The repose enjoyed in thyself is but a shadow
of that which thou wilt find in God!
~~Madame Guyon
This
morning’s prayer and meditation for Sally’s healing comes from Take Heart, Oh God: Riches from the Greatest
Christian Women Writers of All Time.
Rest.
Repose. Times of quiet when we can think—about God, about life, about what we
are called to do. Such times grant us refreshment, a needed break, a time to
refocus.
And
yet, Madame Guyon would have us realize that those precious times are a mere
shadow of the kind of rest that our soul can find in God.
Our
soul thirsts; he alone can satisfy. We hunger to know the depths of God’s love;
he fills us to overflowing with nourishment from his Word. We face difficult
times; he gives us the refreshment that keeps us moving forward. We struggle
with guilt over sins we have committed; he alone grants us forgiveness that
brings true peace and repose. We need rest from the storm; he invites us into
his refuge and wraps his arms of protection around us.
Today
let your soul find its best rest in him.
Prayer
for Meditation
Lord Jesus, my soul rests in you.
Scripture
for Meditation
Let
all that I am wait quietly before God, for my hope is in him.
He
alone is my rock and my salvation, my fortress where I will not be shaken.
My
victory and honor come from God alone.
He
is my refuge, a rock where no enemy can reach me.
O
my people, trust in him at all times.
Pour
out your heart to him, for God is our refuge. Psalm
62:5-8
Music
for Meditation
Perfect Peace
If you feel led to do so,
please post a note of encouragement in the comment section below, or send
your note by email to PrayersForSally@gmail.com
Because God is firm and steady, you can put your weight on Him.
~~Cynthia Heald
This
morning’s prayer and meditation for Sally’s healing comes from Take Heart, Oh God: Riches from the Greatest
Christian Women Writers of All Time.
To
put your weight on something requires transferring trust from one thing to
another. We don’t walk out on a frozen pond unless we know for sure the ice can
hold our weight. If we see the lines below our feet begin to spread or hear the
unmistakable crackle of ice breaking, we know we are in the wrong place at the
wrong time.
Putting
our full weight on God demands absolute trust in him. Too often, however, we’re
afraid that he just won’t hold us. We fear the crackle of a situation out of
our control. We shift our weight back onto ourselves.
God
says, “Trust me.” We never need to worry that he can’t handle it, that we are
too much trouble, that we would be in the wrong place at the wrong time.
Trusting in him is always our best choice, for he is firm and steady.
Prayer
for Meditation
O, Father, I long to put my full
weight onto you.
Scripture
for Meditation
Moses
said this about the tribe of Benjamin: “The people of Benjamin are loved by the
LORD and live in safety beside him. He surrounds them continuously and
preserves them from every harm.” Deuteronomy 33:12
Music
for Meditation
Trust In You
If you feel led to do so,
please post a note of encouragement in the comment section below, or send
your note by email to PrayersForSally@gmail.com
Your life is no exception to God’s delight in arranging
coincidences.
~~Joni Eareckson Tada
This
morning’s prayer and meditation for Sally’s healing comes from Take Heart, Oh God: Riches from the Greatest
Christian Women Writers of All Time.
What a coincidence!
Your car broke down right near the service station owned by your new friend’s
husband—you know, the husband you’ve been praying for at Bible study. The one
who is down on all Christians because he thinks they’re hypocrites.
What a coincidence! That
answer to your concern came just at the right moment. You know, right before
you gave up and gave in.
What a coincidence! You
got the money just in time to pay the bill that would have been past due in
another day.
What a coincidence!
Really? Just a coincidence?
God
takes great delight in arranging coincidences. You can be a witness to that friend’s
husband as you bring in your broken-down car. Each “coincidence” is a touch of
God, allowing you to sit back with a smile and see how much he cares.
It’s
never just a coincidence. It’s God’s fingerprint.
Prayer
for Meditation
Thank you for the “coincidences” that
you put in place for me.
Scripture
for Meditation
You see me when I travel and when I rest at home. You know
everything I do.
