Video Bible Lesson - A Prayer for When You Feel Weary and Burdened By Debbie McDaniel

1/2 Hour of God’s Power with Scott Ralls5/7/2020

A Prayer for When You Feel Weary and Burdened

By Debbie McDaniel

"Come to me all you who are weary and burdened and I will give you rest." - Matthew 11:28

For many of us, activity and busyness come naturally. We’re on the go, we’re in a hurry, it’s what we’re all about. We seem to be rewarded for how much we can accomplish, especially in short amounts of time. We live in a culture that praises movement, that places value on the busy. We tend to get impatient with those who are too slow about anything.

Nothing wrong being active or on the go. Except for this one thing.

We often never stop.

And it’s there – in the slowing down - that often can feel almost unnatural, in a society that moves too fast. Like we’re supposed to be doing something more but just haven’t figured it out yet.

We rub shoulders every day with people who are burdened, weary, or lonely. Sometimes we may notice, but many times we don’t. We’re just too busy or overwhelmed ourselves. And to be honest, many days, “we” are those people - the burdened, the weary, the lonely. Just needing someone to notice. To slow down. To take time.

We desperately need Christ every day, to bring joy and hope to our own lives and to those around us. Without Him, we will most certainly run dry. For we’re not meant to run on our own, our strength can’t carry us through every hard struggle and hardship we may encounter. But He promises rest and peace for our souls even in the midst of weariness and burdens.

Slowing down takes work. Stopping and just breathing deep – takes practice.

Maybe that’s why God says it so clearly, “Be still and know that I am God.” Psa 46:10

Breathing in His grace today. And remembering to take time to slow down…

Peace.

Dear God,

Thank you that your yoke is easy and your burden is light. Thank you that you promise to give the worried, the hurried, the pressured, and stressed out - rest and peace for our souls - if we'll just come before you. Thank you that you already know all that concerns us, and you care. We’re so grateful for your reminder that we don't have to carry it all on our own. Forgive us for the times that we’ve tried to fix things in our own power, for not taking the time to rest, or coming to you first with our needs and burdens. Thank you for the refreshing that comes from your Spirit, filling us with joy, covering us with a shield, leading us forward with hope. Equip us to be those who take notice of others who seem weary and burdened too. Help us to slow down, to take the time, to point others to you.

In Jesus' Name,

Amen.

#Jesus, #Christian, #Bible, #Salvation, #Heaven, #God, #HolySpirit

Streams in the Desert

Streams in the Desert

He spoke a parable unto them… that men ought always to pray, and not to faint (Luke 18:1).

No temptation in the life of intercession is more common than this of failure to persevere. We begin to pray for a certain thing; we put up our petitions for a day, a week, a month; and then, receiving as yet no definite answer, straightway we faint, and cease altogether from prayer concerning it.

This is a deadly fault. It is simply the snare of many beginnings with no completions. It is ruinous in all spheres of life. The man who forms the habit of beginning without finishing has simply formed the habit of failure. The man who begins to pray about a thing and does not pray it through to a successful issue of answer has formed the same habit in prayer. To faint is to fail; then defeat begets disheartenment, and unfaith in the reality of prayer, which is fatal to all success.

But someone says, "How long shall we pray? Do we not come to a place where we may cease from our petitions and rest the matter in God's hands?" There is but one answer. Pray until the thing you pray for has actually been granted, or until you have the assurance in your heart that it will be. Only at one of these two places dare we stay our importunity, for prayer is not only a calling upon God, but also a conflict with Satan. And inasmuch as God is using our intercession as a mighty factor of victory in that conflict, He alone, and not we, must decide when we dare cease from our petitioning. So we dare not stay our prayer until the answer itself has come, or until we receive the assurance that it will come.

In the first case we stop because we see. In the other, we stop because we believe, and the faith of our heart is just as sure as the sight of our eyes; for it is faith from, yes, the faith of God, within us.

