Tuesday, December 31, 2013

Happy New Year 2014

HaPpY NeW YeaR 2014!!!

My the next year be full of blessings and special memories.

(Image courtesy of gubgib at FreeDigitalPhotos.net)

Day 6: Lord, Where Are You Leading Me?: Part 1

LORD, WHERE ARE YOU LEADING ME? WHERE DO YOU WANT ME TO GO THIS NEXT YEAR?

Lord, where do You want me to go and what do You want me to do with the next year and this new beginning? Answer this question in your prayer journal.

PRAYER JOURNALING AND CONTEMPLATION QUESTION:

Does the previous question mean more to you than what you want or desire? Explain your answer. Be thorough and be brutally honest.

Prove your answer to the above. If you said yes, look at your schedule over the last year. Does your schedule reflect that God’s desire is first in your life? Or are your desires?

If you said no, that is okay. It’s important to be honest with ourselves and with God. Now, don’t feel guilty for a second. That’s not the intent. Nor is guild worthwhile. After all, you cannot change the past. But, you can sure learn from it, apply those lessons, and choose how you will do things in the future.

A LITTLE REMINDER…

Don’t forget your yearly Bible verse or your memory verses. Pray them back to God at this time, whether by memory or by looking at them.

GOD, LEAD ME PRAYER

God, lead me. Tell me what Your purpose is for me and my life this morning, this afternoon, this evening, tonight, tomorrow, this week, this month, this quarter, this year, the next two years, three years, five years, decade, twenty years, twenty-five years, etc. Help make it abundantly clear to me and help me not to miss it. Teach me how to live Your purpose this day as well as tomorrow. I want to live for You and bring You glory. I want to live according to Your will, not mine. Please teach me to do so and guide me.

Write out what you said to God and what He said to you in your prayer journal.

HOW DO WE KNOW WHERE GOD IS LEADING US OR THAT HE IS SHOWING US THE WAY AND HIS PURPOSE?

The best way to know God’s purpose for us each and every moment is to be in the Word of God, the Bible. It’s really that simple. He will show us the way through the Scripture. This is why it’s so important for us to be in the Bible each and every day—preferably throughout the day each day. It is the Word of God, after all. It’s how He speaks to us.

Prayer journal your thoughts.

Now, let’s look at some verses which should help us know what to pray and how to pray for the next year and our new beginning. With each verse listed after this section, prayer journal these 4 things about each verse:

1 What jumped out at you and why?

2 What did you learn from this verse?

3 What did God say to you through this verse?

4 What does this verse mean to you and your life today, this week, this month, this quarter, this year, etc.?

Psalm 16:7 NCV

7 I praise the Lord because he advises me.

Even at night, I feel his leading.

Don’t forget to prayer journal the four things before we continue.

I do not know about you, but that verse teaches me a great deal of what to do and what I haven’t been doing. (Sigh.)

SELAH. PAUSE.

Selah. Pause.

Do not press forward for a moment.

Savor the moment instead.

Listen to God and stop speaking.

Pause. Rest.

You do not have to continue at any time if God is speaking to You. Just stop and pause. Hang out here for a while. If your brain is working like crazy, if God is speaking, if you feel like you are on the precipice of something big, or if you experience and A-HA moment, then stop. Selah. Pause.

If you are tired and exhausted. Selah. Pause.

There might be days when you need to do this several times throughout your day. Do it.

Psalm 23:3 NOG

He guides me along the paths of righteousness

for the sake of his name.

Don’t forget to prayer journal the four things before we continue.

Psalm 25:5 GW

5 Lead me in your truth and teach me

because you are God, my savior.

I wait all day long for you.

Don’t forget to prayer journal the four things before we continue.

Id o not know about you, but with the last three verses we just read, I could spend a month or two thinking about those verses over and over, prayer journaling about them, and memorizing them. They are quite powerful and are motivational. I can learn a great deal from each of those verses.

This verse, Psalm 25:5 GW teaches me a great deal and I want to apply the lessons to me life—and do so immediately. After all, it’s the ‘I wait for God all day long’ that really gets to me. How often do I wait for God? When was the last time I waited for God? When was the last time I waited on God ALL day long? Ouch. Now, prayer journal your responses to those three questions. Be thorough and honest.

