Tag: Thanksgiving

What Are Three Things Prayer Provides?

How important is prayer to you? What types of prayers do you pray? Why does God want us to pray? These are a few questions we will look at. What are three things that prayer provides us with?

To me prayer is important because it is time spent with God. It is a time to ask and listen. So often we can pray and then walk away as if God doesn’t speak but He does. He wants to be heard just like we want to be heard. To me prayer is more than petitions and requests it is a time of fellowship with praise and thanksgiving, a time to meditate and listen, and petition and intercede for others and ourselves.

I know that we can sometimes make our prayer time a ritual, but it doesn’t have to be. Having communication and communion with God through fellowship and reading His Word is also about our prayer life. God’s Word is alive and active. It penetrates to the dividing of our soul and spirit. When we read His Word with a hungry heart for our own lives it is an exchange of His Word for our weaknesses. I like to ask the Holy Spirit to quicken His Word to me. We all need a fresh Word from the Lord. Even if it’s a correction it still produces life.

First, prayer provides us with answers and help from Almighty God through what Christ Jesus did for us in crucifixion, death and resurrection. The shed blood of Christ enables us to go before the throne of God with our requests and receive mercy and grace in our times of need.

Second, prayer provides connection with God in understanding His ways according to His Word. His ways are greater than our ways. Through prayer and reading the Word of God we discover what we really think and believe. The Word of God prayerfully read will uncover right where the heart of the matter lays.

Three prayer provides us with His fellowship. God created mankind to have a relationship with Him. He wants that relationship, and He supplied the way for that relationship. God longs to spend time with you. When you surrender your life to Jesus and receive forgiveness for your sins you become a child of God. He is our Heavenly Father, and He wants to hear from you.

There are many benefits to prayer these are just three things prayer provides. Be encouraged today to seek God in prayer.

How do you refocus when life is scrambled?

What is your focus on? Our focus may be on all kinds of things from home to careers and all that is in between. But what is going happen when your focus gets blurred due to unforeseen circumstances? That is when we need to refocus. What does refocus mean? It means “to focus again to change the emphasis or direction of.”

In the natural our view might be clouded caused by eye problems. Such as what I’m experiencing, I can see however not so clear in the left eye. I’m facing a cataract and partial corneal transplant surgery next month. So, I must focus to see.    

When things get a bit haywire what do you focus on? When life is scrambled with all kinds of ups and downs how do you keep your focus? I think it depends on what you’re focusing on. Our lives are made up of all kinds of important tasks and people who are involved in them. But to me the most essential focus that helps all the other areas in our lives is God and keeping my focus on Him.

There are many scriptures to help keep your focus clear. When your heart and mind are on the Lord it trains you to keep a clear focus. Keeping your heart and mind clear is most important. When our hearts are right with God and we stay humble and contrite we will keep a clear focus.

How do you focus when life is scrambled? By going back to God letting Him refocus your heart and mind. Laying the cares of the day at His feet and receiving His peace. Getting alone with the Lord is the first step to refocusing. Only God can tell you what is really in your heart. When we come before Him with thanksgiving and praise Him for who He is this will affect your focus.

When we come to the Lord with our cares and concerns without thanksgiving the focus becomes lopsided. But when I turn my eyes on Jesus and thank Him for who He is and for what He has done. Then my focus becomes clearer. A peace settles over me and I can petition my prayers through His focus.

God knows clearer what I need than I know or what others need. Each day has new challenges but everyday our focus can stay clear as we allow God to lead, guide and focus our day.

Holiday Stress Relievers…

This is the time of year where our obligations grow, and our expectations are high.  The Holidays official start is this week.  With Thanksgiving Day on Thursday and of course the food preparations all week plus getting the house ready for guests.

Then shopping for gifts for those we love and care for.  December brings Christmas and more family gatherings along with special events and decorations. 

This all sounds lovely unless it’s stressful for you.  Sometimes the stresses become overwhelming for some and instead of a fun season it becomes forced work.

This season is about being thankful and joyful for the Savior who was born for us.  But in the hustle and bustle of the extra workload, stress can steal your joy in this season if you let it. 

You have a choice you can let the stress beat you or fuel you the choice is yours.  Here are a few helpful truths to think about that can relieve holiday stress.

*Your family loves you not for what you do for them or what you give them but because you are a part of them.

*Money doesn’t buy happiness.  Happiness is a by product of what we do.

*Not overspending for Christmas will relieve stress.  Stick with an amount (budget) and shop within your amount.

*People love the thought put into a gift.  There’s lots of creative ideas that don’t cost a lot but lets someone know you are thinking of them.

*Do things you want to do, not what you feel pressured to do.  The pressures and how you think about them are what cause the stress.

*Don’t compare yourself to others.  God never compares you to another.  Be you! Don’t be something you’re not. 

The holidays are times to be thankful and spend time with family and friends.  If you don’t have family, it can be painful.  I understand this when my mom died it took me a few years to go to other people’s gatherings.

But think about allowing yourself to be a part of someone else’s gathering.  Give yourself permission to engage in the holidays once again.

Human beings need fellowship, love and connection so go for it either go or ask someone to eat with you at your home.

Put a pin in the air of stress: lower expectations, take breaks, breathe and enjoy each day through this Holiday Season.

Enjoy the Season!