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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hxr0Vmpmir0
Or search YouTube for ‘How do I know I am truly
A Christian when I constantly struggle with sin?
By Ligonier Ministries (2 min 19 sec)
“The rich man is wise in his own eyes, but the poor who
has understanding sees through him. When
the righteous triumph, there is great glory, but when the wicked rise, men hide
themselves.
“He who conceals his transgressions will not prosper,
but he who confesses and forsakes them will find compassion. How blessed is the man who fears always, but
he who hardens his heart will fall into calamity.” Proverbs 28:11-14
“Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray.
Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing
praises. Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church,
and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord;
“ …and the prayer offered in faith will restore the one
who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up, and if he has committed sins they
will be forgiven him.
“Therefore. confess your sins to one another, and pray
for one another, so that you may be healed.
The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much.
“Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed
earnestly that it might not rain; and it did not rain on the earth for three
years and six months. And he prayed
again, and the sky poured rain, and the earth produced its fruit.” James
5:13-18
It is easy to pray. My early efforts were more like intimate conversations with Someone I knew loved me. I would chatter on and on about my difficulties and challenges, my wants and needs.
Although I always trusted that God was attentively
listening, there was sometimes doubt when an answer to a particularly important
prayer seemed to be missed.
You see I did not understand that -- just like Moses approaching the burning bush in the desert -- you must first remember Who you are talking with.
Although none of us
has the capability to understand the holiness of God, we must never forget how
much God hates and turns away from sin, even in the hearts of His beloved
children.
The number one priority with prayer is to begin by
recognising God’s holiness and our choice to sin every day. Before you approach His throne with your
requests, take time to use the ‘spiritual soap (I John 1:8-10)’ He has provided
for us.
Take care with love, especially His, Darlene (who still
prays for you daily)
PS: Find my statement
of faith: https://especiallyhislove.blogspot.com
(where you will also find a series of
beginner Bible studies to share). You can easily find the WeakDay Devotion
online by doing a Google search for ‘WeakDay Devotion’. (Also, there is an android ‘Google
Blogger’ app you can download to read them on your phone. Not sure about Apple.). For the books, go to Amazon
books.
NEW PRAYER REQUESTS (Thank you for the
updates.)
·
Jill –
has to have cataract surgery, but she has a complication with her iris. Please pray for the surgeon and those who
support her that the procedure will go smoothly and her eye will heal quickly
and that Peter and those who love her would rally to support her.
·
Barbara –
the beloved wife of my brother (who recently passed) – thank you for praying
for her (and for me as we struggle with our loss of Tim). Please pray God places people in her path who
will help her with all the things He knows she needs help with. Pray for Barb’s peace and protection at
night.
·
Wayne B – is slowly losing his beloved wife, Lyn,
(diagnosed with frontal temporal dementia three and a half years ago). She has been in care since May of 2020 but
recently had a succession of falls and is now in a psycho-geriatric facility.
She sometimes knows who he is but is no longer able to respond. Pray for comfort for Wayne as he deals with
this difficult situation.
·
Jen – lost
her only sister and still needs your prayers to get through this difficult time
and pray her health remains good.
·
Hans–
a dear friend in Germany struggling with lung cancer and financial difficulties. He and his whole family are recovering from
COVID. Pray his new social worker will
be able to help him and that he will have patience. Pray for his healthcare providers and that he
is surrounded by faithful and compassionate Christian friends who will remind
him of the Lord’s love. Pray for his Mom
(age 84) -- that their time together is filled with extraordinarily good
memories and lots of love.
·
Jake – No news about Jake, a friend of my brother, also
living with COPD (emphysema) and heart problems. Please pray for his daughter, Tiffany and for his other friends and health
carers to help him through his health journey.
·
Callilah-
a lost child. Pray in thanksgiving that
the Lord is softening her heart and that the Lord has placed Patti just where
she needs to be. Pray for Patti’s safety
and patience.
·
Pray for Jeff and
Rachael’s family in Louisville to
desire and seek a relationship with the Lord.
·
Philip and Sue –
Philip recently had surgery. Pray for
his health carers and for Sue as she supports him through his recovery.
