Midweek Devotion- Psalm 147

Posted on June 24, 2020 by revlisad

Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing
Text: Robert Robinson, 1735-1790
Music: Wyeth’s Repository of Sacred Music, Part Second
Public Domain
1. Come, thou Fount of every blessing,
tune my heart to sing thy grace;
streams of mercy, never ceasing,
call for songs of loudest praise.
Teach me some melodious sonnet,
sung by flaming tongues above.
Praise the mount! I’m fixed upon it,
mount of thy redeeming love.

2. Here I raise mine Ebenezer;
hither by thy help I’m come;
and I hope, by thy good pleasure,
safely to arrive at home.
Jesus sought me when a stranger,
wandering from the fold of God;
he, to rescue me from danger,
interposed his precious blood.

3. O to grace how great a debtor
daily I’m constrained to be!
Let thy goodness, like a fetter,
bind my wandering heart to thee.
Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it,
prone to leave the God I love;
here’s my heart, O take and seal it,
seal it for thy courts above.

Breath Prayer:
IN- Let Thy goodness, like a fetter
OUT- Bind my wandering heart to Thee

You’re encouraged to use the following process as you read scripture. We use this process together on Wednesdays at 8:00AM EST.
https://www.facebook.com/TrinityUMCSarasota

STILLNESS: Spend 5-20 minutes in silence looking to God and listening for God.

ATTENTION: Read or listen to the Scripture. What word, phrase, or verse captures your attention? Underline it or copy it onto a piece of paper.

CONNECTION: What connections do you see to other scriptures? To your own experience or current situation? Or, to the character or promises of God?

ACTION: What is God inviting you to trust, say, or do? How will your life be different because of this scripture?

PRAY: Talk to God about what you just experienced or anything else on your heart.

Recorded 6/24/2020

Bind Us Together
CCLI Song # 1228
Bob Gillman © 1977 Thankyou Music (Admin. by Capitol CMG Publishing)
CCLI License # 686715

A question for subscribers

Posted on August 27, 2019 by revlisad

Greetings Dear Ones,

I’m so thankful you’ve decided to subscribe to the blog. It’s my prayer what you find here will draw you closer to God and that you’ll feel more confident in your spiritual practices.

Please respond to 3 subscriber questions so I can improve this blog.

1. Recently, I changed what you receive via email when I make a post. My hope was that you’d click through to the website to finish the post and stay to explore more resources.

I realize my intentions may have been unclear and that this new format might be frustrating or discouraging.

When I post, do you want to receive the entire post or just a portion which you would need to click through to read the rest? I want to send you things in the way that is most helpful.

2. Also, what are your thoughts on a newsletter? Would this be valuable to you?

3. Content questions: What content is most helpful to you? What would you like to see more of? What questions would you like answered, topics or themes covered?

Thank you again for being part of this community. You are important to me and important to God. Peace be with you.

Your sister and servant in Christ- Lisa <><

Prayer for Violent Times

Posted on February 15, 2018 by revlisad

It breaks my heart to be posting this prayer yet again in the face of another mass shooting. The school shooting in Parkland, Florida marks the 29th mass shooting in the US in 2018, in just 45 days.

Yes, we need to pray.

The prayer of the righteous is powerful and effective. (James 5:16)

But we must not stop there. James 2:14-17 reminds us

What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if you say you have faith but do not have works? Can faith save you? If a brother or sister is naked and lacks daily food, and one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and eat your fill,” and yet you do not supply their bodily needs, what is the good of that? So faith by itself, if it has no works, is dead.Prayer changes things and changes us. It calls us, leads us, and empowers us to join Jesus in his saving work.

It is time to pray and to act
To seek God’s wisdom and empowerment to respond
To call on God for peace
and to care for bodies before they are zipped into body bags.

This Lenten season I invite you to break from the usual custom of fasting or other form of self-denial and, instead, to fast from apathy. That means you set aside all your noncaring attitudes and move closer to the caring love of God. Even in its mildest form, apathy is a spiritual illness. The cure for apathy is also a spiritual one. … We must move from prayer to action.
– George Hovaness Donigian, A World Worth Saving

How are you responding in prayer and action? – Lisa <

Psalm 46:1 NRSV
God is our refuge and our strength, a very present help in times of trouble

God our Refuge, calm our hearts when evil abounds
They run to lonesome places, screaming an alarm
Calm our hearts so we can find you above the fear

God our Strength, calm our hearts when evil abounds
They race to revenge, pounding with anger
Calm our hearts so we can hear you above the hammering

God our Help, calm our hearts when evil abounds
They rush to human strength, grasping for control
Calm our hearts so we can hold to your way, your truth, and your life

Calm our hearts so they may beat in unison with yours
So healing may flow over bodies and spirits broken by the chaos
So hope may fill families and communities devastated by violence
So compassion and peace and unity may rise up among all people

God our Strength, our Refuge, our Help
We entrust our lives to you
We step forward with you in your saving work
Amen

Be sure to also check out Sarah Bessey’s Breath Prayers for Anxious Times. Grounded in scripture. Centering. Honest.

