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Sunday, January 29, 2012

Revived By Praise Day 22

Finally, all of you, be like-minded, be sympathetic, love one another, be compassionate and humble. Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult. On the contrary, repay evil with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing.
1 Peter 3:8-9

Day 22 by Ruth Myers
Thank You for the specific weaknesses or failures of the person for whom I praised You for in Day 21 (indifferences? lack of understanding? harshness? explosiveness? undue need to control? excessive dependence? excessive independence? failure to lead, failure to follow, failure to love? lack of alertness and awareness? other lacks or failures?).
I especially want to thank You for what You plan to do through the following things that disappoint me, upset me or make me anxious.
Thank You for Your ultimate good purposes in allowing these things. And thank You so much that these things do not make up the whole picture-that this loved one is also wonderfully made and has a bright side as well as a dull side. And I rejoice that You are loving and powerful, well able to change this person if and when and as You choose. Thank You that in the meantime You are working to change me through these imperfections that frustrate or grieve me...that my reactions to them throw light on ways I need to grow-to trust You more-and to meet my loved one's needs more fully, as I let the Holy Spirit fill me with Your love and tolerance and peace.
In everything give thanks, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.
1 Thessalonians 5:16

Revived by Praise Day 21

Whom have I in heaven but you? And earth has nothing I desire besides you.
Psalm 73:25

Day 21 by Ruth Myers
Thank You, Lord, for each specific strong point and admirable quality in my life partner. Thank You for bringing us together, and for the way Your love sweetens our earthly love! I bless You, Lord, for the many benefits You have given me through this dear one.
Here are some special reasons I want to thank You for this relationship:

Yes, Lord, I praise You that You far surpass even the best person in my life. You are distinguished above all, "the most winsome of all beings' (Tozier), You are my share in life, my reward, my inheritance.
Who can compare with You? You are my perfect Life Partner, my dearest, most delightful Loved One, my always-present Companion. You are the strength of my life, and my portion forever. Only my relationship with You is sure to be lifelong and more, with never a goodbye!
Thank You that "You are so vastly wonderful, so utterly and completely delightful, that You can meet and overflow the deepest demands of my total nature, mysterious and deep as the nature is" (Tozier).

(If you are not married, choose another person who means a lot to your life to praise.)

The Heavens are Thine, the earth also is Thine;
The world and all it contains, Thou hast founded them.
Psalm 89:11

Revived By Praise Day 20

Commit your way to the Lord,
Trust also in Him, and He will do it.
Psalm 37:5

Day 20 By Ruth Myers
Father, I thank You for the people in my life who seem to bring more pain than joy, for I believe You have let our paths cross for important reasons. Thank You for the good things You want to do in my life through the things that bother me (their irritating habits? their moodiness? their unloving ways? their demands? their insensitivity? their unrealistic expectations?). I'm grateful that You are with me, to meet my needs when others-even those close to me-fail to do so. I'm so glad that You are also within me, working to make me more like Jesus-more patient, more gentle, more loving-through the very things I dislike.
Thank You too that You love these people, and that Your love is adequate to meet their deep needs and to transform their lives, however, willful or unwise they may sometimes be. Thank You that You care deeply, and that each of these has the potential of being a vast reservoir from which You could receive eternal pleasure. And so, thought I may not feel grateful, I give thanks for them by faith, trusting Your goodness, Your wisdom, Your power, and Your love for them as well as for me.
And I praise You that I need not fret about these people, or be envious, or mull over angry thoughts to prove I'm right. Thank You that by Your power I can receive them as You receive me just as I am, warts and wrinkles and hangups and all...that I can choose not to judge them, but to forgive them...to cancel any debts I feel they owe me-any apologies, any obligations...that through Your grace, I can choose to wipe clean any slate of grievances I have within me and to view these people with a heart that says, "You no longer owe me a thing." Thank You for Your Spirit who empowers me, so that I can do the good, delight in You, and commit my way to You, resting in You as You unfold Your good purposes in these relationships-in Your time.

Friday, January 20, 2012

Revived By Praise Day 19

God is our refuge and strength,
a very present help in trouble.
Psalm 46:1

Day 19 of Praise by Ruth Myers:
"Thank You, Lord, for the people who are a blessing to me...for family and friends and neighbors, for little children, for brothers and sisters in Christ, for colleagues and leaders, for pastors and teachers...and for others; our doctors, the postman, the plumber. Thank You for the many ways you use these people to meet my needs, brighten my path, and lighten my load...to enrich my knowledge of You, and to counsel or correct or nourish me, building me up in faith. How good and how pleasant it is to enjoy rich fellowship with those who love You. Thank You for bringing people into my life!
I thank You especially for....

