Removing distractions

Matthew 6:33 Amplified Bible 

33 But first and most importantly seek (aim at, strive after) His kingdom and His righteousness [His way of doing and being right—the attitude and character of God], and all these things will be given to you also.

There can be a number of things that have the ability to distract me, I seem to focus on something and before I realize it I have become so involved it's scary. We need to prioritize our time with the Lord. Making time to spend in God's presence and making time for prayer. 

The Lord wants us to be moved by His Holy Spirit, not by our busyness. When we seek God first with our whole heart, we will find Him.

Lord humbly I pray help me get rid of the distractions in my own life, guide me and lead me with the Holy Spirit, in Jesus Christ name amen

Pray for others

Craig Groeschel "Prayer is never a last line of defense. It's our first line of offense."

James 5: 13 - 16 NIV
Is anyone among you in trouble? Let them pray. Is anyone happy? Let them sing songs of praise. Is anyone among you sick? Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise them up. If they have sinned, they will be forgiven. Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.

When it comes to praying for other I have come to realize that we all feel encouraged by prayer. It helps us stay focused and we know God is in control. When we pray for other people we are standing in the gap. Or we are in front of the battle. Our prayer life and our time spent in God's presence bring us closer to Him. When we are praying for other we are drawing near to the Lord. I want to challenge you today, get your knees down on the ground and start praying for others. God is waiting to hear from you.

My prayers are always for my family and friends first, I pray for each person by name. Its my way of asking the Lord God to please keep an eye out for my family and friends. I know God hears my prayers and I believe He loves me.

Prayer

Lord Jesus, I know that I do not have a chance to do anything on my own, but when I come before You and pray for Your help I have every chance in the world because I believe and trust in You. Lord I want to ask please send Your Holy Spirit to help me, I cannot do this on my own. I know the Holy Spirit knows me far better than I know myself, knows my pregnant condition and keeps me present before YOU Lord God.

As written in Philemon 1 verse 4 to 7 "I always thank God when I am praying for you, dear Philemon, because I keep hearing of your love and trust in the Lord Jesus and in His people. And I pray that as you share your faith with others it will grip their lives too, as they see the wealth of good things in you that come from Christ Jesus. I myself have gained much joy and comfort from your love, my brother because your kindness has so often refreshed the hearts of God's people.

Please Lord send the Holy Spirit into each of our lives, give us the necessary wisdom and insight we need for today. Thank You, Lord for watching over us. Amen

Pray like Jesus

Mark 7:31-35 Amplified Bible 

31 Soon after this Jesus left the region of Tyre, and passed through Sidon to the Sea of Galilee, through the region of Decapolis [the ten Hellenistic cities]. 32 They brought to Him a man who was deaf and had difficulty speaking, and they begged Jesus to place His hand on him. 33 Jesus, taking him aside by himself, away from the crowd, put His fingers into the man’s ears, and after spitting, He touched the man’s tongue [with the saliva]; 34 and looking up to heaven, He sighed deeply and said to the man, “Ephphatha,” which [in Aramaic] means, “Be opened and released!” 35 And his ears were opened, his tongue was released, and he began speaking plainly.

When you start reading the New Testament Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John you will notice that the Lord Jesus prayed a number of times. Breaking away from the people the Lord Jesus took time to speak to God. 

We should take the time and speak to God, He is waiting for me and you. If the Lord Jesus made time to speak with God, so should we. It's very important to do this every time we get. Speak to God before you speak to someone else, He can help You.

Lord humbly I pray to help me develop my relationship with You, so that I am able to speak to You openly and truthfully. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen

#LackOfKnowledge

#LackOfKnowledge

1 Corinthians 2:2 English Standard Version (ESV)

2 For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.

I don't believe that I am very smart and I am constantly trying to upskill myself. Lately, I feel that I just can't remember so many things. Hosea 4 verse 6 in the Amplified says "The Lord Himself said, "My people are destroyed for a lack of knowledge..."

I have come to a place in my life where I realize the importance of learning spiritual things. Instead of seeking worlding knowledge, I want to focus all my energies on the Word of God. I want to grow spiritually.

Prayer

Lord, Jesus, I want to pursue the Word of God, and I want to grow spiritually, I don't want to waste my time with carnal knowledge which won't get me into heave. I dedicate my life, my mind and body, and soul into Your hands, let my spiritual eyes be open to Your Word today, help me in my pursuits of the Word, in the name of Jesus Christ amen

#Sacrifice_all_of_ourselves_to_God

#Sacrifice_all_of_ourselves_to_God

Romans 12:1 (ESV)

A Living Sacrifice

12 I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.

It is my heart's desire to present my body as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God. I want to be accepted by God and I want my body to be a temple of my God. I believe that the Holy Spirit lives in my body and that I am supposed to use my body to worship God.

I am not perfect and I am sure I need a lot of work but just as I am I concentrate my life into the hands of the Lord. God knows and understands my thinking and I want God's approval in my own life.  I cannot see myself without the LORD in my life.

Prayer

Lord Jesus Christ, I am taking my everyday ordinary life, my sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life, and I place it before YOU LORD as an offering. I am embracing what YOU LORD is doing for me, I believe LORD you bring the best out of me, developing a well-formed maturity within me. Thank You, in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen

#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

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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

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In my Old age I still want to dream big dreams

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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

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Small Thinking

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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

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