Help - My Faith is Fading!

Have you ever felt like your faith is fading? Like the tighter you try to hold on to God, the more his presence seems to slip away? You know he's there, but you can't quite connect with him like you used to. Sound familiar?

First let me say, that this is common. It doesn't necessarily mean you have "lost your faith."  What it does mean is that something has interfered. It could be sin, busyness, troubles, heartbreak, unforgiveness, etc...or it could be the most common cause of all - neglect.

All relationships suffer when we neglect to nurture them. Friends drift apart when they don't talk very often. Spouses lose intimacy when they get too busy to spend time together. It doesn't mean you don't still care about one another, it just causes a feeling of distance between you.

So what's the cure? Simple - carve out some time to spend alone with God daily. Shut out the world, turn off your cell phone, close Facebook and simply sit with God. Read his word and allow him to speak to you from it. Share your heart with him in prayer. Write down impressions, verses or answers that come to you in those intimate moments.

You'll find your awareness of God refreshed and enjoy moment-by-moment fellowship with Him throughout your day.


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Do You Have Royal Blood? Your Last Name May Tell You.

While browsing through Facebook this morning I came across an ad from a genealogy web site. They asked, "Do You Have Royal Blood?" They said that your last name may be an indicator of royal ancestry.

I didn't need to click the image of a queen that accompanied the post. I didn't need to go to their web site or take a quiz, because I already know without a doubt that royalty runs in my blood, because I am a child of the Living God and the blood of Jesus Christ, King above all kings flows through my veins.

Does that puff me all up and make me call myself a Queen? A Princess? A Duchess? Nope, because I know that the greatest King of all times deemed Himself a servant of all.

"For even the Son of Man did not come to be served,

 but to serve, and to give his life

as a ransom for many." 

Mark 10:45

Doesn't seem very glamourous, does it?  Maybe not, but it's the most noble calling a daughter of the reigning King can have.

Whom will you serve today?

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It works - it really works!

"Start children off on the way

they should go,  

and even when they are old 

they will not turn from it." 

Proverbs 22:6 (NIV)

Ever since my grandsons were little boys, I made sure that I talked to them about having a relationship with God, about thinking of others and about being a blessing to those around them.

When I picked them up from school, I didn't ask questions like, how was your day.  I asked questions like, "Who did you bless today?"  "Who did you encourage today?"  "How did God help you today?"

Their answers were always so cute. "I shared my red crayon with Fernando." or "I held the door open for a girl."  Of course, as they got older, the answers changed and sometimes I just got, "I don't know." from them. (mostly through the preteen years)  Sometimes I even got the old eye roll, which let me know I was being really uncool.

Today, I picked up the 16 year old. He got in the car and as we pulled away from the school, he said, "So, Grandma, how did God use you today?"

My grandma heart nearly burst with joy and pride. Of course, I acted all cool, like he asks those kind of questions every day.  That question led to a great conversation between us. Talk about a blessing from God!

Grandparents - you are a vital part of building into the lives of your grandchildren. Parents can't do it all on their own. It takes a family to raise a child, and that includes extended family.  Start when they are young, build a great relationship with them, support their parents, encourage them to respect and honor others (most especially their parents). Pray for them continually and speak into their spiritual lives. Pick moments when they are most open. Give them age-appropriate suggestions about how to implement God's word into their lives.

One day, God will give you that special moment when you know that you were getting through to them.  What a day that will be!  Let the rejoicing begin!


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Prayer - Conversation or Communion?

I've heard prayer defined as an ongoing conversation with God, and on the surface, that sounds like a good definition, but it's a far too simplistic. Conversations are often just "mind dumps" on another person without taking the time to truly listen to them to see what's on their minds - on their hearts. We exchange information without really connecting with one another.  

image courtesy xymonau, rgbstock.com

Prayer is so much more than conversation with God. Prayer is communion with God.

com·mun·ion -kəˈmyo͞onyən  noun

1. the sharing or exchanging of intimate thoughts and feelings, especially when the exchange is on a mental or spiritual level.
   
   synonyms:
   

   affinity, fellowship, kinship, friendship, fellow feeling, togetherness, closeness, harmony, understanding, rapport, connection, communication, empathy, accord, unity

Prayer is intimate. Prayer is meeting with the Creator of the universe, the Creator of human life - your human life. Prayer is connecting with the One who loves you beyond all reason - so much so, that He gave His only Son to redeem a broken relationship with you and tear down that barrier of sin that kept you isolated from communion with the Father.

Prayer is not one-sided. It's a sharing - an exchanging of intimate thoughts and feelings - yours AND God's. You speak, He listens and nods in complete understanding. He speaks and you listen, in complete agreement - whether you understand all He is saying or not, because, well...He is Lord. You listen with a heart bent toward immediate obedience.

Prayer is experienced on a mental, emotional and spiritual level. We open ourselves up and pour it all out to the only one who fully "gets us," knowing that only He can bring about what is best for us. Only He knows whether our circumstances need to change or whether it's US who need to change.

So, with this deeper understanding of prayer, the next time you close yourself in with God, take a few minutes to remind yourself just who you are talking with. Reach for that richer, more fulfilling communion experience, rather than a surface conversation.

Reach for affinity, fellowship, kinship, friendship, fellow feeling, togetherness, closeness, harmony, understanding, rapport, connection, communication, empathy, accord and unity with God, your Father.

I pray that your prayer time will be a whole new experience for you.