Yet, Lord, I also thank You that even the people I most admire have flaws-that only You are wonderful through and through, with no ugly edges, and that people even at their best, cannot meet my deepest needs...that at times they misunderstand, they disappoint, they expect too much, or they can't be available when I need them. This makes me even more glad to have You as my best Friend, my wonderful Counselor, my ever-present help in trouble, immediately available around the clock, seven days a week. How wonderful that I belong to You, the pure, unpolluted Source from which all downstream loves flow. So I delight in people here on earth; but first and last I come to You, the only perfect person, the only ideal Person, the only One whose love is flawless...the only One who is worthy of my highest praise. O God, who is like You? There is none to compare with You!
I thank You for the friends who've failed
To meet my soul's deep need;
They've driven me to the Savior's feet Upon His love to feed.
I'm grateful too, through all life's way No one could satisfy, And so I've found in You alone,
My rich, my full supply!
-Florence White Willet

Revived By Praise Day 18

And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God,
to those who are called according to His purpose.
Romans 8:28

Ruth Myers writes on Day 18:
"Father, I'm so delighted that You are both loving and sovereign, and that You cause all things to work together for good to those who love You, to those who are called according to Your purpose. So I thank You for each disturbing or humbling situation in my life, for each breaking or cleansing process You are allowing, for each problem or hindrance, for each thing that triggers in my anxiety or anger or pain. And I thank You in advance for each disappointment, each demanding duty, each pressure, each interruption that may arise in the coming hours and days.
In spite of what I think or feel when i get my eyes off You, I choose not to resist my trials as intruders, but to welcome them as friends.
Thank You that each difficulty is an opportunity to see You work...that in your time You will bring me out to a place of abundance. I rejoice that You plan to enrich and beautify me through each problem, each conflict, each struggle...that through them You expose my weaknesses and needs, my hidden sins, my self-centeredness (and especially my self-reliance and pride.) Thank You that You use trials to humble me and perfect my faith and produce in me the quality of endurance...that they prepare the soil of my heart for the fresh new growth in godliness that You and I both long to see in me...and that my momentary troubles are producing for me an eternal glory that far outweighs them all, as I keep my eyes focused on You. I'm grateful that You look beyond my superficial desire for a trouble-free life; instead, You fulfill my deep-down desire to glorify You, enjoy Your warm fellowship, and become more like Your Son."
I thank You for the bitter things
They've been a friend to grace,
They've driven me from the paths of ease
To storm the secret place.
-Florence White Willet

Revived By Praise Day 17

Lord, Thou hast been our dwelling place in all generations.
Psalm 90:1

Day 17 of Praise by Ruth Myers:
"Thank You that You have me in the place You want me just now...that even if I got here through wrong choices or indifference or even rebellion, yet You knew my mistakes and sins before I ever existed, and You worked them into Your plan to draw me to Yourself, to mold and bless me, and to bless others through me. Thank You that, even if I'm here through the ill will or poor judgement of other people, all is well; for in Your sovereign wisdom You are at work to bring about good results from all those past decisions, those past events beyond my control-good results both for me and for others. Thank You again that You meant for good the terrible things that happened to Joseph, who was sold into slavery, exiled to a distant country, and later sent to prison on false accusations...and that through all this You had him in the right place at the right time, for highly important reasons. I'm glad, Lord, that You are the same today-well able to work things out for us, to turn evil into good. I stand amazed at the complexity and mystery of Your wisdom. How safe it is for me to trust Your reason for acting (or not acting) and Your methods of working!
Thank You that I can safely commit my location and situation to You. I can be willing for You to shift me anywhere on life's checkboard, or bury me anywhere in life's garden, gladly yielding myself for You to please Yourself with, anywhere and anyway You choose' (source unknown). Thank You that I can trust You with my future places-ready to go, ready to stay.
So I rest in the fact that You have me in this place for this day, and I praise You that You will faithfully guide me throughout life to just where You want me to be, as I seek to do Your will.
And most important of all is my place in You. How delighted I am to have You as my dwelling place where I can settle down, feel secure, and be content anywhere on earth...You are my blessed home, 'where I can enter and be at rest even when all around and above is a sea of trouble' (Andrew Murray). how my soul delights to hide in the secret of Your presence...to take refuge in the shadow of Your wings, to eat at Your table, to drink my fill of the rive of Your delights. how blessed I am, my King and my God, for You have chosen me, and brought me near, to live in Your presence, to behold Your delightfulness, to seek Your counsel...And to think that I will dwell in Your house forever!

