I have to say that the Lord is up to something good in my life--He has filled my heart with joy tonight.
I always start off my times in prayer alone with God with a few songs, and I just sing them to Him. By the time I was done singing "Love Lifted Me" and "Pass Me Not O Gentle Savior", "Jesus Paid It All" and "Jesus Keep Me Near The Cross", I was reminded of a chorus I had not sung in years:
Give thanks with a grateful heart
Give thanks to the Holy One
Give thanks for He has given
Jesus Christ His Son
Give thanks with a grateful heart
Give thanks to the Holy One
Give thanks for He has given
Jesus Christ His Son
And now let the weak say I am strong
Let the poor say I am rich
Because of what the Lord has done for us
And now let the sick say I am whole
Let the bound say I am free
Because of what the Lord has done for us
Give thanks
I am telling you, by the time I got done singing that song, I was so thankful! I found to my surprise my heart overflowing with JOY in the midst of my sadness. It is just this quiet peace and strength of knowing my life is not my own. He meets me by His Holy Spirit; nothing strange happens except for Him making me NEW. He humbles me and makes me realize how lost I would be without Him and how I am no better than anyone else, for the ground is level at the foot of the cross.
One of my best friends told me last Sunday that she has trouble "feeling" God near when she prays. I told her that I started out with hymns when I get alone with God to pray. One of the pleasures of being single is that it is easy to find time to spend alone with God in prayer. When I start out singing a hymn that focuses my mind on worshiping Him for HIS ways and not my own--His plans and purposes for my life and trials--I can lift up friends and loved ones in harm's way with confidence to the God of all gods who hears. I told the Lord tonight that only HE would love people so much to keep after them. The darkest of all powerful spirits have to submit to JESUS. Where would we frail humans be without such a Savior? Realizing that God promises to fight my battles for me (as our battles are all spiritual), my problems seem trite, and all that matters is whatever He wants.
I always start off my times in prayer alone with God with a few songs, and I just sing them to Him. By the time I was done singing "Love Lifted Me" and "Pass Me Not O Gentle Savior", "Jesus Paid It All" and "Jesus Keep Me Near The Cross", I was reminded of a chorus I had not sung in years:
Give thanks with a grateful heart
Give thanks to the Holy One
Give thanks for He has given
Jesus Christ His Son
Give thanks with a grateful heart
Give thanks to the Holy One
Give thanks for He has given
Jesus Christ His Son
And now let the weak say I am strong
Let the poor say I am rich
Because of what the Lord has done for us
And now let the sick say I am whole
Let the bound say I am free
Because of what the Lord has done for us
Give thanks
I am telling you, by the time I got done singing that song, I was so thankful! I found to my surprise my heart overflowing with JOY in the midst of my sadness. It is just this quiet peace and strength of knowing my life is not my own. He meets me by His Holy Spirit; nothing strange happens except for Him making me NEW. He humbles me and makes me realize how lost I would be without Him and how I am no better than anyone else, for the ground is level at the foot of the cross.
One of my best friends told me last Sunday that she has trouble "feeling" God near when she prays. I told her that I started out with hymns when I get alone with God to pray. One of the pleasures of being single is that it is easy to find time to spend alone with God in prayer. When I start out singing a hymn that focuses my mind on worshiping Him for HIS ways and not my own--His plans and purposes for my life and trials--I can lift up friends and loved ones in harm's way with confidence to the God of all gods who hears. I told the Lord tonight that only HE would love people so much to keep after them. The darkest of all powerful spirits have to submit to JESUS. Where would we frail humans be without such a Savior? Realizing that God promises to fight my battles for me (as our battles are all spiritual), my problems seem trite, and all that matters is whatever He wants.
Yep, I can give thanks tonight with a grateful heart...to the Holy One...for He has given Jesus Christ His Son! And there is no battle I am fighting alone. I actually have no battle to fight at all except to stay close to Jesus--the God who declares the end from the beginning. Close to Him, I don't want anything He does not want to give me.
