Not Grown Up Yet

"When I was a child I thought and reasoned like a child, but when I grew up, I gave up childish ways. Likewise, at present we see dimly as in a faulty mirror, but then we shall see face to face." - 1st Corinthians 13:11-12

I find myself telling my little brothers phrases like, "when I was your age…" or "you'll understand when you get older," things my parents used to tell me and I never believed them until now. When we're younger, we think we know it all, until we get older and realize how foolish we were. It's the same thing with God. Sometimes I sit in my room and whine to myself about praying (do I haaaave to??) or get upset when I don't understand something God does. Just as I was childish and impatient when I was a little girl, I am childish now in my spiritual life. We are all childish in this sense because none of us have reached a spiritual maturity which surrenders to and obeys God's will perfectly. In the meantime, we are like whiny little children who unreasonably complain about things that don't seem fair to us, who get mad when we don't get the toy we want and get jealous when someone else has it.

We outgrew our human childhood (most of us, I hope), let's work on developing our spiritual maturity so we can reason like adults and accept God's perfect will in our lives. One day, as Paul says here in his letters to the Corinthians, we will be face to face with God Himself and all will be made known to us. We will understand everything instantly and then we will be able to look back at our lives and how little we know now.

Today's Prayer:
Father, I ask that You take me by the hand and lead me. I know I whine and complain, but please have mercy on me. Show me how to speak and walk. Guide me in all of my steps until that day when I grow up and am able to understand it all. Most importantly, give me patience to take all the baby steps I need to make. In Jesus' Name we pray, amen.

No Such Thing As Soul Mates

"In the beginning of creation God made them male and female, and because of this, man has to leave father and mother and be joined to this wife, and the two shall become one body. So they are no longer two but one body. Therefore let no one separate what God has joined." - Mark 10:6-9

I really hate it when people use the term "soul mate." To me, it means that two people match each other perfectly, never argue, and are always considerate and caring with each other. Unfortunately, this doesn't exist. Real love is about unconditional love that accepts the ugly as openly as it accepts the good. Soul mates don't exist because human beings have to put real effort into relationships, giving of ourselves completely in order to forget about self and attend to the needs of another. Many marriages fail because people become consumed with being happy and being understood by their partner, when Christ taught us that happiness comes from serving and understanding the other. Jesus is the perfect example of this type of love. He never asked if we loved Him in return, He never asked us to pay Him more attention, He never asked us to change anything or to do more for Him, instead, He gave up everything to the point of death, putting Himself last and the needs of His beloved first. Jesus showed His love with blood, sweat, and tears, not with I love you's and butterflies in His stomach. He was killed and He still loves us, He was betrayed and He still loves us. He gives and gives and gives and recieves very little back, but He still loves us and isn't going anywhere.

My parents have been married for 28 years. What I've learned from them is that a real relationship is a lot of work; it doesn't come easy at all. They didn't teach me this with words, but I've seen them as they sacrifice themselves for the other, going that extra mile after a long day, and forgiving and accepting the other through disagreements. Sometimes things don't get resolved, but they remain dedicated to the other. I believe that in order to do this, we must have Jesus in our lives to learn from Him about choosing forgiveness and mercy over what's in it for ourselves, and in this way, we can move from a selfish love to an unconditional, life-long love.

Today's Prayer:
Lord Jesus, You showed us what it really means to love, to deny what we want in order to serve the one we love. Give me strength in order to see that the purest happiness is to see the one we love happy. Allow me to follow Your example always. In Your Name we pray, amen.

Something Borrowed

"But I tell you this: do not oppose evil with evil; if someone slaps you on your right cheek, turn and offer him the other. If someone sues you in court for your shirt, let him have your coat as well. Give when asked and do not turn your back on anyone who wants to borrow from you." - Matthew 5:39-42

Following God is nothing but easy! Someone close to me borrowed something that meant a lot to me, and they broke it. I never heard an apology and when I got upset over it being broken, I was told that I was over reacting. I turned into a whiny 6 year old and stormed around making sure everyone knew I was mad, but the more I demanded my justice, the more I felt that maybe I was over reacting.

