Week 12 - Ch 22 & 23 Readings & Reflection

Consider the following questions when reading, Ch. 22, "Lord, Enable Me to Resist the Temptation to Sin"

1. What is your greatest area of temptation? How difficult is the struggle you have, and how have you been able to handle it?
2. Read Corinthians 10:13. Is the temptation you face any different than what other people have faced? If so, why?
3. Read Galatians 5:9. What can you do when you are faced with temptation? What could you do that would help you stand strong?
4. Read Matthew 26:41. What does God want you to do so that you won't enter into temptation? What part of us is weak? Which part of us is strong?
5. Reas James 1:12. What is your reward for enduring temptation and falling into it?
6. 1 John 4:4. Why do you have the power to overcome temptation?

DC Talk, What if I Stumble
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kg6HedZ4xGs&feature=related

Third Day: Carry My Cross (intro) + Thief
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eFf4RZR2tLA&feature=related

Consider the following questions when reading, Ch. 23, "Lord, Heal Me and Help Me Care for My Body"

1. Read 1 Corinthians 6:19-20. What is the main reason to take care of your body?
2. Read Mark 6:56. According to this verse, who was healed? In what ways could you touch Jesus and find healing for your body?
3. Read James 5:14-16. What are those who need healing supposed to do?
4. Read Exodus 15:26. If God is the same yesterday, today and forever as He says He is, what is the promise to you in this scripture, and what are God's requirements?
5. Read Acts 14:8-10 and Matthew 9:20-22. What do these two sections of the scripture have in common? What was required of these people for them to be healed?

Bebo Norman, Healing Song
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CS-hB6WMQMY

Michael W. Smith, Healing Rain
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=31D2g7t5Bjs&feature=related

Week 11 - Ch. 20 & 21 Readings & Reflection

Consider the following questions when reading, Ch. 20, "Lord, Set Me Free from Negative Emotions"

1. Read Philippians4:6-7. Write this scripture out as a prayer that you could pray whenever you feel anxious.
2. Read Ephesians 4:26-27 & Ecclesiastes 7:9. Write out a prayer confessing any anger you may have now or have struggled with in the past. Ask God to set you free from it so that you wont miss what He has for you. If you are not aware of any anger in you, ask God to reveal any place in your heart where you have hidden anger so you can be delivered from it.
3. Read Philippians 4:11-13. Write out a prayer confessing any times you have been dissatisfied in your life. As God to help you trust His ability to take care of you and get you where you need to go. Ask Him to help you find rest and peace in the midst of any situation.
4. Read James 3:16 & Corinthians 3:3. Write out a prayer asking God to keep you free of envy. Confess anything you see in yourself that could be the beginning of envy. Better to get it out on paper than to let it grow into something that keeps you from all God has for you. I know it is embarassing to admit these things but remember, God already knows. He is just waiting to hear it from you so you can be free.
5. Read Psalm 107:13-14. Write out a prayer asking God to lift you out of depression. Tell the enemy of your soul that he has no power to bring a blanket of depression over you because God is your delivere and has delivered you of that.
6. Read Acts 8:23 and Hebrews 12:15. Are you aware of any bitterness in you? Write out a prayer asking God to expose any root of bitterness in you and destroy it. Ask Him to always keep you far from bitterness in your life.
7. Read Romans 5:5 & Colossians 1:27. Hopelessness is a snare to you soul. Write out a prayer asking God to help you always find your hope in Him.

Strong woman song LOL, Jo Dee Messina - Bring on the Rain
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xWYRfsjBNQk&feature=related

Consider the following while reading Chapter 21, "Lord, Comfort Me in Times of Trouble".

1. Read 1 Peter 5:10 & Matthew 5:3-4. What does God promise to do as a result of your suffering?
2. Read Hebrews 12:11. Have you ever gone through a difficult time and now, looking back, you believe God was teaching you something in the process?
3. Have you ever not gotten what you prayed for and now, looking back, realize the answer No was actually the better than what you prayed for?

Garth Brooks - Unanswered Prayers
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6oEC1WbbWqs

Week 10 - Ch. 18-19 Readings & Reflection

Week 10 Readings & Reflection Questions

Consider the following questions when reading, Ch. 18, "Lord Give Me Wisdom to Make Right Decisions"

1. Read Proverbs 2:3-6. According to this scripture, how can you get wisdom, understanding, and discernment?
2. According to Psalm 1:2-3, what is the reward for delighting in God's law and relying on godly counsel?
3. Read Ephesians 1:15-19. What did Paul pray for the Ephesians? Why did he want them to have wisdom?

Consider the following questions when reading, Ch. 19, "Lord, Deliver Me from Every Evil Work"

1. Do you now or have you ever felt as though you were sliding back into the very thing from which you have already been set free?
2. Were you really going backwards or was God taking you to a new level of deliverance and freedom? If you don't know, ask God to show you.
3. Read Corinthians 1:9-10. What are the great truths here about God delivering you or setting you free?
4. Read 2 Timothy 4:18. Write out a prayer asking God to deliver you from every evil work and show you any time you need to be set free from something.