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You are welcome to use this work in a worship setting with proper attribution.
Leave a comment for information and permission to publish this work in any form.

The Tools You Need to Stop Procrastinating and Start Focusing on What Matters

Posted on January 1, 2018 by revlisad

You can bravely do the next thing, because God’s got this thing. Perfect Love terminates The Perfectionist Terrorist — which eliminates the Procrastinator — which liberates you, the Presenter…. to unwrap the gift of right now, your one life. – Ann Voskamp

If you haven’t found Ann Voskamp, stop everything and run to her blog right now. There you will find a woman of deep authentic faith, a kind and generous and vulnerable soul whose writings and resources prepare the way for God to move powerfully in your life.

As we step into a new year, it’s my joy to draw your attention to three Voskamp resources which help me focus on what really matters. One I use daily and the other two I use monthly.

Her free daily planning page template is a Godsend. It’s far more than a scheduling page. It’s everything you need in one place for holistic living- meal planning, hydration reminder, exercise reminder, gratitude journal, relationship building reminder, memory verse, to do list … you get the idea. (Click here for an article on this resource from Voskamp’s blog.)

My 2017 Purpose Page

I’ve been using Voskamp’s daily planning page for a couple of years now, but 2017 was the first year I used her Purpose Page and Monthly Cue Cards. (Click here for an article on these resources from Voskamp’s blog.)

Each month you’re provided a prompt to help you focus on what really matters. You can fill out the entire page at the beginning of the year and live into those intentions or fill it out month by month as the Spirit leads. Once you have your focus words, you write a prayer based on the intentions using the cue cards. Be sure to post your intentions and prayers where you can see them regularly.

I chose the month to month pattern in 2017. Looking back on this list at the end of the year, I can see God’s leading throughout the year. I can remember specific promptings from God- doors opening and others closing, the finetuning of perspective. It’s incredible how something so simple can break through the distractions and excuses.

Here’s my 2017 list. I’m seriously thinking of keeping it for 2018 as well.

Embrace Ceasing: Silence, Solitude, Sabbath, Slowing
Engage Injustice: Speak Up, Pray Up, Speak Out, Show Up
Be Healthy: Track Meals, Drink Water, Move, Go to Meetings (I joined Weight Watchers)
Believe God for the Growth: I trust You. Renew a right spirit within me.
Break the Chains: Poverty, Prejudice, Jealousy, Addiction
Daily Grace: Mind, Body, Soul, Heart
Do the New, Hard Thing: Try, Prioritize, Courage, Focus
Let Go of Fear: Not good enough. Not pretty enough.
Learn to Prioritize: No Time = No Priorities
Live Expectant: Faith, Hope, Trust, Eyes to See
Give it Away: Simplify, Downsize, Bless, Generosity
Grow the Seeds: Nurture, Shine Light, Water, Stake Up

I pray these resources are a blessing to you. Leave a comment with your favorite resources or about these resources. May the grace of a new year draw you closer to God, your true self, and the fulfillment of God’s purpose for your life. – Lisa <><

Advent and Christmas Bible Reading Plans

Posted on November 30, 2017 by revlisad

Live Hope, Give Hope: A Plan to Share the Goodness of Jesus at Christmas
Readings from Isaiah, Matthew, Luke, John, and Psalms
Also includes a sentence prayer and action prompts to Help, Offer, Pray, or Encourage
December 1-31, 6 days per week

Comfort and Joy: A Simple Bible Reading Plan for Christmas
Readings from Matthew, Luke and John bible luke 2
Some of the readings are even repeated so you can go slow and go deep. Also includes a sentence prayer for each reading.
December 1-31, 5 days per week

Jesus, the Coming Messiah- Advent Bible Readings from Old Testament to New
Old and New Testament Readings
December 1-25, everyday
This reading plan highlights the Old Testament names and prophesies concerning the Messiah which Christians see fulfilled in Jesus.

The Advent Door Reading Plan
Based on Jan Richardson’s book Through the Advent Door: Entering a Contemplative Christmas . Her book is structured in the style of a classic Advent calendar, with 25 scripture reflections, each with an original piece of art. This is a true Advent reading plan, with the first 18 readings focusing on the repentance and the 2nd coming of Christ.

Countdown to Christmas
Old and New Testament Readings
December 1-25, everyday

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