How is it this month is passing by so quickly?
Time has a way of doing that, I think. The older I grow, the faster time passes.
I was strongly encouraged by a friend, at the end of last year, to begin this year with a month of prayer, and that is exactly what I have done.
I do pray, but I’ve never had such a direct, intentional time of extended prayer time- I’ve seen amazing answers to prayer this month. I’ve enjoyed time of private worship. I’ve poured my heart out…crying out to the Lord, at times and it has been an amazing January.
The following are some things we have seen happening…
We’ve bought a new (to us!) van. We are days away from a construction crew coming to begin a new project in our home (I’ll post more on this later!), we’ve paid off several smaller bills we had, purchased a new chest freezer and filled it up with turkey, pork roasts, and ham that were on after Christmas sales, we have had time to create extra casseroles for the freezer, we are almost finished re-finishing the hardwoods in some of our rooms, we’ve gotten a good chunk of Christmas purchased for next year, and we’ve had a wonderful month of homeschooling. We have even had our first dinner guest for the year, (who happened to be one of my grown children- that made this mama’s heart so happy to see his face walk through my door.)
Of course, the biggest blessings are those that remain unseen. Places where the Lord is working to heal my heart and make me stronger. Places where He’s been dusting me off and setting me back upright after a season of what has felt at times, like unbearable grief.
These verses have been on my heart so much recently:
Philippians 4:6 “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.”
*Oh, how my heart loves to hold on to fear.* What if this doesn’t work the way I so desperately want it to?
It has been a season of trusting in His will.
Psalm 139:2 “You know when I sit down and when I rise up; you discern my thoughts from afar.”
Psalm 139:23-24 ”Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting!”
*A good reminder* that the Lord KNOWS our thoughts. Our words may fool others, but the Lord knows our intentions. He knows our thoughts. He knows our thoughts. I pray the Lord would search my heart and find it pleasing to Him.
Proverbs 28:9 “If one turns away his ear from hearing the law, even his prayer is an abomination.”
1 Peter 3:12 “For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and his ears are open to their prayer. But the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.”
Isaiah 59:2 “But your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden his face from you so that he does not hear.”
*Only a few* of the many places where the Bible speaks of those who don’t keep their heart in the right place. You can’t fool God.
Matthew 12:34 “How can you speak good things, when you are evil? For out of the heart the mouth speaks.”
Please let those be only good things and keep my feet and thoughts from wandering, Lord.
I’m writing about this month, mostly for myself. I don’t want to ever forget. I have saturated every area of my life and family in prayer. I have soaked in the Word.
I have cried through morning devotions and I have had an amazing personal worship time this month.
Thank you, Jesus, for January, this very first month of the year.
Please make my heart a reflection of You.
