray”. Now I can see how it is the most powerful thing I can do. It isn’t a last resort; it should be my first step of action.

Heavenly Father, may my prayers be more confident knowing that you not only know my heart, hear me speak, but that you are right there praying with me.  In times of great need may I remember the simplicity of calling out in the powerful name of Jesus. Amen.

Prayerful

19 May 2014 Leave a comment

by jennifermcintyreblog in Devotions Tags: , ,

I say to the LORD, “You are my Lord.

Apart from you, I have nothing good.”

You, LORD, are my portion, my cup;

you control my destiny.

I will bless the LORD who advises me;

even at night I am instructed

in the depths of my mind.

I always put the LORD in front of me;

I will not stumble because he is on my right side.

That’s why my heart celebrates and my mood is joyous;

yes, my whole body will rest in safety

because you won’t abandon my life to the grave;

you won’t let your faithful follower see the pit.

You teach me the way of life.

In your presence is total celebration.

Beautiful things are always in your right hand.

~Psalm 16:2,5,7-11 (CEB)

“Most of us grew up saying prayers, reading prayers, or listening to others praying. There is a difference between a person whose says prayers and a prayerful person. It is the difference between something we do and someone we are.

Do you know someone who is a prayer? He or she is probably someone who views life in a different way than most – someone who seems to have found a way to be aware of God’s presence in an ongoing way.

We are called as Christian people to be present in each moment in order to experience that God’s time and our time have intersected. We are called to practice the presence of God. It is this for which our hearts yearn.” ~Ron Delbene, “A Simple Way to Pray,” Weavings

Heavenly Father, may I go about this day in prayerful diligence. Help me to experience You in all I do. Help me to be present in this time and space so that I can feel Your presence as I go about my day. Help me keep You ahead of me so I will not stumble through my work. Bring me home at the end of my day to the rest and peace that only You can give. Amen.

Singleness of heart

18 May 2014 Leave a comment

by jennifermcintyreblog in Devotions Tags: , , , , , ,

You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your being, with all your strength, and with all your mind, and love your neighbor as yourself. ~Luke 10:27 (CEB)

Lord, may neither time nor circumstance alter your call to me. Lead me through storm and trial, times of ease and times of diffiuclty, and grant grace that I may always be faithful to you and to your call. May I go gladly where you send me, even to that task so difficult and unappealing that no one else will go. All I ask is that you do with me and remind ethat I am where you have asked me to be. And one more thing, if it is possible, may some good some of my call, not to me, but to your people, your kingdom, and the world you love. Amen. ~Norman Shawchuck, A Guide to Prayer for all Who Walk with God.

The cost of sin

17 May 2014 Leave a comment

by jennifermcintyreblog in Devotions Tags: , , , , ,

So it is also written, the first human, Adam, became a living person, and the last Adam became a spirit that gives life. ~1 Corinthians 15:45 (CEB)

Even though I have been born into sin, I am set free through Jesus. This is not just one of those cliché sayings. It is not just fancy words that Christians throw around. Jesus’ life blood conquers and overcomes the death that works in us through sin. Because Jesus came into the world we can have new life.

God in the beginning created a world where humans had authority over their lives, but Adam and Eve gave away their authority when they took a bite from the “tree of knowledge”. With knowledge came self-awareness and death. God sent Jesus into the world to give us back authority over our lives. He came to conquer each of our deaths that we may have abundant life. To be able to harness the power of Jesus’ blood over our lives we need to understand that through Adam sin entered the world. David confirmed this truth in Psalm 51:5 “Yes, I was born in guilt, in sin, from the moment my mother conceived me.” Adam passed down this sinful blood to us. Jesus because he was born of God and not man has life in his blood. Our lives have been purchased though Christ’s life blood when he died on the cross. Christ is the last Adam and because he became a spirit that gives life.

Sin has a cost. If I hold onto my sin the cost is my life. If I can accept that Jesus paid the cost for me I can live. There is another twist to this. If I don’t accept that Jesus died to give me life did he die for nothing? That reality is a little harder for me to bear. I can easily say I am not worthy, my sins are too great or not now but later I will listen to Christ’s teachings. The truth is Christ died so that even I might have life. When I think about Christ’s suffering on the cross, it pains me to think by rejecting this truth it is as if I am saying, “You suffered this horrendous death for nothing.” This puts any rejection of him in a new light.

