Five Minute Friday - Hidden - The Hidden Parts of the Heart

Here is to another Five Minute Friday. The word is "hidden".

Everyone knows that person that doesn't seem to open up to you at all but seems to have a heavy heart. They are lost. They need Jesus. They have hurt, pain, and anger in their lives but what is in their hearts is hidden. 

As someone who went to school to study psychology, it is frustrating for me to deal with people like that because I care and I want to understand where they are coming from. It is mostly hard when it is a loved one and I don't know what their heart is hiding from me.

But what God has been pressing on my heart is that He knows what is in their hearts. Nothing is hidden from Him. He sees all and knows all. Resting in that helps me to pray for those who I want to know what is hidden in their hearts in order to bless them.

Here are some things that we can pray for those who have hidden things in their hearts

1) Ask God to reveal to you things that He wants to show you from their hearts

2) Ask God to see them the way He sees them.

3) If you struggle with feeling frustration or anger towards them, pray that God can reveal to you what is hidden in your heart to be able to reach that person the way He wants you to.

When Praying is all You can Do

Think about those days that when you wake up you have really no idea what the day is going to be like. This is this anticipation of what could happen but you just don't know. You start out it out with your quiet time and draw near to God but that anticipating feeling wont go away.

During those days as Christians we need to as 1 Thessalonians 5:17 says

"Pray without ceasing." 

 

 

Every time that anticipating feeling comes, PRAY.

 

Every time you want to worry about what is going to happen, PRAY.

 

Even when you feel like your quiet time was just ok, PRAY.

 

It is about being intentionally humble and approaching God with whatever is on your heart.

 

When you do approach God, ask Him for faith and peace to continue on. Maybe even pray Hebrews 10:6,

 

 "But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him."

 

 

When we pray constantly and have faith that He is who He says He is, He will bless you. Through the praying, you set yourself up for constantly focusing on Him. When you do this, the blessings are so obvious because you have prayed without ceasing and He has given you the faith to do so. All you will want to do is just praise Him.

 

"Praying without ceasing" when you feel that is all you got is the key. He wants to bless you when you give Him your time and day.  

 

 

Five Minute Friday - Help- Asking for Help

So I have been out the pass two weeks because life is just plain busy. God is still working and I have to go back to that every time or I am going to fall flat on my face.

So here is to another Five Minute Friday. The word is "help".

So this past week has been an up and down week for me emotionally. I am kinda in between stages of finishing a Bible Study and figuring out what I need to do next with my blog. Kinda frustrating and lonely.

Also the Republican National Convention is on this week which is depressing and a joke.

My husband's new job is finally opened and on its way to being successful since it is expected to be one of their busier stores. But it means he is so busy and tired.

So most nights I have been feeling very anxious anticipating what is next for life. I constantly had the battle going on,

"I just need to relax my brain and watch some Friends."

 "Psst...Kristina what is that going to solve in your busy and anxious mind...um...nothing."

"But I just want to relax."

"Kristina you need My Help. Kristina you are doing all of this in your own strength and leaning on your own understanding. You cant. It is counterproductive. You need My help!"

I reached out for His help and the blessings continue to flow. But it needs to be a constant going to His help. I am though so thankful for a persistent and faithful God who wants me to let go and allow Him to help me.

More than One Time Prayers

Everyday as Christians we experience spiritual warfare especially when we start the day with our quiet times. We sit down and open our Bible and start to read. Sometimes we might, like me, start out with prayer. But then we get distracted. Thoughts of every kind come into your head; what you have to do for the day or a situation that is brothering you. Everyone has those times.

During those times, I get out my journal and write a prayer about it. The point of writing it out is to go back to them when you have the same feeling and re pray the prayer. It can be even during those times when you just feel distant or distracted. Write it out and use it the next time you feel the same way. 

Some ways you can write them out are by looking up at verse and praying it to your situation.

Here is an example of one using James chapter 1

Dear Lord I give you this time of distance, this trial. Lord help me to have the mindset of joy that you are working something out to complete something in me. Help me to receive your wisdom and direction with faith in who you are and what you can do. Help me not to doubt but trust in you. Lord I need to guard my heart and mind. Lord help me to not give in to the temptation during this time to believe the worst of our situation. Lord heal my hurtness and open my eyes, shut my mouth and to respond in love. I know you have a plan in all of this. Help me to let go of wickedness and filthiness but to soak in your word and follow it.    

 

 

Another way is using it to pray for your love ones like your husband and kids or even those who need to hear the Lord.

 

 

When you are going through a situation where you need wisdom and don't know what do, write a prayer out. Every time you worry about it, stop and find your journal and pray the prayer you wrote.

 

 

A way that I wish I used more is writing out a prayer as a praise to God. Praise God every time for those good conversations you have with your kids by using just one prayer. Or even during those times when you don't feel very thankful but you want to.

 

 

The point of these prayers is for you to go back to them. Star them in your journal or even on index cards. Maybe you like to use different colors for every category of prayers you have. They have to stand out from the rest of your journal writing.

