For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.
(Galatians 5:1 ESV)

I have never made a New Years resolution.

This year i think that memorizing and living this verse is going to be what my goal will be.

Even after I accepted the Spirit of Christ I continued to hold on to the yoke of slavery.

I am so dumb some times. The LORD has saved me and I no longer have to listen to the guilt trips that satan lays against my heart! I have the grace of Christ, by his blood I am found guiltless! I am set free from these bonds.

Why do i want to live by the law even after i have accepted grace? I should live free in grace and the love of Christ.

LORD teach me to be a man that lives free this new year!

Teach me to be a man that pursues grace!

LORD,
Slay my flesh and resurrect my heart,
It is to you alone I live
and to you alone I will do my part!
Let my face show Your grace.

Amen

You were running well. Who hindered you from obeying the truth? This persuasion is not from him who calls you. A little leaven leavens the whole lump. I have confidence in the Lord that you will take no other view, and the one who is troubling you will bear the penalty, whoever he is.
(Galatians 5:7-10 ESV)

Have you ever stumbled when running?

Have you ever been given wrong improper advice?

Have you ever taken your own advice?

I have.

LORD please give me wisdom! To get up from stumbling.

LORD I need to be restored by your grace.

Tomorrow I am going with my grandfather and cousin to middle Tennessee to solve some sort of dispute.

I pray that we are God's grace as we go. LORD don't let us distract from the truth as we go. I pray that your truth is the means of our trip.

The last day of the year is tomorrow.

Thank you for restoring me before the new year my LORD!

Amen

Physically Binding

Let not steadfast love and faithfulness forsake you;
bind them around your neck;
write them on the tablet of your heart.
So you will find favor and good success
in the sight of God and man.

(Proverbs 3:3-4 ESV)

Have you ever thought about how hard it is to love some people?

They might have an annoying habit, or be constantly complaining about pointless things.

Today I was finding myself becoming deeply frustrated with some one I have to spend allot of time with.

I love this person, or i profess to them I do. But there are times I become so very annoyed none of my actions show this person love!

I do not want to be patient with the person, I don't want to be joyful or listen to him. I end up just COPING with the person instead of loving him.

Have you ever felt this way?

I know I have and not only with this one person! Their have been multiple people I have trouble loving!

Paul wrote this,


Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

(1 Corinthians 13:4-7 ESV)

I think my heart broke every single one of the standards for love to this one person today. I may not have expressed it verbally but my demeanor sure did show it!

I am so very thankful for my Messiah who has loved me so steadfastly!

LORD help me to write these standards of love on my heart, so I will not sin against you!

So that I will be an example in my demeanor, and attitude.

I want so badly to find favor in your sight alone.

Thank you for your love,

Amen

Reformation of my mind

I pray tonight that Christ will reform my mind to His grace. 

For all who rely on works of the law are under a curse; for it is written, “Cursed be everyone who does not abide by all things written in the Book of the Law, and do them.” Now it is evident that no one is justified before God by the law, for “The righteous shall live by faith.”

(Galatians 3:10-11 ESV)

I am declared righteous by faith in Christ! 

LORD you have saved my from myself! 

The demands of the law are over powering to my heart!

I know I can't be perfect even to my own standards! 

I am justified by faith in Christ alone. 

LORD, if I rely on you wholly then you will do a mighty work for Your name in me!

I can do not one thing correctly in my own plans, God has shown me this multiple times in my own mistakes I have made. 

I have trusted God and He has provided all my needs,

It is difficult in my daily life. I have moved to a new city, and i honestly don't like it much. I know beyond a shadow of a doubt this is what God has for me right now though. This is what brings me joy, the knowledge that I can still learn from my redeemer no matter my physical placement! 

I know that many of my family and friends are some place else, but God has brought new healing and opportunity for this time I have here. 

Because I am not held by the law and by faith know I can trust the LORD then and only then is my heart at ease!

Certainly suffering brings me closer to Christ, and the closer I am to Him the more comfort I have with were He has me at this time. 

I don't think He will have me here for long,

Why He has me here I plan on serving faithfully in word and action despite my hearts ways.

I don't live under the judgement of the law but under the grace of Christ! This makes me happy and at ease! :)

Amen 

Looking back on the day.

This day feels like a failure.

I hate days like this.

I did work on several tasks i needed to do, but in the end I have nothing to show for it.

I interacted with several family members today, I hope I showed them God's love.

It was cloudy but God did bring me sunlight through His grace and by reading His word.