Psalm
139:3
Music
for Meditation
God
Will Make A Way
If you feel led to do so,
please post a note of encouragement in the comment section below, or send
your note by email to PrayersForSally@gmail.com
[W]e are meant to walk in the light, and we have been groping
along in the darkness.
The creative act helps us to emerge into the light.
~~Madeleine L’Engle
This
morning’s prayer and meditation for Sally’s healing comes from Take Heart, Oh God: Riches from the Greatest
Christian Women Writers of All Time.
We
were created to walk in the light, but too many of us are groping in the
darkness. We hold out our hands in the murky fog of our lives, feeling
unsatisfied, unfulfilled.
Our
wonderfully creative God made us to be creative beings. Some of us have been
given great gifts in the areas of art or music or writing. Others of us are
wonderfully creative as we decorate our homes or cook our meals or do our jobs.
We may find innovative ways to entertain our children or get through to our
teenagers. Even mundane tasks are stirred with interest when we try them in a
new way.
Discovering
and using that creative, God-given energy is the key to finding our way out of
the fog and emerging into the light. We take on a tiny bit of heaven, for the
most Creative One of all looks down and smiles.
Prayer
for Meditation
May the work of my hands be pleasing
to you, O God, and help build your kingdom.
Scripture
for Meditation
Have
you never heard?
Have
you never understood?
The
LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of all the earth.
He
never grows weak or weary.
No
one can measure the depths of his understanding.
Music
for Meditation
God Speaking
If you feel led to do so,
please post a note of encouragement in the comment section below, or send
your note by email to PrayersForSally@gmail.com
But He will not reveal Himself openly and communicate His
glories and bestow His treasures save on those who He knows greatly desire Him,
for these are His true friends.
~~Teresa of Avila
This
morning’s prayer and meditation for Sally’s healing comes from Take Heart, Oh God: Riches from the Greatest
Christian Women Writers of All Time.
A
true friend is always there for you. You know she will go out of her way to
spend time with you—she’s never too busy. She may be far-flung or next door,
but you can count on her for honest advice, wise counsel, and a whole lot of
laughter. You have built memories with her. You trust her. You love her.
Our
Savior wants that friendship with us. He loves to hear our voice. He is never
too busy for us—never bored. We can count on him for honest advice, wise
counsel, and yes, even laughter and joy as we experience the life he has for us.
We trust him. We love him.
And
only those who have that kind of friendship will hear of his glories and
receive his treasures. Only when we greatly desire him will we be his true
friends.
Prayer
for Meditation
I want to be your true friend, Jesus.
I greatly desire you.
Scripture
for Meditation
“I am the true grapevine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts
off every branch of mine that doesn’t produce fruit, and he prunes the branches
that do bear fruit so they will produce even more. You have already been pruned
and purified by the message I have given you. Remain in me, and I will remain
in you. For a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, and
you cannot be fruitful unless you remain in me.
“Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in
me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do
nothing. Anyone who does not remain in me is thrown away like a useless branch
and withers. Such branches are gathered into a pile to be burned. But if you
remain in me and my words remain in you, you may ask for anything you want, and
it will be granted. When you produce much fruit, you are my true disciples.
This brings great glory to my Father.
I have loved you even as the Father has loved me. Remain in my
love. When you obey my commandments and remain in his love. I have told you
these things so that you will be filled with my joy. Yes, your joy will
overflow. This is my commandment: Love each other in the same way I have loved
you.
There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s
friends. You are my friends if you do that I command. I no longer call you
slaves, because a master doesn’t confide in his slaves. Now you are my friends,
since I have told you everything the Father told me. You. You didn’t choose me.
I chose you. I appointed you to go and produce lasting fruit, so that the
Father will give you whatever you ask for, using my name. This is my command:
Love each other.
“If the world hates you, remember that it hated me first. The
world would love you as one of its own if you belonged to it, but you are no
longer part of the world, I chose you to come out of the world, so it hates
you. Do you remember what I told you? ‘A slave is not greater than the master.’
