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3 Ways to Grow in Your Faith

Copy of 25 Reasons

If you desire to grow in your faith in Christ this year, congratulations! There’s no better time than today to start. Whether you’ve been a Christian for most of your life or you’re new to following Jesus, I’d like to help you on your faith journey.

Here are 3 key ways to help you grow in Christ:

Dig into God’s Word. If you’re new to the Bible or haven’t picked it up for a while, the Psalms and Proverbs are great places to start reading. The Gospel of John is also a perfect place to start so you can learn about Jesus’ life and teachings. If you’re more acquainted with the Bible, you might want to get a study Bible or commentary so you can better understand the setting, people, and symbols mentioned. Don’t feel like you have to race through reading everything. Read a few verses or a few chapters and stop to think about what you just read. What did it say? What does it meant? How can you apply it to your life?

Pray and Keep Praying! Prayer doesn’t have to be fancy. Prayer is telling God how awesome He is. It’s thanking Jesus for dying on the Cross for us and paying the penalty for our sins. It’s asking Jesus for forgiveness and receiving it! It’s sharing your needs with God (even though He already knows them), asking for help and direction and provision, and thanking Him for the answers on the way. It’s talking to God about how you feel, what you’re struggling with, and what you’re rejoicing over. It’s also a time to stop and listen to what God would like to say to you. Prayer is how you get to talk to God Almighty! Glory! Set aside some time daily in the morning, during lunch, or before bed and spend time reading your Bible and praying and meditating about what you just read. Short prayers throughout the day also count! Reading Bible passages out loud is powerful! Praying for others is a gift to them and blesses you. Pray and then let God answer in His timing and in His way.

Stay Connected! We’re not meant to be the Lone Ranger. We flourish when we’re part of a community of believers. I hope you have a church nearby that preaches from the Word of God. Please keep going. Sign up for a small group, take a Bible study class, and spend time with other believers. Your faith will grow as you walk through life with others and share the highs and lows of life with each other. Hearing how God is working in someone’s life will help to encourage you as you go through your tests and trials.

I pray you will continue growing in your faith! I look forward to hearing about what God is doing in and through your life!

For more ideas for how to make the most of this year, especially if you’re waiting on God to answer your prayer requests, I invite you to check out my book Waiting on God Well. It’s great to read on your own or with a group.

If you’re looking for more encouragement and support, I invite you learn more about having me as you Life Coach! I’d be delighted to help guide you on your faith journey!

 “You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.” (Jeremiah 29:13)

Did this encourage you? Please hit “like” and don’t forget to sign up below to have my weekly encouraging blog posts emailed straight to you for free. When you subscribe below, you’ll also receive the free “12 Journal Writing Prompts” PDF I created to help inspire you as you write/journal.

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For more encouragement, read my book Waiting on God Well: How to Prevent Breaking Down on Your Way to Your Breakthrough! To learn how I can come alongside of you as your Life Coach or to invite me to speak at your event, visit my website www.aboundingfaith.com. Check out Abounding Faith’s online store here. You can also find me on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Instagram, and Pinterest.

THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

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My Help Comes from the Lord

 

 

In the Bible study class I’m taking, we’ve been asked to write a prayer based on scripture. Since the Psalms is one of the books we’ve been covering, I chose Psalm 121. It’s one of my favorites. I love how it focuses on God’s protection!

There is something so powerful about using words straight out of the Bible in your prayers and using those words as inspiration to share what’s in your heart and on your mind. If you’re not sure what to say while praying, I encourage you to pray through the Psalms. They are filled with wonderful descriptions of God’s power, might, and love as well as honest expressions of the ups and downs of life!

Here is Psalm 121 as it appears in the Bible, and below is the prayer I wrote for class.

“I lift up my eyes to the mountains—
where does my help come from?
My help comes from the Lord,
the Maker of heaven and earth.

He will not let your foot slip—
he who watches over you will not slumber;
indeed, he who watches over Israel
will neither slumber nor sleep.

The Lord watches over you—
the Lord is your shade at your right hand;
the sun will not harm you by day,
nor the moon by night.

The Lord will keep you from all harm—
he will watch over your life;
the Lord will watch over your coming and going
both now and forevermore.”

Here’s my humble prayer that I wrote for my class assignment. May it be a blessing to you!

