tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-68390655375465562382024-02-19T11:53:33.595-05:00Lumineux - Letting God's Light ShineDaily inspirations from God that work to bring me closer to Him. Blessed be God forever.Lumineuxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08589873954725972189noreply@blogger.comBlogger612125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6839065537546556238.post-51300684218592721372014-02-09T23:54:00.001-05:002014-02-09T23:54:54.052-05:00Be Not Afraid"Do not fear: I am with you;
<br>do not be anxious: I am your God.
<br>I will strengthen you, I will help you,
<br>I will uphold you with my victorious right hand." - Isaiah 41:10
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<br>Fear is such a liar. It robs us of our peace. It not only takes over our minds with negativity but it also makes us physically sick. But did you ever notice most of our fears are worries about things we think might happen in the future? When in reality, right now, at this very moment, things are ok? And even if they aren't and your worst fear is a reality right now, do you believe God can make good out of this and bring you the peace you need?
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<br>I struggle with this so much. We know Jesus says that we either have faith or we don't, so I need to remind myself that then the choice to be afraid or not is up to me. We either trust or we don't. Living with a heart full of fear and anxiety is no way to live when God has promised time and time again to take care of us. I will chose to trust. I will chose to let go and not give space to fear in my heart and mind. I pray we all can.
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<br>Today's Prayer:
<br>Father, strengthen my heart and help me to dispel all fear and negativity from my being. I want to live in Your light and live freely knowing I am always in Your hands. In Jesus' Name we pray, amen.Lumineuxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08589873954725972189noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6839065537546556238.post-65798407010784484452014-02-06T23:23:00.001-05:002014-02-06T23:23:30.570-05:00Growing Pains"And Jesus advanced in wisdom and age and favor before God and man." - Luke 2:52
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<br>A child can never fill his father's shoes. He has to grow and became a man before he can literally fill them. The same concept goes for our spiritual, mental, and emotional maturity when we want something.
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<br>Oftentimes we get upset and frustrated when things don't go our way. It can be anything from a promotion at work to waiting for God to send the perfect spouse. I know I have definitely felt like that with things I have wanted to achieve. The truth is that we have to grow into it before we can have it. Even Jesus, being God and all, had to grow into being the man capable of fulfilling the mission He came to accomplish. So, when things don't seem to be going your way, ask God to show you where you still need to grow and to help you along that path.
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<br>Today's Prayer
<br>Father, thank You for raising me. Thank You for guiding my footsteps. You know my heart and all I want to achieve. Please help me be a person capable of being all of those things. In Jesus' Name we pray, amen.Lumineuxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08589873954725972189noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6839065537546556238.post-46495062208270856872014-02-03T23:30:00.000-05:002014-02-03T23:31:18.991-05:00Ask For Help"Moses' hands, however, grew tired; so they took a rock and put it under him and he sat on it. Meanwhile Aaron and Hur supported his hands, one on one side and one on the other, so that his hands remained steady until sunset." - Exodus 17:12
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<br>The power of prayer is so powerful that while Moses had his hands raised up, his people were winning a war against another nation. The problem came when Moses' arms grew tired and he couldn't raise them anymore. Scripture says that Aaron and Hur helped and supported Moses all through the night, helping him in his prayer for victory until the opposing nation was defeated. Such an amazing story! But tell me, who holds your arms when you grow weary?
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<br>The truth is that we all grow tired and we can't possibly do everything on our own. This is why God put people in our lives so we can lift them up and they can do the same for us. There would have been no victory if Moses acted alone or if he would have been ashamed to ask for help. In the same way, we need to recognize our limitations and weaknesses and allow others to help us.
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<br>Today's Prayer:
<br>Father in Heaven, thank You for everyone you have put in my path to help me when I am weak and tired. Help me to do the same when they need me.Lumineuxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08589873954725972189noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6839065537546556238.post-69942392754507476872014-01-31T23:24:00.001-05:002014-01-31T23:24:19.001-05:00No Rest For The Weary "He lay down and fell asleep under the solitary broom tree, but suddenly a messenger touched him and said, "Get up and eat!"" - 1 Kings 19:5
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<br>Say what you will about cliches, but they are usually always true. In my case, there really is no rest for the weary. I shared earlier in the week that my 3 year old was sick, and last night my 21 month started with the same symptoms just as I was starting to feel like myself again.