More and more, as we live the prayer life, shall we come to experience and recognize this God-given assurance, and know when to rest quietly in it, or when to continue our petitioning until we receive it.
--The Practice of Prayer

Tarry at the promise till God meets you there. He always returns by way of His promises.
--Selected

How to Serve the Church.....Dr. Charles Stanley

How to Serve the Church

Dr. Charles Stanley

1 Corinthians 12:18-26

When I talk about serving the church with God-given talents and gifts, people oftentimes think too small. They picture the choir singer or the Sunday school teacher. But if they don't happen to be naturallly adept at singing or teaching, they give up.

It's time we stop thinking in terms of a "Sunday only" establishment. The church is not a place or a time; it is a body of believers, each one uniquely gifted by God to guide, help, challenge, and support the rest. In fact, most service to the Lord doesn't take place inside the church building. It happens out in the world, where we do all the things that Scripture commands.

Most believers are not in a position to influence a lot of people. When we act or speak, only those closest to us notice, but a chain reaction ripples outward to affect an entire community. Paul's metaphor of body parts working together harmoniously is a helpful description of how one small action can have a widespread impact. Consider the way tensing your big toe keeps your foot stable and thereby steadies your whole body. In the same way, a gentle rebuke, a listening ear, or a loving deed benefits the church by strengthening one brother or sister, who then supports another...

We are on this earth to serve the kingdom of God and His church. And we do that by ministering to each other in small ways that steady the whole body as we give extra support to one member. In talking about such service, I am challenging you to find a need that God can meet through you.

Where I Really Fall Short....🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻

Where I Really Fall Short
LYSA TERKEURST

“LORD, you are my God; I will exalt you and praise your name, for in perfect faithfulness you have done wonderful things, things planned long ago.” Isaiah 25:1 (NIV)

Can I admit something to you that I’m not proud of?

Sometimes I struggle trusting God with my kids.

There’s just something so hard about this for me. Though I have complete faith in God, when it comes down to the nitty-gritty of fully trusting His plans for my kids, I fall short.

I worry.

I get incredibly anxious.

I make lots of suggestions to God on their behalf.

I try to keep things in their world calm, free of hurt and on track toward some “best plan” I’ve imagined for them.

It’s like I gather up my people in my arms and tell God: “See? I’ve got it all worked out. Now, if You’ll just bless all this. Don’t mess with it, just bless it. Then life will be good.”

It’s something I can find myself struggling with even now that they’re all adults.

Like I said, I’m not proud of this.

I could go on a little tangent right here and justify the great love of a mother and how God has woven into our very DNA this fierce desire to protect our children and care for them at all costs. But there’s this little prick in my heart because I know how very limited my efforts are. In every way, my efforts are faulty and fragile.

Therefore, I’m learning, slowly, how to grab hold of the only plan that is foolproof with my kids — truly entrusting them to the Lord.

The very best thing a mom can ever do is to recognize only God is good at being God. I’m finally getting this. And it’s helping me get out of His way.

For example, if it were up to me, my daughter Ashley would have never ever gone to the college she chose. Back then, I could have given you a list a mile long why she should absolutely, positively, never ever, under any circumstances have gone to that school.

But God.

He had a plan I never could have imagined.

He had a woman at the school, behind the scenes, whom I didn’t even know, praying for my daughter.

He had friends waiting to love her.

He had small group leaders waiting to show her how to have a real relationship with Jesus.

He had a church family waiting to become one of the most favorite parts of her life. He had a young man with the biggest heart and cutest hair you ever did see waiting to fall in love with her. And now they have the sweetest baby boy this Gigi can’t get enough of!

When Ashley left for college, I couldn’t have seen any of this. I couldn’t have imagined any of this. I couldn’t even sense the tiniest part of it.

That’s why it’s crucial for me to trust God. Because heaven knows He is much better at arranging things than I am.

I know it’s not always easy to release control, sweet friends. But our best job as moms is to be obedient to God. God’s job is everything else.

Honestly, the best way to protect our kids is to show them what it looks like to trust God for themselves.

His plan hasn’t been without ups and downs. But through it all, God showed me how much better He is at arranging life than I am. And He has moved me to a place where Isaiah 25:1 is truly the cry of my heart: “LORD, you are my God; I will exalt you and praise your name, for in perfect faithfulness you have done wonderful things, things planned long ago.”

Yes. God is good.

And only God is good at being God.

