Hope for the Heart

[bluidkiti]

Hope for the Heart Part 01 - Faith vs Fear

by Gail Rodgers
Karen laughed out loud and it felt good. Even the conversations at work felt like a relief from the worries that sapped strength from her soul these days.

Worry is really just another word for fear. When we worry about our kids, our relationships, our finances or any number of things, we are actually living in fear. Fear can be paralyzing.
Fear displaces faith in our hearts. Faith is the assurance of God’s ability to give us help and strength and wisdom. When fear overrides we are not believing that our God is able.
Faith displaces fear. When we take each and every fear to God and give it into His hands, trusting Him to be our help and our strength, our faith displaces that fear. His peace comes in.
Oh, it doesn’t mean our problems all fade into the distance. It does mean however, that we will have the strength we need to face every challenge.
It does mean we can expect our almighty God to work within our circumstances in unexpected ways. It does mean we can be overcomers and more than just survivors.
The Bible tells us that God does not give us the spirit of fear. To be tempted to have fear in the face of the unknown and uncertain is a normal reaction. Yet God tells us we can live beyond that and let our faith extinguish our fear.

“In every battle you will need faith as your shield to stop the fiery arrows aimed at you by Satan.” (Ephesians 6:16)

Take whatever worry is plaguing your mind and heart today and identify the fear that it truly is. Then invite God to help you lift the shield of faith to extinguish that fear. He is able and He will do it!
prayer & reflection

Father God,
I thank you that You are more powerful than any of my circumstances. Today I ask You to increase my faith and to extinguish the fear that threatens to sap strength from my soul. Please help me to keep You in the center of my focus and not my fear.
I lift up my shield of faith in the name of Jesus, amen.

[bluidkiti]

Hope for the Heart Part 02 - Need a Boost

by Gail Rodgers
Mary was excited about the conference. Her life had been crazy lately and she felt like she could really use some spiritual food. She could feel her faith eroding. She hadn’t taken the time to read her own Bible much lately. So she was anxious to get there!

She turned the key in the ignition… the battery was dead! Mary waited impatiently for the tow truck to come and give her a boost. As she hurried into the conference late she completely forgot to let the car run awhile to recharge the low battery.”
After the conference Mary sat waiting again for the tow truck. God used the situation to nudge her heart. The conference that evening had been a boost. In fact Mary realized she had been surviving on spiritual boosts from various conferences over the past year. Yet on a day to day basis she often felt like her spiritual battery was dead. She would wait impatiently for the next boost to get her a short distance in her Christian walk.
Many Christians live like that… with consumed lives, drained of power and their faith hanging on by a thread. Some get into the habit of seeking out special meetings to give themselves the spiritual injection they need. Conferences can be great times of refreshment for our souls!
Yet just like the battery that needed to continue to run in order to hold its charge, so our souls need a continual diet of spiritual refreshment. Without it our faith will erode and a dryness and even skepticism will seep into our hearts.
God is very clear about how to find that regular refreshment. He tells us exactly how faith comes in our lives.

“Faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the Word of God.” (Romans 10:17)

Does your Christian walk feel powerless? Do you feel skepticism creeping around the edge of your heart? Ask yourself… “Where is my Bible in my life?” Does it gather dust or is it a regular source of refreshment and guidance? Ask God to speak to you through His Word. It will be the source you need to grow your faith. Go beyond the boost and recharge your spiritual battery for the long haul.
prayer & reflection

Father God,
Thank you for the wonderful boost that conferences provide for me. Please help me to have more of a desire to recharge my own faith through Your Word on a daily basis. Help me to find that consistent strength for the long haul. Give me a desire, by the power of the Holy Spirit, to take my Bible out and make more time for You and Your Word daily. I thank you in Jesus’ name, Amen.

[bluidkiti]

Hope for the Heart Part 03 - Do You Really

by Gail Rodgers
Much of the world celebrated and now Easter is past. This week it’s back to the routine.

