Exodus 17:2

So they quarreled with Moses and said, “Give us water to drink.”
Moses replied, “Why do you quarrel with me? Why do you put the LORD to the test?”-Exodus 17:2

Some problems can only be solved by prayer. I have chosen this week to focus on prayer. This verse specifically shows a time where prayer would have been a better response to the situation. My study Bible says this very powerful statement, " We should make a determined effort to pray when we feel like complaining."

Prayer of Day: Lord, help me to come to you and thank you for what you've done, rather than complain. I know you care for my every need and know my every desire.

1 Peter 2:17

Show proper respect to everyone, love the family of believers, fear God, honor the emperor. -1 Peter 2:17

 I have to admit this bring me to the point of honoring the leadership of the country. I do not always agree or even like the people who run our country, yet I have a deep respect for the position they hold. This is what God asked us to do. So long as we remember that God is control, we can know he will be watching over the leadership above His people. Pray, its the only thing we can do and know that it is getting somewhere!

Prayer of the day: Lord, thank you for allowing me to live in a country where I have all this freedom to worship and seek You. Give the leadership wisdom, boldness, and the conviction to do what is right.

Romans 13:7

Give to everyone what you owe them: If you owe taxes, pay taxes; if revenue, then revenue; if respect, then respect; if honor, then honor.-Romans 13:7

I keep chewing this verse over and over again in my head. I want to see what I am supposed to get out of it for this time in my life. I truly feel like I need to hear it, but why? Who do I lack giving them what they owe? Likely this is related to respect or honor for me, but its going to take some prayerful consideration as to whom I am not doing so with.

My first guess goes to family members. It is easy to overlook the respect and honor they deserve. This is especially true in the marriage relationship. I often find myself over ruling, correcting, or complaining, which are all disrespectful of my husband. There is no perfect person, but as the husband God placed in my life and for the hard job he does of being my husband, he deserves respect and honor for it.

I should really study Biblical submission, I'm no good at it...

Prayer of the Day: (Grady) Lord, let the fear of God keep my heart clean from all hypocrisy. I choose today to keep my heart open and vulnerable to Your refining fire.

Romans 12:9-21

Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves. Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.  Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality. Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited. Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,”says the Lord. On the contrary:

   “If your enemy is hungry, feed him;
   if he is thirsty, give him something to drink.
In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.”

 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.-Romans 12:9-21

There is so much going on here. I think I may stay on these for a few days. Let's start here: "Love must be sincere"

Love is a choice, not just feeling. Sometimes choosing love is not an easy route. Yes, its easy to be "nice" but to truly love them, no. One of the next things Paul says is to be "devoted" in love to each other. I don't know about you, but devotion is a powerful word. It means you put every possible moment, energy, possessions into it. If you are devoted to your marriage, you are faithful- you fill all important needs through that person (sexual, romantic, support, etc). A sincere love is a chosen love. One that works hard to be devoted to another.

Prayer of the day: Lord, thank You for having sincere love for me. Teach me to devote myself in love to others.

Church Notes- Honor

Thank you Pastor David for another great word! You too can listen at River Church's podcast.

Today Pastor spoke on honor and it was a timely word for me as well as the house. I wanted to outline some of the notes I took and share the Scripture references he used. Over the next week or so I plan to look more into each scripture mentioned, so hang tight!
Be aware, my notes are going to seem slightly irregular, since they are in single statement format. (It's just how I take notes!)

Kingdom Culture of Honor

1. Honor will produce favor.

• Romans 12:10, 13:7 (suggested translation by Pastor ESV)
• 1 Peter 2:17 

1.   Pay your debt to others through honor.
2. Citizenship in heaven should be more important than any we have on Earth.
3. The church should have a culture of honor.
4. To honor someone- Honor what they honor; love what they love.
5. You don't have to love/like someone to give them honor.
6. Honor- to highly respect, esteem, give recognition, value, worth, to pay a price for

• Luke 6:38

1. This verse refers to everything, not just money: honor too!
2. What you don't sow, you can't reap.
3. If you follow God's principals, His good seed will over flow beyond all the bad seed that Satan sows.
4. Sometimes you have to honor those who are dishonorable.
5. Some honor comes with position.

