Both With You and Within You

TRUST ME IN THE DEPTHS of your being.

It is there that I live in constant communion with you.

When you feel flustered and frazzled on the outside, do not get upset with yourself.

You are only human, and the swirl of events going on all around you will sometimes feel overwhelming.

Rather than scolding yourself for your humanness, remind yourself that I am both with you and within you.

I am with you at all times, encouraging and supportive rather than condemning.

I know that deep within you, where I live, My Peace is your continual experience.

Slow down your pace of living for a time.

Quiet your mind in My Presence.

Then you will be able to hear Me bestowing the resurrection blessing: Peace be with you.

Stay Strong!

"To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory."
—COLOSSIANS 1: 27

"And teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."
—MATTHEW 28: 20

"On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, "Peace be with you!"
—JOHN 20: 19

Ask

"Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you."
(Matthew 7:7, NIV)

Ask
A lot of times, it's easy to think that we're not supposed to ask for too much, but the Scripture encourages us to go to God with all of our needs.

He longs to give you the desires of your heart and pour out His favor and blessing on you.

In fact, Jesus said, "You have not because you ask not."

Step out in faith and ask for God's favor, blessing and increase.

Begin your prayers by surrendering every thought and attitude to the Father.

Ask Him to purify your motives and show you if there is any unforgiveness in your life that would block your prayers.

Remember, He desires good things for you, and you can trust Him.

Step out and ASK and watch what He will do!

A Prayer for Today
"Father, I humbly come to You and surrender all that I am. I ask that You pour out Your favor and blessing on me. Show me Your goodness and love and position me to be a greater blessing to others in Jesus' name.
Amen."

An Anchor for the Soul, Never Leaving Your Side

HOPE IS A GOLDEN CORD connecting you to heaven.

This cord helps you hold your head up high, even when multiple trials are buffeting you.

I never leave your side, and I never let go of your hand.

But without the cord of hope, your head may slump and your feet may shuffle as you journey uphill with Me.

Hope lifts your perspective from your weary feet to the glorious view you can see from the high road.

You are reminded that the road we're traveling together is ultimately a highway to heaven.

When you consider this radiant destination, the roughness or smoothness of the road ahead becomes much less significant.

I am training you to hold in your heart a dual focus: My continual Presence and the hope of heaven.

Stay Strong!

"Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer."
—ROMANS 12: 12

"But since we belong to the day, let us be self-controlled, putting on faith and love as a breastplate, and the hope of salvation as a helmet."
—1 THESSALONIANS 5: 8

"God did this so that, by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled to take hold of the hope offered to us may be greatly encouraged. We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain."
—HEBREWS 6: 18–19

The Door of Faith

" 'Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,' says the LORD Almighty."
(Zechariah 4:6, NIV)

In this day and age, we are equipped with so many wonderful resources in the natural: technology, education, abilities. It's easy to rely on our own natural strength for so many things.

We have to remember that this natural world is only temporary, but the spiritual realm is eternal.

We aren't limited to the earth's resources; we have unlimited spiritual resources by the Spirit of God.

There are some things in life that can't happen by human thinking and reasoning.

There are things that won't be solved by natural power and might.

But God is not limited by the resources of this world.

When you open the door of faith in your heart, God will move through you in powerful ways by His Spirit.

By His Spirit, you can overcome temptation.

By His Spirit, you can receive healing.

By His Spirit, you can fulfill every dream and desire in your heart.

No matter what challenges or obstacles you may be facing today, know that you can live in complete victory by His Spirit!

A Prayer for Today
"Father in heaven, thank You for giving me access to all of Your spiritual blessings. I choose to rely on You and trust that You are working in my life. I praise and bless You, knowing that You are leading me in victory in every area of my life in Jesus' name".
Amen.

- J. Osteen

Stay Strong! !!

Gratitude - Cushion the Impact of Trials

THANKFULNESS OPENS THE DOOR to My Presence.

Though I am always with you, I have gone to great measures to preserve your freedom of choice.

I have placed a door between you and Me, and I have empowered you to open or close that door.

There are many ways to open it, but a grateful attitude is one of the most effective.

Thankfulness is built on a substructure of trust.

When thankful words stick in your throat, you need to check up on your foundation of trust.

When thankfulness flows freely from your heart and lips, let your gratitude draw you closer to Me.

I want you to learn the art of giving thanks in all circumstances.

