Category Archives: Asking for God’s Help

Jun11

Before You Decide

Posted on by
Standard
IMG_5470 
“The LORD says, ‘I will guide you along the BEST pathway for your life.
I will advise you and watch over you.'”
Psalm 32:8 (NLT)
 

Are you facing a major decision in your life?  Do you feel overwhelmed and mentally exhausted with weighing all the pros and cons of each possible scenario?  Is every thought interwoven with a thread of uncertainty?

Wouldn’t it be an incredible feeling to know with absolute certainty that you are moving in the right direction? Imagine the relief of not questioning each step you make, worried that you might be heading in a trajectory that is completely away from where you should be going with your life.

You can relax and rest in God’s promise to you:  Your Heavenly Father will guide you along the BEST pathway for your life, and He will advise you and watch over you along the way.  Here’s a simple prayer that you can pray to God right now:  “Show me the right path, O LORD; point out the road for me to follow. Lead me by your truth and teach me, for you are the God who saves me. All day long I put my hope in you” Psalm 25:4-5 (NLT).

While you are listening for God’s answer, spend time alone with Him, free of distractions and away from your daily routine.  Often His answer comes in a gentle whisper to your spirit, and the “noise” in your life can drown out His voice. Place all your hope in the One who has written every chapter of your life, the One who has your name inscribed on His palms, the One who knows the desires of your heart, and the One who knows the reason for which you were created.

Allow Him to show you the best pathway for your life and trust that He will watch over you every step of the way.

May12

The Path To A Beautiful Life

Posted on by
Standard

IMG_2934

“You direct me on the path that leads to a beautiful life.
    As I walk with You, the pleasures are never-ending,
    and I know true joy and contentment.”

Psalm 16:11 (VOICE)

As a child of God, you can believe in the truth that God’s will for your life is always the best place to be.  He created you, and He knew you before your very first heartbeat. He knows all your strengths and all your weaknesses, and He knows the exact purpose that He had in mind for your unique life.  Seeking His guidance and following His direction will always lead to a beautiful life where you experience true joy and contentment.  If He guides you on a certain path, you can be confident that He will be right beside you and will equip you for the journey. “The Lord Himself goes before you and will be with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.”  Deuteronomy 31:8(NIV)

So if you are facing a big decision or venturing into a new chapter in your life, continually seek divine wisdom and guidance from your Heavenly Father.  He will direct your steps and illuminate the perfect pathway to your beautiful life ~ the life He designed just for you!  Trust in His precious promises:

  • “Delight yourself in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart.”  Psalm 37:4 (NIV)
  • “Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and your plans will succeed.”  Proverbs 16:3 (NIV)
  • “In his heart a man plans his course, but the Lord determines his steps.”  Proverbs 16:9 (NIV)
  • “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding;  in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.”  Proverbs 3: 5 – 6 (NIV)
Mar21

When There Are No Words

Posted on by
Standard
 
 
photo 
 
 
Then they sat on the ground with him for seven days and nights.
No one said a word to Job,
for they saw that his suffering was too great for words.
Job 2:13 (NLT)
 
 

Have you ever seen a friend or loved one suffering so greatly that the situation was too difficult for words?  You wish you could do something to help, but there’s noting you can do or say that will make things different or take the terrible pain away?  Often when the trouble is so extreme, we don’t know what to do, so we simply do nothing.  Yet in the book of Job we find a great example of what to do for a friend who is suffering like this:

 Three of Job’s friends heard of all the trouble that had fallen on him. Each traveled from his own country—Eliphaz from Teman, Bildad from Shuhah, Zophar from Naamath—and went together to Job to keep him company and comfort him. When they first caught sight of him, they couldn’t believe what they saw—they hardly recognized him! They cried out in lament, ripped their robes, and dumped dirt on their heads as a sign of their grief. Then they sat with him on the ground. Seven days and nights they sat there without saying a word. They could see how rotten he felt, how deeply he was suffering.  Job 2:11-13 (MSG) 
 

When Job’s friends heard of the tragedy that had occurred in his life, they all came together to be with their friend.  The distance didn’t matter to them.  What mattered was the fact that their dear friend was hurting, and they gathered to keep him company and comfort him.  When they finally got to their friend’s side and saw his terrible condition, they were overcome with grief for him, and they wept with him.  And even though there was absolutely nothing they could do or say to take away Job’s pain or remove the torment he felt, they simply sat by his side for seven days and nights without saying a word.  This was one of those times in life when no words were necessary…just the silent, comforting presence of precious friends.

