“The fact that You, Lord, would allow the praises of Your people to be their own greatest blessing is something only an amazing God of love would do.”

“The Prayer That Changes Everything” by Stormie Omartian

The praise and worship we offer to our Heavenly Father is more than just an option of the Christian life. It is a critical aspect of our walk as a believer. It moves things in the spiritual realm and it changes us.

God tells us that He inhabits the praises of His people. He lives within the praises that flow from a heart amazed at who God is. As we grow in our knowledge of all God is, it begins to affect all we are.

Is your heart amazed at who God is? Does His praise flow out of your heart and mouth?

If God is feeling distant in your life, could it be that you have ceased to offer Him your praises? Has gratitude shriveled up within your soul? Have you forgotten all God is?

We can forget who God is when we let His Word slip from a place of importance.

We can forget who God is when our circumstances or relationships disappoint us and we blame Him for where we find ourselves.  As we lose sight of all God is, we slip from expectation and faith to discouragement and fear.

As we come before the Lord we are reminded of all He is and our faith is strengthened.

As our faith is strengthened we are able to offer up all we are and have to Him. He offers to us all that He is.

Think of all He is:

He is Wisdom  (1 Corinthians 1:24)              Gratefully depend on Him for it.
He is Powerful (1 Corinthians 1:24)               Let His greatness fill you with awe.
He is Love       (1 John 4:16)                         Know you are loved unconditionally.
He is my Restorer  (Psalm 23:3)                    Allow Him to restore the broken places.

He is my Shield     (Psalm 33:20)                   Rest in His protection.
He is the All-sufficient One (2 Cor. 12:9)       Place your weaknesses in His care.

Understanding all God is and declaring your wonder and gratitude for Him is a powerful thing. As we come to know all He is and offer our worship, He comes near and we experience Him as never before.

Praise and worship is so much more than music or readings. It is understanding who God is and allowing that knowledge to inspire our faith as we look to Him with expectation and hope. It is celebrating all He is and declaring the truth of it. As we embrace God in all His radiance He amazingly illuminates our soul and lights our path.

Psalm 34:3 & 4

“Glorify the LORD with me; let us exalt His nane together. I sought the Lord and He answered me; He delivered me from all my fears. Those who look to Him are radiant, their faces are never covered with shame.”

Gail Rodgers  has a passion for discovering and sharing how the Scriptures apply in very practical ways  where we live and walk each day. She is a wife, mother of three, businesswoman and a pastor to women. She resides in Alberta, Canada with her family.  Buy a copy of Gail’s new book today at  http://www.gailrodgers.ca/orderBook.htm

Take a moment and think back to when you first opened your life and your heart to Jesus. Do you remember the hunger and the thirst you felt in your spirit? Do you recall the satisfying fullness He brought to your heart? Do you remember the song He put there?

The Bible tells us that He gives us a new song…a song in our hearts with a melody of praise. It’s a song with music that draws others to put their trust in Him.

Remember your thirst for Him as you read His Word…

“He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; He set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand. He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see and fear and put their trust in the Lord” (Psalm 40:2 & 3).

The day you entered into your relationship with God and accepted the forgiveness Jesus offered, you received a new song in your heart, a song different from the music of the world. A song He put there so others will hear the music and be drawn to Him too.

Yet sometimes we let life drown out the song He put there. We allow circumstances to steal the music away. Sometimes we even look for other music to move to but it sounds hollow as we seek other things first.

Ask God to stir afresh the cords of the music He put in your heart when He gave you your new song. Ask Him to cause your heart to thirst for His song to burst forth again in your heart. He promises that when we hunger and thirst for Him and His righteousness, we will be filled. That filling will surpass any fullness the world can offer!

Choose today to sing again the new song God Himself put within your heart. Say with the Psalm writer, “I will sing a new song to you O God. (Psalm 144:9).

Father God,
So often I have gotten off tune or lost the melody of the new song you put in my heart when I came to know You. Refresh Your music in my heart today. Forgive me for allowing myself to be sidetracked and seeking other things before You. Help me today as I determine I will sing a new song to You, O God. Help me to look for Your blessings, to walk in Your strength, to trust You and to have Your priority of seeing others put their trust in You. Thank you for Your music in my life. Teach me to sing it passionately and boldly. Help me to move to Your music today. In Jesus’ strong name I pray, amen.

