A Powerful Prayer for Restoration..... Cally Logan

A Powerful Prayer for Restoration

• Cally Logan

Seasons of chaos and storms are inventible in life. These seasons can make you feel as if all is lost and abandoned, because the wreckage of what is left from the storm can feel daunting and beyond repair. The beauty of Christ is that He not only is the Lord of restoration, but He is the God of making all things new in His time and work.

A Prayer for Restoration

Dear Lord,

We have seen the damage firsthand that storms can cause in our lives. We know the destruction, aching, and devastation that they cause. If we are being honest, at times it can seem impossible that anything beautiful or good can come from such sorrows. We know within our hearts that this isn’t the end of the story, that You have something far greater to come.

Father, we ask today for Your hand in our lives. We pray for the restoration of our lives by Your process. That process may not look like what we would think or plan, but we know that because You see all that is, was, and is to come...that ultimately, You will do what is most compassionate and best. Father, today we come before Your Holy throne to ask for Your restoration in our lives. We submit ourselves to Your ever-loving Will and kindness throughout.

In Jesus' name,
Amen

How to Apply This Prayer

Throughout the scriptures it is clear that when God seeks to restore, compassion is coupled along with that intention. Jeremiah 34:26 shares, “For I will restore their fortunes and have compassion on them.” It is God’s heart for His chosen people to not only restore, but to compassionately restore something even better than before. Much like John 15 sharing about pruning even the good fruit, at times things will be removed or cut from our lives so that He can grow something even better in its place.

John 10:10 shares, “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life and have it to the full.”

What Jesus is saying is that forces in this world will seek to steal, kill, and destroy much in our lives, but He has come so that we may have life and life abundantly. That is not by our design or will that He comes to give this fullness, but by His power and will. God sees the journey not only in the details, but in the grand picture, something we cannot. Trusting Him to restore in His timing and way is to have faith that ultimately it is for that abundance that is Him.

Our God Is Faithful to Rebuild and Restore

The legacy of the Lord’s faithfulness is the testimony of His actions in the lives of His children. God rejoices over us with great love and compassion through His plans. Isaiah 61 and Isaiah 62 are the story of God restoring what was lost and broken and instead giving something more glorious and new than before in its place.

Isaiah 62 shares, “No longer will they call you Deserted, or name your land Desolate. But you will be called Hephzibah (delighted in, protected), and your land Beulah (married) for the Lord will take delight in you.”

When the Father seeks to rebuild, it is not as we would expect. He does not merely replace the item on the shelf that was broken, He gives something better.

More often than not, through ruins in our lives, it can be easy to wear those wounds as part of our identities. Even unspoken, we begin to call ourselves by the name Deserted or Desolate. But the Lord seeks to give instead His Name, which pours out protection, delight, and establishes a covenant between God and us of a new and glorious reformation in our lives.

May God remind you this day that He is working all things together for His glory, and for your benefit (Romans 8:28). May you have the courage to stand in faith that He will honor these promises to you in His timing and way, and that in His compassionate love we have all that we will ever need. We have life and life abundantly.

Beautiful Bible Verses of Restoration

Isaiah 61:3-4 – to comfort all who mourn, and provide for those who grieve in Zion—to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes,
the oil of joy instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord for the display of his splendor. They will rebuild the ancient ruins and restore the places long devastated; they will renew the ruined cities that have been devastated for generations.

Romans 8:28 – And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

Job 42:10 – after Job had prayed for his friends, the LORD restored his fortunes and gave him twice as much as he had before.

John 10:10 – the thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life and have it to the full.

Jeremiah 34:26 – For I will restore their fortunes and have compassion on them.

1 John 5:4 – for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith.

Psalm 51:12 – Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.

Psalm 71:20-21 – Though you have made me see troubles, many and bitter, you will restore my life again; from the depths of the earth you will again bring me up. You will increase my honor and comfort me once more.

Joel 2:25-26 – I will repay you for the years the locusts have eaten—the great locust and the young locust, the other locusts and the locust swarm—my great army that I sent among you. You will have plenty to eat, until you are full, and you will praise the name of the Lord your God, who has worked wonders for you; never again will my people be shamed.

