Video Bible Lesson - A Prayer for When You Are Angry By: Maggie Meadows Cooper

1/2 Hour of God’s Power with Scott Ralls

6/23/2020

A Prayer for When You Are Angry

By: Maggie Meadows Cooper

"I will take away their stony, stubborn heart and give them a tender, responsive heart..." - Ezekiel 11:19Anger. It's an easy subject to discuss because we've all been there. I'm generally a pretty laid-back gal, so I don't get "angry" very often. I prefer to say that I'm "irritated" or "agitated”... something more Southern and ladylike. But my friends who know me well will call me on it. Sometimes I'm just flat out mad.Jonah was a man who knew something about being angry. He ran from God in disobedience, but the Lord saved him out of the belly of a whale and gave him a second chance. He took that chance and went to tell the people of Nineveh that their sin was going to bring the wrath of God. They listened, repented, and God "changed his mind and did not carry out the destruction he had threatened" (Jonah 3:10).But instead of being thankful for the lives that were saved, Jonah was angry! He wanted judgment brought on others, in spite of the fact that he was just saved. "The Lord replied, “Is it right for you to be angry about this?” (Jonah 4:4)Jonah wanted mercy and grace for himself, but was unwilling to give it to others. It has to go both ways. Here are three things to consider the next time we are angry:1. We need to self-reflect.2 Corinthians 13:5 says we need to examine ourselves. That's not a fun thing to hear. Or to do. But it is necessary. Paul said, "This is a trustworthy saying, and everyone should accept it: "Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners"--and I am the worst of them all." (1 Timothy 1:15)When we see our own depravity...when we take ownership of our own mistakes...when we can truly realize the depth of our own sin and humble ourselves...we can give mercy and show grace to others...the way Jesus does for us.2. We need to consider the other person's circumstances.People say things and do things without thinking sometimes because they are blinded by their current circumstances. Take time to see things from the other person's perspective and put their needs above your own. It's much easier said than done...I know from experience. But it is something to aspire to."Don't be selfish; don't try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves." Philippians 2:33. We need to decide what we are going to do with our anger.Anger in itself is not a bad thing. There are times to get angry. Jesus did (Matthew 21). God does too. It's what we do with it that is concerning. We basically have two choices. We can let it take control of our hearts and lead us into captivity, or we can find freedom through forgiveness. That's pretty much it. This is a visual I use to think about:Freedom↑Forgiveness↑Prayers for the Lord’s Strength/Peace↑Realization of Our Own Depravity↑Anger↑Irritation/Hurtful Event↓Anger↓Resentment↓Bitterness↓Unforgiveness↓CaptivityMany times, anger starts with a minor irritation that makes us mad. But sometimes it is a serious offense that leads to anger. Either way, the question is, which direction will you let your anger take you?Satan would like nothing more than for you to be eaten up with resentment, bitterness, and unforgiveness, until you find yourself in a place you can't escape from. A wise friend once told me that Satan drives us and the Lord guides us. Choose the one you want leading you, my sweet friends.Dear Lord,Take my stony, stubborn heart and turn it into a tender, responsive heart that seeks you and your will above all else. Forgive me for any bitterness I harbor in my heart and help me to find release and peace in you alone. I thank you for your grace, mercy, and the work you are doing in my life.In Your Mighty Name,
Amen

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

The Waves Were None of His Business  

Streams in the Desert

So he said, “Come.” Peter got out of the boat, walked on the water, and came toward Jesus. But when he saw the strong wind he became afraid. And starting to sink, he cried out, “Lord, save me!” (Matthew 14:29-30)

Peter had a little faith in the midst of his doubts, says Bunyan; and so with crying and coming he was brought to Christ.

But here you see that sight was a hindrance; the waves were none of his business when once he had set out; all Peter had any concern with, was the pathway of light that came gleaming across the darkness from where Christ stood. If it was tenfold Egypt beyond that, Peter had no call to look and see.

When the Lord shall call to you over the waters, “Come,” step gladly forth. Look not for a moment away from Him.

Not by measuring the waves can you prevail; not by gauging the wind will you grow strong; to scan the danger may be to fall before it; to pause at the difficulties, is to have them break above your head. Lift up your eyes unto the hills, and go forward—there is no other way.

