Love and Patience: 2Thessalonians 3:5

May the Lord lead your hearts into a full understanding and expression of the love of God and the patient endurance that comes from Christ.
2 Thessalonians 3:5 (NLT)

Paul is praying for the Thessalonians, for the Lord to direct their hearts. So they comprehend the steadfast love of God.
Paul encourages them to embrace the patience and endurance found in Christ. He is praying for them to be steadfast in God’s ways and to learn to be patient like Christ. May they have endurance while being conformed day by day more like Christ.

Have you embraced the love and patient endurance that comes from Christ?

Prayer; Lord, we thank you for your abundant love. Teach us to open our hearts and embrace your love. Guide us to follow Your word and path for us. As we grow in faith, teach us to be loving and patient. Like the heart-shaped leaves of the caladium brighten the environment, let our hearts be shaped by Your love and enlighten the world. In Jesus’ name. Amen

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Radiant: Psalm 34: 5-7

5 Those who look to him are radiant,
and their faces shall never be ashamed.
6 This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him
and saved him out of all his troubles.
7 The angel of the Lord encamps
around those who fear him, and delivers them.
Psalm 34:5-7 (ESV)

In Psalm 34, David is praising the Lord, for the Lord answered his prayer for deliverance. This psalm was probably written by David, in praise, of his escape from the Philistine king, Abimelech.

Reaching out to the Lord in faith, with prayer during troubled times, we find hope. Our demeanor changes; we become radiant, cheerful, and calm. If we keep our eyes centered on the Lord, we will not walk in shame.

David describes a poor man (not in wealth), but desperate and afraid, who cried out to the Lord, and the Lord saves him from his troubles. The Lord is our strength, our hope, our light, and our joy. He will send His angels to protect us.

No longer downcast, when we take our troubles to the Lord in prayer, we glow; we are radiant.

5 Look at him; give him your warmest smile. Never hide your feelings from him. 6 When I was desperate, I called out, and God got me out of a tight spot. 7 God’s angel sets up a circle of protection around us while we pray.
Psalm 34:5-7 (MSG)

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When you go to the Lord in prayer, do you trust in Him and feel peace and radiant?

Prayer; Our holy loving Heavenly Father, teach us to release our fears to You; reaching out to You in prayer. Help us to grow in faith, trust You and be radiant with hope. Like a sunflower turns to the sun and glows, let us turn our worries over to You and glow with Your light. In Jesus’ holy name. Amen

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Clothe yourself:Colossians 3:12-14

13Since God chose you to be the holy people he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. 13Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others. 14Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together in perfect harmony.
Colossians 3:12-14 (NLT)

When we accept Jesus into our lives, we are changed, transformed, and holy. As holy people, we need to emulate Jesus to put on a heart of compassion. Letting go of sin, pride, anger, and unforgiveness, clothing ourselves in patience, kindness, humility, gentleness, and compassion.
When we allow Christ to rule in our hearts our lives are transformed. We learn to act as Jesus did and forgive others as He forgives us. We clothe ourselves with love, learning to love one another as He has loved us.

12-14 So, chosen by God for this new life of love, dress in the wardrobe God picked out for you: compassion, kindness, humility, quiet strength, discipline. Be even-tempered, content with second place, quick to forgive an offense. Forgive as quickly and completely as the Master forgave you. And regardless of what else you put on, wear love. It’s your basic, all-purpose garment. Never be without it.
Colossians 3:12-14 (MSG)

Are you clothing yourself by putting on kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience?

Prayer; Our Heavenly Father, we thank You for Your grace, compassion, and forgiveness toward us. Teach us to clothe ourselves with mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. Help us to forgive others as you have forgiven us. Guide us, and teach us to clothe ourselves with love. Like the straw flowers are gathered close together, let us gather together with love in perfect harmony. In Jesus’ loving name. Amen

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Righteousness: Psalm 37:5-6

5 Commit your way to the LORD; trust in Him, and He will do it. 6 He will bring forth your righteousness like the dawn, your justice like the noonday sun.
Psalm 37:5-6 (BSB)

The Hebrew word for commit means to roll, to turn over, or hand over. In other words, to commit to the Lord; is to roll your burdens over to the Lord; trust Him to handle them. In prayer, turn over your concerns; focus on God, and find peace.

