Life – Page 12 – Praying Pint

Be Encouraged

“The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? When evildoers assail me to eat up my flesh, my adversaries and foes, it is they who stumble and fall. Though an army encamp against me, my heart shall not fear; though war arise against me, yet I will be confident.”

Psalms 54:4 Behold, God is my helper; the Lord is the upholder of my life.

Psalms 118:6 The LORD is on my side; I will not fear. What can man do to me? The LORD is on my side as my helper; I shall look in triumph on those who hate me.

Psalms 118:13 I was pushed hard, so that I was falling, but the LORD helped me.

1 Chronicles 12:18 Then the Spirit clothed Amasai, chief of the thirty, and he said, “We are yours, O David, and with you, O son of Jesse! Peace, peace to you, and peace to your helpers! For your God helps you.” Then David received them and made them officers of his troops.

Isaiah 41:10 fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

Isaiah 42:1 Behold my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen, in whom my soul delights; I have put my Spirit upon him; he will bring forth justice to the nations.

Isaiah 50:7 But the Lord GOD helps me; therefore I have not been disgraced; therefore I have set my face like a flint, and I know that I shall not be put to shame. He who vindicates me is near. Who will contend with me? Let us stand up together. Who is my adversary? Let him come near to me. Behold, the Lord GOD helps me; who will declare me guilty? Behold, all of them will wear out like a garment; the moth will eat them up.

Romans 8:31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?

Hebrews 13:6 So we can confidently say, “The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?”

Isaiah 54:17 no weapon that is fashioned against you shall succeed, and you shall refute every tongue that rises against you in judgment. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD and their vindication from me, declares the LORD.”

John 10:28 I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand.

1 John 4:4 Little children, you are from God and have overcome them, for he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.

We all find times where we seem to be alone in our issues, trials, and troubles. We are not strange or abnormal in these thoughts as scripture indicates many before us have similar thoughts. Notice all of the references used to encourage others: “He will strengthen”, “He will uphold”, “He will never leave”, “His hand hold us”, “He will help”, “He is for us”, “He is on our side”. God never changes and His promises are never empty “HE WILL NEVER LEAVE US OR FORSAKE US”. Be encouraged and stand firm in His promises. Fear not and be confident in Him. We are never alone.

Prayer to Praise

“Behold, God is my helper; the Lord is the upholder of my life.”

“For he has delivered me from every trouble”

“I can do all things through him who strengthens me.”

Psalms 54:1 O God, save me by your name, and vindicate me by your might. O God, hear my prayer; give ear to the words of my mouth.

Psalms 26:1 Vindicate me, O LORD, for I have walked in my integrity, and I have trusted in the LORD without wavering.

Psalms 43:1 Vindicate me, O God, and defend my cause against an ungodly people, from the deceitful and unjust man deliver me! For you are the God in whom I take refuge;

Psalms 55:1-2 Give ear to my prayer, O God, and hide not yourself from my plea for mercy! Attend to me, and answer me; I am restless in my complaint and I moan,

Psalms 28:7 The LORD is my strength and my shield; in him my heart trusts, and I am helped; my heart exults, and with my song I give thanks to him.

Psalms 140:7 O LORD, my Lord, the strength of my salvation, you have covered my head in the day of battle.

Exodus 15:2 The LORD is my strength and my song, and he has become my salvation; this is my God, and I will praise him, my father’s God, and I will exalt him.

Isaiah 40:31 but they who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.

Zechariah 10:12 I will make them strong in the LORD, and they shall walk in his name,” declares the LORD.

Ephesians 6:10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might.

We all come up against trials and troubles throughout this life. We can take note of David and how he brought these trials before God, almost like a complaint, but he always ends in praise proclaiming God’s love, mercy, might, strength and his faith in it. Acknowledging our trials and troubles to God, our heavenly Father, should be natural. Likewise we should have continual praise for Him and proclaiming our faith in His power, might, sovereignty, strength, love, mercy, and grace. Try this for a week. Read His word for 5 minutes each day and highlight His promises. These promises are your building blocks for praise because not only do we see what He has done but what He is doing and will do. Take your problems to Him and lay them in His hands. Trust in His promises to never leave you or forsake you, to have steadfast love for you, to be your strength, your rock, your power, your refuge, your joy, your peace, and your hope. In Him you will find rest and reason for hope.