“Dost thou fear to launch away?
Faith lets go to swim!
Never will He let thee go;
’Tis by trusting thou shalt know
Fellowship with Him."

Choosing the Right Building Material.....Dr. Charles Stanley

Choosing the Right Building Material

Dr. Charles Stanley

1 Corinthians 3:12-15

Believers build their lives on the Rock of Ages: Jesus Christ. Every motive, every deed, and every word is material for our spiritual house. The apostle Paul warned followers to construct with care because on the day of judgment, fire will test the quality of each person’s work. This refers not to a literal fire but to the purifying presence of Jesus Christ.

When I stand in the Savior’s perfectly holy and just presence, all the wood, hay, and stubble in my life will disappear. Good things done with wrong motives will vanish along with secret sins and bad attitudes. Only what has been done and said in Jesus’ name remains. And the moment the chaff is gone, we will see that God is right—those things didn’t fit the life of His child.

On hearing this explanation, someone usually says, “All that matters is that I get into heaven.” But that attitude is shortsighted because the judgment of believers is about rewards. In the parable of the unrighteous steward, Jesus explained the basic concept to His disciples: “He who is faithful in a very little thing is faithful also in much” (Luke 16:10). Our time on earth is the beginning of an eternity serving and rejoicing in the Lord. God will reward us with heavenly responsibility according to our faithfulness here.

Wise people plan for the future (Prov. 27:12).I want to receive as much of God’s goodness as He offers, so I am determined to build with top-quality, enduring materials. The privilege of serving is only the beginning of the rewards. In heaven, God’s generosity will be even more abundantly unleashed.

When You Feel Empty

When You Feel Empty
SHARON JAYNES

“Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.” Luke 6:38 (NIV)

I don’t know about you, but the quarantine has left me feeling sort of empty, and I’ve had a difficult time filling back up.

We’re not alone, though — the Bible, holds a story of a woman who felt the same way.

Thankfully, she didn’t stay that way. The same God we know today filled her up so she could pour out again. Her story is found in 1 Kings 17, and begins with a man named Elijah.

Elijah was a prophet who gave some bad news to a king named Ahab: “… As the LORD, the God of Israel, lives, whom I serve, there will be neither dew nor rain in the next few years except at my word” (1 Kings 17:1, NIV). After delivering the prophecy, Elijah fled to the Kerith Ravine east of the Jordan, where he drank from the brook and ate bread and meat God provided.

Eventually, the brook dried up. So, God sent Elijah to Zarephath, to a Gentile widow who would provide for him. When he got there, he didn’t find a woman with plenty, but a woman in need.

“Excuse me,” Elijah called, “could you please bring me a cup of water?”

As she turned to fetch the traveler a cup to quench his thirst, he continued. “Oh, and can you bring me a piece of bread?”

“… I don’t have any bread — only a handful of flour in a jar and a little oil in a jug,” she said. “I am gathering a few sticks to take home and make a meal for myself and my son, that we may eat it — and die” (1 Kings 17:12, NIV).

Now that was a discouraged, empty woman! But Elijah had good news for her:

“Don’t be afraid. Go home and do as you have said. But first make a small loaf of bread for me from what you have and bring it to me, and then make something for yourself and your son. For this is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: ‘The jar of flour will not be used up and the jug of oil will not run dry until the day the LORD sends rain on the land’” (vv. 13-14).

She went home and did as Elijah asked.

Can’t you just see this woman taking the last bit of flour and oil to make Elijah a meal? What does it matter? I’m going to die anyway. So what if it’s one day earlier?

She emptied her flour bowl and oil jar, took a little cake to Elijah, and returned home. As she went to wash the dirty dishes, she picked up the jar and the jug, and to her surprise, the “flour was not used up” and the “oil did not run dry” (1 Kings 17:16)!

I call this the Bucket Principle.

I believe each of us is given a bucket of encouragement. As we dip out of our bucket and pour onto others, God miraculously fills it back up.

Jesus said, “Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you” (Luke 6:38).

Many times, we place a lid on our bucket of encouragement by withholding life-giving words. I don’t have enough to give to someone else, we moan. I am drained dry. However, when we give, even in our emotional emptiness, the same God who miraculously filled up the widow’s flour and oil jars fills us back up.

