Give Me Eyes to See

 

Open the eyes of my heart, Lord
Open the eyes of my heart
I want to see You
I want to see You

Open the eyes of my heart, Lord
Open the eyes of my heart
I want to see You
I want to see You

To see You high and lifted up
Shinin' in the light of Your glory
Pour out Your power and love
As we sing holy, holy, holy

Open the eyes of my heart, Lord
Open the eyes of my heart
I want to see You
I want to see You

Open the eyes of my heart, Lord
Open the eyes of my heart
I want to see You
I want to see You

To see You high and lifted up
Shinin' in the light of Your glory
Pour out Your power and love
As we sing holy, holy, holy

by Michael W. Smith

Source

This is my heart’s cry today, Lord. I long to see the invisible and lay hold to the intangible but some times these natural eyes of mine block my view of You.  So give me eyes and ears that I might hear and see you.

He’s With Me

Yea, thou I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me Psalms 23:4(KJV)

Even when the way goes through Death Valley, I’m not afraid when you walk at my side. Your trusty shepherd’s crook makes me feel secure. Psalms 23:4 (The Message)

Lord, it seems like death/destruction is crouching at my family’s door. Let not the secret plots of our enemies prevail. Expose every snare and every trick. Give us a spirit of discernment that we may know friend from foe. Despite the shadows we see or the whisperings we hear, we can rest securely because You are with us.

 

Arise Oh’ Lord

Oh my such a spirit of intercession just swept through me unexpectedly. But is that not how our Lord is? He’ll show up in the most unexpected, mundane places. In the midst of my getting ready to tackle the work day the Savior had need of me. As Pet mentions in his post Burden in our spirit, there are times when there’s a burden in our spirit and we should take those before our Lord. I may not know on this side of heaven what that burden was specifically about but He does and I thank Him for trusting me with the assignment to pray.

Like Paul, there are times that I pray in the spirit and at other times with natural words. Today was a day for my spiritual language. The only natural words of prayer I have today is Arise Oh Lord! Arise Oh’ Lord-might not seem like much but when the Lord, the one who rules and reigns, shows up ALL of his power, majesty, dominion, and glory arrives on the scene with Him. So may our Lord arise whenever you need Him to show up today whether that be to a wayward child, a bare bank account, a stressful job, a broken marriage, a body ridden with disease, or on the street corner of your neighborhood.

Arise Oh Lord!

As God would have it, it just happens to be Sweet P’s over at Tea with Tiffany so I’m linking up with her today. 

 

I Can’t Hear You

I included the NLT version of the scripture on the photo but I also like how the Message paraphrases it.

But I'm deaf and mute to it all,
      ears shut, mouth shut.
   I don't hear a word they say,
      don't speak a word in response.
   What I do, God, is wait for you,
      wait for my Lord, my God—you will answer!  Psalms 38:13-15

There are times in life when it’s necessary to turn a deaf ear to enemies taunting. And, when I can’t think of any scriptures to quote or lack something positive to say, it’s best that I choose silence instead.

Oh and what about the times that you’re praying for someone’s  salvation and everything you see and hear from them is contrary to your prayers. That’s a good time to make a decision to not be moved by the happenings around you.

 

 

It’s All in There

Before my eyes opened or my feet hit the floor this morning, a tune was playing in my head.

All that you need is in the name of Jesus

A YouTube search was unfruitful probably because I don’t really know the name of the song. Not even sure of the other lines of the song but apparently those are the words I need to know this morning.

Lord God, I don’t know what lies ahead of me this day but I thank you for the reminder that I already possess  what is needed to meet the challenges, tasks, and demands for today.  I don’t rely on my own giftedness, intelligence, or fortitude but I seek your guidance and strength. Thank you for all that you’ve packed into that name of Jesus. When I need peace, I can find it there. When I need strength, I can find it there. When I need a way made, it’s in that name, too. When I need healing, I can find it there. Protection, provision, salvation, and so much more are all found in the name. When I can’t think of any lofty words to say, all I need is to call that one name….Jesus.

 

Son or Slave ? {Monday Manna}

Today, I’m linking up with Joanne at An Open Book for Monday Manna, which offers fellow bloggers the opportunity to share their thoughts, insights, poems, or devotionals that relate to a specific verse posted at her blog. The verse we were asked to chew on was Galatians 4:6-7.

