The Journal

"And pray in the Spirit on all occasions 

with all kinds of prayers and requests.

Ephesians 6:18a

Being in the Proverbs for 6 months now has caused me to see many areas in which I need to pray for my family and for myself.  What are a few of them, you ask?  

For my sons, that they will teach with wisdom (therefore be wise themselves)

for my daughters, that they will be wives of noble character and never contentious 

for my granddaughters, that they will grow up to be women of noble character

for my grandsons, that they will heed the words of wisdom and prudence and good judgment.  

Those are only a few.  The Proverbs are so full of potential prayer requests for the family that I am overwhelmed.

Thus, I am beginning another prayer journal for the umpteenth time.  I have used many over the years.  I've used journals that I bought at the Christian bookstore.  One was the 29:59 Plan. I used this plan for a number of years.  It is well organized, and the "plan" behind it is take 29 minutes and 59 seconds a day (30 minutes!) with God--no, that's not too long! It was wonderfully put together.  If you need something like this to help you organize your prayer life, I would definitely encourage you to purchase it.  (Click on it above.  I think it will take you to a purchase site.  It was more expensive on Amazon.com.)

I have also used blank journals, binders, notebooks, and pieces of paper to write out my prayer requests.  They work.  Somehow writing down my requests keeps me more focused and helps me to remember the things I need to pray about.  (Feeble minds must make lofty attempts to remember!:)

Of late, I have been trusting in my feeble mind to remember things.  Doesn't work so well!  My last notebook was a rather jumbled group of lists that I used for writing down requests at church, the things I consistently pray about, and it even had notes from sermons scattered through it.  I don't like disorganization, although I live with it much too often.

So!  What am I going to do?  I'm starting a new prayer journal.  One of the things I am doing is to use different pages for different facets of prayer.

• Praise and worship (I like to write out my verses)
• Individual family members
• Missionaries and ministry groups that I consistently pray for
• Sick and hurting
• Lost friends and loved ones
• My husband's business endeavors
• A section for Proverbs that stand out to me which I need to pray for my family

There will be others as God reveals to me areas that I need to focus on in prayer.

I encourage you to get a prayer journal, or gather together some notebook paper and put it in a 3 ring binder, or get a blank journal, or purchase the  29:59 Plan http://www.pray2959.com/order.aspx.

Most importantly, PRAY.  It will change your life--and  the lives of those whom you pray for.

Prayerfully,

Gloria

 

Purity

"My son, be attentive  to my wisdom;

incline your ear to my understanding,

that you may keep  discretion,

and your lips may guard knowledge.

  For the lips of a forbidden woman drip honey,

and her speech is smoother than oil."  

Proverbs 5:1-3

I have consistently avoided verses like this since I have been in the Proverbs because my readers are most likely mostly Christian women.  Yet these devotionals are written for the benefit of my grandchildren (as I pull them all together someday), and besides that, they are inspired by God  for all of us.  So here goes!

A very interesting word in the beginning of verse 3 is "For."  

Why are we to be attentive  to the wisdom of God and listen to the understanding that He has available to us? 

So that we can be discreet and knowledgeable.  

Why do we want to be discreet and knowledgeable? 

FOR (because) there are forbidden women (or men)) out there whose lips drip honey and whose speech is smoother than oil.

Grandchildren, don't think that because you have been brought up in a Christian home, home schooled and all, that temptation doesn't wait around every corner.  Ladies, don't assume that because you are a homemaker and don't go anywhere much that you are immune.  Interestingly enough, Satan provides the opportunity even within the home for us to succumb to temptation.  Without the discretion and knowledge that is provided through attentiveness to our Father's wisdom, we will likely succumb to temptation.  Some helpful verses come to mind as I think about this passage:

Matthew 5:28--"But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart."  (Okay, so maybe we housewives do need to heed the Proverbs concerning this.  A man who causes us to have lustful thoughts is also enticing us to sin!)  Does that include what we watch on television, the movies, or see in books and magazines?  Do we have to leave our homes for this to happen? No, we don't.

James 1:14-15--"But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire.  Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death." (Uh-oh.  I can't blame this on the devil?)

1 Corinthians 10:12--"Therefore let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall." (No more, "I can handle this on my own" for me.)

I'm going to end with one of my favorite verses in Scripture.  I have likely used it before, but that's okay.  Repetition is the key to learning, and I want to learn this message.

Philippians 4:8--"Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things."

And I'm sure that Solomon would have agreed with Paul on this verse:

Philippians 4:9--"What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me--practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you."

As we grow in purity,

Gloria

Attention!

"Hear, O sons, a father's instruction, and be attentive, 

that you may gain insight."

Proverbs 4:1

Unfortunately, I did not grow up to be a very observant person.  How I wish that I had been a student of the Proverbs early in life, that I had made it a daily part of my routine to search out the truths that lay within the se words of God.  Not only does it give me insight, but it directs me to the rest of Scripture, the Book of Books.  It has taken me much of my adult years to learn how to observe. 

