A Day in My Spiritual Life

I'm working on getting back on track with my prayer life. I needed tools, because it just wasn't happening on it's own. I began to gather some books from my library to help me with the journey.

Journals
The top and bottom books are my journals. The small purple one on top is My Marriage Journal where I keep prayers, memes, and quotes on marriage. There is some great stuff out there on the internet for this.
The bottom is a journal where I keep my favorite Bible verses.

Bible
The biggest is my Bible. I am currently doing an on-line Bible study and following a program to read the Bible in a year.

Devotions
The third book down is my Kindle where I have my devotional, "Jesus Calling," that I read daily.

Prayer
The second book down is a book on prayer called, "365 Pocket Prayers," that I have quoted in posts and that I am now reading to help me pray.

I'm glad I have these tools. They are helping me recover from my shakedown in faith, (see July posts), and helping me to pray again.

A prayer I use daily from "365 Pocket Prayers"
A prayer about Meditation

Lord,
Teach me the discipline of meditating on You and on Your Word. How can I be spiritually focused if I can't control my thoughts? And how can I ever hope to understand Your will for me if I don't listen to what You say? Help me to push my own thoughts and desires aside and allow Your Spirit to speak to me. Guide my heart and remind me of Your presence. May my thoughts always be fixed on You.
Amen.

Isaiah 26:3
You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in You,
all whose thoughts are fixed on You!

Gratitude
1. Tools to help me grow
2. Glorious rain today
3. Your Word

Phil 1:4
In all my prayers for all of you,
I always pray with joy.

Blessings,
Deborah

Review - The Bible

I did an Amazon search for The Bible and there are 489,399 results. Wow.

The Bible is actually 66 books in one; 39 Old Testament books and 27 New Testament books. It is a book about God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. The Old Testament tells the story of God's chosen people, the Jews called Israel, their covenant with God and their wait for the Messiah. The New Testament is about Jesus the Messiah, although the Jews don't believe he is The Messiah. I do.

The Bible is a love story.

It is a love story from God to us.

It contains stories of love, war, giants, temptation, trials, good vs. evil, compassion, and God's steadfast love for us. It answers many questions on faith and belief in God.  It will give you hope for the future and comfort for today.

I suggest if you don't own one to buy one and if you do own one to open it and begin reading it today.
You will not be disappointed.

Hebrews 10:16
"This is the covenant I will make with them after that time", says the Lord. "I will put my laws in their hearts and I will write them on their minds."

Matthew 22:37-40
Jesus replied, "Love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself.  All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments."

Gratitude
!. God's word
2. God's mercy
3. God's love

Phil 1:4
In all my prayers for all of you,
I always pray with joy.

Blessings,
Deborah

Does God Answer Prayers?

I have been asked this question before and my answer is always yes.

Yes, God answers prayers. I know, because He has answered mine.

He has answered mine and those who prayed for my healing twice from cancer. He has answered my prayers for my children, grandchildren, other family members and friends.

Is His answer always yes?  No.
Sometimes it is no. Sometimes it is wait.
All good and perfect things come in His time.

We don't know His reasons, but we must trust in His answers. That is not always easy for us, as we have become a "want it now" world of instant gratification. But where God is concerned and His answering of our prayers, we must be patient.

He will answer.
He loves you.
Trust in Him.

Ezra 8:23
So we fasted and petitioned our God about this,
and He answered our prayers.

1Chronicles 5:20
(The last sentence says:)
He answered their prayers,
because they trusted in Him.

Gratitude
1. Answered prayers
2. The ability to pray
3. Family

Phil 1:4
In all my prayers for all of you,
I always pray with joy.

Blessings,
Deborah

8 Ways to Pray When You Can't

After my shakedown in faith, (see July 7, & 26, posts), I still struggle with praying.  I'm good with short prayers, like asking for a safe trip to my destination and home again, or praying for a friend/stranger in need of prayers for something. Where I am still having trouble is with the in-depth and meditative prayers.

Here are a few things I am trying to help me get back on track.

1. Use a book of prayers.
I have two, "The Book of Common Prayer" and "365 Pocket Prayers." Both are full of prayers for all occasions and topics. Any you may have will work.

2. Read the Psalms. This needs no explanation.

3. Ask Jesus to pray for you.
I simply say, "Lord I can't pray today. Please pray for me."
I feel He does.

4. Read a verse or book in the Bible and offer it up as a prayer to God.

5. Sing your favorite hymn or pop Christian song. Do it loudly.

6. Read other Christian Blogs on prayer.
There are many out there with lots of inspiration.

7. Count your blessings.

8. Go to a place like Bible Gateway, (link on my right sidebar), and do a search on pray or prayer.

I hope these will help you if you struggle, at times, like I do.


