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Prayer Devotional: Day 18
Why art thou cast down, O my soul? And why art thou disquieted in me? Hope thou in God: For I shall yet praise Him For the help of His countenance. – Psalm 42:5 KJV
Our relationship with the Lord is not a joint venture business relationship. We do not exchange our money and good works for salvation through Jesus Christ. Jesus gave all so that we would live. The exchange was not equal, and He was not coerced onto the Cross to atone for our sins. He sacrificed Himself for us because of pure, unselfish love. If only we could understand the magnitude of His sacrifice for us, we would not grumble about our day-to-day chores.
Our loving Heavenly Father wants to align us with the right people who can further His purpose for us. We never feel taken advantage of when Christ is at work in our lives. We never feel exploited. It is a relationship based on true love, for which we can be eternally grateful. We are blessed to know the Lord. Amen.
Prayer Devotional: Day 18
For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. – 2 Corinthians 4:6 KJV
The Lord is the source of all pure light. He created light in the beginning. He provides sunlight for plants to grow so that people can eat nutritious foods.
The Lord enlightens our understanding the more we read His Word, pray for the Holy Spirit’s guidance, and spend time with other believers who uphold and strengthen our faith, the closer we get to Him.
It is because of His light that we are strong in the midst of dark times. Jesus gives us strength and wisdom. Amen.
Prayer Journal: Day 342
Day 342
Glory ye in His holy name: Let the heart of them rejoice that seek the LORD. Seek the LORD and His strength, Seek His face continually. Remember His marvellous works that He hath done, His wonders, and the judgments of His mouth; O ye seed of Israel His servant, Ye children of Jacob, His chosen ones. – 1 Chronicles 16:10-13 KJV
When we find ourselves making a list of why this season of our life is particularly difficult for us to take on even one more thing, we must remind ourselves what our God has given us. He is all-powerful and all-knowing. His works are nothing short of marvelous.
We can list our problems when we pray, and of course He wants us to lay down all our burdens before Him, but we must not forget to praise Him for the strength He gives us to overcome them. Amen.
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Prayer Journal: Day 263
Day 263
But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. – 1 Timothy 6:6-8 NIV
We don’t have to manifest more money to be happy. We can simply focus on what we already have and gratitude for it.
We have more than many people have in third-world countries. We can thank God for that.
Contentment is a practice. We can write in a gratitude journal to remember what we are thankful for. We can write thank you notes. We can remember to tell people in an email that we appreciate them. God shows us what we can be thankful for. Amen.
Prayer Journal: Day 215
Day 215
Wherefore God also hath highly exalted Him, and given Him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. – Philippians 2:9-11 KJV
Jesus needed no earthly credentials to be exalted. He made Himself of no reputation while many others spent a lifetime building up their resumes. Jesus didn’t need an MD to be a healer. He didn’t need a PhD to become a teacher. Our Lord did not need to attend seminary to become a preacher. His name itself is holy.
At the crucifixion, Jesus offered up everything He possibly could…His own life, so that we could live. No greater sacrifice exists. We can be thankful for His life and purpose. We can trust in Him.
As I drive the final stretch of my move to Idaho today, I reflect on the day that Jesus rested in the grave on the Sabbath. He endured so much for us and I am thankful. Amen.
Prayer Journal: Day 213: I am Moving to Idaho
Day 213
Remember ye not the former things, neither consider the things of old. Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert. – Isaiah 43:18-19 KJV
As my family embarks on a new journey by moving from Nevada to Idaho, I reflect on the new blessings that God has brought into my life.
Even though I tested positive for COVID-19 on September 1, 2020 and suffered from COVID-19 long haulers symptoms, surviving the ordeal has strengthened my faith and brought me closer to God. I am grateful that my husband was able to stay home during my recovery to take care of me and Jacob. I am thankful that my husband was able to find an Executive Director job in Idaho. Our house in Nevada sold within three hours of listing it, and we were able to buy a duplex in Blackfoot, ID.
Instead of remembering how difficult my illness seemed at the time, I am grateful for the new opportunities that God has brought into our lives. He makes way for new blessings. Amen.
Prayer Journal: Day 179
Day 179
In everything give thanks, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. – 2 Thessalonians 5:18 NKJV
When we are going through big life changes, it’s easy to get into a mode of complaining about how much we wish things were to stay the same.
God wants us to stop complaining and instead thank Him for all the blessings He has given us. If we stop and appreciate even the little things in our lives that are going right instead of harping on the details of what we perceive might be wrong, we can refocus our attention on thankfulness.
When we adopt a thankful mindset, our world view starts to change. Instead of attracting more of what we don’t want into our lives, we focus on God’s will for us. Amen.
Prayer Journal: Day 148
Day 148
Through Jesus, therefore let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise–the fruit of our lips that confess His name. And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased. Hebrews 13:15-16 NIV
What pleases and impresses our peers–fame, fortune, and fun–isn’t what necessarily pleases God. God is pleased when we share the good news about Jesus with others. God is pleased when we praise His name.
He certainly deserves our praise.
Whenever we come out of a health crisis alive, we can remember how critical it is to praise Him. We can credit Him for our lives and be grateful for everything that He has given us.
The world would be a dark place without Jesus. One of the first things God said at the creation of the Earth was, “Let there be light.” He is the light in our lives. Amen.
Prayer Journal: Day 124
Day 124
Blessed are those who learned to acclaim you, who walk in the light of your presence, O Lord. They rejoice in your name all day long; they exult in your righteousness. – Psalm 89:15-16
Birthdays are cause for celebration and rejoicing.
When the Lord blesses us and our loved ones with another year to live, we can rejoice in His loving kindness all day long.
My mom’s birthday is January 2nd. After the festivities of Christmas, sometimes January 2nd comes quickly, but her birthday is a big celebration!
Not only has the Lord spared her from catching COVID-19 so far, He has protected and comforted her during times of isolation. She is able to enjoy the her garden and the beauty of her art. Amen.
Prayer Journal: Day 96
Day 96
Be at rest once more, O my soul, for the Lord has been good to you. – Psalm 116:7 NIV
Our dishwasher broke last night, and although it took time to hand wash the dishes, my husband helped dry them. Washing dishes in and of itself is like a meditative practice. I could feel the warmth of the water. Even my two year old wanted to help. It became a family activity.
The Lord keeps us close. He blesses us with people in our lives who help and appreciate us. He helps us solve problems and to be thankful for what we have.
During the busy pace of this world it’s easy to get lost in the shuffle, but our Lord brings us back to thankfulness. Amen.
gina akao 