Ephesians 3:17-21 – so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.

God is the God of restoration and compassion. Come before Him today with hands open to what He will do to not only restore, but to make better than all you could ever ask for or imagine through and by and rooted in Him, the giver of all good things.

Streams in the Desert

Streams in the Desert

If the clouds be full of rain, they empty themselves upon the earth. Ecclesiastes 11:3

Why, then, do we dread the clouds which now darken our sky? True, for a while they hide the sun, but the sun is not quenched; he will be out again before long. Meanwhile those black clouds are filled with rain; and the blacker they are, the more likely they will yield plentiful showers.

How can we have rain without clouds? Our troubles have always brought us blessings, and they always will. They are the dark chariots of bright grace. These clouds will empty themselves before long, and every tender herb will be gladder for the shower. Our God may drench us with grief, but He will refresh us with mercy. Our Lord's love-letters often come to us in black-edged envelopes. His wagons rumble, but they are loaded with benefits. His rod blossoms with sweet flowers and nourishing fruits. Let us not worry about the clouds, but sing because May flowers are brought to us through the April clouds and showers.

O Lord, the clouds are the dust of Thy feet! How near Thou art in the cloudy and dark day! Love beholds Thee, and is glad. Faith sees the clouds emptying themselves and making the little hills rejoice on every side.
--C H. Spurgeon

What seems so dark to thy dim sight
May be a shadow, seen aright
Making some brightness doubly bright.
The flash that struck thy tree--no more
To shelter thee--lets heaven's blue floor
Shine where it never shone before.
The cry wrung from thy spirit's pain
May echo on some far-off plain,
And guide a wanderer home again.

"The blue of heaven is larger than the clouds."

Baptism: Identifying with Christ..... Dr. Charles Stanley

Baptism: Identifying with Christ

Dr. Charles Stanley

Matthew 3

Christ began His public ministry with baptism. At the time, John the Baptist was calling people to confess their sins and demonstrate repentance through immersion in the river. So why did Jesus, the sinless One, ask to be baptized? At first, John actually refused, knowing Christ was the "Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world" (John 1:29). But Jesus wasn't demonstrating repentance; He was sacrificially identifying with sinful humankind.

As Christians, we're called to follow His example in all things, becoming more like Him as we grow in our faith. That's why baptism is the first step in following Jesus. As He was willing to identify Himself with us, we publicly identify with Him when we are baptized, which is a symbolic way of declaring, "I have trusted Jesus Christ as my Savior and believe that the debt of my sin is fully paid through His sacrifice. I believe that as He rose from the dead, I will also be resurrected through Him. I look forward to walking in God's will while I'm on the earth and living with Him throughout eternity. Since He loved me enough to identify Himself with me in my sin, I will show my love for Him by following His example right now, and for the rest of my days."

Baptism demonstrates our connection not only with Christ but also with our spiritual brothers and sisters--past, present, and future. We're joining everyone who has walked before us in faith, saying that we are members of one body, redeemed and brought to life by the same Lord.

Choosing to Accept Grace in Everything..... LAURA BAILEY

Choosing to Accept Grace in Everything
LAURA BAILEY

“But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.” 2 Corinthians 12:9 (ESV)

Crash!

My stomach lurched as I sprinted into the bedroom where my 14-month-old daughter greeted me with a toothy grin. There on the littered floor, she played among a fallen lamp with a couple of scattered, small picture frames — and all the contents from the drawers of my now-toppled bedside table. She was oblivious to any danger, including the sharp corners of the table, mere centimeters from her head of curls.

I shakily shuffled back into the living room where the evidence of misplaced priorities waited silently — a cup of coffee and my journal.

My eyes fell to the opened notebook, the ink fresh where just minutes before I’d written, “Lord, help me to glorify You by opportunities You place right before me.”

Conviction overcame me.

How could I have asked God to reveal opportunities to serve Him, while ignoring the possible harm my toddler might encounter?