Gail Rodgers

~ Gail Rodgers has a passion for discovering and sharing how the Scriptures apply in very practical ways where we live and walk each day. She is a wife, mother of three, businesswoman and a pastor to women. She resides in Alberta, Canada with her family. Visit Gail’s website at  www.gailrodgers.ca.  Click to e-mail Gail.

Check out more from the “Alive in Christ” series.

We all want them… God’s blessings. As Christians we often ask God for His blessings of health, finances, friendship, even event coordination and weather. The numerous things we envision that would make our lives better are often the focus of our prayers. We look to His hand for what He provides.

God invites us to ask… He invites us to know Him in a deeper way than ever before by not only looking to His Hand for provision but to His face to know Him better.

God gives us guidelines as to how to ask. He even tells us what to ask for first. He gives us some specific instruction regarding those things of life that He knows will take our attention..

“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear…those who do not know God run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. “But… Seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” Matthew 6:25-34

There is a promise of the provision of our physical needs as we seek His Kingdom first. Yet the material things are noted as additional blessing to the greater picture of the riches we receive in seeking His Kingdom.

What does it mean to seek God’s Kingdom first? How do we move from the glaring physical needs in our lives to focus on things that are not seen?

Shift your focus.

It’s not easy. Our own physical needs easily take front and center stage. Yet God asks us to move our focus off our circumstances. Lift your eyes …to the Lord. Focus on who He is as our helper and not just on the immediate relief from pressure.

“I lift my eyes to the hills, where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.” Psalm 121:1

Recognize your greatest blessings

Your greatest blessings occur in the spiritual realm and not in the physical realm. Think on this for a moment and ask God to open your mind to this realization. Thank Him.

“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ.” Ephesians 1:3

What are your spiritual blessings?

Turn your attention for a few moments, from the particular physical blessing you are seeking. Contemplate the spiritual blessings God has given you as you lift your eyes…

1. You were chosen by God before the creation of the world.(Ephesians 1:4)
He knows exactly what you are going through today.

2. In love, God adopted you as His child through Jesus Christ.(Ephesians 1:5)
You are secure in the hands of your Father God right now.

3.Your sins have been forgiven through the blood of Jesus.(Ephesians 1:7)
Confess your failure and know it is forgiven, never to be held against you. This moment is a clean page to trust Him and see Him work.

4. God lavishes the riches of His grace on you with all wisdom and understanding.(Ephesians 1:8)
All of God’s riches and resources are yours. Everything you need to walk where you walk He will pour out as you ask. Wisdom, patience, love, joy, gentleness, grace, peace, faith…whatever you lack, He offers.

5. He works everything out in conformity with the purpose of His will (Ephesians 1:11)
You can rest assured He has your best interest at heart. Believe it!

6. You were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit.(Ephesians 1:13)
His Spirit will be your Helper and your Comforter in all of the circumstances of your life. He will hold you through the storm. Ask for His filling.

Live in the power

As you focus on your spiritual blessings first and ask God to open your eyes to see them clearly, you will receive power to walk through your circumstances.

“Keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better.”

“Pray that the eyes of your heart may be opened in order that you may know

• the hope to which he has called you,
• the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints,
• His incomparably great power for us who believe.

That power is like the working of His mighty strength which He exerted in Christ when He raised Him from the dead…(Ephesians 1:17-20)

Seek first:

• Hope that can overflow in your life by the power of the Holy Spirit. This is so much more than just surviving. (Romans 15:13)
• Strength in your inner being through the power of His Spirit. His spiritual riches will give you everything you need for life and godliness.

  (Ephesians 3:16 & 2 Peter 1:3)

As you lift your eyes up and shift your focus to your spiritual blessings in the heavenly realm, God makes a promise…

“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, to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever, Amen.”
Ephesians 3:20 & 21

Dare to move beyond seeking only from His hand… and look up into His face.

Seek His kingdom first.

