Start Your Day With God
By Bunny | December 18, 2009
“In the morning I lay my requests before you and wait in expectation.” (Ps. 5:3) We think everything rests on our shoulders, but it doesn’t! It’s God’s world, not ours. At the beginning of each day God reminds us that He has His way, that He controls outcomes, and that He cares about every detail of our lives.
The way we get up in the morning sets the tone for our entire day, so try this: First thing tomorrow, get alone with God for a few minutes. Don’t try to make it last an hour, just start with five minutes. Go over your plans for the day. As you talk to Him about your day, ask Him to give you the wisdom to do what needs to be done in a way that will be pleasing unto Him. Ask Him to lead your steps and guide you to the people He would have you share His love with that day. That’s our purpose for living. It is to be available to Him and do whatever He wants us to do to help promote His kingdom.
As you talk to Him about your day, maybe you’ll think about something that concerns you. Turn that over to Him and ask Him to help you see that situation as He does, and it will begin to seem so much smaller in your eyes than it was before. If you don’t get an immediate response from Him, just trust Him knowing that He heard you and when the time comes you will know how to handle the situation and you’ll know what to do.
So many people start their day anxious, hurried, fearful, or dreading their day. But we don’t have to. We’re going to start our day anyway; why not start it with Jesus? Do we have any better options? We’re going to have a first thought for the day, a first word, so why not let it belong to God, before Whom all our anxieties flee? We can do this. We really can. We can start our day with God. Seek Him first and everything else will be added to us. That’s what He promised to us. Put Him first and He will add whatever we may need for that day. He is a good God that cares about everything that we care about. We are a blessed people to have a Father that does not leave us all alone to fend for ourselves. Take a moment and meditate on this Scripture: “Satisfy us in the morning with your unfailing love, that we may sing for joy and be glad all our days.” (Ps. 90:14 NIV) Have a God led, carefree day. Be blessed!
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Need Help? Wait on God!
By Bunny | November 30, 2009
They that wait upon the Lord shall have new strength. Isaiah 40:31, “But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.” God usually doesn’t tell us how He will answer our prayers, or even when. But He does promise those who wait on Him one thing — Strength. The word “wait” in this Scripture pictures a Hebrew word used in the making of rope. Every rope starts out as a thread and every strand added just increases in strength. So each time you wait on the Lord you add another thread to the rope; you get a little stronger, a little more able to cope. Do you feel like you’re just hanging on by a thread today? Spend more time in God’s presence and God’s Word, and watch your thread turn into a rope.
There’s something that happens in us when we just sit quietly in His presence. We may not understand what it is, but if we obey Him and do it by faith, He said that we would gain new strength. I believe that is physical strength, as well as spiritual strength. And I don’t know about you, but I sure can use both. It reminds me of being outside in the summertime on an overcast day. I didn’t feel the sun. I didn’t see the sun. But eventually the time I spent outside showed up on my flesh. That’s like spending time waiting in the presence of the Lord. I didn’t see Jesus. I didn’t feel Jesus. But eventually the time I spent with Jesus showed up on my flesh. At that moment of temptation, I resisted it because of the strength I received when I was waiting in the presence of the Lord. His Word is true, no matter what we feel or see, all we need to do is believe. But let me say this ? Waiting is not always passive. Sometimes it’s active, like waiting on a customer, seeing that his or her needs are met. In this case, waiting is not so much a position as it is a focus. We can go about our day, taking care of our natural responsibilities, and still wait on Him by keeping our mind on Him periodically throughout our day. Listening to see if there’s anything He wants to tell you about the situation you talked to Him about this morning. The Bible says, “Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee.” (Isa. 26:3) Whether it’s sitting prayerfully in His presence or actively carrying out His will, you have God’s assurance that your strength will be renewed.
If you’re at the end of your rope today, grab hold of these three promises: (1) “Wait on the Lord; be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart; wait, I say, on the Lord.” (Ps. 27:14 NKJV) (2) “Wait silently for God alone, for my expectation if from Him.” (Ps.62:5 NKJV) (3) “As the eyes of servants look to the hand of their masters…so our eyes look to the Lord our God.” (Ps. 123:2 NKJV) Do you need more strength? Let me encourage you to wait on God.
Let me pray over you. “Father, you are such a good God that cares about everything in Your children’s lives. I ask You right now in the name of Jesus, to minister to my friend the strength, the wisdom, the healing, the hope that they need, as they wait upon You in Your presence. You are a faithful God that will always keep Your promises to us, Your children. As we do our part, You are more than willing to do Yours. Thank you Father, for loving my friend so much. I praise You for taking care of their need now. In Jesus name.” And you and I say, “Amen.” God bless you and always remember that I love you and pray for you daily.