Strengthened Himself

“Therefore my spirit faints within me; my heart within me is appalled.”

“But David strengthened himself in the LORD his God.“

Psalms 42:5 Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my salvation and my God.

Psalms 27:13-14 I believe that I shall look upon the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living! Wait for the LORD; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the LORD!

Psalms 43:5 Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my salvation and my God.

Psalms 55:4 My heart is in anguish within me; the terrors of death have fallen upon me. Fear and trembling come upon me, and horror overwhelms me.

Psalms 61:2 from the end of the earth I call to you when my heart is faint. Lead me to the rock that is higher than I,

Psalms 142:2 I pour out my complaint before him; I tell my trouble before him. When my spirit faints within me, you know my way! In the path where I walk they have hidden a trap for me.

Psalms 56:3 When I am afraid, I put my trust in you.

Psalms 56:11 in God I trust; I shall not be afraid. What can man do to me?

Isaiah 50:10 Who among you fears the LORD and obeys the voice of his servant? Let him who walks in darkness and has no light trust in the name of the LORD and rely on his God.

Lamentations 3:24 “The LORD is my portion,” says my soul, “therefore I will hope in him.” The LORD is good to those who wait for him, to the soul who seeks him. It is good that one should wait quietly for the salvation of the LORD.

Romans 4:20 No unbelief made him waver concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God,

Psalms 91:15 When he calls to me, I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will rescue him and honor him. With long life I will satisfy him and show him my salvation.”

There times we all hit a wall of despair, worry, and our heart is troubled. Life this side of eternity will throw this at us when we least expect it. We have God’s promise that when we call to Him He will answer. When we are in trouble He is with us. He will rescue us. Do not allow unbelief to sink in. Hold firm, trust God, and wait for His steadfast love to lift you up. Not everyone is going to be able to strengthen themselves. We each have opportunity to be used by God to help lift up those who are in times of trials. Keep your ears open to His leading and be willing to listen and obey. Being used by God to encourage others in times of trial is what our walk with God should include. Knowing His word and rightly applying it helps us to encourage and support others with His honor and glory in focus.

Chasing after wind

“and those who deal with the world as though they had no dealings with it. For the present form of this world is passing away.”

“yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes.“

Psalms 39:6 Surely a man goes about as a shadow! Surely for nothing they are in turmoil; man heaps up wealth and does not know who will gather!

Ecclesiastes 1:14 I have seen everything that is done under the sun, and behold, all is vanity and a striving after wind.

Ecclesiastes 2:17 So I hated life, because what is done under the sun was grievous to me, for all is vanity and a striving after wind. I hated all my toil in which I toil under the sun, seeing that I must leave it to the man who will come after me,

Ecclesiastes 2:20 So I turned about and gave my heart up to despair over all the toil of my labors under the sun, because sometimes a person who has toiled with wisdom and knowledge and skill must leave everything to be enjoyed by someone who did not toil for it. This also is vanity and a great evil.

Ecclesiastes 6:11 The more words, the more vanity, and what is the advantage to man? For who knows what is good for man while he lives the few days of his vain life, which he passes like a shadow? For who can tell man what will be after him under the sun?

Ecclesiastes 12:13 The end of the matter; all has been heard. Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man.

Isaiah 55:2 Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread, and your labor for that which does not satisfy?

Luke 12:20 But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul is required of you, and the things you have prepared, whose will they be?’ So is the one who lays up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God.

1 Peter 5:6”Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.

What are you doing with your life? Where are your priorities? Are they on things above or on things of this world? It is hard to say isn’t it. We know we are not to be foolish and we need to plan but in the end I think we get lost in the plan. The goal seems to consume our focus and we loose sight of God and our purpose here on earth. Keeping all of this in balance requires a commitment, choice, and desire to humbly serve honor and obey God in all that we say, think and do. One thing is for certain – we need to stay in His word routinely and with purpose. Chasing after wind seems foolish and who at the end of their life would want to look back and see this is all that had been accomplished. However, seeking God and His purpose has wisdom and eternal reward. Choose that which is eternal.

Gladness and Satisfaction

“Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD forever.”

“Gladden the soul of your servant, for to you, O Lord, do I lift up my soul.”

“Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice.”

Psalms 90:14 Satisfy us in the morning with your steadfast love, that we may rejoice and be glad all our days.

Psalms 90:16 Let your work be shown to your servants, and your glorious power to their children.

Psalms 90:17 Let the favor of the Lord our God be upon us, and establish the work of our hands upon us; yes, establish the work of our hands!

Psalms 36:7 How precious is your steadfast love, O God! The children of mankind take refuge in the shadow of your wings. They feast on the abundance of your house, and you give them drink from the river of your delights.

Psalms 63:3 Because your steadfast love is better than life, my lips will praise you. So I will bless you as long as I live; in your name I will lift up my hands. My soul will be satisfied as with fat and rich food, and my mouth will praise you with joyful lips,

Psalms 65:4 Blessed is the one you choose and bring near, to dwell in your courts! We shall be satisfied with the goodness of your house, the holiness of your temple!

Psalms 103:5 who satisfies you with good so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.

1 Corinthians 3:7 So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth.

Proverbs 16:3 Commit your work to the LORD, and your plans will be established.

2 Thessalonians 2:16 Now may our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God our Father, who loved us and gave us eternal comfort and good hope through grace, comfort your hearts and establish them in every good work and word.

What gladdens your soul? What satisfies your heart, soul and mind? What do you see as blessings in your life? I have been blessed with colleagues who come from other corners of our globe. They have seen so much more about life outside of the United States. The struggles of existence, lack of means, minimal opportunities, and disparity are all familiar to them. When they see the culture of the US and what people complain about they are put back and see much of these complaints as foolishness. This should not surprise us. When our eyes are on what the world can offer, what we can take, and what others have these outcomes of thought are manifested in our lives. However, scripture is always pointing us to be thankful to God, trusting in God, hoping in God, believing in God, relying on God, clinging to God, loving God, serving God, honoring God, glorifying God, praising God, obeying God, and praying to God. Our culture and natural focus on the “here and now” robs us of a fulfilling, abundant, and purposeful life. Do you want to satisfaction, blessings, and gladness in your heart, mind, and soul? Choose to focus on Him alone who can – God

Precious Promises

” by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire.”

“I will put my laws into their minds, and write them on their hearts, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.“

Psalms 36:5 Your steadfast love, O LORD, extends to the heavens, your faithfulness to the clouds. Your righteousness is like the mountains of God; your judgments are like the great deep; man and beast you save, O LORD. How precious is your steadfast love, O God! The children of mankind take refuge in the shadow of your wings. They feast on the abundance of your house, and you give them drink from the river of your delights. For with you is the fountain of life; in your light do we see light. Oh, continue your steadfast love to those who know you, and your righteousness to the upright of heart!

Job 37:23 The Almighty—we cannot find him; he is great in power; justice and abundant righteousness he will not violate.

Matthew 10:29 Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. But even the hairs of your head are all numbered.

1 Peter 2:6 For it stands in Scripture: “Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone, a cornerstone chosen and precious, and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame.” So the honor is for you who believe, but for those who do not believe, “The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone,”

Psalms 139:17 ,

2Peter 1:3 His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire.

Hebrews 8:6 But as it is, Christ has obtained a ministry that is as much more excellent than the old as the covenant he mediates is better, since it is enacted on better promises. For if that first covenant had been faultless, there would have been no occasion to look for a second. For he finds fault with them when he says: “Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will establish a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah, not like the covenant that I made with their fathers on the day when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt. For they did not continue in my covenant, and so I showed no concern for them, declares the Lord. For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my laws into their minds, and write them on their hearts, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. And they shall not teach, each one his neighbor and each one his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest.
For I will be merciful toward their iniquities, and I will remember their sins no more.”

Great and precious promises have been given to us to escape the corruption of the world. What promises are coming to mind? David recorded it this way, “How precious to me are your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them!”. David found value in thinking about God, His thoughts and promises. He called them precious. Something very dear to his heart. He found comfort, refuge, strength, hope, peace, faith, love, joy, mercy…… and more staying close to God. His daily purpose was to know and serve God deeper and fuller each day. He had a heart desire to seek God in both times of trials and in times of blessings. We would do well to reflect each day on God, His promises, and how we to would know and serve Him fuller. Spend time in His word. Seek to know Him. Desire to serve Him.

