I was looking over my notes from yesterday and here are a few thoughts that I think are worth thinking about:

“Peace is not the absence of conflict, but the presence of God!”  Peace is not when everything is going your way, because the truth is, everything can be going your way and you can still have that uneasy feeling.  Peace is the presence of God, because when God is with you, you know that you can face whatever and be better for it!

“We are graced with His purpose, guided by His providence and guarded by His power!”  Real purpose is not something that we come up with, but something that God has given us.  His purpose in and upon our lives gives us more than meaning.  It is amazing that God is always guiding, even when we make a wrong turn in our lives, God is using it to get us to where we need to be.  This is absolutely amazing!  His power stands guard over my life and this is one of the reasons that I love Him and live my life for Him.  I don’t deserve His protection, but I sure am thankful that I’ve got it!

“God with me, means that I am never alone!”  There is not a place that I can go that I can ever escape His presence!  (Psalm 139)  The whole world may walk out on me, but God has promised that He will never leave me or forsake me!

“God provides – the birds have a song, because God takes care of them.  What are you singing about today?”  I got out of bed and walked to the bathroom.  I had warm water to take a shower and cold water to brush my teeth.  I put on comfortable clothes and a nice pair of boots.  I walked out in my yard to get into my truck so that I could drive across town to serve Him.  Every step I take – God has provided and it makes me want to sing praise to His name!

“When the devil points his finger at you, point your finger at the WORD!”  The devil is great at pointing out your failures.  When he works to point out your failure, remind him of the success of Jesus on the cross and over the grave!

“No condemnation for those in Christ Jesus!”  He is in me and I want to make sure that I stay in Him – no safer place in all of the world!

“I am not an ordinary conqueror!  God supersized my abilities with His strength and blessing!”  I am ordinary, but God in me – makes me extraordinary.  I am limited, but God in me – makes me unlimited.  I am going to make a difference for His glory today, because that is what He created and saved me to do!

“Living Convinced Is Very Convincing!”  When you are convinced, you don’t have to worry about trying to convince anyone else – it just happens!

Games are supposed to be for fun, so why do so many of us insist on playing them, so that they hurt others?  Most of us call ourselves Believers – Believers in what?  If we really believe in Jesus, then let’s stop game playing with people’s lives.

There is nothing wrong with playing a game, until someone get’s hurt and there is no reason for a child of God to hurt anyone else.  “Think before you speak and love before you think!” needs to be a way of life for the true child of God!

God created everyone, so everyone is valuable.  God has an amazing plan for each of our lives and I want to see everyone succeed and experience blessing.  If I have to step on someone else to get ahead, then I guess I will alway be behind, but I would rather be behind, than be a “behind”!

I’ve been guilty of game playing and I’ve been challenged by having games played on me.  I have asked God to forgive me and would ask anyone else that I might have messed with by being so careless to forgive me as well.  I also forgive anyone that has ever played me, because I would not dare ask for what I am not willing to give!

I will do my best from this day forward to not get caught up in playing games unless it happens to be something fun like Monopoly, Red Rover or a good video game!  Give God Glory, Enjoy The Blessing And If You Play A Game – Make Sure It’s A Good One!

What is it that you need?  What are you looking for?  What would it take for your life to really mean something?  What will it take for you to let God make your ordinary into extraordinary?  What are you doing about the frustrations and disappointments that are holding you down and pushing you back?

I don’t know what you need, are looking for or doing about life, but I know what we all need to be doing.  We need to be asking God for His help, guidance, direction and blessing.  James 4:2 says:  ”You have not because you ask not!”

The Bible is full of commands and promises concerning asking!  Matthew 7:7-11 says: ”Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you:  8 For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.  9 Or what man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone?  10 Or if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent?  11 If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?”

And John 15:7 says:  ”If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.”

And of course Philippians 4:6-7 which teaches us to:  “⁶ Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. ⁷ And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

So the question is not should we ask, but how do we ask?  And for the answer to that question, we must once again look to Scripture.  In James 1:6-8 we read the following directions:  ” ⁶ But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. ⁷ That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. ⁸ Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do.”

Let’s see if we can simplify this into some steps –

Step 1 – Believe!

Step 2 – Do not doubt!

Step 1 – Believe + Step 2 – Do not doubt = FAITH!

So how do we ask?  In faith, with faith and through faith and God will respond every time!  Remember:  Faith is like a muscle – the more you exercise it, the stronger it becomes!  Go ahead, give it a try – you will be glad you did!