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Posts Tagged ‘Holy Spirit’

Dear Single Mom: You Have A Heavenly Husband

Posted in For Single Moms, tagged , , , , , , , on August 14, 2020| Leave a Comment »

 

Dear single mom,

Isaiah 54:5-6

5 For your Maker is your husband— the Lord Almighty is his name— the Holy One of Israel is your Redeemer; he is called the God of all the earth. 6 The Lord will call you back as if you were a wife deserted and distressed in spirit—
a wife who married young, only to be rejected,” says your God.

When I first heard this verse, it opened my heart to a new perspective of God. I was at a single mom weekend in 2006, when the speaker, Lori Little, shared this verse. I had always known of God as my Father, but when I heard this verse, God met me in my pain and it changed my life. When I started to see God as my Husband, my perspective on earthly relationships changed. Earthly relationships are good, but they can not take the place of our relationship with God.

What is a husband’s role? 

Provider

Protector

Comforter

Listener

Companion

Guide

Wise Counsel

 

Did I leave anything out? These are ALL things that we can find in God.

Provider – God has provided for me and my kids for the 20 years that I have been a single mom. We have never gone without clothes, food, transportation, housing, etc. We have always had what we needed. There were times when I would start to notice that one or two of the kids were outgrowing their clothes and before I had time to address the need, I would come home to trash bags full of clothes for the child in need plus the others. We have never been without. In what way is God, your husband, providing for you and your kids?

Protector – God has protected us individually and as a family. I completely believe that He has His angels surrounding us during the day and as we sleep, because I pray protection over us. There have been situations that could have been so much worse without God’s intervention. I feel His presence on a daily basis. In what ways has God, your husband, protected you and your kids?

Comforter – Life as a single mom is littered with tears. There have been times when my only prayer was, “Don’t let me go.” In those times I feel the presence of the Holy Spirit like a cozy blanket that allows me to grieve and heal. God wraps me in His love and whispers His love to my heart in ways that allow me to believe that despite my circumstances, I am worthy and I am loved. In what ways has God, your husband, comforted you lately?

Listener – God listens as I pour out my heart. He listens as I pour out my prayer requests. He knows my heart and He cares. He listens and He answers in the rainbows, the songs of the birds, the sighting of a Cardinal, the beautiful hue of a sunset, the babbling waters of a creek and in so many other ways. He answers in simple but deeply meaningful ways. In what ways has God, your husband, shown that He is listening to you?

Companion – God is a 24/7 presence in my life. He is my companion. He is the one I share random conversations with as I go through my day. He is the one who is there when I am heartbroken over bad news and He is there when I am rejoicing good news. I rest on the promise God gives us in Hebrews 13:5 Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you. I know that I can take God at His word. I trust Him completely.

Guide – Just as God guided the Israelites by cloud during the day and by fire at night, I know that the Holy Spirit guides me in my single mom journey. In any decision I need to make, the Holy Spirit, is a prayer away and ready to step in to guide me. He is not going to let me hang in the wind. He will lead me in the way I must go.

Wise Counsel – I know that if I am burdened by any issue or am living in sin, the Holy Spirit, in love will deal with my heart. If I listen, He will tell me how to restore any situation that I might find myself in. He is always present to tell us how to navigate life as a single mom.

Soon after the single mom retreat, I realized that the role God played in my life had changed. No longer was He the Father that looked after me as I grew up. He was now my Husband and I knew, instinctively, that He was ALL that I needed. I made a vow to remain celibate not long after the retreat and I have never looked back. I don’t expect you to follow me into celibacy! I am asking you to give God a chance today to be the husband that you need. Maybe forever or until He brings a Godly man into your life to fill that role. You NEED Him, single mom! Whether you know it or not.

Challenge:

I challenge you to research the ways in which God (Holy Spirit) fills the role as husband in our lives. Start by finding scriptures for the roles listed above and expand from there. If you find others that aren’t listed, please send them to me! I love feedback and hearing from other single moms!