MEMORY VERSES

Do not forget to continue to memorize Philippians 4:4-8. These will be due by the end of Week 2.

PRAYER JOURNALING AND CONTEMPLATION QUESTIONS

What did you learn today?

How is God guiding you?

Where is God guiding you?

What did you say to God?

What did He say to you?

What is His purpose for you and your life today? This week? This month? This quarter? This year?

A LITTLE REMINDER…

Don’t forget your yearly Bible verse or your memory verses. Pray them back to God at this time, whether by memory or by looking at them.

Book Description

Are you American?

Are you a Christian?

Do you consider yourself a patriot?

Do you support the U.S. military?

Do you want to know more about the history of our great nation?

Do you want to know how the history of the USA impacts us today and in our current events?

Do you want to know what stance to take on the current events of today?

Is the United States of America a Christian Nation? Was she founded to be one?

This is a Devotional Bible Study to help us explore the history of the USA, the first English permanent settlement, and its founding through today. It’s also meant to bring you closer to the Lord and His Word as we study these and discuss these things. It will be a several volume series.

The purpose of this series is to help us take a proper biblical stand regarding the current events of today, because we have studied our Bibles and our American History in order to do so. We will go to the original sources, and not look at what others say. We will form our own evaluated and knowledgeable opinions and stances on things.

Another Current Writing Project

My Other Current Writing Project

Day 5 The Fellowship of the Unashamed: A Poem and Prayer for the New Year and A New Beginning

GOOD MORNING, LORD: A PRAYER

Good morning, Lord.

You are the Almighty One. You are Love. You are the God of Hope and New Beginnings. Help me make this new year count and help me make this month, week, and day count as well. I want to bring You glory in all I do.

Thank You for yesterday and all of its blessings and I thank You in advance for all of the blessings You have planned for me today.

Please guide me and help me to stay on the path You have planned for me this day.

You are my God and I praise You.

A POEM AND PRAYER I RECEIVED YEARS AGO: CONVICTION

It was almost twenty years ago I received a poem and prayer I try to look at frequently. But, I must admit, it has not been frequently enough. It’s quite convicting and reminds me of how I need to take my faith a great deal more seriously than I do and how I need to not be silent and appease people. It reminds me how God wants me to stand for my convictions.

The reason why I am sharing it with you is because it’s a wake-up call to us and is a call of conviction in which we base our next year. Let this be the inspiration we need for the next year. May it remind us how to live.

Poem: The Fellowship of the Unashamed

(Sources: http://www.gospeltruth.net/unashamed.htm and http://www.wacmm.org/Fellowship-of-the-Unashamed.html)

I am part of the "Fellowship of the Unashamed."

The die has been cast. I have stepped over the line.

The decision has been made. I am a disciple of

Jesus Christ. I won't look back, let up, slow down,

back away, or be still. My past is redeemed, my present

makes sense, and my future is secure.

I am finished and done with low living, sight walking,

small planning, smooth knees, colorless dreams,

chintzy giving, and dwarfed goals.

I no longer need pre-eminence, prosperity, position,

promotions, plaudits, or popularity. I now live by

presence, lean by faith, love by patience,

lift by prayer, and labor by power. My pace

is set, my gait is fast, my goal is Heaven, my

road is narrow, my way is rough, my companions few,

my Guide reliable, my mission clear. I cannot be bought,

compromised, deterred, lured away, turned back,

diluted, or delayed.

I will not flinch in the face of sacrifice, hesitate in the

presence of adversity, negotiate at the table of the enemy,

ponder at the pool of popularity, or meander

in the maze of mediocrity.

I am a disciple of Jesus Christ. I must go until

Heaven returns, give until I drop, preach until all know,

and work until He comes. And when He comes to get

His own, He will have no problem recognizing me.

My colors will be clear.

I am not ashamed of the gospel . . . Romans 1:16

{The Author of this work is in dispute and is unclear. Some say it’s Anonymous, others claim it is by Dr. Bob Moorehead. Others claim it cannot be Dr. Bob Moorehead. Therefore, the author of this is not known.}

Philippians 3:7-11 NASB

7 But whatever things were gain to me, those things I have counted as loss for the sake of Christ. 8 More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish so that I may gain Christ, 9 and may be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own derived from the Law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith, 10 that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death; 11 in order that I may attain to the resurrection from the dead.