If you feel empty today, think of one small way you can pour into someone else’s emotional, spiritual or physical bucket. Then watch God fill you back up.

Dear Lord, I’m feeling very empty today. Rather than feeling sorry for myself, show me someone I can encourage and how I can encourage them — whether emotionally, spiritually or physically. Give me the words to say and the courage to say them. I pray that as I give encouragement to others, You will fill me back up. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

TRUTH FOR TODAY:
Luke 6:38, “Give, and you will receive. Your gift will return to you in full — pressed down, shaken together to make room for more, running over, and poured into your lap. The amount you give will determine the amount you get back.” (NLT)

We Never Face Our Battles Alone: A Reminder That God Is with Us

We Never Face Our Battles Alone: A Reminder That God Is with Us
by Debbie McDaniel

“And the Lord answered, ‘I will be with you..." Judges 6:16

Some days can seem hurried, pressured, and tense. We know God’s truth, we believe His goodness, and yet we still find ourselves struggling, minds racing, before our feet even touch the floor in the morning.

Our focus gets blurred. We start listening to the lies of other voices that do more harm than good. The constant media headlines tell us how dark and broken our world is. Images and reminders all around us shout that we’re “not enough.” The enemy is great at heaping on guilt, condemnation, and fear. The problems we face seem more like giants of impossibility than anything good that God can ever bring from them.

But often, out of His goodness and grace, when we find ourselves right smack in the middle of huge feelings of defeat, God shows up strong.

Many others have been there too. All through the Bible, story after story tells us of those who needed God’s reminders that He was near. With them. Close.

And He never failed, not once.

Gideon found himself feeling weak and afraid. In Judges 6, we find that he and his people were facing great suffering and defeat at the hand of the enemy. He doubted God was even with him. In fact, when an angel showed up, he was threshing his wheat in the pit of a winepress, not up on a hilltop where this was usually done. He was fearful and trying to keep hidden from view of the enemy who’d been raiding their land. The angel spoke straight through to his fear and weakness, "When the angel of the Lord appeared to Gideon, he said, "The Lord is with you, mighty warrior." Judges 6:12

Don’t you love that he called him “mighty warrior” right at the time he felt so discouraged and afraid?

But God sees "mighty" when we see "weak." He sees victory when we see defeat. He gives hope, when we're filled with disappointment.

Gideon questioned, "If God was with us, then why did this happen?"

Sounds familiar...ever been there?

“If God is really here, then why?”

“If God is really good, then when?”

“If God really cares, then how?”

And even with the questions, after His people had turned their backs on Him, God is still gracious, patient, loving, and kind. He sends his messenger to encourage, to remind Gideon and all of the Israelites, that He was surely with them.

Yet while staring straight at an angel, Gideon continued to persist with defeated thoughts, "But I am the weakest, I am the least...how can God save Israel?"

“And the Lord answered, ‘I will be with you..." Judges 6:16

Five powerful words. That can see us through anything we face in this life.

“I will be with you.”

God's presence is real. He gives us strength for every day. The battle can be intense. And some days especially, the enemy seems really strong, and we feel really weary. We can find ourselves wrestling again with the same defeated thoughts that we thought we'd finally laid to rest just the night before. Disappointments come. We struggle with feeling like we haven't measured up, we listen to the lies that we are "less than..."

But God still answers us. Just like He did for Gideon.

He's still with us, no matter how we might feel, or what struggles flood our thoughts. He is filling us with the power and grace of His Spirit, just enough for the day.

For this day.

A reminder for your heart, in whatever you might be facing, "The Lord is with you...mighty warrior."

Peace.

Intersecting Faith & Life: How do you need to be reminded of God’s Presence? Is there an area you’ve been struggling to carry on your own?Just like Gideon, God never asks us to fight the battles we face all by ourselves. He reminds us that He fights for us, and most importantly, that He’s with us. Give Him your struggle again today, lay it down, and trust God to work powerfully on your behalf.