I pray that God will bless the work of my day for His glory. I can only hope in Him on a day were everything else I have done has felt pointless at the time.

Thank you for being my dearest friend my LORD, my father and savior.

Amen

O why are You so foolish! Who has bewitched you? It was before your eyes that Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified. Let me ask you only this: Did you receive the Spirit by works of the law or by hearing with faith? Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh? Did you suffer so many things in vain—if indeed it was in vain? Does he who supplies the Spirit to you and works miracles among you do so by works of the law, or by hearing with faith—just as Abraham “believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness”?
Know then that it is those of faith who are the sons of Abraham. And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, “In you shall all the nations be blessed.” So then, those who are of faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith.

(Galatians 3:1-9)

I edited Galatians out of the first statement because I felt that this was written to me tonight.

LORD I am sorry for attempting to rectify my sins by my own actions and not by faith.

Bless me with the man Abraham, for I believe as he did without seeing.

Why have I forgotten what Your Spirit has already done in my life so quickly?

I will walk by faith and not by works, the works will fall away but Your Spirit abides forever!

Thank you LORD for working in me.

Amen

I don't regret being taught or for not knowing.

I regret knowing and not taking action.

I was able to meet my cousin's new little baby this morning, she was adorable.

LORD teach me to be a man of example with what you have taught me.

Destroy these demons that plague me with temptations,
Destroy their disgusting hope in my failure!

You are my victory, LORD You are my means!

My hope is in You and by your blood I have hope!

The angel of death passes over, and those demons flee.

I will walk in Your precepts because I love them and I love You.

Thank you for building character into my life this winter my LORD.

Amen

LORD MY MESSIAH WAS BORN

Jesus forgive me for thinking about myself today.

For getting low because I could not spend today with ones I love.

I spent the day with YOU!

How could I be so stupid?

Did I not see your face when I met with cousins?

Were you not there when I was on a hike in the woods?

LORD how did I miss you when I was spending time with all my grandparents?

Certainly I am stupid.

LORD I am a simple fool, please forgive me.

LORD it is your day let me not do the inviting,

invite who you will to me!

I love you.

LORD my refuge tonight.

O God, from my youth you have taught me,
and I still proclaim your wondrous deeds.
So even to old age and gray hairs,
O God, do not forsake me,
until I proclaim your might to another generation,
your power to all those to come.
Your righteousness, O God,
reaches the high heavens.
You who have done great things,
O God, who is like you?
You who have made me see many troubles and calamities
will revive me again;
from the depths of the earth
you will bring me up again.
You will increase my greatness
and comfort me again.
(Psalm 71:17-21 ESV)

This is my hearts prayer tonight my LORD.

Revive me my LORD.

Thank you for my comfort.

Amen

LORD you are my need,

tickle my throat

know my need,

You alone are my need.

amen

I am pretty sick tonight. Maybe it is Satan, I
Know it is due to the fall of man though.

LORD destroy my weakness for your strength.

I am sorry my body is weak.

Please use me despite how weak I am.

Draw men to Your name even though I have no strength.

I might see the victory but I will seek your face

You alone are why I am alive, you have brought me to this point.

Destroy me please.

Amen

Drill into my heart a place open to Your Word LORD.

I am a rock, I am stubborn.

I am a rock, only wanting to move in my own terms.

Shake my foundations!!

LORD I demand my humiliation!

LORD I seek Your face.

Hear my cries, I demand it as You have said; You are listening!

Hear me weeping, my heart is broken.

Be my savior, there is none like you.

Here I stand, I can do no other.

Amen

Letters from old

A good friend once wrote me a letter making an observation of one of my many faults.

My friend wrote in paraphrase:
  
 "I fear you take all the problems on yourself instead of giving them to God like it says to do in 1 Peter 5:7, and that worries me."


Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.
(1 Peter 5:6-7 ESV)

Later in the letter my friend wrote:

 "When you hold out against God and control your own life, you just DON'T stand a CHANCE."

I am glad to look back at a letter from several years ago and be taught a lesson. This friend has such insight into my life.

LORD help me to continue and cast all my anxieties on You.

Lead me by Your MIGHTY hand, so that at the PROPER time YOU alone will exalt me.

LORD bless my dear friend.

I pray that I will be as good a friend to others as this friend has been to me.

Amen

My Hiding Place

In you, O LORD, do I take refuge;
let me never be put to shame!
In your righteousness deliver me and rescue me;
incline your ear to me, and save me!
Be to me a rock of refuge,
to which I may continually come;
you have given the command to save me,
for you are my rock and my fortress.
(Psalm 71:1-3 ESV)

LORD my heart is at ease tonight.