Dear Heavenly Father,

I thank you that all I have to do is lift up my eyes and see you! You are Greater and Higher than anything or anyone. And my help comes from you, and you alone! You are all-powerful and matchless. You are the maker of heaven and earth. Yes, Heaven and Earth belong to you. We are made by you and for you!

I am never alone. You promise to not let my foot slip and to watch over me. You neither slumber nor sleep and because of that, I don’t have to fear. There is never a time when you’re asleep on the job. Nothing surprises you. Nothing catches you off guard. You’re always watching over me as well as my family and my loved ones. Thank you! Thank you for your divine protection. Thank you for being so mindful of me.

You are my shade. No matter what season I’m in. No matter what time of day. I can trust that you are there covering me from external threats as well as protecting my inner being. Nothing is too big or too small for you to handle. What concerns me, concerns you. And you are mighty to see me through anything and everything I face.

You promise to keep me from harm. Nothing comes into my life without your knowledge and permission.  And you’re working everything together for my good! You promise to watch over all of my life! You knew me before I was in my mother’s womb. You were with me when I was a child. You know everything I’m going through right now, and you already know what’s in my future. You are omnipresent. You are the Alpha and the Omega. The beginning and the end!

You watch over me wherever I go. You’re there when I’m traveling to and from work. You are with me at my job. You are here with me now. And you watch over me while I sleep. I can rest because you never rest. No matter if I’m here or traveling far. You are everywhere. Not just for today. Not just on good days. You are with me every day, all day long. And you will be with me when I see you face-to-face in heaven where we will spend eternity together. Thank you for loving me so.  Thank you for your tsunami of love, protection, grace, strength, and mercy. In you I live, and move, and have my being. You are God alone and beside you there is no other. You are worthy to be praised. I love you and thank you forever, Jesus. Amen.

To hear the beautiful song “My Help” by The Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir that is based on Psalm 121, click here.

Did this encourage you? Feel free to leave a comment or hit “Like” below. For more encouragement, visit www.aboundingfaith.com.

THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

 

 

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What are You Asking for?

SalFalko / Foter.com / CC BY-NC

 

One recent Christmas, my Dad wasn’t sure what to get me so he surprised me by asking me, “What store would you like to go to so I can buy you your gift?”

Wow, my Dad has always been big on gift-giving but this was very unexpected! It caught me so off guard, that I went blank. After a few moments, something came to mind. Thankfully, it wasn’t out of his price range so my Dad happily said yes and we made arrangements to go to the store the very next day.

I won’t tell you what I requested because that’s not as important as the fact that my Dad asked me what I wanted and he enjoyed giving it to me. Had I asked for something really small, that’s what I would have gotten. But I dared to ask him for something a little bigger and he happily obliged. I know it brought him joy to be able get me something that I needed.

I couldn’t help but be reminded that in an even greater way, that is how our Heavenly Father is with us!

Through prayer, we get to ask our Abba Father for our heart’s desires.  As long as we are asking according to His will, He enjoys giving us those desires in His timing. He loves it when we go to Him with our needs, no matter how big or how small. But when we ask Him, He wants us to want Him more than anything or anyone, and He wants us to ask Him with faith that He hears us and that He will answer us.

So what are you asking God for? Do you trust Him enough to ask Him for big things? Do you ask Him believing that He can do the seemingly impossible?

I’m not talking about material things here. I’m talking about the priceless gifts like peace in your storm, physical or emotional healing, restoration in your relationships, the salvation of loved ones, some other breakthrough or even all of the above!

God still does miracles! Believe!

I love how the Christmas story is filled with the miraculous! (Matthew 1 – 2 and Luke 1-2)

There is:

  • Jesus, the Son of God, being born of a virgin!
  • An angel appearing to Joseph in a dream and telling him that the child Mary is having was conceived from the Holy Spirit and that they are to call him Jesus because He will save His people from their sins!
  • An angel announcing to Zechariah that he and Elizabeth would have a son, despite their old age, and that they are to call him John.
  • An angel that appears to the shepherds and announces the birth of the Savior/Messiah. The shepherds even get to witness a heavenly choir rejoicing.
  • The Magi who find Jesus just by having the courage to follow a star!

Not to mention all the prophesies that Jesus fulfilled on His birthday and everything He would go on to do while walking on earth!

The list goes on and on.

Now tell me, what is too difficult for God? What would loving God withhold from His children? He gave us the gift of Jesus, His one and only Son, and the gift of eternal life.

“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)

Let’s stop for a moment and let that really sink in. It’s really too great to ever fully comprehend the depth of God’s love for us. Yes, love came down on Christmas!

