I’m Nothing Without You

(Intentional Prayer)

Pray the Scriptures – My Prayer:

Lord, no matter the successes I accomplish during my time here on earth, I am conscious of the fact that I’m nothing without You. As was when You chose to create me in Your likeness, You continuously provide the air that I need to breathe, and permit the steps that I am to take. In Your tireless love for me, You have given me life with the intention of abundance; for You sent Your Son that I may have life and have it to the full. A rich and satisfying life, indeed; I won’t forget. I will ponder this.

Lord, I cannot do anything within my own strength. It is not by force (power) nor by strength, but by Your Spirit. Although I cannot accomplish anything in Your name utilizing my own strength; miraculously, by the power of Your Spirit, all things can be so.

I can do everything through Christ who gives me strength.

When the Picture Looks Different

When the picture of our life currently looks different than what we prayed for and what we ever imagined, we must remember that it’s only a test. God is able to take that distorted view and bring it into alignment with His will.

As I sit here knowing that I am more than enough because the God who lives within me is enough, my heart still aches and the tears still gently flow over the disconnect that is sometimes present in the relationship between myself and my son. I don’t always know how to connect, so I just show a lot of love and support, even when a positive response is not always reciprocated. A lot has transpired and my once prodigal son has physically returned, but spiritually and emotionally, the picture, at times, still looks distorted.

How do we handle things when we can’t change them?

I am learning that in the course of our respective journeys, in many cases we have to meet people where they are and realize that until God gives them the strength to do better and to be better, we cannot compare them to others or hound them about not being where we feel that they should be. Rehearsing someone’s short comings will not bring about change. Only God can change a person from the inside out. We must trust in God and believe that they are on the path that He has established or allowed for them. Until their wills line up with the will of God, struggles within those relationships may be present.

Victory is ours, but the battle is still on.

It sometimes takes someone, be it ourselves or others, longer to receive what God has for them. God is still breaking them and cleaning up those damaged places within, before He can complete the rebuilding process. This calls for patience and understanding on our part, and we must remember that there have been times in our own lives, even though our stories may be different, where, possibly, we weren’t ready to hear about how God could change us or our various circumstances and life situations. We weren’t or maybe still aren’t ready to receive all that God has for us and are not ready to walk in our true calling.

God is loving and patient, and He works to clean us up and take us through some often difficult scenarios to get us to hear Him, and to obey Him, and to follow His leading for our lives.

My son recently purchased a used vehicle. Of course, because you know how young people are, he did not ask my advice about anything. He ended up paying money for something that was on the verge of dying. Within a month, there was a lot that needed to be repaired on that vehicle. The outside and even the interior looked well maintained and presentable to the outside world, but under the hood, things were a total mess.

That is the case sometimes within our lives. On the outside everything looks shiny and polished. We dress the part. We say the right words. We interact within the right circles. But under the hood are a lot of broken down parts. We are God’s chosen, more than enough, and can be used by Him; and, we are in the fight and moving towards our Promised Land, but we still have some things on the inside that must be repaired in order to properly and smoothly roll forward in this journey with Christ.

We must choose to let God fix what is broken so that we can be effective in our daily walks with Him.

We should never give up wanting our testimony to be that of 2 Timothy 4:7, which says,

I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, and I have remained faithful.

What He’s Done For Me

(Intentional Prayer)

Pray the Scriptures – My Prayer:

Lord, as I draw closer to You and feel Your presence in all that I do, I choose this day to realize how Blessed I am. I will never forget Your grace and mercy that is showered over my life. Like rain drops that pour from the heavens, so Your love is provided to me as nourishment for my soul. The breathtaking beauty and growth that manifests from nothing that I could ever do on my own is absolutely amazing. For you have rescued me from the kingdom of darkness and transferred me into the Kingdom of Your dear Son, my Redeemer, my High Priest, my Savior, my example and guide, who purchased my freedom and forgave my sins.

As I reflect on how Blessed I am, the tear that trickles down my cheek, is but a minor display of my gratitude towards You. Oh, how You love me! You gave Your One and Only Son, so that not only I, but everyone who believes in You will not perish but have eternal life. Irrespective of all my missteps and points of disobedience, You did not send Him to judge me, but to provide salvation for my soul.

Your sovereignty and plan that I may prosper and have hope in You, brought into existence a way to save me and call me to live a holy life, not because I deserved it, but because that was Your plan from before the beginning of time.

Your evidence of grace through Christ Jesus is why I am Blessed.