Heroes

Everyone has heroes, someone they look up to and want to be like. So for the prayer focus today, pray for you heroes that they would be strong believers in Jesus Christ and would strive to follow him in everything they say and do.

"Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin, that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God." --Hebrews 12:1-2

Changed

Have you ever thought about what people would say about you when you die, what if you died today? what would people say today about you? what would you want them to say about you? How can you live in a way that brings glory to your creator, every minute of every day.   I love this song; listen and pray through it.



I want to live like that, don't you? 

Sickness

I know a lot of people are sick right now and would highly appreciate prayer, so I thought I would make that the prayer focus for today.

Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others. - Philippians 2:3-4

 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. - Philippians 4:6-7

Thursday

Please remember that my suggestions of what to pray for are just that-suggestions.You can pray about whatever you want, I'm just giving you ideas to start with. Most likely, other things will come into your head. 
The focus for Thursdays is going to be on ourselves. Here are some things to pray about yourself from the bible:
"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,  gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.  And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit.  Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another." Galatians 5:22-26
Some things that come to my mind of what to pray for are:

1. That I would grow closer to God.
2. That I would have a good attitude.
3. That I would be more loving to my siblings.

I hope your day is going well so far!
In Christ,
Katherine

Wednesdays

Relationships. Everyone has relationships. We need to shine God's light to those around us, encourage those around us, and love those around us.
"And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. 38 This is the great and first commandment. 39 And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. 40 On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.” Matthew 22:37-40
Pray for the people you have a relationship with. Pray that you would be loving and encouraging to them.

Tuesday

For Tuesdays, the Focus is going to be our Nations leaders.
"He makes nations great, and He destroys them;
    He enlarges nations, and leads them away." Job 12:23
Remember that God has control over all nations.
Pray for the leaders, that they would make wise choices. Pray that they would draw closer to God.
In Christ,
Katherine 

Prayer Life

Do you have an active prayer life? do you wonder why you aren't growing? In Sunday school yesterday these were some of the questions we talked about... do you find that prayer isn't a joy filled experience but is a chore that you have to get done before you can go on with your day? then you ask God, "why am I not growing?" many of us are so focused on ourselves in our prayer life... "God help me to win this next soccer game, help me pass my tests, make me beautiful," me, me, me, me, me... we can always think of ourselves- right? here is a little acronym.

you can comment with definitions to these words, what they mean to you.

Adoration   ... What does adoration mean?

Confession... What does confession mean?

Thanksgiving... What does thanksgiving mean?

Supplication... What does supplication mean?

When we take the focus off ourselves and onto God we can grow; also if we aren't thinking about ourselves and what people think of us.  

if the focus is on me you won't grow...

If the focus is on me you will think about me. 

If the focus is on God, you will grow...

If the focus is on God you will think about God. 

Try praying using the ACTS acronym today... adore God, confess your sins, give thanks to God, present your requests before the Lord. 

A. You are holy God, you are all powerful.

C. I am sorry for focusing more on me than on you. 

T. Thank you for this blog where I can share things that you are teaching me.

S.help me to be a witness and shining light for you. 

In Christ, Susannah Baffa

Monday

For Mondays, the Focus is going to be lost souls.
"And they said, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.” " Acts 16:31

"because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved." Romans 10:9

Pray for all the unbelievers. Pray for family members, friends, coworkers... and the list goes on and on.

Missionaries

The focus for today is for Missionaries. Here are a few verses:
"And the gospel must first be proclaimed to all nations." Mark 13:10

" And he said to them, “Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation." Mark 16:15

"And they departed and went through the villages, preaching the gospel and healing everywhere." Luke 9:6

Pray for their families. Pray that they would stay strong in the Lord. And pray that they would continue to spread the Gospel. 
In Christ,
Katherine

Starting next week, I'm going to be doing something different. I'm going to be having certain Prayer Focuses for each day of the week (for example: Praying for lost souls on Monday, for nations leaders on Tuesday and so on). 
Oh, and feel free to leave prayer requests in the comments or send them to my email bekknitsandco(at)gmail(dot)com. 

God's Provision

"And my God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:19

"And he said to them, “Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.” Luke 12:15

"Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen." Ephesians 3:20-21

"But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content." 1 Timothy 6:8

"Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” Hebrews 13:5

Praise and thank God for His provision. Ask Him to help you be content with what he has given you. Rest in His promises to always provide.

