shadow

encouragement

Throw Your Plan Out the Window

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“Many are the plan in a mans heart, but it is the LORDS purpose that prevails,”
Proverbs 19:21 NIV

God teaches us lessons every day. Today as I write this He is showing me that being prepared is not necessarily a prerequisite to act in faith. When we live from faith and act accordance to His will, there is no “winging it”. Every decision we make following the direction of the Holy Spirit is the step we are predestined to take.

Winging it isn’t really winging it at all, it is working from a place of faith instead of preparedness.
When we have something in mind to write or say but the Holy Spirit shows us something different.

When we have a detailed plan for our day but “random series of events” derail our plan.

Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the LORD’s purpose that prevails. Proverbs 19:21

Sometimes the most spontaneous things end up being the best things.

A phone call with an old friend that lasts for hours.

An impromptu trip to the mountains or the beach.

A conversation with a stranger.

An unexpected gift from a spouse.

Listening to those promptings or gentle nudges of the Holy Spirit allows us to experience these things.

We don’t need a detailed plan because we have a greater purpose.

Daily challenge:

Today I really want to encourage you to pay attention to the Holy Spirit within you. What is He guiding you to do? What is He asking you to say? It is not about your plan as much as it is about your purpose. 

Remember our faithfulness to God gives us what we need so we can walk and talk in line with Him.

Love,

Stephanie Miller

 

 

Photo Credit: image created via wordswag

When We Ask For Prayer

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“I urge you, first of all, to pray for all people. Ask God to help them; intercede on their behalf, and give thanks for them.”
1 Timothy 2 NIV
When prayer request time comes around in my small group, I usually ask for prayers for other people close to me and not myself.

What will people think of me if I ask for this?

I don’t want to waste their prayer time asking for prayers when someone else may need it more.

Can anyone else relate?

These thoughts and feelings are a direct result of pride. You want to uphold your reputation and self-image and asking for prayer might affect that.

“Being humble is asking for prayer and not being too proud to admit that you need it.”

I shy away from asking for prayer because I either feel selfish or like my prayer is silly and that it is something I can do on my own (as to not bother anyone with it)

I don’t need to ask others to pray for my continued battle with that sin.

I don’t need to ask others to pray for my issue because it is something that I can handle with your help God, so I don’t need anyone else.

Self-reliance is not Omnipotence.

I have developed this image of myself and what it is supposed to be, and asking for prayer seems like defeat. Like I am giving up on myself, and asking for prayer is my “surrender” flag.

We need to wave our white flag more.

No prayer is too small. No prayer is not important.

As a church and community, we are called to pray for each other. We pray for each other’s sin, struggles, health, marriages, kids, addictions and spiritual relationships.

It’s ok if it is YOUR sin we pray about. It is ok if it is YOUR marriage we pray about.

Asking for prayer is not a sign of defeat. It does not mean that are weak. It is a sign of surrender and with that surrender there is strength.

It is an honor and a privilege to pray for others. So, love and serve others by giving them the privilege them to lift you up in prayer.

Lifting you up in prayer,

Stephanie

 

 

Photo Credit: image created via wordswag

Playing Hide and Seek

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 I have strayed like a lost sheep. Seek your servant, for I have not forgotten your commands.

Psalm 119:176 NIV

Do you remembers playing hide and seek as kids? The feeling of retreating to your hiding spot in hopes that you won’t get caught before you made it back to “base” or “safety”. The object of the entire game is for others to HIDE while one person is to SEEK those people out.

GOD IS OUR SEEKER

We may attempt to hide from Him, either as a lost person or a believer plagued with shame and guilt, but either way He seeks us out and He will find us.

While we may try to hide from God, to hide those ugly and messy parts, God sees and He knows. He sees us in the good, bad and the ugly (even when you lose your temper with your spouse/kids or when you backslide in a unhealthy habit)

He sees. He knows. He loves us still.

Psalm 119:176 – I have strayed like a lost sheep. Seek your servant, for I have not forgotten your commands.

When we hide and we don’t feel worthy of going before him, we give the enemy an advantage. He will do anything and everything he can to steal, kill and destroy what God is doing. That tug that you feel to apologize or ask for forgiveness is Godly sorrow.

When “the seeker” finds us, we are far from put together, but when we use that tug to pull us towards God and not away from Him, we are made new in His grace.

To experience the fullness of God you must embrace the fullness of forgiveness.

Just like the actual game of hide and seek, we can be relieved when we are found, because that means that we don’t have to take matters into our own hands and try to find our way back to “base” or “safety”. When we follow the one that “seeks” us we will be found, and never have to “hide” again. Praise God!

Many blessings sweet friends,

Stephanie

 

Photo credit: image created via wordswag