Fill your heart, mind and soul

“and with all wicked deception for those who are perishing, because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. Therefore God sends them a strong delusion, so that they may believe what is false, in order that all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness.”

Psalms 25:12 Who is the man who fears the LORD? Him will he instruct in the way that he should choose. His soul shall abide in well-being, and his offspring shall inherit the land The friendship of the LORD is for those who fear him, and he makes known to them his covenant. My eyes are ever toward the LORD, for he will pluck my feet out of the net.

Proverbs 1:7 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction.

Proverbs 2:5 then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God. For the Lord gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding;

Proverbs 15:33 The fear of the LORD is instruction in wisdom, and humility comes before honor.

Proverbs 16:6 By steadfast love and faithfulness iniquity is atoned for, and by the fear of the LORD one turns away from evil.

Ecclesiastes 12:13 The end of the matter; all has been heard. Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man.

Isaiah 50:10 Who among you fears the LORD and obeys the voice of his servant? Let him who walks in darkness and has no light trust in the name of the LORD and rely on his God.

Acts 10:22 And they said, “Cornelius, a centurion, an upright and God-fearing man,

Acts 13:26 “Brothers, sons of the family of Abraham, and those among you who fear God, to us has been sent the message of this salvation.

Psalms 31:19 Oh, how abundant is your goodness, which you have stored up for those who fear you and worked for those who take refuge in you, in the sight of the children of mankind!

Proverbs 1:33 but whoever listens to me will dwell secure and will be at ease, without dread of disaster.”

Proverbs 19:23 The fear of the LORD leads to life, and whoever has it rests satisfied; he will not be visited by harm.

Matthew 11:28-29 Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.

Psalms 32:8 I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my eye upon you.

Psalms 37:23 The steps of a man are established by the LORD, when he delights in his way;

John 3:20-21 For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed. But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God.”

John 8:31-32 So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

The whole duty of man is to fear God and keep His commandments. “The end of the matter; all has been heard. Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man.” Are peoples lives, who have respect and reverence for God, different than those who do not? What would be seen in the lives of people who respect and have reverence (fear) of God? Would they read God’s word more? Would they give thanks more? Would they be more forgiving? Would they pray more? Are they more gentle and kind? Are they encouraging? Do they give more? Do they help more? Do they speak words of hope, love, grace and mercy? Do they have more inner peace? Are they more humble? Do they acknowledge God and His leading in their life? Do they reach out to the unsaved? Do they talk of what God is doing in their immediate lives? There is not a day when reading God’s word I do not see something new. Sometimes it teaches me more about who God is, or His promises, or convicts me of an area of my life that needs to change. Without His word I think our soul easily drifts and falls away from being able to hear His quiet voice speaking to our heart. Think about oxygen and the importance of it on every breath. If it were given to your lungs at the same frequency of being in God’s word would your life be hanging on by a thread or would you be declared dead? God’s word feeds our soul and in it we find know and understanding of God, peace, hope, help, strength, love, mercy, grace, faith….

Awesome & Mighty God

“The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork”

“By the word of the LORD the heavens were made, and by the breath of his mouth all their host”

“In past generations he allowed all the nations to walk in their own ways.”

“For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them.”

Psalms 19:1 The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork. Day to day pours out speech, and night to night reveals knowledge. There is no speech, nor are there words, whose voice is not heard. Their voice goes out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world. In them he has set a tent for the sun, which comes out like a bridegroom leaving his chamber, and, like a strong man, runs its course with joy. Its rising is from the end of the heavens, and its circuit to the end of them, and there is nothing hidden from its heat.

Isaiah 40:22-26 It is he who sits above the circle of the earth, and its inhabitants are like grasshoppers; who stretches out the heavens like a curtain, and spreads them like a tent to dwell in; who brings princes to nothing, and makes the rulers of the earth as emptiness. Scarcely are they planted, scarcely sown, scarcely has their stem taken root in the earth, when he blows on them, and they wither, and the tempest carries them off like stubble. To whom then will you compare me, that I should be like him? says the Holy One. Lift up your eyes on high and see: who created these? He who brings out their host by number, calling them all by name; by the greatness of his might and because he is strong in power, not one is missing.