When we commit to God, He helps us grow in righteousness, and the believer’s life is transformed, approved, and validated.

New International Version
Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father.
Matt 13:43 (NIV)

Our righteousness will be revealed, and justice will shine bright like the noonday sun.

^5-6Open up before God, keep nothing back;
he’ll do whatever needs to be done:
He’ll validate your life in the clear light of day
and stamp you with approval at high noon.
Psalm 37: 5-6 (MSG)

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Psalm 37 is a psalm about God’s faithfulness. Have you committed to the Lord; are you being transformed and growing in righteousness?

Prayer; Our Heavenly Father, we thank you for your patience, forgiveness, and grace. Teach us to trust in you, turning our burdens over to You. Like the Rudbeckia flowers, grow and glow in the sun; help us to grow in righteousness and shine brightly like the sun in Your kingdom. In Jesus’ holy and loving name. Amen

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Our Refuge: Psalm 9:9-10

⁹The Lord is a refuge for the oppressed,
a stronghold in times of trouble.
¹⁰Those who know your name trust in you,
for you, Lord, have never forsaken those who seek you
Psalm 9:9-10 (NIV)

God, our Heavenly Father, is our stronghold in times of trouble. A stronghold is defined as a well-fortified place of protection against attack. God is a refuge for the oppressed, the poor, the needy, those without power, and for protection from evil. He is our refuge and stronghold.

God is our refuge and strength, always ready to help in times of trouble.
Psalm 46:1(NLT)

Our God is faithful; He keeps His promises. Seek Him, for He is good; He will not forsake you. He is worthy of your confidence and trust. He is your help in times of trouble, your refuge; you can rely on Him.

9-10 God’s a safe-house for the battered,
a sanctuary during bad times.
The moment you arrive, you relax;
you’re never sorry you knocked.
Psalm 9:9-10 (MSG) ⁂

God is our refuge and our strength. In times of trouble, is your first response to turn to God?

Prayer; Our Heavenly Father, we thank You for being our stronghold and refuge during difficult times. Help us to grow in faith, seek You, and trust You. Teach us to reach out to You in trust knowing you will never forsake us. Like the allium flowers spiral out in all directions, your love spirals out, surrounding us; You are our stronghold, our hope. In Jesus’ holy name. Amen

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Lead Me: Psalm 32:8

The LORD says, “I will guide you along the best pathway for your life. I will advise you and watch over you.
Psalm 32:8 (NLT)

5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart,
And lean not on your own understanding;
6 In all your ways acknowledge Him,
And He shall direct your paths.
Proverbs 3:5-6 (NKJ)

The steps of a [good and righteous] man are directed and established by the LORD, And He delights in his way [and blesses his path].
Psalm 37:23 (AMP)

Your word is a lamp to guide my feet and a light for my path.
Psalm 119:105 (NLT)

I invite you to join me in meditating on these scriptures. May God lead you – and light your path.

I am taking a few weeks off for caregiving. Blessings!🌺

Just and Good: Psalm 33:5

4For the word of the LORD holds true, and we can trust everything he does. 5He loves whatever is just and good; the unfailing love of the LORD fills the earth.
Psalm 33:4-5 (NLT)

Psalm 33 starts with;

Rejoice in the Lord, you righteous ones; praise from the upright is beautiful.
Psalm 33:1 (CEB)

The following verses give reasons to praise the Lord. We can trust in Him, for the Word of the Lord is true; we can believe the truth of His Word (verse 4). We can rejoice because God loves righteousness and justice. He is good and wants us to be like him, moral and good. We should rejoice and praise the Lord for His goodness and unfailing love for us (verse 5). As His love fills the earth, let us rejoice and show love to all. ⁂

Our Lord is good, just, true, and righteous. He forgives our sins and loves us. Have you taken time to praise, rejoice and worship Him today?

