A Prayer For Mercy

Dear Lord,

If there is one thing on my heart today is that you show mercy to me, I look to you for

comfort, healing, provision and hope, but mostly God I look to you for your abundant love.

Show me the patience that I need to have, the love I need to show to others while I show more faith in what you have done for me all my life. That you have led me down right paths as I have wandered away at times, not seeking you but what the world provides.

I grab onto your robe of righteousness and ask for mercy in some of the things I say and do. Forgive my actions and heal me from the thoughts of wrong thinking, bitterness and hopelessness. You are my God and my Savior Jesus, come into my heart and show me more of you.

In your precious name, Jesus I pray this. Amen.

Micah 6:8 He has shown you, O mortal, what is good.

    And what does the Lord require of you?

To act justly and to love mercy

    and to walk humbly with your God.

Shalom

Nancy

The Christian Writer

Do Not Love The World

1 John 2:15-17

Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them. For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world. The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever.

One of my favorite verses. Why? 

Because whenever I feel as if I have failed or not seen progress, I remember in this verse that God has provided everything I need. The world only provides ways to self preservation of desires. But because I follow a Great God I can have peace and know that my life is under His mighty hand and all I have to do is let go of the world and let God take control as He leads and guides me through the Holy Spirit.

I have seen a lot of famous people (including pastors) during my lifetime stumble & fall because of their desire to please themselves and make themselves like a god. Many have fallen prey to pride and seek it out like their food. Many may proclaim God but they still are their own gods, putting themselves in the limelight to get even more attention. Sadly their fate is sealed if they do not see that their ways are not pleasing to God. 

There’s always hope in Jesus Christ!

So what do I do when I get caught up in the world? I pray and ask God to help me remember who is in charge of my life, because if I was, I would surely be a walking mess. If I give it over to Jesus, I can live free and be in peace. I can love others and be a light for others in their dark place, because Christ loves us, even with all our messy parts. Not for what we do for Him but because He shows us grace which we do not deserve.

I pray your heart is changed today and that you are moved to know Jesus more. 

He is only a prayer away!

Shalom

Nancy

The Christian Writer

Sin Separates You From God

Psalm 66:18

 If I had cherished sin in my heart, 

                  the Lord would not have listened

Sin is very real,  and if you believe that sin is overlooked you are very far from God. What are some of the symptoms of sin? 

Hiding your guilt

Having no remorse of doing something wrong

Finding out that you have hurt someone without even knowing you did

Becoming self centered and not caring what others think

Self reliant

Loving things above God

Lying when confronted.

The list can go on and on but you get the jest of this.

So when you knowingly sin, you cannot change your ways unless you repent and ask for forgiveness, allowing God into your life to take over those sinful ways.

Romans 6:23

For the wages of sin is death, 

but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord

In essence you have been saved by the blood of Christ, when you come to Him He covers all the sins. But that does not mean you go back and continue where you left off, that means developing a relationship with Him above your desires of doing things your way. Now take the way in which Christ died for you, He was separated from His Father for a short time because He was taking all of our sins upon Him. Sin separates us from God. 

But of course for Christ, once His spirit left Him, ascended to the presence of His Father.

Now join me in saying this prayer and think about ways you may take part in Christ’s Kingdom:

Heavenly Father, I have sinned against you and people around me. I have neglected to get to know who you are intimately and want more in my life than this. Please bring me to my knees in praise of you for forgiving my sins. Help me to be at peace and know your rest. amen.

My hope for you is that you see Christ as one who wants you to live a complete life lacking nothing. But all you have to do is give your life over to Him and stop trying to figure it out. He leads you to rest & peace.

Shalom

Nancy

The Christian Writer

Jesus Calls His Disciples

Jesus shows us that Prayer is essential for making decisions

When the Lord Comes Into Your Life

Your life changes and you are transformed into a new creation.

You are:

Born Again, you trust God, you walk with God, you feel His presence, He knows your name, you worship Him, you love His ways, you adore Him, you are loved, you have eternal life, you don’t love the world but you love His people. you are not ashamed, you are chosen, you are forgiven, you are blessed. YOU ARE HIS

When the Lord Comes Into Your Life

The most misunderstood phrase people hear is: Born Again

Some may think it is 

a crazy Christian wrapped too tight in Jesus.

Or

They are going to try to convert me 

Or even still, 

Someone who is feeling guilty about the things they have done.

Well I’m going to tell you all of the above is true!

When Jesus comes into your life , you are no longer your former self you are a new creation in Christ Jesus.

Ephesians 4:22 

You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires;

Something amazing happens:

You begin to desire to know more about Jesus and what He did for you, you begin to read your Bible and at first it makes no sense, but as the Holy Spirit is working in you- the words begin to take shape and now you are seeing the world in a new way. You pray more -something great has opened your mind and grabbed hold of your heart. You don’t want to do the things you used to do or say the things you used to say, Christ is now in command of your soul and shaping you to be more like Him.