Don't get me wrong, I am very upset about the situation and feel I should have gotten an apology, but I need to practice what I preach. I'm a new person in Christ and can't act as though I have no faith. Jesus says it very clearly, "do not oppose evil with evil." By sulking and complaining, I wasn't being reasonable because that wouldn't have fixed anything. I'm sure this person already feels badly and that's the reason they haven't been able to face me.… fighting with them will only make them feel worse, and although that's what I wanted, I realize it is evil. But even if they're not sorry, don't I believe in a fair God who will take care of me and make sure I am justified? I do, and as much as it makes me so mad I want to cry, I have to give it up to my God. He's my Lord and if this is what He asks of me, then I must obey and wait for His justice.

Today's Prayer:
Jesus, I am sorry for not waiting on Your justice. The way I reacted was opposing evil with evil, and not handling things with love as You command. Please take control of my heart and my emotions because if it were up to me, I'd keep on being mad, but I want Your will to be done and not mine. In Your Name we pray, amen.

Path To Knowledge

"God knows that I love you dearly with the love of Christ Jesus, and in my prayers I ask that your love may lead you each day to a deeper knowledge and clearer discernment." - Philippians 1:8-9

The Holy Spirit is alive in scripture. If we ask Him to open our minds so we can understand the Word, He teaches us amazing things we never noticed before. I was just blown away by this verse in Paul's letter to the Philippians - "that your love may lead you each day to a deeper knowledge and clearer discernment"… love is the true way to knowledge and discernment! It's not how much we study or the school we went to, or even any kind of street smarts, but all perfect knowledge and enlightenment is attained by love. And it makes sense because only when we love do we see that no one knows the human heart except for God, so we have compassion for others instead of holding them accountable for what we judge as wrong or annoying. We act with patience which leads to understanding, instead of anger which leads to darkness. If we have love, we are self-less, and only seek what is truly best for people instead of a tainted result. Best of all, if we love we are walking closer to God, who is the source of all wisdom and knowledge. And God, who is pleased with a humble and loving heart, will reward us by opening our minds to the knowledge and truth to understand and appreciate all of His creation.

Today's Prayer:
Jesus, thank You for teaching me that love is the path to knowledge. I pray that You fill my heart with love for You and others, and lead me down the path to true wisdom. In Your Name we pray, amen.

Be Still

"Be still, know that I am God." - Psalm 46:11

Although we somehow think life is supposed to be fair and easy, it's really not. Situations come into our lives that make us want to explode. Sometimes it's financial issues, sometimes it's drama with family and friends, or sometimes it's an illness that brings us down to rock bottom. How could we not scream out in despair and totally lose it when things seem to be getting worse? If you believe in God, He will give you the strength and the peace to endure.

I had the chance to put this into practice recently. I was so upset, but usually when I would cry, I told God it's in His hands and I felt fortified. You see, if you believe in God, then you know that He prepares you for whatever happens, no matter how difficult. You have to trust that, and when you trust that, you are confident in His promise. You can be still although things are crumbling around you… you can be still because He is God… and being God, He controls all for your benefit. If you show fear and anxiety, that means you don't trust God, you don't know Him… it means you have a bit more to walk until you allow yourself to surrender into His protection.

Today's Prayer:
My God, it's really hard for me to just let go and let You handle these things that are hurting and worrying me, but I want to surrender. Help me from this day forward to just be still and know that You are God, and You will show me the way. In Jesus' Name we pray, amen.

Just Keep On Praying

"As for the Eleven disciples, they went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. When they saw Jesus, they bowed before Him, although some doubted." - Matthew 28:16-17

While Jesus lived with the apostles, they doubted Him. When He was crucified, they lost all their hope. When He resurrected, they still doubted. Even after spending 40 days with them after His resurrection, they still doubted! It doesn't even matter that they saw Him with their own eyes! Dumb apostles, right? If they're dumb, so are we! It's the same thing with us. How many times hasn't God come through for us, on the big things and the small, yet the next time a problem rolls around… bam… we're down on the floor worried that God won't be there for us! But you know what… it's ok! Jesus knew them, He knew what was in their hearts and He didn't reprimand them for it and that's because although they had questions in their head, they were still there praying. You see, that's all that really matters, that we keep on praying, even if a billion questions are stuck in our head. Just keep on praying.