~ Gail Rodgers

~ Gail Rodgers has a passion for discovering and sharing how the Scriptures apply in very practical ways where we live and walk each day. She is a wife, mother of three, businesswoman and a pastor to women. She resides in Alberta, Canada with her family. Visit Gail’s website at  www.gailrodgers.ca.  Click to e-mail Gail.

Check out more from the “Alive in Christ” series.

Susan slipped into the church and sat at the back. It had been awhile since she’d been there. She always felt going to church was negotiable. If she got there…fine, but if she missed, well, it really didn’t matter. No one seemed to notice her absence anyway.

Susan began to relax in the quietness. She realized she had missed coming and it surprised her. It felt good to be here. As the bread and wine were passed, she began to remember just how important her faith was to her. The dust of busy everyday living began to wash off her soul as she was reminded.

It’s easy for us, in the business of “doing life,” to forget just what is actually proclaimed by Jesus’ death and His resurrection. As mentors, this is the foundation of all we hold out to those seeking hope.

That’s why Jesus called us to remember. He knows us better than we know ourselves. He knew we would need to be reminded and He gave us this celebration to draw us back. He knows the powerful significance of His death and resurrection can so easily slip to the background of life. We can find ourselves living in dryness of soul, with divided hearts and even powerless, defeated lives. Sometimes we try to pour out to others with our own cup empty.

“Do this in remembrance of me. For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes”  (1 Corinthians 11: 26).

We may know this Celebration of Remembrance by different names: the Lord’s Table, The Lord’s Supper, Holy Communion, The Eucharist–yet the message of it remains the same. Remember….and with a heart of thanksgiving proclaim the triumph that echoes down through the centuries to us today. Proclaim the truth of what it means in our lives every day.

Proclaiming truth, out loud, is powerful in the spiritual realm. Revelation 12:11 tells us the enemy of our soul is defeated by the blood of Jesus and by the word of our testimony.

Remember…and proclaim it!

• I proclaim I am forgiven (Thank You, Lord! You alone know how I need You.)
• I proclaim I am loved (Thank You, Lord, that Your love is unconditional!)
• I proclaim I am cleansed (Thank You, Lord, that my past is now behind me!)
• I proclaim that by God’s grace I have all that I need (Thank You, Lord for Your undeserved grace and mercy to help me in my time of need!)
• I proclaim that the enemy of my soul was defeated at the cross of Christ (Thank You that You give resurrection power in my life to mount above my temptations and weaknesses.)

Do you really believe it? The very same power that raised Jesus Christ from the dead is the same power that will be at work in your life as you believe and proclaim these truths.    Welcome the Celebration of Remembering. Have your heart refreshed with forgiveness and wholeness as you believe afresh the truth of what God says about you, His child. Fill your cup here …and let it overflow to others!

Father God,
Amaze my heart today with the truth of these proclamations. Thank You for the hope You revive in my heart!  Fill me with Your Spirit and let Your resurrection power flow in new ways in my life. Help me to remember the power, in Your death and resurrection that is mine every day. Help me to grow into all You have planned for me to be and to do.
In Jesus’ name I pray, amen.

~ Gail Rodgers has a passion for discovering and sharing how the Scriptures apply in very practical ways where we live and walk each day. She is a wife, mother of three, businesswoman and a pastor to women. She resides in Alberta, Canada with her family. Visit Gail’s website at  www.gailrodgers.ca.  Click to e-mail Gail.

Check out more from the “Alive in Christ” series.

Bob reached for another donut. He had a busy day ahead. Sure, he meant to get that gym membership, but it would just have to wait. Other things had his attention right now…things that were just too important to let go. Bob never expected he would have heart trouble. Now, suddenly he was riding in the back of an ambulance! The little choices of his daily routine had taken their toll.

The little choices of our daily routine have an effect on our spiritual heart too. Oh, it’s not the donuts or the lack of exercise that causes our spiritual heart distress. We live in a culture that pulls our heart like a magnet in a direction that can leave us feeling distant from our God. We need to be mindful of the care of our hearts. God tells us,

“Above all else, guard your heart for it is the wellspring of life.” ~ Proverbs 4:23

The pull of our hearts away from our God is subtle. It seldom happens in one step. It is usually an accumulation of little choices made in the course of daily routines. Things happen that disappoint us, worry us or hurt us. We can become distracted by a value system that promises satisfaction but is opposite to God’s values and proves hollow when pursued.