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<br>This got me thinking about life and how sometimes we feel stuck in the same rut, feeling tired with no rest. The awesome thing about the bible is that we can look back and see the lives of God's closest friends and see that their lives were no different. They each struggled but at the end were victorious. Feeling tired and weary, and even feeling tired of being tired is a natural part of life, but what sets the children of God apart is how He nourishes us through the journey. In this verse, the prophet Elijah was tired and just wanted to hide, but an angel of The Lord appeared to him and gave him bread and water and told him to eat and drink and keep going on his journey. And God does the same for us when we look for Him during our journeys.
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<br>Tonight's Prayer:
<br>Father in Heaven, thank You for the journey I am on. Although sometimes I'm tired with no rest in sight, You remind me that only You give strength and rest. Give me the help I need to keep going on with joy. In Jesus' Name we pray, amen.Lumineuxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08589873954725972189noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6839065537546556238.post-62733332529266586932014-01-29T23:22:00.001-05:002014-01-29T23:22:50.065-05:00The New Self"Put on the new self, created in God's way in righteousness and holiness of truth." - Ephesians 4:24
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<br>Have you ever noticed that you're the first to limit yourself and your abilities? We hear over and over in the bible that absolutely nothing is impossible in God, but we doubt that He can change us and make us different people. Sometimes we need to push that process along ourselves before we truly become what God promised.
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<br>An example of this is how we treat certain people who don't sit well with us. We can feel a dislike of them, but in Christ we are called to love them. Saint Paul says we have to put on the new self, this new person we are called to be in Christ. Sometimes it doesn't come naturally and that's why we have to make that proactive decision to "put on" this new person as we put on a costume. Trying to be this person isn't being "fake" because our intentions aren't to deceive, but to try to do the will of God and in that, there is so much merit! So, until God finishes the work He has started in you and you are living confidently according to His Word, put on this new self and make the effort to live as if you already have it all.
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<br>Today's Prayer:
<br>Father, transform my heart and mind to be more like Jesus. Help me to let go of the old me, but until that process is complete, give me the strength to put on the new self, picking up my cross, and following Him. In Jesus' Name we pray, amen.Lumineuxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08589873954725972189noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6839065537546556238.post-84813926883684846592014-01-29T00:03:00.001-05:002014-01-29T00:03:45.949-05:00Reach for The Impossible"I have the strength for everything through him who empowers me." - Phillipians 4:13
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<br>One thing I've learned about God is that when you feel something is impossible, that's the direction in which He wants you to go. Easy things,.. the things and situations that make us comfortable... there is no growth there, and God is about leading us on a growth journey, to bend and stretch into better human beings.
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<br>Search your heart for what that might be. If you have a dream that feels scary and far off, but that desire burns in your heart, know that it was placed there by God and if you pray about it, He will guide the path to make it a reality. You just have to take that leap of faith and take the first step knowing it is He who is guiding you and making all things possible for you.
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<br>Today's Prayer:
<br>Father, thank You for the desires of my heart and the dreams You are calling me to reach for. Give me strength to not be afraid and keep going in Christ. In Jesus' Name we pray, Amen.Lumineuxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08589873954725972189noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6839065537546556238.post-33991179000666880632014-01-27T22:19:00.001-05:002014-01-27T22:19:36.931-05:00Feeling Sick?"Jesus said to them in reply, "Those who are healthy do not need a physician, but the sick do." - Luke 5:31
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<br>I've mentioned before that ever since I became a mother, my relationship with God has changed. I began to understand a little bit more about how God sees us because we are His children. My 3 year old developed pneumonia over the weekend with a fever of 102 that didn't break for days. My heart was broken. I didn't sleep looking after him and my husband I would say that we would do anything to take the pain ourselves and make him better.