Ch. 16 & 17 Reflection Questions

Consider the following questions when reading, Ch. 16 "Lord, Keep Me in the Center of Your Will"

1. Does having trouble in your life always mean you are out of God's will?
2. Does following God's will mean that life will always be easy?
4. Does following God mean you will never feel stretched or uncomfortable?
5. Write a prayer next to each of the following categories and ask God to show you if you are in the center of His will regarding these areas in your life:

• Where you live
• Where you work
• What you do with your free time
• Where you go to church
• Who your relationships are with
• How you conduct each of your relationships

Consider the following questions when reading, Ch. 17 "Lord, Protect Me and All I Care About"

1. Read Psalm 91:1-16 and underline the promises of God to you.
2. Read Psalm 31:19-20. What has God promised to do for those who trust and fear Him?
3. Read Psalm 119:117. What do you feel is your  main area of vulnerability? What is your greatest concern with regard to being kept safe? What do you most need to be protected from?

Week 9 - Read Ch. 16 & 17

Read Chapter 16 "Lord, Guide Me in the Center of Your Will" and Chapter 17 "Lord, Protect Me and All I Care About".

I want to encourage you to write down your 2011 resolutions. Seek God, and ask Him to reveal to you His will and purpose for you in 2011 in the following areas, Personal, Spiritual, Vocational and Relational.

Habakkuk 2:2
Then the LORD replied: “Write down the revelation and make it plain on tablets so that a herald may run with it.

Ch 14 & 15 Reflection Questions

For me, these were great chapters to read going into the new year and declaring new resolutions and goals for yourself. We all have a purpose, we shouldn't just "go" through life. We should LIVE LIFE ON PURPOSE!

Consider the following questions when reading, Chapter 14 "Lord, Move Me into the Purpose for Which I was Created":

1. Do you believe your life has purpose? Do you have a sense of what that purpose is? If yes, write out a prayer telling God what you believe your purpose is, and then ask Him to confirm that to you by giving you an even clearer understanding of how He wants to develop His purposes in your life. If no, write out a prayer asking God to show you what your purpose is.. Write down anything He reveals to you or what you see as a possible direction for your life.
2. Read Romans 11:29, 12:6-8. What are your gifts, talents or abilities? Keep in mind, it doesn't matter if your talent is developed or weather you use it much. Ask God to show you every gift He has put within you that can bless others.

Exodus 9:16
But I have raised you up for this very purpose, that I might show you my power and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth.

I love reading about humans and how we relate to one another. Being relational may not come naturally. Like myself, I am an introvert. So I am fine being myself, but I must remember its not what's best, it's not God's plan for us to be an island. We serve a relational God, who desires to have a relationship with us. God asks us to love Him, then to love ourselves, then to love others. How can you love someone without getting to know them? To know Him you must develop a relationship with Him. What is the key to a successful relationship? Communication. The communication lines with God are always open - reading the bible, prayer, worship, and just plain talking to Him. Then He reveals Himself to you through his Holy Spirit that lives in you. For me, my relationship with God is the most intimate of all my relationships, because he knows my sins/faults and loves me anyways - no judgment or condemnation, just grace and love - no strings attached. With His love I receive, I then can forgive myself and love myself, then I can love others with the love of God that lives in me. Let me point out, this is not a one time fall head over heels love or happily-ever after...Oh no, it's a daily-committed-in constant communication-accountability partner-truth in love kind of relationship. And I LOVE IT!

Consider the following questions when reading, Chapter 15 "Lord, Guide Me in All My Relationships":

1. Do you believe that you exhibit to others the seven signs of a desirable friend? Which quality is your strongest? Which quality is your weakest?
2. Read Psalm 68:6. Are you a member of a church where you are part of a spiritual family with whom you feel connected? If yes, describe what is most important to you about your spiritual family. If no, write our a prayer asking God to reveal to you the church and spiritual family where you belong.

Mark 12:28-31 

One of the teachers of the law came and heard them debating. Noticing that Jesus had given them a good answer, he asked him, “Of all the commandments, which is the most important?” “The most important one,” answered Jesus... Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself. There is no commandment greater than these.”

Deuteronomy 30:16
For I command you today to love the LORD your God, to walk in obedience to him, and to keep his commands, decrees and laws; then you will live and increase, and the LORD your God will bless you in the land you are entering to possess.

Tools and Resources

http://www.purposedrivenlife.com/en-US/FreeTools/healthAssessment/PDLHealthAssessment.htm

http://www.purposedrivenlife.com/en-US/FreeTools/LifeStatements/statements.htm

http://www.spiritualgiftstest.com/index.php?option=com_wrapper&view=wrapper&Itemid=3

Week 8 - Read Ch. 14 & 15

Read Chapter 14, Lord, Move Me into the Purpose for Which I Was Created and Chapter 15, Lord, Guide Me in All My Relationships.