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,

the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort,

who comforts us in all our troubles,

so that we can comfort those in any trouble

with the comfort we ourselves receive from God.

2 Corinthians 1: 3  – 4

Feb23

God Bends Down To Hear Your Prayers

Posted on by
Standard

IMG_3099

I love the Lord because He hears my prayers and answers them.
Because He bends down and listens,
I will pray as long as I breathe!  
Psalm 116:1 – 2 TLB
 

Imagine this scene:  “He bends down and listens”…the Creator of the Universe bends down from heaven to hear the prayer you whisper from your lips…the King of Glory stoops down from His throne to incline His ear to your request…your loving Heavenly Father leans down close enough to listen to the words of His precious child….

This awe-inspiring scene is actually our reality.  The blessed truth is that your prayer will always reach God’s ear.  He knows your unique voice, and He hears each plea, request, and petition.  He listens carefully to each prayer of adoration, thanks and supplication.  Not only does He hear your prayers, but He also answers them. He doesn’t always answer them exactly how we think they should be answered, but He answers them according to His best for you.

If you are lonely, God is near.  If you are discouraged, God is listening.  If you are worried, God is attentive to your cares.  If you are afraid, God hears your pleas for help.  If you are heartbroken, God is leaning close enough to hear your cries.

“I love the Lord because He hears my prayers and answers them…”  Because of this amazing truth, “I will pray as long as I breathe!”

Feb21

A New Perspective

Posted on by
Standard

IMG_4440

The Lord helps the fallen

and lifts up those bent beneath their loads.

Psalm 145:14 (NLT)

As I awaited departure for my flight home, I worried that my trip would be delayed or cancelled due to the ominous appearance of the brewing winter storm.  The dark, billowing clouds matched my dreary mood.  Thankfully, the flight took off as scheduled, and we ascended through the turbulent mass of clouds.  For a while, I saw nothing out of my window seat view except gray wisps of thick foggy vapor mixed with icy rain droplets streaking across my window.  As the plane punched through the cloud ceiling and reached its cruising altitude, I was blinded by the glorious light of the setting sun.  My spirit instantly brightened, and it amazed me to think about the stark contrast of this majestic site above the cloud canopy, compared to the gloomy conditions below.

This experience reminded me of how often we allow burdensome circumstances in life to weigh us down and make us feel that we are “bent beneath our loads.”   Our outlook is gloomy because we only focus on the worrisome details of our lives, and we lose sight of the fact that the Son is up above us watching over every moment of our day.  He cares about our burdens and wants to lift us up and give us a new perspective.

“In my distress I called to the Lord; I called out to my God. From His temple He heard my voice; my cry came to His ears.  He parted the heavens and came down; dark clouds were under His feet. He mounted the cherubim and flew; he soared on the wings of the wind. He made darkness His canopy around Him— the dark rain clouds of the sky.  Out of the brightness of His presence bolts of lightning blazed forth. He reached down from on high and took hold of me; He drew me out of deep waters.”  2 Samuel 22:7,10-13,17

Your distress might be in the form of financial struggles, a health crisis, career concerns, parenting issues, addiction battles or relationship strife.  But regardless of what load you are carrying, it can be overwhelming.  God listens to each whispered prayer, and your cry for help reaches His ears –He loves you and He wants to help.  He will lift up those bent beneath their load.  He doesn’t always completely remove the burden, but by lifting your focus from doom and gloom to His majestic glory, your soul is strengthened, and you will have renewed stamina to keep moving forward.

“…the Lord lifts up those who are bowed down,
the Lord loves the righteous.”