Father God, You know all of the things I desperately want to control. I’m scared, but today I’m ready to give You these areas and walk in trust. I know You won’t arrange things according to my plan. And I’m actually thankful for that. Because I finally recognize Your plan will be so much better. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

TRUTH FOR TODAY:
Proverbs 19:21, “You can make many plans, but the LORD’s purpose will prevail.” (NLT)

Isaiah 46:9, “Remember the things I have done in the past. For I alone am God! I am God, and there is none like me.” (NLT)

The Wedding Day

The Wedding Day
By Ryan Duncan

As a young man marries a maiden, so will your sons marry you; as a bridegroom rejoices over his bride, so will your God rejoice over you. - Isaiah 62:5-6

Last weekend one of my best friends got married. The wedding took place outside at their old college, the place where the two had first met. A few of the groom’s friends and I helped raise a white tent on one of the school’s grassy fields while the bridesmaids rushed back and forth setting tables, adjusting flowers, and making everything look just right. The ceremony was beautiful. The bride and groom received their parents’ blessing, exchanged vows, and kissed with loud applause from the audience. 

For me though, the best part came during the reception when the bride and groom had their first dance. As I sat there watching my friend and his wife dance to “You’re Beautiful” by Phil Wickham, it struck me why Jesus often used weddings to describe the Kingdom of God.  You see, in that moment the only thing that mattered to the two of them was each other. It didn’t matter that the road to marriage had been crazy, stressful and hard. It didn’t matter that the weather wasn’t perfect or that they had to wait a few days for their honeymoon. The only thing that mattered to my friend was holding the woman he loved in his arms and knowing that she loved him in return.

Life really is like a wedding banquet. The time leading up to the ceremony will be chocked full of mistakes and uncertainty, and there will be moments when we’re unsure if we can live up to Christ’s expectations. But if we continue to believe in Christ, then on the day when we stand before him, we will realize that none of those mistakes matter anymore. All that will matter is that he loves us, and we love him in return.

   Intersecting Faith and Life

Married couples, take a moment to appreciate your spouse and reflect on Christ’s blessing in your life. 

Further Reading 

Jeremiah 33:11                       

The Way to Endure to the Finish Line....🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻

The Way to Endure to the Finish Line
By Mark Altrogge

Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. (HEB 12:1–2)

A couple of years ago I did the only athletic accomplishment in my life. I use the word “athletic” loosely. My son Stephen challenged me to run a half marathon, so I began training a couple months in advance. My only goal was to finish the race. I fully expected to come in last. Actually, I came in third from last—followed by a guy with a walker and a mom pushing her baby in a stroller. Just kidding. But the training and the race required endurance. And the last couple miles of the race were brutal for me. I got to the place where I would jog 10 steps then walk 10 steps, then repeat, gasping for air. The course passed through some woods, and finally I came to a clearing where I could see the finish line in the distance. So, I walked for a few minutes, then burst out of the woods and sprinted over the finish line. Stephen and a few others from the church who’d waited for me began to cheer as I pumped my fists in the air like Rocky. Since then, I’m happy to report I have jogged I think a total of two times.

The author of Hebrews compares our Christian life to a race that requires endurance. He uses the metaphor of a race, not a journey. A journey may be leisurely. We can take breaks, pull over to a rest stop, get a hotel room. But a race is all-out effort from start to finish. But how do we do this? By looking to Jesus, and imitating his example.

How did Jesus endure the horrific pain of the cross? By focusing on the JOY set before him—the joy he’d experience when he rose from the dead and ascended to the right hand of the throne of God. The joy he’d experience when the Father received him and gave him the Name above every names. The joy he’ll have when he celebrates the marriage supper of the lamb with the multitudes of those he redeemed from every tribe and tongue. Jesus didn’t focus on his pain or the injustice he experienced. He didn’t feel sorry for himself. We often tend to focus on our suffering. I’m not saying we should ignore our pain or put on a fake smile and say it doesn’t hurt. But sometimes we focus too much on our pain—why is this happening to me? Why do I have to go through this?

We need to keep resetting our gaze on the joy set before us. My dad used to tell long circuitous stories. You would mention something and it would trigger a memory for him. For example, once I said something about a candy bar. He launched into a story about traveling across the country and meeting this guy who had a truck and on and on and on, and I’d wonder, “Dad, where are you going with this?” until finally he came to the place where the guy discovered a whole truckload of Kit Kat Bars. I got distracted by the details, but Dad kept his eye on the goal.