One day we realize we feel unsatisfied, negative and void within our heart. We recall a time when God felt so much closer. We know deep down that true satisfaction in life comes from our walk with God yet we feel the pull of our heart away from Him. We know that if we continue in that direction we will loose sight of God’s value system… and that is simply too much to lose. His value system is really the only one that brings true fulfillment.

So how does one guard her heart in this busy world with so many distractions and temptations pulling us in a direction we do not want to go?

The simple answer is to pay attention to your little choices each day just as you do when minding your physical health.

• Pay attention to what you think about. Your thoughts will play out in your behavior. That’s why God tells us to “take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ” (2 Corinthians 10:5).
• Pay attention to your attitudes. Be conscious about keeping a thankful heart. It will change you in ways that will surprise you.  “Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus” (1Thessalonians 5:18).
• Pay attention to the things that draw your attention. Be mindful of what value system you are buying into. Monitor what is becoming the desire of your heart.
• Pay attention to God. Your heart will move from wholeness to hollowness when you let your Bible gather dust. Ask Him to speak to you.
• Pay attention to your words. God tells us “the things that come out of the mouth come from the heart” (Matthew 15:18). What spills out your mouth gives you a good indication of how well you are guarding your heart.
• Pay attention to your daily habits. Am old saying reminds us that “the secret to our future lies in our daily routines.”

Be alert and make it a daily habit to guard your heart by paying attention to these areas. Christian leaders, mentors and anyone like you who desires to impact the world for Christ will find the enemy of our souls trying to draw us away from Jesus with subtle distractions that will minimize His influence in your life.

Take some time today to think about each one of these areas. Ask yourself where your thoughts and desires have focused this past week. Think about what your attitudes have been. Think about how you have included or neglected God in your routines. Listen to your words and observe your habits.

These things will give you a good indication of how well you have been guarding your heart. A guarded heart moves toward wholeness while an unguarded heart will soon feel chilled and hard with a hollowness creeping into your life.

Ask God to remind you to make the little choices every day that will move your heart toward Him. Ask His Holy Spirit to fill you and give your heart a wholeness that is only the result of the God of Heaven working in you and through you. Your life will touch others and you will be blessed beyond measure.
~ Gail Rodgers has a passion for discovering and sharing how the Scriptures apply in very practical ways where we live and walk each day. She is a wife, mother of three, businesswoman and a pastor to women. She resides in Alberta, Canada with her family. Visit Gail’s website at  http://www.gailrodgers.ca. Click to e-mail Gail.

Check out more from the “Alive in Christ” series.

I said some things I shouldn’t have and she heard me. I knew the Holy Spirit was nudging me to apologize to the lady I had spoken about. I mentioned it to a friend and she immediately told me I was too sensitive; it was nothing and I should just forget it.

So I tried. But from time to time it crossed my mind. In my heart I knew I should have carried through with my sense of what the Holy Spirit was telling me.

Sure, it had seemed like a little thing, but God specializes in cleaning out little things that do not reflect His character in our lives. Sometimes it is our own “common sense” that overrules the work of the Holy Spirit in our hearts. I didn’t really understand this until years later when I read a story from God’s own Word in Matthew 16:16-23.

Jesus walked and talked with His close followers. They saw Him do miracles of healing and miraculously feed the 5,000 from one small lunch. They shared the dusty road together, shared simple meals and talked long into the night. Jesus had just singled out Peter and blessed him in a profound way. He saw that Peter had understood the revelation that Jesus was the Christ, the Son of the Living God. The disciples began to understand, in a deeper way, just who Jesus really was.

“From that time on Jesus began to explain to His disciples that He must go Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hand of the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law, and that He must be killed and on the third day be raised to life” (Matthew 16:21).

Peter was appalled by this thought. Surely it could not be so!

“Peter took Jesus aside and began to rebuke Him. “Never, Lord!” he said. “This shall never happen to you!” (16:22)

Peter knew who Jesus was, and it was unthinkable to him that the Son of God would be treated in such a way! His common sense told him this could not possibly be right!