Friendship

Friendship is something everyone experiences in their life. For the prayer focus today, pray for your friends and the relationships you have with them. Pray that you will be encouraging to one another and build each other up.

"My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you.  Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.  You are my friends if you do what I command.  I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master's business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you." - John 15:12-15

"As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another." - Proverbs 27:17

Khyrstyn

Starting School

My family is starting school today. I know that most people have already started, but we can still pray about it.
"He answered, ' Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.' "  Luke 10:27

 "And now, Israel, what does the Lord your God ask of you but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in obedience to him, to love him, to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul,"
 Deuteronomy 10:12
Pray that we would love those around us, and that we would learn more about God. Pray that we would follow after God and keep His commandments.
In Christ,
Katherine 

Our Leaders in the Body of Christ

1 Thessalonians 5:25

Brothers, pray for us.

 

I thought it would be good to pray for church leaders today since tomorrow is Sunday.  Pray for our pastors as they prepare to bring God's word to us. Pray they would glorify God and that our own hearts would be open to how God wants to use it in us.

Pray for our elders as they make difficult decisions and  carry the burdens of our body.

Pray for deacons to faithfully execute their duties. Pray for strength and wisdom for them as well. 

I'm sure you can think of more things to pray for -their families, wise use of time, etc.

Kimberly  (Rebekah and Katherine's mom)

There's No one Like Our God

I was reading in 2 Kings the other day in chapter 19. I'll put some of the chapter up here on the blog, but if you want to see the whole chapter here's the link.
The king of Assyria comes to declare war on Israel. He sends Rabshakeh with this message:   
 "...Behold, you have heard what the kings of Assyria have done to all lands, devoting them to destruction. And shall you be delivered?  Have the gods of the nations delivered them, the nations that my fathers destroyed, Gozan, Haran, Rezeph, and the people of Eden who were in Telassar?  Where is the king of Hamath, the king of Arpad, the king of the city of Sepharvaim, the king of Hena, or the king of Ivvah?’” 2 Kings 19:11-13 ESV
I love how Hezekiah responds- with faith and trust as he brings it before the Lord:
"Hezekiah received the letter from the hand of the messengers and read it; and Hezekiah went up to the house of the Lord and spread it before the Lord.  And Hezekiah prayed before the Lord and said: “O Lord, the God of Israel, enthroned above the cherubim, you are the God, you alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth; you have made heaven and earth.  Incline your ear, O Lord, and hear; open your eyes, O Lord, and see; and hear the words of Sennacherib, which he has sent to mock the living God. Truly, O Lord, the kings of Assyria have laid waste the nations and their lands  and have cast their gods into the fire, for they were not gods, but the work of men's hands, wood and stone. Therefore they were destroyed.  So now, O Lord our God, save us, please, from his hand, that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that you, O Lord, are God alone.”" 2 Kings 19:14-19 ESV
( If you just skimmed the above, read it again slowly and carefully, letting the words sink in.)
I love how he ends: "...that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that you, O LORD, are God alone."
God then speaks through the prophet Isaiah, to tell him:
“...Therefore thus says the Lord concerning the king of Assyria: He shall not come into this city or shoot an arrow there, or come before it with a shield or cast up a siege mound against it.  By the way that he came, by the same he shall return, and he shall not come into this city, declares the Lord.  For I will defend this city to save it, for my own sake and for the sake of my servant David.” 2 Kings 19:32-34 ESV

And then God's powerful hand is shown:
"And that night the angel of the Lord went out and struck down 185,000 in the camp of the Assyrians. And when people arose early in the morning, behold, these were all dead bodies.  Then Sennacherib king of Assyria departed and went home and lived at Nineveh.  And as he was worshiping in the house of Nisroch his god, Adrammelech and Sharezer, his sons, struck him down with the sword and escaped into the land of Ararat. And Esarhaddon his son reigned in his place." 2 Kings 19:35-37ESV

"Sing to the Lord, all the earth;
Proclaim good tidings of His salvation from day to day. 
 Tell of His glory among the nations,
His wonderful deeds among all the peoples.
For great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised;
He also is to be feared above all gods. 
 For all the gods of the peoples are idols,
But the Lord made the heavens. 
 Splendor and majesty are before Him,
Strength and joy are in His place." 1 Chronicles 16:23-27 NASB

 If you have time after reading this long post :) , look up "There's No One Like Our God" Vineyard.
Oh, and as for the Prayer Focus... praise God for for being awesome! Come to Him like Hezekiah did and tell Him what's on your heart. 
As for me, I feel so excited that my God is God over ALL. 
In Christ,
Katherine  

Light of the World

This week my quiet time has been about the theme of light. So when thinking about what to write, I happened on this!

"Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” John 8:12

"And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. And God saw that the light was good. And God separated the light from the darkness. God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And there was evening and there was morning, the first day....And God said, “Let there be lights in the expanse of the heavens to separate the day from the night. And let them be for signs and for seasons, and for days and years,  and let them be lights in the expanse of the heavens to give light upon the earth.” And it was so. And God made the two great lights—the greater light to rule the day and the lesser light to rule the night—and the stars. And God set them in the expanse of the heavens to give light on the earth,  to rule over the day and over the night, and to separate the light from the darkness. And God saw that it was good." Genesis 3-5, 14-18


“No longer will you have the sun for light by day, Nor for brightness will the moon give you light; But you will have the Lord for an everlasting light, And your God for your glory." Isaiah 60:19 (NASB)

“You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house.  In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven." Matthew 5:14-16

Trust

Firm reliance on the integrity, ability, or character of a person or thing. This is the definition of trust. God tells us in His word over and over to trust in Him. He calls us to have firm reliance on Him and Him alone. I absolutely love this definition because it saysfirm reliance.Trust in God is not supposed to be flimsy and weak, but strong and firm. 

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding." Proverbs 3:5

"Those who know your name trust in you, for you, Lord, have never forsaken those who seek you."
 -Psalm 9:10


"May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit." -Romans 15:13

Mission to Ukraine

My good friend Susannah is going to Ukraine the day after Thanksgiving. I decided I would make her trip the Prayer Focus for today. Here are a few verses from the Bible that talk about different nations:
^" And he said to them, “Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation." Mark 16:15

"May all kings fall down before him,
    all nations serve him!" Psalm 72:11

"And the gospel must first be proclaimed to all nations." Mark 13:10

Let's pray that Susannah will have a safe trip to and from Ukraine. Pray that they will shine God's light to the people they meet. Pray that God would be working in their hearts, and that they will be able to see people saved from their sins. 
In Christ, Katherine
P.S. Here is a link to Susannah's blog if you want to read more. 4thefatherlessofukraine.

Faith

1 John 5:4 For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. and this is the victory that has overcome the world - our faith. faith is vital to our salvation. without faith... Believing in things not seen... You can not be saved because to have faith is to believe and trust. Pray that God will give you faith and help you to be firm... Because. "without faith you are not firm at all..." Stand strong in the LORD and have courage! Grace and peace be with you all. Susannah Baffa

Peace

Peace, Sovereign Grace Music
Peace, You give me peace
When the storms come and I’m afraid
Peace, You give me peace
When I trust in the words You say
You give me peace

VERSE 1
If You can calm the sea
Then You can comfort me
If winds obey Your voice
Why should I fear their noise
And though my eyes can’t see
I know You’re with me

VERSE 2
When someone starts to fight
And does things I don’t like
I hear Your gentle voice
Saying I have a choice
To make an enemy
Or to spread Your peace

"In peace I will both lie down and sleep;
    for you alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety." Psalm 4:8

 "You keep him in perfect peace
    whose mind is stayed on you,
    because he trusts in you." Isaiah 26:3

" Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid." John 14:27

"For God is not a God of confusion but of peace." 1 Corinthians 14:33a


 "do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.  And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:6-7

 Pray for the peace of God to come to you. Pray that peace will come to those around you. And tell God what's been on your heart.  

Praising God During the Storms

    Recently I have been convicted on how much I practically beg God for something I don't like to come to an end. Then when He may see fit to lift that trial, I even forget to say "thank you" and praise God. Or perhaps I do remember and half heartedly say a hurried prayer out of a sense of duty.
    In the forward of my devotional, Choosing Gratitude by Nancy Leigh DeMoss, Joni Eareckson Tada said, "Most of us are able to thank God for His grace, comfort, and sustaining power in a trial, but we don't thank Him for the problem, just finding Him in it." page 12.
    I want to encourage us for this prayer focus to praise and thank God for any burdens, trials, or frustrations that we might be going through; remembering that it is often the heart-aching experiences that draw us closer to God where He shapes and molds us into the person He has made us to be.

