“He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds [curing their pains and their sorrows].” Psalm 147:3 AMP

“THE SPIRIT of the Lord God is upon Me, because the Lord has anointed and qualified Me to preach the Gospel of good tidings to the meek, the poor, and afflicted; He has sent Me to bind up and heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the [physical and spiritual] captives and the opening of the prison and of the eyes to those who are bound.” Isaiah 61:1 AMP

“The Lord hears His people when they call to Him for help. He rescues them from all their troubles. The Lord is close to the broken-hearted; He rescues those whose spirits are crushed.” Psalm 34:17-18 NLT

by Roy Lessin
Used by Permission

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Crushed in Spirit

Healing Prayer for Hurting People

Worrying

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“Son of man, these men have set up idols in their hearts and put wicked stumbling blocks before their faces. Should I let them inquire of me at all?”  Ezekiel 14:3

Is there anything fighting to claim first place in your heart instead of God?

When God wins your heart, you have no room for idols. Idolatry can take many forms such as a relationship that you value, a loving family, your work, success, or the material possessions you have. Those things are not bad. However, if the desires of your heart for these things are stronger than your desire for God, you need to repent.

Anytime you notice your heart beating stronger for something else other than God, stop and think about it. God doesn’t like it because it can steer you down the wrong path. So, your heart should belong to God above all else.

However, when it happens, there’s a way out of trouble. God sent Jesus to live as one of us so he could identify with our human weaknesses. Jesus died on the cross and was raised from death, not only to redeem us but to cleanse our conscience from all sinful actions, so we can serve the living God with our whole heart. He promises that. “For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more” (Hebrews 8:12).

This new covenant with God has made a provision to redeem you and cleanse you of all unrighteousness, provided you repent. If you’ve noticed that you sinned, be quick ask God for forgiveness. When you do something wrong or your heart’s desires steer you away, always run back to God, who can forgive you and help you move forward.

Father God, forgive me, purify my heart, and cleanse my conscience, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

By Fab Batsakis
Used by Permission

The post The Way Out of Trouble appeared first on Thoughts About God.

Her grandma-heart rejoiced as her grandson chattered away, telling her the news of his three-year-old day and trying to stay awake.

As his grandma listened, his eyes dropped from the weariness caused by this day he couldn’t stop talking about.

Suddenly, he snuggled close.

Then lay limp in her lap.

Her eyes brimmed with tears.

This grandma saw herself mirrored in the weary child who suddenly transferred his weight to this woman he trusted.

Her love for him held him close—this limp little body of weariness.

And she knew this was prayer.

Coming to a stop, laying aside all care, trusting another, and leaning close.

Lying limp in His lap.

“Casting all your care upon Him,
for He cares for you.” ~ 1 Peter 5:7

by Bethany Hayes
used by permission

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Casting Your Anxiety on God

He Cares for You!

Cast Your Cares on God

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Moral Inventory. 

A moral inventory has been both revealing and freeing. Let me try and get at some of what I’ve been digging up.

I’ve spent most of my life believing I was better than everybody else. I was special. I was given a task from God to do something really BIG for Him. That was drilled into me at the age of five. What it did was set me apart in my mind. I was privileged. God was going to give me VIP treatment since I was so important to Him and His work. A warped sense of spiritual entitlement set in and blended dangerously with my distaste for accountability and you can see where this is going — someone who is aloof and above criticism.

I love the 12-Step program because it throws me into the mix of broken humanity. It’s where I belong. But it’s also where I don’t fit. I’m tired of being aloof, but I don’t know how to be in the crowd. I’m self-conscious in groups when I’m nobody. I know what to do when I’m the performer. I know how to take compliments and reach out to people as long as I’m the somebody they came to hear, but when I’m not the focus, I fade into the background and want to hide. “Don’t you know who I am?” is going through my mind, or as Marti points out, it should be “Don’t you know who I was?”

The 12-Step program throws me in with a bunch of sinners, which is where I long to be, but it’s also where I don’t know how to be. I know how to be in the green room with the speakers. And then I find out there are no speakers here, there are just a bunch of flabbergasted saved sinners, and they share the job of leading the meeting, and that’s good. We’re anonymous. We’re nobodies finding out we are somebody in Christ. This is good. This is all very good, but scary.