Since they persecuted me, naturally they will persecute you. And if they had
listened to me, they would listen to you. They will do all this to you because
of me, for they have rejected the one who sent me. They would not be guilty if
I had not come and spoken to them. But now they have no excuse for their sin.
Anyone who hates me also hates my Father. If I hadn’t done such miraculous
signs among them that no one else could do, they would not be guilty. But as it
is, they have seen everything I did, yet they still hate me and my Father. This
fulfills what is written in their Scriptures: ‘They hated me without cause.’
“But
I will send you the Advocate—the Spirit of truth. He will come to you from the
Father and will testify all about me. And you must also testify about me because
you have been with me from the beginning of my ministry. John
15:15
Music
for Meditation
Something About that Name
If you feel led to do so,
please post a note of encouragement in the comment section below, or send
your note by email to PrayersForSally@gmail.com
Wednesday, February 8, 2012
Happiness is not dependent on happenings, but on relationships
in the happenings.
~~Corrie Ten Boom
This
morning’s prayer and meditation for Sally’s healing comes from Take Heart, Oh God: Riches from the Greatest
Christian Women Writers of All Time.
If
you are looking for happiness, you won’t find it by yourself. Think about it.
Celebrating a graduation, the birth of a child, or a new job loses some of its cheer
unless you can share it with someone. Joy fills our hearts when we are
connected to others. Sharing our experiences—whether it’s attending a wedding
or baking cookies—makes all the difference.
God
knows this. From the beginning, he created a partner for Adam because he knew
that man by himself was not good. We are created for community, to be with
others, to share in the joys, the struggles, the successes, and the
disappointments with those around us.
You
want to find happiness? Look for it no further than a long walk with a spouse,
a cup0 of coffee with a good friend, a book shared with a child, the fellowship
of worshiping with other believers, or a quiet moment of thankfulness with your
Creator.
Prayer
for Meditation
Lord, thank you for the many people
you have brought into my life who bring my joy.
Scripture
for Meditation
And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do,
but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing
near. Hebrews 10:25
Music
for Meditation
Loving God, Loving Each Other
If you feel led to do so,
please post a note of encouragement in the comment section below, or send
your note by email to PrayersForSally@gmail.com
“I am love,” said the King . . . and the very first
characteristic of true love . . . is the willingness to accept all other human
beings just as they are.
~~Hannah Hurnard
This
morning’s prayer and meditation for Sally’s healing comes from Take Heart, Oh God: Riches from the Greatest
Christian Women Writers of All Time.
Acceptance
is such a basic human need. Babies crave it. Adolescents seek it. And puppies
wag their tails at it. But for some, acceptance from others comes at a very
high cost.Or it doesn’t come at all.
In
God’s eyes, however, we are all worthy. We are all loved. And we all the same.
This is what Hannah Hurnard was trying to illustrate: no matter how much
another person hurts us, mistreats us, irritates us, or ignores us, his or her
soul has the same eternal value as ours. God sees that person’s eternal worth
the same as ours. So since there are no half-priced humans in the kingdom of
God, we are to love (and accept) them—even if their offensive ways stay the
same.
Challenging?
Yes, but well worth the effort to please the One who is love itself.
Prayer
for Meditation
Precious King, help me to love others
as you do.
Scripture
for Meditation
What blessings await you when people hate you and exclude you
and mock you and curse you as evil because you follow the Son of Man. When that
happens, be happy! Yes, leap for joy! For a great reward awaits you in heaven.
And remember, their ancestors treated the ancient prophets that same way. Luke
6:27-31
Music
for Meditation
His Eye is on the Sparrow
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please post a note of encouragement in the comment section below, or send
your note by email to PrayersForSally@gmail.com
Lord, teach me to worship You with my whole heart the way You
want me to. Make me a true worshiper. May praise and worship of You be my first
response to every circumstance.
~~Stormie Omartian
This
morning’s prayer and meditation for Sally’s healing comes from Take Heart, Oh God: Riches from the Greatest
Christian Women Writers of All Time.