Lord, may I not let you have suffered in vain! Help me to accept your truth in my life. Set me free so I may live. Amen.

God fights our giants

16 May 2014 Leave a comment

by jennifermcintyreblog in Devotions Tags: , , , ,

“The LORD, “David added, “who rescued me from the power of both lions and bears, will rescue me from the power of this Philistine.” “Go!” Saul replied to David. “And may the LORD be with you!” ~1 Samuel 17:37(CEB)

I like the story of David and Goliath. A boy verses the giant and the boy wins. It isn’t the underdog theme that I love. It is the confidence that David shows us in the story. He had such an intimate relationship with God that he KNEW that God would take care of him. How did he know? David knew God would take care of him because they had a history together. David tells us some of this history. “The Lord, who rescued me from the power of both lions and bears, will rescue me from the power of this Philistine.” David had confidence to fight the giant because he had a history with God where God had delivered him from the lions and bears. To him it was a natural assumption that God would take care of him in this situation as well.

It is important for us to be aware of the times that God has worked in our lives. Even the small things He has done for us. Recalling the small things He has done bolsters our confidence for the big things in life. If God only came waltzing through our lives at the big events we might not have the faith we need to believe that he will show up in great times of need. I think he blesses us even in small things so that we can learn to trust him and as our trust grows and our relationship blossoms we gain the confidence that we need for the big battles in life.

The challenge for us is to look for those small blessings that God bestows on us. Sometimes they might be easy to overlook or to say that it is just coincidence. When we learn to look for God in the small moments of our lives we will gain the knowledge we need to see him in the crucial times as well. God is always with us. We have to train our eyes to see him at work in our lives.

Heavenly Father, I know the Bible tells me that you are always with me. Open my eyes to see you in the small ordinary moments so that I will be confident to find you in the trials of life. Amen.

Satan’s games

15 May 2014 Leave a comment

by jennifermcintyreblog in Devotions Tags: , , , , ,

But the LORD is the one who is marching before you! He is the one who will be with you! He won’t let you down. He won’t abandon you. So don’t be afraid or scared!” ~ Deuteronomy 31:8

One of the biggest battles that Satan wages against us is getting us to believe that we are alone. I find myself falling into this trap often. This is a good verse to carry around in your heart. Deuteronomy 31:8 says that God will go before me, He will be with me and He won’t abandon me. This verse tells me that God won’t abandon me so I shouldn’t be afraid.

Recently I read something Joyce Meyer wrote, “Satan wants you to believe you are alone. He wants you to believe that no one understands how you feel, but his claims are false. In addition to God being with you, many believers understand what you are experiencing mentally and emotionally.” Satan wants me to lose sight of the simple truths found in the Bible. It is easy to forget that God wants to comfort us and deliver us when we are in the middle of pain and loss.

Part of the loneliness trap that Satan sets for me is playing the game of not sharing what is going on in my life. Then I get mad when no one notices that my life is falling apart. It is as if I just expect people to see the pain that I am going through but if I don’t open up and share what is going on in my life, then how do they know to reach out to me. I have a responsibility to meet people half way in relationships. Finding people that are “safe” to share my hurts and sorrows with takes time. But if I do not get involved and discover the people that God has placed within my reach then I am falling for the lies that Satan tells me and I will continues to find myself alone.

Heavenly Father, help me to hide in my heart the truth. You are with me and will never leave me alone. You provide for all my needs. Open my eyes to know the friendships you have set in place for me and close my ears to Satan’s lies. Amen.

Dissapointments

14 May 2014 Leave a comment

by jennifermcintyreblog in Devotions Tags: , , , ,

Therefore, submit to God. Resist the devil, and he will run away from you. ~ James 4:7 (CEB)

One area that Satan can get at me is through my disappointments. Satan is right there waiting to attack me when I am at my lowest. When things don’t go the way I thought they should, I wonder “why did I get my hopes up so high”, “I know better”, “I am worthless”, “I should have known nothing good is meant to come my way”. These are lies that Satan feeds me. This is not life as God means for us to live. He wants us to have joy, even among the pieces of our shattered hopes and dreams.