And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying out, “Abba, Father!” Therefore you are no longer a slave but a son, and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ. Galatians 4:6-7 NKJ

As I thought on this verse a couple of things came to mind. (1) The difference in motivation of servitude between a son and a slave. A slave serves because he is obligated to do so but a son serves a Father out of love and respect. (2) The difference in benefits/wages between the two. A slave is often paid less than what he actually deserves but certainly he only earns wages for the work he has actually done. If no work, no wages.  However, a son is able to reap some rewards/benefits from his father simply because of the nature of their relationship. As a child of God, I can never do enough or be good enough to earn all of the many benefits that God has made available to His children.  I need not try to earn my salvation but just accept the wonderful gift.

Have you been busy serving on committees and involved in various ‘religious’ programs in an attempt to prove your worthiness of salvation or that you are ‘good’ Christian? To be actively involved in Christian service is admirable and is something I believe that we should do. But what motivates you to serve? If it’s anything other than love and obedience to the Father, perhaps you’re serving from a slave mentality.

What does that verse speak to you?

A Heart Full of Sweet P’s

As I join in with Tea with Tiffany for Sweet P’s and the others who come to bring you our p’s, I pause to say thank you Lord. Thanks not just for what you’ve done but for who you are. The more I come to know of you, the more I long to know. I’m not satisfied with old clichés or second-hand testimonies. I’ve got to know you for myself. I long to see you in fresh new ways. Break every box and shatter every illusion that limits by ability to see you. Destroy every bondage and chain that keeps me bound to old ways of thinking, believing, and being. Create in me a clean heart and renew a right spirit in me. Don’t let me walk in deception and keep me from all evil.

Father, I thank you for the unexpected P(s ) you’ve brought into my life. I never knew that when I started jotting down my thoughts in this blog a few short months ago, that my path would cross so many people. I thank you for how you’ve used them to sharpen me, shape me, shake-me up, strengthen me, and enlighten me. Just as they’ve been like refreshing water to me, send people along their paths that will speak a word in season to them.

I don’t know their struggles, trials, or concerns but you do Lord. And, I come looking to you and asking that you’d strengthen them where they’re weak.  That you’d be their compass, Lord as they walk along the paths of their lives. May you send abundant water to quench their thirst and moisten their parched fields. I thank you for raining on parched relationships, careers, ministries, and homes. Thank you for reviving, replenishing, and reconnecting.

Thank you for the prodigal sons and daughters that you’re sending home now, God! We thank you for turning hearts. Thank you that even as they walk out their madness, Lord, you’re right alongside watching and protecting them. If they make their bed in hell you’re there and if they ascend to highest mountain, you’re their also. Even when we can’t find them physically, they are never unreachable to you.  If your love and kindness drew us up and out, we know you can do the same for them. We choose to rest in the fact that you are Lord and their future is safe in your hands. I love you so much Lord and I give your name the praise. In Jesus name, Amen.

Do you have any Sweet P’s {prayers, petition, or praise} to share? Feel free to leave them in the comments (you may send them to me privately by clicking on the contact me page) or write your own post and link up. Wising you a blessed weekend.





Sweet P's is a weekly meme hosted by Tea with Tiffany from Friday to Sunday.

No More Cave Dwelling

Where have you made your dwelling place? No, I’m not referring to your physical address. Instead I inquire about the place your mind, your soul, your will chooses to make it’s abode. After reading a post my blogger friend, Mike, shared over at This I do entitled What Is Your Cave?, it had me pondering over cave dwelling. Not sure if this happens to you but there are some posts that I read and then there are others that seem to read me. It’s the one’s that read me that I’m unable shake from the recesses of my mind.  They refused to be ignored clinging and begging me to explore more.

Isolation and darkness push to the forefront of my mind when I hear the word cave. At first glance it doesn’t sound like a very pleasant place to reside. However, as an introvert, it’s in the aloneness of my day that I’m fully able to recharge. In the darkness of the night, my body finds the necessary rest to face the dawn of a new day. If the cave can serve as a place of peace and restoration, why would dwelling in one be a problem?