Romans 1:19-20 For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse.

Psalms 33:6 By the word of the LORD the heavens were made, and by the breath of his mouth all their host.

Jeremiah 10:11-12 Thus shall you say to them: “The gods who did not make the heavens and the earth shall perish from the earth and from under the heavens.” It is he who made the earth by his power, who established the world by his wisdom, and by his understanding stretched out the heavens.

Acts 14:16 In past generations he allowed all the nations to walk in their own ways.

Acts 17:23-30 For as I passed along and observed the objects of your worship, I found also an altar with this inscription: ‘To the unknown god.’ What therefore you worship as unknown, this I proclaim to you. The God who made the world and everything in it, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by man, nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all mankind life and breath and everything. And he made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place, that they should seek God, and perhaps feel their way toward him and find him. Yet he is actually not far from each one of us, for “‘In him we live and move and have our being’; as even some of your own poets have said, “‘For we are indeed his offspring.’ Being then God’s offspring, we ought not to think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone, an image formed by the art and imagination of man. The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent,

Have you ever read scripture and your eyes have been opened to God’s greatness. These are scripture that were recorded over thousands of years proclaiming God’s awesome power and creation. Our God is alive, awesome in power, and might. As we end a year and start a new one, begin it with purpose to renew your walk with Him with the choice to humble serve, honor and glorify Him each day. Discipline yourself to spend time in His word each day and watch (as the old hymn says) “morning by morning new mercies I see.” HAPPY NEW YEAR IN THE LORD

Excellent Wife

“An excellent wife who can find?
She is far more precious than jewels.
The heart of her husband trusts in her,
and he will have no lack of gain.
She does him good, and not harm,
all the days of her life.”

Judges 14:19 And he said to them,“If you had not plowed with my heifer,you would not have found out my riddle.”And the Spirit of the Lord rushed upon him, and he went down to Ashkelon and struck down thirty men of the town and took their spoil and gave the garments to those who had told the riddle. In hot anger he went back to his father’s house. And Samson’s wife was given to his companion, who had been his best man.

Ruth 3:9 And she answered, “I am Ruth, your servant. Spread your wings over your servant, for you are a redeemer.” And he said, “May you be blessed by the Lord, my daughter. You have made this last kindness greater than the first in that you have not gone after young men, whether poor or rich.

Proverbs 12:4
An excellent wife is the crown of her husband,
but she who brings shame is like rottenness in his bones.
The thoughts of the righteous are just;
the counsels of the wicked are deceitful.

Proverbs 31:10
An excellent wife who can find?
She is far more precious than jewels.
The heart of her husband trusts in her,
and he will have no lack of gain.
She does him good, and not harm,
all the days of her life.

Samson went to marry his foreign bride. During the 7 day feast he made a bet with 30 of the men from the city about solving a riddle. His wife had little choice – find out the answer to the riddle or you and your fathers house will all burn. In the end her and her family were all killed however not at this time. I am reminded of what is said in Proverbs – “An excellent wife is hard to find” – “An excellent wife is a precious jewel” – “An excellent wife is the crown of her husband”. I wonder how many times I don’t see my wife as my crown, a precious jewel, and my blessing from God. When our eyes are off of God and His blessings in our life we so easily lose sight of them. A crown we would display proudly and wear it with confidence. A precious jewel we would cherish and protect it with all our might. A blessing we would live with a never ending thankful heart.

Think about what you put first before your wife.

Set Your Mind on Things Above

We see, we hear, and we want. The temptation to keep our eyes on what we can see is always before us. It is understandable. Yet God wants us to see with our heart open to what His word is telling us. He wants us to listen to His leading (that quiet small voice speaking light into our life). He wants us to want (desire) Him. This world would tempt/tell us that life is about us and getting what we want here. God tells us that we are just passing through this world and there is a place in heaven for those who choose, in this life, to live to honor and glorify Him – denying self and humbly serving/following Him.

Matthew 16:23
But he turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a hindrance to me. For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man

Romans 8:5
For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace

Philippians 3:18
For many, of whom I have often told you and now tell you even with tears, walk as enemies of the cross of Christ. Their end is destruction, their god is their belly, and they glory in their shame, with minds set on earthly things

Colossians 3:2
Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.