See how many times you can thank Me daily; this will awaken your awareness to a multitude of blessings.

It will also cushion the impact of trials when they come against you.

Practice My Presence by practicing the discipline of thankfulness.

Stay Strong!

"Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name."
—PSALM 100: 4

"Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus."
—1 THESSALONIANS 5: 18

With Strength and Power

"I waited patiently for the Lord to help me, and he turned to me and heard my cry. He lifted me out of the pit of despair...He set my feet on solid ground...He has given me a new song to sing..."
(Psalm 40:1–3, NLT)

He Lifts You Up
Have you ever felt like you were in a pit of despair?

Just like God lifted David out, God is going to lift you out.

Where you are right now is not where you're going to stay.

There are brighter days up ahead for you filled with favor, promotion and increase.

As you walk uprightly before Him, no good thing will He withhold from you.

Notice that God gives us a new song, but we have to do our part to sing that song.

That means you don't go around talking about your problems, how bad things are, or how you're never going to make it.

No, you have a song of victory!

If somebody asks you how you're doing, your attitude should be, "I'm too blessed to be stressed!

I'm moving forward in strength and power."

Remember, praise precedes the victory, and the Bible tells us that God is enthroned on our praises.

As you magnify and lift Him up, He will lift you up out of your despair.

He'll set your feet on solid ground, and you'll move forward in joy and victory in every area of your life.

A Prayer for Today
"Father, thank You for lifting me up to higher places. Thank You for putting a new song in my heart. I choose to sing and be grateful today for the life of blessing You have in store for me in Jesus' name!
Amen!

Stay Strong!

Strength Made Perfect in Weakness

"When we're stressed or going through a difficult time, we can quickly lose sight of our worth.

We feel small, unseen, incapable, and of little value.

It seems everyone else is doing better, has more, or is really making a difference.

But not us.

We withdraw and start believing we don't have anything to contribute—at least not until things are better in our lives.

But there is only one answer to the question, "When and where does God want to use me?"and it's always, "Right now, right here."

You may think you have nothing to offer.

You may want to run and hide.

You may tell yourself, "I'll only be in the way."

But still God asks, quietly and persistently, "Will you let me use you, right here and right now?"

Your weaknesses and struggles are not reasons for him to give up on you.

Instead, they're opportunities for you to show his strength in ways you simply can't on your best days.

The apostle Paul wrestled with a "thorn in his flesh"(see 2 Cor. 12: 7).

We don't know what it was exactly, only that it was an ongoing source of difficulty for him.

He begged God to take it away, and many of us are familiar with the divine response.

God said, "My strength is made perfect in weakness"(2 Cor. 12: 9 NKJV).

In other words, the very places and times when you feel God can use you least are when he may actually shine through you most."

- "You're Going to be Okay"

Stay Strong!

Trust Shall Be Your Strength

REST IN MY PRESENCE WHEN you need refreshment.

Resting is not necessarily idleness, as people often perceive it.

When you relax in My company, you are demonstrating trust in Me.

Trust is a rich word, laden with meaning and direction for your life.

I want you to lean on, trust, and be confident in Me.

When you lean on Me for support, I delight in your trusting confidence.

Many people turn away from Me when they are exhausted.

They associate Me with duty and diligence, so they try to hide from My Presence when they need a break from work.

How this saddens Me!

As I spoke through My prophet Isaiah: In returning to Me and resting in Me you shall be saved; in quietness and trust shall be your strength.!

"Lean on, trust in, and be confident in the Lord with all your heart and mind and do not rely on your own insight or understanding."
—PROVERBS 3: 5 AMP

"For thus said the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel: In returning [to Me] and resting [in Me] you shall be saved; in quietness and in [trusting] confidence shall be your strength. But you would not."
—ISAIAH 30: 15 AMP

- "Jesus Calling"

Stay Strong

Shine Brightly

SEEK MY FACE, and you will find all that you have longed for.

The deepest yearnings of your heart are for intimacy with Me.

I know, because I designed you to desire Me.

Do not feel guilty about taking time to be still in My Presence.

You are simply responding to the tugs of divinity within you.

I made you in My image, and I hid heaven in your heart.

Your yearning for Me is a form of homesickness: longing for your true home in heaven.

Do not be afraid to be different from other people.

The path I have called you to travel is exquisitely right for you.

The more closely you follow My leading, the more fully I can develop your gifts.