 

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Following Him

Posted in From My Heart, tagged , , , , on January 19, 2016| Leave a Comment »

path through pink trees

 

Exodus 15:13

In your unfailing love you will lead
    the people you have redeemed.
In your strength you will guide them
    to your holy dwelling.

In the midst of to-do lists, appointments, and shuttling kids here and there it is easy to forget that God will guide us, if we allow Him to.

Exodus 13:21-22

21 The LORD was going before them in a pillar of cloud by day to lead them on the way, and in a pillar of fire by night to give them light, that they might travel by day and by night. 22 He did not take away the pillar of cloud by day, nor the pillar of fire by night, from before the people.

When God delivered the Israelites from Egypt, He guided them by a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night. He did not take away the cloud or the fire. He guided them from Egypt to the promised land. Even when the Israelites rebelled and grumbled against Him, God was faithful in guiding them.

Galatians 5:16

So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.

Just as God guided the Israelites in the Old Testament, He still guides us today. He pours out the gift of the Holy Spirit to guide us and lead us in the right direction.

When we walk by the Spirit, we allow the Holy Spirit to guide us in our decisions and our everyday lives. There are times when I feel disconnected and can’t seem to find my way, but when I find that quiet place, I find that the Spirit is still there waiting for me to allow Him to lead. Satan loves to keep us feeling confused and disconnected from God and he will do everything he can to keep us from following the Holy Spirit.

I know the Israelites had it easy. All they had to do was follow a cloud and fire. It is difficult to always know where the Spirit is guiding us. We have to be more intentional about finding the time to LISTEN to what the Holy Spirit is telling us. We have to make the time to sit quietly and simply listen to what the Spirit wants us to know. If you are facing a difficult decision, sit quietly and hear what the Holy Spirit tells you about your situation. If you are searching for your purpose, sit quietly and see where the Holy Spirit takes you.

God has not abandoned us. He has not left us to wander aimlessly about the Earth. He still loves us as much as ever and He still provides guidance to His children. The Israelites had to make the decision to follow the pillar of cloud and the pillar of fire. We have to make the decision to listen and follow the Holy Spirit. Find that quiet spot, let the worries of the day slip away and open your heart to what the Spirit has to say. The answers you are seeking are already there, you just have to be open to receive them.

 

 

 

 

 

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Prayer

Posted in Being A Disciple, tagged , , , , on October 20, 2014| Leave a Comment »

prayer

1 Thessalonians 5:17

Pray continually, 

Prayer is our line of communication with God. This verse tells us to pray continually, telling us to be in constant communication with God. God wants to have an open line of communication with us at every moment of our day. It doesn’t matter what we are dealing with, God is ALWAYS with us and wants us to share EVERYTHING with Him.

Jesus gave us the main components to prayer, when He gave us the Lord’s Prayer. Click here to read my blog post on the Lord’s Prayer. According to the Lord’s Prayer there are 5 main components to prayer:

1. Praise

2. Praying God’s will

3. Supplication

4. Confession (Asking forgiveness for our sins and forgiving others for sins done to us)

5. Praying for protection from evil and temptation

Below are a few other suggestions that might help in your prayer life:

  • Centering Prayer– Centering prayer is a way to empty your mind of every day distractions and really focus on God. Centering prayer helps us LISTEN to what God is saying to us.
  • The Daily Examen– The Daily Examen is an Ignatian exercise and is used to examine our daily activities and see where God is speaking to us. Is there any way we could have been a better example of Jesus? Were we impatient when we needed to be kind? The Daily Examen is a way for God to mold our character, as we pray for Him to reveal what we need to change.
  • Prayer Journaling– We can use prayer journaling with the Lord’s Prayer model and as a way to keep track of requests and answers to prayer. Writing out prayers can be helpful in emptying our hearts of worries and anxieties. Often, when I am done writing out everything on my heart, I feel at peace. I know that God is working in the situations involved.
  • Every Hour– Every hour, on the hour, say a prayer about a person, event, or situation that you have promised to pray about. You can also, take the opportunity to praise God and thank God for all that He has done in your life. Pray as the Holy Spirit leads. This is a great way to make sure we pray continually.

