Good morning, Sweet Sisters!
Welcome back to our Prayer Group! I'm so glad you have joined me here to pray for our nation and it's healing. I hope this has also been a time of faith strengthening in your personal life as well. For the past week, we have been looking at Scriptures on the power of prayer and we have lifted prayers to God on behalf of our country and our families during this crisis. If you are just now joining us, welcome, I am so glad you are here! And for those who are interested, you can subscribe to the RSS feed on the side bar to receive notification when a new post is available. Okay, let's jump right in! Our prayer focus thus far.... 1. Pray for healing and restoration of our land. (2 Chronicles 7:14-15) 2. Pray earnestly together as believers. (James 5:16-17) (Matthew 18:20) 3. Pray for all people, kings, and leaders. (1 Timothy 2:1-2) (Proverbs 11:14) ( Proverbs 15:22) 4. Pray to overcome the temptation of fear. (2 Timothy 1:7) (Isaiah 41:10) (Deuteronomy 31:6) (Joshua 1:9) (Psalm 27:1) (Isaiah 43:2) "Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again - rejoice! Let everyone see that you are considerate in all you do. Remember, the Lord is coming soon. 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 4:4-8 There is much to worry about and consume our thoughts during this pandemic: our health, our safety, our provisions, and our future. But God has already given us the antidote for such worries, right here, in this passage of His word. "Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again - rejoice!" The first step is to be joyful. We have much to be joyful about. We woke up this morning, we have families and friends to love, a shelter from the outer elements, food for our bodies, this technology to communicate with others, God's word to feed our souls, and Jesus- our only hope, salvation, and refuge from ALL storms. BE JOYFUL TODAY! Smile. Praise God first, before uttering a complaint or worry. After praising Him, you may not feel the need to speak the worry out loud. "Let everyone see that you are considerate in all you do. Remember, the Lord is coming soon." I have been homeschooling now for over 14 years. Being home full time is the norm for our family (except for my husband who usually works outside the home). When asked how and why we homeschool, I've always tried to answer with our motto: "We are blessed to be ALL together, ALL the time!" Now is that time for all of us. Most of our country is now in a state of lock-down: a time to stay home. I know first hand, that this can be challenging. When everyone is under the same roof all the time - differences clash, frustrations can rise, and feelings can get hurt. It happens. But, remember, you have been given this opportunity to be at home with your family: the very ones who love you the most. Don't waste this time. Enjoy it! Even when things are hard, remember as the woman of the house, you have the power to build your home or tear it down with your own hands (Proverbs 14:1). Be considerate in all you do, have a gentle spirit, be patient, encourage your husband and children during this time. And when all else fails; smile, laugh and praise the Lord! Remember, He is coming soon, no matter what is going on around us. "Don't worry about anything; instead pray about everything." Well, here it is: the kicker. The hardest thing to do right now, in these uncertain times. How can we possibly not worry? Because we're not supposed to. If we believe God is who He says He is, we know He is in total control. And if we know He is in total control, then we have no need to worry. God is not surprised by the coronavirus. In fact, He already knows the outcome. So, what do we do instead of worry? Pray about everything. I mean EVERYTHING. When worry comes to mind: STOP and immediately pray. Don't waste your time worrying, spend your time talking to God. It will strengthen your faith, fill you with joy and give you peace. "Tell God what you need, and thank Him for all He has done." This verse needs no explanation. If you have a need, no matter how big or small it may be, tell God. And while you are waiting for God to provide for you, thank Him for all He has already done. Thank Him for everything, the big and the small. "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." Are you hungry for peace today? Follow these commands. The promise is peace, when we live this way 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." And when those times of fret and worry do hit us, immediately turn your thoughts to things that are true, honorable, right, pure, lovely, and admirable. My husband often says, "I'm not sure about anything, but Jesus!" That thought alone, is enough to bring us peace. Jesus is our rock, our redeemer, our strength, our hope and our peace. Think about Him, today! Let's join together and pray that we will not be consumed by worry today, but instead, we will trust God during these trials and be full of joy in Him! Heavenly Father, I know that today is the day that you have made, and I will rejoice and be glad in it! Help me Lord, not to be consumed by worry of the consequences of this virus, but instead, help me to pray about all my thoughts and my needs. Thank You, Lord, for ALL You have done for me. Fill my thoughts with things that are excellent and worthy to be praised. And overwhelm me with Your peace today. I love you. In Jesus' precious name I pray, amen. Share your prayer requests and praises in the comments. I love to hear from my sisters in Christ! I'm praying for each of you. Joyfully His, Andrea
2 Comments
Kaylynne
3/30/2020 09:15:16 am
Uplifting and encouraging.
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Andrea
4/1/2020 04:42:12 am
Thank you for your sweet words of encouragement! God’s word is always enough! I try hard not to add or take anything away from it. 😊
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For we are God's masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago. " AuthorHi! I'm Andrea, wife to my handsome hubby, homeschooling mama to my 7 amazing blessings, and daughter of the King of kings. I am so glad you have stopped by my little piece of the web. My prayer is that the Lord will use this blog to encourage you in your personal, daily walk with Christ. Archives
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