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<br>Well, that's what God did for us. A soul weighed down by sin is a sick soul and God looks with sorrow at us when we are sick. Many might feel like He looks down with judgement and anger, but what God really wants is for us to be healthy again and live life the way He created us to live it. He sent Jesus so that He could literally take the pain unto Himself and we could be better. What parent can't understand that and be able to relate to that? So, don't ever feel ashamed to ask for forgiveness because He wants nothing more than for you to be healed and be made whole.
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<br>Today's Prayer:
<br>Father, thank You for Your healing. Thank You for giving us the honor of being Your children and that we can go freely to You to be made healthy again. In Jesus' Name we pray, amen.Lumineuxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08589873954725972189noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6839065537546556238.post-55939516932053735982014-01-25T00:20:00.001-05:002014-01-25T00:20:53.043-05:00The Human Face of God"And the Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us." - John 1:14
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<br>John Paul II once said that Jesus is "the human face of God and the divine face of man" and that totally blew me away when I heard it. We know that Jesus was a man but the Son of God thing, walking on water, performing miracles and resurrecting totally puts Him in a different league than us in our minds. We focus too much on His divinity, when it would do us a lot of good to focus on His humanity.
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<br>By being born, God forever connected Himself to us in an incredible way in the person of Jesus. Our feelings, from fear and despair to anger to joy, were all felt by Jesus as we experience them. All we feel and all we go through, God understands so deeply, not in lofty way just because He is God but because He lived it in the flesh as Jesus. So whatever you are feeling and whatever you want to dish out at Jesus, He gets you; He understands. Don't think that you have to raise yourself to God to be able to talk to Him and connect with Him because He already did the work by coming down to us.
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<br>Today's Prayer:
<br>Father, thank You for coming down from Heaven and making Yourself one of us. Thank You for loving us so much that You chose to be one of us so that we can be reconciled to You.Lumineuxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08589873954725972189noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6839065537546556238.post-45342766702073521602014-01-24T02:11:00.001-05:002014-01-24T02:11:11.018-05:00Prayer"When Jesus heard of it, he withdrew in a boat to a deserted place by himself." - Matthew 14:13
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<br>Do you know what your prayer style is? Did you know that certain styles of prayer help you to feel closer to God at different times? For me, I feel closest to God during quiet meditation. My souls feels calm and at peace. Other times, our souls need to be connected to our brothers and sisters in Christ, and experiences of fellowship bring us unity and strengthen our faith.
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<br>Jesus was fully human and He was well aware of the necessity of different styles of prayer for His well being. Right after He learned that John the Baptist was murdered, He went off on His own because He needed that quiet prayer time with God. After a while, He went back to the multitudes following Him and He cured their sick and multiplied their loaves of bread and fish. One style of prayer can strengthen and nourish only oneself when needed but the other strengthens and nourishes the multitudes when united as the Body of Christ.
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<br>Today's Prayer:
<br>Father, give me wisdom in my prayer life whether I am alone in meditation or with my brothers and sisters in group prayer. Always give my soul what it needs each day to continue to grow. In Jesus' Name we pray, amen.Lumineuxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08589873954725972189noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6839065537546556238.post-82452080966398091212014-01-22T23:21:00.001-05:002014-01-22T23:21:25.424-05:00Humble Yourself"If then my people, upon whom my name has been pronounced, humble themselves and pray, and seek my face and turn from their evil ways, I will hear them from heaven and pardon their sins and heal their land." - 2 Chronicles 7:14
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<br>The beginning of anything great starts when we humble ourselves. To me, it's more than being the opposite of prideful. To me, humility involves letting down all of your walls so that you can truly see God and allow Him to truly see you. Of course, God can see you if He wants to, but do you reveal yourself as you are or do you hide? No, let down the walls, give up your defenses and present yourself to God.
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<br>When you do this, you become stronger because it's no longer your strength but God's that drives your life. When we try to have control of our lives and want our own will to be done, we become lost because we are limited in our knowledge of what's good for us and what's not. But, when we give the reigns over to God in humility, He elevates us to places we could never have imagined. We were designed to be taken care of by Him and instead we try to do it by ourselves. Once we let go, God will bring the blessings He intended for us into our lives.
