#Thursday_What_is_prayer?

The definition of prayer is "A devout petition to God or an object of worship.  Spiritual communion with God or an object of worship. The act or practice of praying to God or an object of worship."

To me prayer is communicating with the Lord my God, I would sit down, stand or even walk and talk to God. I was thinking about it the other day, when you speak to me or my children you don't say things like "Dear Yvette, it's me, Jane, how are you today?" No, you say: "Hi Yvette how are you today?"

I know we have a relationship with the LORD when we are able to speak to Him all day long. Saying Good morning Lord, I am happy this day has started. Please, will You guide me and show me what I should be doing today. You know I am not sure of how to take this person on, they seem to take offense all the time. I wonder what my life would look like in a couple of years from now. Lord, thank you also for my home and the kids and my husband. Thank you, also for looking out for us, the protection we have from You is so appreciated.

To me that is prayer, this is my way of getting to know God, I read the Word (The Bible) and I use the Bible to communicate with the Lord.  I know God speaks truths in my spirit through His Word.  I believe praising God is essential and saying thank you too.

Reading Psalm 55 verse 1 to 3 from the Message "Open your ears, God, to my prayer; don't pretend you don't hear me knocking. Come close and whisper your answer. I really need you. I shudder at the mean voices, quail before the evil eye, as they pile on the guilt, stockpile angry slander."

Psalm 130 verses 1 - 2 from the Message "Help, GOD - the bottom has fallen out of my life! Master, hear my cry for help! Listen hard! Open your ears! Listen to my cries for mercy."

Romans 12 verses 11 - 13 the Message "Don't burn out; keep yourselves fueled and aflame. Be alert servants of the Master, cheerfully expectant. Don't quit in hard times; pray all the harder. Help needy Christians; be inventive in hospitality."

Lord, You know my heart and mind. This morning I want to dedicate each and every person reading my blog. Lord, we all need to have a personal relationship with You. Our lives are nothing without You. Lord as I face today, I want to dedicate my Husband and family and all my friends into Your hands. I plead the blood of Jesus Christ over each one of us. I am calling out to You, please Lord, open your ears, God to my Prayer, don't pretend you don't hear me knocking. Come close and whisper your answer. I really need YOU. I shudder at the mean voices, quail before the evil eye, as they pile on the guilt, stockpile angry slander." Lord, please help me, You know I can't do this on my own. Thank You, for Your mercy new every day. Thank You that I can call out to You. In humble prayer. Amen

A covenant of Increase from God

https://kellan-publishing.selz.com/item/daily-devotional-ebenezer

Psalm 115: 14 ESV

May the LORD make you increase, both you and your children.

Deuteronomy 1: 11

May the LORD, the God of your fathers, increase you a thousand times and bless you as he has promised.

I know it's not an option or even something I should be saying but there are times I feel like "things aren't getting any better, it feels like it's getting worse!" I confess that I say that at times out of frustration and also probably fear.

Looking at Psalm 115 verse 14 I am so excited at the Word of God, "May the LORD make you increase, both you and your children." The LORD is blessing both me and my children. That is something to hold onto. God is blessing us all today.  I am expecting my life to get better and better to the extent that I will be blessing others as well.

Let's hold onto God's promises for our own lives. When you meditate on God's Word, make it your own.  Let it sink in and don't lose heart.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, LORD God, humbly I come before You today, I confess and I repent of my selfish words of fear.  I believe that I am on the right path and that it is getting brighter and brighter until the full day.  I confess LORD that You are increasing both me and my children.  I accept Your increase in my life as well as the lives of my children.  I confess that my cup runs over! LORD I believe that my life is going to end up better than it started! Ecclesiastes 7 verse 8 "Beter is the end of a thing than the beginning."  Haggai 2 verses 9 "The latter days of this house shall be greater than the former."  I confess this with my mouth and believe this in my heart. Thank You, ABBA Father, in Jesus Christ Name Amen

We are living in scary times

Luke 10:19(NIV)

19 I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you.

We live in dangerous times. Every day thousands of people are kidnapped. It's scary to see young, old, men and women, and children being abducted.

And all the killings these days are scary. How will we get through it all? We must trust in the Lord Jesus to carry us through.

Every day, something strikes me, and every day I pray for God's grace in my own life and that of my children and family.

Remember whatever we bind on earth is bound in heaven according to Matthew 18 verse 18.

I want to tell you to just receive Jesus peace today as per John 14 verse 27. "My peace I GIVE you, not as the world gives." 

Lord humbly I come into Your presence this morning and I remind you that I am solely dedicated to You. Please Lord help me face today, I accept Your gift of peace in my life and I have the authority to step on serpents and such. Guide me and show me the way forward, in the Holy Name of Jesus Christ my Lord and saviour. Amen

Pray for open doors!

#opendoors; #yvettevanniekerk

Colossians 4: 2 – 4 ESV

Further Instructions

Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving. At the same time, pray also for us, that God may open to us a door for the word, to declare the mystery of Christ, on account of which I am in prison – that I may make it clear, which is how I out to speak.