Is anybody else scared? Why?

Would you feel at home in an AA meeting or out of sorts?

by John Fischer
used by permission

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The post ‘Don’t you know who I am?’ appeared first on Thoughts About God.

For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.  – Hebrews 12:11

On December 27, 1998, rookie quarterback Peyton Manning threw his 28th interception of the National Football League season (not a good thing), a total that led the league. His team lost 13 out of their 16 games and finished as one of the league’s worst teams.

On August 8, 2021, Peyton Manning was inducted into the NFL Hall of Fame. He credits the hardships and failures he endured that rookie season, as well as many others he experienced in his career, as a secret that led to his becoming one of the greatest football players of all time.

The author of Hebrews presents this paradigm — failure, pain, and hardship as essential to future victory — as a way God shapes his children. Just as athletes endure crushing defeats on the field, we all face a litany of hardships: job losses, broken relationships, shocking medical diagnoses, and more. I’m sure you could make a personalized list easily.

It’s easy to mistake life’s hardships as a form of God’s retribution for our wrongdoing. But Hebrews 12 makes clear that, for Christians, difficulties and setbacks are part of our loving Father’s discipline. Under his shaping hand, today’s hardships yield tomorrow’s “peaceful fruit of righteousness”.

In defining ‘righteousness,’ Strong’s concordance of Greek words includes this statement: the “state of him who is as he ought to be”. In other words, our good Father works through pain to shape us into who he intends us to be: living in purity and integrity, bearing fruit for his glory, filled with joy and closeness to him.

This passage also indicates two important elements for us to embrace in this process: vision and exercise.

Peyton Manning endured hardship with a vision that wasn’t guaranteed. He could have continued to struggle, or suffered a career-ending injury early on. But the vision of championships and football success gave him the fuel to learn from failure and endure difficulty.

The vision we have is guaranteed: because Jesus endured the cross for us, an eternity of joy with him is promised to all who trust in him. So we can learn from failure and endure hardship with even more hope.

And, like an athlete, we’re invited to train. The Greek word translated “trained” in Hebrews 12:11 is gumnazo, from which we get the word ‘gymnasium.’ It means to exercise, vigorously, like an athlete. But unlike athletes, whose success in training is reliant upon their effort and strength, our chief exercise is to endure.

We could face hardship and wilt into complaining or bitterness, poisoning any potential fruit. Or we can endure with hope, fixing our eyes on Jesus and continuing to move forward, trusting in the mysteries of his training regimen.

Lord, thank you that you love me so much that you’re willing to discipline me for your glory and my good. Please keep the truth of your loving work of transformation in the front of my mind as I face life’s pains and struggles, and help me endure them with hope and joy. Bear the fruit of righteousness in me according to your timing and will. In Jesus’s name, amen.

Throughout This Day: Consider what difficulties, large or small, lie in front of you today. As you enter into them, ponder these two questions:

1. What is one way you can fix your eyes on Jesus and endure the situation today?
2. What ‘fruit of righteousness’ might God bring from it? What fruit have past struggles produced?

by Jason Weimer
used by permission

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A Father’s Discipline

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The post Know Pain, Know Gain appeared first on Thoughts About God.

We women often ask each other, “What are you wearing?” We spend so much time, money, and effort on what we wear. What we wear often makes us feel good about ourselves. But what does that really accomplish? Our little girls sing along with Sophia the First that they have the shoes and they have the dress that makes them a princess. Even if they had the shoes and the dress–you don’t have to guess–those won’t make them a princess. No, it’s not the shoes, and it’s not the dress…

It’s being the daughter of the King of Kings.

And putting on His “armor of light” (Romans 13:12).

I wish there was real power in what I wear. I wish I could wave a princess magic wand and make everything right in the world, or click the heals of my sparkly red shoes and every home would be full of love and harmony.

But it’s more like having to fight like Wonder Woman…

Fearless…

…with the wits of Batgirl, the confidence of Supergirl, and the inhibitions of She Hulk!

The shoes and dress won’t do for that.

And if you haven’t noticed, there’s a war going on out there. A spiritual war. And it’s getting crazier by the day.