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The Power of Compassion
By Bunny | November 6, 2009
Compassion is a sympathetic consciousness of others’ distress together with a desire to alleviate it. Our God is a Father of compassion. He had so much compassion for our suffering that He sent His one and only Son to die for us. Do you share God’s compassion? Do you realize that Jesus Christ wants to express through you what the Father expressed through Him, bringing love and hope to a hurting world? We, God’s people, are to be clothed with compassion. (Colossians 3:12) What are you wearing today?
Some of us, when our tender hearts see the troubles of others, may think we are too far away or too powerless to help. But that is so untrue. Our prayers are full of heavenly power. They transcend time and space. We can be on our knees in our living rooms and reach our president in the White House, a homeless person on a city street, children starving in North Korea, missionaries in South America, or a sick family member in California. With the power of compassion combined with prayer, we can make a difference. I can’t touch everyone physically, but I can touch everyone prayerfully ? And you can do the same. The power of compassion, that love for people that God has placed in our heart, can do such miraculous things that we can not comprehend.
Praying to make a difference is unselfish praying and in all likelihood, is going to cost us something. It’s probably going to make us uncomfortable and take us to places — spiritually and geographically — where we wouldn’t dare go unless God had birthed it in our hearts. Praying to make a difference in this world means we learn to get past ourselves and our problems and pursue a greater purpose. Nehemiah was an unselfish man of prayer who looked beyond himself and his needs. His example shows us what we need to do to be powerful intercessors for this world. Like Nehemiah, we need to find out what is happening outside the sphere of me, myself and I. When Nehemiah met Hanani, one of his brothers who had come from Judah, Nehemiah asked for news of the Jews in Jerusalem. It was then that he found out the specifics of the desperate situation, how the wall of Jerusalem was broken down, leaving the Jews defenseless against their enemies.
As soon as he heard of their situation, Nehemiah sat down and wept. He felt compassion and his heart mourned. The Bible says he fasted and prayed, asking God to hear him, remember His promises to His people, and give him success. A few months later Nehemiah went to King Artaxerxes, and with one look of his face, which revealed sadness of heart, the king inquired as to Nehemiah’s troubles, asking what he could do for him. Here Nehemiah took direct action as he reached out to another. Through their conversation they were able to assess the situation in Jerusalem and ultimately, rebuild the wall.
Nehemiah was filled with faith, telling those who later ridiculed the rebuilding, “The God of heaven will give us success.” (Neh. 2:20)
What walls can you help rebuild? What needs do you see around you in your coworkers lives? Around your family, your neighbors? Is God prompting you to pray for them or go and speak an encouraging word of hope to them? When you hear of distress in someone life and your heart responds with compassion, make a difference. Do something. If so led, take direct action by doing whatever He tells you to do and always begin and end the situation with prayer. Be filled with confidence that God will work in their situation.
In this world, Jesus says we will have trouble. But we are encouraged to be of good cheer, because He has already gone before us to assure us that we can have the victory. What a good Father. Allow the same compassion that He demonstrates toward us, flow out of you to those that are so desperately in need of it. We are His hands. We are His arms. Watch and listen as He shows you who to demonstrate that compassion on today. You were created to be a blessing. So be one.
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By Bunny | September 23, 2009
As I read, I discovered the powerful words of Jeremiah 29:11-12, “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you.” I was thrilled. God had plans for me! Plans to prosper and cause my life to be blessed. Plans to give me hope and a future. I began to revel in the knowledge of a great hope in store for my life. I realized that when worries began to come upon me, all I had to do was call upon Him, seek Him with all my heart, and tell Him all my fears of the future, and He would listen and lead me to go in the power of His divine guidance, urging me to be confident that He is before me. He’s got a plan for my life, full of hope, and prosperity with Him, and He will give me the power to proceed. He will do the same for you, if you will only believe.
When you neglect to read the Bible, you are purposefully cutting yourself off from being encouraged by God’s voice or receiving very important and specific directions for the day, week, month, and beyond. God loves to communicate with us. He wants us to tune our hearts to Him so that in a crowded room of opinions and temptations, there is just one Voice we recognize and walk toward. His voice will always lead us to do what is right toward others and ourselves. His ways are pure and holy. That’s why it is so vitally important that we train ourselves to listen to Him. Just stay with it as you’re learning to know the voice of God. He sees your heart and He knows you want to follow Him.
