This and That

I have decided to include a little of this and a little of that on this blog. Therefore, check it out each day. I will tackle everything from counting our blessings to preparing for Thanksgiving, preparing for Christmas, preparing to close this year, preparing for the New Year,  journaling verse by verse or passage by passage through the Bible, and thoughts on politics and the elections.

This is a biblically focused blog.

I will talk about my thoughts on the Bible.

I will also talk about prayer and share some of my prayers. 

This blog is also a conservative focused blog for when it comes to politics.

I might even talk about new stories from the day. 

I will tackle the thought stuff in love and in living the ancient words of the Bible today, centuries after the text was written. 

Mainly, however, this is my personal journaling blog and is my memoir. 

I will try to journal five days a week. Sometimes, it may be seven and sometimes it may be two. Stay tuned and see. 

Welcome to the journey of this thing called the Christian life, where we will try to be biblically focused and we will try to do what is right. The Christ and Word centered life is not easy, but it is abundant and fruitful. 

The National Day of Prayer and Praying 1 Timothy 2:1-4

Today is the National Day of Prayer. Lord, please help every American to take it seriously and pray for our nation today. Put the want and desire to do so on all of our hearts, minds, and lips today, and make it a very strong desire.

Furthermore, Father God, make this desire to pray for our nation last longer than one day, but may it be a deep, daily, relentless desire. Teach us and help us to pray for our nation and our leaders at several moments every day. There is too much at stake for us not to do so. Our earthly lives depend on our consistent praying.

Take this passage, Lord. It proves what You have been putting on my heart, mind, and lips for hours, days, weeks, months, and years now:

/*/*/*/

1 Timothy 2:1-4 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)

2 First of all, then, I urge that petitions, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for everyone, 2 for kings and all those who are in authority, so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity. 3 This is good, and it pleases God our Savior, 4 who wants everyone to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.

Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
Copyright © 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2009 by Holman Bible Publishers, Nashville Tennessee. All rights reserved.

/*/*/*/

Pray for everyone, Lord, Your Word tells me. Pray any and every way I can think of for them. Then, this passage in the Holy Bible grows more specific. It says to pray for every leader, authority figure, and king. Then, it explains why. If we pray for those in leadership, then we can live a quiet and tranquil life in all dignity and godliness.

I pause as I take this in, Father God. Isn't that the truth? I cannot number all of the sleeplessness nights and stomach churning days in my life because of the turmoil and carelessness leaders tend to leave in their wake. Lord, if we do not want poor leadership, at any level, then it is our obligation to pray for them several times per day. Help me to remember to do so, Abba. Put the want and desire in me to do so and tell me what to pray, please. Guide me and instruct me.

Lord, I pray for all of the leaders in my life. From my home, to my Bible study leader, to my city, to my county, to my state, to my nation, to the Church, and of the world.

However, today, God, I pray in particular for our present president and the president elect. Help me to pray a great deal more for them each day and help this be a burning desire for me to do so. Lord, help them lead and make decisions according to biblical values, no matter what they might call them. I also ask that You bring them to Jesus Christ. Or, if they are followers of Christ, help them to pray the Bible without ceasing. Make all of their ways be biblical ways. And, I pray the same for their family and friends.

Help our leaders make this nation under God and in God we trust in a deeper, more Holy way than this nation has ever seen.

I pray this in the name of Jesus Christ, my Lord and Savior, and by the power of his blood and resurrection.

Continual and united prayer for the elections of the USA

Lord, are the elections the way they are today because of my lack of prayer? I know that prayer makes the difference. Did I fail to live up to my part in making the difference?

Lord, can they count now? Can you convict all of us to pray and to keep praying about the USA and change us to believe and behave as though we are truly one nation united Under God? Can you help us turn from our wicked ways and live the godly way? Can you help us Christians to quit living the comfortable faith we want to live and live the uncomfortable faith where we are under you, Lord, in every way? And can you help us submit to you and your sacred word, the Holy Bible?

Can you help us get serious about our faith because  what we have been doing is not working as is sinful? We cannot live as a nation apart from you, Jesus.

Help us to quit being so busy, so career-focused, so self-focused, and turn to you and your sacred word. Can you help us stop being so spiritually lazy?

Lord, help the United States be one a nation under God again. Help us vote for strong biblical values, not for a person, but for the platform. Help us not be lazy and vote.

Helps us also to unite in unceasing prayer for the United States of America from now until the elections in November. Help us to pray, and keep praying, and remain in the Holy Bible and live for you alone once again.

Help us to remember how important it is to constantly and consistently pray for the biblical values of the USA.

Prayer for Super Tuesday and the U.S. Presidential Elections

Lord God, you are the Almighty. You are holy, holy, and holy. You are above all. You are the God of gods, King of kings, and the One above all idols. You are our one and only. Father, help all Americans remember all these things and live them, in general, but especially today.

Today is Super Tuesday and it is the most important Super Tuesday in the history of the United States of America. And this is the most important presidential election in U.S. history.