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<br>Today's Prayer:
<br>Father, please take care of me. Help me to be humble and give up on everything I'm holding on to and give it up to You. I know only You know best. In Jesus' Name we pray, amen.Lumineuxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08589873954725972189noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6839065537546556238.post-53029679182942433482014-01-21T22:40:00.001-05:002014-01-21T22:40:12.771-05:00Rely On God"Trust in the LORD with all your heart, on your own intelligence do not rely; In all your ways be mindful of him, and he will make straight your paths." - Proverbs 3:5-6
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<br>All great change in our lives begin in our minds. I have been waiting such a long time for God to answer a prayer of mine. I have days I am confident that it will all come together soon and I have other days when I feel in despair. When those days of despair come, I have to put my mind in check. I have to go and pray to Him for strength.
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<br>Relying on our own strength is when we try to fix things on our own without going to God first. This is when our minds do the worst to us. We allow ourselves to think God has abandoned us and that things will never work out for us. I know this happens to me all the time! But by going to God, He assures me and gives me peace. Peace that stays with me even when things seem like they are falling apart.
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<br>Today's Prayer:
<br>God, give me strength, especially when I have none of my own. Give me patience when I see no way out in sight. Help me to stay focused on You and Your love and promises. I know You are good. I know You are faithful. Help me to stay strong. In Jesus' Name we pray, amen.Lumineuxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08589873954725972189noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6839065537546556238.post-15257337268797051552014-01-19T21:41:00.001-05:002014-01-19T21:41:32.126-05:00Confrontation "Brothers, even if a person is caught in some transgression, you who are spiritual should correct that one in a gentle spirit, looking to yourself, so that you also may not be tempted." - Galatians 6:1
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<br>This verse is tough for me because I absolutely hate confrontation. I don't want anyone upset at me or to get into an argument with anyone, but sometimes, certain behaviors need to be stopped. Rick Warren says, in A Purpose Driven Life, that the phrase "mind your own business" is not a Christian saying because if you know your brother or sister is in sin and you turn the other way, you are not acting out of love in correcting them. You are prolonging their sin.
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<br>In the past, I've kept my silence about things I should have spoken up against and I ended up feeling as if those sins were my own. That burden was really heavy. Don't fall victim into thinking it's their problem and you shouldn't get involved. Maybe you are who God put in their path to bring them out of it. The key in this is to correct them in private, with love and gentleness to not offend them or make them feel like you are judging them, but to simply offer support and encouragement in coming out of the situation.
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<br>Today's Prayer:
<br>Father, make me bold and brave when it comes to defending my brothers and sisters out of sin. Help me to have the courage to speak up and help them change their lives and do better, without ever making them feel like I am judging them. In Jesus' Name we pray, amen.Lumineuxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08589873954725972189noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6839065537546556238.post-9445149635171499182014-01-18T23:04:00.001-05:002014-01-18T23:04:10.004-05:00Do You Hear Him?"My sheep hear my voice; I know them, and they follow me." - John 10:27
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<br>My three year old can be very stubborn, as most kids his age are. Tonight he unwrapped a piece of cheese and threw the wrapper on the floor. When my husband told him to pick it up, he kept walking as if he didn't hear him. My husband told him again and my son went and threw the wrapper in the sink. On the third request, my husband had to take my son by the hand over to the trash so he could throw out the wrapper.
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<br>Does this at all remind you of how you might be with God? I know it reminds me of myself. Many times God speaks to us and it's not what we want to hear. Either we ignore it altogether until God speaks to us again in some form, or we hear what we want to hear. We take what God is telling us and try to interpret it in a way that fits what we want. The third time my husband asked my son to throw out the wrapper, he had to force him over to the trash can to do what was right. When we hear God, we need to take immediately action so that He doesn't have to use force to make us see what He first needs us to hear.
