(G)Leaning on Grace

I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and his incomparably great power for us who believe. Ephesians 1:18 Prayer serves many purposes in the life of a Christian. Through prayer we can communicate with God, sharing our thoughts, our dreams, our worries. We can tell Him about our failures and our triumphs. We can petition Him on behalf of our loved ones or friends. We confess our sin and ask for forgiveness that is promised and provided through His grace and mercy when we exhibit true repentance. In the obedient practice and commitment to prayer we tap into the almighty power of God that is part of our inheritance as his child. "That power is like the working of his mighty strength, which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power ...

For God, who said, "Let light shine out of darkness," made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ. 2 Corinthians 4:6 Afraid of the dark? Me too, or at least I used to be. There was a time when I wandered aimlessly in the disorientation that an all consuming blackness could bring on. I remember feeling totally lost with no sense of direction. Constantly groping for a lamp, a candle, even a match, anything that would bring the slightest bit of brightness into my world. Now, I'm not saying that everything in my life was horrible, on the surface it may have seemed normal, but I felt no sense of hope for future improvement. I did not see how my situation could ever get better and in fact my circumstances were spiraling out of control. My personal life, my home life, my health all reaching destructive extremes. I had my husband, but our relationship was rapidly deteriorating. My job was taking over my life ...

Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. Colossians 4:2 This is part of the Apostle Paul's letter to the church in Colossi. He is imploring these young followers to be devoted to prayer and to furthering the message of Christ. He reminds them that in their devotion they need to be watchful and thankful. Watchful of their behavior and that of those whom they follow because what they do and say can affect how new converts or seekers of the way will perceive Christ. It is still the same today. As we trek through our individual journey with Christ as our guide we must always be mindful of not putting stumbling blocks in the paths of others. We cannot expect ourselves to be perfect, because none of us are, but we should certainly strive to make decisions and take actions that best reflect our faith so as not to mislead. Once we identify ourselves as Christians we must be aware that we say and do represents to church and most especially the head of the church, Ch...

During the days of Jesus' life on earth, he offered up prayers and petitions with loud cries and tears to the one who could save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission. Although he was a son, he learned obedience from what he suffered. Hebrews 5:7-8 It is impressed on my heart this morning how important our response to suffering in difficult times actually is. Jesus, the One and Only Son of God, spent much of his time in private prayer. He performed great miracles. He had a servants heart in all situations. Yet, he was not saved from suffering. As He ministered to the disciples he was ridiculed at times and mocked. Even in his public ministry he was questioned and shunned by the people of his own home town. As I think on these things I can't help but imagine what my own reaction would have been. What feelings course through me when I meet with vocal opposition and critical opinion in my daily life. It is a human reaction for sure for our fee...

Let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most. Hebrews 4:16 (NLT) Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need. Hebrews 4:16 (NIV) Let us then fearlessly and confidently and boldly draw near to the throne of grace (the throne of God's unmerited favor to us sinners), that we may receive mercy [for our failures] and find grace to help in good time for every need [appropriate help and well-timed help, coming just when we need it]. Hebrews 4:16 (Amplified) This verse says a lot to me, to us, as Christians who have been accepted, sanctified and strive live by the Word of God. It says that God did not go through all the trouble, make the greatest sacrifice in the history of mankind for us to live timidly. He gave His son, making a pathway to himself so that we would come boldly, confidently and fearlessly t...

The eternal God is your refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms. Deuteronomy 33:27 I have spent a significant amount of time pondering this verse. I know that in context of the chapter it may not mean all the things I can imagine it to, but it's still a comforting thought to try to imagine God's everlasting arms. This is part of Moses' blessing on the Tribes of Israel. Moses was imparting his wisdom on his Israelite brothers and reminding them just who had delivered them, His power, His might, His protection and that the God of Israel is in control of all things. Our God is in control of all things. Our God is eternal, no beginning and no end. He is forever the same, yesterday, today and tomorrow. Because he is eternal His promises are for all generations of believers. We all have access to Him because of His great sacrifice so that we could be reconciled to him. We can be with Him in his eternal glory, heaven. He is our refuge. He is the safe place where we can fin...

For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. Nothing in all creation is hidden from God's sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account. Hebrews 4:12-13 As human beings we all long for companionship, friendship and even truly deep relationship with another person that we can trust and share our most telling secrets with. Our emotional stability sometimes hinges on that very thing. We have an intrinsic need to share. Or at least women do. I understand that men are wired somewhat differently and it takes them a little longer, if ever, to open up to their contemporaries. I believe however, that God made us that way. He knew that we would long for relationship with another. He created us to do life, to serve him, to be living and active in our faith as a group. That's why h...