It
would do us good to consider our first responses to every situation we
encounter in a given day. First response to no milk left in the fridge for
breakfast. First response to a traffic jam. First response to plans changed due
to a child’s sudden cough. First response to a perceived slight. First response
to the long line at the store to buy the needed milk.
What
if our first response to every circumstance was praise and worship? Is that even
possible?
It
is when you ask God to help you. He can show you what worship with all your
heart in every circumstance looks like and feels like.
When
you worship God with your whole heart in grateful contemplation of his majesty
and love, there’s little room for self-pity or anger—those typical first
responses. Instead, God gets in and infuses even the frustrating situations
with renewed grace.
Prayer
for Meditation
Teach me to praise you today in every
circumstance.
Scripture
for Meditation
But I will keep on hoping for your help; I will praise you more
and more.
Psalm 71:14
Music
for Meditation
Give Me Jesus
If you feel led to do so,
please post a note of encouragement in the comment section below, or send
your note by email to PrayersForSally@gmail.com
In everything God has told us in His Word, He makes one thing
very clear: He loves us. Not merely as a faceless world population, but one by
one . . . individually and by name.
~~Jan Karon
This
morning’s prayer and meditation for Sally’s healing comes from Take Heart, Oh God: Riches from the Greatest
Christian Women Writers of All Time.
We
long to be known. Our friends know our names and perhaps parts of our history.
They smile when they see us coming. They remember our special days. If they run
into us unexpectedly in a crowd, they stop to chat. And in each instance, we
are reminded that someone knows us, someone cares.
Every
single person in every location on the planet—from the deepest jungle to the
most populated city—is that well known by God. He knows each name. He knows
each person’s history, each person’s joys and fears, each person’s thoughts.
And
that is how he knows you. In the eyes of your heavenly Father, you are not an
anonymous face in the crowd. He knows every detail about you and cares about
every single facet of your life more than you can comprehend.
You’re
on a first-name basis with the Creator of the universe, who knows you and loves
you more than you can imagine.
Prayer
for Meditation
Father, thank you for your amazing
care in every detail of my life.
Scripture
for Meditation
You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me
together in my mother’s womb. Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship
is marvelous—how well I know it. You watched me as I was being formed in utter
seclusion as I was woven together in the dark of the womb. You saw me before I
was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid
out before a single day had passed. How
precious are your thoughts about me, O God. They cannot be numbered! I can’t
even count them; they outnumber the grains of sand! And when I wake up, you are
still with me! Psalm 139:13-18
Music
for Meditation
I Am A Friend of God
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please post a note of encouragement in the comment section below, or send
your note by email to PrayersForSally@gmail.com
When emotions are unchecked by the Holy Spirit, one negative
emotion can easily feed another, joining together as links in a chain of bondage.
~~Beth Moore
This
morning’s prayer and meditation for Sally’s healing comes from Take Heart, Oh God: Riches from the Greatest
Christian Women Writers of All Time.
It
begins with a tiny flutter deep down. Something—or someone—ignites a spark of
anger. Or rebellion. Or lust, guilt, jealously, greed. There it sits,
smoldering in our hearts until something else fans the flame. The heat
intensifies; a link is forged. Then another, then another. The links join
together in a chain that wraps itself around us, trapping us in negative thoughts
and emotions.
When
unchecked by the Holy Spirit, our emotions can send us into bondage. With the
Holy Spirit, however, we have the ability to keep our emotions in check, to
look realistically at a situation and not fly off the handle, to turn away from
temptation, to turn the other cheek. We can keep the chain of bondage from
being forged in the first place.
Jesus
came to release us. He can unlock chains. He can extinguish the flames within.
Prayer
for Meditation
God, saturate me with your spirit and
quench the embers of sin.
Scripture
for Meditation
For the Lord is the Spirit, and wherever the Spirit of the Lord
is, there is freedom.
2
Corinthians 3:17
Music
for Meditation
Where the Spirit of the Lord Is
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please post a note of encouragement in the comment section below, or send
your note by email to PrayersForSally@gmail.com
Being alert to the possibility that God may bring a person
across our path
will change our attitude toward first meetings.