Further Reading:
2 Corinthians 12:9
Joshua 1:9
Deuteronomy 31:6
Psalm 27:1

When We Get Too Weary (Galatians 6:9)

When We Get Too Weary (Galatians 6:9)
By Anne Peterson

And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up. - Galatians 6:9

Let’s face it, we all get weary. Wiping the sleep out of our eyes, we know that we’re doing what we’re supposed to be doing. A pandemic is one of the worst things some of us have been through. And while it is scary to see numbers rising of infections and those lost, we can at least know that following the guidelines is helping. We are doing what is good. But even that can be taxing.

And sometimes, we look around and see others who are not following suit. And inside of us rises similar feelings like that of the prodigal son’s brother. Here he had been the obedient one and yet, when his prodigal brother returned, he saw his father run to him. Put a robe on his back and a ring on his finger (Luke 15: 11-32).

Sometimes it’s hard to do the right thing when everyone is not complying. And sometimes, like Peter who saw John coming and wondered what John’s position would be with Jesus (John 21:20-22). Instead of just doing what we know we should be doing, we start wondering about others.

What do we do when we get weary? When we think we can’t keep going? The answer is to go to the one who never tires or grows weary (Isaiah 40:28).

God tells us that he will strengthen us and help us (Isaiah 41:10).

He tells us when our strength starts waning, he will renew it and we will soar like eagles (Isaiah 40:31).

And when we think we can no longer do what is asked of us, like Paul we can recognize the source of our strength (Philippians 4:13).

Some have said since the pandemic hit, it feels like one long day. We rise and go through the motions, we watch rising numbers and feel helpless. But we must remember that God is sovereign. We are not in this alone. God has promised that he would never leave us nor forsake us (Hebrews 13:5-6). And God is not a man that he should lie (Numbers 23:19).

We are not alone. So do not grow weary in doing good.

With Me

I told the Lord, “This journey’s long,”
He said, “I know the length.”

I told Him, “But I’m faint and weak.”
He said, “I’ll give you strength.”

No matter what my words—God heard;
He listened patiently.

But what has meant the most is this,
my Father walks with me.

-Anne Peterson

A Prayer for When You Feel Like a Bad Parent

A Prayer for When You Feel Like a Bad ParentBy Keneesha Saunders-Liddie

Only be careful, and watch yourselves closely so that you do not forget the things your eyes have seen or let them fade from your heart as long as you live. Teach them to your children and to their children after them.  – Deuteronomy 4:9

There is no manual for the children God gives us to raise. There is no one-size-fits-all rulebook. All we can do is our best. My daughter was amazingly low maintenance until she reached 20 months. But now, she is so inquisitive that I have to watch her every move. What has really surprised me, however, is the temper tantrums. They seemed to come out of nowhere. She isn’t two, and yet and she’s saying “no” and throwing things.

My daughter can throw many tantrums in a day. Sometimes, I am so surprised by the anger that bubbles up inside of me. At times I get extremely frustrated and I can’t help but compare my reaction to God, our loving father. Unlike me, he is so patient with us and he truly forgives us whenever we mess up.

When we don’t know what to do as parents, we can turn to the Word of God and see what his relationship with us is like.

God tells us what we should do with the little ones he has entrusted in our care. As we live out our Christian lives in front of our children, let us be mindful that they are watching us. His Word reminds us to be careful and watch ourselves so that we can be a godly example before our children and our grandchildren.

Give yourself grace; you are not God. As you grow in your walk as a parent, realize that God has chosen you, specifically you, for the amazing children he has given to you. He will and is already equipping you for whatever parenting battles you face. As 1 Thessalonians 5:24 tells us, “He who has called you is faithful, he will surely do it.”

Let’s pray:

Heavenly Father,

Thank you for the way you love and constantly provide for me. You have blessed me bountifully with the children I truly love. I can never ever love them more than you do, and so I surrender my desire for control into your loving hands. I ask that you would do the work that only you can do in their lives. I thank you for your provision for the family you have blessed me with. I want to relax and be the parent you want me to be. Lord, although I feel like I’m not doing a good job, help me to do my very best. What may work for my child might not work for someone else, so help me to be confident and at peace that you will equip me for the children I have. I want to teach my children about your love and goodness and all about you so they may grow up to love and serve you. In Jesus Name, Amen.