The Gift of the Single Life, The Gift of the Married Life

(7) Sometimes I wish everyone were single like me—a simpler life in many ways! But celibacy is not for everyone any more than marriage is. God gives the gift of the single life to some, the gift of the married life to others. (8-9) I do, though, tell the unmarried and widows that singleness might well be the best thing for them, as it has been for me. But if they can't manage their desires and emotions, they should by all means go ahead and get married. The difficulties of marriage are preferable by far to a sexually tortured life as a single.
-- The Apostle Paul as recorded in 1 Corinthians 7:7-9 (The Message)

Thanks You God for Your good and unique gifts given to Your children.
Grateful

The Latest Love Line (Another Life-Verse)

I love that sacred part of the journey home, when the Lord drops deep into my heart yet another life-verse from His Holy Word. Here's the latest verse He gave to me during a quiet time in His presence:

It is God who produces in you the desires and actions that please Him. -- Philippians 2:13 (GWT)

Thanks Lord for accenting two of my other life-verse's. Yes, Galatians 2:20 and Colossians 1:27 are only reinforced when Philippians 2:13, the latest love line You have whispered to me, is compounded with them. I am humbled and speechless because of Your kindnesses towards me.

Click here: Michael W. Smith - Psalm 139, Thy Word - YouTube

Thy Word continues to be a lamp unto my feet. A light unto my path!
Grateful

All Your Plans

Author Henri Nouwen's mentor, Jean Vanier—who founded the L'Arch Communities for those with mental and physically handicaps and disabilities—gave this benediction blessing over Nouwen at his ordination service:

May all your expectations be frustrated.
May all your plans be thwarted.
May all your desires be withered into nothingness,
That you may experience the powerlessness and poverty of a child
and sing and dance in the love of God the Father, the Son, and the Spirit. Amen and Amen.

Lord, in our dreams may Your dreams come true.
Grateful

Don't Let Me Make A Mess Of Things

Let’s PRAY TOGETHER from Psalm 119:31-38 (TLB):
(31) i cling to YOUR commands and follow them as closely as i can. LORD, don’t let me make a mess of things. (32) If YOU will only help me to want YOUR will, then i will follow YOUR desires even more closely. (33-34) Just tell me what to do and i will do it, LORD. As long as i live i’ll wholeheartedly obey. (35) Make me walk along the right paths, for i know how delightful they really are. (36) Help me to prefer obedience to making money! (37) Turn me away from wanting any other plan than YOURS. Revive my heart toward YOU. (38) Reassure me that YOUR promises are for me, for i trust and revere YOU. Amen!

Deo Volente -- Whatever God Wants!
Grateful

But He Intentionally Ignores...

In my reading and reflecting from the Old Testament Proverbs, the contrast in this verse stopped me in my tracks:

The Lord will not allow a righteous person to starve, but He intentionally ignores the desires of a wicked person.
-- Proverbs 10:3 (God's Word Translation)

If my thoughts had been sinful, He would have refused to hear me.
-- Psalm 66:18 (CEV)

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness for they will be filled.
-- Words of Jesus in Matthew 5:6 (NIV)

Click here: YouTube - Hungry w/lyrics by Kathryn Scott

Holiness Unto the LORD!
Grateful

Your Gentle Whisper, Lord...

(11) The LORD said, “Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the LORD, for the LORD is about to pass by.” Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake.
(12) After the earthquake came a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper.
(13) When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave. Then a voice said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”
-- 1 Kings 19:11-13 (NIV)

Almighty Personal God...
Today, I pray that we as Your beloved ones
will hear Your holy and healing voice.
Yes, according to Your pure and perfect desires for us --
after the winds have blown
and the earthquakes have shook,
and the fires have threatened --
allow us to hear Your gentle whisper, Lord,
inviting us out of the dark caves of this life
and into Your loving and everlasting light.
We pray in the Name of the One called
"The Light of the World."
We know that You alone, Almighty Personal God...
are worthy of all our worship and praise.
So as we wait to hear your gentle whisper, Lord,
Here we are to worship You!
Amen.

"Here I am to Worship" Prayer Song:
Click > http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CoxopsRSfdU

Knees Bowed Down, Ears Wide Open.
Grateful

God Desires to Be Known

God desires to be known by His creation. -- Robert Coleman

I desire to know and to be known by my Creator God. -- Kerry Willis

The words of this Steve Green song say "it" quite effectively:

Just the time I feel
that I've been caught
in the mire of self.
Just the time I feel
my mind's been bought
by worldly wealth.
That's when the breeze begins
to blow, I know
the Spirit's Call.
And all my worldly wanderings
just melt into His Love.

Oh, I want to know You more!
Deep within my soul I want to know You,
Oh, I want to know You.
To feel Your Heart and know Your Mind,
looking in Your eyes stirs up within me,
cries that say I want to know You
Oh, I want to know You more.

Oh, I want to know You more.
When my daily deeds
ordinarily lose life and song,
my heart begins to bleed,
sensitivity to Him is gone.
I've run the race but set my own pace
and face a shattered soul,
Now the Gentle Arms of Jesus
warm my hunger to be whole.

And Oh, I want to know You more!
Deep within my soul I want to know You,
Oh, I want to know You.
And I would give my final breath
to know You in Your Death and Resurrection,
Oh, I want to know You more.

Oh, I want to know You more.
Oh, I want to know You more...

IF MY PEOPLE... WILL? I WILL God's Promise in 2 Chron. 7:14.
Grateful

Who's Our Daddy?

We are Yours, Lord. You are our Abba Father. Yes, You are our Daddy Father God. We love You so much because You first Loved us too much. We reverence You. We dedicate ourselves to Your desires. In the name of Your Son, Jesus, in Whom You are well pleased. Amen.

Romans 8:15-17 (NIV) -- (15) For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by Him we cry, "Abba, Father." (16) The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. (17) Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in His sufferings in order that we may also share in His glory.

ALL JOY!
Grateful

Insight

Today as I was reading and praying in Psalm 119, in the Message Paraphrase of the Holy Bible, these eighteen words from verse 34 resonated with my deepest desires:

And so I pray the eighteen words again now, My Lord...

...Give me insight so I can do what You tell me -- my whole life one long, obedient response.

In the name of the One called Wonderful. Amen.

ALL JOY!
Grateful

DEFINITELY, not Probably!

When the Lord speaks His desires for our lives, what is the immediate response of our hearts?

(1) I probably will obey? or (2) I definitely will obey!

Jesus said these words in John 14:21 (NLT): Those who obey my commandments are the ones who love me. (Those who DEFINITELY obey, not probably obey!)

Lord, help us to defintely obey you immediately after you speak Your desires to us, not to prove we love You, but because we love You. Amen.

ALL JOY!
Grateful

Give Me the Desires of My Heart, Only If....

Psalm 37:4 (NLT) -- Take delight in the LORD, and He will give you your heart’s desires.

Lord, I ask that You would give me the desires of my heart, only if they are one with the desires of Your heart. In Jesus' Name. Amen.

ALL JOY!
Grateful