Today's Prayer:
Jesus, You have to put up with so much from me! I doubt and turn my back on You, but You're always there to take me back. Please, never let me stay fallen down for too long. In Your Name we pray, amen.

Beaten Down But Still Positive!

"So they set the crowd against them and the officials tore the clothes off Paul and Silas and ordered them to be flogged. And after inflicting many blows on them, they threw them into prison, charging the jailer to guard them safely. About midnight, Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening." - Acts of the Apostles 16:22-25

That last part of the passage doesn't quite fit with the rest, does it? How could Paul and Silas have been beaten and jailed for preaching about Jesus and yet have the joy to sing to God while in handcuffs? If it were me, I would be mad and asking God how could this be where He's led me after what I did for Him! Right after this, God made it so that both Paul and Silas escaped jail and converted one of the prison guards. But most of us never get to see the good God brings out of negative situations because we're so stuck on being mad and not seeing past the now. Paul and Silas didn't have this problem… yes, they were beaten, life is tough… they were put in jail, but at the end of the day, their faith told them that God would help them and bring something good out of their problem Therefore, why get mad? Why get pessimistic? If you really have faith in God, then through your problems, you should be singing praise to God.

God saw Paul and Silas' complete trust in Him and because of that, rescued them and allowed them to bring the faith to someone new. Why don't you apply this to your life today? Instead of being upset, have an attitude of hope and wait for His deliverance.

Today's Prayer:
Jesus, sometimes things in my life beat me up. I have arguments with people and things don't always turn out in my favor. But despite all of these things, I give You thanks because no matter how bad things seem, You have me in the palm of Your hand, with my best intentions at heart. In Your Name we pray, amen.

Courage

"I have told you all this, so that in me you may have peace, even though you have trouble in the world. Courage! I have overcome the world." - John 16:33

What problems are you facing? What's the impossible situation that is dragging you down? A lot of times people wonder where God is and why He isn't helping, but when it comes down to it, oftentimes, it's our own faith that's lacking. It's not that God isn't helping, it's that our faith is weak. In one of his letters to the Thessalonians, Paul told the Christians that they shouldn't grieve as those who have no hope. I have hope. You have hope. If we truly believe in Christ, we all have hope! And what does that faith tell us? It should tell us that God takes care of us, therefore, exercise your faith! Listen to the words of Jesus in this verse, have courage! Have peace! If your faith tells you God will come through, He will! Maybe not now or tomorrow, but He will come through at the perfect time. By letting anxiety take hold of you, you are showing that you don't believe in God, you don't believe in His peace and you don't believe He'll come through for you. Our faith is what activates the hand of God so if you have little faith and are looking only at your obstacles, then the answers to your prayers will also be small.

Today's Prayer:
Lord Jesus, I need so much of You. I'm not strong at all. My only strength is You. Help me keep my eyes on You so I can confide in You completely. In Your Name we pray, amen.

The Handmaid of The Lord

"His mother said to the servants, 'Do whatever He tells you.'" - John 2:5

Growing up Catholic, I prayed to the Virgin Mary as a little girl. I always understood her to be my mother too since she was Jesus' mother, and like a good mom, she brought me closer to her son. Now that I'm older, I see her as an amazing role model for my faith. Her words are seldom mentioned in the gospels, but whenever she did speak, the words backed up her exceptional obedience and confidence in the Lord. When the angel Gabriel saluted her and told her about God's plans for her, she said in complete obedience and trust, "I am the handmaid of the Lord, let it be done to me as you have said." This young woman, probably only 15 at the time, faced dishonor, bringing shame upon her family and fiancee, and death, yet her faith and humility before God was greater than everything else! Sometimes when I'm on the train and begin to pray, I get a bit embarrassed if someone sees me doing the sign of the cross… look at how far I am from her rock solid faith! And more importantly, Mary understood that all things God brings us is for our ultimate good, no matter how devastating, impossible, or burdensome they may seem to our limited human understanding. How many of us would say no to the angel because we're worried about how things are going to work out and what people will think of us? We hardly ever look beyond the inconvenience to ourselves and never accept in faith that what God asks of us or brings into our lives is actually to do something amazing for us. The Virgin Mary looked beyond herself and all the obstacles. She had tremendous faith and obedience to God at a young age, faith that literally bore fruit to the light of the word, Jesus Christ, our Savior!