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<br>Today's Prayer:
<br>Lord, make my heart receptive to Your message. Give me the humility and obedience to listen and act on what You want me to do. In Your Name we pray, amen.Lumineuxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08589873954725972189noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6839065537546556238.post-35150217682525109302014-01-17T23:50:00.001-05:002014-01-17T23:50:45.907-05:00Bring Down Your Giant!"David continued: "The same LORD who delivered me from the claws of the lion and the bear will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine." Saul answered David, "Go! the LORD will be with you." - 1 Samuel 17:37
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<br>No matter what you face in life, God created you to be a champion and not a victim or a worm! Too many of us fall down on our knees in shambles when things get even a little tough. Too many of us lack the faith to get through situations and go ahead crying "whoa is me" to anyone who will listen. Grow in faith! You know what gave David the confidence to battle the giant Goliath? The fact that he knew without a shadow of a doubt that God had never let him down before and He wasn't going to begin to now! So, with the posture of a child of God, he battled his giant and won. How do you handle the giants in your life?
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<br>Today I faced a situation that made me feel bad and unlucky, but that only lasted two seconds. I remember who I was and that I can NEVER say God has ever steered me the wrong way. On the contrary, He has gone over and beyond anything I have ever needed or asked for and why would He stop in this situation? I am facing my Goliath and I am excited because my faith and my God are so much bigger and I cannot wait to see Him bring victory over this situation!
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<br>Today's Prayer:
<br>Thank You, Father, for Your amazing love and Your amazing care over me and all things in my life. Give me patience and the heart to fight through always in joyful wait of your wonderful works. In Jesus' name we pray, amen.Lumineuxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08589873954725972189noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6839065537546556238.post-21617540223311017242014-01-16T23:41:00.001-05:002014-01-16T23:41:28.417-05:00Do You Know Jesus?"The evil spirit said to them in reply, "Jesus I recognize, Paul I know, but who are you?" - Acts of the Apostles 19:15
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<br>I always chuckle to myself when I read this story in scripture. Here's what happened: Paul was so powerful in The Lord that it says he was able to heal people left and right through the power of the Holy Spirit. The momentum created by him and the apostles was so crazy that some Jews began to try to exorcize demons in Paul's name. They would tell the evil spirits to come out in the name of "the Jesus Paul preaches." Well, the power is in your own personal faith in Jesus, not in Paul or because they know of Jesus, so the evil spirits answered in this way and then beat them up!! What a scene, right?!
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<br>Although that's an interesting story, one that's pretty sad is that many of us fall into the same category as these Jews. You may know of Jesus, but do you really know Jesus? You know what He did and what He taught, but are you practicing what He taught? You know what prayer is and what church is and that you should go, but do you go? Do you have a relationship with Him and can you ask the miracles of Him that Paul did or are you faking it like these Jews did? Don't be like them. Don't get beat up by life because you faked a relationship with Christ by being solely Christian in name and not with the life you live and your relationship with Him. Get to know the Jesus that Paul preached about!
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<br>Today's Prayer:
<br>Father, thank You for giving us Your Son. Open our heart to receiving Him as we should and growing closer to Him each day so that we can have a true friendship with Him as did Paul. In Jesus' Name we pray, amen.Lumineuxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08589873954725972189noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6839065537546556238.post-70734234604941633412014-01-14T23:06:00.001-05:002014-01-14T23:06:13.851-05:00Open Your Eyes"Elisha answered, "Do not be afraid. Our side outnumbers theirs." Then he prayed, "O LORD, open his eyes, that he may see." And the LORD opened the eyes of the servant, and he saw that the mountainside was filled with fiery chariots and horses around Elisha." - 2 Kings 6: 16-17
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<br>In this Old Testament story, a huge army was ready to come down on the prophet Elisha, and his servant was absolutely terrified! The servant went running to him in a panic, but Elisha answered calmly that their side outnumbered that army. "WHAT army?!!!!!" this servant mostly likely thought, and so Elisha prayed his eyes would be opened.
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<br>Here's the kicker, each of us is surrounded by that same power all of the time, but our eyes are closed. We go through life feeling alone, blind to the fact that God has His angels to protect us 24/7! If you don't see it or you don't feel it and go through life in a panic like Elisha's servant, please pray to God that He opens your eyes to that mighty protection He's set up for you.