Though He had just established Peter in a position of spiritual leadership, now “Jesus turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men”(16:23).

“You have in mind the things of men!” It is clear that when we see things in our own wisdom we can actually be a stumbling block to God’s plan. We can never assume “position” guarantees wisdom.

Peter’s common sense and that of my friend both had in mind the things of men. Both made sense from a human perspective. Both seemed to be just good common sense. Yet both were stumbling blocks to God’s plan.

Think about it…how many times do we respond to an e-mail or to a person or to a situation with wisdom that we have gained from our experience of life? We see through the filters of our own experience. God can use that experience to help others, yet we need to check with Him first.  Even our common sense needs to be committed to God for His insight into individual situations.

God reminds us not to lean on our own understanding, not to assume we have the wisdom for the situation. He calls us to commit everything to Him, to check with Him first and He will direct us. (Proverbs 3: 5,6) This includes our “common sense.”

Father God,
I thank You for the privilege of being a mentor in this amazing online ministry. Please help me to approach this opportunity with a fresh understanding of leaning not on my own common sense, but checking with You first as I respond. Help me to be more keenly aware of having in mind the things of God and not of men in all areas of my life. Keep me from offering my own wisdom at the risk of causing someone to stumble. Thank You for Your promise to direct even my common sense. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Maria was still there. I had not visited her country in three years and yet when I came back…there she was, still where I remembered her. Every day Maria sits by her little cart full of candies and cookies and gum waiting for the school children to buy these treats. She comes at 7 am and leaves at 6 pm. A tarp stretched over her corner keeps the hot sun off. During the rainy season plastic is draped over the cart but Maria stays there…rain or shine, day in and day out. She has a purpose, a goal.

Maria has a daughter and she wants her daughter to have more opportunities than she did. She knows that her daughter must go to a good school. The money from the sale of treats enables Maria to pay the tuition for her daughter. Maria is investing her life for her child. She has my highest respect as she sits by her cartful of candies.

Each of us has an investment to make. Our life is our most valuable asset. How we choose to invest it is the most important decision we will ever make. It is far more important than how we will invest our income or our resources.

Some invest their income deliberately and carefully. Others run out before the next paycheck and have nothing of value to show for their investment.

Life is the same way. Every day we spend some of it. Every day we choose to deliberately and carefully invest our life or we simply just spend it, not knowing where it went.

Some feel they have little choice in how their life is invested. Some feel life has set them on a course and they just do what is in front of them, just getting through each day.

Whether you are in your dream job or just pushing through each day, your life is being spent and you do have some choices in the investment.

God knows exactly where you are. He knows your address and just where your day will be spent. Because of His great love for us, He gives us direction as to how to invest our lives. He knows what will bring the greatest return if we do things according to His advice, wherever our daily walk takes us.

God’s investment strategy for your life, as a believer, has three specific points.

• Take time for people

“Offer yourselves to God, as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer the parts of your body to Him as instruments of righteousness” (Romans 6:13).

This simply means you say, “God, here are the members of my body today. Here are my hands. If You want to help someone today, use these hands. Here are my arms today, Lord. If You want to hug someone today, use these arms. Here is my mouth, Lord. If You want to encourage someone today, use my mouth. Use my feet to go wherever You want me to show Your love. I want to invest myself in Your work today. Your work is touching people…so use me today, Lord, to touch lives around me.”

• Pay attention to your heart

“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matthew 6:19-21).

Take time to think about what it is that consumes you. If you are investing your heart in the pursuit of money or things, your heart will feel empty and life will have a hollow ring to it. What is it you treasure most? That is where your heart will be. God made you and He knows that the things that will bring true fulfillment to your heart are the things that have eternal value.

In the busyness of your day, ask God to bring His focus to your activities. Ask Him to show you opportunities to invest your life by showing love and patience or gentleness and kindness. Offer mercy to those you would ordinarily have a harsh word for. As you treasure the things God values, you will find a return you did not expect. Joy will fill your heart!

• Choose how much you will invest

“Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.

“And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work…

“Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and enlarge the harvest of your righteousness” (2 Corinthians 8:6-10).

