Sunday Writings.......5/15/16

Good morning...
This is the day the Lord has made - let us rejoice and be glad in it!




Today's devotional was written by Jan Andersen.  "Prayer Lists" talks about our prayer life and how we might improve it.  

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  Today's Devotional   

"PRAYER LISTS"

written by

Jan Andersen

Have you ever had someone say to you that they will pray for you and your situation, and then wondered if they even thought about it ever again?  Or have you ever said the same thing to someone else and then never followed through?  This can happen for a wide variety of reasons.  Sometimes we have every intention of including them in our prayers, but we get so busy, or our prayer life isn't regular enough to recall that promise later.  Perhaps it is because we've promised so many people the same thing that we can't remember all of them.  Or we write it down on a little slip of paper that gets lost in the shuffle.  And then there are the times that a specific prayer for the individual was never really intended, but the comment is made to make everyone feel better in that moment.  Whatever the reason, hopefully we will find a better way to follow through with our prayers - a running paper list, a small notebook or booklet, a note on our smart phone or iPad, or an e-mail to ourselves - whatever it takes to make it happen, and make it regular. 

Whom should we include on our prayer lists?  Often we think of praying for people who are struggling, either physically, emotionally or spiritually.  Or perhaps we pray that someone will come to faith in the Savior, Jesus Christ.  When tragedy strikes, we pray for the people directly affected, or for the entire community to come together.  We also ought to pray for our elected officials, even when we disagree with them on issues important to us, so that we would be blessed.

1 Timothy 2:1-2 Pray for ALL people:

But do we forget something else in our prayers?  What about praying for our enemies?  That can include groups fighting us as a country, but could also be individuals who have wronged us personally.  If we are angry with someone, one way to turn around our own attitude toward them is to pray that God would help them in the way he sees is best.  Another person we often forget to include in our prayers is ourself.  Women especially tend to leave themselves out of the picture or for very last.  Besides trials and tribulations, we should also remember to thank God for all of the blessings he showers upon us.  Each day we could include on our "prayer list" something for which we are grateful. And finally, we can ask God to help us use those gifts to bless others and to show them how loving and forgiving our God is. May God help us improve our prayer life!

Lord, God, we pray for healing or comfort for the sick and suffering, strength for the struggling, and faith for the unfaithful. We ask that you guide those in authority to rule with fairness and integrity. For those who have offended us, we ask that you soften our hearts while helping them as you see fit. We pray for our own special needs, and we thank you for all of your gifts to us, especially for your forgiveness of our sins.  Help us to be a positive witness to others of your forgiveness and love. In Jesus' name, Amen.

written by Jan Andersen

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   Christian Humor for a Laugh Today   

Mark Twain

Heaven goes by favor. If it went by merit, you would stay out, and your dog would go in,

Unknown

The good Lord didn't create anything without a purpose, but mosquitoes come close.

Gilbert K. Chesterton

The Bible tells us to love our neighbors, and also to love our enemies; probably because they are generally the same people.

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   Today's Inspiring Graphic  

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Sooooo, it is possible to do well under pressure and to thrive in such times.

I always do my best work when I am under pressure due to a schedule challenge.
How do your do when you are under pressure? 

Do you cave or do you keep on keeping on
producing results that sparkle like a diamond?

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   Prophetic  Statements and Texts
   From the Bible or  Current Prophets   

Prophetic Scriptures About the Decline of Babylon

Isaiah 13:19

Babylon, the jewel of kingdoms, the glory of the Babylonians' pride, 

will be overthrown by God like Sodom and Gomorrah. 

Here, Isaiah tells us that Babylon would be overthrown, permanently. History confirms the fact that following Cyrus' destruction of Babylon in 539 BC, it never again rose to power as an empire.

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Isaiah 14:23

"I will turn her into a place for owls and into swampland;
I will sweep her with the broom of destruction,"
declares the Lord Almighty. 

The prophet makes the bold claim that Babylon, which had been a world power at two different times in history, would be brought to a humble and final end. But not only that, Isaiah claims that Babylon would be reduced to swampland! Well, after Cyrus conquered Babylon in 539 BC, the kingdom never again rose to power, that is certain. And history tells us that the buildings of Babylon fell into a gradual state of ruin during the next several centuries. Interestingly, when archaeologists excavated Babylon during the 1800s, they discovered that some parts of the city could not be dug up because they were under a water table that had risen over the years!

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Jeremiah 32:36-37

"You are saying about this city,

 'By the sword, famine and plague 

it will be handed over to the king of Babylon';
but this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says:
I will surely gather them from all the lands
where I banish them in my furious anger and great wrath;
I will bring them back to this place and let them live in safety.

In this passage, Jeremiah said that the Jews would survive their captivity in Babylon and return home, and both parts of this prophecy were ultimately fulfilled. Many Jews had been taken as captives to Babylon beginning around 605 BC. But, in 538 BC, they were released from captivity and many eventually returned to their homeland.

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Prayers are lifted up daily for 

you by the Devotional Writers 

and the Monthly Writing Staff

of Women's Focus Ministries.

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