Psalm 146:8 (NIV)

Jan9

Anything is Possible

Posted on by
Standard

IMG_5091.JPG

“God can do anything, you know—

far more than you could ever imagine or guess or request in your wildest dreams!”

Ephesians 3:20 (MSG)

When you think about your wildest dreams, what comes to mind?  Most of us never openly share our  wildest dreams with others because we feel they are too outrageous or too far fetched for anyone to take seriously.  Those types of dreams might seem humanly impossible with our limited resources and abilities, and no amount of creativity or ingenuity can allow us to visualize a strategy for those dreams to become a reality.

As a child of God, your Heavenly Father knows all about the dreams that are in your heart.  He created you as a one-of-a-kind masterpiece, and He has special plans specifically for your life.  The dreams you have might be there because of the unique purpose He has in mind ~ especially for you ~ that no one else can fulfill.  Share your deepest desires with your Heavenly Father, and it’s possible that He plans to fulfill those dreams in ways that are beyond anything you could ever imagine or guess or request…in your wildest dreams!  An experience like that will grow your faith exponentially, like nothing else can.  The depth and breadth of your belief and trust in God will be stretched beyond limits, because you will truly realize that, “Nothing is impossible with God.”  (Luke 1:37 NIV)

It’s possible that your wildest dream might involve a divine miracle.  Perhaps you or your loved one have received a diagnosis of a condition or disease for which there is no cure, and the prognosis seems bleak.  Or perhaps you are facing a mountain of debt that might seem impossible to overcome.  It could be that you are in a marriage that seems doomed, or you have a broken relationship with your son, daughter or parent.  Your problem could involve a compulsive addiction for which you feel powerless to overcome.  Even though these types of situations seem humanly hopeless, we should never lose hope when we place all our cares in the capable, miracle-making hands of our Heavenly Father.   Trust in and cling to the hope infused words of our Savior: “Jesus looked at them and said, ‘With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God.'” (Mark 10:27 NIV)

So what are your wildest dreams?  Your Heavenly Father is waiting to fulfill them, because NOTHING is impossible with Him!

Jan5

Get Going!

Posted on by
Standard

Paper Kite Pre~flight

“I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”

Philippians 4:13 (NKJV)

What sort of things drive you, motivate you and and inspire you?  Is there something that you keep thinking about that one day or some day, when all the conditions are right, you will begin to do.  How many times have you used the phrase, “If only….”  or “I would like to do this, BUT….”  Perhaps God has placed a calling upon your heart, but you allow a continual stream of excuses to flood your thoughts and drown out His voice.  You can easily enumerate a list of personal limitations and excuses that would keep you from fulfilling His calling or achieving a certain goal.

When God met with Moses at the burning bush, Moses had several objections to God’s calling.  Why are you asking ME to lead the people out of Egypt?  What if they don’t believe me?  God patiently responded to each of his questions, yet Moses raised another objection to God: “Master, please, I don’t talk well. I’ve never been good with words, neither before nor after you spoke to me. I stutter and stammer.”  God said, “And who do you think made the human mouth? And who makes some mute, some deaf, some sighted, some blind? Isn’t it I, God? SO, GET GOING. I’ll be right there with you—with your mouth! I’ll be right there to teach you what to say.”  Exodus 4:10 – 12 (MSG)

So what is it that God is motivating you to do?  Perhaps He hasn’t met with you at a burning bush, but in your heart you know there is a still small voice wooing you in a certain direction.  And even though He’s not asking you to lead His people out of bondage in Egypt, He might be leading you into some sort of ministry, or it could be that He is directing you to start a business, leave your current job for something better, go back to school, foster a child, become a stay-at-home mom, go on a mission trip, help out at a food pantry, teach a class, play a sport, coach a team, lead a Bible study, minister to unwed mothers, or volunteer at a local school.  Who knows how God might use you to fulfill His purpose for your life?  An activity that might seem “secular” could turn out to be the very way God wants to use your life to minister to others in your community.