Therefore, whether we're Catholic, or any other Christian denomination, let us take Mary as a role model for our faith, she who tells us as she told the servants at the wedding at Cana, "Do whatever He tells you."

Today's Prayer:
Lord Jesus, only a woman of exceptional faith, virtue, love, and obedience could You call Your mother. Allow us to model our faith and acceptance of Your Word after hers. Help us to see that all You ask us to do is for our good. In Your Name we pray, amen.

Need Your Help

"The upright will ask Him: 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and give you food; thirsty and give you drink, or a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to see you?' The King will answer, 'Truly, I say to you: whenever you did this to one of the least, of these my brothers, you did it to me'" - Matthew 25:37-40

For a while now there's been a ministry I've wanted to start and I would like you to help me. Jesus calls us to be light and salt of the world - light which shines and let's people see our faith and salt that preserves the faith of His people. This blog, these messages are light because God speaks through this and builds our faith, but we're missing the salt. When Jesus asks me if I fed His people, gave drink to His people, clothed them, welcomed them, I can't say that I have, but I want to. That's where you come in… please join me to become salt. I would like to start a community of people that join together to identify needs and work together to provide for those needs. For example, if one of us knows someone who needs some money and doesn't have the resources, we join together to help. If one of us knows someone who is going on an interview and can't afford a formal outfit, we join together to help. Or even if we know someone who is older and just needs some company, we join together to help.

Even if you're someone who doesn't particularly like to go to church or pray often, for being a part of something like this, God will immensely bless you and give you much more than what you will be giving away.

Please pray about this and get back to me so we can build this for the sake of others. Jesus will be asking you…

Today's Prayer:
Lord Jesus, by Your grace You have given me so much. I am Your hands and Your feet, use me to do Your work for Your people. In Your Name we pray, amen.

What ARE You Doing?

"Brothers, what good is it to profess faith without showing works? Such faith has no power to save you." - James 2:14

Being a good person is often viewed in terms of what we don't do. Someone could say, "I'm a good person; I don't cheat, I don't kill, I don't steal." Great! Good for you! But now tell me… what ARE you doing?

A sin of omission, holding back on a good we could have done for someone, is just as bad as actively committing a sin. When an opportunity comes for you to help someone, you better believe that's God putting that in your way for you to lend a hand. It could be the time someone asked to borrow 20 bucks, although you knew they wouldn't pay you back. It could be the time that annoying person called you because they needed to talk to someone. It could be that woman you saw carrying all the bags to her car by herself. The bible says that even the demons believe in God and tremble, so if you say you believe in God and pass up these opportunities to actually do good for people God has put in your way, how is your faith any different than that of the demons? In the end, God will decide we're good people based on the work we did for Him, not from just believing. How do we show God we believe if not by the actions we take?

And don't stop at just helping out when a situation arises… look for these situations! Talk to someone who is depressed about the love of God! Be inspired to be a blessing for others. It's not all about you and what you need from God! There are people going through serious hardships, and if you want God to bless you, you better be willing to be a blessing to other people. Saying you believe in God can't save you, but living a life dedicated to the service of others will.

Today's Prayer:
Lord Jesus, in the same way You spent Your life serving others, I want to spend mine doing Your work. Help me see those that need my assistance. I am here to do Your will, My Lord. In Your Name we pray, amen.

Over Already

"Make us know the shortness of our life, that we may gain wisdom of heart." - Psalm 90:12

Today, my 17 year old twin brothers learned what death is. Two of their friends were killed in a car accident in front of their High School on the way back from lunch. Their white mazda was pretty much wrapped around a telephone pole.

