“Praise be to God, who has not rejected my prayer or withheld his love from me!” Psalm 66:20

If we honestly look back on the sort of prayers we often pray, we will be filled with wonder that God has ever answered them. There may be some who think their prayers worthy of acceptance, like the Pharisee did. But the true Christian, in a more enlightened retrospect, weeps over their prayers, and if they could retrace their steps would desire to pray more truly, more earnestly. (Luke 18:9-14)

Think about how cold your prayers often are. When praying alone in your room (Matthew 6:6) you should wrestle as Jacob did. (Genesis 32:22-32) But instead, your petitions have been faint and few. They have been far removed from that humble, believing, persevering faith, which cries, “I will not let you go unless you bless me.” (Genesis 32:26)

Yet, how wonderful is it that God has nonetheless heard these cold prayers, and not only heard, but answered them!

Reflect also how infrequent your prayers are. Unless you’re in trouble, that is. That’s when people hasten to pray! When deliverance has come, where has been your constant prayer of thanks? Yet, even when you cease to pray diligently, God does not cease to bless. When you have neglected God in prayer, God has not deserted you. His bright glorious light continues to shine.

Oh Yet, how wonderful is it that God has nonetheless heard these cold prayers, and not only heard, but answered them! What a God He is to hear the prayers of those who come to Him when they have pressing wants, but neglect Him when they have received a mercy. He even hears those who approach Him when they are forced to come, but who almost forget to address Him when mercies are plentiful and sorrows are few.

Let His gracious kindness in hearing such prayers touch our hearts, so that we may “pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests.” (Ephesians 6:18)

Questions: In what areas have you been “praying halfheartedly” lately? In what areas can you see that God has been at work despite your lack of prayer?

Originally written by Charles H. Spurgeon,
Updated to modern English by Darren Hewer,  2010.
used by permission

FURTHER READING

What Should Be Included in Prayer?

Continuous Partial Attention Is your prayer time undistracted?

How did Jesus Pray?

The post God Hears Halfhearted Prayer appeared first on Thoughts About God.

“I want to know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His suffering” Philippians 3:10

How are you doing today?

Is everything going great, or are you struggling with a broken relationship? Or perhaps you have an incurable disease – maybe something worse.

Some parts of our life’s journey are painful. Recently, the Lord gave me an insight into suffering that I would like to share with you. It was very helpful to me.

God is faithful – and will walk with us each step of the journey.

I had an experience that was very painful. I found that even though I had long forgiven the people involved, painful memories kept coming back. I asked the Lord about this,

“How can I stop those memories from coming back?”

He reminded me of the verse in Philippians,

“I want to know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His suffering.”

He told me to thank Him for the horrid experience because through this experience, I had the privilege of “the fellowship of Christ’s suffering.”

I was getting to know Him in a deeper way – in a way I wouldn’t have if I had not gone through this.

We often pray for the power of His resurrection, but do we ever pray for the fellowship of His suffering? Jesus our Master said we could expect trouble if we follow Him. We shouldn’t be surprised!

Father, we want to know You. Thank You for reminding me about the “fellowship of His suffering.” Thank You for the painful times in life. Thank You for walking with us each step of the way. Amen

by Katherine Kehler
Used by Permission

Learn more about knowing Jesus at: https://thoughtsaboutgod.com/four-laws/

FURTHER READING

More thoughts from Katherine

The Exceeding Greatness of His Power

“Thine is the Power”

Transforming Power

The post Broken Relationships appeared first on Thoughts About God.

“Keep on praying.” 1 Thessalonians 5:17 (NLT)

Corrie ten Boom asked, “Is prayer your steering wheel or your spare tire?”

My husband Bill was a man driven to pray frequently.

One morning he was awakened around 2am.  One of our staff associates faced a personal crisis.  That morning, God impressed upon Bill to pray for the man and to ask for God’s wisdom in how to respond to the needs of our friend.

God prepared Bill for a crucial meeting with that same man the next day.

Oh, but my husband would pray about everything!  (SMILE).  He would even pray about what clothes to wear.  He felt that the way he dressed, as well as his words and actions, should bring glory to God.

As Bill said, “The more frequently you share your thoughts and desires with your Lord, the closer you come to Him.”

Friend, make prayer your steering wheel.

“Talking to men for God is a great thing, but talking to God for men is greater still.” – E.M. Bounds

By Vonette Bright
used by permission

FURTHER READING’

Prayer: Continuous Partial Attention

Imbalanced Prayer

Foundational Core Truths about Prayer

The post Spare Prayer? appeared first on Thoughts About God.