 

 

If you have any ideas on how you write out prayers, leave me a comment below and tell me.

 

 

Linking up with Holley coffee for your heart

Releasing Emotions through Scripture - My Scripture Lists

Everyone deals with different types of emotions every day. Depending on your personality and life experiences, certain emotions are more prevalent than others leaving us feeling overwhelmed or angry. Everyone is different.

But the word of God is constant and can help us with the emotions we deal with.

For me, I have developed folder in my notes on my IPad called "How to live in Hope". Everything that I read from Desiring God or certain blogs I like that center on scripture that encourage me to live in hope, I copy and paste into this folder. Even when I am just reading the Bible during my quiet time and there is a verse that catches my eye for a particular emotion that I struggle with, I place it into this folder. So when those times I feel certain emotion come up, I go straight to this folder look for that particular emotion and read those scriptures and pray them to God. By praying I mean by personalizing to this situation at hand or use it as a plead to God. Ninety-nine percent of the time God gives them unbelievable peace. His word is so faithful like that.

In this post I am going to share my lists of emotions and scriptures I use.

Verses when I feel overwhelmed with emotion
Psalm 94:19
Psalm 61:2
Psalm 38:9-10
Jonah 2:2

Verses when I feel anxious or fearful
Phil 4:6-7
1 Peter 5:7-8
Psalm 34:4
Psalm 55:22
Psalm 62:8
Proverbs 16:3
Psalms 94:17-19
Isaiah 26:3

Verses when I feel afraid
Psalm 56:3-4
Proverbs 3:21-26
Psalm 142:5
Proverbs 3:21-26

Verses when I get frustrated with my husband or daughter
Psalm 121
Isaiah 41:10
Isaiah 40:28-31
2 Corinthians 12:9
1 cor 15:57-58

Verses on not complaining
Romans 5:3-5
1 thess 5:16-18

Verses on when I feel busy and distracted
Luke 10:38-42
Psalm 40:11-13

Verses on when I feel like a failure

Psalm 37:23-24- I fall, He holds me up by His hand
Psalm 94:18-19- my foot slips, He holds my foot up; I feel anxious, His comfort delights me
Micah 7:7-8 I fall, He is my salvation; I sit in darkness, He is my light chill
Psalm 147:11 I hope in His mercy
Psalm 149:4 I am humble, He beautifies me with salvation
Luke 12:32 I worry about what I have or who I am, He wants to give me His kingdom
Psalm 86:5 in my day of trouble I cry out to Him, He is abundant in mercy, good, and ready to forgive whiLe He listens to me
Jude 24-25
Mal 3:6
Jeremiah 32:17-19,27

Verses on waiting on God
Psalm 25:5 He shows me the path I need to go by His truth.
Psalm 25:21
Psalm 27:14
Psalm 39:7
Psalm 130:5
Isaiah 30:18
Isaiah 40:31
Lam 3:25-26
Zeph 3:8- why the earth is messed up wait He will come back
Romans 8:25- wait with perseverance
Job 12:13

Verses on God's sovereignty
2 chron 20:15
Psalm 147
Psalm 138:5
Col 2:15
Mal 3:6
Psalm 27:5
Psalm 57:2
Hebrews 4:13
Psalm 89:11
Jeremiah 10:12

Verses on when I want to control
Psalm 62:1-2
Matthew 6:33
1 Peter 5:5-6
Proverbs 2:1-6
1 Tim 4:16-17

Verses to remind me that God cares about me

Psalm 25:10 nlt He leads with His unfailing love and faithfulness to those who keep His commands
2 chron 16:9 God searched out to help those who are fully committed to Him
Lam 3:22-33
2 Sam 22:19-20 He supports me and rescues me because He delights in me
Is 30:18
Psalm 145:14
Psalm 78:37-39
1 Peter 3:12
Psalm 27:5
Zeph 3:17
2 Corinthians 1:3-4
Psalm 147:11
Jeremiah 31:3
Psalm 9:10
Psalm 31:7,19 NLT
Psalm 56:8-13

Verses when I feel spiritually attacked
Ephesians 6:10-13
1 Peter 5:8-9
1 John 4:4
2 Corinthians 10:3-5
Romans 3:3-5
1 Corinthians 16:13

Also I have a Pinterest board that called "The Emotions Board" that has more verses for more emotions.  

If you have any verses or blog posts or links that you have used during those hard times, leave them in the blank. I could add them to my Pinterest board. : )

Linking up with Jennifer #tellhisstory and Holley Coffee for your heart

Five Minute Friday- Protect- Protector of Our Souls

Here comes another round of Five Minute Friday. The word is "protect".

So has anyone heard about the U.N trucks in like 25 major cities around the United States?

I sure did! My husband wasn't to fond of them. They are there to protect us. Protect us from whom you ask? That answer is different to each person you talk to about it.

Some like my husband would say that it is to protect the U.S from people who are wanting a change and would do anything to stop the government.

Others would say from terrorists.

