One of the greatest enemies of man is fear. Prayer, which is faith in God and all things good, casts out fear. Fear is the cloud that hides the sunshine of God’s Love. Fear causes man to fail. It is fear that makes man angry and jittery, causes him to rub others the wrong way. Fear creates bad human relations. Men fearcriticism so much that many of their most beautiful thoughts never see the light of day.
One of the most beautiful and practical prayers in the Bible for the overcoming of fear is this: “The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?” (Psalm 27:1) From “Techniques in prayer therapy” by Dr. Joseph Murphy. Chapter 10
One of the greatest enemies of man is fear. Prayer, which is faith in God and all things good, casts out fear. Fear is the cloud that hides the sunshine of God’s Love. Fear causes man to fail. It is fear that makes man angry and jittery, causes him to rub others the wrong way. Fear creates bad human relations. Men fear criticism so much that many of their most beautiful thoughts never see the light of day.
One of the most beautiful and practical prayers in the Bible for the overcoming of fear is this: “The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?” (Psalm 27:1) From “Techniques in prayer therapy” by Dr. Joseph Murphy. Chapter 10
“How do you define what a difficult person is? The Tibetan tradition describes it in this way: a difficult person is someone who throws their emotional energy at you, causing you upset and shock and making you feel defenseless. A difficult person is someone who persecutes you or obstructs your path in life. A difficult person is someone who tries to cause you emotional or physical harm or damage to your reputation. A difficult person is someone who tries to steal your belongings, wealth, or creativity.
Such people can be easy to deal with, but the golden rule is that you should not at any juncture wish them harm. What you must wish them is self-knowledge.”
Praying for them, “may all blessings flow to you. May self-knowledge flow to you. I reclaim the power you have taken from me, it is mine to take back, and it is my right. May love and good fortune come to you now. You are no longer a problem for me.”
Golden rule: Treat other people as you would want them to treat you.
“Loving God, you are faithful to us beyond measure. You forgive and remember not the reason for the forgiveness. Teach us to follow the example you sent in your son Jesus; that we too may share the good news that is written upon our hearts. Amen”
The abundance of God’s love nourishes my faith. Filled with the love of God, I express my gratitude for the goodness of all people. I give thanks for loving friends and colleagues who enfold me with love and support in all situations.
With faith in the perfect outcome, I take every challenge to God in prayer. In the silence, I hear the still small voice within my heart, and my faith is rejuvenated. As I celebrate the experiences that have caused me to call forth greater strength, my deep and abiding faith overflows in every area of my life.
Stepping out in faith, I place my life, my world in God’s care. There is always the potential for accomplishment within me. Just as surely as the season of new life unfolds, so, too, does my potential to break through any barriers to an accomplishment. My goals then become realities, revealing the results of my divinely inspired work.
With God, no challenge is too large and no task is too daunting. My faith in God knows no limit.
“And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing.”–1 Corinthians 13:2
“Loving God, you guide the wanderer, heal the sick, free the captive, nourish the hungry. You love and care for us. Accept our response of praise and thanksgiving, and gather us from every place into the community of your mercy and grace. Amen”
I may listen to the weather forecast before I leave my home. Then, no matter the season, I know what to wear to be comfortable and protected from the elements.
In the different seasons of life, whatever challenges may appear, we listen as God provides us with perfect guidance and protection for what is needed. As Christians, we know God’s saving action through Jesus the Christ. We can remember this by keeping these words from the “Prayer of Faith” in mind and heart:
God walks beside me, guides my way through every moment of the day…. God is my all; I know no fear, Since God and love and Truth are here. “Is not my house like this with God? For he has made with me an everlasting covenant, ordered in all things and secure.
Will he not cause to prosper all my help and my desire?”–2 Samuel 23:
“O God, always creating, always revealing to us your righteous paths, teach us to delight in your law and guide us in your way of life. We give thanks to you through Jesus the Christ, who came to show us that way. Amen”
The law is God’s sweet word that enlightens us and calls us to account, leading us to be what God has created us to be. It enables us to live together in community while helping others, set apart as God’s people.
The good we do for others makes a difference in their lives. We contribute our energies in ways that benefit people – some known and others unknown to us. By being helpful, we honor the Christ within ourselves and within them.
When we give of ourselves, we are expressing consideration and generosity. Some ways we serve are traditional. Shared relationships and beliefs are honored as family, spiritual, and cultural practices are celebrated. Let us also reflect on additional innovative ways to make a positive difference in the lives of others. We are blessed each time we generously give from the heart.