Revived By Praise Day 16

For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works,
which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.
Ephesians 2:10

Day 16 of Praise by Ruth Myers:
Thank You, dear Lord, that I am honored in Your eyes...that even the person who is least in Your Kingdom is greater in Your sight than the most prominent and successful person ever born. How wonderful that Your, the high King of heaven, enthroned far above all other powers in heaven and earth, have bestowed on my the royal dignity of being Your child and heir!
I exult in Your marvelous grace-in Your favor and blessings which I do not deserve-for You have raised me up with Christ and seated me with Him in the heavenly realm where being included and honored has any real significance, any lasting value.
How grateful I am that You have linked me to the greatest possible purposes, the highest of all reason for living; to know and love You...to show Your love to other people...to glorify You...and to enjoy You now and forever. What an honor!
Thank You that, in my deepest and truest identity, I am a new person in union with Christ...that I am one of Your spiritual masterpieces, created clean and clear as a flawless jewel...and that You are cutting and polishing me to receive and display more fully the beauty of Your glorious attributes!

Revived By Praise Day 15

I am the vine, you are the branches, he who abides in Me, and I in him, he bears much fruit;
for apart from Me you can do nothing.
John 15:5

Ruth Myers writes on Day 15:
"I'm so grateful Lord, that the Christian life is not a rigorous self-improvement course or a do-it-yourself kit...that it is not a call to prove myself or improve myself by overcoming my own shortcomings and failures, in my own way, by my own resources. Thank You that, instead, You are at work in my and in my situation to break old patterns of thought and action, to create within me both the desire and the power to do Your gracious will...and to make me a joy to You in new ways.
I praise You that 'Jesus Christ is able to untangle all the snarls in my soul, to banish all my complexes, and to transform even my fixed habit patterns, no matter how deeply they are etched in my subconscious ' (Corrie ten Boom). Thank You for the many ways You use other people to counsel me and help me grow...and yet that Christ Himself is the Answer to my hangups, the one Source who can meet my deepest needs. How I rejoice that He is wonderful in counsel and mighty in power, and that He heals from the inside out.
Thank You, too, for the Holy Spirit-the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and strength. I praise You that He is in me to enlighten me through Your Word, to flush away my anxieties and fears, my resentments and hostilities, my guilt and regrets, as water flushes away dirt and trash...to keep me filled with Himself and to flood my heart with Your love...to produce through me the fruit of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control...and to enable me to give thanks for all things as the hours and days and weeks pass. I rejoice that You are able to do far more than all I ask or think, according to Your power that is at work within me-the same power that raised Jesus from the dead!"

Revived By Praise Day 14

But may it never be that I should boast,
except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ...
Galatians 6:14


On Day 14 Ruth Myers writes:
"Father, I'm glad that the Holy Spirit is within me, to strengthen me with power in my inner person...to make Christ real within me and flood my heart with His limitless love...to fill me with Your fullness....to enable me to know in personal experience the things You have so freely bestowed on me in Christ-my new identity, my incredible spiritual blessings.
I celebrate the fact that I have been crucified with Christ, and that now that I am alive with His life...that through my new birth I died out of my old life, and that You resurrected me to a living relationship with You...and so I am dead to sin and alive to You! Thank You that these facts are true, whether or not they seem logical, whether of not I feel they're true...and that as I praise You for them, Your Spirit enables me more and more to live in light of my new identity in You. Thank You that He is using Your Word to deliver me from the viewpoints and values of the world, the flesh and the devil...and He is renewing my mind to see things from Your point of view, so that I can walk in newness of life.
I praise You that Christ is not a weak person outside me, but a tremendous power inside me...that through Him I am competent to cope with life, to do Your will, to love with Your love, to be more than a conqueror. How I rejoice that I can grow, develop my gifts, enlarge my capacities...that I need not be forever shackled by my past, but that with confidence and joy I can look forward to actually becoming all that You have in mind for me to be.

Revived By Praise Day 13

No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws them,
and I will raise them up at the last day.
John 6:44

Day 13 by Ruth Myers:
"I magnify You with thanksgiving, my Father, for I belong to You forever. You chose me in Christ before the creation of the world. You drew me to Yourself. You accepted me in Your beloved Son, welcoming me into the everlasting love You have for Him...and now as Your child You take me in Your arms and tell me that You love me.
Near, so very near to You
Nearer I could not be,
For in the Person of Your Son
I'm just as near as He!
Dear, so very dear to You,
I could not dearer be;
The love wherewith You loved Your Son,
Such is Your love for me!
(Source unknown)
Thank You that I have a place in You and Your Kingdom that is eternal...that nothing can separate me from Your limitless, intensely personal love-the one love that is not the least bit based on how much I deserve it, the one love that can never lessen or fail. Thank You that You will never be disillusioned with me, for You already know all about me, past, present, future.
How great is Your love toward me, Father, that I should be called Your child; and such I am. How amazing that I am precious in Your eyes, and that You love me!

