Showing posts with label reflection. Show all posts
Showing posts with label reflection. Show all posts

Friday, 13 January 2017

Our Father

At the start of this month I had a wonderful opportunity to go to the 9:38 conference with a whole group of Ministry Apprentices just like me, and spend three days looking at our prayer life and what the bible teaches us about prayer.
One of the highlights, for me, was hearing Richard Coekin speaking on the Lord's prayer, showing us how the prayer our Lord Jesus taught us can structure our devotional prayer time.

Now before I continue this post, I want to make sure you know my prayer life is a constant battle that I am trying to turn into a joy! And this is all stuff I'm trying to work on and want to share with you! But it's hard and I have by no means got an answer to making it easier, remember it's literally a spiritual battle, Satan will do literally anything to distract you while you pray. Did I put the Dog out? Did I turn the oven off? That was a lovely program I watched today. He tries anything, to stop you talking to your Heavenly Father.

So, why have I entitled this blog post, Our Father, well, the Lord's prayer begins with this and I was shown that it is the most wonderful reminder of the privilege of prayer and the power of the one we pray to. Just stop and think for a moment, how amazing is it that you get to call the creator of the universe Father. The King over everything, the most powerful one ever known, Dad. We get to come to Him in times of Joy, sorrow, weakness, strength, love, heartbreak, anger and compassion. He doesn't change at all, His love-o-meter is fixed at maximum love. 
Our phone-line to Him is never engaged, faulty, out of service, or in a queue. It's instant and always open.

So, next time you make an excuse to pray, just remember, your Heavenly Father is always listening. He delights to hear you pray to Him. He longs for us to find treasures in His word and ask Him for them. 

He longs for us to speak to Him as our Heavenly Father, to embrace the privilege of prayer. 

Monday, 24 October 2016

Reflections of Proverbs 31

This week I’ve been looking at Proverbs 31 the Epilogue bit, and really trying to pray into it and reflect on it. So here are a few of my thoughts.

To begin with I had to take away my selfish attitude and realise this isn’t about me or what I can be as a noble wife in the future, but the example Jesus sets here to the church. Remember ALL of the Old Testament points to Jesus and tells us about His character and His mission, so this must also have the focus on Jesus.

Secondly the bible talks about the church being married to God so this could also be a reflection on the behaviour of the church as a whole in it’s service to the Lord. It’s strange picture language for the church as a whole but as you begin to break it down it has similarities to preparations and harvest which is the work Jesus sends us out to do really in the Great Commission.

Finally of course it applies when thinking personally about growth in my own personal character with the help of the Holy Spirit. If I’m striving to be Christ-like and this is pointing to Christ’s character then surely this is something that, with the Grace of God, I should be striving for also. Even in my role in church service and discipleship this is something also I should reflect on.

Now when I read Proverbs 31 I can say:
  • Wow, Jesus is amazing 
  • Oh man, I’m rubbish!
  • Thankfully God is gracious and I can ask Him to help me to grow in this!


Wednesday, 19 October 2016

25 Things to be thankful for

I've decided to take note of all the great things God provided over summer this year by making a list, I love lists so that's my first thing to be thankful for!

  1. My job
  2. Keswick Convention
  3. New Friends
  4. Old Friends
  5. Waterfalls
  6. Coffee
  7. God's Wisdom
  8. Laughter
  9. Answered Prayer
  10. Snap-backs
  11. Bullet Journalling
  12. Psalm 107
  13. Prosecco
  14. Lake District
  15. Martinis
  16. More Coffee
  17. New car!
  18. Reunions
  19. Camp
  20. Crutches and Cocodomol
  21. Family
  22. Photographs
  23. Sunshine
  24. Washout
  25. Talkin Tarn
So many great things happened and on reflection I am able to praise God for His continuous blessings and trust that He knows the plans set before me!