Life is full of opportunities to observe: 

Go to a busy park or mall; sit on a bench and watch people.  Look at their eyes, their movements, their attitudes. See what you can discover from watching them--how to dress and what not to wear, how to act toward a boyfriend or girlfriend or others around them and how not to act. Look for things that make someone appealing and things that make them unappealing.   Learn lessons from people by observing them.

 Okay, it's a redneck party, but you get the message!

Go to nature.  Watch the birds, the ants, the flowers and grass; determine from them some great lessons in life.  Then go to the Scriptures and see what they say about them.   (Luke 12:27, Matthew 6:26, Isaiah 40:7-8).  Jesus even talks about the rocks! (Luke 19:38-40)

What can you observe from the little chicks and the mama?

Observe a beautiful painting.  What mood is the artist setting?  What is going on?  What can you learn from the work of another?

 

Renoir:  The Luncheon of the Boating Party

1881

Be attentive to the words of the songs you hear.  Oh, my goodness, you will be amazed at what you might hear--words of encouragement, words of praise and worship, words of pure doctrine--or words that destroy, words that blaspheme, words of heresy.  Be careful, little ears, what you hear! 

O Lord my God, when I in awesome wonder
Consider all the worlds Thy Hand hath made,
I see the stars,I hear the rolling thunder,
Thy pow'r throughout the universe displayed;

Stanza 2:
When through the woods and forest glades I wander
I hear the birds sing sweetly in the trees;
When I look down from lofty mountain grandeur
And hear the brook and feel the gentle breeze;

Refrain:
Then sings my soul, my Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art! How great Thou art!
Then sings my soul, my Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art!How great Thou art!

Stanza 3:
When Christ shall come, with shouts of acclamation,
And take me home, what joy shall fill my heart!
Then I shall bow in humble adoration
And there proclaim, "My God, how great Thou art!"

Refrain:
Then sings my soul, my Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art! How great Thou art!
Then sings my soul, my Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art! How great Thou art! 
Carl Boberg, 1859-1940





And of course, learn from the Holy Scriptures.  Be attentive to what God has to say.  There is no better teacher than the Teacher Himself, the Holy Spirit of God who inspired every word of the Bible.  As we are attentive to His words, we gain the insight we need in order to live a productive life, free from the pitfalls that we tend to walk into if we are inattentive.

Learning attentiveness,
Gloria

I am linking today with Linda at Prairie Flower Farm:
http://prairieflowerfarm.blogspot.com/2011/08/10th-building-our-homes-togetherjesus.html

And That's That

"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

I have probably used this passage before as I have written posts, but for August 3 it is very meaningful.  On August 3rd, 36 years ago, God blessed us with a precious baby girl.  For many years now her life's verse has been Proverbs 3:5-6.  How thankful I am that my daughter has chosen a life verse, and especially one  that will give her a reminder, as often as she brings it to memory, that a straight path comes by trusting in the Lord, remembering that our own understanding is worthless, and acknowledging Him in every facet of life.  Happy birthday to my beautiful, wonderful daughter.  I am thankful to God for you.

Secondly, I have mentioned my friend Angie in another post 

( http://underherwings.blogspot.com/2011/03/here-i-am-lord.html ).  Angie, confined for life to a wheelchair, is a living example of one who applies this verse.  And she has started her own blog!  I am so excited for you all to get to know my role model Angie.  I believe that you will all be blessed.  Sometimes she has missionary prayer requests.  We'd love it if you would pray with us for those missionaries.  Other times she has words of inspiration from her own experiences, as today's blog does (  http://angiesthatsthat.blogspot.com/2011/08/strength.html ).  Put it on your favorites list; I'm sure it will be.

Also, I encourage you to choose a life verse for yourself.  Teach your children or your grandchildren the value of having a life verse.  It will give you great encouragement.  (Mine is Philippians 4:6-8)

As Angie would say, "And that's that!"

Gloria

Deliver Me From Evil

"Discretion will watch over you, 

understanding will guard you, 

delivering you from the way of evil,

from men of perverted speech." 

Proverbs 2:11-12

It is not a difficult thing to look around and see that the world is full of evil.  No doubt that is why the Bible speaks of it so much through the accounts of men throughout history who both committed evil acts and fought against evil.  From the beginning man has been bent toward evil.  Isaiah 53:6a states, "All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned, everyone to his own way..."  In the Lord's Prayer, Jesus encouraged his disciples to pray, "And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil." Matthew 6:13

So how do we avoid the ugly beast that so often raises its head in life?  The Holy Spirit, as he guided King Solomon and others , not only gave the answer to that question but gave many illustrations within the pages of Scripture in order to help us overcome the evil one and his earthly helpers.  Wisdom is key, and the Proverbs is a wonderful place to dwell for awhile as we learn what wisdom is and why we need it.  The Biblical accounts give us insight into the lives of others, their struggles in life, and how some of them overcame evil--and how some were sucked under by the horrible jaws of destruction.  

Our encouragement in Scripture is found in the book of 1 Corinthians 10.  Paul tells the church that their ancestors walked through the wilderness with Moses, drinking the same spiritual food and the same spiritual drink that he did, yet God wasn't pleased with most of them, and they died in the wilderness.  Then he says, "Now these things took place as examples for us, that we might not desire evil as they did." (verse 6).