Revived By Praise Day 12

He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf,
that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.
2 Corinthians 5:21

"True praise is unconditional.
It's not an attempt to manipulate God into producing the precise results we hope for.
Instead, it helps us accept our situation as it is, whether or not He changes it.
Continued praise helps us reach the place where we can say,
'Father, I don't want You to remove this problem until
You've done all You want to do through it, in me and others.'"
Ruth Myers
Day 12 Myers writes:
"I glory in Your holy name, dear Lord, for in Christ I am righteous with His righteousness. I am justified-just as if I'd never sinned! I'm totally right with You! Thank You that on the cross Jesus bore all the guilt of all my sins, including past and present and future ones. How grateful I am that, because of what Jesus did, 'You crossed out the whole debt against me in Your account books. You nailed the account book to the cross, and closed the account.'
Now, Father, I bow before You as the Judge to whom I am accountable as the final Authority, the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of all the earth...and I thank You, I praise You that You have said-and Your Word cannot be broken-'No condemnation now hangs over the head of those who are in Christ Jesus. The judge himself has declared us free from sin.'
How I rejoice that through Christ I am all right as a person, now and forever; totally clean, every stain removed...totally forgiven, no matter how great or recent a failure I've had to confess, or how often I have failed.
What amazing grace! What undeserved acceptance and favor! How wonderful that You ask me to do absolutely nothing to earn Your forgiveness-no striving to measure up, no self-punishment, no prolonged remorse, no self-blame, no deeds of penance...that I don't have to sink down into regrets or into shame, or into denial, or into excuses for things I do wrong. I'm so thankful that You don't hold a pair of scales and ask me to pile up enough good works to outweigh my sins, my failures, my unworthiness...that it's all by grace through faith. What an incentive to live a life that pleases You, that brings You joy and not grief!
I greatly rejoice in You, Lord; my soul exults in You; for You have clothed me with the garments of salvation, You have wrapped me with a robe of righteousness and beauty, as a bridegroom dressed for his wedding, as a bride adorned with her jewels."


Revived By Praise Day 11

In everything give thanks, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.
1 Thessalonians 5:18

Myers writes on Day 11:
"Thank You, my gracious and sovereign God, that You have been with me and carried me from the day of my birth until today...that You have known my whole life, from beginning to end, since before I was born...and that You wrote in Your book all the days that You ordained for me before one of them came to be.
Thank You that in Your gracious plan to bless and use me, You've allowed me to go through hard times, through trials that many people go through in this fallen world. How glad I am that You're so good at reaching down and making something beautiful out of even the worst situations! How encouraged I am when I think how You did this for Joseph...how his brothers hated and abused and betrayed him, and how You worked these things out for blessings, both for Joseph and his family and for countless other people.
I praise You that the things that happened in my past, both enjoyable and painful, are raw materials for blessings, both in my life and in the lives of others. So I thank You for the specific family (or lack of family) into which I was born and the opportunities You did or did not provide. And thank You for the things in my past that appear to be limitations, hindrances, bad breaks...the wounds of old hurts, the unmet emotional needs, the mistakes or neglect of other people...even their cruelty to me, their abuse.
How comforting to know that in all my distresses You were distressed. And how I thank You, Lord Jesus, that on the cross You bore my griefs and carried my sorrows, as well as my sins...that I can kneel at the cross and worship You as the One who took on Yourself all my pain and experienced it to the full. And how comforting to know that in the present, day by day; You feel with me any pain, confusion, inner bondage, or struggles that stem from my past. Thank You that all these seeming disadvantages are a backdrop for the special, unfolding plan You have in mind for me...and that if my past still handicaps me, You are able to lead me to the kind of help I need.
I'm so grateful that all my pasts circumstances were permitted by You to make me see my need of You and prepare my heart for Your Word...to draw me to Yourself, and to work out Your good purposes for my life. I rejoice that You are the Blessed Controller of all things-You are now, You will be throughout the future, and You always were. All my days had Your touch of love and wisdom, whether or not I can yet fully see it.
And Lord, I choose to look beyond my past and present troubles in this life-this temporary life-and fix my eyes on the unseen things that will last forever. I praise You for the eternal glory these things are piling up for me as I choose to trust You."

Have a "thanks giving" party with the Lord today. Make a few lists...
Thanks for answers to prayer.
Thanks for unexpected gifts and blessings.
Thanks for trials which have shaped you.

Thursday, January 19, 2012

Revived By Praise Day 10

But He gives a greater grace. Therefore it says,
"God is opposed to the proud, but give grace to the humble."
James 4:6

Ruth Myers shares a story of a woman who began to thank God for her ex-husband, his alcoholism and the years of loneliness and heartache she had experienced.
"As she continued to praise, she became aware of her own self-righteousness and superior attitude toward him and of the way she had been a joyless martyr, immersing herself in self-pity. She confessed her sin, acknowledging that her pride was worse than her husband's alcoholism, and kept on praising and rejoicing.
As time went by, this woman's husband, miles away with no direct influence from her, came to Christ and was delivered from his alcoholism. He returned to her and they began a new life together. For this woman, praise helped to change both her and her situation."