The place you draw away to gain perspective or protection can also be the place you use as a means of avoidance. Avoiding dealing with conflict, relationships, troubles, and trials. Just check out Gideon and the other Israelites in Judges 6, who had made caves for themselves in attempt to hide from their oppressors, the Midianites.  These Midianites were no joke; they came in and reeked utter havoc.

Despite all the trouble they were causing, Gideon wasn’t encouraged to stay tucked safely inside the cave. It seems that while he was waiting around looking for God to do something about the situation, God was looking to him to render aide to the people. To me, a cave dweller would be the least likely person to send out to battle. But, what do I know really?

Just as the angel commissioned Gideon to come out of hiding and go out to face the enemy, there are some battles that we can’t afford to ignore. Too much is at stake. Not just us but our families. Not just our families but our communities. Not just our communities but our nation.

I’ve got some more chewing to do on this one. While I do, I encourage you to check out the post over at Mike’s blog.

Worth the Wait {Word Filled Wednesday}

The Lord is wonderfully good to those who wait for him and seek him. Lamentations 3:25

Now I must admit, I hate to wait. Hate waiting behind slower traffic. Hate waiting in line at Wal-mart especially when there’s thousands of check-out counters but no one operating them. Hate waiting at doctor’s offices and hair salons. WAIT is a 4-letter word that just tends to rub me the wrong way. For some reason, I assume my time could be better spent doing something else.

Unfortunately for me (or I should say fortunately for me, I guess) the God, who holds the universe together, expects me to do just that-WAIT. Unlike the times I have waited for someone or something that failed to arrive, He promises that my waiting will not be in vain.

Did you notice that little 3-letter word “and”? It’s rather odd how something so small can have such significance. My waiting for Him is supposed to be accompanied with some action.  We can’t get away with just the passing of months, weeks, days, hours, or minutes but we must fill the moments with seeking. 

WAITING 4 HIM + WORK 2 SEEK HIM = WONDERFUL GOODNESS

Am I just marking time as it goes by or am I actively seeking Him as I wait?

Fill up on more goodness from the Word by visiting Internet Cafe Devotions. WFW is always a great treat!

Even When I Don’t Do Right

Only you Lord no my innermost being. It’s you that knows my uprising and my down setting. You know the true motives of my heart. Nothing I do is concealed from you. Sometimes, it’s my desire to do the right thing but choose to do the wrong thing instead. And, others time I stubbornly insist on doing things my own way. Even then you don’t choose to cast me away. I’m so thankful that you don’t abandon me or consider me as utterly hopeless. But, you keep on showing up with your love, your compassion, your kindness your forgiveness.

Just as you did for the Israelites, you’ve been doing for me. Not just when you wooed me to follow you but from my mother’s womb, I received your provision, your protection, your instruction. Although I didn’t always recognize it was you, who was sustaining me. It was you that kept redeeming from the hands of my enemies. I say THANK YOU Lord!

May others come to know you. For you are a God of forgiveness, gracious, and merciful, slow to become angry, and rich in unfailing love. May we your body honestly proclaim that we don’t always do it right and it’s only because of your great mercy that we are not consumed. May those who have yet to accept you as Lord and Savior come to see that despite what they’ve done wrong, are doing wrong, or will do wrong that you’ve already been lavishing them with your love. And that you stand ready to forgive. In Jesus name, Amen.

¹⁷ They refused to obey and did not remember the miracles you had done for them. Instead, they became stubborn and appointed a leader to take them back to their slavery in Egypt! But you are a God of forgiveness, gracious and merciful, slow to become angry, and rich in unfailing love. You did not abandon them, ¹⁸ even when they made an idol shaped like a calf and said, ‘This is your god who brought you out of Egypt!’ They committed terrible blasphemies.
¹⁹ “But in your great mercy you did not abandon them to die in the wilderness. The pillar of cloud still led them forward by day, and the pillar of fire showed them the way through the night. ²⁰ You sent your good Spirit to instruct them, and you did not stop giving them manna from heaven or water for their thirst. ²¹ For forty years you sustained them in the wilderness, and they lacked nothing. Their clothes did not wear out, and their feet did not swell! Nehemiah 9:17-21 (NLT)

I linking up Sweet P’s hosted by Tea with Tiffany.