Does Easter make a difference in your life this week? Does the power that raised Jesus Christ from the dead impact your ordinary day? Do you believe it can? Do you really?
One of my favorite prayers in the Bible is one Paul prayed for the Ephesians. They must have had some of the same problems we do in putting their everyday faith into action. Paul prayed a prayer that we can echo today as our own.

“... I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know… His incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of His mighty strength which he exerted in Christ when he raised Him from the dead…” (Ephesians 1:17-23)

Do you believe that the same power that raised Jesus from the dead is available to you today? Do you really?
Ask the Lord today to open the eyes of your heart. Ask Him to help you know and understand the hope He has available to you. Begin to believe that His incomparably great power is for your life today.
Easter has come and gone for another year. Yet the significance of it and the power in it is for today for those who believe.
Whatever threatens to bog down your heart this week can be taken to God. Ask Him, with renewed faith, to open the eyes of your heart so that you can know and experience His power in a new and real way. His Holy Spirit can bring wisdom, help, insight, understanding, discernment and even new ideas in areas we are stuck in.
The key is to hand these requests over to God with expectation, believing His resurrection power is available to you. May the eyes of your heart be opened today!
prayer & reflection

Father God,
I so often live my life without even expecting Your resurrection power to impact my ordinary day. Forgive me for allowing my faith to grow weary and my expectation of You to dim. Today I ask that You would open my eyes to know Your power and to see it at work in my life. Where I have created problems by my own hand, in relationships and finances, I ask You to forgive me and to give me creative thoughts and divine understanding to know what to do next. May my ears and eyes be open to You today. Increase my faith… fill me with Your Holy Spirit… and come with renewed power in my life.
I thank you in Jesus’ name, Amen.

[bluidkiti]

Hope for the Heart Part 04 - The Key to Joy

by Gail Rodgers
Susan made the decision and pushed away the uncomfortable little nudge that told her not to. It was a small thing… and everyone else seemed to think it was ok. As her day progressed she found her joy was replaced with a flat feeling. “Why?” she wondered.

Have you ever felt the closeness of God, enjoying His presence and feeling like you never want to stray from that place? Then all at once you realize your joy is gone and you are simply feeling flat? God’s Word tells us why this happens and what to do about it. Listen to Psalm 51:12

“Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.”

Do you see how a willing spirit is connected to your joy? The chapter is a familiar one calling us to search our hearts and to desire truth in the inner parts.
In the rush of our daily lives we can easily get caught up in the thinking around us. We can allow things into our hearts and lives, that seemly “everyone” is doing and we quiet the uneasy stirrings in our soul. We wonder why we feel flat when we have known God’s presence so recently.
Our willingness to have God speak to us in the inner places of our heart is the key to keeping His joy. Oh, some of the things He may put His finger on may seem, at first, too small to consider…

• unkind words spoken about a neighbor or co-worker
• keeping the extra change the store clerk mistakenly gave you
• distorting the truth
• allowing unforgiveness to settle into your heart for a long stay
• cheating on some paperwork

Or it may be bigger things you tell yourself you will face someday…

• immoral behavior that you are sure no one knows about
• a destructive habit that threatens to become an addiction
• financial pitfalls that you hope to control before they control you

Go to God with a willing heart and ask Him to search you and help you to overcome whatever He puts His finger on. No momentary satisfaction can ever replace the joy of being clean before Him. That’s what you were made for… to be a clean vessel His Spirit can flow through. Don’t miss the blessing… anything else is simply not worth it.
prayer & reflection

Father God,
Today I ask you to grant me a willing spirit to sustain me as I lean on You to help me with the changes I need to make. I cannot do it alone. I want Your joy restored in my heart and in my life. Put Your finger on what You want me to deal with right now. Today I choose truth in my inner part. Help me and draw me close to You. Restore to me the joy of knowing I am clean before You.
In the name of Jesus, Amen.

[bluidkiti]

Hope for the Heart Part 05 - Open My Lips

by Gail Rodgers
Our lips can get us in trouble faster than we can imagine sometimes. Have your lips ever opened and you wonder why you ever said what you did? We probably all have.