To follow Me wholeheartedly, you must relinquish your desire to please other people.

However, your closeness to Me will bless others by enabling you to shine brightly in this dark world.

Stay Strong!

"As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When can I go and meet with God?"
—PSALM 42: 1–2

"Those who look to him are radiant; their faces are never covered with shame."
—PSALM 34: 5

"So that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe."
—PHILIPPIANS 2: 15

Shield of Faith

BRING ME ALL YOUR FEELINGS, even the ones you wish you didn't have.

Fear and anxiety still plague you. Feelings per se are not sinful, but they can be temptations to sin.

Blazing missiles of fear fly at you day and night; these attacks from the evil one come at you relentlessly.

Use your shield of faith to extinguish those flaming arrows.

Affirm your trust in Me, regardless of how you feel.

If you persist, your feelings will eventually fall in line with your faith.

Do not hide from your fear or pretend it isn't there.

Anxiety that you hide in the recesses of your heart will give birth to fear of fear: a monstrous mutation.

Bring your anxieties out into the Light of My Presence, where we can deal with them together.

Concentrate on trusting Me, and fearfulness will gradually lose its foothold within you.

Stay Strong!

"In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one."
—EPHESIANS 6: 16

"This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin."
—1 JOHN 1: 5–7

"Surely God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid. The LORD, the LORD, is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation."
—ISAIAH 12: 2

Deepest Joy

COME AWAY WITH ME for a while.

The world, with its nonstop demands, can be put on hold.

Most people put Me on hold, rationalizing that someday they will find time to focus on Me.

But the longer people push Me into the background of their lives, the harder it is for them to find Me.

You live among people who glorify busyness; they have made time a tyrant that controls their lives.

Even those who know Me as Savior tend to march to the tempo of the world.

They have bought into the illusion that more is always better: more meetings, more programs, more activity.

I have called you to follow Me on a solitary path, making time alone with Me your highest priority and deepest Joy.

It is a pathway largely unappreciated and often despised.

However, you have chosen the better thing, which will never be taken away from you.

Moreover, as you walk close to Me, I can bless others through you.

Stay Strong!

"The fig tree forms its early fruit; the blossoming vines spread their fragrance. Arise, come, my darling; my beautiful one, come with me."
—SONG OF SONGS 2: 13

"But only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her."
—LUKE 10: 42

Food for Thought. ...

"Too many believers have weak prayer lives because they DON'T believe their prayers accomplish anything.

They petition the Lord for something and then forget about it, acting as if they knew in advance that God wouldn't be at all compelled to grant what they requested.

Even in the early days of the church, when faith generally was strong and vital, prayer could be passive and unexpectant.

When the apostle Peter was imprisoned in Jerusalem, a group of concerned believers met at the house of Mary, John Mark's mother, to pray for his release (Acts 12:12).

As they were doing so, an angel of the Lord miraculously delivered Peter from his chains (vv. 7–10).

While the believers were still praying, Peter arrived at the house and knocked on the door.

A servant girl named Rhoda answered the door, and upon recognizing Peter's voice, she turned around and rushed to tell the others before letting Peter in (vv. 13–14).

The others did not believe her, however, until they finally let Peter in.

Then "they saw him and were amazed"
(v. 16).

They apparently had been praying for what they did not really believe would happen.

We must pray in faith, believing that our prayers do make a difference to God."

Because they do!

Stay Strong!

Hope and Trust

SELF-PITY IS A SLIMY, BOTTOMLESS PIT.

Once you fall in, you tend to go deeper and deeper into the mire.

As you slide down those slippery walls, you are well on your way to depression, and the darkness is profound.

Your only hope is to look up and see the Light of My Presence shining down on you.

Though the Light looks dim from your perspective, deep in the pit, those rays of hope can reach you at any depth.

While you focus on Me in trust, you rise ever so slowly out of the abyss of despair.

Finally, you can reach up and grasp My hand.

I will pull you out into the Light again.

I will gently cleanse you, washing off the clinging mire.

I will cover you with My righteousness and walk with you down the path of Life.

Stay Strong!

"He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand. He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see and fear and put their trust in the LORD."
—PSALM 40: 2–3

"Why are you in despair, O my soul? And why have you become disturbed within me? Hope in God, for I shall again praise Him for the help of His presence."
—PSALM 42: 5 NASB

"The LORD delights in those who fear him, who put their hope in his unfailing love."
—PSALM 147: 11

DO NOT WORRY ABOUT TOMORROW!