1Thessalonians 5:16-17
Rejoice always, pray continually,

James 5:16
Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.

Gratitude
3 gifts in prayer
1. Confession
2. Forgiveness
3. Joy

Phil 1:4
In all my prayers for all of you,
I always pray with joy.

Blessings,
Deborah

Two Roads Home

Like most humans, I take the road most traveled. My journey with God has been crowded, has had many curves, mountains and valleys. I do envy those whose path has been straight from birth to present; who always have their eye on Him, even though life has not always been "pretty" for them either.  I want to be like them and like the mystics, but I let things get in the way. I long for that road. I struggle. I cry out for help! I cry.
1 Samuel 6:12 "Then the cows went straight...they did not turn left or right."
Even the cows of the Old Testament are better than I. lol

I have always loved the mystics and the mystical side of religion. The "going deeper" into one's faith and study of the Bible. I love the stories of the Saints and other mystics. Their faith is so powerful and strong. I know it comes about by discipline, perseverance, the study of God's word and keeping an open mind and heart to hear that tiny Voice within.

I have been studying, "Beyond Kabbalah." by Rabbi Joel David Bakst for quite some time with my Jewish sister-in-law, who I have mentioned before. The book is a hard study. Not for everyone. The Rabbi says in the book, "One in 1000 will get it." Surprisingly, I'm getting it, with my SIL's help. The book is fascinating, eye and mind opening, full of twists and turns, has hard questions, soul searching answers and so much joy some days I can hardly stand it.  This is not a book for the faint of heart, but I highly recommend giving it try.

Beyond Kabbalah - The Teachings That Cannot Be Taught: Preparing for the Messianic Era and Beyond - An introduction, orientation & illustrated ... Kabbalah and Consciousness) (Volume 4) by Joel David Bakst

My path is getting straighter through studying my Bible, reading blogs by other Christians and studying the mystics and mystical. It is quite a journey, to say the least.

Psalm 119:105
Your word is a lamp for my feet;
a light on my path.

Gratitude (prompts from aholyexperience.com)
3 gifts difficult
1. The Path
2. The journey
3. The world and its ways

Phil 1:4
In all my prayers for all of you,
I always pray with joy.

Blessings,
Deborah

Shakedown Update.

I am better. I would say about 95% back to where I was before the shakedown. I still have some trouble praying, but it is improving. I am stronger and the anger and loneliness are gone. I am remembering Who I belong to.
"My beloved is mine and I am his." Song of Songs 2:16
I am holding onto 2Corinthians 4:8  "We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed."
God is good. His mercy and love are everlasting.
I believe this healing is directly related to your prayers for me and I thank you with all my heart.

Speaking of chapter 4 verse 8, I have been copying down all chapter 4, verse 8's in my spiritual journal. It just came to me one day when I realized there were a few that I loved* in different books of the Bible and wondered how they would all look together in the same place. It has been a very interesting study and I will talk more about it when I am done. Only 15 more books to go. Have you ever done anything like this? It's fascinating. Very Rabbinical my Jewish Sister-in-law tells me. I liked that.

*Psalm 4:8
In peace I will lie down and sleep;
for You alone, Lord, make me dwell in safety.

Psalm 143:8
Let the morning bring me word of Your unfailing love,
for I have put my trust in You.
Show me the way I should go,
for to You I lift up my soul.

Gratitude
1. All of you prayer warriors
2. My readers
3 Joy in the Lord again.

Phil 1:4
In all my prayers for all of you,
I always pray with joy.

Blessings,
Deborah

P.S. I lost another pound! Yay me!

Shakedown in Faith

I had a major shakedown in faith. Almost lost it actually. I have never experienced anything like it before and I hope to never again. It was hard. It was ugly. It was lonely.

The aftermath is struggle. I'm struggling to climb back up to where my faith was. I am almost there. Baby steps. I am choosing not to share why this happened as it is too personal and was more that just one thing. That is usually the case, I'm thinking. Sometimes God does give us more than we can handle in that minute.

Like I said, I have never experienced this before. I've had small episodes of questioning, but NEVER anything like this. To have almost lost my faith is staggering. It is who I am. The almost loss was devastating. I can only imagine what it would have been like to really lose my faith.  I shudder to think of my life without God. I don't know how people do that.

I would appreciate your prayers.

I will try to remember this meme daily.

It makes me cry to read it now.

Gratitude
1. Faith
2. Mercy
3. Forgiveness

Phil 1:4
In all my prayers for all of you,
I always pray with joy.

Blessings,
Deborah