Christmas.
When I feel troubled, my favorite verses to go to are the ones about guarding my heart, because I tend to wear my heart on my sleeve and I allow the troubles and turmoils of others effect how I feel.
Proverbs 4:20-27
My child, pay attention to what I say. Listen carefully to my words. Don't lose sight of them. Let them penetrate deep into your heart, for they bring life to those who find them, and healing to their whole body. Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life. Avoid all perverse talk; stay away from corrupt speech. Look straight ahead, and fix your eyes on what lies before you. Mark out a straight path for your feet; stay on the safe path. Don't get sidetracked; keep your feet from following evil.
I read this and realize that I need to remember to listen to GOD's words, not the words of man or the irritating, harsh, unkind words in my mind - and I need to keep them close to me allowing them to penetrate deep into my heart to bring me life and healing.
When I protect and guard my heart with God's words it will bring out the course and destiny in my life. And avoiding speech/talk that isn't encouraging or edifying to myself or to others can be so hard when all I want to do is scream and yell and 'tell it like it is' - but that isn't what it's about.
It's not about my flesh being satisfied, it's about my heart being satisfied and my heart ONLY finds true satisfaction when it's connected with God, with His heart and with His word. And if I can look ahead and fix my eyes, my thoughts and my heart on what lies before me, what He's shown me and promised me without being sidetracked by things that cause me to stray from His love and His truth, then I find the joy and peace I'm longing for in the midst of chaos and confusion.
Phillipians 4:4-9
Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again - rejoice! Let everyone see that you are considerate in all you do. Remember, the Lord is coming soon. Don't worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank Him for all He has done. Then you will experience God's peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus. And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. Keep putting into practice all you learned and received from me - everything you heard from me and saw me doing. Then the God of peace will be with you.
ALWAYS be full of joy in the Lord and let EVERYONE see that I am full of consideration, compassion, peace, joy and LOVE.
Don't worry about ANYTHING, not my bills, not what bills lie ahead for next year, not money, not the salvation of my loved ones, not how people perceive my son without understanding or knowledge, not the frustrations and trials my son endures on a daily basis because of confusion, not the disconnection between me and people I love, not my loved ones refusal to walk in what God has freely given them, not the diagnosis of loved ones that weigh heavy on my heart, not the hurt the I feel when others choose actions that are less than what God gave them, DO NOT WORRY ABOUT ANYTHING; BUT INSTEAD, PRAY ABOUT EVERYTHING!!
What will worry do for me? NOTHING What will prayer do for me? EVERYTHING - it will give me hope, show me truth, restore compassion and understanding and open my eyes to see things through God's eyes, not MY eyes. It's not praying a 'begging prayer' - Oh God PLEASE... It's a prayer of petition to God as to what I feel in myself, a prayer of restoration of His promises over these areas and situations in my life, a prayer for wisdom and knowledge in where I go from here.
And then - it's about fixing my thoughts on what is good, not the negative, not the weight that satan wants me to carry - no that burden gets lifted when I pray from my heart and turn that situation over to God. It's no longer MY weight or MY burden, because I released it to the one who promised to carry it FOR me.
So I have to resist my fleshly thoughts and CHOOSE to fix my thoughts on what is true, honorable, right, pure, lovely and admirable in the eyes of God, in the eyes of my heart - NOT the eyes of my mind and my thoughts. And CHOOSE to focus on those things that are worthy of praise and thanksgiving.
And when I put these things into practice over and over and over again, I learn and I openly will receive God's blessings because my focus becomes and upward focus with an open heart instead of a man to man focus with a closed heart.
And with this I FEEL God's peace with me and I KNOW that everything will be good.
Lord, thank you for this time this morning with just you - with your truth and your loving forgiveness.
Father, I lift up Timothy to you and THANK YOU that the promises you've given me over his life are promises of destiny, purpose and wisdom and I resist the thoughts of anything less that I have felt or seen with my naked eyes. That you chose him before he was even born and that he will be a living testimony and one to share your love and your word with everyone he encounters. That you have given him everything he needs to live a godly life, that he loves you with all of his heart and knows you to be marvelous and excellent. I speak YOUR Will over his life in Jesus name.
Father, I lift up my husband to you and THANK YOU that the promises you've given me for him and that he is BLESSED for the fear he has in You and he delights in your commandments, that his descendants will be mighty on the earth and the generation of the upright are blessed. That wealth and riches will be in his house and his righteousness endures forever; that he is gracious and full of compassion and graciously lends to those in need, that he guides his affairs with discretion and is never shaken, that he is not afraid of evil tidings and his heart is steadfast and trusting in you Lord.
Father, I thank you that you are giving me new revelations of 'love' every day - that when your word says love is patient, kind, not jealous or boastful or proud, or rude, does not demand its own way, is not irritable, keeps no record of wrongs, does not rejoice about injustice, never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance - that this 'love' is not a choice in who receives it, but is meant for EVERYONE that I encounter, EVERY day of my life.
In Jesus name, I lift up those who are struggling right now to you Lord and ask for your touch of refreshing to be upon their hearts and for the ability to hear your soft voice calling them into a closer relationship with you and for the strength to CHOOSE to follow that voice.
In Jesus name, Amen.
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