"Pray without ceasing." 1 Thessalonians 5:17.


Prayer does not use up time. Prayer saves time. Prayer adds to our quality of life. Prayer helps us to be present and it increases our spiritual awareness. Prayer helps us to be participants in life versus spectators. 


 “Sometimes we think we are too busy to pray. That also is a great mistake, for praying saves us time. If we know that there are certain things that distract us from spending time with God, let us avoid it earnestly. Let us try, as much as possible, not to be put off the scent in prayer. Satan's object will be to distract the mind, to throw it off the rails, to divert its aim, but let us resolve before God, we will not turn aside from following hard after him.” (Charles Spurgeon)


Dear Lord, we run to you today because we yearn to be in your presence. Yet, there are times when we prioritize people and things over you. Strenghten us to “be persistent and devoted to prayer, being alert and focused in our prayer life with an attitude of thanksgiving.” (Colossians 4:2)


Don’t be too busy to pray!


GiGi❤️

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“He kneeled upon his knees three times a day, and prayed, and gave thanks before his God, as he did aforetime.” (Daniel 6:10b)


The combination of prayer and praise is powerful as it allows us to connect with the Lord on a deeper, more personable level. Our relationship with God is nurtured through the gift of prayer and thanksgiving. 


“All of Daniel’s prayers were mingled with thanksgiving. Do observe it, for so many forget this, ‘He prayed and gave thanks to God.’ Surely, it is poor devotion which is always asking and never returning its gratitude! Am I to live upon the bounty of God, and never to thank him for what I receive? Surely, prayers in which there is no thanksgiving are selfish things: they rob God; and will a man rob God — rob God even in his prayers— and yet expect that his prayers should be successful? Have I not often said in this place that prayer and praise resemble the process by which we live? We breathe in the atmospheric air, and then breathe it out again: prayer taken in deep draughts of the love and grace of God, and then praise breathes it out again.” Charles Spurgeon


“Bless the Lord, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name.” (Psalm 103:1)


GiGi❤️
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“If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.” (1 John 1:8)


Not one person is perfect; all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. One of the greatest gifts we can give ourselves is authenticity which means to fully show up. When we do, we can be honest with ourselves, exhibiting the ability to see and accept the good, bad, and ugly, and vulnerable and courageous enough to still fully show up and be true. David was a perfect example of authenticity, particularly before his God. He wasn’t perfect but His heart was right with God. 


“It is not that you may deceive the Lord for a little time, and then afterwards be discovered No; you cannot mislead him, even for an instant. He reads us as he reads a book. He sees through us as looking through a sheet of clear glass. The instant thought that flitters across the mind like a stray bird, leaving nor track nor trace, God observes it, and knows it altogether. To pretend to be other than we are before God is a hideous madness. Surely, Satan himself must laugh in his sleeve at those who come before God with words of praise on their lips and there is no devotion in their hearts: it is the comedy of a tragic blasphemy…May God grant that we may never play the fool in this way; for playing the fool it is, to hope to appear otherwise before him than what we really are deep down in our hearts…I charge you, above all things, be true.” (Charles Spurgeon)

Be True!

GiGi❤️

“And he said to all, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.” (Luke 9:23)


The Lord wants all of us, not just the parts we are ready to dispense of because they no longer serve us. He wants the parts of us that we cling to because if we let them go we will lose part of our identity. At times, that’s our thinking; we know what’s best. He knows that to fully embrace Him and enjoy the fruit of salvation we must deny ourselves. We cannot trust that we know what is right for us. We must place our confidence in the Lord, that He knows what’s best. We cannot have everything we desire, touch everything we see, enter into every door. We cannot trust self and need the discipline of self-denial. 


“The Lord warded off the evil by sending Paul a great trouble when he was in Asia: thus doth our all-wise and almighty God arrange providence to prevent his servants from falling into self-trust. Depend upon it, he is doing the same for us, since we have even greater need: he is arranging all our ways and steps that we may not wander into self-conceit. Peradventure, our heavenly Father is at this present time afflicting some of you, denying you your heart’s desire, or taking from you the delight of your eyes, placing you in circumstances where you are puzzled and bewildered, and do not know what to do at all; and all for this reason, that you may become sick of yourself and fond of Christ; that you may know your own folly, and may trust yourself with purpose of heart to the divine wisdom: for, rest assured, nothing can happen to you that is much worse than to trust yourselves.” (Charles Spurgeon)


Self denial causes us to look to the hills for our help. Our help comes from the Lord, not self. 


GiGi❤️

"Fight the Lord's battles." (1 Samuel 18:17)


All along we may have thought we were in right standing to defend ourselves. Yet, the defense has already been made for us. All that is required of us is to stand. 


We should be careful to refrain from being so sensitive to feedback, critique, and opinions that it causes us to defend ourselves. It can be a sign of much self-focus instead of God focus. It is not our responsibility to defend ourselves, it is the Lord’s. On the other hand, are we offended when our Lord is dishonored? Are we quick to speak truth and righteousness in response to unfairness and injustice? Jesus provided us a blueprint in that he “never said a mumblin word,” or lifted a hand before his accuser, “Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously (1Peter 2:23).

“We should carefully distinguish between the battles of God, and our own. It is not your business to fight our own battles, not even in defense of our own character. If we are maligned and slandered, let the slanderer alone. Our malignity will just increase by any attempt that we shall make to defend ourselves. As a soldier of Christ we are to fight for our Master, not for ourselves. We are not to carry on a private warfare for our honor, but all our time and all our power is to be given to his defense and his war. Often, when we get into little tempers, and our blood is roused, we are apt to think that we are fighting the cause of truth, when we are really maintaining our own pride. We imagine that we are defending our Master, but we are defending our own little selves. Too often the anger rises against an adversary not because his words reflect dishonor upon the glorious Christ, but because they dishonor us.”