The only dress a true princess needs is the armor of God. But as I read about the armor in Ephesians 6, I realize none of the pieces of armor make us a warrior. The armor doesn’t make us a warrior any more than the shoes and dress make us a princess. Wearing God’s armor protects us, but the battles are won with offensive weapons: the Word of God and prayer.

We dress for protection, but then we go into battle, armed with our spiritual weapons, the Word of God and prayer.

So let’s be armed with the Word of God for wisdom and discernment, and let’s keep fighting in prayer and not turn our back on the battle for a moment.

So. What are you wearing to the battle?

For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. 2 Corinthians 10:3-5

Parents, let’s teach our little girls it’s not shoes or a dress that will make her a princess. Lead her to her King of Kings, and show her that it’s His armor that makes her beautiful, and His Sword that gives her strength and power.

…that being a princess isn’t about the shoes and the dress. But being a princess is being a warrior.

Teach her how to be warrior, and that the victory is won—on her knees.

And let’s set the example of fighting in prayer for our families, our country, and our world.

Thanks so much for stopping by and reading my random thoughts. Just something that was inspired by a meme I saw recently that had a picture of the good witch Glinda from the Wizard of Oz and talked about dressing for success. My idea of dressing for success is putting on the armor of God and doing the work of praying hard, using the Word of God when needed.

Blessings,

by Penny Cooke
used by permission

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The post What Are You Wearing? appeared first on Thoughts About God.

The faith we hold tight
…is the faith that carries us through all our days.  

When every step you take looks like a dark, foggy path
And life feels like a constant uphill climb,

It’s easy to grow discouraged
And think about giving up.

That’s when you hold tight to your faith
And keep moving forward …

Placing one foot in front of the other
Trusting God will lead you all the way.

You may not know exactly where you are going,
But you know the One who makes a way for you.

Psalm 18:32-33
‘It is God who arms me with strength, and makes my way perfect. He makes my feet like the feet of deer, and sets me on my high places.”

By Kathy Cheek
Used by Permission

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“I ask the Father in his great glory to give you the power to be strong inwardly through his Spirit.”  Ephesians 3:16 (NCV)

Here is a scene repeated in Brazil thousands of times daily. . . .

It’s early morning. Time for young Marcos to leave for school. As he gathers his books and heads for the door, he pauses by his father’s chair. He searches his father’s face. Bencao, Pai? Marcos asks. (Blessing, Father?)

The father raises his hand. Deus te abencoe, meu fillio, he assures. (God bless you, my son.).

Father and child part for the day, a blessing requested, a blessing willingly given. . . .

We should do the same. Like the child longing for the father’s favor, each of us needs a daily reminder of our heavenly Father’s love.

by Max Lucado
Used by permission

To learn more about Max Lucado visit his website at:
https://maxlucado.com/about/

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A Blessing to Pass On

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The Blessings of God

The post A Daily Blessing appeared first on Thoughts About God.

I spent a lot of time talking about spiritual matters with a friend who was diagnosed with cancer. During one of our conversations he gave his heart to Christ. The doctors said he would never walk again and would probably spend the remaining few months of his life in the hospital. Over the next weeks we did a lot of praying and his cancer went into remission. He began praising the Lord for the miracles taking place in his body.

Well, he not only walked again, he went home, and even drove his car. As time went on he started denying the power of God and instead insisted he had done it himself. We remained friends and shortly before his death three years later (the cancer returned) he asked God to forgive him for his arrogance.

My prayer for you this week:

“I pray that your confidence is found in Christ for such confidence as this is ours through Christ before God. Not that we are competent in ourselves to claim anything for ourselves, but our competence comes from God. He has made us competent as ministers of a new covenant not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life. Amen.”  2 Corinthians 3:4-6

By Alec Niemi
used by permission

Alec Niemi, an entrepreneur, lifestyle evangelist and pastor is passionate about helping people find Christ.  He lives in the Fraser Valley, British Columbia, Canada.

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Our Confidence

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Yet Will I Praise Him

The post Denying God appeared first on Thoughts About God.

“Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.” Romans 12:12

Never underestimate the power of prayer!