DO NOT WORRY ABOUT TOMORROW!

This is not a suggestion, but a command.

I divided time into days and nights, so that you would have manageable portions of life to handle.

My grace is sufficient for you, but its sufficiency is for only one day at a time.

When you worry about the future, you heap day upon day of troubles onto your flimsy frame.

You stagger under this heavy load, which I never intended you to carry.

Throw off this oppressive burden with one quick thrust of trust.

Anxious thoughts meander about and crisscross in your brain, but trusting Me brings you directly into My Presence.

As you thus affirm your faith, shackles of worry fall off instantly.

Enjoy My Presence continually by trusting Me at all times.

"Jesus Calling"

Stay Strong!

"Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own."
—MATTHEW 6: 34

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 about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me.
—2 CORINTHIANS 12: 9

Trust in Him at all times, you people; pour out your heart before Him; God is a refuge for us.
—PSALM 62: 8 NKJV

Stay on the Path

KEEP WALKING with Me along the path I have chosen for you.

Your desire to live close to Me is a delight to My heart.

I could instantly grant you the spiritual riches you desire, but that is not My way for you.

Together we will forge a pathway up the high mountain.

The journey is arduous at times, and you are weak.

Someday you will dance light-footed on the high peaks; but for now, your walk is often plodding and heavy.

All I require of you is to take the next step, clinging to My hand for strength and direction.

Though the path is difficult and the scenery dull at the moment, there are sparkling surprises just around the bend.

Stay on the path I have selected for you.

Stay Strong!

"It is truly the path of Life. If the LORD delights in a man's way, he makes his steps firm; though he stumble, he will not fall, for the LORD upholds him with his hand."
—PSALM 37: 23–24

"You will show me the path of life; in Your presence is fullness of joy; at Your right hand are pleasures forevermore."
—PSALM 16: 11 NKJV

The Strength to Bear anything

God's Grace is Sufficient
Greetings from Fr. Bob ...

To paraphrase George Gershwin's "Porgy and Bess,", it's summertime, but for many, the living ISN'T easy.

I say this because every day at Graymoor we receive many requests for prayers from all over the world, people who have logged onto our website asking the friars to remember their petitions in our Masses, prayers and novenas.

Some are sad and heartbroken over failed relationships, loss of a job, the death of a loved one, or a serious illness of a child.

Every day, we carefully and faithfully bring these prayer requests to the altar here at Graymoor.

St. Paul tells us in Second Corinthians about some of his problems.

He does not go into much detail, only to say that he could not stand it any longer.

He tells us, "I prayed urgently to the Lord asking him to help me, to take this thing away. And the answer was always the same ... My grace is good enough, for my power is perfected in weakness."

Whatever Paul's problem was, it was not removed by God, but he was given the STRENGTH to bear it.

I am sure most of us know what that is like, praying your heart out, asking, pleading for something and nothing happens.

And slowly we come to realize, like Paul, that Jesus went through the same thing.

He also prayed to his father, "Let this cup pass from me."

We do not always get what we ask for, but God will always give us what we NEED.

All of us at some time in life will carry a Cross; how you carry it is important.

Where is your Cross?

Where do you really hurt right now?

Only you know.

That is where Jesus is at work.

Don't run from it because then you run from Jesus who wants to meet you there.

In the words of a poet, "Where sorrow is, there is holy ground, and how else but through broken hearts may the Lord enter in."

Never try to go it alone.

Turn to the one who carried the Cross, and who told us, "Fear not, I am with you until the end of the world."

Yours in Christ,

Fr. Bob Warren, SA

Stay Strong

The Power to Bless You

WHENEVER YOU FEEL DISTANT from Me, whisper My Name in loving trust.

This simple prayer can restore your awareness of My Presence.

My Name is constantly abused in the world, where people use it as a curse word.

This verbal assault reaches all the way to heaven; every word is heard and recorded.

When you trustingly whisper My Name, My aching ears are soothed.

The grating rancor of the world's blasphemies cannot compete with a trusting child's utterance: "Jesus."

The power of My Name to bless both you and Me is beyond your understanding.

Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.
—ACTS 4: 12

"Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete."
— JOHN 16: 24

Trust me

RELAX IN MY PEACEFUL PRESENCE.

Do not bring performance pressures into our sacred space of communion.

