Day 161

Perfection. Is not to be achieved in this life. God never intended us to even desire perfection in this human flesh. Jesus came in complete perfection when he was on earth. That is out model. We do not have to earn or strive for it while we live here. Simplicity of the cross makes us not have to try anymore. Isn't this world full of commercials, voices, and examples of how we need to be perfect. It is almost tiring. At the end of the day we still feel as stressed and worn out as we did the day before. We will never be perfect. The blood of Jesus washes away our carnality and then He sees us as perfect. So what is the point of rearranging the outer when the inner is already secure in His perfectness. It bothers me that my desires are so earthly. We want, want, want during this time of the year. I'm just so thankful that the perfect, pure, awesome power of the blood of Jesus is covering me. Without it I would still be striving to be something I am not. This is a good time to go before Him.

Lord, thank you that you sent your son Jesus. His sacrifice reflects how perfect you are. I love that you want me to come as I am. Father cover me while I walk around in this earthly suit. Quicken my spirit to pray when my desires are not your desires. In Jesus name, amen.

160

Lord,

Give me the strength to teach with passion and enthusiasm every day.  Guide my words.  Protect my thoughts for negativity.  Lead me to peace in the middle of chaos.

159

Forgiveness is like taking the dusty key that you have put on the highest shelf and deciding to unlock the chain.  It gets all tangled up, and the funny thing is you are the key holder. So the power is in your hands. Releasing those people that have you chained up is what Jesus died on the cross for. Take the time to pray this...in your heart or out loud. 

Lord, I release_________ in Jesus name from the unforgiveness I have had towards them for_______ years.  I can't be responsible for what they said or did to me, but I ask you to forgive me for the part I had in chaining myself in this unforgiveness. God let me walk in freedom from this sin. I forgive them. I forgive myself because you forgave me first. 

Day 158

Oh His freedom from sin is enough for me, that blood of Jesus that washed it all away. It's beautiful the way He saves us from ourselves. I'm thankful today that I am able to walk free of the guilt, shame, and sin of the past. Only today do I have time to plant seeds, from my mouth, of life for my tomorrows. Starting with what is about to emerge in my life in the next 3 weeks. Lord, I know you have gone before me and smoothed out the path. Stepping into teaching will be incredible as you teach me how to teach. While you show me how to help students overcome fears and become great. Thank you Lord that I will look at them with lots of love and compassion in Jesus name.

See God originated words to be healing. Think about what came of His words throughout the bible. He spoke and it was. Wow, and in James there is so many descriptions of the power of the tongue. It is time to take hold of that flaming evil and speak joy, peace over your house, self-control over situations that would cause stress. There is where the victory comes I think. Because we have decided to speak over our feelings and lead the future into those seeds of joy and peace.

Think about what we say. It is hard but it can be done. Don't forget to guard that mouth when you want to say awful things about someone, or a situation that should have been forgotten. Let each word be like honey to the people who are around you. Soft spoken words of wisdom...that is my desire Lord.

Day 157

Wow, I just think it is amazing that we are still at this '365 days of prayer thing!' It has been quite a journey.  I don't post prayers everyday but I enjoy the times I am able to sit down and continue talking about what is really on my heart.  Speaking of on my heart, let's go a little deeper...shall we? 