·
Sarah and Andrew – he left his job a year ago -- she went to work
in a new role. Pray for this precious
Christian couple that they focus on family balance to the glory of the Lord.
·
Sue and Rob – opened their home to support Luke who is lost, angry and refuses to move
out. Please pray he wakes up and
realises he must take responsibility for his own life and most of all that he
needs the Lord. Pray for the continued
patience and compassion of Sue and Rob.
·
Ray and Kathy –
Ray’s mom is lost in the growing fog of dementia and lives a couple of hours
away. She recently had a serious fall
and is now in an aged care facility. Pray
that she might adjust and stay healthy. Pray
for travelling mercies for Ray as he drives back and forth to visit her, and for
Kathy as she supports him through this difficult time. Pray also for their separate ministries to
grow through the witness of their love and compassion.
·
Bettina –
continue to pray for her as she grows into a new phase of her life in the Lord. Pray each of her five married daughters, spouses
and 18 grandchildren grow to love and follow the Lord Jesus Christ.
·
Paul –
please pray for him. He was unsuccessful
for the job he applied for (after more than ten years without work). He is very discouraged and now unwell. Please pray the Lord provides needed work so
he can begin to heal and strengthen.
·
Demi and John – one evening he went out his backdoor to run an
errand and was attacked by someone with a knife who stabbed him several times
(one pierced his heart). He has
recovered physically, but please pray for him and his wife as they pull their lives
together – that they might find the Lord in all the chaos left behind.
·
Ian – continue
to pray that his desire to grow his understanding and effectiveness with
personal evangelism is fulfilled.
·
Peyton and Carter
- Grandchildren of Jeff and Rachael. Payton, their granddaughter is now a senior
in university. Carter, their son is now
a freshman in college. Both are
exceptional students and love the Lord. Pray
they are not distracted by worldly things, that the Lord watches over and
protects them, that they continue to do well in their studies and that their
love of God’s Word increases daily.
·
Elina –
needs courage of her convictions and resolve to live a life that is
Christ-honouring for herself and her young son, Jimmy.
·
Megan (for
emotional healing) and Scott, her
husband (for patience and wisdom) and wisdom for his sister, Clare, as she seeks to support them through
troubled times.
·
Christine –
give her strength as she journeys to heart-healing and pray her husband gives
his heart to the Lord.
·
Robin –
lost her beloved mother (was 93 years old), please pray for strength and
healing for her as she navigates through this time of mourning and for her
daughter who is comforting her.
·
Pray for true,
Christ-centered revival in America.
Pray for those in full-time service
Pray the Lord upholds our Christian leaders – that they never compromise God’s Word and remain bold and courageous in the face of evil. Pray for their wisdom, safety, ingenuity, strength and for their families.
Pray for those with ongoing health concerns
Many of us have family, friends and loved ones with fragile
health. Pray God takes special care with
them and protects them in practical ways and that the Lord will have mercy on
them.
·
Thanksgiving! - Joni – a
long-time friend who has been wandering through the challenges of cancer
treatment. Last week she went for a
review of her last tests and the doctors are surprised to find that her cancer
seems to be completely gone. They will
do a PET scan to search to confirm this, but she seems all back to good health,
although a little weak.
·
Sophie–
six-year-old daughter of a friend is chronically unwell and frail. Please pray for her, her parents and health
carers to find ways to manage her symptoms and heal her.
·
David
– He has been growing stronger each day thanks to his new walker. Pray for wisdom for his health carers, and
for Heidi, his daughter to be strong
and healthy as she is David’s sole carer.
·
Patti and John –
pray God continues to inspire them with His love and compassion and that He
will guard their health. Pray also for
travelling mercies as Patti is now the only one who drives.
·
Peggy – a
dear friend and colleague of my sister-in-law who has been battling cancer in
her neck for years. Her new oncologist
has started a combination of chemo and radiation that seems to be working, but
she is miserable. Please pray for her as
she waits for her body to heal and strengthen.
·
Dana,
daughter of Annette and Lyle just gave birth to their first grandchild. All healthy.
Pray God watches over this precious, new child throughout her life and that
He captures her heart early in her life that she may inspire others by her
faith and love.