So what’s holding you back?  What’s your excuse?  As a child of God, He promises that you will lack nothing:

  “The Lord is my Shepherd, I lack NOTHING.” Psalm 23:1  

“And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.”

2 Corinthians 9:8

If you are in God’s will for your life, doing the very thing He has created you to do, you can rest assured that He will provide the resources you need to accomplish your task.  God will be right beside you every step of the way, teaching you, guiding you, supporting you, providing for you, and strengthening you!  Don’t allow self-doubt or excuses to hold you back.  You can do anything with God’s help! Get Going!

Jan1

A Fresh Start

Posted on by
Standard

New Year

Teach us to number our days,

that we may gain a heart of wisdom.

Psalm 90:12 NIV

As the New Year dawns, many of us make a noble list of New Year’s Resolutions.  A brand new year seems like a gift, a fresh start, a clean slate, a chance to turn the page to a new chapter in our lives.  We usually start out the month of January with grand intentions and high ambitions, but we find that we often lose that enthusiasm as the days and weeks click past.  Our list of resolutions gets buried under the stack of papers that we intended to organize, and we forget about all the things we resolved to do over the next 365 days.

The truth is that we should live each new day with resolve and intent.  God has given us a certain number of days to fulfill our life’s purposes, and we should ask Him to give us the grace to understand the important significance of each day (and each  moment) that we spend here on earth.  Some of us have more time than others, but none of us know the exact amount of time that we have left to complete our life’s mission. We should diligently pray for divine instruction concerning how to use our time throughout the days of our lives.  Thoughtful time management is an excellent art whether you’re a business professional, student, homemaker or retiree.  God models time management for us when we consider the account in Genesis 1 of His orderly creation of the universe; each day was filled with important tasks and accomplishments, and He even set aside time for rest. When you number your days to good purposes, according to God’s guidance, you will live wisely and your heart and mind will be inclined to achieving God’s mission for your life.

So instead of making a list on the first day of the new year of things you want to accomplish in the next 12 months, you should make a list as you begin each New Day.  It might be helpful to write your daily list on a calendar or in a notebook, so that you can look back over the year and see all the things that you and God have accomplished together. Live each New Day as though it were a gift of time, a new beginning, a fresh start, and a chance to fulfill God’s grand purpose.  If you order your days according to God’s plan, rather than your own desires, you will feel a divine sense of fulfillment each day of your life, and no moment will be wasted.

Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.  Psalm 139:16

Dec31

Hour by Hour

Posted on by
Standard

Naval Academy Clock Tower

You are my God!
Hour by hour I place my days in Your hand…

Psalm 31:14b-15a (MSG)

How would our lives be different if we truly placed each hour of every day in the hand of our Heavenly Father?

By placing your life, hour by hour…moment by moment… in God’s hand, you allow Him to direct the path of your divine destiny.  Most of us wouldn’t think of heading out on an excursion to a place we’ve never been before without consulting a map or plugging the address into our GPS.  Similarly, our future is unknown territory; it’s a place we’ve never journeyed before.  There’s no better Navigator to consult concerning your future than the One who knew you before you were born and has all the days of your life written in His book…before one of them came to be!  “Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.”  (Psalm 139:16)

Why is it so difficult for us to consult our Heavenly Father when mapping out the course of our days?  Perhaps our lives are so jam packed with activities that we don’t take the time to sit down and talk with Him about His plans for our schedule.  Or perhaps we don’t want to feel that we are handing over control to anyone else ~ what if His plans don’t line up with our plans?  Maybe it’s a fear of the unknown ~ what if God wants us to do something we are uncomfortable with?

Jesus tells us in John 10:10 that , “I came that they may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance (to the full, till it overflows).” (AMP)  So Jesus’ purpose is to give us a rich and satisfying life, a life filled with purpose, a great and full life, a life of joy, life in its fullest measure. If Jesus’ purpose is for us to enjoy life and have it in abundance, why wouldn’t we want to turn over control to Him?

