Someone you know

When you spend time praying do you find yourself feeling as if you are just reciting a shopping list or mechanically mouthing some words? In truth, prayer can become stale and mundane for many people, but this quote has helped me to remember the essence of why I pray.

"Prayer is a declaration of our dependence on God. It isn't something mechanical you do; it is somewhere you go to meet Someone you know." - Jill Briscoe

I am challenged to remember this when I next pray - to go into that quiet place and think about meeting someone I know - the Living God. I think this may make a world of difference in my prayer time. What do you think?

Living in grace
D3LM3

Magnifying what?

Whatever you are spending most of your time on, that is what you are 'Magnifying' at the moment.

"Fretting magnifies the problem, but Prayer magnifies God." - Joanna Weaver

Such wisdom in this little quote. When we think about our problems day and night, we begin to Magnify the problem and we can tend to make it much bigger than it needs to be. Yet, if we spend our time of prayer MAGNIFYING Jesus, then we get the issue in it's proper perspective.

Ask yourself today:
Who or what am I magnifying today?
Is the problems in my life or the God of my heart?

Living in Grace
D3LM3

Ending so there can be another beginning

Ascension Day is always marked 40 days after Easter Sunday and this year it is on the 10th May. It has become a somewhat forgotten religious holy-day for many Christians, but in my opinion it should be remembered for it's deep significance. Christ's ascension into heaven marks the ending of his earthly ministry and the fulfilment of his promise to return to the Father. This significant 'ending' also marks the BEGINNING of the age of the Holy Spirit, officially starting at Pentecost.

 

Psalm 47:5 - God has ascended amid shouts of joy, the Lord amid the sounding of trumpets.

 

 Hebrews 4:14 -[ Jesus the Great High Priest ] Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has ascended into heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess.

 

Whether we take Ascension Day as a holiday (holy-day) or not, it is worth reflecting on the image of Jesus seated at the right hand of the Father interceding for us and sending the promised Holy Spirit. As in all Life, there needs to be a significant Ending, in order for there to be a new Beginning.

 

Living in Grace

D3LM3

The Lost Art of Gratitude

Some people can just be so rude! It seems as if they don't appreciate anything that is done for them. In this latest article I reflect on the 'Lost Art of being Grateful.' If you have a moment please follow the links and take a read.

Thanks and God bless

Living in Grace
D3LM3

The question of Identity

We get so many people coming to the church for help nowadays and it is always tricky to discern which are the genuine cases and which are not. What we have been finding is that many of the 'homeless' people ask for money so they can get a new ID book. It seems to be the standard line to try and get some money from the local churches and of course we can't always help these people for a variety of reasons.

However, out of all of this, it has made me ask some questions about our Identity, because if I lost all my documentation and had no way of proving who I was, where would I go to get this sorted out? Does my ID reveal who I truly am or is it just a passport to be accepted as a 'normal person' in society? And what about how God sees us? Surely I AM SOMEONE in the eyes of God, regardless of whether I have a piece of paper or not?

What do you think?

"Live out your God-created identity. Live generously and graciously toward others, the way God lives toward you.” - Matthew 5:48

Living in Grace
D3LM3

Hard hearts

"God wants us to have soft hearts and hard feet. The trouble with so many of us is we have hard hearts and soft feet." - Jackie Pullinger

There is so much wisdom in this simple statement and yet the more I read it the more I am challenged! Jesus' feet were hard from the amount of walking he did and yet his heart remained 'soft' and compassionate towards those in need. 

I pray that my heart will not turn hard and my feet become lazy in sharing the Gospel.

"   Mark 16:15 - "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.

    

    Living in Grace

    D3LM3

Praying when you don't feel like it

If we are honest there are times when we don't feel like praying. However these are just the sort of times that we need to turn to the Lord and to draw close the heart of God. The Lord is always waiting and ready to interpret our prayers, even when they come out as groans.

"When we feel least like praying is the time when we most need to pray." - R.A. Torrey

And so, remember that the Lord is able to understand the words, sighs, and thoughts of our hearts. Trust him to guide you through these times.

"May these words of my mouth and this meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer." - Psalm 19:14

Living in Grace
D3LM3