God asks us to give our life and all we have to Him. As we willingly and cheerfully deposit our lives into God’s account for Him to spend, He does two things. He gives us everything we need as we make this investment. We will not be shortchanged. And He actually increases what we give Him and adds interest. He will “enlarge the harvest of your righteousness.”

Every day we make a choice as to how to spend our life. We invest it for God to work through us and touch the lives of those around us, or we just spend it on ourselves.

God made us to be filled with Him…just as a glove is made to be filled by a hand. In itself a glove is not much use until the hand is in it. So too, our lives are best invested when opened for God to fill and touch others through us.

God created you to be a vital part in His work of touching the world. Only when your life is invested in doing that will you find the true fulfillment you were created specifically for. There is someone in your circle He wants to touch through you. That is an investment opportunity you will not want to miss out on.

So go, my friend, and do today what is in front of you. Only do it with a prayer for God to help you take time for people, to mind your heart and to invest your life cheerfully into God’s account. He will enlarge your harvest and you will be surprised and pleased at the return on your investment.

Father God,

As I invest in this mentor program I ask that You would refresh my desire to touch the lives of those who You bring to me. Help me to find the time and to listen to Your voice as I respond to each one. Help my heart to be focused on the treasures of Your kingdom as so many things call for my attention. Keep my heart set on the priorities that come from You and not from the world around me.

Father, I place my life in Your hands afresh today. I deposit it for You to spend and I trust You to give me all that I need as I do this. Guide me as I walk through my day and touch others through me. Thank You that You have made me to be just who I am and You will increase what I place in Your hands, for Your kingdom. With thanksgiving I pray in Jesus’ name, amen.

Shelly loved to reach out to others. She had a heart of compassion for those in need. She rarely thought of herself as needy.

No one likes to think of herself as needy. We prefer other adjectives for ourselves, words that reflect strength or wisdom. As mentors we stand ready to help and to share from our strength and wisdom. We often see those who come to us as the needy ones. We don’t care to have “needy” beside our own name, yet we all wear that tag.

Just for a moment think about your own needs. It’s easier to think of someone else and how you can help them. But can you identify where you are needy? We can see the needs of others clearly, but can be blind to our own.

There is a tool we can use to help us see our own need. Once you have the tool in your hand you will actually be surprised that it works so well. The tool is paying attention to any conflict in your life. Conflict often reflects our unmet needs.

Think about it for a moment. Recall the last encounter you had with conflict. Most of us don’t have to dig very far into our memories. Sometimes the unmet need is basic and easy to remedy such as the need for sleep.

But often it is much deeper. The need to feel valued and heard or the need to be accepted or respected can cause conflict from a wounded heart. Control and manipulation can stem from an angry heart, rooted in a need to forgive others or oneself.

We all have ashes in our lives. A wise friend of mine has said, “Listen for the ashes in peoples lives and then pray into them.” Ashes exist where hope has burned up and need remains. Think about where conflict exists in your life and ask God to help you identify any unmet need, whether yours or someone else’s, that may exist at the root of it. Begin to pray into those needs.

The deep needs of our heart can only be adequately met by God. He is the one who promised to bring “beauty out of ashes” (Isaiah 61:3).

When you see potential conflict lurking on your horizon…stop… and use the opportunity as a tool to build into your own life or to pray into another’s. Look honestly at yourself.   Grow from it in these four ways:

• Give God the opportunity to reveal to your heart any unmet need that may be at the root of this conflict. Be open to seeing your own need and be open to praying into the needs of another. It will help dissolve hostility too.
• Recognize that God is the only One who can meet all of your needs.
• Open your heart to God’s help, asking Him to be the Source you need for that unmet need in your life. Bring another Christian alongside who can pray for you in this as you move toward God’s healing and finding “beauty from ashes.”
• Walk beside another in prayer as you pray for their unmet needs. They may not be open to you but you can pray into their life, asking God to be their Source in meeting the needs of their soul.

God invites us to ask for His help in our needs. “Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need” (Hebrews 4:16).

God promises to be the Source for all of our unmet needs. “And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:19).

As we seek God in our conflicts and allow Him to reveal where we are needy, He will supply what we need and we will be equipped, in greater ways, to extend our hands to the needy in our pathway.

