My prayer for you today comes from Deuteronomy 30:11

“For this commandment which I am commanding you today is not too difficult for you, nor is it out of reach.”

May you start everyday with Thanksgiving, Praise, and Prayer asking God to go before you preparing the way.

Amen!

My prayer for you today... from Deuteronomy 28

May you and your family consistently serve the Lord our God with hearts full of joy and gladness for the abundance of all things with which He has blessed us.

May you be blessed when you come in and blessed when you go out. May the Lord cause any enemies who rise up against you to be defeated before you; they may come out against you one way, but flee before you seven ways.

May the Lord give you great prosperity, in the offspring of your body and in the offspring of your livestock and the produce of your ground, in the land which the Lord swore to your fathers to give you.

May the Lord open for you His good treasure house, the heavens, to give rain to your land in its season and to bless all the work of your hand; and you will lend to many nations, but you will not borrow.

May the Lord make you the head (leader) and not the tail (follower); and you will be above only, and you will not be beneath,

I pray we always ...

listen and pay attention to the commandments of the Lord our God, which He commands us today

I pray we observe them carefully and teach them to our children and share this knowledge with others

I acknowledge the wonderful people who have blessed my life so much, You care for others, watch over others, give and share with others willingly and freely all the time, providing your knowledge, money, time, effort, and loving thoughts.

So, I finish this pray asking you to take the time to care for yourself just as you do for others, you do so much for everyone else.

May God give you a GREAT Blessing today ... a blessing that is made and designed just for you and blessings that remind you and others around you ... how much you have done and how much you do, and may others see God's acceptance and see the love He feels for You, and Me, and Them, and Us... yesterday, today, and everyday to come.

Amen

Yesterday was NOT a peaceful Sunday, in fact it was far from it. I am thankful that Jesus consistently reminds me... For the Lord God is My Strength and My Song. Amen!

I slow jog 1 mile almost everyday, today I plan on working out to

Isaiah 12 AMP - Thanksgiving Expressed.

Nothing brings more peace and closeness than breaking a sweat and fasting. Have a blessed day!

12 And on that day you will say,

“I will give thanks to You, O Lord;

For though You were angry with me,

Your anger has turned away,

And You comfort me.

2

“Behold, God, my salvation!

I will trust and not be afraid,

For the Lord God is my strength and song;

Yes, He has become my salvation.”

3

Therefore with joy you will draw water

From the springs of salvation.

4

And in that day you will say,

“Give thanks to the Lord, call on His name [in prayer].

Make His deeds known among the peoples [of the earth];

Proclaim [to them] that His name is exalted!”

5

Sing praises to the Lord, for He has done excellent and glorious things;

Let this be known throughout the earth.

6

Rejoice and shout for joy, O inhabitant of Zion,

For great in your midst is the Holy One of Israel.

Luke chapter 7 has two famous stories about Jesus, that I always heard preached in church 

1. The story of the Faith of the Centurion (you know it… “Lord, don’t trouble yourself, for I do not deserve to have you come under my roof. And Jesus says, never have I seen such great faith, 

2. then it's the story when Jesus talks about John the Baptist… John sends his people to Jesus to ask “Are you the one who is to come, or should we expect someone else?” Jesus tells them, “Go back and report to John what you have seen and heard: The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is proclaimed to the poor.

But did you know in the middle of those two stories… was a widow woman with her dying son. That’s what I want to tell you about and pray about today. 

In the middle of great Faith and the message of Good News, there is Healing and Resurrection for You and Me. Luke 7:11-17.

Per the bible footnote… Ecclesiastes 6:12 The narrator is trying to prove that life is not worth living, but the Holy Spirit is using him to show that these conclusions are the tragic effect of living “under the sun”—ignoring the Lord, living apart from God the Father, oblivious to the Holy Spirit—and yet face to face with the mysteries of life and nature.

During bible study… I always look for a part of myself in the scriptures. It enables me to relate, feel, and process the good, the bad, and the ugly in me. Chapter 6 is called, “The Futility of Life”.

Futility means pointlessness or uselessness. Which is a question I have been pondering lately. -What have I done with my life?

-What’s the point?

-Am I happy?

-What is happiness really?

We can go to depressing places while looking back on our lives. If we are not careful, in the midst of a trial we might only focus on our pain making it harder to hold onto our joy. We know the joy is there, it’s just really hard to find it sometimes.

Which makes me think… often we have to dig deep to find the daily joy God gives us in almost everything. Our daily bread! Amen!

A few scriptures about joy...

Galatians 5:22 ESV - But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,

John 16:24 ESV - Until now you have asked nothing in my name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full.

Psalm 16:11 ESV - You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.

Lately, I have been thinking of “Joy” as a treasure hunt that God provides daily, sometimes it's hiding in plain sight, which requires me to search for it with a positive attitude and open heart. The hunt in itself is fun, energizes me, and makes the day’s events interesting. Some days it’s easy to find, others it’s a dedicated task, and rarely I fail the challenge. Rarely not Always, God understands we fail the challenge some days, that is why he carries us.