So, keep setting your heart on the joy of seeing Jesus face to face and gazing on his splendor. The joy of Jesus wiping every tear from your eyes. The joy of Jesus rewarding you for every single act of obedience, every secret good deed you did, every glass of water you gave to a thirsty one, every dollar you ever gave to the poor, every hour you served in children’s ministry. Keep your eyes on the joy of hearing God say well done good and faithful servant. Keep your eyes on the joy of fellowshipping with Jesus at the marriage supper of the lamb. Remember the joy of having an imperishable body that will never get sick or suffer any pain. Keep your eyes on the joy of ruling and reigning with Jesus and the joy you’ll know when you’re reunited to loved ones who believed in Jesus.

A Prayer for Our Nation on this National Day of Prayer

A Prayer for Our Nation on this National Day of Prayer
By Debbie McDaniel

“Lord, listen! Lord, forgive! Lord, hear and act! For your sake, my God, do not delay, because your city and your people bear your Name." Daniel 9:19

In 1952 President Harry Truman signed a bill into law, making the National Day of Prayer for America an annual event on the first Thursday of May, encouraging millions across our nation to unite together to pray.

We've come a long way since that day.  And now, maybe more than ever, our nation needs our continued prayers for God’s healing, help, and peace.

Yet, sometimes it's hard to know where to begin or how to pray. We just know we have a deep ache in our hearts that cries out for God's mercy, and a longing to see him heal our land. And maybe other times we wonder how effective our prayers even are.

But no matter how we feel, we can be confident that God is faithful. He is aware and His Spirit is at work, over all that swirls around us in our nation today. That same power that broke prison chains, raised Lazarus from the dead, and parted the Red Sea, the same power that healed the blind man, and delivered the delirious from demons, that same power is at work still today.

He is the same. Yesterday, today, and forever.

May we stand together as believers, and pray for God to heal our land, and strengthen His people. May we pray for all those in authority. May we pray for God’s miraculous intervening, for blind eyes to be opened, for many to see the power of our Lord as never before.

We are never left to fend for ourselves, wrestling in worry, consumed with fear, or driven towards hate. He reminds us that He is with us, He will help us, and hasn't lost control, but has a plan. And His purposes will prevail.

We can be assured, that He hears our prayers, He knows our needs. There's great power in uniting together, turning our hearts towards God, and praying on behalf of America, our nation.

At this important time in our nation’s history, we can do nothing more important than pray.

Remembering today this powerful truth upon which this nation was founded. We are "One Nation Under God." He is where our real hope is found, not in our leaders, not in our economy, not in the condition of our nation today, or any other day.  "...my hope comes from Him." Ps. 62:5

Prayer for National Day of Prayer:

Dear God,

Thank you for your great power. We praise you for your Truth. We’re grateful that you have set us free from the clutching grasp of sin and death.

Would you be with your people, extending your grace, granting your freedom, providing your protection, and empowering with your strength. We ask that you'd bring about an awakening of your presence to America as never seen before. We ask that your Name be proclaimed, that all plans to silence the Name of Jesus would be thwarted and crushed.

We pray that many would come to know you as Lord and Savior, we pray that many would see your Light, that you would open blind eyes and release those still imprisoned.

We pray that you would unify your people for the glory of your Name, that all who call themselves Christians would rise up, believing your great Truth.

Wake us up Lord! Remind us to live aware, to redeem the time, to listen to your words, to be willing to make a difference in this land.

We pray for all those in authority, that you would give them your wisdom and discernment as they lead. We ask that you would appoint strong, faithful men and women to serve this nation and our people.

We pray for your great healing on America. Shine your face on us dear God. We need you now, more than ever before. Our times are in your hands.

Thank you that you are rich in mercy and full of grace. Thank you that you are forgiving and merciful. Thank you that you are strong and mighty. Thank you that you are for us and that you fight for us still today. Bring honor to your Name, Oh Lord, for You alone are worthy.

In the Name of Jesus we pray,

Amen.