~ David McCasland- During a concert, singer-songwriter David Wilcox responded to a question from the audience about how he composes songs. He said there are three aspects to his process: "a quiet room, an empty page, and the question, "Is there something I should know?"
It struck me as a wonderful approach for followers of Jesus as we seek the Lord's plan for our lives each day. (Unsplash, Man writing on paper)
Throughout Jesus' public ministry, He took time to be alone in prayer. After feeding 5,000 people with five loaves of bread and two fish, He sent His disciples to cross the sea of Galilee by boat while He dismissed the crowd (Matthew 14:22).
After sending them home, [Jesus] went up into the hills by himself to pray. Night fell while he was there alone" (v. 23).
If the Lord Jesus saw the need to be alone with His Father, how much more we need a daily time of solitude to pour out our hearts to God, ponder His Word, and prepare to follow His directions.
A quiet room—anywhere we can focus on the Lord without distractions.
An empty page—a receptive mind, a blank sheet of paper, a willingness to listen.
Is there something I should know? "Lord, speak to me by Your Spirit, Your written Word, and the assurance of Your direction."
From that quiet hill side, Jesus descended into a violent storm, knowing exactly what His Father wanted Him to do (vv. 24-27).
[Taken from a booklet, PRAYER CHANGES THINGS, of Our Daily Bread Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI. Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved. www.odb.org] Quote for today-
~ Bonnie Champagne- " At one time I carried upon my shoulders the yoke of religious bondage. I was expected to live a life of perfection. I was loaded down by a bundle of rules like a pack animal. The heavy harness that fit over my shoulders robbed me of my joy and pulled me away from God.
But the day came when I met the Lord who freed me from this yoke of religious bondage. I found the rest that Jesus promised; love, healing, peace and freedom in the Lord.
Today I enjoy a Father/child relationship with my heavenly Father who changed meaningless, futile, wearisome toil into a life with divine purpose. You will become spiritually productive when you yoke up with Jesus. His yoke is easy and his burden is light."
Let's pray-
"Father, I have fixed my eyes upon You as the Author and Finisher of my faith. I am running the race with excellence, ever-learning, ever-growing, and ever-achieving. Reveal those things that encumber my race and give me the power to uproot and remove anything that binds me to past failures. In the name of Jesus, I accept your yoke, which is easy, and I accept your burden, which is light. With the help of the Holy Spirit, I will do mighty acts of valor! Amen" (Bonnie Champagne)
Words of wisdom-
~ Let's learn a lesson from a persistent bird who keeps banging into a window, thinking his reflection is a rival. Do we keep trying to do something, thinking we're going to change its outcome to suit us? Maybe it's time to listen to the Lord and let Him handle things for us. He is well Able to, and He'll make things turn out far better than our persistent, stubborn efforts.
Today's Bible verses-
2 Corinthians 1:3-5, TPT “All praises belong to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. For he is the Father of tender mercy and the God of endless comfort. He always comes alongside us to comfort us in every suffering so that we can come alongside those who are in any painful trial. We can bring them this same comfort that God has poured out upon us. And just as we experience the abundance of Christ’s own sufferings, even more of God’s comfort will cascade upon us through our union with Christ.”
Today's guest post-
Doug Lim-
"The busier the day got, the more I waited.I waited in traffic. I waited in the checkout line and gas line. I even waited to be seated at a restaurant with a “No Waiting” sign. I fell behind schedule and resented others for making me wait.
If I had remembered God was in control, I would have handled the delays much better. His plan and timing are perfect—and certainly superior to the plans I scribbled down. God offers peace through the power of His love and the promise to work things out for those who wait."
Upcoming posts
It's Who You Know
19th- Saturday's post by Dave Branon
#7 Texting God
22nd- Tuesday's post by David Mccasland
#8 Miracle Rain
24th- Thursday's post by Poh Fang Chia
What Is Happiness?
26th- Saturday's post by James H. Cagle
The North Country Christian Fellowship Center Churches,
located in the St. Lawrence county of NY,
broadcast their Sunday services at 10 or 10:15
You can view past services too.
Sermon listing: https://www.cfconline.org/sermon-library
Helpful ways the Lord helped me in my marriage
"The busier the day got, the more I waited.
Amen and amen
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