PRAYER JOURNALING AND CONTEMPLATION QUESTIONS

What are your thoughts?

What does this mean to you?

Have you been successful this past year living in this manner? How about in the last few years? Ever?

How can this inspire you to live the next year?

How can this inspire you to live your life?

What did you say to God?

What did God say to you?

Write your own prayer about this.

SELAH. Pause.

My 2013 Summary Bible Verse

Psalm 119:28 (HCSB)

28 I am weary from grief;

strengthen me through Your word.

-- HCSB: Scripture quotations marked HCSB are taken from the Holman Christian Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2009 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Holman Christian Standard Bible®, Holman CSB®, and HCSB® are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers.

A Little Reminder

Day 4.5: An In-Between Extra

Today is the last day of the old year. It does not matter if it’s 31 December or if it’s the 23 of April. What matters is today closes off another year and begins another.

PRAYER JOURNALING AND CONTEMPLATION QUESTIONS

So, what are you going to do with the lessons learned from the last year?

How are you going to move forward from the last year?

How will you choose to remember the last year?

What is God saying to you about the last year?

What are you saying to god about the last year?

What is your closing prayer for the last year?

What is your opening prayer for the next year?

What do you hope comes out of this next year?

Who do you want to be?

What do you want to accomplish?

What does God want from you this next year? Does it differ from what you want? (Please answer both.)

Day 3.5: An In-Between Extra: A Verse to Summarize Last Year

Day 3.5: An In-Between Extra: A Verse to Summarize Last Year

Today is the last day of the old year. It does not matter if it’s 31 December or if it’s the 23 of April. What matters is today closes off another year and begins another.

PRAYER JOURNALING AND CONTEMPLATION QUESTIONS

Did you have a verse for the last year that you lived by? If so, what was it and how did you live it? Also, how often did you look at it and try to live it throughout the year? If not, it’s all good. You will have one for this next year (stay tuned in this book and tomorrow’s Bible study devotional).

Find a verse, regardless of whether you had a focus verse or not, that describes best your last year.

Why did you pick that verse?

What do you say to God about that verse?

What does God say to you about that verse?

Scripture Memory Verses January 2014 (Part 1): Philippians 4:4-8

(Note: Find your favorite version, of course. This is just a reminder of what we are working on for the first part of January 2014.)

Philippians 4:4-8 NLT

4 Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again—rejoice! 5 Let everyone see that you are considerate in all you do. Remember, the Lord is coming soon.

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.

-- NLT: Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Monday, December 30, 2013

Day 4 Bible Verse for the Year

For the next year, pick a verse that you want to focus on and live. Let it be your mission statement for the next year. Use it be your banner to focus on what God is telling you.

Make sure to pick the verse God is telling you to pick—and not the verse you want.

Then, make sure it’s visible. Put it everywhere you can so that it stares you in the face, so to speak, all year long. Also, memorize it so you can say it to yourself all night and day as well for the next year.

Commit to it. Make sure that you plan on living it each and every day all night and day long.

Study it. Spend the entire year studying it and learning from it. Talk to God about it and listen to what God has to tell you about it.

Apply it to your life. Live it all year long, each day.

Tells others about it.

Stick with it. Do not let a day go by that you do not think on it, prayer journal about it, and so on.

Finally, make sure to attach a comment to the end of this blog post, or at the end of any on my blog, and let me and the others who are part of this community know of your choice. Let us encourage one another and check in with one another about it.

HOMEWORK: PRAYER JOURNAL AND CONTEMPLATION QUESTION

What verse will be your focus and mission statement verse for the next year?

Stacy's 2014 Verse of the Year

MY 2014 VERSE OF THE YEAR:

Philippians 4:6 NLT

6 Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done.

(Image Credit: Stacy Duplease)

Day 3 Preparation for the New Year or a New Beginning

John 14:27

27 “Peace I leave with you. My peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Your heart must not be troubled or fearful.

PRAYER JOURNAL AND CONTEMPLATION QUESTIONS

Write your thoughts.