Day 10 Myers writes:
"I choose to thank You for my weaknesses, my infirmities, my inadequacies (physical, mental, emotional, relational)-for the ways I fall short of what people view as ideal...for my feelings of helplessness and inferiority, and even my pain and distresses. What a comfort it is to know that you understand the feeling of my weaknesses!...and that in Your infinite wisdom You have allowed these in my life so that they may contribute to Your high purposes for me.
I specifically thank You for...."

(I personally looked back to 11 years ago when I did this journal and I had written...my Mama's death, my back pain, my weight struggle, discipline problems with our kids, frustrations with their school, hurt from certain friends.)

"Thank You that many a time my weaknesses cut through my pride and help me walk humbly with You...and then, as You've promised, You give me more grace-You help and bless and strengthen me. Thank You for all the ways I'm inadequate, for they prod me to trust in You and not in myself...and I'm grateful that my adequacy comes from You, the all-sufficient God who is enough!
Thank You that I can trust You to remove or change any of my weaknesses and handicaps and shortcomings the moment they are no longer needed for Your glory, and for my good, and for the good of other people...and that in the meantime, Your grace is sufficient for me, for Your strength is made perfect in my weakness."

Wednesday, January 18, 2012

Revived by Praise Day 9
As each one had received a special gift, employ it in serving one another,
as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.
1 Peter 4:10

"I worship before You, dear Lord, as the all-wise Creator, the One who made heaven and earth and all that is in them, and saw that is was very good. I praise You for the honor of being made in Your image, personally formed by You for Your glory, and gifted spiritually just as it has pleased You. Thank You for each strength and ability and desirable trait You have given me. Surely You have been good to me, O Lord!
Thank You that I can enjoy my strengths and gifts without pride or false modesty as I give You the credit for them, praising You rather than congratulating myself. What do I have that I did not receive from You? All that I am and all that I have comes from You; it is all sustained by You...and I want it all to glorify You! Not to me, O Lord, not to me, but to Your name be the glory.
I specifically thank You for:..."

Revived By Praise Day 8

Come let us worship and bow down;
Let us kneel before the Lord our Maker.
Psalm 95:6

Here's a great example of praising in all situations: In Acts 16, Paul and Silas are in prison. They had been beaten and their feet were placed in stocks. Myers writes, "Yet in that miserable prison they prayed and sang hymns of praise at about midnight; and suddenly the Lord released them through a special earthquake that hit at exactly the right time, in exactly the right place."

God knows how to shake things up when needed!

On the 8th Day of praise, Ruth Myers writes:
"I give thanks to You, O Lord, and I stand in awe of You, for I am wonderfully made. Marvelous are Your works! Thank You that You uniquely designed and created me, with the same care and precision You used in creating the universe-that You formed me in love exactly to Your specifications...that You embroidered me with great skill in my mother's womb.
I'm grateful that my looks, my abilities, and my personality are like a special picture frame in which You can portray Your grace and beauty, Your love, Your strength, Your faithfulness, to the praise of Your glory. I rejoice that You have gifted me for the special purpose You have in mind for my life. I thank You for Your loving wisdom in allowing the things that have influenced me throughout my life-the things that have prepared my heart to respond to You and live for Your glory. I might not have turned to You if things had been different!
It's wonderful to know that You are not the least bit dissatisfied with my inborn talents, intelligence, aptitudes, appearance and personality, for Your hands have made and fashioned me. I am one of Your original masterpieces!"

Well, if you don't feel SPECIAL and loved after reading that, I suggest you read again! Often I've reflected on how the most painful experiences in this life are the ones which have brought me into the closest fellowship with the Lord. Today let's take an honest evaluation of the traits and characteristics in which God selected to put in the package "my beloved child". (Each one of us.) Every personality has a purpose for HIS PLAN in life. We were created to enhance one another.

Today while we are feeling loved immensely...think of several other people who may occasionally rub us wrong and look at them in God's light and how He created them for His purpose!



Tuesday, January 17, 2012

Revived By Praise Day 7

Thy word I have treasured in my heart,
that I might not sin against Thee.
Psalm 119:11

Ruth Myers writes:
"I glorify You for the Bible-that wonderful, written revelation of You and Your plan. As snow and rain fall from the skies to meet our needs, so You have condensed Your thoughts-which are vastly higher than all human thoughts-into written-down form. I'm so grateful that You cared enough to communicate with us in this clear, unchanging, always-accessible way, so that Your thoughts are now available at all times to refresh and nourish and teach me....and that You are still a communicating God, speaking these words to me as I am attentive to You, as I read and meditate with a listening heart. What a privilege it is to store Your Word in my heart where You can use it at any moment to bless me and guide me...to keep me from sinning against You...and to be a storehouse of inspired words that the Spirit can bring to my mind to help others.
Thank You that in Your Word I can see Your face and hear Your voice. I can discover Your will and Your patterns for living and serving, I can develop deeper faith and confidence. Thank You that the Holy Spirit inspired Your Word and uses it to enlighten and guide me, and to change me more and more into Your image, from one degree of glory to another.