No matter what you’re facing, keep drawing closer to God my friends! God loves you more than you can imagine, and Nothing is impossible for Him!

If you’re just starting out your walk with Jesus, please click here to learn more.

Did this encourage you?  Feel free to leave a comment or hit “Like” below. To get my free e-booklet MiraculousLovely Abroad: Lessons and Snapshots From the Mission Fields and to get these posts e-mailed straight to your inbox, click here. To find MiraculousLovely on YouTube, click here. To find MiraculousLovely on Pinterest, click here.

THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

 

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A Triple Portion

Lake George
View from our recent family trip to Lake George.

The other day I was chatting with my sister and her kids via Face Time. We were winding down the call so we decided to pray before we hung up. After I had finished praying for all of them, my 8-year-old nephew made this sweet request.

“Bless me again!”

How precious! He just started third grade so I thought perhaps he had something special going on so I joyfully asked God to shower him with even more blessings! It was my pleasure.

It wasn’t until after I said, “Amen,” that my nephew thanked me and then explained that he had sneezed during my first prayer so he had just wanted a simple, “God bless you” in response to his sneeze. Too funny! I just laughed and said he had received a double portion of blessings. He laughed and said he had gotten a triple portion!

Why am I sharing this? Because when I think back to how happy I was when my nephew requested a blessing, I get a glimpse of how God must feel when we ask Him to bless us. It must be music to His ears.

As believers, we are His children. God delights in giving His children the desires of their heart (as long as they line up with His will for our lives).

He doesn’t roll His eyes when we come to Him in prayer. He wants us to turn to Him for everything. He loves it when we spend time with Him.

Of course we have to ask with right motives and we should spend time thanking Him and praising Him first, but I think our Heavenly Father smiles when we ask Him for the blessings that He already has in store for us.

But don’t just take my word for it. The Bible says:

  • For the Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord bestows favor and honor; no good thing does he withhold from those whose walk is blameless. (Psalm 84:11).
  • “Instead of your shame you will receive a double portion, and instead of disgrace you will rejoice in your inheritance. And so you will inherit a double portion in your land, and everlasting joy will be yours.” (Isaiah 61:7).
  • “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. “Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!” (Matthew 7:7-11).

Don’t get me wrong. God is obviously not a candy store clerk who will cater to our every whim and let us overdose on sugar. However, He’s also not an ogre who wants us to be miserable.

God is our loving Father who wants what’s best for us and that includes blessing us.

No matter what you’re facing today, don’t be afraid to go to God with it. He cares and understands.

See if He won’t open the windows of heaven. It might not come in your timing or even how you expected it, but He will bless you.

“This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all.” (1 John 1:5)

Did this encourage you?  Feel free to leave a comment or hit “Like” below. To get my free e-booklet MiraculousLovely Abroad: Lessons and Snapshots From the Mission Fields and to get these posts e-mailed straight to your inbox, click here.

THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

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P.U.S.H.

sign

I was walking past a church a few weeks ago when the sign for one of their upcoming sermons caught my attention.  It spoke to me so much that I had to take the photo that’s included above.

“Pray & Never Give Up!”  I love how they even added an exclamation point at the end of the statement.

It reminds me of the acronym P.U.S.H which stands for Pray Until Something Happens!

I honestly believe that once we understand how much power there is in prayer, we’ll be praying non-stop morning, noon, and night! It won’t feel like a chore or duty. It really is a conversation with our Heavenly Father.

And it includes the whole trinity! We have access to the Father through the name of His Son Jesus (Ephesians 2:18), and the Holy Spirit helps us pray according to God’s will. Glory!

There’s nothing super fancy about how and when you should pray. Just be honest and tell God what’s on your heart. He already knows, but He wants you to spend time with Him.

Below are just a few Bible verses about prayer to help jump-start your prayer life.

When should we pray? The Bible says we are to pray continually. (1 Thessalonians 5:17)

What should we pray about? “And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests.”  (Ephesians 6:18)

What should our attitude be like when praying? “Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name.” (Psalm 100:4)

We can approach God’s throne of grace with boldness because of Jesus.  “Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has ascended into heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin. Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.” (Hebrews 4:17-16)

Remember, Jesus is interceding for us! “Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us.” (Hebrews 8:34)

Not sure what to say? Let the Holy Spirit help! “… the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God.” (Romans 8:26-27)

Yes, God is sovereign so we can’t boss Him around and twist His arm to do what we’d like, but He does hear His children!  He hears us when we cry out to Him and call on the name of Jesus!

