inspirations

Hot Faith.

I know what you do, that you are not hot or cold. I wish that you were hot or cold! Revelation 3:15

A faith neither on fire for the Lord nor stone cold has just enough religious piety to make lukewarm believers think their nominal relationship with God is just fine. However, a lukewarm faith is no faith at all. God says He shall spew a lukewarm believer from His mouth (Revelation 3:16)! Do not be deceived.

"Lord, stoke my children's faith so it is red hot for you. Amen."

 

From Yeager/prayers

Treasured Possession.

For you are a people holy to the Lord your God. Out of all the peoples on the face of the earth, the Lord has chosen you to be his treasured possession. Deuteronomy 14:2

Your children are precious. They are God's treasured possession. Be sure they know it by telling them each day.

"Lord, help me to tell my children each day how much I love them and that they are Your treasured possession, loved with an everlasting love. Amen"

My treasured possessions:

From Yeager/prayers

Safe.

If you trust in the Lord, you will be safe. Proverbs 29:25

When your children are afraid, they come to you knowing they are safe. Do they also know they can go to their heavenly Father to be safe from earthly worries, sin and death? Teach your children to put their trust in God and be eternally safe.

"Almighty God, assure my children that if they trust in You, they will be safe. Amen"

From Yeager/prayers

Unified.

May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me. John 17:23

Jesus prayed for your complete unity with believers. Why? So the unbelieving world would see God's love for all people through the love shown by you and me and fellow believers.

"Father, unify my children so that their love for each other will testify to the love you have for all people. Amen."

From Yeager/prayers

Honor Marriage

Marriage should be honored by all, and the marriage bed kept pure, for God will judge the adulterer and all the sexually immoral. Hebrews 13:4

The marriage vow is sacred and to be honored for a lifetime. Infidelity and sexual immorality dishonors God and your mate. Stress to your children the value God places on marriage and the purity required before marriage and after.

"Lord, in a world where sexual immorality is rampant, keep my children sexually pure before and after marriage. Amen."

From Yeager/prayers

Guard the Tongue.

He who guards his mouth and his tongue keeps himself from calamity. Proverbs 21:23

I've written about it quite frequently on this blog: Words are powerful. They can either lift up or tear down. Guard your tongue and stay out of trouble.

"Lord: guard my children's tongues from spewing out hurtful words. Amen."

From Prayers/Yeager

Fulfilled.

The Lord will fulfill His purpose for me. Psalm 138:8

Worthy as your future goals may be, God's goals are the only perfect purpose for you. Let God's purposes flow through you. Seek God's guidance, be attentive for His answer, and be available to His call.

"Lord, give my children insight into your purpose for them and help them to be obedient to Your calling. Amen."

Yaeger/A Mother's Prayer 

Bear much fruit.

My true disciples produce much fruit. This brings great glory to my Father. John 15:8

We can identify a fruit tree by the fruit it produces. Similarly, we can identify those who follow Jesus by their good deeds. Do our good deeds give evidence that we are Christians and bring glory to the father?

"Lord, cultivate in my children the desire to produce much fruit for You and so show that they are truly your disciples. Amen."

It's almost Dinnertime...

I'm adding a post in between my "30 days of prayer" here today because I'm compelled to share a little story...

I was up throughout the night and early this morning with this on my mind.

Yesterday morning I was getting out of my car to walk into the store and outside the door was what appeared to be a homeless person. He was dirty and scruffy and had a bicycle with small garbage bags full of "stuff" tied around the handle bars.

I was sure he would ask for money, so I was prepared to walk up and hand him some or better yet, to offer to buy him something hot to drink and something to eat. But something held me back...mainly, the fact that he didn't ask me for help!

I distinctly felt the presence of the Holy Spirit "holding me back" from just giving without the man "asking" for help. Perhaps he wasn't homeless? Maybe he would have been offended? Whatever the case, he didn't ask me for help so I didn't give him help. It didn't seem that he needed any help!

I was immediately struck with this scripture: "All things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive." Matthew 21:22

The man didn't ask...so he didn't receive.

As I was driving down Garfield Avenue that very same day, out of the corner of my eye on the side of the street was an older man, wandering. I was at a stop light and I noticed his little cardboard sign that simply said "Help".

HELP! He was ASKING for help!

So...I rolled down the passenger side of the window and pulled out some money and handed it to the man after calling him over to my car.

He smiled at me, without a front tooth and with a dirty, grimy face and simply said "Thanks, m'am...it's almost dinner time!".

Sure enough it was...it was after 5pm...dinner time to most of the people in my time zone. And also...dinner time for this wandering, filthy, dirty, homeless man with bad teeth.

I drove away struck with the realization that this homeless man didn't have a watch, didn't have a time-schedule, didn't have a to-do list, didn't have the pressures of a job, yet he knew it was dinner time!

He needed to eat. So he asked for money for "a loaf of bread".

He asked...and he received.

I seriously believe that the first man would have accepted money if I would have walked up and given it to him. Ordinarily, I would have given it because ordinarily a person in that position would have asked! So I faithfully believe this experience was directly from the Lord to show me that when He says "Ask...and you shall receive..." HE MEANS IT.

Sure, God already knows what we need without our asking. But if He just provided EVERYTHING without us asking for it, the sad, sad truth of the matter is that we may never have need to talk to Him!

Asking God for our needs draws us into conversation with Him. Being drawn into conversation with Him brings us closer to Him. Being closer to Him causes us to hunger to know Him more. Getting to know Him more...transforms our lives.

Of course this could get misconstrued into "just ask for whatever you want...He'll provide"...and of course that's not what God is all about. The closer we draw to Him the more our hearts change and soon, our desires are His desires and when we ask for something that is in our heart that pleases Him...well, that's an entire bible study, one that's worthy of more than a simple blog entry.

I believe God's point to me yesterday was simply but significantly this:

The man who didn't ask for a loaf of bread, didn't receive a loaf of bread.

The man who did, did.

"Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. Or what man is there among you who, when his son asks for a loaf, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, he will not give him a snake, will he? If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give what is good to those who ask Him! Matthew 7:7-10

The Bread of Life.

Jesus answered, "It is written: Man does not live by bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God." Matthew 4:4

Our diet is not complete if if only includes physical nourishment. Our spiritual body must also be fed with the Word of God through daily Bible study. Share Jesus, the Bread of Life, with your children.

"Lord, may my children crave Your Word every single day. Amen."