What did God say to you?

What did you say to God?

A Peaceful New Beginning and New Year

Jesus has already given us peace. It’s in us. It has been since the moment we first believed. There is nothing we can do to remove it. It’s there already. We already have peace.

He gave us peace for our lives—and that includes for this next year. After all, we are already living for eternity (heaven and eternal life). He has already given us eternal life, provided we believe Jesus Christ is our Lord and Savior and that He died and rose again for the forgiveness of our sins and wrongdoings.

So, this year, we can have peace. And, we can prepare for it. How can we do that, let’s take a look at this passage:

Philippians 4:4-8 NLT

4 Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again—rejoice! 5 Let everyone see that you are considerate in all you do. Remember, the Lord is coming soon.

PRAYER JOURNAL AND CONTEMPLATION QUESTIONS

Write your thoughts.

What did God say to you?

What did you say to God?

Write a summary of Philippians 4:4-8 in your own words.

PREPARATION FOR THE NEW YEAR AND OUR NEW BEGINNING

Do you want to know how to make the next year and the opportunity of this new beginning great—not just good? It’s simple. Prepare and plan for it. Choose to make it happen. The two passages from John and Philippians we just read are examples of how to do so. In fact, they are examples of how to live.

We can make this next year the best year ever—in spite of the circumstances that come our way. We can choose to react to the tough stuff of life in a better way—and that’s through trusting God and living John 14:27 and Philippians 4:4-8. We can build our next year on these verses and passages for the next year.

PRAYER JOURNAL AND CONTEMPLATION QUESTIONS

Write your thoughts.

So, what did we learn from John 14:27 and Philippians 4:4-8 about the New Year and our new beginning? Make sure to write your full answer in your prayer journal. Take your time to do so. In fact, work on this morning, noon, and night today and for the next week. After all, these verses give us inspiration as to how to prepare and live the next year and this new beginning.

Also, if we could live these verses out the best way possible in the next year, what would that look like? Again, take your time with this answer. Spend all day and night for the next couple of weeks answering this and re-answering this. Plan and prepare. Do, apply, and live it.

Write your thoughts.

What did you say to God?

What did God say to you?

What’s your plan for the next year and for your new beginning as you color each moment of your life (think of the parable from Day 1)?

MEMORIZE THE WORD AND PHILIPPIANS 4:4-8

Let’s memorize Philippians 4:4-8.

Find it in your favorite version of the Bible.

For the next 4 days, let’s work on memorizing Philippians 4:4.

Philippians 4:4-8 HCSB

4 Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! 5 Let your graciousness be known to everyone. The Lord is near. 6 Don’t worry about anything, but in everything, through prayer and petition with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses every thought, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.

8 Finally brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable—if there is any moral excellence and if there is any praise—dwell on these things.

Philippians 4:4-8 EXB

4 ·Be full of joy [Rejoice] in the Lord always. I will say again, ·be full of joy [rejoice].

5 Let everyone see that you are ·gentle [kind; considerate; patient]. The Lord is ·coming soon[or close at hand; L near]. 6 Do not ·worry [be anxious] about anything, but pray and ·ask God for everything you need [or make your requests known to God], always giving thanks. 7 And God’s peace, which ·is so great we cannot understand it [transcends/surpasses all comprehension], will ·keep [guard] your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.

8 [L Finally; In conclusion; or Now then] Brothers and sisters, ·think about [focus your thoughts on; fill your minds with] things that are true and honorable and ·right [just] and pure and ·beautiful [lovely] and ·respected [commendable]. If there is anything that is ·good [morally excellent] and worthy of praise, ·think about [focus your thoughts on; fill your minds with]these things.

Verse to Ponder and Memorize

Philippians 4:4 NLT

4 Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again—rejoice!

Individual, Couples, or Group Bible Study and Devotional

This book can be read in many different ways for far many purposes. The choice is yours. You can read it like a quick gift book, a devotional time, or a Bible study. You can spend 40 days doing it or you can spend many more.

Use it for a personal, couples, or group Bible study. Either way, do your personal reading first. Then discuss it at the end of the week with your partner or with your group.

