***
(c)Sandra Johnson/Draw Nigh To Hope
I Am Prospering Everyday: Scripture Declarations & Prayer Prompts
You want reading the scriptures to make a difference in your life and you read the Bible everyday in order to be transformed. You are always seeking ways to understand what the ancient scriptures mean to you today and how you can allow them to change and renew you.
The 32 scripture declarations in this journal are taken from the King James Version of The Holy Bible. I have then included paraphrases of each one. This means that my understanding of each scripture, through my Bible studies and the guidance of the Holy Spirit, has been written in simple, modern-day, American language. It is the way that we read and understand the scriptures in order to apply them to our lives in a practical way.
As you read the scriptures and their paraphrases, you will find space after them to write your own understanding and prayers. With the prayer prompts that I've included, you can expand your prayers to Our Heavenly Father through writing out your thoughts.
WITHOUT HIM NEVER WANT TO BE
I know the Lord, I know the Lord!
My spirit jumps for joy!
I know the Lord, I know the Lord!
And death has been destroyed.
For God's the very heart of me.
I love him evermore.
Without him never want to be.
I know the Lord, oh joy!
***
(c)Sandra Johnson/Draw Nigh To Hope
THE DEAR DELIVERER
Oh God, did you set up
My deliverance decades ago?
Oh Father, did you set the stars
To turn in my favor?
You always come through
No matter what the challenge
Or fear.
You help and deliver,
Free and clear.
To my heart and my soul,
You are dear.
***
(c)Sandra Johnson/Draw Nigh To Hope
Image: Google
WONDERFUL WORDS
I study your Word.
It's lovely to me,
Though sharp and cutting and true.
It brightens my path
And straightens it too.
It turns my gray skies to blue.
***
(c)Sandra Johnson/Draw Nigh To Hope
EVERLASTING NATURE
I have beautiful mornings with you.
As I sit quietly and watch,
Nature abounds.
For you and nature are one.
You created the beauty of nature
And it is everlasting and eternal.
It comes from you
And never ends.
My love for nature will never end.
One day I will enjoy it upon
The shores and hills and fields
Of a pristine Heaven and earth,
The way you meant it to be.
Everlasting nature.
Everlasting God.
Everlasting joy.
***
(c)Sandra Johnson/Draw Nigh To Hope
Imagine you’re taking a trip. You arrive at the airport check-in desk, but you’re the only passenger there. Security's a ghost town. So is your gate. You board an empty airplane and meet no one the entire flight. No captain. No stewardess. No one.
In many ways, this is death. We enter this world alone, and we leave just the same. But what if the person you loved most of all was eagerly waiting for you once you disembarked the flight? That ought to warm your heart and stop the trip from feeling like a Twilight Zone episode, right? Well, Jesus promises just this!
The joy of hoping on heaven purifies the lives of the redeemed. Paul says: If you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God (Col. 3:1). Paul toiled tirelessly for the Church’s sanctification because he knew heavenly eyes are the best shield against sin.
We may be positionally righteous on this side of heaven, but none of us are practically perfect until we go to be with the Lord. We must look ahead to the sweet hereafter. And when our day of departure comes, may we share Paul’s desire to depart and be with Christ, for that is very much better (Phil. 1:23). Amen and amen. Come Lord Jesus.
***
Edwin O'Hanlon
My mission now is to rejoice in Christ, explore Scripture, and magnify its loving author by publishing weekly articles at www.fromcrosstocrown.com
I LOVE YOUR WORD
I love your Word.
What can I say
About the fears
It does allay.
Your Word is sweet,
A joy to me.
I eat and drink
Your Word with glee!
***
(c)Sandra Johnson/Draw Nigh To Hope
NO PROBLEM TO WORSHIP YOU
God, I'm Tired Of Praying: What To Think About How You Feel
Available at Amazon as hardcover, paperback and Kindle.
You are tired of praying and do not find joy in it like you used to.
You have been faithful and diligent but your fondest desires have not
been fulfilled. You are grateful to your Father In Heaven, but even some
needs, as you see them, have not been fulfilled. You wonder, Should I give up on prayer?
Things have happened that you asked God to prevent. Things have not happened
that you asked him to bring about. You have had tragedy or devastation
in your life and prayers are not helping. They have not helped for a
long time. You are sad and feel hopeless about your prayer life. You are
afraid that you may never be able to pray in faith again.
Because God knows your heart, He knows that you want to pray.
He knows when you think about praying and when your heart proclaims
that you will, whether you are successful or not. He knows when you say
to yourself, I should pray. I used to be able to pray. I need to pray. Your prayer desires are not lost on Our Heavenly Father. You may not feel faithful but he is aware of your faith.
Chapters in this book, such as Tired Of Believing In Prayer And Feeling Guilty and No Hope Of Ever Feeling It Again, confirm that you are tired of praying. The chapters I Can’t Pray Another Day and I Just Can’t Make The Effort Anymore, and other chapters, verify that you can't do it anymore.
Your real, deep feelings are supported by chapters like, If God Was Going To Give Me That Blessing He Would Have Done It By Now and Why Should I Pray When I Can't Stop What's Going To Happen?
You're hurting because you feel that these feelings are not like you.
You don't understand what is happening to you. If you could, you would
take yourself back to when you believed wholeheartedly in prayer and
looked forward to it. When our hearts are crying out and the desire to
pray has fled, we don't need more to-do lists, instructions or
criticism. We need empathy.
Without judgement, I address the real feelings of Christians
who are bone-weary from praying and believing in prayer. Within these
chapters you will find validation for how you are feeling and comfort in
learning that there is nothing wrong with you or your faith. As you
read and I talk directly to you, you will also find inspiration and
hope.
Come, let's talk about your weariness...
God, I'm Tired Of Praying: What To Think About How You Feel is a handy compilation of my You Are Here: Tired Of Praying & Weary posts from my blog, Draw Nigh To Hope. It also includes new content not shared at the blog.
Available at Amazon as hardcover, paperback and Kindle.