These are just a few ideas. The internet is full of different ways to enhance our prayer lives. I like to try different methods of prayer to enhance my communication with God. I have found that some things work and some don’t. I try to keep it simple. I don’t want to get to legalistic about my prayer life.

There are times when I can’t pray at all. There are times when words fail me and I can only whisper, “Don’t let me go, Jesus.” You will have times like this too. Don’t worry, God knows your heart and has sent the Holy Spirit to intercede for us.

Romans 8:26

In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans.

I’m not an expert on prayer, but I do know that I could not live without that open communication with my Creator. I know that at any moment of the day, that I can praise Him or cry out to Him and He will hear me. I encourage you to go to God in prayer. He is waiting for you. If you have any suggestions or prayer methods that work for you, let me know. I’d love to hear from you!

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Day 7: My Reflections

Posted in The Armor Of God: A 7 Day Devotional, tagged , , , , on December 10, 2013| Leave a Comment »

Armor of God

 

 

As Christians, we are soldiers in a spiritual war. It is important for us to put on our spiritual armor every morning to prepare for the attacks of the enemy throughout our day. Satan is real and he will stop at nothing to separate us from our heavenly Father. This is his mission. Believe me, he doesn’t let the busyness of daily life keep him from carrying out his mission. He prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour (1 Peter 5:8). Don’t allow yourself to fall prey to the Devil. Stay alert and sober minded. Put on the Armor of God every morning as you dress:

1. The Belt of Truth- Jesus is our role model in living a Christ-centered life. Walk in the truth of Jesus.

2. The Breastplate of Righteousness- Do what is right in ALL things. Listen to the whisperings of the Holy Spirit. He is our conscience, sent by God to lead us in doing what is right. If we seek the guidance of the Holy Spirit, we will know what is right.

3. The Shoes of the Gospel of Peace- Walk in peace, living in the peace that God brings into our lives, no matter what the circumstances. Walk out peace, taking peace to the world, so that others may have that peace that you have found. We are to be mediators in the world, bringing peace wherever we go.

4. The Shield of Faith- Protect your heart. Believe that God is real. Believe that God wants nothing but the best for you. He is everywhere, but we must choose to believe.

5. The Helmet of Salvation- Protect your mind. Jesus died to save us from eternal life in Hell. Don’t fall for the lies of the devil. Believe that Jesus died for the sins of the world.

6. The Sword of the Spirit- Dig into the Bible. Immerse yourself in God’s Word, so that you will be able to be victorious in the spiritual battles that we all face. Don’t let Satan win. Hide God’s Word in your heart. Be prepared!

This has been a wonderful journey for me. I have learned the importance in preparing daily for the spiritual battles that I face. We never know when Satan will strike, I want to be prepared. I invite you to walk with me as I make a habit of putting on my spiritual armor every morning as I dress. If you have any creative ways of doing this, I would love for you to share them with me.

If you need prayer, encouragement, spiritual support, contact me. I am here for you always! Remember my friend, that God loves you and so do I!

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Day 4: The Shield Of Faith

Posted in The Armor Of God: A 7 Day Devotional, tagged , , , on December 2, 2013| Leave a Comment »

 

Armor of God

 

 

Hebrews 11:1

11 Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.

Faith is believing in something that you can’t see. In my life, I have not seen the physical form of God (none of us could ever withstand the radiance of His presence), but I HAVE seen the manifestation of His presence in the natural wonders of this world, I HAVE seen the outpouring of His love through the obedience of His children, I HAVE seen His provision for those who choose to abide in Him. I have seen enough to know that He IS real and present in my life.

If we are tuned in, we can also, feel God through the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is God’s ambassador to this fallen world. I feel God’s presence through the gentle stirrings of the Holy Spirit. I feel comforted by reading the Bible, I feel peace when I pray, I feel encouraged by the whispers of the Holy Spirit, I feel convicted by conscience. It is all the Holy Spirit acting on God’s behalf. We can not see the Holy Spirit. We have to choose to believe. It is a choice. We will never be tuned in enough to feel God’s presence unless we make the decision to believe and to do what we need to do to grow in our relationship with Him. We need to be diligent about growing our faith. We can do this through prayer, Bible study, serving others, and taking up the shield of faith.

