Category: Sister Judy (Page 44 of 276)

This week is the Prayer for Unity and Understanding of our Nation By Hopler

“Dear God, we’re concerned about the division and discord that are tearing through our nation. We repent of all the times when we haven’t treated each other with the respect you want us to always have for each other-including the times when we disagree. You direct us in James 5:16 to “…confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, so that you may be healed” and promise in that same verse that ‘The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.’

We pray for unity among all Americans, regardless of our political affiliation. Help us to see each other as fellow children of God, deserving of love and respect. Teach us to listen more and speak less, and to seek understanding rather than conflict. You urge us in Ephesians 4:3:’Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.”

May your Holy Spirit fill our hearts with peace and guide us toward unity. Break down the walls of mistrust and hatred between us and replace them with bridges of compassion and empathy. Please help us engage in respectful conversations, learn from each other’s experiences, and work together for the common good of our nation. Remind us regularly that we are all part of your family and that our ultimate allegiance is to you. Thank you, our loving Father. Amen.”

Challenge for today: Pray this prayer this morning and again before you go to bed.
Blessings on your day and prayers and love, Judy

Jesus must have given shocking words to His disciples when he said that He was leaving, and it was a good thing for them. His words in John 16:6, “It is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send Him to you.” He goes on to say that that the Spirit of truth will come and guide them into truth and speak what things are to come. The Holy Spirit would not only be with them but in them and they would do many works in His power. What greater gift could He give them? The Spirit would not only instruct them and guide them and teach them, but He would also make the words of scripture come alive and give joy as they served others.

When we welcome the Holy Spirit into our lives, He also gives us boldness to share Jesus with others. His gifts are to be used for the Body of Christ for serving and instructing and helping us to grow in Christlikeness. He does not force Himself on us but when invited He teaches us and instructs us and helps us. In Scripture He is described as our Counselor, our Helper, our comforter, our strengthener, and even our intercessor when we don’t know how to pray. The list goes on and on. I don’t know about you, but I need Him as I am weak and not bold in myself, nor do I know what needs to be said or even how I am to pray at times. But we have the best helper ever who is our helper, our supporter and wants to be intimate with us. Let us not grieve Him bu pushing Him aside but welcome Him every day to flow through us and commune with us.

Hope your day is one of bringing glory to the Lord in your work. I have an early morning appointment so will be leaving at 7 a.m. Later I plan to fry fish that was given us by friends who bless us after their fishing trips! 

Dear Lord,

“Establish the work of my hands by helping me to be productive, patient, focused, and insightful.  May your Spirit lead me in my work and help me to be joyful, creative, and worshipful–constantly reminding me of your love and that you’re the reason I have breath in my lungs. Teach me to align my work, family, church life, and rest in a way that would maximize your glory and allow me to bear the most fruit for your kingdom.

Cause my work and attitude to adorn the gospel and shine the light of Christ into this dark and desperate world. Help me bless my workplace by living a salty, gospel-worthy life in front of my watching coworkers, and help me honor my boss as I honor you. Make my heart worship and enjoy you throughout the day, knowing that you are the reason for breath in my lungs and the One I am really serving.

And as I work, fix my eyes on Jesus and his finished work on the cross that gave me treasure I could not earn, rest that I could not otherwise experience, and a living hope that will fuel me to work for the glory of God. Amen.”

I memorized a verse from Gal.2:20 when I was a young girl, “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I that live, but Christ that lives in me. And the life I now live, I live by faith in the Son of Man who loved me and gave His life for me.” When we are crucified with Christ, it means we die to our own way and choose to go God’s way. Paul said that he gloried in the cross by which the world has been crucified to him, and him to the world. God does for us, what we cannot do, and we willingly respond. What results is a life well lived in freedom.

We need to be willing to die to our own selves and all our earning attempts of keeping the rules, and instead receive what God does which will bring freedom. For after death is resurrection life that is free and beautiful and lived by faith. We can respond with living deeply and freely for Him and for others as we embrace the cross. Our life becomes one of joy in the Holy Spirit, liberty, and enjoyment of the Lord, as we live freely forever In Him.

Hope you wake up to a great day! Soon we will be on our way to Marquette, MI to see Al’s sister. The view of Lake Superior from her 11th floor apartment is so beautiful! We plan to celebrate her birthday and Al’s and mine. I am not taking my computer along so tomorrow you won’t be getting a devotion and the one on Wednesday will be late when we return. 

Maybe we have wounds in our lives of things that happened even before we came to know the Lord. It may still cause us trauma and they are like strongholds that we need to get free from. A friend of mine would often quote from II Cor.10:L4-5, “The weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God and take every thought captive to obey Christ.” We need to let the Lord show us all those things that don’t agree with His Word and think God’s thoughts instead. There are times we may need help from others to pray over us that the strongholds will be torn down. I think of it as a holy work that the Holy Spirit does in our lives as he cuts out those areas that have hindered us from living a life of freedom in the Lord. The Word of God is so powerful, and it will be sharp enough to show us areas that are not aligned to the Word and need to be cut out.

When we lack peace and feel restless, let us ask the Holy Spirit to lay siege to any strongholds in our lives. As they are removed, we will sense peace and freedom and later, we might wonder why we waited so long. May we all keep watch over our hearts.