LORD you are my refuge.
I read Your word and am calmed.

I was having a panic attack and Your word has calmed my heart.

I breathe easy knowing your strength and seeing Your working hand.

Mold me LORD in Your strength.

Amen

Learning and allowing

God, my God! Why am I so very SLOW?

Why do I require your attention so much!?

My stomach aches, and my spirit is weak.

I find no comfort apart from your word.

LORD breathe on me!

LORD whisper Your mercy to my heart.

Heart listen! Pay attention!

As David wrote

" May all who seek you rejoice and be glad in You!
May those who love Your salvation say evermore, 'God is great!'
But I am poor and needy; hasten to me, O God!
You are my help and my deliverer, O YHWH, do not delay!"
(Psalm 70:4-5)

Be my hope tonight my savior.

Amen

LORD you are my love song
I sing of you all day long

My heart might forget but
My mind has Your word

Teach me patience as I live
By proper fear I survive

I have stretched grace
And still You abound!

Don't let me go
LORD never let me go!

I will hold on to your hem,
And You will be my master!

You bought my soul with Your blood,
Your Spirit is in me and molds me.

I praise you all day long
LORD you are my love song.

Amen

Tonight  at the dinner table the discussion ranged from God's abundant love to topics on TV.

I am staying with my Grandparents for a time and am enjoying learning from their wisdom.

Tonight my grandfather told a story of a poem my uncle wrote when he was in the first grade. The poem went like this.

I like to watch TV,
 It makes me go tee-hee
It makes me sad,
 it makes me glad
It makes me see things
 I wish I had

This was written over 50 years ago and things have not changed.

I am so happy that God has given me everything I need.

 Oh, how abundant is your goodness,
which you have stored up for those who fear you
and worked for those who take refuge in you,
in the sight of the children of mankind!
Psalm 31:19

LORD thank you for your goodness and teaching us at all ages from my age to my grandfathers age to the child's age of proper fear and safety in your love.

Amen.

I am a Child

Tonight I went to Church. The service was filled with children singing and worshiping the birth of Christ. I thoroughly enjoyed my experience.

All of the kids were such characters! Some were visibly nervous, while others lived to be in the spot light.

I think that when I pray I express both of these qualities.

I know I become nervous because I am standing in front of the creator of the universe.

I also love being in His spotlight! I love for Him to look at me and hear my problems and praises!

Watching the children tonight really made me appreciate the characteristics that their faith portrays.

LORD much like the worship of these children tonight I pray as the Psalmist wrote,

"Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O LORD, my rock and my redeemer." (Psalm 19:14)

I love you LORD, please continue to teach me to be a man, a servant of You.

Amen

Remember your word to your servant,
in which you have made me hope.
This is my comfort in my affliction,
that your promise gives me life.
The insolent utterly deride me,
but I do not turn away from your law.
When I think of your rules from of old,
I take comfort, O LORD.
Hot indignation seizes me because of the wicked,
who forsake your law.
Your statutes have been my songs
in the house of my sojourning.
I remember your name in the night, O LORD,
and keep your law.
This blessing has fallen to me,
that I have kept your precepts.
(Psalm 119:49-56 ESV)

LORD I am in a new land and need Your blessings. Teach me to follow your precepts and work for your name.

Amen

Tonight is my last night in Florida for a while. I love this state. The weather and the people. My family and friends. 

I trust my God to supply all my needs as I walk in His guidance. 

Lord my God and my Savior, take my heart and lead me to a new land. Prosper the work of my hands for your names sake. 

Teach me to be a man. Teach me to solely rely on you for everything. 

John Denver sang, "I am leaving' on a jet plane, don't know when I'll be back again."   That's the way I feel. 

Proverbs 12:14-15
From the fruit of his mouth a man is satisfied with good,
   and the work of a man's hand comes back to him.
The way of a fool is right in his own eyes,
   but a wise man listens to advice.

LORD bless my work, allow me to work hard for you! Continue to send people my direction with wise advice. Let me be a blessing to those I work for. Be with me because I am scared.

Amen

Once again I am heavy burdened in my heart. My fear is over coming me and I am so low.

LORD how long do I have to wait for your answer? 

Please create me to be a man of faithfulness. One who does not worry and is not anxious! 

Why are you in such deep pain heart?

LORD hear Your servant! 

