Only 2 more days – TWO MORE DAYS!! – and I can officially stop blogging my devotions every night (it’s usually at night). Most of the time I have really enjoyed it. Sometimes I’ve been so tired or burnt out, but I slogged through. And it was worth it. I wrestled with God and He won! … Continue reading »
I was speaking with a friend the other day who is a prayer warrior. I guess that means she prays all the time about everything. I am not a prayer warrior. I may be a Bible warrior, holding forth the sword of the Spirit, but I’ve always felt sort of like a C student in … Continue reading »
I’m sort of amazed – well at least interested – by the fact that I can have studied a passage in a Bible study or read some book about the passage or at least read the passage a few times – and still find something in there that I never saw before. I love that … Continue reading »
I really loved the way Daniel prayed in today’s reading. He was so humble. Jerusalem has been pillaged, her people taken away. Daniel confesses the sins of Israel, then prays: Give ear, our God, and hear; open your eyes and see the desolation of the city that bears your Name. We do not make requests … Continue reading »
I know Jesus tells us to knock, knock, knock, ask, ask, ask, seek, seek, seek. He wants us to come before him like little children, making our needs known (realizing that our much wiser Father will do what’s best anyway!). But it is SO instructive to see how Jesus and Paul prayed (as I posted … Continue reading »
Wondered what I’d ponder tonight til I got to the last two verses of my last reading. I’m always interested in how Jesus and Paul prayed. It seems we should model our prayers after theirs. And here’s another great prayer from Paul and Timothy: That is why we always pray for you [Thessalonians], asking our God … Continue reading »
Tonight I plugged DH into the dialysis machine. So far so good. It will fill up and empty his peritoneum 6 times tonight, letting the liquid “dwell” in between so it has a chance to pull the toxins out of his blood. Pretty cool. Unless there’s a flood. PRAY (if you feel so led)!! So, tonight I … Continue reading »
Aha, another timely passage! … do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:4-7 ESV) Well, it’s one step forward, two … Continue reading »
Oy vey! Yesterday’s peace about DH turned into today’s nightmare. DH’s peritoneal catheter (which basically sticks out of his abdomen) leaked all over the place. Which is not a good thing. We ended up taking a trip mid-day to the surgeon to get it stitched up. I just finished remaking the formerly soaked bed. A … Continue reading »
That’s what I need to do. I am feeling great pressure from work just to learn, get on top of things, and move forward. Then I flew home. Add to that the pressure of hospitalized husband and plain ole kids. Not to mention the dogs. WOW. I need to take a deep breath. I made … Continue reading »
Paul asks the Corinthian church to pray for his fellow missionaries and him in his second letter: God delivered us from such a deadly peril, and … he will deliver us again. You also must help us by prayer, so that many will give thanks on our behalf for the blessing granted us through the … Continue reading »
Today I feel like Job or Joseph or Moses. They went through very dark periods: the deaths and illness, the prison, the desert. Maybe they lost hope for futures they once dreamed of. Perhaps wondered if God was still there. Then unexpectedly and quickly, everything changed for the better. God returned… and in power. The … Continue reading »
First, here’s an update on my post about the sudden discovery this week that my husband’s kidneys were failing. DH had a tube surgically inserted into his abdomen tonight so that he could have peritoneal dialysis at home. It’s the coolest thing! His peritoneal cavity will act like a third kidney. This little machine will pump liquid in. … Continue reading »
There’s a growing focus on contemplative prayer: listening to God in stillness (puts me to sleep, frankly). Someone I know takes dictation from God in her journals. A friend of mine told me that folks in her church receive frequent “downloads” from God. We used to talk about that “gentle and quiet” voice. This is a pretty … Continue reading »
Hanani ventures from Jerusalem back to Susa, the capital city of Persia where his brother, Nehemiah, serves as wine steward to King Artaxerxes. Hanani tells Nehemiah with shame that the walls around Jerusalem are broken down. Nehemiah then cries, fasts and prays for several days, coming to the conclusion that he must return to Jerusalem … Continue reading »