Ecclesiastes 6:2 says…

A man to whom God has given riches and wealth and honor, so that he lacks nothing of all that he desires, yet God has not given him the power or capacity to enjoy them [all those things which are gifts from God], but a stranger [in whom he has no interest succeeds him and] enjoys them. This is vanity and it is a [cause of] great distress.

My prayer for you today…

If you are suffering and all seems lost, know that many (just like me) are praying WITH you and FOR you. Prayer warriors are standing in the gap with you and the Lord asking Him to move on your behalf.

I personally believe even in our deepest grief and pain that there is joy and purpose to be found in all things. We may not understand our current place and time, but one day it will be made clear.

Again, Believe in HIM, Trust in HIM, Love and Praise HIM, and He will see you thru. May God keep you and Bless you, may you find Joy in the little things which are daily treasures from God, may Jesus shower you with His Love and Comfort. May you find your passions and grow spiritually, becoming the person God has ordained you to be. I pray that YOU FIND YOUR JOY EVERYDAY

In Jesus Name I Pray. Amen!

Guard your steps and focus on what you are doing as you go to the house of God and draw near to listen rather than to offer the [careless or irreverent] sacrifice of fools; for they are too ignorant to know they are doing evil. Ecclesiastes 5:1

What I learned today?

-Watch my attitude

-Pay attention

-Be focused

-Be silent

-And Listen

Make my efforts intentional when I am in God’s presence

True engagement is something I have avoided my entire life, it’s hard, and sometimes costly and painful, but necessary when done correctly I’m told. Smile

My prayer for you today…

Father, I pray that we all truly engaged with You today … taking part in what’s happening around us, sharing of ourselves, speaking  Your Word, being involved in our communities, making new associations with people that don’t look, sound, or speak like me.

Jesus I want to make an effort to see truth and the changes I need to make in myself. I pray today will be easy and simple expanding  my efforts to reach out, care for, and love either other. In Jesus Name I Pray Amen!

What is a talent?

What do we call a talent - google says a natural aptitude or skill.

Matthew 25:14 - 30 In the parable, the talent (this is the origin of the English word ‘talent’) represents not only your money but your gifts, skills, time, energy, education, intellect, strength, influence and opportunities.

Nehemiah 12: 43 And on that day they offered great sacrifices, rejoicing because God had given them great joy. The women and children also rejoiced. The sound of rejoicing in Jerusalem could be heard far away.

Today, I prayed that you will rejoice in your talents. Amen!

Last night God gave me a vision and today, Job 11:13-15 told me not to fear. Stepping out on faith even after all my blessings still makes my heart skip a beat. Smile 

My prayer for you today...

May You devote your heart to Jesus

and stretch out your hands to God

May we choose to face our strongholds

and turn our backs on sin that provide a false comfort  

May we allow no evil to dwell and freely roam in our lives

Then are we freed of fault and guilt 

Then will Jesus lift up our face

Then can we stand firm and without fear

In Jesus' Name I pray. Amen! 

What I learned from Nehemiah chapter 9

1. Face My Mistakes

2. Confess My Sins

3. Read My Bible

4. Stand Up & Praise

5. Bow Down & Pray

6. Listen & Obey

7. Have Faith & Believe

8. Help Others While I Wait

9. Follow His Path For Me - Jesus will light the way (He has a lighted path specific for Me)

10. Stop and ponder all the miracles in My Life to-date

11. Know that I can trust the Holy Spirit will always Instruct Me

12. God will provide food for my mouth, water for my thirst, & a roof over my head

13. God will sustain Me in any wilderness and I will lack nothing

14. God will bless my children

15. I can cried out to Jesus when I need to, in times of suffering and distress

16. God will always send a rescue (I must remember rescue comes in many forms,  unexpected places, and many faces)

17. I should remind myself God always hears me and listens from heaven

18. So, don’t be afraid, Just Smile & Enjoy My Day

A Covenant Results - Nehemiah 9:38 affirmation

Now because of all this … I am making an agreement in writing;

And on the sealed document are the names of my princes, my Levites, and my priests.”

In Jesus Name I pray. Amen!

Bible Study with Revenda 

Key Verse: 

Nehemiah 6:9 For they all wanted to frighten us, thinking, “They will become discouraged with the work and it will not be done.” But now, [O God,] strengthen my hands.

All the enemy has to stop us is fear. Today, I had a few insights during my bible study. 

1. How the enemy calls us and knowing we must not listen nor go

2. How the enemy calls us to fear using others, I never want to be apart of discouraging someone else dream, because I can not see it

3. When we flee because of fear it takes on many forms

The only way to stop fear is to face it straight on, we always need to go down to the stronghold. 

4. When I am in my darkest moments, that is when I am my strongest, because ....

2 Corinthians 12:9 tells me...

But He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is perfected in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly in my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest on me.