Friday, November 20, 2015

How to pray effectively about terrorism #2 and a prayer retreat


How to pray effectively about terrorism #2 and a prayer retreat
(Topics: Journaling, writing, news/current events, history, prayer, terror, thanks and blessing, and the Bible: Dabbling with a little of this and that)
November 19-20, 2015
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TOPICS OF THIS BLOG POST:
AN INSPIRATIONAL BLOG POST TO HELP PREPARE US FOR ADVENT
MY PERSONAL JOURNALING 
ARTICLES, NEWS, CURRENT EVENTS, AND OPINION
PRAYER RETREAT
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NOV/19/2015/Thurs.
AN INSPIRATIONAL BLOG POST TO HELP PREPARE US FOR ADVENT
I am grateful for this inspirational blog post by Ann Voskamp:
Title: "when the world feels dark & angry & scary: How To Carry Light through this season anyways" 
I am convinced everything Ann Voskamp writes is dynamite, and I have thought this for over three years now. What a blessing. She allows the Lord to speak through her, that is for sure. 
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My personal journaling: Ugh. About the time I start feeling less yucky... less wound up... less dread... less blah... Then, I see this:
Article, News, Current Events, Opinion
Title: "Report: ISIS Trying to Develop Chemical Weapons"
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My personal journaling: I must admit I would love to have a prayer retreat. Stop. I will tomorrow. Yes. That sounds like the best thing to do. I feel like I need a break or a vacation. I feel like running away from all of the turmoil in this world. So, I plan on running to the Lord and the Bible instead in prayer. 
Care to join me? You can follow this blog post at any time and have your own prayer retreat, whether it's tomorrow or twenty years from now.
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Nov/20/2015/Fri.: The Prayer Retreat
Today is my prayer retreat. I am going to spend the day in prayer. It's really quite necessary because terror has struck again and it's in Mali.
Let me begin by sharing some specifics I'm going to pray about today:
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Article, News, Current Events, Opinion
Title: "At least 3 dead, dozens of hostages held as gunmen storm Mali hotel"
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Article, News, Current Events, Opinion
Title: "UPDATE: Hotel Stormed By Police; Terrorists Storm Hotel in French Mali, Take Nearly 200 Hostages"
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Article, News, Current Events, Opinion
Title: "Islamic extremists attack hotel in Mali's capital"
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(726 a.m.) Sure. I should spend more time learning the history of terrorism. But, I think prayer is mandatory right now. A day of focused prayer will help me his world and will help me soul.
I will post another post later today about this prayer retreat. Here are some verses to get us started. Let's start with this:
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We are to always give thanks. 
Psalm 95:1-2 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
1 Come, let us shout joyfully to the Lord,
shout triumphantly to the rock of our salvation!(A)
2 Let us enter His presence with thanksgiving;
let us shout triumphantly to Him in song.(B)
Cross references:
95:1 : Jb 38:7; Ps 81:1; 98:4, 6
95:2 : Ps 100:4; Jnh 2:9
Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
Copyright © 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2009 by Holman Bible Publishers, Nashville Tennessee. All rights reserved.
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1 Thessalonians 5:17-18 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
17 Pray constantly.
18 Give thanks in everything,
for this is God’s will(A) for you in Christ Jesus.
Cross references:
5:18 : Eph 6:6; 1Th 4:3; 1Pt 2:15; 4:2; 1Jn 2:17
Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
Copyright © 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2009 by Holman Bible Publishers, Nashville Tennessee. All rights reserved.
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Philippians 4:6-8 New Living Translation (NLT)
6 Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. 7 Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.
8 And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.
New Living Translation (NLT)
Holy Bible. New Living Translation copyright© 1996, 2004, 2007, 2013 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
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Colossians 2:5-7 New Living Translation (NLT)
5 For though I am far away from you, my heart is with you. And I rejoice that you are living as you should and that your faith in Christ is strong.
6 And now, just as you accepted Christ Jesus as your Lord, you must continue to follow him. 7 Let your roots grow down into him, and let your lives be built on him. Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught, and you will overflow with thankfulness.
New Living Translation (NLT)
Holy Bible. New Living Translation copyright© 1996, 2004, 2007, 2013 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

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