It’s unrealistic for mothers to be an omnipresent figure in our children’s lives, to tether ourselves to our little ones 24/7. However, in this case, I decided five minutes of alone time in the next room was worth the risk, minimizing the possibilities of the “worst case scenario.”

Just writing that sentence is painful, but it’s the ugly truth. I spent the rest of the day sickened with emotion wrought with guilt, shame and self-loathing — as a barrage of “what ifs” permeated my thoughts.

How could I fail God again?
Will I ever learn?
Why do I repeat the same mistakes over and over?

In the midst of despair, the words of Paul came to mind: “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness” (2 Corinthians 12:9).

I’m not sure why many of us find it difficult to appropriate God's grace and mercy in certain areas of life, especially motherhood. We accept His free gift of grace in the context of salvation, but at times we ignore the boundless grace He extends to us throughout our time on earth.

Somewhere along the line, I bought into the false belief that I must earn God’s grace, and that unless I lived a perfect life, God would withhold His mercy and grace on undeserving me. Nothing is further from the Truth of God's Word.

No one can ever earn God’s favor at any time, for any reason. No one. Not ever. His mercy to us renews each morning. God’s grace and mercy are not a one-and-done occurrence; it’s something I need every hour of every day, because God loves us and keeps us — no matter what.

The mind can be a dark place. Within seconds, it can take us from mountaintop euphoria to valleys of doom and despair. As sinful people, weak in our flesh, how do we end the pity party, dismantle the doubt, and then rise from the abyss of self-loathing?

Our answer: Abide in Christ.

Listening to the soundtrack of His Word and connecting with other believers rightfully restores and renews our faith. We cannot break the chains that bind us to ungodly thoughts without the Word of God, the Truth that sets us free.

The events of that morning still cause me to shutter. God protected my little girl on the floor, and I am grateful. This experience reminded me that no matter how much I strive for perfection, especially as a mother, I will always come up short. I cannot earn my salvation; I cannot live a sinless life; I cannot gain God's favor or love through my own deeds.

But … by daily acknowledging God’s gracious gifts of forgiveness and everlasting love, I can relinquish the pressure to be perfect to the only one who is — Jesus.

Lord, may Your grace cover me. Thank You that Your mercies are never-ending. Help me remove my expectations of perfection and lean on You for daily strength. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

TRUTH FOR TODAY:
Hebrews 4:16, “Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” (ESV)

2 Corinthians 6:1, “So, as we work together with God, we appeal to you in particular: when you accept God’s grace, don’t let it go to waste!” (NTE)

A Heart Like Jesus (I Do Not Have)..... By Jennifer Waddle

A Heart Like Jesus (I Do Not Have)
By Jennifer Waddle

This devotional was taken in part from Jennifer Waddle’s blog, Encouraging Women in the Trenches of Life. You can read the entire post HERE.

The phrase, “Follow your heart,” is perhaps the most popular maxim of all time. Especially now, in the twenty-first century, the advice to “trust your instincts” or “do what feels right” permeates every aspect of our culture.

I don’t know about you, but my heart is unreliable, wishy-washy, and sometimes selfish! In fact, the Bible is most accurate when it says the heart is deceitful and desperately sick. (Jeremiah 17:9 ESV)

But here is our consolation…

Even though Jesus knew the condition of our hearts, He still chose to give His life.

For while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:8)

Isn’t that humbling? We may not have hearts like Jesus, perfect in love and sacrificial unto death, but we can still be followers after God’s own heart.

Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me away from Your presence, and do not take Your Holy Spirit from me. Psalm 51:10-11

David was considered a man after God’s own heart. Here are three Scriptures that explain why.

1. One thing I have desired of the Lord, that will I seek: That I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to inquire in His temple. Psalm 27:4

David desired the presence of the Lord more than anything else. He didn’t value earthly things or worldly status more than He longed to dwell with God forever.

Having a heart after God means that we long for His presence and desire intimate fellowship with Him.

2. I will praise You with uprightness of heart, when I learn Your righteous judgments. I will keep Your statutes… Psalm 4:7-8

Obedience was at the heart of David’s devotion to God. He was eager to learn the Lord’s statutes and keep His commandments. David was far from perfect, yet he longed for truth and worshipped with integrity.