When you are with someone you trust completely, you feel free to be yourself.

This is one of the joys of true friendship.

Though I am Lord of lords and King of kings, I also desire to be your intimate Friend.

When you are tense or pretentious in our relationship, I feel hurt.

I know the worst about you, but I also see the best in you.

I long for you to trust Me enough to be fully yourself with Me.

When you are real with Me, I am able to bring out the best in you: the very gifts I have planted in your soul.

Relax, and enjoy our friendship.

Stay Strong!

"They will make war against the Lamb, but the Lamb will overcome them because he is Lord of lords and King of kings—and with him will be his called, chosen and faithful followers."
—REVELATION 17: 14

"Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command. I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master's business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you."
—JOHN 15: 13–15

Stop Worrying

STOP WORRYING LONG ENOUGH to hear My voice.

I speak softly to you, in the depths of your being.

Your mind shuttles back and forth, hither and yon, weaving webs of anxious confusion.

As My thoughts rise up within you, they become entangled in those sticky webs of worry.

Thus, My voice is muffled, and you hear only "white noise."

Ask My Spirit to quiet your mind so that you can think My thoughts.

This ability is an awesome benefit of being My child, patterned after My own image.

Do not be deafened by the noise of the world or that of your own thinking.

Instead, be transformed by the renewing of your mind.

Sit quietly in My Presence, letting My thoughts reprogram your thinking.

- "Jesus Calling"

Stay Strong!

"And that you may love the LORD your God, listen to his voice, and hold fast to him. For the LORD is your life, and he will give you many years in the land he swore to give to your fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
—DEUTERONOMY 30: 20

Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.
—ROMANS 12:

Ask and it will be Given

"Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you."
(Matthew 7:7, NIV)

Ask

A lot of times, it's easy to think that we're not supposed to ask for too much, but the Scripture encourages us to go to God with all of our needs.

He tells us to ask, and He longs to give you the desires of your heart.

In fact, Jesus said, "You have not because you ask not."

When you step out and ask, it pleases Him and shows that your faith and trust are in Him.

Remember, when you pray, make sure there isn't anything in your heart that would block your faith.

Begin your prayers by surrendering every thought and attitude to the Lord.

Ask Him to purify your motives and show you if there is any unforgiveness in your life.

When you release those things to the Lord, it opens the door for Him to move mightily on your behalf!

A Prayer for Today
"Father, I humbly come to You and surrender all that I am. I ask that You pour out Your favor and blessing on me so that I can be a greater blessing to others and walk in all of Your ways in Jesus' name. Amen."

J. Osteen

Stay Strong!

Trust Me

TRUST ME IN ALL YOUR THOUGHTS.

I know that some thoughts are unconscious or semiconscious, and I do not hold you responsible for those.

But you can direct conscious thoughts much more than you may realize.

Practice thinking in certain ways—trusting Me, thanking Me—and those thoughts become more natural.

Reject negative or sinful thoughts as soon as you become aware of them.

Don't try to hide them from Me; confess them and leave them with Me.

Go on your way lightheartedly.

This method of controlling your thoughts will keep your mind in My Presence and your feet on the path of Peace.

Stay Strong!

Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the LORD our God.
—PSALM 20: 7

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.
—1 JOHN 1: 9

To shine on those living in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the path of peace.
—LUKE 1: 79

Trust in My Control

DRAW NEAR TO ME with a Thankful heart, aware that your cup is overflowing with blessings.

Gratitude enables you to perceive Me more clearly and to rejoice in our Love-relationship.

Nothing can separate you from My loving Presence!

That is the basis of your security.

Whenever you start to feel anxious, remind yourself that your security rests in Me alone, and I am totally trustworthy.

You will never be in control of your life circumstances, but you can relax and trust in My control.

Instead of striving for a predictable, safe lifestyle, seek to know Me in greater depth and breadth.

I long to make your life a glorious adventure, but you must stop clinging to old ways.

I am always doing something new within My beloved ones.

Be on the lookout for all that I have prepared for you.

"Jesus Calling"

Stay Strong!

"For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord."
—ROMANS 8: 38–39

"When I am afraid, I will trust in you. In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I will not be afraid. What can mortal man do to me?"
—PSALM 56: 3–4

"See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland."
—ISAIAH 43: 19

Thankful Prayer in Times of Trial

React to Problems with Thankful Prayer

Paul said, "In everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God"(Phil. 4:6).