~~Dee Brestin
This
morning’s prayer and meditation for Sally’s healing comes from Take Heart, Oh God: Riches from the Greatest
Christian Women Writers of All Time.
We
have many first meetings. Some blossom into lifelong relationships, others last
only a few minutes. But that first “hello” becomes important when we consider
the possibility that God wants us to minister to that person, if for only a
moment.
Haven’t
we all received a smile from a stranger just when we needed one? Or a helping
hand? When we’ve been encouraged out of the blue in that way, we praise God for
the unexpected blessing.
You
never know whom you might meet today. Your smile may light up the day for a
woman who is hurting. Your kind offer of help may rebuild someone’s trust in
the human race. Even if you’re dealing with sorrow, perhaps you’ll meet someone
who’s been there and she can have the joy of ministering to you.
Be
alert to your first meetings today. See what surprises God may have in store!
Prayer
for Meditation
Lord, help me to see my first meetings
through your eyes.
Scripture
for Meditation
So we keep on praying for you, asking our God to enable you to live
a life worthy of his call. May he give you the power to accomplish all the good
things your faith prompts you to do. 2 Thessalonians 1:11
Music
for Meditation
Go Light the World
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please post a note of encouragement in the comment section below, or send
your note by email to PrayersForSally@gmail.com
I felt invincible. My strength was that of a giant. God was
certainly standing by me.
~~Carrie Nation
This
morning’s prayer and meditation for Sally’s healing comes from Take Heart, Oh God: Riches from the Greatest
Christian Women Writers of All Time.
As
women we sometimes feel it isn’t ladylike to be assertive or bold. We may think
it’s not our place to speak out. Scripture, however, reveals many examples
where a woman’s boldness was right, necessary, and appropriate. Deborah led an
army; Ruth followed Naomi to a new land; Esther put her life on the line; Mary
offered her finest perfume to wash Jesus’ feet. God blessed those who obeyed
his prompting and acted on their convictions.
Just
as Carrie Nation felt invincible, you, too, can do mighty—perhaps historic—acts
through him. When God calls you, he will give you the strength of a giant. He
will stand beside you. He will empower you to do his will. Your faith in God
will result in the boldness and confidence you need to do what may seem to be impossible.
With
God beside you, you are invincible.
Prayer
for Meditation
Lord, grant me strength today to say
and do what is right.
Scripture
for Meditation
In your strength I can crush an army; with my God I can scale
any wall. 2 Samuel 22:30
Music
for Meditation
A Mighty Fortress
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please post a note of encouragement in the comment section below, or send
your note by email to PrayersForSally@gmail.com
Fear and unhappiness chase each other round and round in a
circle.
~~Elizabeth Goudge
This
morning’s prayer and meditation for Sally’s healing comes from Take Heart, Oh God: Riches from the Greatest
Christian Women Writers of All Time.
You’ve
seen the poor dog that just can’t catch his tail. The harder he chases it, the
faster it moves away. It’s a dizzying cycle that continues round and round and
round—unless someone steps in with a juicy bone, leaving both dog and tail
happy with the outcome.
Fear
and unhappiness are a lot like that. They can feed off each other in a vicious,
unending spiral within your life. Your fear makes you unhappy; your unhappiness
makes you fearful. But God can step in to obliterate both unhappiness and fear.
He
has so much more for you than running in circles. He wants to rescue you by
lifting you out of the chaos and into his still and comforting presence.
The
cycle stops here if you let him step in.
Prayer
for Meditation
Enter my chaos, Lord, and rescue me
from the vicious cycle of fear and unhappiness.
Scripture
for Meditation
For
I hold you by your right hand—
I,
the LORD your God.
And
I say to you,
‘Don’t
be afraid. I am here to help you. Isaiah 41:13
Music
for Meditation
Healing Rain
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please post a note of encouragement in the comment section below, or send
your note by email to PrayersForSally@gmail.com
