Wonders: Psalm 40:5

O Lord my God, you have performed many wonders for us.
Your plans for us are too numerous to list.
You have no equal.
If I tried to recite all your wonderful deeds,
I would never come to the end of them.
Psalm 40:5 (NLT)

David’s song of praise to God; “Lord my God, You have performed many wonders for us.” They are more than we can enumerate beyond what we can express.

You cannot count God’s thoughts of you. If he were only to think of us once, in tender mercy, that one thought would run on throughout eternity, for he does not retract either a thought that he thinks or a word that he utters. Instead thereof, one gracious thought is followed by another, swiftly as the beams of light flash from the sun, so that it is impossible for us to number them.
Spurgeon’s Bible Commentary

Your forgiveness, mercy, grace, and kindness surround us. Nothing can compare to God, He is Omnipotent, and there is nothing He cannot do. God is powerful, and He protects; He is gracious, He forgives, and; He is trustworthy; He keeps His promises.

Praise the Lord for His wonderful works, miracles, and His grace toward us! ⁂

God has performed many wonders for us; have you taken the time to respond with thanks and praise?

Prayer; O Lord, our wonderful Heavenly Father, we are in awe of Your majesty. We thank you for Your miracles and the many wonders You have done for us. No one can compare to You. Thank you for your grace, forgiveness, and love. As we marvel at the beauty of flowers, let us marvel at the beauty of Your grace and Your wonderful works, and give thanks. In Jesus’ holy and loving name.

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May the Lord be Praised-Psalm 40:16

May all those who seek you be happy and rejoice in you! May those who love to experience your deliverance say continually, “May the LORD be praised!”
Psalm 40:16 (NET)

May all who seek the Lord rejoice and be glad, be happy, and praise You. God’s love, promises, and truth bring joy and are reasons to celebrate. David wanted people to focus on the goodness of the Lord and rejoice.
Different versions have different worded rejoices; may the Lord be praised, may the Lord be magnified, and let the Lord be exalted, all praising the Lord for all He has done for us.

Let all who seek You rejoice and be glad in You; Let those who love Your salvation say continually, “The LORD be magnified!”
Psalm 40:16 (AMP)

Thanks to our God of all mercies, comfort, and salvation. May the Lord be praised! He has delivered us from slavery to sin and promises to be with us always. May the Lord be magnified! Let us rejoice, for God loves us, has mercy on us, and gives us grace. May the Lord be exalted!

Constant worship clears the debris from our hearts. Praise is the cleansing element that flushes the trash of worry and anxiety.
Max Lucado “Help is Here”

The Lord has given us much to rejoice over and be glad about. Let us remember; to joyfully thank and praise the Lord for all He has done, is doing, and will do. ⁂

Do you take time to focus on the goodness of God and rejoice?

Prayer; Our Heavenly Father, God of grace, mercy, and salvation, we praise You! We exalt you, Lord, and thank you for your mercy, care, and protection. Teach us to be happy and rejoice; in your promises. May the Lord be magnified! As the flowers of the orchid are colorful and spread joy, let us rejoice and declare that the Lord be praised! In Jesus’ holy name. Amen

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Great Joy: Luke 2:10

Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people.
Luke 2:10 (NKJV)

The angel said I bring you good tidings of great joy. Great joy for all people. What is the good news, the good tidings? The good news, the tidings of great joy, is the announcement of the birth of Jesus. God so loved the world; he sent His Son, Jesus, into the world.

11 For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 12 And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.”
Luke 2:11 (NKJV)

The angel announced that Jesus had arrived; as a baby born in a stable in Bethlehem; since there was no room in the inn. Who did the angel inform, was it kings, nobles, or scholars? No, it was shepherds keeping watch over their flocks, the angel, informed of our Savior’s birth.

13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying:

14 “Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!”
Luke 2:13-14 (NKJV)

A multitude of angelic beings suddenly appeared bearing a message of comfort and joy; peace and goodwill toward all.

May Christmas glorify our savior’s birth and be filled with comfort, peace, goodwill, and great joy!