“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 12:2

Thought

Don’t be molded by the world. Wow, isn’t that a tough one to obey. It’s a reminder that what we think is one of the places of greatest spiritual warfare. Sloppy thinking is more than sloppy, it’s dangerous because we are fed messages constantly that distort God’s truth and holy values. But rather than being incensed by the world acting like the world, let’s be transformed by renewing our minds and doing what Paul said he did — take every thought, every word, captive for Christ. We often think a tithe is giving ten percent of our money, but an even more vital tithe is giving ten percent of our totally undivided thought time to the things of God!

Prayer

O Lord, please guard my soul from pride, my heart from callousness, and my mind from too much focus on unimportant things and not enough on your things. Teach me in my heart what it means to be about my Father’s business, especially in the world of my thoughts! In the name of Jesus, my greatest example of one who knew and lived your will, I pray. Amen.

By Phil Ware
used by permission
From https://www.heartlight.org

FURTHER READING

Being Transformed by Kathy Cheek

Be Transformed by Sherry Yarger

What is Your standard for Living?

The post Molded by the World appeared first on Thoughts About God.

“‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’” Luke 10:27

My first encounter with tether-ball was at camp. You could tell that scores of children enjoyed playing there from the donut pattern of dirt around the pole.

If you’ve played tether-ball you know its physics. A rope is tied to the top of a ten-foot pole and seven or eight feet down hangs a ball. The goal of the game is to hit the ball with your fist or palm so it winds up all the rope and the ball hits the post. Your opponent tries to stop you from doing so and hopes to send the ball in the opposite direction.

And all the while the ball is tethered.  Tied. Constrained. Going in tight circles. Fast.

A professor at MIT, Sheryl Turkle, uses the idea of tethering to picture our relationship with technology. She wrote: “On my cell, online, on the web, on instant messaging—these phrases suggest a new place for the situation of a tethered self.” She goes on to suggest that the relationships we believe really matter are determined by how accessible people are through media rather than face-to-face conversation. For example, we’ve all seen people in a park ignore each other while texting with heads down.

Are you so tethered that you can’t connect with people nearby? Do media distract you from meaningful friendships with people and God? Are you so tethered that you can’t live without being on the grid?

Dear God, help me be less digitally connected so I may commune with family and friends. Untether me so I can better love and care for people closest to me. Amen.

By Dr. Bill Strom
used by permission

FURTHER READING

Quiet Significance

Building Lasting Friendships

Likes and Followers

The post The Tethered Self appeared first on Thoughts About God.

“Therefore, I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body what you will wear…Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? “ Matthew 6:25-27

We worry over our children, our finances,  our health, that we won’t be able to meet the new challenges we’re facing. We’re consumed by the “what ifs.”

What does worry accomplish?

Worry doesn’t accomplish anything. It robs today of its joys and tomorrow of its hope.

Worship and worry cannot live in the same heart. Worry is an affront to God’s character. Our worry is saying, “I can’t really trust you, Lord.”

We don’t have to worry about tomorrow for God is already there. He knows our needs. Trust in His extravagant goodness. Whatever you lack, God will provide.

When Jesus says, “do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body what you will wear…Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?” It doesn’t mean we should be lazy and not provide for our families.

Paul tells the Christians in Thessalonica, “Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business and to work with your hands, just as we told you, so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so that you will not be dependent on anybody else” (1 Thessalonians 4:11)

Don’t you just love the Bible for its wisdom and practical advice?

Thank you, Father, for being involved in our lives and for meeting our needs.

By Helen Lescheid
Used by Permission

Learn more about knowing Jesus at: https://thoughtsaboutgod.com/four-laws/

FURTHER READING ON WORRY:

You Don’t Have to Worry

Worry about Your Life

The Worry-Free God

She Forgot to Worry

What Do You Do With Worry?

The post Why Worry? appeared first on Thoughts About God.

(The rich man said), “Take life easy; eat, drink and be happy” Luke 12:19

“Happy are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled.” Matthew 5:6

In explaining why she and her friend would not be marrying, the actress is quoted as saying, “We’ll stay together as long as we’re happy.”

Can happiness endure late night feedings and dirty diapers? Dark depression that shuts out even those closest?  Loss of money, prestige, honor?  The heartbreak of betrayal?  The hopelessness of cancer or AIDS?

There is such a thing as short term happiness, but is that what we truly want in a relationship? More importantly, is that what we want from God? Do we come to Him for what He can give or are we ready to sign on for the long haul, knowing only that He promises to never leave or forsake, to love completely, to walk with us through the fires of life, to pull us up from the swirling waters.

Short term happiness or eternal, abundant life?

God, teach me to focus on the true desires and needs of my heart and to increasingly trust all to you, amen.

By Marilyn Ehle
used by permission

FURTHER READING

If you don’t know  about Jesus and the alternative life he offers, See Four Spiritual Laws that explains it.