Psalm 84:8-9
O LORD God of hosts, hear my prayer;
   give ear, O God of Jacob! Selah
Behold our shield, O God;
   look on the face of your anointed!



I trust in You my savior. Restore my heart.

Amen

Proverbs 10:28
"The hope of the righteous brings joy,
But the expectation of the wicked will perish."

LORD my hope is fully on you tonight.
Lead my heart in what to pray and what to say!

O LORD, I don't have the desires of a wicked man,
I desire to please You and make your name great!

Continue to lead me in prayer through Your word,
And stretch my faith through Your grace.

Praise God the father! Praise Christ my savior! Praise the Spirit!
Three in one!

Amen

Many are the sorrows of the wicked,
   but steadfast love surrounds the one who trusts in the LORD.
Be glad in the LORD, and rejoice, O righteous,
   and shout for joy, all you upright in heart!
(Psalm 32:10-11)

I do trust in the LORD!

Heart let us rejoice, His love surrounds me and I am overwhelmed.

Thank you for restoring me to an upright heart O, LORD!

Amen

What is this I carry?! Why do I lug around this heavy unstable and dangerous object!? Certainly I know better than to allow my heart to carry on this way!

Heart, you are so stupid some times. 

I pound my chest in anger and weep in sadness! Why do I have so much unbelief in my heart?

Certainly we have a happy and loving LORD! He shares His everlasting inheritance! 

I praise God for wise counsel and for those who give it!

Psalm 30:11-12

You have turned for me my mourning into dancing;
   you have loosed my sackcloth
   and clothed me with gladness,
that my glory may sing your praise and not be silent.
   O LORD my God, I will give thanks to you forever!

I had the pleasure of eating dinner with two of my elders this evening and their wise counsel has lifted my spirit by the grace of God! 

I am not built to go through life alone and i am not to go without brothers and sisters to walk with as the path of the LORD is established in my life. 

Thank you LORD for joy and genuine counselors.

Heal my heart and my land. 

Amen

I Surrender

Psalms 119:67
"Before I was afflicted I went astray
But now I keep Your word"

"All to Jesus I surrender, make me, savior, wholly thine" 

From the Hymn 'I Surrender All' by Judson W. DeVenture

I have been thinking this thought allot lately. And I desire my prayer life to reflect it. I desire Christ to make me, to physically tackle me and to place me in His courts. I desire God to work within me in a way that destroys any idolatry or selfish ambition I have.

Christ has claimed me and He has shed His blood for me. I wave the white flag and surrender.  

He has victory over my soul. 

I cannot fight against my LORD any more! 
I have to quit or it will be the eternal death of me. 

O LORD you have bought my soul with your blood,
  I am unworthy and praise you for your grace!

Keep my daydreaming heart at bay!

Keep me reflecting on honorable lovely and pure thoughts!

Teach my heart humility whatever it costs! Even my life!

I would rather be humbled before you than follow those who STAND apart from your glory. 

Don't count me as one of them. I surrender. 

I am slave to you alone. I will follow you as you lead me. Direct my steps.

I claim Your peace that I don't Understand or need to understand but am free to express by Your grace! 

Thank you for guarding my whole being and for keeping me safe.

Psalm 119:71
"It was good for me that I was afflicted,
That I might learn Your statutes."

Amen

Preserve me, O God, for in you I take refuge.
I say to the LORD, “You are my Lord;
I have no good apart from you.”
(Psalm 16:1-2 ESV)

O LORD i need you so very badly this evening!
  My heart cannot take it.
I desire Your arms so very much!
   My eyes will not stop watering and my unbelief is ever before me.

I recognize the failings of my flesh and of those around me.
   None can stand to your goodness.
With you alone I find comfort and am at peace.

Though I am low I stand and make ready for battle,
   I will not let my heart destroy my obedience.

You are my portion and you hold my life, do with it as You will.

Amen

There is a voice of wisdom that I often have a hard time hearing! The wise man Solomon writes about wisdom in the book of Proverbs. He reminds the reader that wisdom is crying outbound in the street proclaiming truth!

"How long, O simple ones, will you love being simple?
How long will scoffers delight in their scoffing
And fools hate knowledge?
If you turn at my reproof, behold I will pour
Out my spirit to you; I will make my words known
To you."
Proverbs 1:22-23 ESV

How long Heart will you ignore the wisdom being proclaimed by God's word and by your wise friends and family?

Heart, wisdom leads away from folly and delivers you to peace!

Listen to this O Heart!