• Genesis 12:1-3

1. If someone is blessed of the Lord, bless them. You will end up blessed.
2. Dishonor brings a curse.
3. God does not act on "fair", he acts on favor.
4. It's not about "me" when it comes to blessing. 
5. Honor=serving others.
6. How far did Jesus go to serve? The cross.
7. True honor will cost you something. Humble yourself.
8. Church- Come to honor and bless the Lord, not the other way around.
9. How can I bless the Lord? Others? (come to church saying that)
10. The Lord already gave us the best he has, the most honor.
11. It is better to give than to receive. 
12. Church should be a "bless others club" not a "bless me club"

• Philippians 2:3

1. Honoring is a test of humility.
2. Humility is the fruit of honor.

Psalm 13:5-6

But I trust in your unfailing love;
   my heart rejoices in your salvation.
I will sing the LORD’s praise,
   for he has been good to me
-Psalm 13:5-6

Its easy in times when things are challenging to forget how much God has done for you. He has truly done so much for me.  I shouldn't be alive but I am. I've been all over the world and I'm only in my mid-twenties. I'm married with two wonderful children. I am a blessed woman! Tell me, how has God been good to you already?

Prayer of the day: (Grady) Lord, You truly have been good to me. Today I will remember Your goodness and remind others of the ways You have proven Yourself faithful.

Jeremiah 29:13

You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. -Jer 29:13

The scriptures before and after this one speak of a time when God's people were in bondage. These verses share God's desire to still have a relationship with them, reminding them that they have not been forgotten. My study Bible puts it this way, "In times of deep trouble it may appear as though God has forgotten you. But God may be preparing you, as he did the people of Judah, for a new beginning with him at the center." This leads us to the importance of Jeremiah 29:13. It is God request, no, expectation during those challenging times that we seek him. In prayer, fasting, worship, whatever it takes to put our whole heart into it. Doing something with our whole heart is not an easy task, its a challenge. It requires work. You can't be lazy and seek something that strongly. God is using the times of trouble to teach us these very important disciplines. Just how badly do you want things to change? Badly enough to work for it?

Prayer of the Day: (Grady) Lord, teach me to pray. Give me a seeking heart that is determined to find You no matter what kind of distractions interfere with our communication.

Lord, Rock My Boat

I am sick and tired of trying to control my own life. I keep messing it up. However, if I give it to God, I know he only wants good for me.

In life, it is easy to hold on to things- your job, your finances, your marriage, etc. Yet, God has an amazing ability to care for each of those things. That doesn't mean we stop trying. (We don't sit on the sofa, drink soda, and expect to be healthy, right?) We have to follow God's direction and plan and things will work out for His glory.

Prayer: Lord, take control over my life. Rock my boat if need be. I want to live the life you planned!

Psalms 108:3-6

I will praise you, LORD, among the nations;
   I will sing of you among the peoples.
For great is your love, higher than the heavens;
   your faithfulness reaches to the skies.
Be exalted, O God, above the heavens;
   let your glory be over all the earth.
 Save us and help us with your right hand,
   that those you love may be delivered.
 Psalms 108:3-6

Today on our nations birthday, remember to thank the Lord that we live in a place where we are free to worship and share His Word. Also, keep our nation in prayer daily. We live in a fallen world and we are surrounded by sin. Pray for our leadership that they will have the conviction and courage to stand for what is right.

Prayer of the day: (Grady) Lord, I ask You to heal our nation today. Let revival begin in the churches. Then, let the power of Your presence be felt in our streets as You deliver us from violence, immorality, corruption, racism, greed and social injustice. 

Ephesians 6:14-18

Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people. -Ephesians6:14-18

God gave us everything we need to get through any situation in our life. Not only that, he is available to "talk us through it" in our prayer life. By providing us with faith, the Holy Spirit, and the Word of God, he empowered us to defeat every enemy and succeed in any situation he desires for us!

Prayer of day: Lord, thank you for your Spirit and Word. Help me to use them along with prayer to walk through my everyday struggles in life.

Matthew 4:1-4

Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. The tempter came to him and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.” Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’” - Matthew 4:1-4

There is so many jewels to be taken from these verses, I am unsure where to start. Thanks to my study Bible I got a new perspective on the temptations of Jesus and the temptations in our own life. It is important to consider that the fact Jesus was "hungry" and eating in no way sinful. Yet, Satan tempted Jesus with fulfilling that "need". It wasn't the food or the need that made this situation a temptation. It was the fact that it wasn't what God intended for him to do. My study guide today pointed out that "[i]n your desert the devil will offer you hundreds of solutions and alternatives except one: to seek earnestly the face of God." This being said, God is able to care for every need we have. He even enjoys giving us our desires as well. My study Bible's notes put it this way, " many of your desires are normal and good, but God wants you to satisfy them in the right way [AND] at the right time." I think the timing thing is the hardest part for most of us. Thankful we have the Holy Spirit inside us and the Word with us to help us stay strong!

Prayer of the day: (Grady) Lord, when I face a spiritual desert [or any desert], give me the grace to thirst for You and to feed on the Bread of Life alone.