This teaching tells us how to pray with gratitude.

The Greek terms Paul used refer to specific petitions made to God in the midst of difficulty.

Instead of praying to God with feelings of doubt, discouragement, or discontent, we are to approach Him with a thankful attitude before we utter even one word.

We can do that with sincerity when we realize that God promises not to allow anything to happen to us that will be too much for us to bear (1 Cor. 10:13), to work out everything for our good in the end (Rom. 8:28), and to "perfect, confirm, strengthen and establish"us in the midst of our suffering (1 Peter 5:10).

These are key principles for living the Christian life.

Go beyond memorizing them to letting them be the grid through which you automatically interpret all that happens to you.

Know that all your difficulties are within God's purpose, and thank Him for His available power and promises.

Being thankful will release you from fear and worry.

It is a tangible demonstration of trusting your situation to God's sovereign control.

And it is easy to do, since there are so many blessings to be thankful for: knowing that God will supply all our needs (Phil. 4:19), that He stays closely in touch with our lives (Ps. 139:3), that He cares about us (1 Peter 5:7), that all power belongs to Him (Ps. 62:11), that He is making us more and more like Christ (Rom. 8:29; Phil. 1:6), and that no detail escapes Him (Ps. 147:5).

The peace of God will help us be stable if we react to our circumstances, however unusual or ordinary, with thankful prayer instead of anxiety.

That's the promise of Philippians 4:7: "The peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."

Stay Strong!

Transfer your Heavy Burdens

I AM LIFE AND LIGHT IN ABUNDANCE.

As you spend time "soaking"in My Presence, you are energized and lightened.

Through communing with Me, you transfer your heavy burdens to My strong shoulders.

By gazing at Me, you gain My perspective on your life.

This time alone with Me is essential for unscrambling your thoughts and smoothing out the day before you.

Be willing to fight for this precious time with Me.

Opposition comes in many forms: your own desire to linger in bed; the evil one's determination to distract you from Me; the pressure of family, friends, and your own inner critic to spend your time more productively.

As you grow in your desire to please Me above all else, you gain strength to resist these opponents.

Delight yourself in Me, for I am the deepest Desire of your heart.

- Jesus Calling

Stay Strong!

"Within your temple, O God, we meditate on your unfailing love."
—PSALM 48: 9

"About Benjamin he said: "Let the beloved of the LORD rest secure in him, for he shields him all day long, and the one the LORD loves rests between his shoulders."
—DEUTERONOMY 33: 12

"Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart."
—PSALM 37: 4

Do Not Fear and Pray about Everything

LET ME SHOW YOU My way for you this day.

I guide you continually, so you can relax and enjoy My Presence in the present.

Living well is both a discipline and an art.

Concentrate on staying close to Me, the divine Artist.

Discipline your thoughts to trust Me as I work My ways in your life.

Pray about everything; then, leave outcomes up to Me.

Do not fear My will, for through it I accomplish what is best for you.

Take a deep breath and dive into the depths of absolute trust in Me.

Underneath are the everlasting arms!

Stay Strong!

"Listen to my cry for help, my King and my God, for to you I pray. In the morning, O LORD, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait in expectation."
—PSALM 5: 2– 3

"The eternal God is your refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms. He will drive out your enemy before you, saying, "Destroy him!"
—DEUTERONOMY 33: 27

Keep Asking, Seeking, Knocking - Never Quit

"For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened."
(Matthew 7:8, NIV)

Keep Asking

Is there something you are believing God for?

Does it seem like it's taking a long time to come to pass?

Be encouraged today because the Bible says that through faith and patience, you will inherit God's promises.

So don't give up!

Keep thanking God for His faithfulness in your life. Trust that His Word is true.

Keep praying and keep an attitude of faith and expectancy.

Keep asking.
Keep seeking.
Keep knocking on the door, and it will be opened to you.

It may seem like it's taking a long time, but know this: God is working behind the scenes on your behalf.

He is orchestrating things in your favor. His timing is always perfect!

As you stay faithful in your prayers and thanksgiving, the Lord will move mightily on your behalf.

He'll take you places that you've never dreamed!

A Prayer for Today

"Father, thank You for giving me a diligent spirit. Thank You for Your faithfulness. Give me strength to stand until I see Your promises fulfilled in my life in Jesus' name.
Amen.

- J. Osteen

Stay Strong! !!