Have you ever heard anyone say "I don't like praying out loud" or "I'm not good at praying...you pray you are more spiritual."  I have been there in a conversation where people are insecure or maybe not comfortable praying out loud.  Consider our everyday conversations.  We talk on the phone, we text everyone and anyone who will respond, we camp out on pinterest looking at ways to keep us organized and occupied and we get excited when we see pinterest items in someones house, we email and delete unwanted junk mailers, we pass by people with our shallow but familiar 'how are you?' and have we been ashamed to talk to people? Have we shyed away from conversation or contact all day? Most of us would say no, we most likely will be glad to join in on a conversation and give our two sense. Ok...I have a point.  So really we could say we have been talking all day long from when the first annoying alarm tone beats down on our quietness...some would say 'choice words' others would say them in our heads. Did we do the same thing? Yes, it was our heart that spoke out loud and internally.  So how is praying or talking to God any different? I'm not really sure it is. We are all comfortable with praying...but if we have in our minds that praying is a certain way we put our hands, or way we sit or kneel then we have lost the meaning.  Look at what Jesus spoke to the disciples about praying. Matthew 6:9-13 says that Jesus just said in this manner you should pray. He used a simple prayer that is deep, profound, and straight to the heart of the matter. Jesus definitely didn't say that we have to be at church on Sunday morning, or on the side of our bed with our hands interlocked, or we have to say it monotone. He wants that one on one conversation that we also long from our spouses or best friends. Most of the time I don't really pour out my entire heart, just parts of the story that were important. What is amazing about God is he wants all the details he wants to hear you speak because he loves hearing your voice. He knows every word that is about to come out of our mouths...wow. That is incredible. Next time that you sit to pray, or you are in your car on the way to work or to pick up the kids....stop and really talk to God. It isn't that difficult. We strike up conversations with perfect strangers and have no problems(most of us. God isn't really that complicated...ok he is but he isn't with prayer. The simplicity of coming before him to talk or if you want to be formal 'pray' is just opening our hearts to him and really talking to him. Waiting for answers is a whole different sermon...but waiting is important and that is exactly what we do with our friends(ok when they are talking over us). So try it:)

Day 156 Speaking the Future...

What I love about God is that He has already been where we are going.  He has already been in our future, our past, and our present.  No need to worry or try to plan it out perfectly for He is the designer. 


Look at Job 8:7 and how exciting this promise is, "Your beginnings will seem humble, so prosperous will your future be."  So while we humble ourselves before God He is making our future awesome.  Also something we have to remember is when we are walking in peace (not worrying, using our tongue as a weapon of negativity to our future, not crying about it, not talking to all our friends about what they think) God says, "a future awaits those who seek peace." 


When questions come to your mind about what it will look like, or how will it work out just remember that God has gone into your future and is asking for your tongue to be a key to a prosperous future. Psalm 52:2 says our tongue can plot destruction, that goes for your future or the future of the people around you. Here is a great example of the use of our tongue for the security of our future being prosperous...


Proverbs 21:23
Those who guard their mouths and their tongues keep themselves from calamity!


There it is, plain and simple. So we also guide the way our future will pan out.  God is basically warning us to be aware of the words that roll off your tongue that they don't mold your future events.  Today speak life and positive words into the unknown events of your future, and watch God come in agreement with the words He already knew you were going to say!

Day 155 Trusting Him

It's very cliche, but how easy is it to trust without seeing?  It's an art that takes patience, guts, and trials.  When we are driving we automatically(no pun intended) push on our brakes without the thoughts of it might not work today.  They work and we trust them.  God is kind of like that.  When we don't know exactly what will happen we have to trust him. Obviously it doesn't come automatically to us, but that's where faith is activated in place of our doubt.  Exchange the doubts you have about God with the faith that He is what He says He is.  Almighty, creator, comforter, healer.  

Day 154: Confessions

When Jesus committed to the cross He knew we would need His sacrifice. Not only does His death cover our sins but we are able to go to Him without shame and guilt holding us back.  See we were separated by sins and the only way we are able to come into His presence is by the blood of His son Jesus. I think it is amazing what a sacrifice he made.  Confess today, repent, return to Him because healing is so much better  than walking around with a road block all around you.  I think it feels heavy, when there are things that are hidden and that really need to be confessed to God. Of course he already knows everything, but the confession is that part that He applauds. It doesn't have to be a person or a psychiatrist or a pastor, maybe that would bring you more freedom.  God wants to hear it from you! Get it all out, you will feel much better. What is really amazing is He doesn't look or treat you any different because of your sins, He is just begging for you to get freedom from the darkness.

Day 153

He hears our deepest desires, I know that for a fact.  Specific things that I have prayed for have come to life and I was shocked.  I know I shouldn't be shocked, because he is God; he is full of surprises.  When the surprises are incredible though it just makes me want to shout it out in the streets.  I cannot contain my worship for this awesome God of mine.  Walking out in thankfulness is essential.  Don't forget to thank Him today!

152

The future is inevitable. It will happen. What is crazy it knowing that the things I want to happen will probably not happen because of:


 Isaiah 55:9
“As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.