After all, this election will determine if the United States remains a free democratic nation Under God... and free to be Christian... or if we become a socialized republic that loses the rights of being Christian.

This election determines if we remain a Christian nation or one of the gods and idols.

We are to take our stand as Americans.

However, we need to take one, far more importantly, as Christians.

Everyone. Every strong conservative, which is the only way to vote if you believe the Holy Bible is true, needs to go vote. Even if this isn't for the final ballot, whoever wins tonight is the one who represents conservative values. Therefore, every vote for matters far more than ever.

Forget the people, the men on the ballot. They are politicians. Can we truly like any of them? Rather, look at what they stand for. Look at the their record. Truly. Don't trust what others say about their record. Check it out for yourself.

Lord, help us to go out and vote. It truly matters more than ever.

In the name of Jesus, help us pick the one who has the record of standing for you and doesn't just say they are Christian.

This is why we need to vote. Help us to actually go out and do so and not just leave it for the other guy... or think what will be will be.

Part of rendering unto Caesar what is Caesar's is actually voting.

Lord, help heal course land and wake all of us up that we need to reverse the course and become Under God once more. We have not been in years. This is why every true believer in Jesus Christ, and Holy Bible reader, should vote tonight... if their state is holding taking part in Super Tuesday.

This is why we need to vote tonight and in the presidential elections... and without fail. Lord help us keep this in mind. Help us take a stand and to choose you, not our own agenda. Please guide us and help us get rid of opinion in our minds and hearts and look at the facts. Personality and words do not matter. Their record matters. Help us to stand for you and the Holy Bible again, not what we want. Our wants do not matter. Yours, God, matters. What do you want? Help each of us to know.

You alone are the King of kings. Help us pick the one in this election, especially tonight, who will truly seek he in all does.

2 Chronicles 7:14 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
14 and My people who are called by My name humble themselves, pray and seek My face, and turn from their evil ways, then I will hear from heaven, forgive their sin, and heal their land.
Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB). Copyright © 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2009 by Holman Bible Publishers, Nashville Tennessee. All rights reserved.

2 Chronicles 7:14 New Living Translation (NLT)
14 Then if my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and restore their land.
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.

2 Chronicles 7:14 Expanded Bible (EXB)
14 Then if my people, who ·are called by my name [belong to me], will humble themselves, if they will pray and seek ·me [L my face] and stop their evil ways, I will hear them from heaven. I will forgive their sin, and I will ·heal [restore] their land.
Expanded Bible (EXB). The Expanded Bible, Copyright © 2011 Thomas Nelson Inc. All rights reserved.

2 Chronicles 7:14 New American Standard Bible (NASB)
14 and My people who are called by My name humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, will forgive their sin and will heal their land.
New American Standard Bible (NASB). Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation.

2 Chronicles 7:14 New Century Version (NCV)
14 Then if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves, if they will pray and seek me and stop their evil ways, I will hear them from heaven. I will forgive their sin, and I will heal their land.
New Century Version (NCV). The Holy Bible, New Century Version®. Copyright © 2005 by Thomas Nelson, Inc.

And in context:

2 Chronicles 7:12-22 Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)

The Lord’s Response

12 Then the Lord appeared to Solomon at night and said to him:

I have heard your prayer and have chosen this place for Myself as a temple of sacrifice. 13 If I close the sky so there is no rain, or if I command the grasshopper to consume the land, or if I send pestilence on My people, 14 and My people who are called by My name humble themselves, pray and seek My face, and turn from their evil ways, then I will hear from heaven, forgive their sin, and heal their land. 15 My eyes will now be open and My ears attentive to prayer from this place. 16 And I have now chosen and consecrated this temple so that My name may be there forever; My eyes and My heart will be there at all times.

17 As for you, if you walk before Me as your father David walked, doing everything I have commanded you, and if you keep My statutes and ordinances, 18 I will establish your royal throne, as I promised your father David: You will never fail to have a man ruling in Israel.

19 However, if you turn away and abandon My statutes and My commands that I have set before you and if you go and serve other gods and worship them, 20 then I will uproot Israel from the soil that I gave them, and this temple that I have sanctified for My name I will banish from My presence; I will make it an object of scorn and ridicule among all the peoples. 21 As for this temple, which was exalted, everyone who passes by will be appalled and will say: Why did the Lord do this to this land and this temple? 22 Then they will say: Because they abandoned the Lord God of their ancestors who brought them out of the land of Egypt. They clung to other gods and worshiped and served them. Because of this, He brought all this ruin on them.

Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB). Copyright © 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2009 by Holman Bible Publishers, Nashville Tennessee. All rights reserved.

To you, God, be the glory.

Image credit: Stacy Duplease and Remembering Your Present, LLC

Presidential Elections

I just had an ephiphany when I spoke to my husband a couple of minutes ago and wanted to share it with you.

Vote in the Presidential Election in November.

Why?

This is probably the most important election of our lives. 

(Image from Microsoft Images Online.)

-- Stacy Duplease
Historical Fiction Writer
Sent from my cell.