Walking With My Savior

Sharing what God has taught me through my walk with Him

Prayer, what is it? Talking to God? Does He answer? Does prayer help us? Does it benefit us? Why pray when God already knows what is on our hearts? How do we pray? When should we pray?

Prayer is how we communicate with God. Our way of connecting with God. It builds our faith in Him. It restores and strengthens us. Prayer is a gift from God. He is always there when we pray and always listens and hears us. Prayer draws us closer to Him and His heart. It helps us fall deeper in love with Him. Prayer is not just asking, but thanking, praising, and listening to Him. Prayer is a two sided conversation, not just our requests and thanks, but we must also listen for His voice leading & guide us. Prayer helps sustain us & keep us going.

How do you pray? How often? God longs to know us and spend time with us. He wants to talk with us. When we pray we need to humble ourselves & let His Spirit speak though us. Let His Will become ours and immerse yourself in His presence. Pour out your heart to Christ. Lay it at His feet. Don’t do all the talking either, pause and be silent and listen for Him. [Psalm 46:10 “Be still, and know that I am God! I will be honored by every nation. I will be honored throughout the world.”]

Praying helps us in many ways. It lets us give up our burden to Him and calms us. It leads us closer to Him. It builds our faith and trust and dependence on Him. It makes us realize we can do nothing on our own, how much we need Christ. That only through His strength can we do anything. God knew we needed and outlet, a way to let it all out and an ear to hear it. He is always there, listening and reaching out to us wanting to help if we trust Him. Prayer is an essential part of our relationship with Christ and needs to be a part of our lives everyday. You can’t have a relationship without communication. Everyday we should pray, in everything we should pray.

Pray when you don’t understand.
Pray when your hurt.
Pray when your tempted.
Pray when you feel His Spirit prompting you.
Pray for and with others.
Pray when your afraid.
Pray when you need to make a decision.
Pray when you want to quit.
Pray when you feel down and lonely.
Pray when His Spirit convicts you.
Pray when you don’t have the faith or strength.
Pray when your angry.
Pray when your worried.
Pray when you just need talk to someone.
Pray when you need guidance.
Pray when your faith is challenged.
Pray when you don’t know what to say.
Pray when your questioned about your faith.
Pray when you talk to others about Christ.
Pray in every situation.
Pray for your enemies and those that persecute you.
Pray for those that don’t know Christ.
Pray for everyone.
Pray for fellow Christians.
Pray when you feel hopeless.
Pray when praising God.

Throughout the Bible there are many prayers from God’s people. He knew we needed a way to communicate with Him. Prayer is not to benefit Him, but to benefit us, one of the great gifts He has given us.

Prayer is powerful. [Matthew 17:20 “You don’t have enough faith,” Jesus told them. “I tell you the truth, if you had faith even as small as a mustard seed, you could say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it would move. Nothing would be impossible.”]All God asks is that we trust Him. Faith and Prayer with a humble heart can do wonders. Be patient, trust Christ, have faith and watch Him work. Watch Him open doors of opportunities. Watch Him move and work things out perfectly. It may not always happen in our timing, but it Always happens in His Perfect Timing.

Psalm 5
O Lord, hear me as I pray;
pay attention to my groaning.
Listen to my cry for help, my King and my God,
for I pray to no one but you.
Listen to my voice in the morning, Lord.
Each morning I bring my requests to you and wait expectantly.
O God, you take no pleasure in wickedness;
you cannot tolerate the sins of the wicked.
Therefore, the proud may not stand in your presence,
for you hate all who do evil.
You will destroy those who tell lies.
Because of your unfailing love, I can enter your house;
I will worship at your Temple with deepest awe.
Lead me in the right path, O Lord,
or my enemies will conquer me.
Make your way plain for me to follow.
My enemies cannot speak a truthful word.
Their deepest desire is to destroy others.
Their talk is foul, like the stench from an open grave.
Their tongues are filled with flattery.
O God, declare them guilty.
Let them be caught in their own traps.
Drive them away because of their many sins,
for they have rebelled against you.
But let all who take refuge in you rejoice;
let them sing joyful praises forever.
Spread your protection over them,
that all who love your name may be filled with joy.
For you bless the godly, O Lord;
you surround them with your shield of love.

Psalm 17:6-9
I am praying to you because I know you will answer, O God.
Bend down and listen as I pray.
Show me your unfailing love in wonderful ways.
By your mighty power you rescue
those who seek refuge from their enemies.
Guard me as you would guard your own eyes.
Hide me in the shadow of your wings.
Protect me from wicked people who attack me,
from murderous enemies who surround me.