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Glow in the Dark Christians

Image courtesy of suphakit73 at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

You are the
LIGHT

 of the world.

Matthew 5:14

 

As a follower of Christ, a Believer, who has surrendered your life to Him, you have 

divine purpose.

God has proclaimed you a light in the darkness, 

bringing hope into hopeless situations

encouragement to the discouraged

love to the unloveable by

 pointing the way to the One who is 

THE WAY

THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD

THE SAVIOR

JESUS CHRIST. 

Be a glow-in-the-dark Christian

and let your little light shine! 

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Shield a Badge with Prayer

Seems like every week we hear about another police officer who dies at the hand of some crazed criminal. Used to be that it happened as police were trying to apprehend the criminal, but lately, it's like someone (not mentioning any names) has declared open season on anyone wearing a police uniform.  It's horrible!

The very people who put their lives on the line every day to protect and serve are being gunned down in our streets. Now, before you go yelling at me about cops gone bad - I agree - there are some cops that have done horrible things, but I believe that the greater majority of police officers are good men and women. They deserve our respect, our gratitude and our prayers.

Paul said - 

"First, I tell you to pray for all people, asking God for what they need and being thankful to him. Pray for rulers and for all who have authority so that we can have quiet and peaceful lives full of worship and respect for God." 1 Timothy 2:1-2

Have you heard of Shield a Badge with a Prayer?  I just learned about this movement a couple of days ago.  Someone posted a link on Facebook. I clicked and read all about it. This is a prayer support group for police officers.  Here's how it works. You can click on a link and say you want to pray for an officer. You will receive a name and a badge number and that will be your officer. You pray for him or her everyday - for their SAFETY, GOOD JUDGEMENT, and A SAFE RETURN HOME.

I noticed, however, that the site is based in Texas, so I didn't know if I would get the name of an officer in Texas or my state. I wanted to adopt and pray for a local police officer here in Peoria, AZ.

This evening, Lee and I were having dinner at Panda Express when a uniformed police officer came in.  I felt the Lord prompt me to tell him about the program and ask him if I could "adopt" him and pray for him every day. After the look of shock faded away. He hesitantly said that would be very nice. He said, "We need it right now."

His name is Officer Fuller and I will be covering him in prayer every day!

 

How about you? Would you like to adopt an officer?  You can use the Shield a Badge with a Prayer site or you could just do what I did and ask the next cop you see if you can pray for him every day.

I would love to hear if you adopt an officer.  Leave a comment and let me know all about your officer.

By the way, here are the guidelines I found on the SABWP site:


NO - Promises beyond PRAY EVERY DAY 
NO - Phone calls or emails
NO - Soliciting
NO - Demands from Officers
NO - Favors extended
NO - Pushing self on Officers
NO - Money involved
NO - Collections
NO - Exchanges
One Year Commitment
A note or post card(s) during the year letting the officer know your name and that you are part of the "Shield a Badge" program.

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How to become a Spiritual Self-Feeder

"Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation" 1 Peter 2:2

image from pixabay.com

Newborn babies have no trouble getting what they need.  As a mother, you learn to discern the difference between, "I need to be fed." and "I need a clean diaper."  You learn the tone in their cry when something is hurting them and when they just need to be held and reassured. You're quick to provide whatever is needed for you newborn, however if your 5 year old is asking for what they need the same way they did when they were newborns - crying non-stop until they get what they want, you've got a problem.

At some point, we must teach our precious little ones to do for themselves. From holding their own bottle, to eat solid food as we spoon it into their mouths, to feeding themselves using utensils and eventually learning how to pour their own cereal with milk or make a peanut butter and jelly sandwich.  Eventually, they are fully capable of preparing a meal for themselves.  They are even capable of choosing between junk food and healthy, life-giving food.

As a new believer in Christ, we choose to accept Him as our personal Savior. We are hungry for more of Him, more of His word. We want to be around other believers, so we're there every time the church doors are open.  We read Christian books, listen to Christian radio stations. We're ravenous for more of Him.  We're quick to ask questions about spiritual and hunt for the answers. We lean heavily on those who are mature in their spiritual walk. Those who know how to "walk the walk" because we want to grow in Him.

That's okay when you are a "newborn" in Christ, but at some point, we need to wean ourselves from depending on others. We need to learn how to go to read the Bible for ourselves, instead of fully depending on the preacher to tell us what it says and how to apply it to our lives.  Instead, we should be leaning on the Holy Spirit - praying before we dig into the Word that He will reveal more of Himself to us through the Word and that He will show us how to apply it - how to be "doers" of the Word and not just "hearers" only.

"Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says." James 1:22

Not that we wouldn't need to still learn from those who are more mature in their faith than us, because we can learn much from their example, but we need to be able to stand on our own two spiritual feet, so that we can be a help and an example to those who are coming up behind us in their own new spiritual walk.

So, let's take a minute and examine ourselves.

• Do you spend some time daily reading your Bible and praying?
• Do you set spiritual leaders on such high pedestals that if they fell, you would be pulled down with them?
• Do you place too many demands for spiritual nourishment on those around you?
• Have you realized that we are to continually exercise habits that will cause us to grow in Christ?
• Do you reach out to those who are newer in the faith than you are to help them grow and mature in their faith?
• Would you say you are someone who has learned how to feed themselves spiritual food, or are you still dependent on others to hold your hand?
• How did you learn to walk on your own?

What are your thoughts on this subject?

Please leave a comment to let us know what you think.

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