"For the simple are killed by their turning away,
And the complacency of fools destroys them;
But whoever listens to me will dwell secure and
will be at ease, without dread of disaster."
Proverbs 1:32-32

Heart, this is a warning!!!!

Complacency is a feeling of quiet pleasure or security, often while unaware of some potential danger, defect, or the like; self-satisfaction or smug satisfaction with an existing situation, condition, etc.

Heart, listen to wisdom! Listen and pray for it earnestly!

Do not be complacent and continue to move towards Christ and plead for guidance!

Amen

Patient

Psalms 6 ESV

O Lord, rebuke me not in your anger,
nor discipline me in your wrath.

Be gracious to me, O Lord, for I am languishing;
heal me, O Lord, for my bones are troubled.

My soul also is greatly troubled.
But you, O Lord—how long?

Turn, O Lord, deliver my life;
save me for the sake of your steadfast love.

For in death there is no remembrance of you;
in Sheol who will give you praise?

I am weary with my moaning;
every night I flood my bed with tears;
I drench my couch with my weeping.

My eye wastes away because of grief;
it grows weak because of all my foes.

Depart from me, all you workers of evil,
for the Lord has heard the sound of my weeping.

The Lord has heard my plea;
the Lord accepts my prayer.

All my enemies shall be ashamed and greatly troubled;
they shall turn back and be put to shame in a moment.
 

I don't know about you but my heart doesn't always feel so weepy. But their are certain times that I just get sooo very low. And I see how many sins I have committed and all my fears overwhelm me.

I am so happy and at peace because my God hears my plea and provides for me. He scatters my fears and demolishes my sins with His grace.

Heart, take time to pray tonight and be intimate with God about your concerns, weep and be joyful. Allow God to mend you and destroy all your enemies.

Dear Friend and Dear Heart

I met with one of my dearest friends today. These verses came to mind.

I thank my God always when I remember you in my prayers, because I hear of your love and of the faith that you have toward the Lord Jesus and all the saints, and I pray that the sharing of your faith may become effective for the full knowledge of every good thing that is in us for the sake of Christ. For I have derived much JOY and COMFORT from your LOVE, my brother, because the hearts of the saints have been REFRESHED through you.
(ESV Philemon 1:4-7)

I pray that every believer will search out that brother or sister in Christ that speaks gospel truth. A person that replenishes the spirit and lifts the heart by the grace of Christ.

I thank the LORD for my many friends that will in my own life.

Heart, take time tonight and praise God for the blessings of sisters and brothers who genuinely love you!

Amen

When You enlarge my Heart

Daleth

 25 My soul clings to the dust;
    give me life according to your word!
26When I told of my ways, you answered me;
    teach me your statutes!
27 Make me understand the way of your precepts,
   and I will meditate on your wondrous works.
28 My soul melts away for sorrow;
   strengthen me according to your word!
29Put false ways far from me
   and graciously teach me your law!
30I have chosen the way of faithfulness;
   I set your rules before me.
31I cling to your testimonies, O LORD;
    let me not be put to shame!
32I will run in the way of your commandments
   when you enlarge my heart![a]
(ESV Psalm 119:25-32)

Oh Heart!

Amen

Make HASTE!!!!

For I am ready to fall,
and my pain is ever before me.
I confess my iniquity;
I am sorry for my sin.
But my foes are vigorous, they are mighty,
and many are those who hate me wrongfully.
Those who render me evil for good
accuse me because I follow after good.
Do not forsake me, O LORD!
O my God, be not far from me!
Make haste to help me,
O Lord, my salvation!
(Psalm 38:17-22 ESV)

Heart, I look at you and I see your pain, others look at you and see your pain. You cannot hide from anyone. Listen to the Psalm. Though their are times that the LORD rebukes us and His arrows are deep within us,

O LORD, rebuke me not in your anger,
nor discipline me in your wrath!
For your arrows have sunk into me,
and your hand has come down on me.
There is no soundness in my flesh
because of your indignation;
there is no health in my bones
because of my sin.
(Psalm 38:1-3 ESV)

Remember heart the LORD delights in us being truly repentant. And we are glad because of his salvation.

He rebukes us and leads us. It is by Him we know our wrongs and it is by Him we are returned to salvation!

Be at peace heart. Don't let sin hinder you from blessing others!

Do not let others accuse you for following after GOOD!! Being any type of good. Let the grace of God lead your lips by the fruit of the SPIRIT.

Thank you LORD for restoring and hastening to me for healing!

Praise the LORD for His salvation.