Prayer; Our Heavenly Father, we rejoice in Your goodness, truth, and justice. We praise You for Your patience and forgiveness of us. We thank You for Your grace, mercy, and your unfailing love for us. Like the sunflowers grow and glow in the sunshine, let us grow in faith and glow with Your Son’s light. Amen

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I believe in the power of prayer. If you need prayer, I would be glad to pray for you; message me on the contact page.🌺

Guide Me: Psalm 32:8

8 The Lord says, “I will guide you along the best pathway for your life.
I will advise you and watch over you.
9 Do not be like a senseless horse or mule
that needs a bit and bridle to keep it under control.”
Psalm 32:8-9 (NLT)

In Psalm 32, David talks about the blessing of sin forgiven, of God’s protection, and in verse eight, the wisdom of following the Lord’s pathway. If we ask, the Lord will guide us along the best path for our lives. When we take time to listen to God’s Word and walk in His ways, He will advise, direct us, watch over us, guiding our steps.
We need to humble ourselves and walk willing with the Lord to reach out to Him in prayer. To confess our sins and ask for direction. Knowing that God will watch over us, advise us and guide us. ⁘

Do you reach out to the Lord for guidance when you are confused, worried, or afraid? Do you ask Him to guide your steps and to show you the path to take?

Prayer; Our Heavenly Father, we thank You for Your forgiveness of our sins and Your protection. Guide us along the best pathway, teach us to listen to Your word, and walk-in Your ways. Like the orange trumpet-like flowers reach outward and glow in the sunlight, let us reach out to You and glow with Your guiding light. In Jesus’ holy name. Amen

I believe in the power of prayer. If you need prayer, I would be glad to pray for you. Leave a comment or message me on the contact page.🌺

Prayer of the Upright: Proverbs 15:8

The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the LORD, but the prayer of the upright is his delight.
Proverbs 15:8 (NAB)

The prayer of the upright; those with hearts right with God. A humble, honest, and sincere prayer is the Lord’s delight. These prayers come from the heart and include thanks for His grace, blessings, forgiveness, and compassion. The character of the sacrifice (or gift) giver is more important than the sacrifice itself. A significant gift from an immoral person does not bring God pleasure.

Verse 8 from the Message Bible states:

⁸God can’t stand pious poses,
but he delights in genuine prayers.
Proverbs 15:8 (MSG)

Righteousness and justice are what the Lord desires.

To do righteousness and justice is more desirable to the LORD than sacrifice.
Proverbs 21:3 (NET)

The prayer of the upright is the Lord’s delight. ⁘

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Are your prayers coming from your heart?

Don’t worry about having the right words; worry more about having the right heart. It’s not eloquence he seeks, just honesty.
Max Lucado

Prayer; Our Heavenly Father, we thank you for hearing our prayers. Open our hearts to Your teaching; lead us to a right heart. Guide our actions and attitudes, and teach us to be more Christ-like (upright). Like the humbly bowed flowers of the lily of the valley, let us bow before You in humble prayer with thanksgiving. In Jesus’ holy and loving name. Amen

God is Righteous: Psalm145:17-18

17 Everything God does is right—
the trademark on all his works is love.
18 God’s there, listening for all who pray,
for all who pray and mean it.
Psalm 145:17-18 (MSG)

These verses in the Message bible are beautiful. The trademark of God in all his works is love. A wonderful truth. God’s love shines in all He does! The Lord is righteous in His ways, holy in His work, and forgiving to us. He is merciful and gracious; He listens to our prayers and guides us. He is close to us and knows us by name.

In Psalm 145, David mentions the characteristics of God; He is righteous, praiseworthy, good, compassionate, and trustworthy. We are blessed to have a righteous, loving, listening God.^⁎

God is righteous, loves you, and listens to your prayer. Have you reached out to Him in prayer today?

Prayer; Our Heavenly Father, we thank you for your compassion and grace. We are in awe of your righteousness, kindness, and love. Teach us to take our worries to You in prayer. Like the visual beauty of the flowering dogwood, guide us in the beauty of Your Word. In Jesus’ holy and loving name. Amen

I believe in the power of prayer. If you need prayer, I would be glad to pray for you. Leave a comment or message me on the contact page. 🌺