Psalm 34:1&19-I will bless the Lord at all times; his praise shall continually be in my mouth (italics
                         mine).
                         Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers him out of them all.

Psalm 66:10-12-For you, O God, have tested us; you have tried us as silver is tried. You brought us into the net; you laid a crushing burden on our backs; you let men ride over our heads; we went through  fire and through water; yet you have brought us out to a place of abundance (italics mine).

    Sometimes we need to be reminded that every discouraging or depressing situation isn't a punishment for a sin, or Satan getting after us, but that God purposely gives us these to grow in. But He will faithfully bring us out on the other end, having shaped us to become a more clear reflection of Christ because of that specific trial. We can choose to whine and get all down over these hardships, refusing to look for what God is doing in us; or we can choose gratitude and praise God for whatever He might be doing, and He will take that heartache, and transform it into a beautiful thing.
    So let's take some time today to give thanks for those storms that God has given us, even if the reason why we must experience them isn't clear. Praise Him who is faithful.

    "Can we really be thankful at all times, even when our eyes are filled with tears?" page 122 Yes!

    There are all sorts of ways to praise God and say thank you, singing being one of them. So when you have finished praying, I encourage you to look up 10,000 Reasons by Matt Redman, and Whatever You're Doing by Sanctus Real and sing along.



   

Gentleness

Gentleness is something I've been working on. From this practice, I've noticed that people are more ready to listen to a gentle word than a yell.

"A soft answer turns away wrath,
    but a harsh word stirs up anger...
 A gentle tongue is a tree of life,
    but perverseness in it breaks the spirit." Proverbs 15:1,4 (ESV)

Jesus, our greatest example, was gentle.
  
"Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls." Matthew 11:29 (ESV) 

Thank God for His gentleness. Ask Him to help you to be gentle to your siblings (or kids :), your parents, and any one you come into contact with.

Attitude

One of my biggest struggles is having a good and godly attitude. I know this is something very hard for everyone to do, so I thought it would be a good prayer focus.

What exactly is a good attitude? The Bible gives plenty of examples and lists of the traits that we as Christians are suppose to have. Pray today for yourself and the people around you to have godly and uplifting attitudes.

Galatians 5:22-23

 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.

 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. - 1 Corinthians 13:4-7

Khyrstyn

Trusting God

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart,
    and do not lean on your own understanding. 
In all your ways acknowledge him,
    and he will make straight your paths." Proverbs 3:5-6

"Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord,
    whose trust is the Lord." Jeremiah 17:7

"When I am afraid,
    I put my trust in you." Psalm 56:3

"Some trust in chariots and some in horses,
    but we trust in the name of the Lord our God." Psalm 20:7 

"You who fear the Lord, trust in the Lord!
    He is their help and their shield." Psalm 115:11

"Commit your way to the Lord;
    trust in him, and he will act." Psalm 37:5

"Trust in the Lord forever,
    for the Lord God is an everlasting rock." Isaiah 26:4

I will say to the Lord, “My refuge and my fortress,
    my God, in whom I trust.” Psalm 91:2

Our Nation

America is turning away from God (I know I just stated something obvious) will this next generation (us) be of the world or in it?   Our nations leaders (with all due respect) are corrupt...  they have my prayers but little respect because of the choices they are making... the choices WE are making... all of America is making bad choices, we are turning our backs on God and pretending he does not exist. we come up with things like evolution that bring about the world without a creator. our nation needs God.
2 Chronicles 7:14 If my people who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and I will forgive their sins and I will heal their land.  
We also need a president who will make good choices...

1 Timothy 2:1-4   First of all then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.

pray for our nation to be awakened once again and to fall at the feet of our Savior. pray for the salvation of our nations leaders and those in authority.
Pray for our Nation.