God just said as loud as he could that his thoughts are much better. It's like comparing your miles to another person that just ran the same distance.  Except, they ran faster than you. Yes, God is competing with us to win our affection for the thoughts he thinks about our future. We humans love to revel in doubt and fear regarding our future...why? I think it is the normal sometimes. To wonder to the point of stressing out about where you will be, what you will be doing. Now, God has captured our attention. We know his ways are higher and much better than ours, so let's accept it. We know he loves us, he provides for us, he leads us, he comforts us, he's given us the Holy Spirit. Exodus 15:13 explains it all...first his love is unfailing. Oh, we could stop there and talk about how conditional we love, but we won't....again his love will not ever quit, it will continue. This does give us assurance that he has to lead us and love us while we make stupid mistakes and turn wrong turns. He is incredible. I'm ready to accept those higher and better ideas and ways that he has offered me. 

Day 151 'Your Gifts'

Lord,

Don't let me forget about what you have given me. An amazing husband who is supportive of my dreams and who loves me so much, a great family that is always there for us, and a wonderful church that is full of great friendships.

My husband is a funeral director here in Oklahoma and everyday I hear about another family that is going through a loss of a loved one. Of course our days are numbered, but do we really contemplate what that actually means. Seriously life is so short. It is sad when you hear about people who had a fight with their close friend or family member and the next day they were gone. How awful to live with that. So today start by asking Jesus to forgive you of any unnecessary guilt or unforgiveness. This allows the healing power of God to bring us back to where we first received it in the first place...the cross. That is where we were forgiven. Please don't forget...(I can hear God whispering this to me now) that I told Peter you must forgive your brother 70 times 7. I mean God is not in favor of us holding pain inside us where He cannot get to it. His desire is to heal it and bring restoration. Obviously I do not know where you came from, your life story, your aches and pains, but I can tell you I have had those before. A grudge so deep that it turns into hate and anger. I could not think of anything but getting back at that person because it was just not fair. Ok, it was along time ago and I know how people say 'time heals all wounds' but if we do not confess our sins(James 5:16....I'm so thankful for biblegateway.com) we cannot be healed. It starts with that little desire to get free of that hurt. It's not yours to bear. I encourage you to make it a priority to shovel off every little bitty, medium, and large thing that gets in between you and God. My desire is that He would speak to me and it's hard to hear when you have a bunch of build up in your ears...I know gross. It is your choice, let it go and start that transformation of those relationships being healed and rebuilt by Him. Because He wants you to be set free!

Day 150!!!!

Today let the words that you speak be seasoned with salt. When I eat mashed potatoes and there is no salt it's gross, bland, and pointless to be eating them. Salt makes them taste much more appealing. Salt all your words.

Mark 9:50
“Salt is good, but if it loses its saltiness, how can you make it salty again? Have salt among yourselves, and be at peace with each other.”

Day 149

I have begun a wonderful eating habit called the Daniel Fast and inside of this fast is incredible truths I would like to share with you. I am blogging about what I have made each day and include recipes at times. Join me in the race to deny the flesh!

http://danielfasting.blogspot.com/2012/01/day-5.html

Day 148 'New Year'

It's funny how we have so many resolutions that are dire at the time. A year later we forget that it was important. What is it about being caught up in the moment? Is it because it's the official time to make 'New Year's Resolutions'? I feel like I have the same ones every year. I almost think we try to one-up ourselves. 'Ok this year it's going to be really big...I'm going to read the bible 5 whole entire times through!' We want others to look at our resolutions and be jealous or at least a hint of jealousy. I do. I have. Today I am wondering why I haven't followed through with my incredible NYR. I did want to read the bible at least one time through. But more than that I feel an urgency to be closer to the one to wrote it. This life is about Him. His desire for us is not to be in competition with each other every day or new year's. (2 Corinthians 10:12) It's not wise to compare ourselves. So since we stopped comparing ourselves what are we doing now? Let's resolve to do the best job that we can do because that's all we can do right? Now, it's time to quit beating ourselves up for not loosing that 30 lbs. we promised ourselves in 2007 we would lose (because we are still thinking about it) but we pick ourselves up, decide to make 2012 the best year we can. We will not waste time this year like we did last year wishing things are different. We are going to make things different because we will be at His feet in prayer, we will fast even when we don't FEEL like it, we will speak life and not death to ourselves or anyone around us, we will walk in the Spirit and not the flesh, we will love our enemies, we will do all things through Christ...not ourselves and our own strength...because we are going to have an amazing year. 2012 is only as good and wonderful as we choose to make it! Yay!