"Never stop praying." (1 Thessalonians 5:17 NLT)

Consistent prayer is a key to growing in godliness. God is willing and able to respond to our cries for help, but sadly we often turn to him only for the occasional crisis.

We cannot grow in our walk with God if we don't talk to him! Imagine expecting to build a relationship with a person without ever speaking to him or her. Or perhaps just a casual hello now and then. And yet we do that with God. How can we get to know him that way? How can we learn to hear his voice?

Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take. (Proverbs 3:5-6 NLT)

In 2 Timothy 3:1-5 Paul talks about the increase of ungodliness in the last days.

You should know this, Timothy, that in the last days there will be very difficult times. For people will love only themselves and their money. They will be boastful and proud, scoffing at God, disobedient to their parents, and ungrateful. They will consider nothing sacred. They will be unloving and unforgiving; they will slander others and have no self-control. They will be cruel and hate what is good. They will betray their friends, be reckless, be puffed up with pride, and love pleasure rather than God. They will act religious, but they will reject the power that could make them godly. Stay away from people like that! (NLT)

Look around. What do you see? Isn't this a perfect description of today's world?

What can we do? Grow in godliness. Use the three resources God gives us to make that possible: his Word, his Spirit, and his people. And never stop praying. God will help us make a difference in this hurting world—an eternal difference.

Prayer

Father, I commit to spending more time with you in prayer. More time in your Word. Help me be sensitive as the Holy Spirit leads. And may we, as believers, motivate one another to good works. Help me make an eternal difference in the lives of the lost and hurting. In Jesus' name . . .

Living Free

Do you know anyone who has made mistakes in their past and not forgiven themselves? Do you know others who use their past as an excuse not to move on in life? Have you or someone you know had a rough childhood, absentee parent, or and type of dysfunction? Do you know someone that just needs a small glimmer of HOPE?

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Things Aren't Always What They Seem

Two traveling angels stopped to spend the night in the home of a wealthy family. The family was rude and refused to let the angels stay in the mansion's guest room. Instead, the angels were given a small space in the cold basement. As they made their bed on the hard floor, the older angel saw a hole in the wall and repaired it. When the younger angel asked why, the older angel replied, "Things aren't always what they seem."
The next night the pair came to rest at the house of a very poor, but very hospitable farmer and his wife. After sharing what little food they had the couple let the angels sleep in their bed where they could have a good night's rest. When the sun came up the next morning the angels found the farmer and his wife in tears. Their only cow, whose milk had been their sole income, lay dead in the field. The younger angel was infuriated and asked the older angel how could you have let this happen?
The first man had everything, yet you helped him, she accused. The second family had little but was willing to share everything, and you let the cow die. "Things aren't always what they seem," the older angel replied. "When we stayed in the basement of the mansion, I noticed there was gold stored in that hole in the wall. Since the owner was so obsessed with greed and unwilling to share his good fortune, I sealed the wall so he wouldn't find it." "Then last night as we slept in the farmers bed, the angel of death came for his wife. I gave him the cow instead. Things aren't always what they seem."
Sometimes that is exactly what happens when things don't turn out the way they should. If you have faith, you just need to trust that every outcome is always to your advantage. You might not know it until some time later...

One day a small opening appeared on a cocoon, a man sat and watched for the butterfly for several hours as it struggled to force its body through that little hole. Then it seemed to stop making any progress. It appeared as if it had gotten as far as it could and it could go no further.
So the man decided to help the butterfly, he took a pair of scissors and snipped off the remaining bit of the cocoon. The butterfly then emerged easily. But it had a swollen body and small, shriveled wings.
The man continued to watch the butterfly because he expected that, at any moment, the wings would enlarge and expand to be able to support the body, which would contract in time. Neither happened! In fact, the butterfly spent the rest of its life crawling around with a swollen body and shriveled wings. It never was able to fly.
What the man in his kindness and haste did not understand was that restricting the cocoon and the struggle required for the butterfly to get through the tiny opening were God's way of forcing fluid from the body of the butterfly into its wings so that it would be ready for flight once it achieved its freedom from the cocoon.
Sometimes struggles are exactly what we need in our life. If God allowed us to go through our life without any obstacles, it would cripple us. We would not be as strong as what we could have been. We could never fly.
I asked for Strength. And God gave me Difficulties to make me strong.
I asked for Wisdom. And God gave me Problems to solve.
I asked for Prosperity. And God gave me Brain and Brawn to work
I asked for Courage. And God gave me Danger to overcome.
I asked for Love. And God gave me Troubled people to help.
I asked for Favors. And God gave me Opportunities.
I received nothing I wanted. I received everything I needed.

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Sometimes we wonder, "What did I do to deserve this", or "Why did God have to do this to me"? Here is a wonderful explanation! A daughter is telling her Mother how everything is going wrong. She's failing algebra, her boyfriend broke up with her and her best friend is moving away.
Meanwhile, her Mother is baking a cake and asks her daughter if she would like a snack, and the daughter says, "Absolutely Mom, I love your cake." "Here, have some cooking oil," her Mother offers.
"Yuck," says her daughter.
"How about a couple raw eggs?"
"Gross, Mom!"
"Would you like some flour then? Or maybe baking soda?"
"Mom, those are all yucky!"
To which the mother replies: "Yes, all those things seem bad all by themselves. But when they are put together in the right way, they make a wonderfully delicious cake! God works the same way. Many times we wonder why He would let us go through such bad and difficult times. But God knows that when He puts these things all in His order, they always work for good! We just have to trust Him and, eventually, they will all make something wonderful!"

God is crazy about you. He sends you flowers every spring and a sunrise every morning. Whenever you want to talk, He'll listen. He can live anywhere in the universe, and He chose your heart. I hope your day is a "piece of cake!"