In Christ, Susannah Baffa

Salvation for Lost Souls

We all know someone who needs Jesus. It could be a family member, a friend, or a stranger you met somewhere. So that's what we're going to be focusing on today. 
God's word says:

 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?”   John 11:25-26

Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. John 3:18

 And Jesus cried out and said, “Whoever believes in me, believes not in me but in him who sent me". John 12:44

So pray for the unbelievers. Pray that God would open their eyes. And pray that they would put their trust in Him.

Listening to God

I feel like sometimes I talk to God but I don't listen as much as I should. I could talk all day, but it's not going to help me unless I listen to Him. It reminds me of a song by Addison Road.

                                      What Do I Know Of Holy
                            I made You promises a thousand times

I tried to hear from Heaven
But I talked the whole time
I think I made You too small
I never feared You at all No
If You touched my face would I know You?
Looked into my eyes could I behold You?*

Here are a couple of verses:
"Have you listened in the council of God?
And do you limit wisdom to yourself?"
Job 15:8

"Guard your steps when you go to the house of God. To draw near to listen is better than to offer the sacrifice of fools, for they do not know that they are doing evil." Ecclesiastes 5:1 (emphases mine) 

So tell God what has been on your mind -your fears,  your hopes and dreams, your joys, and sorrows- and then listen to Him.  Go to a quiet place and quiet your heart to listen, un-distracted,  to Him.

*If you want to read the rest of the lyrics they are here

God Sees

Mom was reading devotion time today when I heard this verse:

"You felt secure in your wickedness,
    you said, “No one sees me”;
your wisdom and your knowledge led you astray,
and you said in your heart,
    “I am, and there is no one besides me.” " Isaiah 47:10

Isaiah was talking about the Chaldeans in this verse, but it could easily apply to us. Looking back on my (albeit short) life, I see many times where I have sinned and thought, no one sees me. But the truth is that Someone does. God does. 

Proverbs 15:3 says,

"The eyes of the Lord are in every place,
    keeping watch on the evil and the good."

This verse can also be a comfort. God always sees. He sees the things you do out of love for Him and He is pleased-"keeping watch on the evil and the good".

So thank God for all the times He sees you doing His will. Thank Him that he always watches over you. Ask forgiveness for the times you thought He didn't see you sinning. Ask Him to show you the sins you commit in secret-sins that in your hypocrisy you do not see. Praise Him that He Sees! 

Loving Others

^{Jesus tells us that loving others is next to loving God:}
Jesus answered, “The most important is, ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.  And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’  The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.” Mark 12:29-31
  
 He says that when we love one another, other people will know that we are His disciples:

 "A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” John 13:34-35
Pray that God would help you to love others today. Pray that people will see the love you have for others, and that it will point them to God. Go out of your way to show love to those around you. 
Your sister in Christ,
Katherine

Idols

Idols draw us away from God. Idols can be anything- it really depends on who you are. An idol that one person struggles with is not necessarily an idol for another person.
I love this verse. It shows how awesome our God is. 

 

For all the gods of the peoples are worthless idols, but the Lord made the heavens.

 Psalm 96:5 

 Think of the sky. Imagine all the clouds and the sunrises and sunsets. Not one of them is the same. They're all different. And they're all beautiful. 

  

Teach me Your way, O Lord;
I will walk in Your truth;
Unite my heart to fear Your name.

Psalm 86:11 

 

I will give thanks to You, O Lord my God, with all my heart,
And will glorify Your name forever. 

Psalm 86:12 

The verses above talk about giving our whole heart to God. How can we do that if we have an idol?

I just recently got a mp4 player. I realized that even though I was listening to Christian music, it could still be an idol for me. I was spending too much time listening to the music and not listening enough to God. 

Pray that God would help you give up your idols and give your heart to Him. Pray that He would show you any idols you haven't noticed yet. 

Your sister in Christ,

Katherine 

Living Gracefully

Living Gracefully, is living everyday in the freedom of Christ,

JOHN 8:32 and you shall know the truth, and the truth shall set you free.
as independent human beings most of us struggle with accepting grace, I know for me, I am a "good girl" I have to do everything right or else I am a failure, approval is everything. maybe some of you feel the same way? we listen to the demanding voice of the "good girl" instead of the grace filled voice of our Lord Jesus Christ. W"e make being a model "good girl", even "good Christian" an IDOL in our life. This is sin when we place anything, even good things like trying to be good or a "good christian" above Christ, it is sin.  The prayer focus for today, is to thank God for His grace, realizing that we cannot ever do anything to deserve God's grace but that it is a free gift, accept God's grace with humble hearts and open hands and ask God to help us to live in the FREEDOM that comes from Christ and Christ alone.                          Susannah Baffa

Empowerment

Empowerment is one of my favorite words, not because is is fun to say, but because of what it means. It is to equip or supply someone with an ability. Another definition is to encourage or build up.
           God calls us to empower each other in both forms of the word. Pray today for yourself to be an empowering person, for your friends and family that God would help them to be encouraging, and for anything else God lays on your heart to pray about.

