Spiritual Growth
These blog posts will give you spiritual growth with a deeper education of what the Bible says on a specific topic.
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The Prayers of Nehemiah – Part Four; Prayers of Remembrance
“Remember the instruction you gave your servant Moses, saying, ‘If you are unfaithful, I will scatter you among the nations, but if you return to me and obey my commands, then even if your exiled people are at the farthest horizon, I will gather them from there and bring them to the place I have chosen as a dwelling for my Name.’ Nehemiah 1:8-9 As we wrap up our series on the prayers of Nehemiah, we are going to look at seven prayers Nehemiah often repeated throughout his story: the prayers of remembrance. Nehemiah used the word remember frequently in prayer (1:8, 5:19, 6:14, 13:14, 22, 29, 31). In his opening prayer, we see…
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The Prayers of Nehemiah – Part Three; Trusting Prayers
They all plotted together to come and fight against Jerusalem and stir up trouble against it. But we prayed to our God and posted a guard day and night to meet the threat. Nehemiah 4:8-9 Here’s the situation. Nehemiah has arrived in Jerusalem to help the people rebuild the city walls to protect themselves. Not everybody is happy about this. Sanballat, the governor of Samaria, was much incensed over this. Sanballat may have had his eye on the position of governor of Judea, where Jerusalem was located, but Nehemiah’s arrival has ruined his plans, putting him in a terrible mood! Sanballat and Tobiah ridiculed those rebuilding the wall in an…
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So Very Thankful, Incredibly Grateful, and Unbelievably Blessed
Our gratitude is a blessing of praise to the Lord. Join me this month to take the time to express our thanks to the Lord who has blessed us in every aspect of our lives. Here are 30 gratitude prompts to start you off. (Free printable at the bottom of this post) Thank you, Jesus, for my life Favorite emotion Your favorite book The best gift you ever received Name a basic need that has been met Where did you see God today? Your favorite season Something you love about your spouse or best friend Best meal you have ever served A family tradition Forgiveness What are you grateful for…
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The Prayers of Nehemiah – Part Two; Arrow Prayers
The king said to me, “What is it you want?” Then I prayed to the God of heaven, and I answered the king. “If it pleases the king and if your servant has found favor in his sight, let him send me to the city in Judah where my ancestors are buried so that I can rebuild it.” Nehemiah 2:4-5 The Situation at Hand Read Nehemiah 2:1-10 HERE. Last week we left off with Nehemiah in prayer as he prepares to ask King Artaxerxes to let him go to Jerusalem and help his people. The opportunity has arisen for Nehemiah to ask the king for his favor. Nehemiah was nervous…
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The Prayers of Nehemiah – Part One; How to Pray
How do you behave in a crisis? What is your first response? Fight or flight? Fear or Faith? Prayer or complaining? Today we are going to embark upon a new series called The Prayers of Nehemiah. Would it surprise you to know there are fourteen prayers within the short book of Nehemiah? Over the next few weeks, we are going to learn how we can use the prayers of a servant of the Lord to transform our prayer lives. Please take a minute to read Nehemiah 1 Here. Some Background Nehemiah just learned that the exiles who had returned to Jerusalem were living unprotected because the fallen city walls had…
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A Harvest of Generosity – 10 Bible Verses about Harvest
Wanting instant results, wishing the changes would be recognizable now, feeling like the effort is greater than the results; these are the thoughts swirling around my mind as I am dieting. Today, I am focusing on Bible verses about the harvest. Learning such things as being patient with the timing of things. Developing an attitude of hope as I trust God will not waste my efforts. Looking at the process of a harvest from the start encourages me to stay the course. Knowing that planting seeds and waiting on God to bring the rain and sun is part of the process, calms my impatience. Today we are going to look…
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10 Verses on Hope
Have the people around you, your life circumstances, or world events caused you to lose hope? If there is anything we need more of, it is hope. But hope doesn’t come from anything we can see, touch, or taste in this world. Hope comes from God. By meditating on one of these ten verses from the old and new testament, you will connect to the source of all hope. May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope. – Romans 15:13 And the God of all grace, who called you to his…
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5 Prayers for Your Home
My people will live in peaceful dwelling places, in secure homes, in undisturbed places of rest. Isaiah 32:18 Welcome Home! This simple phrase holds so much hope and promise. Praying over our homes is one of the greatest acts we can perform for our houses and families. As we walk around and through our homes, we welcome the Holy Spirit to surround our spaces and our people with the love and protection of our Savior. Our homes should inspire us to go out into the world to do great things and then welcome us back for refreshment. – Unknown A Prayer Walk Today I am giving you some simple prayers…
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Jonah and God’s Unsettling Grace
But the Lord replied, “Is it right for you to be angry?” Jonah 4:4 (NIV) We left off in chapter 3 as God relented and pulled back His judgment against Nineveh. Let’s now look at the last chapter of Jonah. Jonah is about to go pout. God’s grace did not sit well with Jonah. His opening words to the Lord are an exasperated cry, “Isn’t this what I said, Lord, when I was still at home?” I would think for a preacher, having the people listen, take the Word of the Lord to heart, and change would provide job security. Why was Jonah so angry? Jonah knows God, and he is…