That’s why God gives us good perspective on open lips. He gives us important things to consider in this matter of the mouth. He knows that if we pay attention to His thoughts on this we will grow to be more proactive in what we say… and less reactive. God can help us choose our speech each day and help us keep that foot out of our mouth!
As you begin your day ask God to help you implement these two “open mouth policies”.

“O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth will declare your praise…” (Psalm 51:15)

Ask God to set a guard at your mouth and to help you, first of all, voice praise to Him. Find the things in your situations to be thankful for and voice them. If you can’t find anything to be thankful for praise God for His character, that He is able to do more than you can imagine in your situation. Declare praise! It is a powerful tool of your mouth!

“The mouth of the righteous is a fountain of life…” (Proverbs 10:11)

We seldom feel like we are righteous. Yet God calls us just that as His children who have accepted the forgiveness He offers through Jesus. As His children He tells us our mouths should be “a fountain of life”. What a word picture!
A fountain gives off…

• refreshment
• cooling from the heat
• cleansing
• encouragement that brings life
• beauty

Ask God today to help you as you speak. Ask Him to open your lips to bring life words to those you encounter. Many are desperately in need of a word of encouragement. As we become proactive in speaking praise to God first, our own hearts will become encouraged. Then we will be more able to allow Him to flow a fountain of life words through our lips. Ask God to fill your mouth with His words and His ways. You will find yourself less reactive with words that tend to cut and bring hurt and destruction.
prayer & reflection

Father God,
Today I ask that You would fill my mouth with thanksgiving and praise to You first. Let me be aware of bringing a fountain of life into the situations where I walk and into the rooms I enter today. Help me, by the power of Your Holy Spirit, to use my lips to speak life words.
In Jesus strong name I pray. Amen.

[bluidkiti]

Hope for the Heart Part 06 - Trust

by Gail Rodgers
We sipped the hot, dark coffee from over-sized clay mugs and talked quietly about the real issues of life. Both of us were in a season with some unanswered questions in our lives. We talked about trusting God in the midst of question marks. It’s not always an easy thing to do.

Every day we make a choice to either trust God… or not. We can worry and stew when things are not clear, or we can choose to trust Him. We can choose to believe He is faithful and that He will direct our path in His time… and it will not be too late.
It is a challenge to ask ourselves, “Do I really trust God?” Often with our lips we say, “Yes”, but with our worried lives we say, “No”.
Do I believe it when God makes a promise in His Word, the Bible? He says…

“I will instruct you and guide you along the best pathway for your life. I will advise you and watch your progress.” (Psalm 32:8)

The choice you make today to believe those words and trust God will bring a result in your life! Listen…

” ...abiding love surrounds those who trust in the Lord. So rejoice in him, all those who are His and shout for joy all those who choose to obey Him.” (Psalm 32: 10&11)

Choosing to trust God in the confusing times in our lives releases the peace and the comfort of His love and it will surround us… holding us secure through the winds of change and uncertainty. Our lives will be marked by a joy and a rejoicing that will be the by-product of His surrounding love as it carries us.
Choosing to believe that God will guide you in the best pathway for your life frees you from the anxiety of worry. Trust is a choice we can make in a God who has proven Himself trustworthy to countless believers. Choose to trust Him today with the question marks in your life.
prayer & reflection

Father God,
I confess that my trust often wavers in the questions and uncertainty of life. Today I set aside the fruitless act of worrying and declare that I will choose to trust in You. I believe You will direct my path and I ask for Your surrounding love to hold me as I wait. Cause my heart to rejoice in Your faithfulness in my past and Your trustworthiness for my future.
In Jesus’ strong name I pray, amen.

[bluidkiti]

Hope for the Heart Part 07 - Tune My Heart

by Gail Rodgers
Shelly knew she needed to have her piano tuned. Notes just sounded sour lately and her music was off key. It was simply not the pleasant sound it used to be. It reminded me of the words of an old hymn… “Tune my heart to sing Your praise.”

