Category: Prayer

5 Steps to a Grateful Heart

11/25/2013

Oops!

I caught myself complaining!

I want to be joyful always and give thanks in all circumstances.

What can I do?

Wake Up with a Thankful Heart

Each morning before you climb out of bed, start the day with thanking the Lord for His blessing.

I usually wake up and say, "Good morning, Lord, I love you! Thank-You for ..."

This starts my day off on the right food.

I am now grateful, instead of grumpy. It also reminds me how truly good God is to me.

Focus on the Blessings, Not the Needs

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A Birthday, a Cake Mix, and a Bag of Crab Legs

3/13/2013

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Several years ago, my niece was spending the summer with us and it was her birthday. The problem was that Mike was in seminary and we had NO money, not even money for extra food. We were living on hot dogs, macaroni and cheese, and eggs for dinner. I really wanted her birthday to be special, but so far--nothing. I woke her up that morning and told her that I wanted to bless her for her birthday but had no money to buy anything for her, even food for a special dinner.

"But God has lots of money," I told her "And He can give us a special birthday dinner." Katie Beth nodded her head--even at the age of two she trusted the Lord. The three of us prayed together.

Later that day, we went to a food pantry (a ministry similar to Harvest International) where we paid two dollars for two bags of food. That was the only day ever (it never happened before or afterward) that they had cake mixes there. I chose a cake mix (her favorite flavor) from the "pick one" table and then a frosting can from another "pick two tables". God was soooooooooooo good!!!!!!!

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Financial Sanity at Christmas

12/2/2012

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"What's wrong, Lew?" I asked the young father of three at our church.

"Oh, just trying to figure out how I am going to pay off our Christmas debt," he replied, pushing his shaggy blond hair back from his forehead.

"You can celebrate Christmas without going into debt, Lew." I looked him straight in the eye and shared with him what I will now share with you!

American Christmas Spending

Economists watch carefully about how people spend their money. If there's lots of spending and charging, then the economists smile and pronounce it "good" in an economic sense.

January finds moms and dads trying to figure out how to pay off the debt that has turned out to be much bigger than anticipated. Does God smile and pronounce this "good"?

God calls debt, even Christmas debt, foolishness. Make up your mind to NOT go into debt for Christmas.

Start this Christmas season with a plan.

Make a List, Check it Twice

Make a list of all the things you need to purchase for your family Christmas. List gifts you want to give, decorations, food, drinks, travel, and entertainment.

Now it's time to look it over. Go back and prayerfully review your list. Is there anything you can delete? Is there anything that can be substituted with something less expensive. For example, instead of buying an expensive roast, can you eat turkey or ham instead? Instead of attending the laser light show at fifty dollars a ticket, can you attend the church Christmas play for free?

Now it's time to check it twice. Do the same thing you did before, except be ruthless! Cut and substitute to bring your expenses down to the financial amount that you can actually afford.

A Bargain Christmas

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David Brainerd, Missionary to the Native Americans

7/31/2012

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“Lord's day, Oct. 19. ‘In the morning I felt my soul hungering and thirsting after righteousness. While I was looking on the elements of the Lord's Supper, and thinking that Jesus Christ was not "set forth crucified before me,’ my soul was filled with light and love, so that I was almost in an ecstasy; my body was so weak I could scarcely stand.

“I felt at the same time an exceeding tenderness and most fervent love toward all mankind; so that my soul and all its powers seemed, as it were, to melt into softness and sweetness. But during the communion there was some abatement of this life and fervor. This love and joy cast out fear; and my soul longed for perfect grace and glory. This frame continued til the evening, when my soul was sweetly spiritual in secret duties.,”

(from the Diary of David Brainerd)

Would you like to learn more about this Colonial American missionary to the Native Americans?

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How to Make Financial Decisions

2/26/2012

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"We don't need a new car!" Mary slammed the bedroom door on her way out. She didn't care if the kids heard their argument. She was sick of his childish ways of managing their finances. They were about to lose their house and Mark was talking about buying a new car.

Mark watched Mary stomp out the door and shook his head. She was such a rebellious wife. And, she certainly didn't trust God to take care of them.

Financial decisions can be emotional. When we make these decisions with our spouse, we find ourselves with two completely different perspectives. How can we make wise financial decisions?

Moral Decisions

Moral decisions are based on right and wrong. We chose to obey God or disobey God. We can rationalize choosing the wrong, but it is still wrong and deep inside we know it. The Bible teaches us to work hard, avoid debt, store money away for the future, tithe, give generously to the poor, and take care of the financial needs of their families.

Deciding between working hard or being lazy is a moral decision. The decision to go into debt for new furniture or save up for it is a moral decision. Another moral choice would be tithing or not tithing.

For some of us, moral decisions are easy. For other Christians, there can be a struggle between right and wrong. Let's make a choice to read the Bible and obey it! This will make moral financial decisions easy.

Priority Decisions

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Praying about Money

1/22/2012

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Can we bring our financial troubles to the Lord? Of course we can!

Are you struggling financially? Is it hard to pay the bills? Are there doctor appointments or medical procedures that you can't afford? Are you tempted to borrow money? Are there expensive desires that won't go away--you just have to have something, but the Lord isn't providing? Do you need a better paying job? Do you need to find a career track that is fulfilling, but also pays the bills?

Have you made bad choices and now you are paying the consequences? Do you have bad financial habits such as borrowing money, spending money impulsively, or not balancing your checkbook? Do NOT stay in your current situation one more minute!

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The Secret to Financial Success

1/15/2012

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The secret to financial success is quite simple! It is two little words that pack a big punch. The secret to financial success is....delayed gratification.

Delayed Gratification? What is that? Well, it means to postpone what you want, to wait for what you desire to obtain.

"All of these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance. And they admitted that they were aliens and strangers on earth. People who say such things show that they are looking for a country of their own. If they had been thinking of the country they had left, they would have had opportunity to return. Instead, they were looking for a better country--a heavenly one. Therefore, God is not ashamed to be called their God, for He has prepared a city for them," (Hebrews 11:13-16 NIV).

The writer of Hebrews is talking about Abel, Enoch, Noah, and Abraham in these verses, explaining how delayed gratification was working in their life. He calls it faith, but it is also the practice of waiting for the desire of one's heart. We, of course, like these men of faith, desire our own heavenly city, the glorious place Jesus has prepared for us to live in forever!

But we also desire many things on this earth. We want a place to live, food to eat, and clothing to wear..and shoes, jewelry, televisions, mp3 players, minivans, vacations, movie tickets, scarves, dinners out, college tuition...you get my point. Our list of desires goes far beyond basic necessities.

God is delighted to bless us--a simple statement, but the foundation of delayed gratification. If we believe that God wants to bless us with the desires of our heart, then we can WAIT for Him to provide. Until He provides the tiem or the money to buy the item, we can wait, postponing our purchase until His perfect timing. Purchasing something with a credit card is not delaying gratification. Borrowing money from your child or parent is not delaying gratification.

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5 Steps to a Grateful Heart

A Birthday, a Cake Mix, and a Bag of Crab Legs

Financial Sanity at Christmas

David Brainerd, Missionary to the Native Americans

How to Make Financial Decisions

Praying about Money

The Secret to Financial Success

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