But that doesn’t mean you won’t trip up a lot! You will- but you now know through repenting and not following that former life you can live freely without worrying about the consequences of the world, now you know God is the one who you answer to, it is He who is your judge. 

Acts 5:29

Peter and the other apostles replied: “We must obey God rather than human beings!

The world will never understand you so be ready for a lot of push back from skeptics, you won’t be the life of the party as you once were, but fully aware of your standing in the promises of God no matter what people say about you. 

When you share your testimony of how God has changed your life there will be people that aren’t going to like it. They may avoid you, try to change the subject or just plain think you are a crazy Christian. 

2 Corinthians 12:10

 That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

Sharing Christ is part of our walk of faith, if you had not shared what Jesus has done for all on that cross, then how will that person know there is a way of escape from eternal death. Asking Jesus into your life was the best decision you could have ever made.

Everything that you once have done and felt guilt for has been forgiven through the blood of Jesus Christ. The weight of sin in heavy, but when you come to Christ He is the way to forgiveness of sins. So it is true when you ask for forgiveness of sins and asking Him into your life, then it it done! No going back and reliving what you did- He has forgiven that through His shed blood on the cross we are forgiven!

Now if you are not Born Again into a new creation, new life in Christ, then brothers and sisters it’s not too late to have the most incredible freeing experience that you could ever know. But that doesn’t mean you are free of septics, persecutors or some that believe in Christ yet follow their own way and think you are over the top with your “religion”.  

By the way-It isn’t religion it’s Christianity, following Christ- people made religion and follow and create their own agendas, protocol doctrines and rules, not just churches but any man made religion, false teachings or worship of things or idols.

 Jesus came to save us, not to create religion. 

Remember the one who saves.

To conclude, no matter what others think of you, stand tall, remember who you are in Christ and share your walk with others and show them that you have the love of Christ in you!

Shalom

Nancy

The Christian Writer

God Directs Us To A Better Route

I usually don’t share my dreams but this one I needed to share with you and it really got t me thinking about how God directs our lives.

I was riding on a very tall horse through the woods and I knew the presence of my husband also riding a horse behind me, I rode up to a steep cliff, almost falling but stopped. I looked to my left and there was a better route, so I turned the horse easily to go through a path lined with trees and I looked to my right  there was a shorter leap for the horse to the way down, I rallied the horse, and got him ready to jump. We circled big and took slight run and we made it! Then the dream ended. 

But it had me thinking.

When life’s circumstances get you to the “edge” there is always a better route, one that isn’t so complicated as we sometimes make things into. When you follow Christ there are no easy routes but ways that God can guide you through.

People walk in and out of our lives and we don’t understand why, we are detained in a job or a life “holding pattern” for reasons we could not possibly understand. Maybe it’s a position at work or promotion you have been waiting for and a daunting year by year process with no progress made. But don’t let the things that hold you hostage determine your route- just take a better one as God leads you along.

Just possibly when things don’t go the way you have  the option of two routes-be upset, angry, anxiety filled , frustrated or you can be looking to God to see that all of this is His master plan for you. You may think- “If that’s God’s master plan, it sure isn’t a good one!” But you see the hardest places are where we must stop, pray & look to Him to open our minds for  a change in the circumstances we are facing. He may be keeping us there for a long term reason of strengthening, growing and teaching you patience and sometimes even opening your heart to someone who may be unloveable or needs your love. 

We just can’t know or understand God’s plan, but it’s always a better route!

I think of King David, when anointed to be a King at a young age, do you think he knew he had to wait 16 years to be the King of Israel, he fled from King Saul ’s jealously of trying to kill him, talk about being frustrated? But David was a man after God’s own heart and waited for him to direct him to a better route. David trusted God as even in David’s darkest moments he turned to His Father in Heaven in prayer. Each day was a challenge, but he fully depended on God’s plan and direction.

Do you seek God’s master plan for your life and circumstances?

Or 

Do you remain bitter, frustrated and give up on things because what you thought you should have gotten didn’t happen?

Matthew 7:8

 For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.

Let it go to Him.

Shalom

Nancy

http://www.harvestmetro.com

Be A Listener

One of the hardest part of ministry is having a listening ear. Often times in ministry, our ears need to be attentive and we must ride the conversation through even if it’s cutting in our time or painful for us to listen and understand. Do we feel like the person isn’t getting it or the conversation isn’t progressing, do we turn a deaf ear or turn away when it’s not going in the direction you are hoping for? 

Do we leave someone in their ditch because we aren’t prepared to council or help them?