Don’t we need our hearts tuned at times? It’s easy to hit some sour notes of discouragement or bitterness or even just discontentment. Our praise to God gets out of tune. It is not the pleasant thing it used to be as it poured from a thankful heart.
Listen to these verses from God’s Word that tell us how to tune our hearts to sing His praise…

“I will praise the Lord no matter what happens. I will constantly speak of His glories and grace. I will boast of all His kindness to me. Let all who are discouraged take heart. Let us praise the Lord together and lift high His name.” (Psalm 34:1-3 The Living Bible)

If you are sounding a bit sour lately it may be that your heart is out of tune. Make an effort to do what God’s Word spells out…

• Speak of His glories and His grace. Declare, out loud, how He loves you and desires to help you no matter what is going on in your life right now. There is power in the spoken word.
• Boast of His track record of kindness in your life. There is renewed faith in remembering His hand in your life in the past.
• Find a friend to talk with and remind each other of the goodness of the Heavenly Father. There is strength in united praise that lifts up His name.

When you take the time to consciously “tune your heart to sing His praise” you will find encouragement begins to lift the discouragement from your soul. You will “take heart” and God will put His courage in your heart and mind. Give your praise a voice today and as you do you will find your heart will once again sing in tune.
prayer & reflection

Father God,
It is easy for praise to slip from my heart and for discouragement to settle in. My heart becomes sour and the music of my soul is not the pleasant melody You intended for me. Forgive me and help me today to speak out loud of Your grace in my life. Let me boast of Your kindness and help me to join my voice with others who also want to praise You. Tune my heart to sing Your praise today.
In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen

[bluidkiti]

Hope for the Heart Part 08 - Faith is the Victory

by Gail Rodgers
Are you overwhelmed by things in your world this morning? Are you fighting despair trying to mend relationships, balance finances and get through trying circumstances? Or, are you living with hope and expectation amid the challenges that surrounds you daily? It’s possible. God says you will overcome as you put your faith in Jesus.

“This is the victory that overcomes the world, even our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world? Only he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God.” (1 John 5:4& 5)

You can live with hope and expectation. What does that mean, in a practical way, as problems tumble on your path?
Take stock daily of what is going on in your mind. The thoughts that consume you will dictate your attitudes and eventually be displayed in your actions.
Do you really believe that Jesus cares about what concerns you today? Do you believe He has the power, as God’s Son, to help you live with hope right where you are? Is your faith truly in Him?
Thoughts that focus on the truth of God’s Word will strengthen your faith and draw you to rest in His strength and His resources. Thoughts that don’t line up with the Word of God will leave you depending on yourself and lead you to that place of feeling overwhelmed and even despairing.
It really is that simple… not necessarily easy… but simple. Faith in Jesus really is the victory. He is the one who has overcome and He is there to help us rise above all the things that threaten to drag our spirits down.
Check your thoughts right now. Do you believe Jesus is God’s Son who won the victory for you when He died and rose again? Then this promise is yours today.

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace which transcends all understanding will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” (Phillipians 4:5 & 6)

prayer & reflection

Father God,
Right now I acknowledge that Jesus is your Son. I thank you that He won the victory for me when He died on the cross and rose again. I invite Jesus to come into my life and to help me live in victory. You know the anxious turmoil going on inside my heart and mind. Thank you for Your promise to never leave me and to love me with an everlasting love. Right now I put my trust in Your Son Jesus. Take my worries and my fears and carry them for me. Send Your peace to guard my heart and mind from overwhelming anxiousness. Keep me reminded of Your faithfulness and help me to grow my faith as I trust in Jesus to be my hope and my help! May my life please you in all I do.
In Jesus’ strong name I pray, Amen.

[bluidkiti]

Hope for the Heart Part 09 - It's Your Choice

by Gail Rodgers
My friend spoke excitedly. She lives a busy life with young kids to raise, bills to pay, work and so on. You know what it’s like. The day just never seems long enough.