Setting a Proper Foundation for Business and Life

How do you Define Happiness?

Eternal Happiness

The post Short Term Happiness appeared first on Thoughts About God.

7 Good Things about Stepping Out

You don’t need to look back and wonder about those who are not going with you, but you can wholeheartedly follow the One who will never leave or forsake you. Genesis 12:1

You may not know where you are going, but you can be confident that the One who has called you will get you there. Genesis 12:1

You are taking steps that will bring blessings to your life and the lives of others.  Genesis 12:2

You can let go of the things you have been clinging to, and take hold of the hand that will never let you go. Isaiah 41:10

You don’t need to have any concern about what you have to offer, but you can have full confidence in what God will do. Exodus 3:10-12

You don’t need to fear if you will make it, but you can be assured that He who has called you is faithful. Genesis 15:1

You don’t need to wonder if it will be worth it, because you can be certain that the greatest rewards are up ahead. Hebrews 11:8-10

By Roy Lessin
used by permission

FURTHER READING

New to Faith? Start Following Jesus One Step at a Time

Small Steps are Big

Stepping Up

The post 7 Good Things about Stepping Out appeared first on Thoughts About God.

For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16

Have you Heard of the Four Spiritual Laws?

Bill Bright was the founder of CRU (Campus Crusade for Christ). He started this missions organization out of a great desire to reach college students. A large part of CRU’s ministry is evangelism and outreach. Many people have been in churches but have never accepted the gospel for themselves. Many people have never heard of Jesus before. Bill decided to create a booklet called Have You Heard of the Four Spiritual Laws?

The four laws are simple and biblical and have led thousands upon thousands to a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. They are:

1. God loves you and offers a wonderful plan for your life.

The first spiritual law starts by explaining that God loves you. Many people have never heard this before. They may have heard that God is always mad at them or does not care about their small lives. However, John 3:16 shares that because God loves the world, He sent Jesus so that we could have eternal life with Him. This is why the gospel is called the “good news.”

2. We are sinful and separated from God. Therefore, we cannot know and experience God’s love and plan for our lives.

In order for anyone to see their need for a Savior, they must come to the reality that they are sinful. Romans 3:23 tells us that we all sin and fall short of God’s glory. This spiritual law explains that we had a right relationship with our Creator God, but we chose to sin. We rebelled against Him and broke that unity. There is nothing that we can do to erase sin. We can strive to reach Him through good deeds, religion, or philosophy, but it does not address the sin that separates us.

3. Jesus Christ is God’s only provision for our sin. Through Him alone we can know God personally and experience God’s love and plan.

Romans 5:8 shares that Christ demonstrated His love by dying on the cross for us. Jesus became the payment for the price of all our sins. Then, 1 Corinthians 15:3-6 says that He rose from the dead.

4. We must individually receive Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord; then we can know and experience God’s love and plan for our lives.

The fourth spiritual law comes to a place of decision. It is one thing to hear this, but it is another to personally accept this gift of salvation. John 1:12 says that in receiving Jesus’ death and resurrection on our behalf, we become children of God. Ephesians 2:8-9 tells us that we receive Christ through faith by His grace. When we receive Christ, we experience rebirth. We are spiritually reborn. John 3:1-8 tells of Jesus teaching this concept to Nicodemus. When we receive Jesus as our Savior, our hearts are made new and the Holy Spirit enters, sealing us as God’s own.

Review these four spiritual laws, do and believe what they say, and you will be saved.

See the FOUR SPIRITUAL LAWS in FULL

by John Grant
used by permission

FOUR SPIRITUAL LAWS in FULL

The post HAVE YOU HEARD OF THE FOUR SPIRITUAL LAWS? appeared first on Thoughts About God.

Beloved one, listen to God’s Word for you in Galatians 5:1.

“It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.”

Be released into your full freedom in Christ to be entirely whole in your spirit, soul, and body. Receive ministry from your Father until your inner being knows exactly who you are and is strong, as he takes all hindrances and baggage and replaces them with the life of his authority, grace, and freedom in you. You are not meant just to survive. You are meant to thrive and be whole, and free, and complete.

Right where God has placed you, there are things that he has put in you that you don’t know now and fruits in your character that he is building in you in this season and treasures in you that he has not yet revealed. Be released from all yokes of bondage to be the man/woman after God’s own heart that you are. Be blessed to possess your freedom to which he has called you.

Receive the tender correction of your Shepherd. Sometimes he uses his rod and staff to guide you, lest you stray from his care in paths of righteousness, but your soul resists. Welcome your Shepherd’s discipline for your good. He guides you to persevere into full freedom in himself that is your right in him. Persist and stand firm in him. Be blessed with all the liberty of the Lord. It’s yours, because Jesus set you free at the cross, and today he sets you free. Be blessed in his purpose for you to live free in full confidence in him.