No one can ever explain why some lives are taken so soon. Jordan and Jonathan lost two of their friends. One of them was Jonathan's lab and gym partner. How is he going to understand the emptiness he'll feel when there's no one sitting next to him tomorrow? There are families grieving over their sons right now with no comfort. These are the reasons why we have to ask God to help us number our days. We will all face death one day, but are we ready, or are we counting on getting older to make the changes we need to make in our lives? If you were to meet with death tonight, are there people you should be apologizing to? Are there people who should know how much you love them? Are there mistakes you need to correct? Are there things you need to set right with God? I'm sure Quinntin and Saul would have used their last hours in very different ways if they had known.

I'd like for the Lord to help me get over the shock of their early death, and allow for this to show us the reality and fragility of our lives. It can be over in a second and we never know when that will be. Let's make sure we're right with God for when our turn comes.

Today's Prayer:
Lord Jesus, I ask You for the souls of Quinntin and Saul, two kids who know find themselves in Your presence today. I ask You to provide extraordinary comfort to the parents and families of these kids as they deal with this tragedy, and I ask You for all of the students and friends mourning their loss, especially Jordan and Jonathan. In Your Name we pray, amen.

Jesus Freak!

"Not everyone who says to me: Lord! Lord! will enter the Kingdom of Heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father in Heaven. Many will say to me on that day, "Lord, Lord, did we not speak in your name? Did we not cast out devils and perform many miracles in your name?" Then I will tell them openly: I have never known you; away from me, you evil people!" - Matthew 7:21-23

Why is it that I am met with so much resistance when I want to pray with someone or talk about God? It seems to me that I would have more friends and people wanting to talk to me if I spoke about wild nights and getting wasted as opposed to the fact that God wants to be everything for us… He wants to make up for the friend that betrayed you, give you love for the partner that doesn't show you affection, be a crutch when you need support. Yet the people that don't want to hear about God now become expert knee-benders, church goers, and bible-holders when an accident leaves a loved one in a coma, when a serious illness hits, when someone goes to jail, or someone is about to lose their house because they can't pay their bills. Where are they when life is good? The fact is, that soon or in a couple of years, I, like each and every single one of you, am going to die, and on that day, I will have to face my God, and on that day, I WILL NOT care about who calls me a "Jesus freak" today, who avoids talking to me because I want to talk about the love of God, or who tries telling me that I should take things easy. The only thing I care about, that matters to me, is that when I die, Jesus will know who I am. Therefore, I am NOT compromising on my faith and I WILL continue to try to do the will of God, because as far as I am concerned, when I call out "Lord! Lord!" I'm getting through those doors and joining all the other Jesus freaks!

Today's Prayer:
Jesus, it is so hard to live with Your joy and do Your will when most of the people around me only seek their own needs and desires. Help us to remember that this life is short and in order to live it righteously we need to put ourselves aside and do as You have taught us. Give us the strength to persevere. In Your Name we pray, amen.

Don't Fall

"For only a few cents you can buy two sparrows, yet not one sparrow falls to the ground without your Father's consent. As for you, every hair of your head has been counted. So do not be afraid: you are worth much more than many sparrows." - Matthew 10:29-30

I always had faith since I was a kid. I probably didn't pray very much and one hour of church on Sunday was a big deal for me, but I considered myself a person of faith anyway. When I turned 16, I experienced a special call from God, but with time, I went back to being lukewarm, not actively working on my relationship with God, putting other things first. About a year ago, something changed and I began to really feel like I needed Him more and more. One day, as I prayed kneeling down in my room, I felt the presence of God, of the Holy Spirit surround me and my eyes watered up with tears. I found myself crying, not out of sadness, but out of love… God was letting me feel His love for me, and it was something so amazing that I was scared I would fall again and go back to my old ways of hardly praying and being lazy with my faith. The thought of cooling off from God scared me and hurt me so much that instead of kneeling, I completely bowed down to the ground and asked Jesus over and over again to please not let me fall as my tears fell on the floor. When I lifted my head up again, I grabbed my bible and prayed to God to show me a passage that would tell me what to do, how to keep on following Him… and when I opened the bible to a random page, I got my answer… my finger landed on these two verses… for a few cents, two sparrows can be bought, but not one of them falls without my Father's consent… He's got every hair of my head counted…I shouldn't be afraid of falling because I am worth so much to Him.