But she was excited. She had found a key to bringing freshness to her soul even in the middle of her busyness. That key was to be active in making small decisions during her day… decisions that would draw her closer to the God she loves.
We don’t intend for it to happen but somehow passiveness creeps into busy Christian’s lives. We do ministry, we pray on the run, we read when we get a minute, we encourage where we can, we slip our tithe in the offering. Still somehow we slip into a passive relationship with Jesus. Our hearts feel weary yet we long for more.
Another friend called. She told me she had been asking God for so long to work in her life and in her home. Finally she determined to grab hold of God in a fresh way. She chose to “drag” herself out of bed a half hour early and get into His presence daily. At first it was just routine, even dry. She nearly didn’t bother. Yet as she asked God to speak to her, the Scripture began to be alive again. She was excited and she was being refreshed!
Do you long for freshness in your soul? Can you remember when the last time was that you spent more than 20 minutes in the presence of God? Has your prayer time become a hurried list of things God needs to do for you, or have you taken time to ask Him what is on His heart lately?
God makes a promise:

“Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.” (James 4:8)

What do you need to do today, this week, to actively choose your relationship with Jesus over the many important and busy tasks that call for your attention? He longs to bring that freshness to your soul too! It’s worth pursuing! He will be true to His promise.
prayer & reflection

Father God,
Today I make a choice to become active in pursuing You in a fresh way. Please help me to actively choose time in Your presence, to choose to expose myself to music that inspires, to choose to turn off the TV. I invite You into every decision I make today. I choose to listen for Your voice. Teach me by the power of Your Holy Spirit and refresh my soul.
In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

[MajestyJo]

BRYAN ADAMS
Straight From The Heart Lyrics

(Brian Adams, Eric Kagna)

I could start dreaming but it never ends
As long as you're gone we may as well
Pretend
I've been dreaming
And that's straight from the heart
You said it's easy but who's to say
That we'd be able to keep it this way
But it's easier
Coming straight from the heart
Give it to me straight from the heart
Tell me we could make another start
You know I'll never go
As long as I know
It's coming straight from the heart
I'll see you on the street some other time
But all our words will just fall out of line
While we're dreaming
Straight from the heart
Give it to me straight from the heart
( From: http://www.elyrics.net )
Tell me we could make another start
You know I'll never go
As long as I know
It's coming straight from the heart
INSTRUMENTAL
Give it to me straight from the heart
Tell me we could make another start
You know I'll never go
As long as I know
It's coming straight from the heart
Give it to me straight from the heart
Tell me we could make another start
You know I'll never go
As long as I know
It's coming straight from the heart
You know I'll never go
As long as I know
It's coming straight from the heart
You know I'll never go
As long as I know
It's coming straight from the heart

[bluidkiti]

Love that song Jo. Thanks for sharing it.

Hope for the Heart Part 10 - Light On Your Path

by Gail Rodgers
The pathway was pitch black. It felt like I was blind as I carefully moved along stumbling now and then. If only I had remembered the flashlight!

As we walk our pathway through life we often are in need of guidance. God promises a flashlight for the journey.

“Thy Word is lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path.” (Psalm 32:8)

Is your path feeling a little shadowed these days? Perhaps the stones of irritation and impatience are getting in your way. Are the pebbles of worry getting into your shoes? Do you splash through puddles of self pity or twist your ankle in potholes of hurt? Is the mud of doubt clogging up your shoes as you try to move along?
God gives us His Word! His Word is so central to who we are and what we believe! His Word is what brings refreshment and encouragement to our hearts! His Word shows us the truth about who our God is. His Word gently corrects. In the process we find the light we need on our daily path.
Pick up the flashlight today. Ask God to show you what He wants you to learn or re-learn in a new way. Stand ready for Him to change you.