We don’t know what someone is going through, suffering of health issues or the attacks in their mind. Jesus tells us in this parable of the Good Samaritan to show compassion on whomever God puts in front of us. Yes, you need to set boundaries, not to enable but to help that person when in need, to talk it out or pray for God to open their hearts to an understanding. Can’t say “ok gotta go, talk later” if the conversation isn’t progressing the way you think it should be.

I’ve chosen this scripture that was placed on my heart, it embodies everything that comes from a selfish heart to a good one, Jesus shows us how both types of hearts respond;

Luke 10:25-37 The Parable of the Good Samaritan

On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?”

“What is written in the Law?” he replied. “How do you read 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.”

“You have answered correctly,” Jesus replied. “Do this and you will live.”

But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”

In reply Jesus said: “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he was attacked A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side.But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, brought him to an inn and took care of him. The next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper. ‘Look after him,’ he said, ‘and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.’

 “Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?”

The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.”

Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.”

We can not expect anyone to understand or have the answer to how you someone is feeling . But you can show love and compassion instead of  turning away, to be a listener for someone who is struggling. Sometimes it takes more time and energy to power through a conversation, even if there is no solution, that person needs to know you care about them, having a listening ear and to be attentive, pointing them to Jesus to answer their prayer.

Don’t leave someone in the ditch, show them mercy- Go and Do Likewise.

Shalom

Nancy

The Christian Writer

When Your Plans Fall Apart

Everyone makes plans, maybe you have mapped out your plan with steps toward it and a general time when you will arrive at the goal or maybe you have had a lifelong dream to achieve something that you think could be the right direction for you, then as you go along you don’t see progress towards that dream. You wait, you try, you pray, but to no avail that dream, that vision- just isn’t going the way you thought it would and now you are left with- what do I do and where do I go from here?

I’ve had two large dreams fall apart so far in my life, the first one I ran after with a vengeance, I loved the whole process of moving towards the dream, many of the people around me could see that it was only a dream not a reality. It was consuming me as I worked, breathed it in, it was my food and it came crashing down on me in a day’s time. I loved it, it took me away from my family and time with them as I was striving for a dream that now was gone, no turning back or even trying again. It was clear the door was shut, it took me a very long time to recover.

The second dream was similar except that I felt God was calling me to it and worked on it for a very long time, studying, praying, hoping a door would open but the difference was that this time I relied on God’s leading to bring me to it. I could not except that what He was leading me to was very different journey than my mapping out had hoped for, believe me I tried and tried to go in the direction that I thought would get me there, there again, I found myself delusional to think that I was achieving anything great. That was the problem, “I was achieving” I was counting on my success to fulfill what God’s plan was for me, He is so gentle and patient, He waited for me to come to an understanding.

God had given me a different direction to go in and it was hard for me to except that.
But you see God did something in both dreams, He gave me an opportunity to see truth in what I was striving to do.
Was I really suppose to be consumed by a dream?
Was I to see what would happen if I did achieve it?
What would I have been a slave to and what was I a slave to for so long?
Did I take my eyes off God and look at the dream not Him?

Hey-I’m not saying to give up your dreams, because if you have them and you feel led to follow it, go for it-what I am saying is, have a dream, map it out and let God direct your path, if it’s not going the way you wanted or right for you He will guide you to what is, maybe it won’t be exactly what you wanted- but MUCH BETTER!
Why do I say that?
To those who believe in Jesus he does not throw crumbs, He gives the bread of life, He leads you to fresh water which is so much more satisfying to the soul than anything you can achieve here on earth!

Make your plans and see what God is going to do with them, pray for them, don’t give up, something is coming and it could take a while but you will see how much He loves you just by preventing you from things that are wrong for your life and others around you.

Proverbs 16:9
In their hearts humans plan their course

but the lord establishes

their steps

Shalom,
Nancy
The Christian Writer

Hope When There Is No Hope

Have you been struggling with many different circumstances that you just have no answer for. Well you are not alone in this, there is hope when you think there is no hope.

God sees your heart and knows what is going on so don’t worry about what isn’t or is happening, allow Him to guide you through the darkest of days.

There is hope that tomorrow will be a s better day for you. What you are going through will not last.

We can only see what our eyes tell us, but it is what is unseen that we hope for and as we pray and have faith that God will show you the way, it is then that we can find the solution to what is wrong. When you are finding such things are happening to you, maybe it’s time to step back and wait for God to show you what to do. For He is in control, not us.

Be kind to people who frustrate you, be gracious to those who are not fair and be hopeful for all that God promises you. He will not leave you or forsake you, it is He who guides your path and makes a way. Now you must do your part and believe that He will.

Jesus tells us in John 15:5

“I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.

Shalom
Nancy
The Christian Writer