When worries about your future plaque you, delve into God’s Word, turn your heart to seek His face, and pray to the Lord your Savior who never ceases to instruct you and teach you in the way you should go, and guide you with His eye (Psalm 32:8). Ask God to give you the power of His divine guidance, helping you fulfill His plan for your life. And remember that the Lord goes before you into the days ahead, allowing you to leave the irreparable past in His hands and step out into the irresistible future with Him.
Please pray this with me.
Father, as I come before You today, delighting in Your presence, I ask for Your guidance. You know the desires of my heart—to know, love and live in You. Show me the way You want me to go. Give me the courage to face the future, knowing that because You go before me, I need never be afraid. Lord, You have a purpose for my life. You have plans to prosper me, so I put my life, my heart, and my soul in Your safe hands, this minute, this hour, this day. No matter what happens, Lord, I cannot be separated from You and Your love. Oh, what that means to me. Fill me with the love that never ends. May it flow through me and reach those I meet this day. May my future be filled with blessing upon blessing so that I may be a blessing, and may I praise You today and in the days to come. In Jesus name I ask all these things. Amen.
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On The Alert
By Bunny | September 2, 2009
“Be careful how you live, not as fools but as those who are wise. Make the most of every opportunity.” Ephesians 5: l5-l6. The word opportunity is derived from the Latin nautical term, opportunus, which denoted “favorable winds.” Because such winds were advantageous to ships seeking harbor, opportunus came to mean “coming at a convenient time.”
Many people look back upon their lives as a series of missed opportunities. Are you one of them? We cannot change the past, nor should we waste the present by lamenting over how many times we’ve allowed the winds of opportunity to pass us by. Don’t let yourself become caught up in the “would’ve-could’ve-should’ve” mode. Take the following steps to ensure that you make the most of every opportunity in your future.
First, pray for God’s eyes. Ephesians chapter 1 tells us how Paul prayed for the church. That the eyes of their understanding would be opened and enlightened to know what the hope of their calling was in Christ. When we pray, we need to ask the Father to enlighten us and to show us the way that He wants us to go in order to fulfill the plan He has for our life, in order to cause increase in His kingdom. We cannot go forward when looking backwards. We must make the most of every opportunity we have, because we will never get that moment back again.
Second, listen expectantly. After you have prayed for your eyes to be enlightened, be still, listen and expect God to speak to you. In the book of James we read, “If you need wisdom ? If you want to know what God wants you to do ? Ask Him and He will gladly tell you…But when you ask Him, be sure that you really expect Him to answer, for a doubtful mind is as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is driven an tossed by the wind.” (James 1:5-6 NLT, emphasis added) God wants to use you to help others more than you even can imagine. He wants to flow through you to reach out to a very hurting world. And in your reaching out, God reaches in to you, and meets the need that you may have. That’s how He operates. He is LOVE. We must expect that to happen or it will not.
Third, begin to pay attention to what is around you. John Maxwell writes, “What are inventors? People who see opportunity in things where others see nothing — People whose senses are alive to creative possibilities. Inventors fail many times yet realize the longer they work, the more they study and the closer they look, the greater their chances for success.” Keep your eyes open to the “creative possibilities” surrounding you! What is success? Being in the perfect will of God. Walking in pure obedience to His Word. That is success.
And last, have courage. Sometimes it seems easier to stay anchored in the place where we feel the most comfortable, but that place may not be where God wants us to be. When I think of courage I think of Joshua. Joshua had a life change ? A drastic life change. And God had to tell him, “Joshua, be strong and of good courage. I am with you. You don’t have to do this alone.” People, life is not easy, but God never told us we were doing it alone. He promised that He would always be with us to help us in everything we face. It’s our fault if we try to do it alone.
Instead of being fearful, we must be prayerful. Prayer keeps us connected to our source of help ? For ourselves and for others. It’s our life line. Be confident that He will speak to you to lead you through the storms and cares of this life. Through it all, remember that you are never alone: God and His loving wisdom will be with you throughout your walk with Him, gently guiding you by the wonderful Holy Spirit, through all of life’s opportunities, turning our trials into triumphs.