• If your heart hungers for Him in new ways read the book of John and ask for new insight.
• If relationships are causing bumps in your life read the book of Proverbs over the next 31 days and ask God to show you what He wants to fix. Then let Him.
• If your tongue gets you into trouble, read the little book of James and daily ask Him to set a guard at your lips.
• If your heart is weary and doubt is creeping into the secret corners read the book of Ephesians and ask God to refresh your heart with His purpose and power.
• If you feel small and insignificant to God read Psalm 139 and embrace what He says about you.

prayer & reflection

Father God,
Open my eyes and open my heart to see and understand what You are telling me through Your Word. Light my pathway today with Your wisdom. I need You to help me walk this pathway of life. Speak to me as I open my Bible this week.
In Jesus’ name I pray, amen.

[bluidkiti]

Hope for the Heart Part 11 - Watch Your Influence

by Gail Rodgers
Nancy smiled. The Bible verse caught her eye and she knew God wanted to help her in this area of her life. She was weary but she had no excuse for yelling at the kids they way she had. She apologized to them and they talked about some of the issues that had caused the friction in their home.

Nancy read the verse again,

“A soft answer turns away anger but harsh words stir it up.” (Proverbs 15:1)

She asked God to help her put the stirring spoon of harsh words and raised voice away. She asked for help to put a soft response in its place. She knew that also meant being firm at times but with a gentleness that God could help her have.
Have you been reacting to life’s pressures with the stirring spoon of harsh words, raised voice or angry tones? Think about what’s been happening in your week. God wants to help us move from “reacting” in our own lives and circumstances to “responding” in the character of Jesus.
We have the opportunity to influence those around us as we model how following Jesus makes a difference in our responses to stress and strife.
When we go to Jesus with the reactions in our lives that are abrasive and ask for His help, He will exchange them for His character qualities.
We influence as we walk. Turn your reactions into chosen responses by the power of the Holy Spirit. Tune up your influence today.
prayer & reflection

Father God,
All too often I react with the stirring spoon of harsh words when You want to help me to have a soft response. Please help me to be ready with gentle responses rather than harsh reactions as I journey through my day. Help me to be aware of how easily strife is stirred up. Fill me with power by Your Holy Spirit to respond to my daily circumstances with Your grace and love.
I thank you and I ask this in the powerful name of Jesus, Amen.

[bluidkiti]

Hope for the Heart Part 12 - Eternity in My Heart

by Gail Rodgers
I’ve said it. I’m sure you have, too. It goes something like this, “I’ll be happy when…”

• we get the new curtains
• when I finish this course
• if I get that new job
• when the kids are in school
• when I find that special someone

So it goes, with true happiness always just around the next corner. Sound familiar? What is it you are longing for today?
We long for something, in the tomorrow of our lives, that will bring the fulfillment that may be lacking in our today. There is a reason for that.

“God has also set eternity in the hearts of men.” Ecclesiastes 3:11

God created you with eternity in your heart. He created each of us with a longing for the tomorrow of eternity, and only the things of eternity will fill that longing.
What are the things of eternity that we can look for today to fulfill that longing? God’s ways are not complicated. He said we needed to come to Him as children, so that means the explanation for this longing in our hearts must be simple. Eternity for God’s children will be filled with the glory of God. The glory of God is simply who God is. Very simply put, we show who God is as we live our life in a way that reveals His character and as we do we find the fulfillment of eternity in our hearts.
We show who God is as we live like Jesus would.
By loving others. When we encounter difficult or unlovable people, we show God’s character by offering love that we get first from Him. You will be surprised at the joy in your heart when you give God’s love away.
By serving others. Remember when Jesus washed the feet of His disciples, even when He knew within hours Judas would betray Him and Peter would deny Him? When He finished washing, He told them all:

“Happy are you if you do this for one another.” (John 13)

Jesus knew the fulfillment we would find in serving each other. If it’s been awhile since you served someone, just to show who God is, find a way today and see that longing in your heart for eternity met in some small way.
By our character. Living a life of integrity in all things will bring a deep satisfaction to your soul. Lack of integrity always carries an expensive price tag.
prayer & reflection

Father God,
Help me to show a watching world who You are by the way I live. Today let my life declare the glory of God. Help me to live like Jesus would. Let me taste a bit of what Eternity will be like as I allow You to love and serve others through me. As I seek to show who my God is You will fulfill the longing for eternity that You Yourself have put in my heart. Thank you.
In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

[bluidkiti]

Hope for the Heart Part 13 - Ask for Insight

by Gail Rodgers
Cathy’s face glowed as she talked about the gentle care of her Heavenly Father. She told me how God had provided people to care and words she had needed to hear as she searched for wholeness.