Thank You, Abba Father for the rain.  It is so lovely, the refreshing smell of rain, the earth is soaking up the water. We have been waiting for this rain and it is so refreshing. Lord, thank You, that You have sent rain.

Today Lord, it is my heart’s desire that I may come into Your presence and bring You, praise. Lord telling You how grateful I am for all the good things You have given me. Lord, thank You for my home, Lord, thank You for my husband and children and grandchildren. Lord thank You that You are in control over my finances and that YOU provide according to my needs. Lord, I am so grateful for the business you provide.

Today, Lord I want to pray for open doors for Your word so that we are able to share it with many people. I want to pray that Your Holy Spirit will touch the lives of people in need.

Lord, I also want to dedicate my family and friend into Your hands. I pray for open doors of great opportunities, blessing each one of my family. Healing for my brother, open doors form my husband, children, grandchildren, sister, and brother. My mom and her husband.

Gratefully I stand before You, You are worthy of praise and honor. Thank You, Lord, Amen

https://kellan-publishing.selz.com/item/daily-devotional-ebenezer

In my Old age I still want to dream big dreams

https://kellan-publishing.selz.com/item/daily-devotional-ebenezer

Acts 2: 17

"God says, In the last days I will pour out my Spirit upon all people. Your young men will see visions and your old men will dream dreams."

Look at the last part of this verse "your old men dream dreams." I am never going to stop dreaming. I am still praying the Jabez prayer.  "LORD, bless me indeed. Enlarge my territory."  I also believe and confess that "God is able to do exceeding abundantly beyond all that I can ask or think." Lord, help me to ask and think the way YOU want me to.

Lord, I am asking you to reveal all sin in my life so that I am able to confess it and get it out of the way. I want to live my life according to Your Word. I want to draw near to You and I am asking you to give me big dreams, I want to life my life fulfilled according to Your Word.

I am seated in heavenly places with You LORD Jesus Christ, help me to take up my seat with You. Show me the way forward. Guide me and teach me, create in me a pure heart and a clean spirit. In the holy, holy, holy name of Jesus Christ my Lord and my Savior. Amen

https://kellan-publishing.selz.com/item/daily-devotional-ebenezer

Small Thinking

https://kellan-publishing.selz.com/item/daily-devotional-ebenezer

Ephesians 3: 20 – 21 ESV

“Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.

Small thinking caused me to limit myself. I didn’t think that I am blessed or even worthy of blessings but God has opened the doors to my wildest dreams. I wanted to travel the world like my sister, go to Europe,  America’s and even to Egypt.

I thought about this and prayed about this, I am not envious of my sister or my brother for that fact, I believe God blesses them each and every day. I was just feeling sorry for myself and because of my small thinking through it impossible to travel anywhere in any case.

Then last year while I was praying I said to the Lord Jesus, Lord I want to visit my brother in Australia, I don’t know how and I don’t know when. I do want to visit him and his family. Anyway, I left that thought with the Lord.  My brother came to visit us here in South Africa. I was elated to see him again. You know we have not seen him in 20 years. It was so good and the time we spent together just flew by.

Well I was truly upset when he left and now he's back in Australia. Then something wonderful happens, he bought me an airplane ticket to come and visit him in Australia!! Now I am waiting for some documents to get my visitor’s visa to Australia. What an awesome God we serve.

So here’s the thing, how big is my God?  I think I put my God in a matchbox, I never thought of how big my God really is. It’s said that there are 100 billion galaxies and 100 billion stars in each of these galaxies. Who created them? My God created them, I serve a BIG God.

I believe my God is so big that He forgave me all my sins, He has set me free. I believe He loves me for who I am. Even when I slip up. He still loves me. 

Prayer

Lord, I have been blessed with so many good things in my life, in comparison to other people I thought I was left behind and forgotten. Humbly I confess that these thoughts have been covertness and that I am truly blessed.

You heart my prayer about going to visit Paul in Australia, how awesome that you have opened the door wide for me to go. My ticket in my hand. I am truly grateful and I can only say thank you. You know I love you and I believe You are working for my good. I praise Your Holy Name and say thank YOU Lord Jesus Christ. Amen

https://kellan-publishing.selz.com/item/daily-devotional-ebenezer

The leftovers

Mark 7: 28 - 30

"Yes, Lord," she replied, "but even the dogs under the table eat the children's crumbs." Then he told her, "For such a reply, you may go; the demon has left your daughter." She went home and found her child lying on the bed, and the demon was gone."

I know I mess up each and every day. Doing worse the day before. I believe I won't make it through today without making an error. But I really try. Why do I keep on failing? I believe because I am a woman, and human.

I think about the faith of a Syrophoenician Woman, she approached the Lord Jesus hoping that He would heal her daughter who was demon-possessed. She spoke to the Lord Jesus and didn't the feeling of "entitlement" no she said that even the dogs eat the crumbs under the table. She didn't believe that she was "entitled" to receive anything from Jesus.

She was happy to receive any leftovers there may be for her. I look at this and I believe we live in a society of "entitled people." It's my right to get this and the other. Seriously?