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The Power of Belief
By Bunny | April 16, 2009
A man brought his demon-possessed son to Jesus and said, “If you can do anything, take pity on us and help us.” (Mark 9:22) Jesus’ response is a seemingly incredulous, “If you can?” Followed by the simple, yet mind-boggling statement, “Everything is possible for him who believes.” We can imagine that the boy’s father was immediately torn between hope and despair, wanting to believe Jesus yet unable to deny the reality before him. Mark records the father’s desperate response: “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!”
Do you sometimes feel like the father of this boy? One moment you’re telling Jesus, “I believe, Lord, I believe,” and then ten seconds later you’re tearing yourself apart, thinking, “Well, I think I believe…but maybe I don’t.”
Remember when the disciples saw Jesus walking on the water toward them? They thought He was a ghost and cried out in fear. But Jesus immediately said to them: “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.” “Lord, if it’s You,” Peter said, “bid me to come to you on the water.” “Come,” He said. Then Peter got out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!” Immediately Jesus reached out His hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” He said, “why did you doubt me?” (Matthew 14:27-31)
Before this event occurred, Peter had already seen Jesus heal a leper, mute demoniacs, his own mother-in-law, and more. He had even been present when Jesus demonstrated His power over nature by calming the wind. Still, after witnessing all these miracles, Peter wavered on the water. Why? Doubt and fear are the twin foes of faith. It comes to all of us. But like Peter, when we begin to panic and find ourselves sinking, we must cry out in specific and fervent prayer to Jesus, saying, “Lord, save me. I believe. Help my unbelief.” And as Jesus did with Peter and that father, He will immediately reach out and help us, respond to us, deliver us.
By keeping our eyes off our difficulties and fixed on Jesus, we will overcome our doubts and fears and find ourselves walking on the living water of His power, His Word and His promises. We must be unwavering in our faith that God will uphold us no matter what our trial. Each morning, arm yourself before you step out of your home. To keep your heart from wavering, plant these words in your heart by saying, “Everything is possible for him that believes. And I believe.” Then as you pray in faith and in accordance with His will, do not doubt in your heart but believe you will have what you asked that is in line with His Word. Jesus promises that indeed you will have it. He promised! Just keep your eyes on Jesus and your heart filled with His Word, and God will keep you walking on the waters of great expectations.
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Are You Praying Beyond God?
By Bunny | January 14, 2009
Are you praying beyond God’s ability? “Bunny, what kind of a question is that?” The reaction of some people could almost be one of resentment that I could even suggest such an absurdity that we could actually pray a prayer that was beyond God’s ability to answer.
“Bunny, are you saying I could pray a prayer that God is not able to answer?” Yes, that’s exactly what I am saying. “But, Mark l0:27 says that with God all things are possible.” That’s true, but you cannot base your entire prayer life on a single scripture. You cannot know God’s character, His plan or His purpose with only one scriptural reference. For example, I like cats. Now, if that’s all you know about me, you would not know me very well. You wouldn’t know that I’m happily married, have 2 wonderful children and 3 precious grandchildren. You wouldn’t know my likes or dislikes ? My goals, my strengths or my weaknesses. You cannot base my entire character on one known thing about me. 1 Peter 3 tells us to dwell with our mate according to knowledge. If we need to have knowledge to dwell in a productive way with our mates, whom we can see, how much more should we do that with God whom we cannot see. The way to get to know God and His ways is through His Word. He reveals Himself to us through His written Word for all to read. He makes Himself available to everyone. He said to seek and you shall find.
I was talking to a woman one time about her prayer life, and she made this statement to me, “I think somewhere in our minds there is this unspoken, unwritten rule that whatever we ask God for He is suppose to do it.” Well, I have seen that happen time and time again to believers. When their prayer goes unanswered or not answered the way they ordered it up, disappointment follows. When they see a pattern happening, it leads to frustration, which can lead to prayerlessness. They give up on the whole idea of prayer all together. “Why pray? It doesn’t work anyhow.” What they fail to have is knowledge ? Knowledge of God and His ways. Psalms 103 says that God made His ways known unto Moses and His acts unto the children of Israel. The difference between Moses and the children of Israel was that Moses knew God and the Israelites did not. Moses walked with God everyday. And by walking with God, by spending time with Him, Moses learned the very character and nature of God. He knew what pleased Him and what displeased Him. Today we can do the same. We get to know the character and nature of God by reading His Word, listening to men and women of God that teach His Word, and by fellowshipping with Him in prayer and listening to what He may say to us throughout the day.