"Remember the suffering Joseph went through?
How did Joseph evaluate all that had happened?
He told his brothers,
You meant evil against me, but God meant it for good.
Genesis 50:20

May we praise the Lord like Joseph, trusting God deeply, and watch for our suffering to (sometimes years of us) to produce a reason for rejoicing!


Sunday, January 15, 2012

Revived By Praise Day 6

Let them praise Thy great and awesome name. Holy is He.
Psalm 99:3

"Praise is a basic way to express our faith and to strengthen it."
Ruth Myers

Day Six Ruth Myers writes:
"I magnify You, my God, for Your absolute purity, holiness, and justice, as the Judge to whom all people must give account. I praise You that Your fairness is intertwined with everything You do...that when the time is ripe You will end all sin and injustice, all corruption, all immorality...that You will right all wrongs and reward all loving service and suffering for Your sake.
Thank You that Your Son will return from heaven with a shout of triumph that the dead in Christ will be raised imperishable...and in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, we shall all be utterly changed. We shall see the radiance of His face and the glorious majesty of His power. It will be a breathtaking wonder and splendor unimaginable to all who believe! Thank You that "whatever we may have to go through now is less than nothing compared with the magnificent future" You have planned for us.
What a joy it is to know that the government will be on Christ's shoulders and that there will be no end to the increase of His government and peace...that His kingdom will be established with justice and righteousness from then on and forevermore. Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom that cannot be shaken. You will never be voted out; no coup will ever dethrone You. For all eternity You are the King of kings and Lord or lords. To You be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen!

What if Jesus returned today? Would you shout...
"I am ready, let's go." or "Wait...I should have..."
When you see Jesus face to face what do you think your reaction will be?


“Even so, come Lord Jesus” (Revelation 22:20)
"Are you praying for Jesus to return? If you love Him, you ought to be longing for His return. I have Him in my heart, but I long to lay my eyes upon Him and walk with Him and talk with Him." Adrian Rogers

Saturday, January 14, 2012

Revived By Praise Day 5

There is none like Thee, O Lord,
Thou are great, and great is Thy name in might.
Jeremiah 10:6

Let's sing!
Lord I lift Your name on high,
Lord, I love to sing your praises.
I'm so glad you're in my life
I'm so glad you came to save us.
You came from heaven to earth to show the way.
From the earth to the cross our debts to pay.
From the cross to the grave, from the grave to the sky
Lord, I lift Your name on high!

Ruth Myers writes with honesty:
"Notice that David and the other Psalmists were honest about their feelings, facing them and telling God about them. They know how to pour out their hearts before Him (Psalm 62:8). Often they praised God first, and then expressed their disturbed emotions, their perplexities, even their complaints. After this they went on to praising God again, despite their struggles."
Her Day Five entry reads:
"I magnify You, O Lord; I exalt Your name, for You are great and highly to be praised. I praise You for the glorious splendor of Your majesty and the power of Your awe-inspiring acts. Your power is unlimited...absolute..beyond imagining. You are able to do immeasurably more than we can ask of dream of. 'There is nothing too hard for You.' Who is like You, 'majestic in holiness, awesome in praises, working wonders?'
O Lord Most High, You rule over the heavens and the earth, for You made all things by Your great power, and You keep them existing and working by Your mighty Word. You are exalted high above every star and galaxy in the entire cosmos...yet You are also 'the God of all mankind," the great, personally present, personally involved God who loves, rescues, and takes care of all who trust You. You exercise Your gracious authority over all nations-and over each individual in all the world. There is none like You, the true God, the living God, the everlasting King.
I praise You for Your sovereignty over the broad events of my life and over the details. With You, nothing is accidental, nothing is incidental, and no experience is wasted. You hold in Your own power my breath of life and all my destiny. And every trial that You allow to happen is a platform on which You reveal Yourself, showing Your love and power, both to me and to others looking on. Thank You that I can move into the future non defensively, with hands outstretched to whatever lies ahead, for You hold the future and You will always be with me, even to my old age...and through all eternity.

Make this entry personal. Think of an example of:
God's splendor.
An awe-inspiring act of power.
A time He did immeasurably more than you asked.
A time He taught you through a trial.