“Praise to you, God of our salvation. You do not hide your face from us. When we are in trouble, you come near to us. Give us comfort and strength that we may proclaim your goodness and always rejoice in your help. Amen”
As we continue our walk through Lent on our unique spiritual journeys, we may often feel that God is distant, unhearing and unavailable. But, isn’t it in these times when God is the closest, listening intently to our prayers, and most available to help?
The love of God heals, protects, and blesses. The power of divine love is never restricted by
time, space, or circumstance. Knowing no bounds or limitations, love blesses all with goodness and beauty. Even when we are feeling vulnerable or fearful, when we are unsure of our finances or our security, God’s powerful light and love break through. Divine love graces me with its sweet, tender presence.
The love of God heals, protects, and blesses. It comes to in a flash of insight when we are in need of guidance. Walking in nature or sitting quietly in prayer, we feel the love.
“We have known and believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and those who abide in love abide in God, and God abides in them.”–1 John 4:16
“Teach us your paths, O God, and lead us in your truth. You have been steadfast in your love for us, and merciful in welcoming and sustaining us. Forgive us when we move away from your loving paths, and strengthen us to follow in your way. Amen”
Lent – a time when we become more conscious of our personal, spiritual journeys with God. A short period when we take the time to reflect on what that journey means and how we use it to impact lives around us. It is usually thought of as a time of “giving up” – letting go of cherished habits, vices and indulgences. It can feel like a “wilderness”, devoid of all the color and taste and pleasure of our usual lives.
But, couldn’t it also feel like a beginning? a preparation? Jesus took the time to meditate, pray and prepare before beginning his ministry. He grounded himself in his faith and his father and his love for all God’s children at every point in HIS journey. Couldn’t we do the same?
Think of using this time of Lent to lift up your life’s experiences to God, examine them, and learn to live in God’s ways. Instead of concentrating on what you’re giving UP, you can call upon God to help you in this journey, with the confidence that God’s steadfast and loving relationship with each of us will sustain us, prepare us and motivate us.
When we think of a forest fire often times destruction and devastation comes to mind. Yet a fire is a vital ingredient for the life cycle of the giant sequoia trees.
Fire is essential for sequoia tree because it enables them to create seedlings. The ground directly beneath these trees often becomes overgrown with scrubs, dead branches, and needles. A heavy covering on the ground will prevent new seeds from reaching the soil to germinate. So, occasional fires will the burn off the heavy ground cover.
Fire is also needed for the releasing of the seeds. The small seeds no bigger than a house fly are encased in the sequoia’s cones. When a ground fire takes place the rising heat will cause the cones to open thus releasing the seeds to float down and then germinate in the exposed soil.
During our life journey with God what appears to be a destructive fire can be seen as a potential growth period. Life trials such as financial crisis, relational discords, or health emergencies are often the fires God uses to germinate a new growth cycle in our relationship with God.
Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing. If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking. James 1:2-5
May these verses fire you up: Proverbs 27:21, I Corinthians 3:13, Psalm 97:11, Matthew 13:37, and Hosea 10:12.
The giant sequoia trees found in the Sierra Nevada Mountains of California are by far the largest trees in the world. They average 250 feet tall and have a trunk diameter of 15 feet at their base. One of the tallest trees is call General Grant named after the Civil War General Ulysses S. Grant is 310 feet tall with a diameter of 27 feet.
The remarkable thing about the sequoias are their root systems. For trees that grow to such mammoth dimension their roots never grow more than three feet deep. One would expect that for such tall trees to survive and not be blown over their roots would grow deep in order to anchor them securely. How do the trees survive with such shallow roots?
Their survival is “rooted” in their community or groves. The giant sequoias thrive because they are within a grove of other sequoias. A single tree’s root system intertwines with other tree’s to create a massive community root system whereby
each tree is strengthened from other sequoias roots.
In many ways we can learn from our Creator’s creation of the sequoias. As believers we need to remain in our groves of other believers so we intertwine with each other. We can gain strength and stability from fellow believers’ roots of experiences, knowledge, and faith to create a stable and intertwining system of fellowship and worship. This intertwining relationship with each other will allow us to grow to gigantic proportions in our walk with God.
Let us heed Pauls’advice: “Not forsaking or neglecting to assemble together [as believers], as is the habit of some people, but admonishing (warning, urging, and encouraging) one another, and all the more faithfully as you see the day approaching” Hebrews 10:25 (Amplified Bible)