Unknowns

“When my anxious thoughts multiply within me, Your comfort delights my soul.”—Psalm 94:19(NASB)

Do I worry more than I trust God? If so, then my God isn’t very big. If I were to write down my list of worries, what do they center around? Mostly, my family, health and the future.

In fact, my current worry is with my husband’s upcoming September retirement. It is going to be here before I know it. Since he is 8 years older than me, I have another 5 years before Medicare kicks in for me. We also want to downsize our home/yard.

Most of the time, I am at peace about all this. However, I am human. If I dwell on all those things, I get stressed. I don’t need to know the future.

When you think about it; not knowing what will happen beyond this day really is a gift. I know God has a plan and He knows exactly where we will move when the time is right. He already knows the exact house and location where we will reside for retirement. It could be maybe we stay put for a while too.

Worrying about the future only dims my awareness of God’s presence. It keeps me from living in the present moment. I need to get into the habit of saying, I trust You Lord if those worrisome thoughts creep into my head.

Or better yet, do what I wrote about last week. Pray Scripture. Lord, Your Word tells me in Isaiah 26:3; when I trust in You and keep my thoughts fixed on You, You will keep me in perfect peace.

It is okay for me to have these feelings. It is when I let them consume me that I lose focus. It is one of my biggest struggles. I think one of the reasons God doesn’t remove this trait is because when I wander in those moments, I am reminded that I can’t do it on my own. It is what humbles me and brings me to my knees.

Rather than worry about what is in front of me, I need to be focusing on who is beside me. Remembering God’s past faithfulness is what helps me trust God with my future. He knows what it holds.

I am trusting God not knowing what lies ahead for us. I know He is working in the background preparing the way for us. I can change my destiny when I trust in Jesus. You can too.

Father God,
Forgive me when I let worry take hold of my mind. I know our future is in Your hands with the unknowns of what lies ahead. Shine Your peace into my troubled heart. Thank You for giving us one day at a time. I don’t need to know what tomorrow holds because You do. You have a plan. You are faithful to Your promises. No matter what happens in life, You are with me and won’t ever leave my side. Trusting You gives me peace instead of worry. I lift those up to You who are fearful of what tomorrow may bring. May they feel Your presence to calm their fears. I pray these things in the mighty name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

July Verse
“Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.”—2 Corinthians 3:17
If you are knitting or crocheting gifts to give away, please make sure you tweet @KnitPrayShare or share your projects on the Knit, Pray, Share Facebook page or Instagram using the hashtag #KnitPrayShare. Be sure to attach a tag to whatever gift you make.     

Praying Scripture

During my prayer time, I also incorporate scriptures to pray over my day. This way of pouring into God’s Word overflows into my words and actions. When you find a scripture that speaks to you, grab a hold of it and trust it. By praying scripture, we are standing and believing God’s Word over our lives. It also gives you a greater confidence in your prayer life.

Several years ago, a pastor at a church we used to attend shared how he prayed Ephesians 3:16-19 over his children every day. After I heard that sermon, I started to do the same for mine. Brandon and Danielle were in their early teens when I started doing this. Now, I also pray this daily for their spouses and their children. This is what my prayer looks like:

Father, I pray through Your glorious unlimited resources that You will empower Pat, Brandon, Mallory, Lincoln, Oliver, Danielle, Collin, Callahan and I with Your inner strength through Your Spirit; That Christ will make His home in our hearts as we trust in Him; That our roots will grow deep down in Your love and keep us strong. And may we have the power today to understand as all Your people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep Your love is for us. May we experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully so that we will be made complete with all fullness of life and power that comes from You, God.

I even like praying Ephesians 3:16 by itself for myself. Especially when I feel weak and unsure of what direction to go. I will pray; Lord, I pray from Your glorious unlimited resources You will empower me with Your inner strength through the Holy Spirit. The more I pray Ephesians 3:16, the more I experience this. Sometimes it is hard for me to fathom Christ is in me. However, feeling God’s presence in you is life changing. Knowing I don’t have to rely on my own wisdom and strength gives me peace.

If you aren’t sure how to pray today, try incorporating praying scripture. It is a powerful way to anchor your day. By saying God’s Word back to Him, it strengthens your faith as well as reshapes your attitude, actions and thoughts. You can do like I did. Take a verse that speaks to you and personalize it to make it your own.

Father God,
Thank You for the gift of Your living and active Word. May I faithfully pray scripture into my day. Let it become a daily rhythm for me. I ask for those who feel weak to take comfort knowing that Your glorious riches WILL strengthen them through the power of the Holy Spirit living inside of them. I pray these things in the mighty name of Jesus. Amen.

July Verse
“Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.”—2 Corinthians 3:17
If you are knitting or crocheting gifts to give away, please make sure you tweet @KnitPrayShare or share your projects on the Knit, Pray, Share Facebook page or Instagram using the hashtag #KnitPrayShare. Be sure to attach a tag to whatever gift you make.     

Keeping in Step with the Spirit

“Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.”—Galatians 5:25

 A few verses before Galatians 5:25, Paul writes about the fruits of the Spirit in verses 22-23; But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!

As I was reading a devotion about this, it pointed out what many would see as a grammatical error in this passage. According to grammar rules, it should read the fruit of the Spirit are not is. However, we know that to be one in the Spirit, we should embody all these qualities. The Holy Spirit within us is the Source and Author of all these attributes.

We can’t do it on our own. Since we live it the spirit, we have it to keep in step with it. We can’t force fruit in our life. We also can’t try to get God to “go along” with our plan. Our plan isn’t going to work. Trying to do things my way not God’s way never ends well. Thankfully, when I realize I have strayed, He hasn’t. God never leaves our side.

When we let God lead us, life goes smoother. It doesn’t mean it will be easier, but with Jesus by our side, we aren’t alone. Life isn’t meant to be powered by us. Through the power of the indwelling Spirit, we can call on Him to help us live out love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.

In order for us to live out Galatians 5:25, it requires for us to communicate with God throughout our day. We depend on the Holy Spirit who convicts and leads us. It is impossible for us to live out and walk in the Fruits of the Spirit in our own flesh.

As we rely on God and not ourselves, we are empowered to walk in His ways for us which will produce Christ-like character. Making choices that honor God strengthen our character. Being dependent on God is not the social norm. Self-reliance is. We live unashamed of our dependence on Our Living God who is the Bread that sustains us.

Father God,

Thank You for being the Sustenance nourishing my soul through the priceless gift of the Holy Spirit living inside of me. I ask for forgiveness when I am not in step with Your Spirit trying to do things with my own strength. When I wander like this, I ask for You to quickly draw me back to You. Continue to lead and guide me in Your will and ways this week. I pray these things in the mighty name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

June Verse

“So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most.”—Hebrews 4:16 (NLT)

If you are knitting or crocheting gifts to give away, please make sure you tweet @KnitPrayShare or share your projects on the Knit, Pray, Share Facebook page or Instagram using the hashtag #KnitPrayShare. Be sure to attach a tag to whatever gift you make.