Having a heart after God means that we desire to know His righteousness and are committed to walk in His ways.

I will meditate on Your precepts, and contemplate Your ways. I will delight myself in Your statutes; I will not forget Your word. Psalm 4:15-16

3. He raised up for them David as king, to whom also He gave testimony and said, ‘I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after My own heart, who will do all My will.’ Acts 13:22

Apart from his own will, David sought to carry out God’s plan for his life. He surrendered his own agenda for the Lord’s good, pleasing and perfect will.

The heart that chases after God is willing to lay down everything to fulfill the Lord’s purpose. No matter where God calls them to go, people after God’s own heart give up selfish ambition for the sake of His glory.

We may not have hearts like Jesus, but by abiding in His presence, keeping His statutes, and surrendering to His will, we too can be considered people after God’s own heart.

A Prayer for Communication During Conflict..... By D. A. and Elicia Horton

A Prayer for Communication During Conflict
By D. A. and Elicia Horton

There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love. - 1 John 4:18

Learning to communicate in times of conflict is crucial for a healthy marriage. It’s easy to assume that conflict is a bad thing and try to avoid it, but conflict is not inherently bad. In fact, conflict is a great tool that reveals past hurts and brokenness so that couples can confront them and find true healing.

Healthy communication is how conflict can be resolved in marriage. Resolving conflict is different from avoiding or merely managing conflict. In our marriage, when we avoided conflict, we suppressed our pain until we’d blow up and have an argument that lasted for hours, followed by days of uneasiness. Managing conflict meant that we were putting Band-Aid solutions on gaping heart wounds that were becoming infected with bitterness. But there is a better way to manage conflict in the Christian marriage.

To successfully engage in healthy conflict resolution, you must first identify the ways in which you and your spouse deal with anger and disappointment. Often, anger stems from fear. Thinking of conflict in terms of the acronym FEAR will help you identify the four ways in which you might respond to your spouse when angry or disappointed:

Fight: Making verbal attacks with trigger words used to hurt your spouse; digging up past issues to justify anger.

Escape: Avoiding the conversation and issue by either refusing to talk about it, changing the topic, or simply walking away with no intention of coming back and discussing the issue.

Apathy: Responding as if you don’t care or saying nothing to further upset your spouse.

Resolve: Taking time to locate the root issue of the argument, bringing it to the forefront of the conversation, and working to find a resolution.

In marriage, many arguments involve only the first three responses. When one person lashes out, the other retaliates, eventually leading to a shouting match and one spouse doing or saying something drastic. This has certainly been true in our marriage. We are still God’s work in progress!

God has helped us learn to appreciate the extremely difficult times. The times that allow raw feelings to surface. We’ve seen each other at our worst; yet the gospel compels us keep on loving each other as God first loved us. Ultimately, love does endure all things.

If you want God to be at the center of your marriage, make sure you work to keep Him there, not leaving Him in the trunk like a spare tire, only to be taken out whenever you get a flat. In our marriage, we both have grown to realize that our spiritual growth and maturity help us love each other deeply, despite our flaws and lapses of judgment.

While it is important to invest and plan for your future together, it is even more important to invest in your spiritual growth as individuals. By doing so, you can truly give your spouse the best he or she deserves.

Marriage is hard work. It takes sacrifice. When you want to walk out the door, remember love believes all things, hopes all things, and endures all things—because love never ends. Remember the sooner you can get to the R in FEAR, the better. Once you’re there, roll up those sleeves and bring it to the Lord with prayer.

Lord, I pray now for my marriage. Thank you God for my spouse. Thank you for your love for him/her, and for our marriage. Thank you that you are a champion of marriage and you want to see our marriage last. Lord, forgive me – so often I put myself first, and push you and my spouse to the backburner. Help me prioritize our marriage. Help me fight for it when it’s hard, and to enjoy it when it’s going well. Help me encourage and support my spouse in all she/he has going on. Help me Lord! I know that without your guidance and support I would stumble and fall. Help us put you first, and strengthen our resolve to work through the hardest parts of marriage. In your name I pray, Amen.