Friday, January 13, 2012

Revived By Praise Day 4

In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent
His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.
1 John 4:10

Ruth Myers writes:
"I love You, Father, because You first loved me and sent Your Son to atone for my sins. And I stand amazed that Jesus, who by nature had always been God, did not cling to His rights as Your equal...that He laid aside all His privileges, to be born as a human being...that He totally humbled Himself, submitting to the death of a common criminal, enduring infinite humiliation and pain...on the cross You laid on Him the compressed weights of all my sin and guilt and shame, of all my griefs and sorrows, and He became sin for me, dying my death.
And how much I praise You that it was impossible for death to hold Him in its power...that You raised Him from the dead to be my Savior, to make me righteous in Your sight...that You highly exalted Him, giving Him a position infinitely superior to any conceivable command, authority, power, or control, both natural and supernatural. Thank You that He is the Great High Priest...that He is able to save me completely, for He lives forever and prays for me, and for all of us who have come to You through Him. I glorify You, my Father, with gratefulness and joy.
And I bow at the feet of Him who was dead and is now alive forever and ever. I exalt Him, I yield myself to Him, for He is worthy of the total response of my entire being:
Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive powers and riches and wisdom
and might and honor and glory and blessing."

Praise God! What a precious parent He is...
He loved us first!
He was willing to die for us.
He prays for us!
The challenge is there to bow down before our Maker. What keeps us from taking that position? When we humble ourselves, maybe we will hear better and thus feel better!
Come, let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the LORD our Maker
Psalm 95:6

Thursday, January 12, 2012

Revived by Praise Day 3

"You must choose to cultivate the habit of praise."
Ruth Myers

Bet I can make you smile this morning! Wanting to write about praising God all day long, an old song from 1958, by the McGuire Sisters, came to mind.
Check it out and instead of the word "sugar" substitute "Praise Him".


Yup, praise Him in the morning, praise Him in the evening, praise Him at supper time!

Day Three by Ruth Myers
"I praise You that the Lord Jesus lived His life sinlessly, in total accord with reality, with no falseness, no self-deception, no dark secrets, nothing to regret, nothing to be ashamed of...that He proclaimed the truth, the one utterly reliable foundation for our thinking and living. Thank You that He delighted to do Your will...that He withdrew for time alone to Your presence...that He was attentive to Your voice and sensitive to Your working...that He lived in complete dependence on You, so that You in Him spoke those gracious and life-giving words and performed those mighty works.
Thank You that He demonstrated how I am to live and serve, completely dependent on Him as my indwelling Lord, focusing on His life as He walked on earth, and beholding His glory, 'the glory of the one and only' who came from You, full of grace and truth. What a delight to know that as I focus on Him. You transform me into His image by Your Spirit within me. You work in me that which is pleasing in Your eyes. You strengthen my heart in every good work and every good word, so that more and more I honor Christ by the way I live."

I delight to do Thy will, O my God, Thy law is within my heart."
Psalm 40:8

For our journaling time let's answer these questions:
What am I to learn from this time where I have drawn away with You, Father?
Where am I depending on myself or another human being, rather than You?
What is an area of my life that needs to be transformed to be more like Christ?

Funny aside...when I type journaling the computer wants to replace it with "journeying".
Journaling is journeying with Jesus!

Wednesday, January 11, 2012

Revived by Praise Day 2

Ruth Myers praises on day two...
"Thank You, Father, that You so loved the world that You gave your one and only Son, our Lord Jesus Christ...that when the time had fully come, He wrapped Himself in human form, being born as a helpless baby in a poor family. Thank You that He walked here on earth radiating the brightness of Your glory and flawlessly expressing Your nature...and so, through Him, people saw You in action, involved with them, available to meet their needs. Thank You that He focused Your almighty power into the lives of common people with deep needs, just like me...that He preached the gospel on the poor, proclaimed freedom to prisoners of sin and recovery of sight to the blind, and set free the oppressed victims of sin and Satan-the downtrodden, the lost, the hurting, the broken. Thank You for the way He rebuked the arrogant and looked with favor on the humble-minded, opening wide the door of His Kingdom to those who were destitute and helpless in spirit. I delight in Your tender mercies, O my God, by which the Sunrise from on high has come to us!....Fairest Lord Jesus! You alone are my heart's desire...my chief delight...my soul's glory, joy, and crown. Every advantage life can offer is like rubbish, compared with the overwhelming gain of knowing You. You are worthy, Lord-worthy to be thanked and praised and worshipped and adored."
But when the fullness of time came, God sent forth His Son,
born of a woman, born under the Law. Galatians 4:4

Myers writes:
"Why do I time and again, get so busy and absorbed with the pressures of daily life that I forget all about praise? And why do I at times feel reluctant to praise in the midst of everyday trials: when I hear news that makes me anxious about someone I love, or when I face a major disappointment, or when I'm angry or under a lot of pressure? Could it be that one of Satan's major strategies is to divert us from praise?"
There are several great journaling points in that paragraph, so grab your notebook.