Allow Him to GROW you in and through the deep needs of your heart.

Blessings,
Gail Rodgers

I’ve said it. I’m sure you have, too. It goes something like this: “I’ll be happy when…

…we get the new curtains.”
…when I finish this course.”
…if I get that new job.”
…when the kids are in school.”
…when I find that special ‘someone.’”

And so it goes, with true happiness always just around the next corner. Sound familiar? What is it you are longing for today?

We long for something, in the tomorrow of our lives, that will bring the fulfillment that may be lacking in our today. There is a reason for that. Ecclesiastes 3:11 says, “God has also set eternity in the hearts of men.” God created you with eternity in your heart. He created each of us with a longing for the tomorrow of eternity, and only the things of eternity will fill that longing.

What are the things of eternity that we can look for today to fulfill that longing? God’s ways are not complicated. He said we needed to come to Him as children, so that means the explanation for this longing in our hearts must be simple. Eternity for God’s children will be filled with the glory of God. And the glory of God is simply who God is. How exactly is that a part of our daily life and the longings we have? Very simply put, we show who God is as we live our life, and as we live in a way that reveals His character we will live with the fulfillment of eternity in our hearts.

We show who God is by loving others.When we encounter difficult or unlovable people, we show God’s character by offering love that we get first from Him. You will be surprised at the joy in your heart when you give God’s love away.

We show who God is by serving others. Remember when Jesus washed the feet of His disciples, even when He knew within hours Judas would betray Him and Peter would deny Him? When He finished washing, He told them all, “Happy are you if you do this for one another” (John 13). Jesus knew the fulfillment we would find in serving each other. If it’s been awhile since you served someone, just to show who God is, find a way today and see that longing in your heart for eternity met in some small way.

We show who Jesus is by our character. Living a life of integrity in all things will bring a deep satisfaction to your soul. Lack of integrity always carries an expensive price tag.

We show who God is as we live like Jesus would. Inviting Him into how you feel, think and act will change your days and your life.Changing your priorities will require choosing differently and not always easily, but Jesus will give you everything you need to live for Him. ”His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Through these he as given us his very great and precious promises so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires” (2 Peter1:3,4).

Father God,
May my life be lived for Your pleasure and to show who You are. There are those who see my life who need to know who You are and how to have a changed life by Your power. Remind me every time I hear the phrase, “the glory of God,” that it means to simply show who You are. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Today let your life declare the glory of God. Live in such a way that every area of your life declares, “That’s who God is!” You will find a taste of the longing for eternity that God himself put in your heart.

God bless you,
Gail Rodgers

Susan walked away from the bank machine in frustration. She was overdrawn and it was still a while to payday. This unexpected bill left her wishing she had deposited more in her Savings.

I thought about deposits and withdrawals this morning as I took four phone calls and received a dozen emails. So many were feeling overwhelmed in the place where they walk today. “Lord, what can I say?”

From the morning phone calls and email only one was a story of encouragement. All the others were overwhelmed… and with good cause for they are walking in tough places.  I thought about what makes the difference.

The deposits we make into our minds and hearts will determine what there is for withdrawal when things get tough.

As mentors we too can feel overwhelmed at times. “What can I say?” our hearts cry as we answer the phone and email. The Lord quietly replies, “Tell them what I said.” I ponder what He did say.

“This is the victory that overcomes the world, even our faith.  Who is it that overcomes the world?  Only he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God.”  1 John 5:4 & 5

Life will feel overwhelming at times. We want to reach out to encourage others in their hard spots but we also try to balance our own concerns of life and finances, relationships and health, often tired but too busy to rest. It is in these times that what we have deposited into our minds will bear its fruit. This verse tells us our faith will be our victory.

But how does it work at a practical level when life threatens to overwhelm us? Author Neil Anderson says that what goes into our mind drives our will and our emotions. If we deposit into our minds things of “the world and the flesh”, such as entertainment that is impure and questionable, negative and critical thoughts, and continued focus on bigger, better, more material things, we will bear fruit accordingly. Anxiety, fear, discouragement, greed, impurity and worry will be the withdrawal.