Jesus came to minister to the broken hearted, the oppressed, the hopeless. He came so that I might have life. Satan doesn’t want me to live, so he feeds me lies to keep me in death. Jesus wants me to live so He came into the world to breath new life and hope into my heart. If I believe the lies that Satan feeds me then I will stay defeated and my heart dies slowly bit by bit every day. If I hear God’s truth that I am worthy and that He wants to bless my life beyond what I can ever imagine than I can LIVE. My disappointments don’t define who I am. God’s love for me is the only definition that I need to know.

Jesus is waiting on the sidelines offering me hope amidst the disappointments of life. Satan wants me to stay defeated. Christ came so that I can have hope. Christ came so that I can live. I need to hide these truths deep within my heart so that I can resist the lies that Satan wants to feed my soul.

Sometimes Lord, the lies seem louder in my ears than your promises. Help me hide your truths deep in my heart so that when the noise of Satan threatens to overwhelm me Your truth will bubble up and overflow until I can no longer hear anything but Your love for me. Amen.

 

To reflect His image

13 May 2014 Leave a comment

by jennifermcintyreblog in Devotions

God created humanity in God’s own image, in the divine image God created them, male and female God created. ~Gen 1:27 (CEB)

We are made in God’s image.The Bible tells us that God is love. It also tells us that God is a creator. While most of us acknowledge some ability to love, many think that we posses no capacity for creativity. I have met many people who think they lack creativity because they cannot make art; but they can create a lovely meal from scratch or conduct a meeting where opposing constituents work out a compromise. Karla M. Kincannon in her book Creativity and Divine Surprise reminds us that “Creativity is so much more than art making. It is a tool for navigating through everyday experiences to find the sacred in the God-given moment. Those who believe they lack creativity have relegated it to remote regions of their life, burying it under the need for security, approval, and control. However, like love, which is stronger than death, creativity does not die; it simply waits to be unearthed and set free.”

Set me free O Lord, of any insecurities that live deep in my heart. Help me to reflect Your love and Your creativity in all I set out to do. Inspire my work, fuel my creative energy and send music for my soul. May my plans honor Your plans for us. Amen.

Many ways to Pray

12 May 2014 Leave a comment

by jennifermcintyreblog in Devotions Tags: ,

I pray that the eyes of your heart will have enough light to see what is the hope of God’s call, what is the richness of God’s glorious inheritance among believers, and what is the overwhelming greatness of God’s power that is working among us believers. ~Ephesians 1:18-19 (CEB)

Despite growing up in church I always felt that I was not good at praying. I have learned that there are many ways to pray since reading the book “50 ways to Pray”, by Teresa A. Blythe. I have always held close the scripture from Romans 8:26 that says when we don’t know what to pray the Holy Spirit will pray for us but this book about prayer helped me to see the different ways there are to pray. It helped me to see that I already prayed with song, when I painted, when I smelled flowers or listened to birds sing. Prayers could be felt as I rocked my children to sleep. Reading the Bible and thinking on God’s truth and how they apply to me was praying. Any conversation I have with God is prayer. Silence and waiting on Him is prayer. Maybe silence is the most important part. We often feel uncomfortable with silence and tend to fill it but part of praying is listening for God to speak to us.

Even after reading “50 ways to Pray”, I still felt that my word prayers needed some work. How surprised I was to discover that the Bible is full of prayers. This prayer that Paul wrote in his letter to the Ephesians is beautiful. “I pray that the eyes of your heart will have enough light to see what is the hope of God’s call, what is the richness of God’s glorious inheritance among believes, and what is the overwhelming greatness of God’s power that is working among us believers.”  I love the words he uses and I can take his words and model my prayers after them. The Psalms are also a wonderful place to find inspiration for prayer. The Psalms have some of the barest emotions you will find. A few years ago I started marking the scriptures in Psalms so that when I needed hope, or a way to express joy or sadness I can easily scan through until I find verses I feel apply to my situation. I can even find verses in Psalms that express anger towards God or toward my life’s situations. The Psalms are some of my favorite scriptures.

Once again I stand amazed in Your presence, O Lord. You tell me that you will meet all my needs, even the need for words in the prayers I lift up to you. You will not leave me stranded even in the prayers that I speak. Thank you.

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