The pain of her past has been healed and she is experiencing wholeness in her heart that she never was possible. I poured the tea and listened to her story. It was a story of hurt, confusion and fear. It was a story of a heart desperate to connect with God.
Cathy spoke of the people God had placed in her life. She told me how several had said just the things she needed to hear. Simple truths spoken at just the right moment. And her heart was drawn to God.
You may be the only link to God that someone in your circle may ever have! Ask God for insight to understand those around you. Ask to have compassion for the people you encounter. Be sensitive to the moments He gives you to speak a simple word of love and encouragement.

“A word spoken at the right time is like apples of gold in settings of silver.” (Proverbs 25:11)

As you walk beside those who hurt, ask God to give you fresh insight into what to say. It need not be wordy or long. It ought not to be your own ideas of how to fix a particular problem. It may only be a hug.
We need His insight to hear the hurt and understand the needs around us. He will give the words to touch a heart reaching out and longing to be whole. You only need to be willing. He will give the opportunities!
prayer & reflection

Father God,
I give You my willing heart to reach out to those in my world. I ask for Your insight and compassion. Thank You that You have positioned people in my life who long to hear about Your gentle love and care. I ask You to fill me with Your Holy Spirit so that I can be overflowing with Your love and speak Your truths. May You shine through me so those around me are drawn to You!
In the powerful name of Jesus I pray, amen.

[bluidkiti]

Hope for the Heart Part 14 - Working Through Conflict

by Gail Rodgers
Shelly loved to reach out to others. She had a heart of compassion for those in need. She rarely thought of herself as needy.

No one likes to think of herself as needy. We prefer other adjectives for ourselves, words that reflect strength or wisdom. Just for a moment think about your own needs. It’s easier to think of someone else and how to help them but can you identify where you are needy?
There is a tool we can use to help us see our own need. It is the tool of paying attention to any conflict in our lives. Conflict often reflects unmet needs.
Think about it for a moment. Recall the last encounter you had with conflict. Most of us don’t have to dig very far into our memories. Sometimes the unmet need is basic and easy to remedy such as the need for sleep.
Often it is much deeper. The need to feel valued and heard or the need to be accepted or respected can cause conflict from a wounded heart. Control and manipulation can stem from an angry heart, rooted in a need to forgive others or ones self.
Think about where conflict exists in your life and ask God to help you identify any unmet need, yours or someone else’s that may exist at the root of it. Begin to pray about those needs.
When you see potential conflict on your horizon… stop… and use the opportunity as a tool to build into your own life or to pray into another’s. Look honestly at yourself and GROW through conflict.
Give God the opportunity to reveal to your heart any unmet need that may be at the root of this conflict. Be open to seeing your own need and to praying for the needs of another. It will help dissolve hostility too.
Recognize that God is the only One who can meet all of your needs.
Open your heart to God’s help, asking Him to be the Source you need for that unmet need in your life. Consider asking another Christian to pray for you in this.
Walk beside another in prayer as you pray for their unmet needs asking God to be their Source in meeting the needs of their soul.
God promises to be the Source for all of your needs.

“And my God will meet all your needs according to His glorious riches in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:19).

prayer & reflection

Father God,
Please help me to identify the unmet needs that exist in the conflicts I find myself in. Help me to turn to You to meet the deep needs of my heart. Help me to pray for the needs in the lives of those I have conflict with. Be the source of all I need today.
In Jesus’ strong name I pray, Amen.