Psalm 27
The Lord is my light and my salvation—
so why should I be afraid?
The Lord is my fortress, protecting me from danger,
so why should I tremble?
When evil people come to devour me,
when my enemies and foes attack me,
they will stumble and fall.
Though a mighty army surrounds me,
my heart will not be afraid.
Even if I am attacked,
I will remain confident.
The one thing I ask of the Lord—
the thing I seek most—
is to live in the house of the Lord all the days of my life,
delighting in the Lord’s perfections
and meditating in his Temple.
For he will conceal me there when troubles come;
he will hide me in his sanctuary.
He will place me out of reach on a high rock.
Then I will hold my head high
above my enemies who surround me.
At his sanctuary I will offer sacrifices with shouts of joy,
singing and praising the Lord with music.
Hear me as I pray, O Lord.
Be merciful and answer me!
My heart has heard you say, “Come and talk with me.”
And my heart responds, “Lord, I am coming.”
Do not turn your back on me.
Do not reject your servant in anger.
You have always been my helper.
Don’t leave me now; don’t abandon me,
O God of my salvation!
Even if my father and mother abandon me,
the Lord will hold me close.
Teach me how to live, O Lord.
Lead me along the right path,
for my enemies are waiting for me.
Do not let me fall into their hands.
For they accuse me of things I’ve never done;
with every breath they threaten me with violence.
Yet I am confident I will see the Lord’s goodness
while I am here in the land of the living.
Wait patiently for the Lord.
Be brave and courageous.
Yes, wait patiently for the Lord.

Psalm 55:17
Morning, noon, and night I cry out in my distress, and the Lord hears my voice.

Matthew 6:3-8
“When you pray, don’t be like the hypocrites who love to pray publicly on street corners and in the synagogues where everyone can see them. I tell you the truth, that is all the reward they will ever get. But when you pray, go away by yourself, shut the door behind you, and pray to your Father in private. Then your Father, who sees everything, will reward you. When you pray, don’t babble on and on as people of other religions do. They think their prayers are answered merely by repeating their words again and again. Don’t be like them, for your Father knows exactly what you need even before you ask him!”

Matthew 21:22-24
Then Jesus said to the disciples, “Have faith in God. I tell you the truth, you can say to this mountain, ‘May you be lifted up and thrown into the sea,’ and it will happen. But you must really believe it will happen and have no doubt in your heart. I tell you, you can pray for anything, and if you believe that you’ve received it, it will be yours. But when you are praying, first forgive anyone you are holding a grudge against, so that your Father in heaven will forgive your sins, too.”

Matthew 26:41
“Keep watch and pray, so that you will not give in to temptation. For the spirit is willing, but the body is weak!”

1 Timothy 2-6
I urge you, first of all, to pray for all people. Ask God to help them; intercede on their behalf, and give thanks for them. Pray this way for kings and all who are in authority so that we can live peaceful and quiet lives marked by godliness and dignity. This is good and pleases God our Savior, who wants everyone to be saved and to understand the truth. For there is only one God and one Mediator who can reconcile God and humanity—the man Christ Jesus. He gave his life to purchase freedom for everyone. This is the message God gave to the world at just the right time.

Philippians 4:6-7
Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Acts 12:5
But while Peter was in prison, the church prayed very earnestly for him.

God Bless!

Have you ever thought of All you are blessed with? Have you ever thought of everything God has given you? We may not feel that we are blessed a lot, but we are and as His children we should thank Him everyday!

He has given us SO Much Freely because of His love for us. First He gave us His One and Only Son, Jesus Christ. God came down to earth to His creation, lived with us, and then died For Us, to pardon us from our sins!!!! He gave us a way to Him. He made a way for Salvation. God Freely offers salvation. We are saved by His Grace Only. Nothing we can do will gain us salvation, it is only through His Mercy and Grace. Isn’t that Great!! Shouldn’t we PRAISE Him ALWAYS for that?!

He could have stopped there, because that is all we really needed, is to be saved from our sin, but He didn’t. He keeps blessing us, because of His Great Love for us!! Everyday He blesses us. He Created each of us and gave us Life!! He gives us Breath each new day and the Energy and Strength for the day. He Provides everything we need. His Mercy and Grace are new everyday. He offers Guidance through everything. He offers Forgiveness when we sin. He is Always there for us. His Faithfulness never ends!! His Love never ends!! He gives us His Holy Spirit freely, if we believe. He left His spirit here to guide us and help us. He is the Best Friend we could Ever have!