13 Well Wishes for You

Friday 13th for many is a day of foreboding doom. I’ve never been superstitious and can’t recall any specific bad luck that occurred in my life on this day. Rather than anticipating a day of mishaps or misfortunes, I’m sending along 13 well wishes for you:

1. That you walk in good success.
2. That you may know the hope of your call
3. That you be strengthen in your inner man
4. That you may know that you are fearfully and wonderfully made.
5. That His word would be hidden in your heart
6. That you’d be able to hear the voice of the Lord clearly
7. That you would see and seize the way of escape He provides
8. That your families would be blessed
9. That your mind would be sound
10. That your heart would be sensitive to the Lord
11. That your territory would be enlarged
12. That you be fill to the full measure of Christ
13. That you would make the Lord your dwelling place

Wishing you all a blessed weekend filled with rest, revelation, and rejuvenation.

He Holds The Future {Word-Filled Wednesday}

I came across this passage of scripture during my daily reading yesterday. It along with vs.14 just seemed to jump out and grab me.

But I am trusting you, O Lord, saying, “You are my God!” My future is in your hands. Psalms 31:14-15a (NLT)

Life is fragile just like the precious flower this hand holds. Once that little bloom was attached to a stem, which had some roots supplying it’s nutrients. Yet something or someone came along and snatch this precious bloom from the place it once thrived.

At times my life seems to be like that little flower, one moment I’m blossoming in my planted place of comfort. Only to be uprooted by unexpected storms or changes in life. It is at those times that I can not see or understand why God allow these things to be. The darkness of the storm seems to shroud His hand from me.

Yet even in those times, I must remain confident that He indeed is God and my future is secure in His hands.

It’s Ok to Begin Again

^{Are there any unfinished projects lying around your house? Or what about unachieved dreams stashed away in the recesses of your heart? If you’re anything like me, you’ve at least once started a project with great zeal and enthusiasm only to have the incomplete pieces stashed away in a closet.}

^{Well you and I are not the only ones, who have ever done such. In, Ezra 4:25-6:22, we find the Temple of God in Jerusalem still incomplete and all work has ceased on this ordained and worthy project. The rebuilding had been ordained by God and commissioned by King Cyrus but it encountered some interference and opposition that halted all progress.}

²⁴ That put a stop to the work on The Temple of God in Jerusalem. Nothing more was done until the second year of the reign of Darius king of Persia.

^1-2Meanwhile the prophets Haggai and Zechariah son of Iddo were preaching to the Jews in Judah and Jerusalem in the authority of the God of Israel who ruled them. And so Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel and Jeshua son of Jozadak started again, rebuilding The Temple of God in Jerusalem. The prophets of God were right there helping them.  Ezra 4:24-5:2

^{After hearing the prophets Haggai and Zechariah prophesy, Zerrubbabel and Jeshua were moved to action and they started again to rebuild the Temple of God. Nope, this wasn’t the first time they had made the decision to obey the voice of God. They did it before and failed but something about what the prophets said (the Bible doesn’t even go into the specifics of what the prophets said) stirred up their faith enough to begin the work again. When faced with starting something again,the fear of failing again tends to immobilize me. But these men were moved from their inactive state to one of purposeful activity. All by hearing two men speak. Which leads me to believe that at times God uses people to spur us back into action. You might not be prophesying but something you shared in a blog post or conversation shared among associates can be a word spoken in season for someone else that moves them from an inactive state.}

^{Did they meet some opposition after deciding to begin again? YES. Will you or I meet some opposition/interference when we choose to begin again? YES, we will. Opposition or interference is often wrapped up in the subtle sayings of others questioning if this is something you really should be undertaking. At other times opposition is clothed in the soft whispers of our voice that speaks doubt. The good news is that neither has to stop us from finishing the project. Further reading in Ezra, shows that the exact people who were coming to bring distraction from the building were the same people who were commanded by King Darius to ensure that the people of Judah had everything they needed to complete the rebuilding.}

^{Whether it’s been 2 days, 2 months or 2 years since you first started your quest to build your “temple” or dream, you can simply start again.}

We Have Winner

Congratulations to VickieB on winning the $40 gift certificate from CSN Stores. She has 48hrs to respond, after which another winner will be selected. Thanks to everyone that participated in the giveaway and special thanks to CSN Stores for being the sponsor.

Is It Time For a Makeover?