Medieval soldiers carried shields to protect their main organs: liver, kidneys, lungs, etc. Today I want to focus on the heart.

Ephesians 6:16

In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.

We need to take up the shield of faith every morning to protect our heart from the poison arrows and darts of our enemy, Satan. Satan will stop at nothing to get us to turn away from God. Our hearts are his target. Even we are physically disabled, we can still live joyful lives, as long as our hearts are still connected to God.

Satan will pierce our hearts with discouragement, fear, confusion, anger, jealousy, pride, envy, identity issues, hatred, unconfessed sin, and the list goes on. It doesn’t have to be this way. God has provided us with a way to deflect those deadly arrows. Faith in God will send Satan packing. If we hold on to our faith in God, no matter what circumstances we find ourselves in, the arrows of the evil one will not be able to hit their mark.

I have been dealing with comparison and jealousy lately. I have found myself jealous over the time my daughter’s in-laws spend with our granddaughter. I have found myself comparing their time with her to my time with her. I know that I have entered the danger zone and that Satan is gleefully waiting for me to sin. I will not sin, because I have taken up my shield of faith and I know that I can not allow this heart issue to cause me to sin. I have to dig into the Bible and dig out the root of this issue before it hardens my heart. I need to be in prayer and believe me I have been.

If your heart has been pierced by the poison arrows of Satan, contact me. Let me pray with you and walk with you through this time. You can get through this. My prayers are with you, my friend. God loves you and so do I!

 

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Day 2: The Breastplate Of Righteousness

Posted in The Armor Of God: A 7 Day Devotional, tagged , , on November 17, 2013| Leave a Comment »

 

 

 

Armor of God

 

Jeremiah 9:23-24

23 This is what the Lord says:

“Let not the wise boast of their wisdom
or the strong boast of their strength
or the rich boast of their riches,
24 but let the one who boasts boast about this:
that they have the understanding to know me,
that I am the Lord, who exercises kindness,
justice and righteousness on earth,
for in these I delight,”
declares the Lord.

A breastplate is an item worn by warriors/soldiers over their torso to protect them from arrows and/or bullets that are fired at them from the enemy.

As Christians, we must get in the practice of putting on our breastplate of righteousness every morning to protect our hearts from the arrows of confusion, chaos, sin and negative emotions that Satan fires at us. It is our heart that he aims for, so we must protect our hearts with the breastplate of righteousness. How do we do this?

We must know God on an intimate level. God is righteousness. We must learn how to be righteous from Him through His Word, the Bible. Get into the Word. Make a commitment to read the Bible through. You don’t have to read it through in a year. I want you to really study the Bible, looking for hints as to who God really is. I want you to soak in what He is saying to us, His children. I want you to really understand the characteristics of God and build that intimate relationship with Him.

We must be open to the Holy Spirit as we go throughout our day. God has used a situation with my 20 year old daughter to open my eyes to how He parents us. This last year has been rough as I try to parent her through some tough times, but through this process, I have felt how much God loves me, even when He may be frustrated with me. He never gives up on me. He deals with me tenderly, with love and patience. Feeling that love, I in turn have dealt with my daughter in the same way. I put on my breastplate of righteousness in this situation. The arrow that Satan meant to cause chaos and heartache, I turned around and used as a growing tool. I didn’t do it alone. God sends the Holy Spirit to guide us, every step of the way.

Protect your heart. Be aware that Satan may be using a situation to get you to act in sin. Make the choice to act in righteousness. Ask the Holy Spirit to guide you, giving you the strength to do what is right.

Know that you are never alone in this struggle to be righteous, in a sinful world. If you find yourself in need of encouragement, contact me. I am here and I understand. Be Blessed, single mom!

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