Remember, The Battle Belongs To God!


GiGi❤️

“You are the God who sees me… I have now seen the One who sees me” (Genesis 16:13)


The phrase, “The God Who Sees Me,” is El ROI in Hebrew. Just in case we think that we are alone and go unobserved, please know that we are not alone. Our God sees, hears and walks with us. He is a God that is present and we are surrounded by ministering angels sent to serve us (Hebrews 1:14).


“From heaven there look down upon you spirits who see all that finite beings are capable of beholding. But if we think that thought worth treasuring up, there is one which sums up that and drowns it, even as a drop is lost in the ocean; it is the thought, "Thou God sees me." It is nothing that angels see me, it is nothing that devils watch me, it is nothing that man sees me, compared with the overwhelming truth, that God, at all times sees me. Let us dwell on that now, and may God the Spirit make use of it to our spiritual profit!” (Charles Spurgeon)


El Roi!


GiGi❤️

Who hath believed our report? and to whom is the arm of the LORD revealed?  (Isaiah 53:1)


We choose what kind of a day we are going to have. What structures or processes have we put in place to ensure our day begins with hope? We are the host that is sent out to spy the land. What will be our report? Will it be one of faith and victory or will it be fear and failure. Either we will see the world around us through the lense of hope in Christ or our perspective will be influenced by unbelief. Either we will speak life or death today. We get to decide. 


Spurgeon wrote, “Beloved brethren and friends, to put the parable as simply as I can, I am about to make out every Christian man and woman here to be a spy who has entered into the good land of religion, and who by his conduct and conversation brings either an evil or a good report of this good land, and either moves the world to murmur at and to despise Christ, [or either draws men and women to the throne of grace.]


How we live matters. It is our testimony to the world. We will not draw anyone to Christ with a perspective of defeat, but can draw others through a life of praise and victory. 


What will be our report today? 


GiGi❤️

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“You have granted me life and favor, and Your care has preserved my spirit.”(Job 10:12)

When we are at our lowest it can be tempting to question our mere existence. We do grow accustomed to things being well with our soul. When it is not going well, we may look for blame, self-criticize, condemn, and lose sight of what is real. Someone has to be at fault for our dark days. But a wise individual stated, “If you are going to be grateful for the good days, you must also be grateful for the bad ones, for our God is Lord over both, “For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.” (Matthew 5:45)

​At this point in Job’s prayer, he had been tormented by his friends and reached one of his lowest states. Yet, he never lost connection with His creator, still yet praying and seeking God’s face, understanding that through Him was life granted, every movement, and his very being.

Whatever we have received that is good, has come to us from God as a matter of pure favor—certainly we have deserved nothing at His hands but displeasure, and everything short of death and Hell is a mercy—and a thing for which to magnify the goodness of God…Let us praise God, then, for life, and especially for this higher life if it is ours. What a joy it is to live in this respect! You know that when a person is very sick and ill, and can scarcely turn in bed, or lift a hand, or when the heart is sick with grief, anxiety, or depression—when every sense is deprived of enjoyment and every vein or nerve becomes a road for the hot feet of pain to travel over—then life is hardly to be called life. But when God graciously raises us up, we ought to bless Him for giving us life again— prolonged, restored, enjoyable life…Are you, my Brother, my Sister, enjoying these lives? Do you feel that it is your privilege to be one with Christ and to live because He lives? And do you really know that you have received this wondrous blessing? Oh, then, sing unto the Lord as long as you live, for it is the living, even the living in Zion who shall praise Him as we do this day! Let this be one of your songs in this bright day of your happy experience. Let the joy of your heart ring it out in the words of our text—"You have granted me life." (Charles Spurgeon)

Let us rejoice and glorify God with this gift of life.


GiGi❤️

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I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. (John 14:18)


Even after the Lord has assured us that He is God Almighty and is always with us, we may, as Gideon, desire a sign of reassurance. We are strong, but our anxiety can cause fear and uncertainty to creep in. We believe, yet need the Lord to help our unbelief. We are full but anxious about famine and loss. Let us be wise and present. Breathe, the Lord is near. Praise Him, for the greatest sacrifice has already been made for us to enter into His presence and be assured. 


Gideon’s great faith and great weakness of faith both showed themselves in a desire for signs. Once assure him that God is with him, and Gideon has no fear, but hastens to the battle, bravest of the brave. With a handful of men, he is quite prepared to go against a host of adversaries; but he pines for a sign. Again and again he asks it. The anxious question seems to be constantly recurring to him, “Is the Lord with us? If the Lord is with us, where are all his miracles which our fathers told us of, saying, Did not the Lord bring us up from Egypt?” Hence his frequent prayer is, “If now I have found grace in thy sight, shew me a sign.” He began with this, and this ill beginning coloured his whole after career. I have known many persons like this son of Joash: they say, “Let me but know that God is with me, and my fear is gone”; but their repeated question is, “Is the Lord with me? Is Jesus mine, and am I his? Let me but know that I am a true believer, and I am sure that I shall not perish, for God will not forsake his own; but then, am I a believer? Have I the marks and evidences of a child of God?” Hence the practice of severe self-examination, and hence also the weakening habit of craving for tokens and feelings. How many are crying, “We see not our signs”; when they ought to say, “But we see Jesus!” How many are praying, “Shew me a token for good” when the Lord Jesus has given himself for them, and has thereby given the best token of his grace! (Charles Spurgeon)
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Just trust and believe!


GiGi❤️