I’m not sure if it’s just a girl thing or what but every now and then I get the urge for something different.  A few weeks ago I had the bright idea to rearrange my living room. However, it seems that my new couch and love seat are little heavier than my old one. So, I decided it best not to try dragging it alone. But, I was not to be deterred from getting a new look in the living room. So what’s a girl to do without an extra set of hands? Well, I decided to rearrange some of my accessories like pictures, floral arrangements, small tables, etc. And, the simple rearrangement of old items made the space feel new again.

As I careen the blogosphere, I get the hankering to redo my own blog. Well, I don’t always have the extra set of hands or expertise to do a full redesign on my own. Or the desire to splurge on getting my own professionally designed custom blog because I sort like tinkering with HTML code. So what’s a blogger to do? Find a virtual set of extra hands. There are tons of sites that offer free tips and tutorials on enhancing your blog. Using some of these virtual hands, I’ve been able to display my replies to your comments in a different color, change my blog header image, change my rss feed to feedburner and add subscription by email. And, those are just a few of things I’ve learned since blogging. 

Are you still stuck using the original blogger templates? Good news! You don’t have to be. Several sites offer unique templates to give your blog a fresh new look. I decided to share of few of the sites that I’ve found helpful.

Blogger templates or backgrounds

• All Blog Tools
• Blog Skins 
• Adori Graphics
• Theme Craft

For tips and tutorials stop by these virtual hands:

• Sneaky Mama Blog Design
• Beautiful Blog Designs
• The Cutest Blog on the Block
• Mama’s Losin It

Next time you get the urge for a lil something different on your blog, these are definitely some tools you can use and they are great for newbie bloggers like me. Hope you have a fantastic weekend and don’t forget today is your last day to sign up for the fabulous giveaway by CSN stores here.

Keeping Watch of the Time

 

But make sure that you don't get so absorbed and exhausted in taking care of all your day-by-day obligations that you lose track of the time and doze off, oblivious to God. The night is about over, dawn is about to break. Be up and awake to what God is doing! God is putting the finishing touches on the salvation work he began when we first believed. We can't afford to waste a minute, must not squander these precious daylight hours in frivolity and indulgence, in sleeping around and dissipation, in bickering and grabbing everything in sight. Get out of bed and get dressed! Don't loiter and linger, waiting until the very last minute. Dress yourselves in Christ, and be up and about!  Romans 13:11-14 (The Message)

It’s something about having another birthday roll around that makes me more cognizant of the passing of time. It seems like it was just a few days ago when I longed for the freedom of adulthood. Along with new liberties, adulthood ushered in new responsibilities. As I’ve gone about the business of living, it’s been easy to get caught up in the have-to(s) of life and lose focus of the essential.

Lord, as I celebrate another year of life today help me to be alert and sensitive to you. Show me how to make the most of my days. Let me not spend my time in trivial pursuits. Don’t let me miss what you are doing God.

Visit the cafe for more Word Filled Wednesday devotions today.

Infused with Power

Photo Credit: Soupart

Wow…isn’t that really awesome when you ponder on it!

^9-11But if God himself has taken up residence in your life, you can hardly be thinking more of yourself than of him. Anyone, of course, who has not welcomed this invisible but clearly present God, the Spirit of Christ, won't know what we're talking about. But for you who welcome him, in whom he dwells—even though you still experience all the limitations of sin—you yourself experience life on God's terms. It stands to reason, doesn't it, that if the alive-and-present God who raised Jesus from the dead moves into your life, he'll do the same thing in you that he did in Jesus, bringing you alive to himself? When God lives and breathes in you (and he does, as surely as he did in Jesus), you are delivered from that dead life. With his Spirit living in you, your body will be as alive as Christ's!

^12-14So don't you see that we don't owe this old do-it-yourself life one red cent. There's nothing in it for us, nothing at all. The best thing to do is give it a decent burial and get on with your new life. God's Spirit beckons. There are things to do and places to go!

^15-17This resurrection life you received from God is not a timid, grave-tending life. It's adventurously expectant, greeting God with a childlike "What's next, Papa?" God's Spirit touches our spirits and confirms who we really are. We know who he is, and we know who we are: Father and children. And we know we are going to get what's coming to us—an unbelievable inheritance! We go through exactly what Christ goes through. If we go through the hard times with him, then we're certainly going to go through the good times with him! (Message)