"The things which you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses, entrust these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also." 2 Timothy 2:2

"Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as you are doing." 1 Thessalonians 5:11

I pray all of you have a wonderful and empowering weekend!!!
Khyrstyn

Praise

The prayer focus today is praising God. Praise Him for sending His Son to die for our sins. Praise Him for His love, His goodness, His faithfulness.
Psalm 150 has a lot to say about praising:

 Praise the Lord!
Praise God in his sanctuary;
    praise him in his mighty heavens! 

Praise him for his mighty deeds;
    praise him according to his excellent greatness!

Praise him with trumpet sound;
    praise him with lute and harp! 

Praise him with tambourine and dance;
    praise him with strings and pipe! 

 Praise him with sounding cymbals;
    praise him with loud clashing cymbals! 

 Let everything that has breath praise the Lord!
Praise the Lord!

I pray you're having a wonderful day!
Katherine

The Heart of the Matter

The world tells us, "Follow your heart." 

But God's Word says in Jeremiah 17:9, "The heart is deceitful above all things and desperately sick; who can understand it?"

In our sinful nature, we cannot see how deceptive our hearts can be. We need God and His Word to show us the truth:

 " 'I the Lord search the heart and test the mind to give every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his deeds.' "Jeremiah 17:10 (emphasis mine)

Hebrews 4:12 "For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart." (emphases mine)

1 Samuel 16:7 "...For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.”

We can't change our hearts to follow God. But He can.

Make this your prayer, "Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me."

Persecuted Christians

I know I'm posting this on the 6th, but it's for the7th of August.
 The prayer focus for today is Persecuted Christians. It's hard for me to imagine that persecution exists  because I feel so far away from where it's happening. I am very blessed to be in a country where I'm free to worship God. But Persecution does exist. Not that it should surprise me. The Bible says:

I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”   John 16:33

We will have trouble in this world because this world is not our home. What a joy it will be to finally be in heaven, never to experience pain again!

Back to the Christians being persecuted, pray that they will not lose heart. Pray that they will remain faithful. Pray that God will give them strength to do what He has called them to do. And pray for their children as well. Pray that they will love and follow God with their whole heart and learn to be more like Him. And pray for the unbelievers, and those persecuting them, that God would change their hearts.
Katherine 

The Fatherless

Hi, my name is Susannah.      
Katherine, Khyrstyn and Rebekah are all good friends of mine. 
 Katherine has asked me to do the prayer focus for today, I decided on The Fatherless.                   God talks a lot about the Fatherless and it is evident that He has a heart for the orphan.                                                                                      Psalm 68:5
            A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in his holy dwelling.
                                                                JAMES 1:27

Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world.  

pray that one child may find joy today, pray that one child would receive necessary medical care, that one child may find a family, be saved from the streets, be shown love, come to know their Savior, that one child may understand that they are valued by God... the list could go on and on.   Pray that one fatherless child will realize that fatherless they are no more.      In Christ, Susannah

Forgiveness

Hi, my name is Khyrstyn and Katherine is one of my very dear friends. When she asked me to do this I was very excited, so here it goes!!!

Forgiveness. A word we hear all the time, but everyone struggles with. We cannot forgive anyone in our own power. Only God can enable us to forgive someone.

We are called to forgive and when we truly forgive someone, we do not hold a grudge. Something most people don't commonly associate are forgiveness and love. In 1Corinthians 13 it says that love keeps no records of wrongs. This Is true forgiveness.

Pray for those whom you need to forgive and also for yourself to be able to forgive them. As I said before, we cannot forgive someone in our own strength, we have to ask God for help.

Also pray for God to forgive you. The Bible says, "All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." Since everyone sins, everyone needs forgiveness, so ask God to forgive you off everything you have done against Him.

"Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as Christ forgave you."
Ephesians 4:32

"When you were dead in your sins in the uncircumcision of your sinful nature, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins."
Colossians 2:13

"Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you."
Colossians 3:13

Just a heads up

I'm not going to be posting a prayer focus on Sundays. You can pick your own prayer focus for Sundays if you want. I know its just a little ironic to be posting this on a Sunday, but...
Your sister in Christ,
Katherine

Family

Today's prayer focus is family.
 Hi! Katherine's mom has just taken over this post :).  I think when we pray for other people (including family) we tend to focus on physical needs - health and provision. By all means pray for those things if there is a need. But how about doing that after you pray for spiritual needs - salvation if unsaved or spiritual growth if they are saved?  Here are some ideas of what to pray for:

³ We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, ⁴ since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love that you have for all the saints, ⁵ because of the hope laid up for you in heaven. Of this you have heard before in the word of the truth, the gospel, ⁶ which has come to you, as indeed in the whole world it is bearing fruit and increasing—as it also does among you, since the day you heard it and understood the grace of God in truth, ⁷ just as you learned it from Epaphras our beloved fellow servant.^[b] He is a faithful minister of Christ on your^[c] behalf ⁸ and has made known to us your love in the Spirit.
⁹ And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, ¹⁰ so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God. ¹¹ May you be strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy, ¹² giving thanks^[d] to the Father, who has qualified you^[e] to share in the inheritance of the saints in light. ¹³ He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, ¹⁴ in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.  [Colossians 1:3-14  ESV]

Hey and look- Paul starts with thanksgiving, yesterday's prayer focus.
If you need more ideas you can look at Paul's prayer for the Ephesians below:


¹⁵ For this reason, because I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love^[f] toward all the saints, ¹⁶ I do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers, ¹⁷ that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him, ¹⁸ having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, ¹⁹ and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might ²⁰ that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, ²¹ far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. ²² And he put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church, ²³ which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.  [Ephesians 1:15-23 ESV]

Kimberly

Thankfulness

Hi! I'm Katherine's sister, Rebekah, and she has asked me to write the focus for today.

Since Katherine encouraged us to pray for ourselves yesterday, I thought it would be good to have a time of thankfulness.

I know for myself that I often spend a lot of time asking God for things. Help me be a loving sister. Help me to follow you. But I do not spend a lot of time thanking Him for giving me my siblings or for opening my eyes to follow Jesus in the first place.

It is amazing how joyful you feel when you start thanking God for all the things He has given you. His love is so much more than we could ever realize, ever comprehend.

So please join me in thanking God. Thank Him for where He has placed you, for your family, your friends. Thank Him for His salvation-His only Son, His faithfulness, and His forgiveness.

"Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving." Colossians 4:2 ESV

"Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you." 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 ESV

"Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. ¹⁵ For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. ¹⁶ Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need." Hebrews 4:14-16 ESV

Day 1

As I mentioned before, I'm going to try and have a prayer focus each day. I'll try to share some verses as well. If you have any verses from the Bible that go with the prayer focus, or a verse that was encouraging to you, please share it in a comment!

Prayer Focus: Since this is the first day, the focus is going to be on ourselves. It can be anything.You could pray for: strength to overcome sin, love for others, willingness to do what God has called you to do, and/or peace.For example, I prayed that God would help me to do this challenge. I know I won't be able to do it by myself and that I need His help. I also prayed for my day, that I would shine His light to those around me. These are only a few of the many things to pray for. Please don't feel like you have to pray for these specific things. They are just examples! You know yourself-you have a better idea of what to pray for than I do.
I would like to share some of my favorite verses with you:


⁵ If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. ⁶ But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. ⁷ For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; ⁸ he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways. James 1:5-8

 pray without ceasing, 1 Thessalonians 5:17

 

Hello Everyone!!!

I'm a teenaged girl who wants to grow closer to my God. I want to pray more to Him. I think it will be easier for me (and I pray it will be for you) to do it with other Christian women and girls. So I want to challenge you to pray for at least five minutes a day. I'm going to try to post a prayer focus every day to help you think of things to pray for. Once you start praying, you can usually think of other things. Feel free to post prayer requests in the comments. Will you pray with me?