Be blessed in the name of your Deliverer (Jeremiah 15:11).

by Sylvia Gunter
used by permission

FURTHER READING

Christ is Risen!

Celebrate Freedom

So Many Freedoms

The post Possess Your Freedom appeared first on Thoughts About God.

“…I will not forget you! See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands… ” Isaiah 49:15b – 16a

It’s painful being forgotten. Especially by someone we love. I try not to take it personally because life has a tendency to become busy, making meaningful communications less frequent. But sometimes, admittedly, I feel as if I am forgettable.

Throughout the Bible, there were great people who felt forgotten. Guys like Job and Jeremiah struggled to comprehend if their misfortune was a result of God’s lack of attention. Even as Jesus hung on the cross, he verbalized despair over God’s apparent absence (Matthew 27:46).

In reality, God was never preoccupied nor was he uninterested in what was happening in those anointed lives. Quite the opposite. God’s love and attention to every detail in their destinies were choreographed perfectly to glorify God’s overflowing care.

As much as our loved ones may disappoint us by not being there when we need to talk, forgetfulness is not in our heavenly Father’s vocabulary. As a matter of fact, he loves us so much that he, “…engraved you on the palms of my (his) hands…” (v. 16). That is an extraordinary encouragement that won’t change because to do so would be in contradiction to God’s character.

As chaotic and hurting as this world can be, today’s promise is God’s heart and mind for us. As believers, we know the truth behind God’s motives. We are his precious children, permanently engraved upon him. Share this truth today with those around you who might be feeling forgotten.

Father God, even though there are times that I may feel forgettable, thank you for keeping me in the truth of how unforgettable I am in your eyes. Then, help me share this truth with those I encounter who may be feeling forgettable as well. It is in Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.

By Melissa Talbot
Used by Permission

FURTHER READING

Be Blessed, Beloved Child

In the Palm of God’s Hand

Come Alongside

Learn more about knowing Jesus at: https://thoughtsaboutgod.com/four-laws/

The post Unforgettable? appeared first on Thoughts About God.

Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it. Proverbs 4:23

She was sitting on the floor with tears flowing. A quiet sob lingered in the air.

Months earlier, her grandfather, a potter, had created a delightful heart shaped work of art for her. It was beautiful. Her face lit up with joy when she saw it. It had a special place of honor in her room.

This particular day, she had friends visiting. One spotted the heart. He had no idea of the precious nature of her grandfather’s creation. With careless hands, he grabbed the heart from its resting place. It slipped, and crashed to the floor, shattering into pieces.

When the news reached her grandfather, the compassionate and generous creator, he fashioned a new heart for his granddaughter!

The author of proverbs gives special consideration to the care of the heart. In the Bible, the heart is the core, central to every aspect of our lives. The heart is the seat of our concept of the mind, will, and emotions.

People who are seeking to care for their physical hearts watch what they eat, exercise and have regular checkups. It is not so different with our spiritual core. To guard our hearts, we must be cautious with what we consume. A healthy heart is filled with truth. God and his word are the source of truth. God’s Spirit is the spirit of truth. A healthy heart is examined regularly for roots of bitterness, anger and fear.

A heart can be broken when placed in the hands of those who do not value its precious nature. Thankfully God is the compassionate and generous creator, who can restore a broken heart. Maybe this is what the writer of the Psalms longed for in the request, “Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.” Psalms 51:10

Prayer: Father God, you know my heart. Please reveal anything that is not healthy. Give me wisdom to guard my heart. I invite you to create a pure heart within me. Thank you for being a compassionate and generous creator, who can restore my heart. Amen

Thought for the Day: How’s your heart? Time for a check up?

by Mike Woodard
used be permission

Would you like to know God personally so he can begin to heal your broken heart.

Let me encourage you to surrender your life to Jesus Christ today. The following is a prayer you could make your own:

Lord Jesus, I want to know You personally. Thank You for dying on the cross for my sins. I open the door of my life and receive You as my Savior and Lord. Thank You for forgiving my sins and giving me eternal life. Take control of my life. Make me be the person You want me to be. Amen.

Is it the desire of your heart to make this prayer yours? If yes, pray now and according to his promise,  Jesus Christ will come into your life.

FURTHER READING

• How to be Saved
• How to Be Confident You Will Go to Heaven When You Die
• How to Know I am Really Saved (short Version)
• Now that I am a Christian, What’s Next? – Printable PDF file
• Reading the Bible – Where to Start?
• How to Have a ‘Quiet Time’ with God

The post Broken Heart appeared first on Thoughts About God.