Five high school students began to sense their responsibility to God.  They wanted to help fulfill the Great Commission on their campus. Each made a list of three friends whom they wanted to claim for Christ.

The first week they met daily to pray that these friends would sense their need for Jesus. The second week they prayed to be instruments of God. The third week they prayed for opportunities to speak to their friends about Christ. That same week 15 students for whom they had prayed invited Jesus into their lives through prayer!

Dear friend, the more frequently you share your thoughts and desires with Christ, the closer you come to Him.

Prayer is powerful and pleases God.  That’s why He says, “Keep on praying.”  And I say, “Amen!”

By Vonette Bright
used by permission

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Hold On a Little While Longer

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The post Amazing Prayer appeared first on Thoughts About God.

Someone recently commented to me, and it is the same comment I have heard from others, that what I write makes them want to have a deeper walk with God. What I write makes them realize it is possible.

They thought it was complicated but it isn’t. It is as simple as opening your heart to it…constantly and consistently. It is not a big secret for just a select few. It is for everyone who calls Him LORD.
 
An open heart is a heart that welcomes Him in.

An open heart is a heart that makes time for Him.

A lady once told me in one sentence that she doesn’t have time for a quiet time in her schedule and in the next sentence she admitted that she gets up at 5:00 multiple mornings a week to run and train for marathons.

What are we making time for in our schedule?

It is easy to look at our schedules and find them jam packed and then we wonder why we  don’t feel close to God.

I am not saying we shouldn’t get up at 5:00 in the morning and run.

I am saying that if we make time for running, then use that same kind of effort and dedication to also make time for God in a close and intimate way.

One of my favorite hymns, which I sadly haven’t heard in church in many years, but remains a favorite of mine is the beautiful song In the Garden.

This writer gets it. His words tell me he had a wide open heart and God filled it up with joy.

The heart that opens to the Lord is a heart He delights to fill.

Chorus from In the Garden, (C. Austin Miles 1912 

And He walks with me,
And He talks with me,
And He tells me I am His own,
And the joy we share as we tarry there,
None other has ever known.

By Kathy Cheek
Used by Permission

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Open My Heart

Tender Words to the Tired Heart

A Grumbly Heart

Our Heart and our Treasure

The post Open Heart appeared first on Thoughts About God.

“For the wrath of God is revealed from Heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth.” – Romans 1:18

In this world of copies and fakes, we often don’t know the truth. The media often publishes fake news. Brand-name products are often fake off-brands with a fake name. Often, the new products you purchase are “refurbished” broken ones. The president of Harvard University plagiarized her dissertation.

Were you trying to figure out what “authentic” even means? Either way, you weren’t alone: it’s Merriam-Webster’s word of the year for 2023, an annual recognition given to a word that dominates searches and lookup volume on the dictionary’s website.

“Authentic” has a number of meanings, including “not false or imitation,” a synonym of real and actual, and also “true to one’s own personality, spirit, or character.” Although clearly a desirable quality, “authentic” is hard to define and subject to debate—two reasons it sends many people to the dictionary.

And with the rise of artificial intelligence—and its impact on deepfake videos, actors’ contracts, academic honesty, and a vast number of other topics—the line between “real” and “fake” has become increasingly blurred. Even from some liberal pulpits, we see and hear the blurring of the authenticity of Scripture.

The Bible is clear, inerrant, and authentic. It has been a guideline for life through hundreds of years. Without it, there would be no Western civilization.

Man’s greatest problems are not a lack of knowledge but a hardness of heart, and the Bible solves them all. People reject God because they don’t want to be accountable. The unbeliever’s greatest problem is not intellectual, but spiritual.

Creation points to God’s existence, but it is through the Word that God has revealed how to be saved. “Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.'” – John 14:6

As we read the morning paper and listen to the evening news, we often have to wonder what is true, what is false, and what is authentic. But we can read and follow the precepts of the Bible and know that every word is authentic and true.

by John Grant
used by permission
John Grant is a former Florida State Senator and is a practicing attorney

FURTHER READING

A Life of Authenticity  also by John Grant

Discovering the Authentic

Alignment of Your Times

The post Authentic appeared first on Thoughts About God.