Let me encourage you to get into God’s Word today and read it in a fresh new way. Let your prayer be, “Lord I want to know you, in the fullness of who you are. I will push my flesh aside, to get to where you are. I want to pray for myself and others in a manner that will allow you to be able to move on our behalf. I want to bear fruit in my prayer life and in all that I do for you.” If this be your heart’s cry, then you will never have to worry that you are praying beyond God’s ability.
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Strength in Being Quiet
By Bunny | November 26, 2008
In this noisy world that we live in, quiet time is a precious commodity. If cell phones aren’t ringing, the dog is barking or the kids are arguing. If the television isn’t on, a CD player is blaring nearby. Noise, noise everywhere. That’s why the early morning hours many times are ideal for quiet time with the Lord.
The morning is your chance to spend time with God before your world awakens around you and puts the demands of the day on you. To ready your heart for what lies ahead of you, meaningful time with the Father will set your course for the day. The power of His presence is not just in what He says to you in the moments together, but what He does in you in those moments. In those quiet times, just being with Him and knowing that He’s there just because He wants to be. He said in Isaiah 30:l5,”In quietness and trust is your strength.”
God’s sole desire is to spend precious moments with you. He’s all about relationships. He knows what we need in those moments of time that we spend with Him. We may not always know what to say, but who said that anything has to be said. We as human beings think that we always have to be talking. We can’t have “dead air”. We have to keep talking to have a special moment with Him ? To have a relationship with Him. Prayer is not just about you, it is about you being connected to the transforming power of the Holy Spirit, and that transformation is not just done by words, but by being in His presence. With your heart being open to listen to His voice and willing to respond to what He may say, that’s what opens you up for change ? Making you ready for your day. God is ever ready to help us seek peace and quiet in this hectic world. So enter that quiet place, remembering that when you pray, He will listen. Once you’ve said what you wanted to say, remain silent and listen for any guidance He may want to give to you. “I will instruct you and guide you in the best path for your life”. (Psalm 32:8) In the midst of His presence you will receive His courage and strength to face the day victoriously. What a wonderful Father we have.
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Fresh Start
By Bunny | October 30, 2008
Every new morning God has given us a fresh start to begin a new day. And the beginning of each new morning provides us with a choice as to whom or what we will allow to lead us. I may not have been following the Lord as close as I should have yesterday, but today is a brand new day with a fresh slate that today I can make better choices in whom I am going to listen to. What sets my pace for the day will be my time with the Father. There’s something about that sweet communion with Him that prepares me for my day. So our morning is key in setting our course for the rest of our day. Jesus Himself made prayer an “a.m.” priority. The verses prior to Mark 1:35 describe one of the most hectic days of Jesus’ life, a day in which He had worked from sunrise to sundown, preaching, healing, teaching, performing miracles, settling disputes, and so on. And the morning following that most hectic day was the morning that Jesus chose to get up “very early in the morning, while it was still dark” and go off to a solitary place, where He prayed. Do you choose to be that committed to prayer? Busyness is an excuse too many people use these days. We will save more time in our day by spending time with Him, than if we don’t spend time with Him. Now Bunny, what in the world does that mean? It means that if I take the time to be with Him, to seek His wisdom for my day, then whatever comes my way, He will help me to handle it right the first time so I won’t have to go back and clean up the mess I just made by my wrong choice. Following His lead not only saves me time, but it keeps me in His perfect peace, which is something we need in this restless world.
King David recognized the importance of prayer and guidance at the start of the day. He cried, “Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in you. Show me the way I should go, for to you I lift up my soul.” (Psalm 143:8 NIV) David knew the importance of starting each day reminding himself of the unfailing love of his God. That he would put his trust in Him to lead him in the way that would be pleasing to God. David was a man that made many mistakes in his life, and that’s why he said, “To you do I lift up my soul.” Our soul is our will. He didn’t want to do life his way anymore, because he knew how bad he messed it up when he did it his way. He learned that doing it his way really caused his life to be a big mess. But listening to God, and following Him, always led him in the path of peace.
In the morning we need to enter our place of prayer, close the door, and meet with God to receive our marching orders. This time with God is our morning manna, our breakfast feast with Christ. In Exodus 16, Moses said to the children of Israel, “Manna is the bread the Lord has given you to eat. This is what the Lord has commanded: “Each one is to gather as much as he needs for that day.” We each must gather manna for ourselves, gather it in the morning, and gather just what we need for THAT day. That manna will not sustain you for days. It’s for that day. So let me encourage you. Once you have gathered the supernatural provision for that day, you can then rise in His strength to face the challenges of the day, knowing that it is a “fresh start”.
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