I hope you are as excited to read these chapters as I am! Who doesn't want to move in their purpose and to be guided my God?!

“The single greatest cause of atheism in the world today is Christians, who acknowledge Jesus with their lips, then walk out the door, and deny Him by their lifestyle. That is what an unbelieving world simply finds unbelievable”. - Brennan Manning

But I have raised you up for this very purpose, that I might show you my power and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth.

Exodus 9:16

Ch. 12 & 13 Reflection Questions

Ch. 12 - Lord, Plant Me So I will Bear the Fruit of Your Spirit

1. Of all the fruits of the spirit, which one would you like to see manifested more obviously in your life right now?
2. Read Galatians 5:19-21. What are the works for the flesh? What will happen if you practice such things?
3. Read Galatians 5:22-23 and fill in the blanks. "But when the _____ ______ controls our lives, ____ will produce this kind of fruit in us: ____, ____, _____, _____, ______, ______, _____ and ______. Here there is no conflict with the law."

Ch. 13 - Lord, Preserve Me in Purity and Holiness

1. Read James 4:4 and 1 John 2:15-16. What happens when you become a friend of the world? What happens when you love the things of the world?
2. Read Galatians 5:24-25 and Ephesians 1:4. According to these scriptures, how are we supposed to walk?
3. Read Ephesians 4:25-32. According to them, what are the things we are supposed to do?
4. Read Matthew 5:8. What the reward for having a pure heart?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kg6HedZ4xGs&feature=related

Week 7 - Read Ch. 12 & 13

Read Chapter 12, Lord, Plant Me so I Will Bear Fruit of Your Spirit and Chapter 13, Lord, Preserve Me in Purity and Holiness.

Can't wait to see how God will speak to me through these readings and to read your comments and posts on last weeks readings! This is good stuff! :)

Taste and see that the LORD is good;
   blessed is the one who takes refuge in him.

Psalm 34:8 (NIV) 

Week 6 Reflection - Ch. 10 & 11

WOW! God is so good to answer me through these readings. Even if it wasn't an answer, but encouraged me to keep praying and seeking HIS will.

Chapter 10 Lord, Prepare Me to Be a True Worshiper  spoke to me about worshipping in God in all we do - singing, relationships and at work. Personally, since I have such a long commute to work, my car is my sanctuary. I listen to talk radio, worship music and pray. Its my special alone time with God before work, love it! I doesn't always come naturally sometimes, I have to verbally tell myself "okay, change the radio station" and "okay, stop thinking about that you need to pray." I always remember the scripture, Luke 19:40  “I tell you,” he replied, “if they [worshippers] keep quiet, the stones will cry out.”

Chapter 11 Lord, Bless Me in the Work I Do blessed me! If we are seeking God to guide us, then we have a purpose in where we are working far beyond the job description. We cant forget to pray daily for our employer, coworkers and clients. Everyday we have a purpose, and we might miss it if we aren't submitting to God's leading. Just like one mornig last week before work, I was getting my purse together and I heard a little voice tell me, "take a rubber band to work." I said, "okay, Lord." I get to work, one of my coworkers asked if I had a rubber band. CRAZY?!  However this morning, a little voice told me "take an extra allergy pill to work." I said, "Nah, I'll take it before work." (Just thinking about me.) I get to work, my boss had bad allergies. UGH! I / We need to learn to listen to the spirit, even if it sounds too little to matter. It does matter, maybe not for / to you, but for someone else. God is loving others through us. He loves my friend soooo much, that he told me to take a rubber band because he knew she would need it. We need to stop looking down and start looking around, and allowing God to love others through us. That has nothing in the work I do, but has everything to do with the work he does through us.

Matthew 22:36-40 (GOD’S WORD Translation) “Teacher, which commandment is the greatest in Moses’ Teachings?” Jesus answered him, “ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the greatest and most important commandment. The second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as you love yourself.’

"I have found the paradox, that if you love until it hurts, there can be no more hurt, only love."  -Mother Theresa

God does want us to be successful. What father doesn't want that for his child? Joshua 1:8 "Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful." It's such a simple request, but we make it a task to read his love letter to us. Did you ever watch "My Life" starring Michael Keaton? Well in the movie he is has the perfect life - great job, beautiful wife and baby on the way. Then he finds out he has a terminal cancer and in the last stages of life. So he decides to make a video of life lessons for his baby, that he would've told his child had he not died. UGH SAD! (Must see!) But kinda reminds of God and He giving us the Bible as his instructions for our life. B.I.B.L.E. - Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth.

Love you all! Have a blessed week!

Reflection Questions

1. How did Chapter 10 speak to you?

2. How did Chapter 11 speak to you?

3.  What was your favorite quote from the book?