Just think of all those times you whispered, shouted or ran through prayers in your mind. Think of how you received answers to those prayers. Seriously, think about that mess He got you through, that loved one He healed or that bill that got paid right before the deadline. Think of that door that closed because something better was coming, that accident you avoided or that unexpected surprise that could only have come from God Almighty!

Yes, God answers prayers! His answers are either yes, no or wait.

So what have you been praying about? Are you thinking of quitting? May I encourage you to P.U.S.H.!

Our Heavenly Father loves to hear you pray. As the sign above says, Pray and Never Give Up!

Not sure where to start? Let’s pray right now:

Father, I thank you that you love us and hear us. I thank you that you have a Great Plan and Purpose for our lives. Help us in our time of need and forgive us when we say or do things that aren’t pleasing to you. Thank you that you have promised to never leave us nor forsake. Give us the grace we need to face any trial that comes our way knowing that your Grace is Sufficient! We ask this in the Mighty Name of Jesus, Amen!

I hope this encouraged you. If so, feel free to leave a comment below.

If you’re just starting your walk with the Lord, congratulations! Please feel free to click here to learn more. 

THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

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Pretty Pleeease

juni xu / Foter.com / CC BY-NC-ND

 

The other day during lunch, I swung by McDonald’s for a quick bite (no judging please). As I started to walk to my seat, I noticed a girl glued to the display case where that week’s toys were showcased. The girl, probably around the age of 7 or so, was mesmerized by all the dolls smiling at her.

After staring down the toys, she went straight to her dad who was on the line and began declaring, “A Happy Meal. I want a Happy Meal. Pleeease. I want a Happy Meal. Pleeease.”

Her dad calmly said yes, but she was so busy begging that she didn’t hear him. She made one final plea, “Pleeease, a Happy Meal.”  Then it must have dawned on her that he had already agreed to her request. Finally, there was silence.

It’s easy for us to feel aghast over how she reacted, but if we’re really honest aren’t we all guilty of sometimes acting that way with our Heavenly Father?  We get enthralled by something and get fixated on it. We go to God and in essence whine just like that little girl. “Pleeease God. I waaant, this…. Pleeease…”

It’s ok to say, “Ouch,” and then, “Amen.”

Yes, I’m thankful that we can go to God with any request we have.  And I’m so thankful that He is patient with us. But next time we’re obsessing over our petitions and laying out suggestions (or demands) for how we think God should answer our prayers, let’s stop and remember to worship the Giver and not the gifts!

Our Heavenly Father knows what we need before we even ask. And He knows how to give good gifts.  Next time you catch yourself focused just on that “Happy Meal” and perhaps whining like a little kid,  I hope you’ll take a moment to stop begging and start thanking and praising God instead.

Who knows, if we stop and listen to what God is saying to us we might be surprised to hear that He’s already said, “Yes,” to our request.

“I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life. This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him.” (1 John 5:13-15)

 I hope you were encouraged. Feel free to leave a comment below.

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Help is on the Way

ATM screen

 

I once heard a sermon where the pastor mentioned that we pray one thing and God does 10,000 things in order to bring to pass the answer to our request. The photo above helps to remind me that God does hear my prayers and that His answer is on the way.

Just because I don’t see an instant response to my prayer request doesn’t mean that God is asleep, has forgotten me or is ignoring me.  It just means that some prayers take a longer time to get answered. God’s answer could be yes, no or wait.

During that waiting period, God is growing us, maturing us and testing us. He’s also bringing people and circumstances into alignment.

The Bible says,“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.  For everyone who asks receives; He who seeks finds; and to Him who knocks, the door will be opened.” (Matthew 7:7)

We obviously need to be praying according to God’s will for our lives and should repent of any unconfessed sins. As Christians, we can then leave the rest to God.

The Bible doesn’t say how long it takes for the answers to come. It does say we are to be persistent in our prayers and we should pray with faith.

God is not a genie so He doesn’t just automatically give us everything we want exactly when we want it. However, He does like to give His kids good gifts so get ready!

If you’re waiting on some of God’s promises to be fulfilled in your life, I’d like to encourage you by reminding you that God is working behind-the-scenes.  At the appointed time, you’ll receive your answer! When you do, make sure to come back and share about it here!

 

 

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