Yesterday, on my praise walk I was flying high! The IPod was plugged into my ear and the weather was wonderful. We've had lots of turmoil the past five years related to the property which surrounds Shiloh, as well as our private road I was walking on. In the midst of my praise party, a large black car, being driven by one of the parties involved in the land dispute came driving towards our road. My praise and joy went plummeting like the ball coming down on a carnival bell ringer. Standing frozen I waiting for him to roll down his window and speak but he did not. I was shocked...then I recognized the distraction which Myers speaks of above. Wanting my husband to share in the moment I tried to call, but he did not answer. God gently reminded me this was my time with Him and to share my thoughts with him! Cranking those praise songs back up I chose to get back on track and continue in what I had cone to do...praise the Lord!

While the praise song that just came to mind may be a bit "old school", so are our beloved hymns. Give Jesus 4 minutes of your morning and sing along to You are my All in All. At the 2:57 minute mark, I thought, OK, time for this to end. (I have friends coming and a morning of baking and cleaning ahead.) Then I became so convicted. FOUR minutes! Get real and give that time to Jesus!

Thank You for coming up with a plan.
Thank You for taking me by the hand.
Thank You for making each day new.
Thank You for all the precious things You do!

Tuesday, January 10, 2012

Praise Walk

Taking a praise walk today, I wanted to spin around with arms lifted high as I listened to this song by Casting Crowns!


I Know You're There
If all I had was one last breath
I'd spend it just to sing Your praise
Just to say Your name
If all I had was one last prayer
I'd pray it 'cause I know You're always listening
If I could live a thousand lives, bind the hands of time
I would spend every moment by Your side

'cause I, I know You're there, I know You see me
You're the air I breathe
You are the ground beneath me
I know You're there, I know You hear me
I can find You anywhere

If all I had was one more song to sing
I would raise a noise to make the heavens ring
If all I had was one last chance, I'd take it
I would stake it all on You

If I could raise up high and catch a glimpse of every eye
I would make them believe
What I feel inside

If I could live a thousand lives and bind the hands of time
If I could rise up high and catch a glimpse of every eye

I know You're there
I know You're there
I know You're there, You're there


Revived By Praise Day 1

Ruth Myers Prayer Journal Titled "31 Days of Praise" is
a definite doldrum lifter outer!

Join me again on a journey of Praise...
I did this in 2001 and am excited to Return to 31 Days of Praise
I will quote from her daily message, share the verses she has for the day and then encourage you to journal from there...buy her journal if you can, if not grab a notebook and daily write out verses and key words which speak to your heart...
record what's happening in your life, and your prayer concerns...and catch a habit of praise.

I will try to include a praise song each week to lift us up.
Start today by Rocking out to the Newsboys song, "God's Not Dead"


DAY ONE:
"My heart rejoices in You, Lord, for You are my strong shelter in times of trouble and danger and stress, my hiding place to whom I may continually resort...my Father who lovingly provides for me....my Shepherd who guides and protects me...my Champion who upholds my cause as His child and defends my highest interests...my Bridegroom who delights in me...my God who is mighty to save, who rests in His love for me and rejoices over me with singing, with shouts of joy. You are my inheritance, my share in life, the One who satisfies my longing soul and fills my hungry soul with goodness.
I praise You for Your love and Your wisdom. You are too wise to ever make a mistake, too loving to ever do anything unkind. You act on my behalf, accomplishing what concerns me and fulfilling Your purpose for me as I call on You. Thank You that You love me deeply and tenderly. You are compassionate and gracious, full of loving kindness, ready to forgive, patiently considerate, and generous beyond imagining. You desire my love and rejoice to do good things for me. You delights to give me the desires of my heart as I delight myself in You. How precious is Your love to me, O God! I sing for joy as I take refuge in the shadow of Your wings!"
He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty
Psalm 91:1
Myers writes: "I find that my worship is richer when I offer the Lord praise and thanks for three things: who He is, what He does, and what He gives.

Let's open our Bibles and find the answers written there and write them down.
Then let's open our hearts and personalize who we have come to know him to be, what we have seen Him do and what we have received from Him.

God is the Maker of heaven and earth.
God directs our paths.
God gives us life.

God is my ever present help in times of trouble. I look back to 2001 when I first did this month long praise exercise and I was just coming off a year of extreme pain do to physical illness and the death of my mother from colon cancer. God was closer to me in those days than I had ever experienced.

God speaks to me through his Word, through various ministries and devotionals, through friends who love Him and have walked with Him, but most of all when I am still and listening.
God always speaks love and encouragement, even when He is speaking words of discipline.

God has given me 55 years of life so far and has given me His promise that He is building me a heavenly home. He has given me a godly husband, the gift of motherhood, and a wonderful place to minister here at Shiloh, but I know all those could be taken away today and I would still have His greatest give....His amazing love that was given by coming to earth as Jesus and dying for my sins, so I can experience life in His presence someday.