However, if we deposit the Word of God into our minds, on a continual basis, then our will and emotions are led by the Spirit and we will bear fruit accordingly. God says when we make this choice the result in our life will be withdrawals of peace and patience, faith and gentleness, love and kindness, goodness, self control and even joy.. (Galatians 5:22).

Suddenly it is very clear…

We can actually choose the direction our will and emotions will go by what we deposit into our mind!  We are not helpless in being overcome with life’s circumstances. God says it is our faith that will overcome in the world that surrounds us daily and cause us to live with hope and expectation in the midst of life’s challenges.

How do we put feet to our faith and make the deposit that will give us the withdrawal we need as we face life and seek to help others on the way? Practically speaking, “believing that Jesus is the Son of God” means screening your thoughts.  Plain and simply take stock daily of what is going on in your mind and what you are believing.   The thoughts that consume your mind will dictate your heart attitudes and eventually be displayed in your actions.

So often we can quote a scripture and it can sound trite and familiar and feel powerless. It is because we are not truly believing what it says. Thoughts that line up with the Word of God will help you overcome and live with hope and expectation.  Thoughts that don’t line up with the Word of God will bring you to a place of being overwhelmed.

It really is that simple. Know what God’s Word says and believe it. Ask His Holy Spirit to increase your faith. Expose your thoughts to His promises. Talk about them with others. Guard what goes on in your mind and heart. Line your thoughts up with God’s Word. The difference in your “withdrawal” in meeting life’s challenges will amaze you.

God’s Word tells us that life will press in on us at times but we will not be crushed. He said He put this treasure of His Holy Spirit in us as “jars of clay” in order to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. Because of Jesus’ death we have this life living within us. We have this source to withdraw from so others will see His strength in us and God will be given the credit. Even in hard times we can be renewed inwardly day by day as we focus on God’s Word and set our eyes not on what is seen but on what is unseen. (2 Corinthians 4: 7 -18)

Search God’s Word…it is your defense in life.  Measure your thoughts by what His word says. Are you truly believing what it says? If your thoughts are not lining up with His Word, ask Him to help you take those thoughts captive and throw them out. “We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.” (2 Corinthians 10:5). 

As you encourage those who feel overwhelmed with life and as you guard your own heart, check what deposits have been made into your mind lately. Make the choice to bring your thoughts in line with the Word of God and your withdrawals in the tough moments will change. Encourage those who come to you to do the same. “Be transformed by the renewing of your mind.”(Romans 12:2).

Truly believe the powerful Word of God. Let His truth saturate your mind and change your life! Read His promises with a fresh faith that takes God at His Word.

Overwhelmed by worry about tomorrow’s problems?

Do you believe God when He says, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4: 5 & 6

Present your worry to God, with a thankful heart that He can take it and carry it, and He will give you a peace that will guard your heart and mind from overwhelming anxiousness.

Overwhelmed by fear?

Do you believe God when He says, “I will never leave you; never will I forsake you.” So we say with confidence, “The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid, what can man do to me?” Hebrews 13: 5 & 6

Do you believe God does not give you fear? “For God did not give us a spirit of fear, but of power and love and a sound mind.” (KJV) 1 Timothy 1:7

Thank Him for His constant love and His presence with you and ask Him to take away your fear and give you His power to stand with a sound mind.

Overwhelmed by feelings of worthlessness and low self esteem?

Line your thoughts up with what God says about you in Psalm 139. “For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb.” Thank Him that He knit you together in your mother’s womb and He cares deeply about you. God says it so you can believe it. Ask Him to help you see yourself through His eyes.

Overwhelmed by confusion?

Do you believe God when He says “Where there is envying and strife, there is confusion and every evil thing.” ? James 3:16   Ask God to show you if you are contributing to confusion in your life by being the source of jealousy or trouble making. Believe Him when He says the “Peacemakers will be blessed.” Matthew 5:9

Overwhelmed by the power of the enemy of our souls?

Believe God when He says “And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.” Colossians 2:15

Thank God that you are on the winning team!

Keep your deposits growing with the Word of God in your heart and mind and the withdrawals will be there when you need them!

Blessings,
Gail Rodgers