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<br>Today's Prayer:
<br>Father, close my eyes to all of my doubts and feelings of loneliness, but open them to Your power and majesty. Show me how You guide and protect me when I need it the most. In Jesus' Name we pray, amen.Lumineuxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08589873954725972189noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6839065537546556238.post-47504156468559752362014-01-13T23:33:00.000-05:002014-01-13T23:34:00.166-05:00Be Healed"She said, "If I but touch his clothes, I shall be cured." - Mark 5:28
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<br>As Jesus made His way through a crowd one day, a woman who had been sick for 12 years was determined to get near Him because she just knew she would be healed of her affliction. The bible says she spent years in the hands of doctors and spent away everything she owned and nothing else helped. All she did was just touch his cloak and immediately she was healed. In fact, the healing was so powerful that even though Jesus was being pushed and shoved in every direction as He walked through the crowd, He was taken aback by the power that left Him when she touched Him.
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<br>When we suffer afflictions, many of us look to every possible remedy except the true cure for all. Doctors can help some things. Money can't buy you everything and certainly not peace of heart. If you have years looking for healing and have wasted away every part of you looking for relief, you have not put all of your faith in Jesus. If you believe, you will be healed. You can be confident in that! Push through the obstacles and everything holding you back and make your way to Him and be made whole.
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<br>Today's Prayer:
<br>Jesus, heal me. Heal my mind, my heart, my body and my soul. I no longer want to suffer. I no longer want to hurt and I know You can take away all of the pain. Please hold me in Your arms and take care of me. In Your Name we pray, amen.Lumineuxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08589873954725972189noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6839065537546556238.post-70947045345326139142014-01-12T23:35:00.001-05:002014-01-12T23:35:29.630-05:00Be a Conqueror"No, in all these things we conquer overwhelmingly through him who loved us." - Romans 8:37
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<br>Thanks be to God, I have never gone through anything terribly tragic but I have gone through days where I'm not even sure how I can make it through the day without crying constantly. I've felt scared. I've felt hopeless. I've honestly had days where I've felt like I was going to collapse and things would never get better. No one wants to or likes to suffer, but if it weren't for those moments, I would not be the person I am today.
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<br>Suffering builds our strength and endurance. I find myself being secure in situations in which maybe two years ago I would have felt terrified. God knows what He does and He allows life to shape us into better people. The question is simple : do you give in to the pain and allow it to destroy you, or do you buckle down and act in faith? Paul writes that there is nothing that could ever separate us from the love of Christ and that even in the worst situations, we are conquerors because Jesus loves us. Ironically, it takes pain and suffering for us to not only begin to understand this, but actually live with that confidently in our hearts.
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<br>How you handle the situation when problems arise is a choice in your hands. Choose to trust Christ. Choose to be a conqueror.
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<br>Today's Prayer:
<br>Lord, You created us to be conquerors and not be afraid. Strengthen our faith and help us live bravely fully trusting You in everything, especially in our pains and sufferings and through fear and despair. In Jesus' name we pray, amen.Lumineuxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08589873954725972189noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6839065537546556238.post-74240373355166458192014-01-11T00:39:00.001-05:002014-01-11T00:39:51.634-05:00Psalm 91"No evil shall befall you, no affliction come near your tent. For he commands his angels with regard to you, to guard you wherever you go" - Psalm 91: 10-11
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<br>This was probably the first psalm I ever memorized. My parents were business owners and when I was little we had a few run ins with burglars and people who meant harm. Being always worried, I held on to God and to this psalm in the bible as my way of reminding God of his promises to us. Every single day, God has been faithful to His promise.
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<br>I think it's important to note, however, that this psalm does not mean we won't go through hard times because we will. Difficulties are what form us and strengthen us. They key is understanding that as long as we are faithful to God, no harm will ever come upon our souls. We forever belong to Him and evil can't overcome us. Temporal things don't matter as long as we are planted in God and our souls belong to Him.