Nature is a blessing from Him. Look at the beauty of it and the ways it helps us. He created the Heavens and the Earth and Everything in them. Everything we have, everything that is good is a blessing from God. He blesses us with our Talents, Family, Friends, Kids, Pets, Job, House, Clothes, Money, Love, and More. Even if you don’t have all those things, Thank God for what you Do Have. Don’t focus on what you don’t have, focus on what you do have. God has given those things to you.

When things aren’t going good He gives us Hope and Helps us through. He can turn something bad into something Good, into a Blessing, if we let Him. He Understands and Feels our pain. He offers us Peace and Encouragement. He is Always there for us and will Never Forsake us. We should Praise Him even in the storms of life because He is in Control and offers Hope.

Some things in life are just here to make us Smile and Laugh, to Brighten our day. He gives us our Family and Friends to Love and Support us. He also gives us Love, love between friends, family, and spouses so we can Experience His Love for Us! The Body of Christ and Christian Fellowship are also blessings from God.

Why does He bless us?
Not only because of His GREAT LOVE for us, but also to bring Glory and Honor to His Name. So others will see the blessings He has given us and Praise Him. So others through seeing them will come to know Him.

Why should we Praise Him?
Out of Love for Him we should Praise Him! Because of ALL He has done for us and Given us! He Alone deserves our Praise! By Praising Him you are Welcoming His Presence and drawing Closer to Him. When you Praise Him focus your mind on Him and all He has done for you. You will realize how Great He really is. That He is in Control of Everything and everything happens in His Timing. He Created us. He knows Everything about us and even knew us before we were born. He Created Everything. He made the universe and nature and all the plants and animals for us. He gave His Life for us. He Loves Us and hears us when we pray and answers us according to His Will. His Grace and Love never End!!!! We were made to Praise Him. Everything Praises Him in Heaven and on earth for He Created Everything and is in Control, nothing is out of His Hands!!

How can we Praise Him?
There are many ways we can praise the Lord. One of the main ways is by Singing praise and worship songs to Him, but there are many other ways as well. We can Praise Him by praying and thanking Him for everything He has given us. By spending Time with Him whether it is with fellow Christians or by ourselves in the quiet. We can praise Him by the way we live. By Living for Him by doing everything for Him. By Showing others the Love of Christ and telling them about Salvation through Jesus. We can use our blessings for Him, to Praise Him, to Bless others, and Lead others to Him. Living for Him is actually the Best way we can Praise God.

Exodus 15:2
The LORD is my strength and my song;
he has become my victory.
He is my God, and I will praise him;
he is my father’s God, and I will exalt him!

1 Chronicles 16:25
Great is the LORD! He is most worthy of praise! He is to be revered above all gods.

Psalm 92:1
It is good to give thanks to the LORD,
to sing praises to the Most High.

Psalm 146:2
I will praise the LORD as long as I live.
I will sing praises to my God even with my dying breath.

Psalm 47:6
Sing praise to God, sing praises;
sing praise to our King, sing praises!

Psalm 145
A psalm of praise of David
I will praise you, my God and King,
and bless your name forever and ever.
I will bless you every day,
and I will praise you forever.
Great is the LORD! He is most worthy of praise!
His greatness is beyond discovery!
Let each generation tell its children
of your mighty acts.
I will meditate on your majestic, glorious splendor
and your wonderful miracles.
Your awe-inspiring deeds will be on every tongue;
I will proclaim your greatness.
Everyone will share the story of your wonderful goodness;
they will sing with joy of your righteousness.
The LORD is kind and merciful,
slow to get angry, full of unfailing love.
The LORD is good to everyone.
He showers compassion on all his creation.
All of your works will thank you, LORD,
and your faithful followers will bless you.
They will talk together about the glory of your kingdom;
they will celebrate examples of your power.
They will tell about your mighty deeds
and about the majesty and glory of your reign.
For your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom.
You rule generation after generation.
The LORD is faithful in all he says;
he is gracious in all he does.
The LORD helps the fallen
and lifts up those bent beneath their loads.
All eyes look to you for help;
you give them their food as they need it.
When you open your hand,
you satisfy the hunger and thirst of every living thing.
The LORD is righteous in everything he does;
he is filled with kindness.
The LORD is close to all who call on him,
yes, to all who call on him sincerely.
He fulfills the desires of those who fear him;
he hears their cries for help and rescues them.
The LORD protects all those who love him,
but he destroys the wicked.
I will praise the LORD,
and everyone on earth will bless his holy name
forever and forever.

Psalm 150
Praise the LORD!
Praise God in his heavenly dwelling;
praise him in his mighty heaven!
Praise him for his mighty works;
praise his unequaled greatness!
Praise him with a blast of the trumpet;
praise him with the lyre and harp!
Praise him with the tambourine and dancing;
praise him with stringed instruments and flutes!
Praise him with a clash of cymbals;
praise him with loud clanging cymbals.
Let everything that lives sing praises to the LORD!
Praise the LORD!