If it seems that I say the same thing over and over in a different way, it's because I do!  For my own benefit, for that of my grandchildren and any who read this, we must never forget that the only way to know how to escape the evils of this world is to embed ourselves in the Word of God and to embrace His truth.  Everything in the Bible directs us toward wisdom.

As we pray "Deliver us from evil", 
Gloria

For the Children's Sake

"The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, 

but fools despise wisdom and instruction.

Hear, my son, your father's instruction,

and forsake not your mother's teaching, 

for they are graceful garlands for your head 

and pendants for your neck."

Proverbs 1:7-9

My last words concerned the benefits of disciplining our children.  These words of wisdom in Proverbs 1, if followed, will eliminate the need for excessive discipline in one's life.  I believe that loving parents do not delight in having to discipline their child, but  will do what is necessary to see that child walk in truth.  These two responsibilities must lie heavy on a parent's heart--training and discipline.

King Solomon encouraged his son to do two things that will prevent the need for excessive discipline in his life.

First and foremost, he must learn to fear the Lord.  The fear of the Lord entails both fearing what will happen if one does not obey God and revering and respecting the One who is over all creation.  This is the starting-off place, the beginning.  Without learning to fear God, one will never learn the value of obedience to one's parents, nor will one  recognize those who are trying to lead them down the path of unrighteousness.  Verses 8-19 talk about the enticement of sinners.  If we do not fear the Lord, we will not fear his commands, and we begin to walk down our own dangerous path.

The second words of encouragement were to obey his father's instructions and his mother's teaching.  Of what benefit is this?  What does a graceful garland mean to us today?  A pendant about the neck?  Noah Webster says that a garland is, 

1. A wreath or chaplet made of branches, flowers, feathers and sometimes of precious stones, to be worn on the head like a crown.

2. An ornament of flowers, fruits and leaves intermixed, anciently used at the gates of temples where feasts and solemn rejoicings were held.

3. The top; the principal thing, or thing most prized. 

 

The most prized thing that a child can wear is the garland of obedience. 

Oh, that we may all learn to fear the Lord and to obey our parents!  For us who are grown, the training that our parents gave us is still that gold chain that we wear around our necks, a prize to be regarded as most precious.  

If your parents are still alive, take the time to thank them for the training they gave you.  

Some of you did not have parents who knew the Lord; thank them anyway for any positive thing that they encouraged in your life. 

If there was nothing, if your parents did not love and train you, thank God for lifting you out of the miry clay and being a Parent to you.  Our Heavenly Father cares for us and trains us through His Holy Word.  Praise the Lord!

Thankful for the training I have received,

Gloria

Is Discipline Really Important?

"Discipline your son and he will give you rest;

he will give delight to your heart."

Proverbs 29:17

Today we are going to take a few minutes to look at why it is important to discipline children.

1.  God says to!  That's the most important reason,  but He gives us "why's".

2.  If a child is disciplined, he will give a parent rest.  [What parent doesn't need rest?] (Proverbs 20:17)

3.  He will give you delight. (29:17)

4.  Discipline will help her to develop wisdom, (Proverbs 29:15) and will enable a parent not to be ashamed of the child.

5.  Discipline preempts foolishness in a child (Proverbs 22:15).

6.  It protects him from judgment. (Proverbs 23:13-14)

7.  It cleanses them from evil and helps to develop good character. (Proverbs 20:30)

8.  It shows the child that he is truly loved. (Proverbs 13:24)

9.  Discipline teaches a child to love knowledge (Proverbs 12:1)

10. Rather to coming to poverty and disgrace, the child who receives the instruction of discipline is honored. (Proverbs 13:18)

11.It helps him gain understanding [or intelligence, ESV}.  (Proverbs 15:32)  

And let's remember that teaching a child through discipline helps him to learn to properly receive the discipline of the Lord.  As Christians we are so privileged to have a God who does not leave us to our own selfish devises, but disciplines us as a loving Father.  Praise His Name!

Hebrews 12:6-11

"For the Lord disciplines the one He loves, and chastises every son whom He receives.  It is for discipline that you have to endure.  God is treating you as sons.  For what son is there whom his father does not discipline?  If you are left without discipline, in which all have participated, then you are illegitimate children and not sons.  Besides this, we have had earthly fathers who disciplined us and we respected them.  Shall we not much more be subject to the Father of spirits and live?  For they disciplined us for a short time as it seemed best to them, but He disciplines us for our good, that we may share His holiness.  For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it."

As we lovingly discipline our children, let's remember that we have a Holy Example, our Heavenly Father.  I pray for every mom and dad who love their children that they will not be neglectful to consistently discipline.  It's not fun, but it works.  God says so!

Enduring His discipline,

Gloria

I am linking today with Linda at Prairie Flower Farm

Building our Homes Together With God

http://prairieflowerfarm.blogspot.com/2011/07/9th-building-our-homes-together-with.html