And you are worth so much to Him as well. Don't let Spiritual laziness or life distractions keep you from knowing this incredible love of God and how much you mean to Him.

Today's Prayer:
Jesus, I want to get to know You better but my life gets in the way. Sometimes I am too busy or I am just too weak. Help me to overcome these distractions and start giving You the room You deserve. In Your Name we pray, amen.

Holy Week

"He humbled Himself by being obedient to death, death on the cross. That is why God exalted Him and gave Him the Name which outshines all names, so that at the Name of Jesus all knees should bend." - Philippians 2:8-10

When we were younger, we attended Mass during Holy Week and it was an obligation. The dressing up, the sitting and standing, and the long readings were tedious. This week, as we begin to observe Holy Week, we must recognize that we are no longer children, and approach the upcoming days with reverence and adult faith. This week, we meditate on the fact that being God, Christ chose to lay down His life for our sins. This isn't just a story or something that happened a very long time ago, but it's the very core of our lives and our salvation. If as an adult, you have decided that you believe in Jesus Christ, then observe this week in respect and reverence. God always extends an invitation to follow Him, but use this week to meditate on our own lives, our own sinfulness and the way Jesus came to Earth to serve us. Don't go through this week following the routine, but ask the Lord to let this week come alive for you. Think about the way the Human Jesus must have felt entering Jerusalem on Palm Sunday, knowing He would be put to death. His peers were about to condemn Him and His friends about to betray Him. And at the end of all this, He would resurrect, breaking the hold death had on us for so long. For the price Jesus paid, we no longer need to fear dying because He gained for us a much bigger reward with the Father in Heaven.

As adults, I ask all of you to please let your faith come alive this week. Attend the Masses, go to confession and reconcile with God, read the bible, meditate on Jesus' passion, death, and resurrection. We are no longer children, but adults that should know that our salvation is a very personal matter. It is our duty to make the time to show respect to the Lord who has given us life.

Today's Prayer:
My God, in the Name of Your son, our Lord Jesus Christ, I ask You to reveal Yourself to us during this Holy Week. Let those most in need of Your mercy come to reverence the passion, death, and resurrection of Your son, so that we may never die. In Your Name we pray, amen.

While In The World

"For everything in the world - the craving of the flesh, the greed of the eyes and people boasting of their superiority - all this belongs to the world, not to the Father. The world passes away with all its craving but those who do the will of God remain forever." - 1st John 2:16-17

Being young, it is so easy to get carried away by the things around us. We always admire those with status, those who drive nice cars and can buy expensive things. There's certainly nothing wrong with these things, but never let them define who you are. The person you are should have nothing to do with wealth or how fly your kicks are… one day you will leave all these things behind. Instead, focus on what truly defines who you are - your faith, your values, your morals, and these all come from God. While you're young, have fun and get to know all you can, but remember these things never last long. A wise person builds up what's inside and what can be carried over when this life is over.

Today's Prayer:
Lord, in my youth, help me to appreciate and get to know the world around me, but please never let it define who I am or be central to my life. Help me build on my faith so that I can grow in You. In Your Name we pray, amen.

Hope

"Let us hold fast to our hope without wavering, because He who promised is faithful." - Hebrews 10:23

When we are being defeated in a tough situation, the last thing to go is hope, and hope is the most important thing we need to survive. Our hope is what keeps us alive no matter the winds that are blowing against us. That's why when we're going through suffering, our hope and faith in God is the first thing the devil subtly attacks. First come the questions such us, why is this happening to me? Then it's anger against God and believing He does not care. Slowly we build up a bitterness against Him where we can't even pray. I know; I've felt like this before. But please, through the storm, remember this verse - hold on to your hope in God. He is faithful although it might seem to you that things aren't going to get any better. Scripture says in the book of Habbakkuk to set your eyes firmly on what you want (keeping hope alive) because the Lord will make it happen for you. Take your eyes off of how bad things are and how much you're hurting and focus on how big your God is. Your God is a king! Your God is Almighty! Your God is working on your behalf to help you now! Keep your hope alive! Set your hope on Him because He is faithful.