Isaiah 25:1
O LORD, I will honor and praise your name, for you are my God. You do such wonderful things! You planned them long ago, and now you have accomplished them.

Luke 19:36-37
Then the crowds spread out their coats on the road ahead of Jesus. As they reached the place where the road started down from the Mount of Olives, all of his followers began to shout and sing as they walked along, praising God for all the wonderful miracles they had seen.

Acts 16:25
Around midnight, Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening.

2 Corinthians 1:3
All praise to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. He is the source of every mercy and the God who comforts us.

Ephesians 1:3
How we praise God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms because we belong to Christ.

Ephesians 1:6
So we praise God for the wonderful kindness he has poured out on us because we belong to his dearly loved Son.

Hebrews 13:15
With Jesus’ help, let us continually offer our sacrifice of praise to God by proclaiming the glory of his name.

He Created Us, Gave His Life for US, Gives us His Spirit and then Still Blesses Us with all these Things!!!!!! Isn’t GOD SOOOO GOOD!!!!!!!! Oh, PRAISE THE LORD!!!!!!!

THANK YOU JESUS!!!!!! THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

PRAISE THE LORD!!!
GOD BLESS!

Ah, it’s that time of year again, Christmas. What comes to mind when you think of Christmas? The holidays, presents, family, decorations, Christmas trees, sales, joy, red and green, Santa, memories, etc.? Or do you think of Christ, Advent, the Star, the Manger, the Wisemen, Joseph and Mary, Angels etc.? Not that the first things I listed are bad, they are good, as long as we don’t forget the True meaning of Christmas. Christ’s birth, the day he came to earth in human form just like you and me. He became his Creation. God became Man. He did this to understand us, to show us His Great Love for us by dying on the cross and rising three days later, conquering death, to redeem us. He is our Redeemer, our Savior. REJOICE!!! CELEBRATE!!! Our Savior has come!! “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.“ John 3:16

Here is the Christmas story from the books of Matthew and Luke:

Matthew 1:18-25
The Birth of Jesus the Messiah
Now this is how Jesus the Messiah was born. His mother, Mary, was engaged to be married to Joseph. But while she was still a virgin, she became pregnant by the Holy Spirit. Joseph, her fiance, being a just man, decided to break the engagement quietly, so as not to disgrace her publicly.

As he considered this, he fell asleep, and an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream. “Joseph, son of David,” the angel said, “do not be afraid to go ahead with your marriage to Mary. For the child within her has been conceived by the Holy Spirit. And she will have a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” All of this happened to fulfill the Lord’s message through his prophet.

“Look! The virgin will conceive a child!
She will give birth to a son,
and he will be called Immanuel
(meaning, God is with us).”

When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord commanded. He brought Mary home to be his wife, but she remained a virgin until her son was born. And Joseph named him Jesus.

Matthew 2:1-12
The Visit of the Wise Men
Jesus was born in the town of Bethlehem in Judea, during the reign of King Herod. About that time some wise men from eastern lands arrived in Jerusalem, asking, “Where is the newborn king of the Jews? We have seen his star as it arose, and we have come to worship him.”

Herod was deeply disturbed by their question, as was all of Jerusalem. He called a meeting of the leading priests and teachers of religious law. “Where did the prophets say the Messiah would be born?” he asked them.

“In Bethlehem,” they said, “for this is what the prophet wrote:

`O Bethlehem of Judah,
you are not just a lowly village in Judah,
for a ruler will come from you
who will be the shepherd for my people Israel.’”

Then Herod sent a private message to the wise men, asking them to come see him. At this meeting he learned the exact time when they first saw the star. 8Then he told them, “Go to Bethlehem and search carefully for the child. And when you find him, come back and tell me so that I can go and worship him, too!”

After this interview the wise men went their way. Once again the star appeared to them, guiding them to Bethlehem. It went ahead of them and stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they were filled with joy! They entered the house where the child and his mother, Mary, were, and they fell down before him and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasure chests and gave him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. But when it was time to leave, they went home another way, because God had warned them in a dream not to return to Herod.

Luke 1:26-38
The Birth of Jesus Foretold
In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a village in Galilee, to a virgin named Mary. She was engaged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of King David. Gabriel appeared to her and said, “Greetings, favored woman! The Lord is with you!”

Confused and disturbed, Mary tried to think what the angel could mean. “Don’t be frightened, Mary,” the angel told her, “for God has decided to bless you! You will become pregnant and have a son, and you are to name him Jesus. He will be very great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give him the throne of his ancestor David. And he will reign over Israel forever; his Kingdom will never end!”