What happened to be grateful for the things we have. Who are we to think that we are entitled to anything we have?

Lord Jesus Christ, I am a sinful person and I slip up most of the time, You know me better than I know myself.  Lord, please forgive me for being so stiffnecked at times, so stubborn and so full of nonsense.

Please Lord, forgive me the sins I know of and those I am unaware of. I dedicate my life into Your hands today. I am happy Lord to receive the leftovers from Your table. In faith, I believe You are able to give me my hearts desires. In the name of Jesus Christ amen

The Power Of God's Love

Matthew 25: 37 - 40 ESV

Then the righteous will answer him, saying, 

"Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, 

or thirsty and give you drink? 

And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, 

or naked and clothe you? 

And when did we see you sick 

or in prison and visit you?" 

And the King will answer them, 

"Truly, I say to you, 

as you di's it to one of the least of these, 

my brothers, you did it to me."

I believe the power of God's love works through you and me. We have the ability to help and serve other people. We can identify a need and help that person. Sometimes we don't have the ability but we do know people who do. Then we should help people. 

I am not working right now and I have started up my own little business, I bake cakes and I was under the impression I won't be that busy. God sure has been faithful and boy have I been busy every week. 

Lord please help me to help Your people, in Jesus Christs name amen

Please Lord, help me to be more forgiving

1 John 2: 11

"He who hates his brother is in darkness

and walks in darkness,

and does not know where he is going,

because the darkness has blinded his eyes."

Today, Lord I come into Your presence and I want to pray about my own life. Lord I don't want to hate anybody in my life. There are people that irritate me and people that I am angry with today and as I pray about my own life. It is clear to me that I am struggling with hate the root to my unforgiveness right now.

You know the two people I truly despise and cannot stand. Lord, this evening I come humbly before You and I pray to forgive me. I have sinned against YOU Lord and them. Lord, I forgive them and I set them free in Jesus Christ name. Lord, I come asking You to please forgive me. I have been struggling forever with these feelings and I am asking You forgive me. I forgive them and set them free. In the name of Jesus Christ. Amen

Learning how to change the way I see myself.

Someone says something to me and I respond but that's just the way I am.  I want to change my perspective of myself and the best way forward I believe is to improve on my way of thinking. The Word says that we need to renew our minds and I think this renewing has to take place daily. I know I have been referred to as not the "sharpest knife in the draw." The funny thing is I have accepted these comments.

Enough! God has a plan for my life, I cannot stay where I am because people feel they have the right to judge me. I know I am a work in progress, God is changing me each day a little at a time. I feel I want to be flexible and adaptable in God's hands. He is the one forming me right now.

Judgment is something I struggle with, I can see someone and I know what their problem is and I have already made up my mind about them. I actually judged them. O my word. I know and realize the God has begun a good work in me and will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ.

I am so grateful the Lord has not given up on me He will never throw me out. Jeremiah 18 verses 4 says "The clay was marred, so He made it again." God didn't discard the clay He made it again. Amen.

Paul says in 1 Corinthians 15 verses 10 "I am what I am by the grace of God." So guess what God is making me by His grace, this is who I am. O wow, note this I am a work of art, I am God's work of grace.

Praise the Lord, Jesus Christ He is so patient with me. Amen

When God moves people, for me.

Psalm 9: 1 – 4

“To the Choirmaster: According to Muth-Labben. A Psalm of David.

I will give thanks to the LORD with my whole heart; I will recount all of your wonderful deeds. I will be glad and exult in you; I will sing praise to your name, O Most High. When my enemies turn back, they stumble and perish before your presence. For you have maintained my just cause; you have sat on the throne, giving righteous judgment.”

I have come to realize something significant in my own life today. I have seen how people in high positions have been doing what they can to stop me from working. The first person moved and there was the opening for me. Then for the last couple of weeks, I had been told without a doubt that I am going home and the job will not be offered to me again.

I become tearful and unhappy because I am in need of my job and with my cash, I am able to help someone. So I resided at the thought that well I’m out and that’s that. Well then before the month closes the person who was adamant that I leave was suddenly move away. Out of the position to throw me out of my own job. I was glad to hear they are moving up in life which meant I could possibly keep my job. Then I was asked would I consider staying on.

I don’t believe God opens doors just to allow people to come and shut them in your face. Something is very clear = you cannot close a door the LORD God opens for you. When God wants you to be at a specific place He will make sure you remain there until your job is done.

I am so grateful that I am able to service my God. Lord Jesus thank You once again for opening this door wide. Thank You, so much for my blessings, and I am grateful that You remember me in my heart broken time. Amen

RELATED RESOURCES:
Join in today with a one-minute scripture, and a personal inspirational message, and prayer, with Yvette van Niekerk's book, Daily Devotional Ebenezer. Order your eBook copy here today.

CONNECT:
You can follow along with Yvette van Niekerk at her blog, Google G+

 and on Instagram.

Inspired by today’s devotion? Share it with someone!

Other sites you may want to follow me: 

New Releases

Kellan Publishing

Pinterest

Twitter

LinkedIn