Today's Prayer:
Lord Jesus, break through the hurt and disappointment I feel. Sometimes the enemy gets in my head and leads me to think You don't care and have abandoned me. Fan the flame in my heart and keep my hope alive so that I can see Your love and mercy in my life. In Your Name we pray, amen.

An Attitude of Expectancy

"Place all your worries on Him since He takes care of you." - 1st Peter 5:7

There is a new mindset I'm adopting and I'd like for you to make it your own as well. Throughout the bible there are many, many cases of the Lord providing exactly what someone needed. Sometimes the Lord went beyond what was expected, but never did He fall short. Never. God's watch over His people isn't something that only lives in scripture but is true in every day of our lives… we just don't allow ourselves to see it. I've worried a lot about the future and what I'm supposed to do with my life but in practicing this mindset, exercising my faith, I've received this indescribable peace. God has made me realize that all my days are ordained by Him. I remember praying in my car last Tuesday morning and there were 3 things that were really troubling me. I asked Him for those 3 days and at the end of the day, I thanked Him because not only was I able to check those things off my list, but they turned out so much better than I had imagined.

My point is that we need to wake up each morning with the expectation that God will give us every single thing we need on that day. We need to have an attitude of expectancy. We won't worry. We won't be over anxious, but we will trust in the Provider. If you want the faith that moves mountains, that happens one day at a time. It happens when you repeat in your mind constantly throughout the day that you will put your trust in God because He takes care of you… today, and the next day. All your days are in His hands. Learn this. Repeat it. Believe it. Have it on your mind always.

Today's Prayer:
Lord, I believe in You. I trust You. I know You will provide me with every thing I need each day of my life. I need nothing else but You. In Your Name we pray, amen.

Faith Is Shown In Action

"Brothers, what good is it to profess faith without showing works? Such faith has no power to save you." - James 2:14

It's very easy to get into a rut when it comes to living in the Spirit. We go to church and we pray, and sometimes we think that's enough. However, we were created to be the hands and feet of Jesus in this world so unless you are doing something active with your faith and helping others in some way, your faith is dead. It means nothing. If you're not encouraging someone, lending a hand or being an example of faith to others, there is no way your faith can manifest itself. In the same way Jesus gave of Himself through the connection He had with God, so it is our responsibility to go out and be Jesus for those in need. If God were to ask you today what works your faith has produced for Him, what would you have to show for yourself? How are others seeing that God lives in you?

Today's Prayer:
Lord Jesus, give me the courage to step up in Your Name and help those You have put in my path. Open my eyes to see those that need my assistance and guide me in doing Your will. In Your Name we pray, amen.

The Good Fight

"I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith." - 2nd Timothy 4:7

Paul is a good role model for me because of all he overcame. Right now, these words from his letter to Timothy about how he fought the good fight and finished the race mean a lot to me. Over the few days I was sick I let my faith get sick as well. I was so tired that I hardly prayed thinking that I'll go back to my schedule when I was better. But our faith, I've learned, is so fragile. One day we can be on fire and the next day, if we don't take care of our faith, it can be a little flame about to die. I'm not saying my faith is dead right now, but I am saying that I can't hear God as loudly. I feel disconnected and that is my fault. When we let this happen, desire to pray fades as well, making it a very tough situation. This is where Paul comes in for me… he fought the good fight… he finished the race. I can imagine that along the way Paul grew tired like me and his spiritual life might gave dried up a bit, but he kept on going, and so will I. I'm struck by the fact that he didn't say he won the race. He said he finished it… so I guess it doesn't matter if I limp along for a while as long as I get there. I will be tired and maybe I won't feel like going on some days but I'll remember the fight Paul had in him and I will keep fighting too. All of these days - the ups and the downs - are part of the race and I know what the prize is… and I will finish the race. I will keep the faith.

Today's Prayer:
Lord God, I'm sorry for not taking care of the faith and gifts You have given me. Help me get up when I fall, much stronger than before. Like Paul, help me fight the good fight and finish the race. In Jesus' Name we pray, amen.