Mary asked the angel, “But how can I have a baby? I am a virgin.”

The angel replied, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the baby born to you will be holy, and he will be called the Son of God. What’s more, your relative Elizabeth has become pregnant in her old age! People used to say she was barren, but she’s already in her sixth month. For nothing is impossible with God.”

Mary responded, “I am the Lord’s servant, and I am willing to accept whatever he wants. May everything you have said come true.” And then the angel left.

Luke 2:1-20
The Birth of Jesus
At that time the Roman emperor, Augustus, decreed that a census should be taken throughout the Roman Empire. (This was the first census taken when Quirinius was governor of Syria.) All returned to their own towns to register for this census. And because Joseph was a descendant of King David, he had to go to Bethlehem in Judea, David’s ancient home. He traveled there from the village of Nazareth in Galilee. He took with him Mary, his fiancé, who was obviously pregnant by this time.

And while they were there, the time came for her baby to be born. She gave birth to her first child, a son. She wrapped him snugly in strips of cloth and laid him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the village inn.

The Shepherds and Angels
That night some shepherds were in the fields outside the village, guarding their flocks of sheep. Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared among them, and the radiance of the Lord’s glory surrounded them. They were terribly frightened, but the angel reassured them. “Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I bring you good news of great joy for everyone! The Savior–yes, the Messiah, the Lord–has been born tonight in Bethlehem, the city of David! And this is how you will recognize him: You will find a baby lying in a manger, wrapped snugly in strips of cloth!”

Suddenly, the angel was joined by a vast host of others–the armies of heaven–praising God:

“Glory to God in the highest heaven,
and peace on earth to all whom God favors.”

When the angels had returned to heaven, the shepherds said to each other, “Come on, let’s go to Bethlehem! Let’s see this wonderful thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”

They ran to the village and found Mary and Joseph. And there was the baby, lying in the manger. Then the shepherds told everyone what had happened and what the angel had said to them about this child. All who heard the shepherds’ story were astonished, but Mary quietly treasured these things in her heart and thought about them often. The shepherds went back to their fields and flocks, glorifying and praising God for what the angels had told them, and because they had seen the child, just as the angel had said.

With all that goes on around the holidays, it is easy to forget the true meaning of Christmas. So as we celebrate with family and friends this Christmas remember what it is all about, the birth of Christ our savior.

HAVE A BLESSED CHRISTMAS AND NEW YEAR!!

I am an Artist and artists have tons of supplies and tools. So when I started college I got a big Art Kit. Right away I started trying to get rid of some of the things so I wouldn’t have that entire load. I went from a very large heavy book bag (the size of 3 or 4 normal backpacks), to a giant plastic folder with a handle, to a big vinyl zipper bag, and finally to a Garbage Bag!? Actually I only used the garbage bag to carry really big things or 3D objects that wouldn’t fit in my other zipper bag. But in all seriousness, are you trying to unload your burdens? Are you trying to lighten your load? Are you trying to get rid of the busness of life, the stress of life? Have you tried everything to lighten your load? Do you think that nothing will? Well there is something that will! It’s God! Give everything to Him! Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.” Matthew 11:28. Here are a few other good verses to remember:

1 Peter 5:7
Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about what happens to you.

Philippians 4:6-7
Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. If you do this, you will experience God’s peace, which is far more wonderful than the human mind can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.

Matthew 6:25-34
“So I tell you, don’t worry about everyday life–whether you have enough food, drink, and clothes. Doesn’t life consist of more than food and clothing? Look at the birds. They don’t need to plant or harvest or put food in barns because your heavenly Father feeds them. And you are far more valuable to him than they are. Can all your worries add a single moment to your life? Of course not.

And why worry about your clothes? Look at the lilies and how they grow. They don’t work or make their clothing, yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are. And if God cares so wonderfully for flowers that are here today and gone tomorrow, won’t he more surely care for you? You have so little faith!

So don’t worry about having enough food or drink or clothing. Why be like the pagans who are so deeply concerned about these things? Your heavenly Father already knows all your needs, and he will give you all you need from day to day if you live for him and make the Kingdom of God your primary concern.

So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today.”

He is there and reaching out to you right now. He wants to help you. He wants to carry your load for you. He loves you and wants to give you peace, joy, and love. Remember this statement: Good morning…THIS IS GOD…I will be handling all your problems today. I will not need your help…so, have a Good day. To download the above picture of this statement click here.Ctrl/Right click and save as. Print it out and hang it up. Look at it everyday when you get up and pray for strength and guidence for the day.

GOD BLESS!