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<br>Today's Prayer:
<br>Father, thank You for Your protection. I pray that You protection me and all of my family and friends from any evil and from anyone who wants to do us harm, and most of all, protect our souls from the evil one. In Jesus' Name we pray, amen.Lumineuxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08589873954725972189noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6839065537546556238.post-79538857735799582452014-01-09T23:51:00.001-05:002014-01-09T23:51:43.844-05:00More Than We Can Imagine!"Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us." - Ephesians 3:20
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<br>This is an extremely powerful bible verse because it speaks about the kind of hope God created us to live for. The problem is that most people don't seem to know about it. When I look through my social media feeds, a lot of it is complaining about this or complaining about that.
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<br>Most people set an ideal in their minds about what they want their lives to look like. They don't consult with God and bring those plans to Him and then get upset when those things don't work out. If we started by first praying to God when creating our plans, we would give Him the freedom to work in our lives and surpass completely what we expect Him to do! This is one of my absolute favorite bible verses because our dreams are things we feel we deserve, but if we give them to God, He creates something even more amazing for us!
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<br>Today's Prayer:
<br>Father, thank You for being so good. Help me to put everything in your hands. Help me to be strong in relying in You and help me to give up my will to You so You can work as You wish. In Jesus's Name we pray, amen.Lumineuxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08589873954725972189noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6839065537546556238.post-86681071209283326322014-01-08T22:48:00.001-05:002014-01-08T22:48:26.876-05:00Be Like Him"Then God said: Let us make human beings in our image, after our likeness." - Genesis 1:26
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<br>My husband and I are always play arguing over who our kids look like. It's always a victory when a stranger comments that my boys look like me and he gloats when someone says they look like him. We love our children and always hope they got the best of us and that they go on to be so much more than we could ever be.
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<br>I'm sure that's something God intended for us when He created us in His image. He wanted us to look like Him in our capacity to love, to create, and to take care of our environment. So, we have to ask ourselves what are we doing with this God given purpose to be like Him in our world. Are we helping others. Are we showing love? Are we being merciful or are we only looking to receive? What can we do to show the hope God shows to us in this world? What can we do to show the compassion He offers to us? These are the questions we have to consider carefully each day and ask God to help us see more clearly as we grow closer to God and His family.
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<br>Today's Prayer:
<br>Father, thank You for the honor of being made in Your image. Thank You for thinking of me and help me to live up to everything You created me to be. In Jesus' Name we pray, amen.Lumineuxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08589873954725972189noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6839065537546556238.post-33223639058738933882014-01-08T00:00:00.001-05:002014-01-08T00:00:41.384-05:00Parents Know Best"If you then, who are wicked, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him?" - Luke 11:13
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<br>It's amazing how your mind opens to the way God feels (in a limited way, of course) when you become a parent. Tonight, I found my three year old in the bathroom drinking water from the faucet in the bathtub! I got so upset and told him, "Ashton, if you are thirsty, just ask mommy for water! You don't have to do that!"
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<br>I see myself in Ashton when it comes to my relationship with God and I think you do, too. So many times we act according to what we feel and what we want and are so adamant about getting our way with it. We're not wrong for wanting certain things, like love and financial prosperity. God wants us to have those things, but He sees the bigger picture! He can zoom out and see all of the repercussions and how something is good or not good for us, and so He knows to give or not give to us. Ashton was thirsty and that was a desire put into him by God. Instead of coming to me for help, Ashton drank tap water from a faucet when I could have given him purified water in a clean cup. Sometimes we chose to drink tap water when we don't go to God and tell Him our desires, and all the while He wants to give us what will truly quench our thirst.
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<br>Today's Prayer;
<br>Father, thank You for being so good to me. Help me to trust You when things seem difficult and I'm holding strong to my ways. Teach me that You know best for me and help me to trust. In Jesus' Name we pray, amen.Lumineuxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08589873954725972189noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6839065537546556238.post-23169548456943580092014-01-07T00:06:00.001-05:002014-01-07T00:06:14.841-05:00Real Life Superhero"'They were astonished and said, "Where did this man get such wisdom and mighty deeds?'" - Matthew 13:55
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<br>My three year old is the bravest little kid until it's bed time and the room is dark. All of a sudden, he sees monsters everywhere, just like tonight. Our conversation went like this:
<br>Ashton: Mommy, monsters!