Do you feel that God has been leading you somewhere, and you are fearful to take a step in that direction?  Perhaps it’s out of your comfort zone, and you feel that you would never have the skills, resources, intelligence, confidence or abilities to accomplish what He is nudging you to do. I encourage you to take this challenge:  For the next 24 hours, consciously place EACH hour of your day in God’s hand.  Say this prayer at the top of every hour:  “You are my God!  Hour by hour I place my day in Your hand.” Trust that God has your best interest in mind and faithfully follow His lead in whatever you feel He is directing you to do.  Maybe He wants you to spend time reading His word and listening to His voice..or maybe He wants you to speak to a stranger… or take a meal to a family in need…or sign up for a class…or call a friend…or clean out a closet and take donations to a local charity…or perform a random act of kindness.   Perhaps this one day challenge will inspire you to do the same thing another day, or for an entire week, or month!  By then it will have become part of your life.  Who knows how this conscious act of  handing over each hour to Him might change the course of your life and lead you into your divine destiny.

Are you willing to take the “Hour by Hour” challenge with me?  I would love to hear about your experience!

‘For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.’  Jeremiah 29:11

Nov21

God’s Love in the Midst of Our Mistakes

Posted on by
Standard

Amelia Spring Break 2006 194Amelia Spring Break 2006 037

“Whoever digs a hole and scoops it out
falls into the pit they have made.
The trouble they cause recoils on them;
their violence comes down on their own heads.”

Psalm 7:15 – 16

Let’s face it. We all make mistakes at some point in our lives.  And sometimes the deep pit in which we find ourselves is a result of our own doing.  Improper judgment in relationships, mismanagement of finances, misuse of time, poor decisions about those with whom we associate, exploitation of power, substance abuse, gambling, adultery, lying, cheating, inappropriate media, etc.… can all lead to destruction in our lives. 

Scoop by scoop, the hole gets deeper and deeper.  Then when we wake up at the bottom of the slimy pit, which we dug with our own hands, we look up and try to blame God or others around us for our problems.  We wonder why God would “allow” this pain and suffering we are experiencing.  But the harsh reality is that our own decisions and actions caused the trouble in our lives.  Our greatest difficulties are often a result of consequences we bring on ourselves.

If you find yourself at rock bottom due to ramifications of your own mistakes, there is a brilliant ray of hope shining brightly into the dismal abyss. Regardless of what you might have done to land in the depths of this destruction, God stands ready with arms wide open to grace you with His blessed redemption.  His unfailing love and compassion for you is so great that you can never fall so far that you are out of His reach.  He holds the deepest valleys in His mighty hands, and wherever you find yourself, He is there. Yes, He will sometimes allow you to suffer the consequences of your bad decisions, but He’s always ready to redeem your life once you call to Him for help.

There is no pit deep enough to outmatch God’s unfathomable love for you.

Lift up your arms to the Lord because He’s already waiting to pick you up.   His eyes are full of grace, mercy, and compassion…not condemnation.  Call to Him for help, and He will hear your cry.  “For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”  Romans 8:38 -39

“I called on your name, Lord, from the depths of the pit.
You heard my plea: “Do not close your ears to my cry for relief.”
You came near when I called you, and you said, “Do not fear.”

You, Lord, took up my case; You redeemed my life.”

Lamentations 3:55 – 58

Related Verses:

“For no one is cast off by the Lord forever. Though he brings grief, he will show compassion, so great is his unfailing love. For he does not willingly bring affliction or grief to anyone.”  Lamentations 3: 31 – 33

“In your love you kept me from the pit of destruction; you have put all my sins behind your back.”  Isaiah 38:17b

“Where can I go from your Spirit?  Where can I flee from your presence?  If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.” Psalm 139:7 – 8

“Though you have made me see troubles, many and bitter, you will restore my life again; from the depths of the earth you will again bring me up. You will increase my honor and comfort me once more.” Psalm 71:20 – 21

“And they will go to others and say, ‘I have sinned, I have perverted what is right, but I did not get what I deserved. God has delivered me from going down to the pit, and I shall live to enjoy the light of life.’ “ Job 33:27 – 28

“He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand.” Psalm 40:2