When you get together with your partner or group at the end of the week make sure to go through each day and share the verses with one another and what God said to you and what you said to God about the verses. Then, go through the writing of each day and say what jumped out at you. Then, share whatever you feel comfortable with sharing highlights from your prayer journal.

Day 2 Closing the Old Year of Chapter

Good Morning, Lord: A Prayer for Each Morning

Good morning, Lord.

How sweet it is to wake up knowing You are in my life and are working in my life, around my life, and through my life. You are always with me and forever present. You never leave me and certainly never forsake me (1 Kings 6:13; 1 Kings 8:57; Isaiah 42:16; Hebrews 13:5).

I also start this day knowing I have two choices:

1 Make today all about me or partially about me.

2 Make this day all about You.

I woke today because You wanted me to do so. That means You have a purpose for me this day. Am I going to live it? This is my choice.

Lord, guide me. Help me every second, minute, and hour, to make today all about You and not about me.

For, today is Your day. There is no better day.

Psalm 118:24 * Expanded Bible (EXB)

24 This is the day that the Lord has made.

Let us rejoice and be glad ·today [in it]!

PRAYER JOURNALING AND CONTEMPLATION

What are your thoughts about what you just read?

How can I make today more about You, Lord?

How can I make each day ALL about You, Lord?

What is Your purpose (or purposes) for me today? This week? This month? This quarter? This year? This decade?

What have you said to God?

What is God saying to you?

Closing the Old Year of Chapter

Isaiah 43:18-19 * GOD’S WORD Translation (GW)

“18 Forget what happened in the past,

and do not dwell on events from long ago.

19 I am going to do something new.

It is already happening. Don’t you recognize it?

I will clear a way in the desert.

I will make rivers on dry land.”

PRAYER JOURNALING AND CONTEMPLATION QUESTIONSINSTRUCTIONS

INSTRUCTIONS: Since this is the first time you have seen this section, I figured I would explain what this section is for, in other words its intent, and expectations. First of all, you’ll want to get a prayer journal if you don’t already have one. The Prayer Journaling and Contemplation Questions are to get you engaged in the devotional Bible study and in the Bible, the Word of God. It’s meant to help you learn, apply, and remember each day’s lesson. Therefore, be as thorough in your answers as possible. Write as much as you possibly can. Also, throughout the day and night, add to each answer.

PRAYER JOURNALING AND CONTEMPLATION QUESTIONS

What do the verses of Isaiah 43:18-19 mean to you?

What jumped out to you about those verses?

What do you say to God about those verses?

What does God say to you about those verses?

When you think of the year 2013, what do you think of?

Let It Go

Nowhere does it say in those verses not to count your blessings of the past. Nor does it say to forget what God has done in your life. Nor does it say not to think about lessons learned.

Rather, we are to forget the past regarding the parts that bring guilt, the question of why, and the thoughts of what could’ve or should’ve been. We are to move forward. We cannot change what we did or didn’t do in the past. Nor can we change what someone else did or didn’t do. Therefore, it’s important to focus on today and the future, for those are what we can control and influence.

Looking at the Last Year

This applies to you if you are living today. It does not need to be a New Year celebration or near one. Today is the start of a new year. Count out 365 days and that’s a year. Or, count back from today 365 days. That’s a year. So, this applies to you where you are and when you are.

I do not know about you, but this last year has been a mixture of life-changing, challenging, joyful, and full of revelation. It’s had a great deal of ups and some downs which were the toughest I’ve seen in a while. And, never mind all of the times I didn’t read my Bible or pray… (Sigh.) So, it’s really important for me to look at the last year. How about you?

I think closing the year well is just as important as starting the year well.

PRAYER JOURNALING AND CONTEMPLATION QUESTIONS

List 3 of the sunshiny days from the last year.

List 3 of the stormy days from the last year.

List 7 things God did in your life the last year.

List at least 25 blessings to thank God for this last year.

Your 5 favorite verses from the last year.

List at least ten of your favorite memories.

What Bible studies did you do the last year?

What lessons did you learn this last year?

How much of the Bible did you read this last year?

What was your prayer life like this last year?

What did you say to God this last year?

What did God say to you this last year?

Write a summary of the last year.

Write out a prayer to God.