Prayer; Our Heavenly Father, we thank You for loving us and sending Your Son as our Savior. We celebrate the joy of Christ’s birth and praise You. As the angel proclaimed, I bring you tidings of great joy for all people; guide us in spreading the love and great joy of Jesus’ birth to others. Glory to you, our God in the highest! Teach us to walk in peace and exhibit goodwill to all. In Jesus’ holy name. Amen

Merry Christmas! 🌺

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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God of all Comfort: 2Corinthians 1:3

All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is our merciful Father and the source of all comfort.
2 Corinthians 1:3 (NLT)

In this verse, Paul is giving thanks for God’s comfort. As Christians, we learn to turn to God for relief from pain and suffering and find comfort from worldly woes. Through His Word, we are strengthened and encouraged. Comfort, compassion, and mercy are found through Jesus; when we reach out to him. We can quit worrying and striving on our own; and find rest and comfort in God’s strength.

3 Blessed is[a] the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, 4 who comforts us in all our troubles[b] so that we may be able to comfort those experiencing any trouble[c] with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.
2 Corinthians 1:3-5 (NET)

We can take time and share the peace we receive from God when we reach out and comfort others who are experiencing trouble.

Praise to God, Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, our source of hope and comfort. ⁂

Prayer; Our Heavenly Father, we thank You for your mercy and comfort. Teach us to turn to you when we are hurting and overwhelmed. Like the blooms of the lilies are gathered together, supporting each other, let us gather under your wings, feel your comfort, and support one another. In Jesus’ Holy name. Amen

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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.🌺

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

Seek Me: Jeremiah 29:13

Then [with a deep longing] you will seek Me and require Me [as a vital necessity] and [you will] find Me when you search for Me with all your heart.
Jeremiah 29:13 (AMP)

God is waiting for us, waiting for us to reach out to him. He is waiting for us; to prayerfully search for Him; to search with integrity and sincerity. When you seriously seek God, He promises that you will find Him. How do you seek Him? By searching for Him with all your strength, soul, and mind, with all your heart. God is available and waiting; for us to seek Him, come to Him, and abide with Him.

How do you seek God? Do you seek Him sincerely in prayer and with your whole heart?

Prayer; Our Heavenly Father, teach us to always seek You. Lord, we thank you for Your timeless promise that when we seek You, we will find You. Help us to seek You with integrity and sincerity. Like the wide-open reaching upward blooms of the peppermint tulips, let us open our hearts wide and sincerely reach out to You. In Jesus’ holy name. Amen

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Rejoice and Blossom: Isaiah 35:1

1 The desert and the parched land will be glad; the wilderness will rejoice and blossom. Like the crocus,
Isaiah 35:1

1 Ask the LORD for rain in the springtime; it is the LORD who sends the thunderstorms. He gives showers of rain to all people, and plants of the field to everyone.
Zechariah 10:1

2 Let my teaching fall like rain and my words descend like dew, like showers on new grass, like abundant rain on tender plants.
Deuteronomy 32:2

28 “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. 29 Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these.
Matthew 6:28-29

May we all take time this spring; to rejoice and blossom in His love. 🌺

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God’s Will: 1Thessalonians 5:16-18

¹⁶Rejoice always, ¹⁷pray continually, ¹⁸give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 (NIV)

What is God’s will? According to Paul in 1Thessalonians, God’s will is for us to rejoice always, pray continually, and give thanks in all circumstances. Lofty goals for us. It would be easier if Paul said, rejoice and pray often, and remember to be thankful. How do we learn to rejoice, pray, and give thanks to the Lord more often? By looking to God in all circumstances, praying for His direction, seeing others through His loving eyes. By realizing that rejoicing and prayer bring us closer to the promises of God and the hope of Christ, our source of true joy. Even when Paul was in jail and shackled, he rejoiced in God’s goodness. In prayer, we acknowledge God, His goodness, His grace, His mercy, and His provision for us. When we trust God, we feel thankfulness for His past, His present, and His future mercies toward us. These make us want to rejoice, pray, and thank our Heavenly Father.

God’s will for us is to rejoice always, pray continually and give thanks in all circumstances. When you are troubled, confused, afraid, and overwhelmed, do you stop; and take a moment to rejoice, pray, and give thanks?

Prayer; Our Heavenly Father, we are in awe of Your love and compassion for us. We rejoice in your goodness to us, we pray for Your guidance, and we thank you for Your amazing grace. Teach us to find delight in Your love and to rejoice always. Open our hearts to You. Let us embrace Your will, focus on Christ, and reach out in prayer with thanksgiving in all circumstances. Like the foxglove blossoms appear to be open and in song, let us open our hearts to you and rejoice with singing. In Jesus’ holy and loving name. Amen

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God is open to and listens to our prayers. If you need prayer, I will be glad to pray for you. Leave a comment or message me on the contact page. 🌺