But whatever reason they were or still here, we do need protection as a country. Not in the way you think. Not from our self serving president or sitting ducks politicians. No, we need protection for our souls. As Christians we don't know how much longer we have here until Christ comes back but there are lost people who need protection for their souls.

And stop.

This is something that God really has been working in my heart. Souls of people who are lost need Jesus. Everything in our flesh/Satan will try to stop us from telling others about Christ. Satan is going to try everything to hold onto those people who needs their souls to be protected. We know who the true Protector of souls are and we need to tell them about Him. No U.N trucks or new president are going to change things. It is us who need to step and see that people's souls are at stake.

 For you were like sheep going astray,

but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer^[i] of your souls.

1 Peter 2:25

Knowing Our Enemy's Tricks - Peter

Satan is a pretty nasty guy and was going to try everything to stop people from believing in God's plan. He was going to make it as miserable for Christ and others as much as possible. He knew what his destiny was and he knew the only thing you could do was to bring people down with him. We need to remember those times when Satan tried in his own power to prevent others to know the will of God in order for us to be more aware of his tricks in our own lives.

The next three posts I am going to be asking three questions in order to focus more on the "opportune time" according to Luke 4:13 that Satan sought to "mess" with God's plan:

1) Who or what Satan used?

2) How does Jesus respond?

3) What is applicable to me?

 

 

1) Who or what Satan used?

Peter- Read Matt 16:21-23, Luke 22:31-34,54-62, John 21:15-19

Peter had a bold personality and sometimes allowed his emotions and desires to get the best of him. Satan could see that used his emotions and desires to mess with Jesus.

In the Matthew passage, Peter rebukes Christ telling Him that He wasn't going to die. What is crazy how just a few verses before, Peter tells Jesus He was the Christ, the Son of the living God. But Peter put his guard down telling Jesus that He was the Messiah but He couldn't do His Messiah duties. Peter was clearly leaning on his own understanding. As Christ said he was thinking in fleshy terms and not in the ways of God.

Peter also talked a lot before he spoke based off of his emotions. This is not bad but when pride or anger creeps in then it does become bad. In the case in Luke 22 verse 33, Peter had became self-righteous and prideful. I think Peter had good intentions wanting to stand with Christ but once again he was over confident and lean on his own understanding. In result as we all know Peter denies Christ 3 times. Satan really knew how to mess with Peter and his emotions.

2) How does Jesus respond?

In Matt 16:23 Jesus calls Peter out in a very serious tone, telling him that he was allowing Satan to mess with his thoughts. He reminded Peter that he was seeing and believing in human terms and not God's. Jesus knew that Peter cared about Him but knew Peter's struggle with his emotions and heart and not having them dictate what he believed.

Jesus actually warns Peter that he was going to deny Him in the Luke 22:31-32. Satan had his eye on him but Jesus prayed that Peter would have a strong faith. Jesus had his back and wanted Peter to know that.

Of course after Peter denies Christ 3 times and Jesus dies on the cross and rises from the dead (John 21:15-19), Jesus seeks after Peter, meeting him and the others for breakfast by the sea. He asks Peter 3 times if he would feed His sheep. Jesus forgave Him for all three times Peter denied Him because He knew his heart. Peter was sorry and Jesus knew that. This interaction showed the love Jesus had for Peter and how He still wanted to use him to do God's work. Jesus even takes it one step further by telling Peter of his death showing him that He was going to use Peter for His glory.

3) What is applicable to me?

Peter's personality was a bold and sometimes irrational and overconfident in himself. No matter what types of personalities we have we all at one time or another leaned on our own understanding. Each one of us have personality traits that are not necessary bad but could lead us to doing something bad when we don't have the mind of Christ. For Peter and for me, our emotions leads us to get to this point and when it actually comes to the point of doing something right, these same emotions allow us to not glorify God. Whatever that personality trait is, Satan could use it against us to get angry or fearful or self-righteous.

But what is awesome, unlike the Pharisees and Judas, Peter with his bold personality was used by God to bring about the church. There is hope for those who seek after God. There is hope for those who have a repentive heart. The Pharisees, Judas, and Satan were used by Satan to mess with Christ, but because of Peter's heart and his desire to follow the ways of God, despite his personality that he allowed to not please God, God was able to use him big. It is all about the heart!

Satan wants to mess with our hearts. He has the hearts of those who do not have a repentive heart but for those who have accepted Jesus and His good news, he doesn't have theirs. He is going to try to stop us by using these tricks from being used by God. He knows that if we are faithful to God he will loose more hearts. We need to remember that those people we know of that need Jesus, need us to fight and pray for their hearts. Satan is going to try to stop us but because of God's great love we can press on and fight for those people. That is my prayer for you and for me.

I hope you enjoyed this series. If there is anyone that you want me to pray for that isn't a Christian, just leave a comment or email me. I too have someone that I am fighting for.

If you want to check out the other parts of this series, check them out here, Jesus' temptation, the Pharisees, and Judas.    

Linking up with Jenifer #tellhisstory and with Holley Coffee for your Heart