<br>Me: No, there are no monsters here... Guess who defeated them?
<br>Ashton: JESUS!!!! (Bursting out in an excited laugh)
<br>Me: YES!!!! Jesus defeated all of the monsters!
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<br>Two minutes later he was fast asleep. Why? Because we need to feel someone is there to be our defender, our protector, someone who stands for goodness.
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<br>I was completely taken aback this Halloween when I noticed almost everyone was a superhero! I wondered what that said about the way society was feeling. It means we long for that defender, for the person who inspires hope like Superman, or brings justice like Batman. Well, isn't that who Jesus is? When it comes to the life He lived, to the things He did, Jesus represents everything a superhero embodies, except that He is real and His powers are real and able to save us from all distress. In the same way my son fell asleep in peace because Jesus defeated all those evil monsters, shouldn't we have the same faith that Jesus is the superhero in our lives and able to conquer all of the things that are trying to defeat us?
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<br>Today's Prayer:
<br>Lord Jesus, thank You for being the superhero of our story. Thank You for protecting us, dying for us, resurrecting for us, and continuing to inspire hope and conquering evil in our lives daily. May we always turn to You for protection. In Your Name we pray, amen.Lumineuxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08589873954725972189noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6839065537546556238.post-44421372761318039392014-01-05T23:08:00.001-05:002014-01-05T23:08:32.629-05:00He Knows It All"Behind and before you encircle me
<br>and rest your hand upon me." - Psalm 139:5
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<br>If you're a mom, you're a great multi-tasker! There isn't a day when I'm not grabbing on to each of my kids trying to help them with something while talking on the phone or cleaning something at the same time! We're able to just juggle it all yet know exactly what we're doing, right? Well, God can do it even better! This is so important for us to grasp and take in because even the closest of children can feel jealous of the other or neglected. It's so easy to feel alone or like an outcast in this world. Feeling like that can help us feel further from God, but the truth is that if you read the rest of this psalm, the psalmist goes on to write that there is no where we could go to get away from God because God knows us thoroughly inside and out better than we could ever know ourselves! Even before we were born He thought to create us and planned for our existence!
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<br>There is nothing unintentional about you! There is nothing God doesn't know about you! And after all of that, He loves you and takes care of you and will continue to do so as a father tenderly watches over his children.
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<br>Today's Prayer:
<br>Father, Your love for me humbles me. Sometimes I do feel lost. Sometimes I do feel ashamed of things I've done and think You can't love me like this, but I know that You really do. Thank You for reminding me of Your love for me and how much You want me to stay close to You. In Jesus's Name we pray, amen.Lumineuxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08589873954725972189noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6839065537546556238.post-68394325162678949282014-01-04T23:35:00.000-05:002014-01-04T23:36:06.350-05:00No Wine For Me, Please"But you have given my heart more joy than they have when grain and wine abound." - Psalm 4:8
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<br>I don't drink but I see how a glass of wine is relaxing at the end of a long day or how it can make an evening with friends more enjoyable. Tonight, I had the privilege of being invited to the Catholic Underground by some good friends for adoration and it was beyond beautiful. Evening prayer was said and this verse was read and it struck me because I could relate to it completely.
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<br>People are having a lot of long days and a lot of nights with friends and enjoying a lot of wine but not enough Christ. Wine can do for the heart and mind what junk food can do for the emotions when one is sad, but if you choose to turn to Christ at the end of a long day, you are brought relief and solace. Nights with friends laughing brings joy, but if you chose to do it with Christ, you are brought together by pure love. I am not knocking the occasional glasses of wine at all, but I am saying that for me, nothing brings me more relaxation and more joy than to find my rest, my peace, my comfort and my joy in Jesus Christ.
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<br>Tonight's Prayer:
<br>Thank You Lord for the beautiful night You let me share in Your presence. Thank You for filling my heart and giving me all I need. In Your Name we pray, amen.Lumineuxhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08589873954725972189noreply@blogger.com0