Hear my Heart today

In times like this, I want to feel your presence

Good or Bad days, I want to sing you praise

In this life, none can take your place

Your love abounds that amaze me always

 You’re so faithful and just

You comfort me with such loving hands,

Wonderful ways, Mighty power,

Yes you hear my heart today

You have met my needs all my life

A humble heart that cries,

Thank you God, peace in my past

Glorious days, seized all worries away

You’re so faithful and just

You comfort me with such loving hands,

Wonderful ways, Mighty power,

Yes you hear my heart today

Prone to worry?

Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.-Philippians 4:8 (ESV)

Thoughts on Today’s Verse

So many are the worries that can blight our lives, and the Lord knows that every concern starts with a single thought. How impossible to cast our burdens on Him, when our minds are drowned with destructive thinking. If only we could train our hearts to take each thought captive by handing to Him our cares and concerns, the moment they’re conceived in our minds.  In these final words of Paul to His children in Philippi, he encourages them towards the ‘right-thinking‘ that nestles in the heart of God’s Word. Not the humanistic  dead, ‘positive-thinking‘ philosophy of the world, that is trained on self,  but the spiritual, living,  ‘righteous-thinking‘, that emanate from our heavenly Lord. For all that is true and honest, all that is just and pure, all that is lovely  and gracious, all that is excellent and deserving of praise – all that is good, has its foundation upon Jesus.
For Jesus is the true and living way, Jesus is the faithful servant, Jesus is One Who is clothed in righteousness and He alone is worthy of praise. As each worry surfaces to blight our daily walk – let us take that thought immediately to Lord, turning the eyes of our heart upon Him.

My Prayer

Father, I am so prone to worry, which so quickly arrests my thoughts and shatters the perfect peace of Christ in my heart. It is my desire to turn my thoughts to you moment by moment, and I pray that Your Holy Spirit will help to guide me into right-thinking, which keeps the Lord Jesus at the center of my mind. I ask this in His precious name,
AMEN

GROW IN GRACE

But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever! Amen.-2 Peter 3:18 (NIV)

Thoughts on Today’s Verse

The grace of God spills over the pages of Paul’s epistles like so many sparkling jewels, and in the final words of this joyous letter, we as believers are extorted and encouraged to grow in the grace that has been so freely bestowed on all who believe in His free gift of salvation.  We are to dig our roots down into the depths of His Word and we are to reach out into the farthest extremities of His grace, which are higher than the heavens and deeper that the ocean depths. We are to grow and expand – we are to mature and ripen – we are to develop and flourish as day by day the Holy Spirit works within, to conform us into the image of His dear Son, removing every trace of prideful-self and vanity’s flesh. We are to grow in every facet of grace and virtue,  faith and love, holiness and understanding – wisdom and obedience, but there’s more:
We are to grow in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. This must be the pinnacle of God grace, that we increase in our knowing HIM. Intimately knowing Christ is what the aged Paul, in His final days of life, sought with every fiber of His being – and this intimate and personal relationship is what each of us must earnestly peruse for He, is indeed All in all.  To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen.

My Prayer

Father, that I may know Jesus and grow in grace day by day. AMEN

The Most Glorious Wedding of All

If you’re single, don’t waste your life waiting for a man, or if you’re married, don’t wait for your man to change before you begin living out your faith. I know it is hard to imagine what it will be like the day Jesus, our true Prince, comes to rescue us from this world, so I invite you to wrap your heart around this final story. Let your heart dream as you read about the love of your life and your “heavenly wedding day,” when your Prince (our Lord) will come to rescue you from this world.

Imagine with me the most glorious wedding day of all. . . .

The bride-to-be stands motionless, staring in the mirror for what seems like an eternity. Her hair and makeup are like works of art, and her dress is pure and white as snow. Never before has she imagined she would feel so treasured by her Lord as she twirls around her dressing room with joy, excitedly waiting for the ceremony to begin. She begins to reflect on her life and the people God had placed in her path while she was walking on earth.

If only she had known that this dream would become reality when her Prince came. Then she would have made sure everyone she met know about the open-ended invitation from her Savior to experience His eternal love. She begins to weep as she realizes that, while waiting for a “happily ever after,” she had lost sight of the coming grand finale of her everlasting life. In her search for a man to love her, she had forgotten to embrace the one true Prince who gave Himself for her to experience this day.

It hits her suddenly like a stabbing jolt of reality: He had done everything to prepare for this day. He had done everything to woo her, to bless her, to capture her heart, to rescue her . . . and she had done nothing! She has nothing to offer Him. No gifts. No guests. She spent her life worrying about all the wrong things and living for all the wrong reasons. The depth of her regret is so intense that she grabs the hem of her gown and turns, ready to run away.

But just then she hears the sound of the most beautiful music she has ever heard. The wedding march has begun! Then large double doors open into the most incredibly decorated sanctuary she has ever seen. She sees angels singing glory to the Lord. She hesitantly walks down the aisle of the glorious sanctuary as she fights to believe this could really be happening. She feels so undeserving of such a celebration, yet she cannot help but absorb the indescribable beauty surrounding her. Then, suddenly, everything around her seems to blur as she catches sight of her Savior for the first time.

He looks so tender and loving, standing there at the end of the aisle, patiently waiting for His bride to approach. There are no bridesmaids or groomsmen, only her Groom and what appears to be an amazing number of wedding presents. She had heard that her Prince had prepared many gifts for His bride, but this is truly beyond what she could have imagined.

An intense flood of emotion overflows in her heart. As she approaches her Groom—her Prince—she feels her heart beating fast and her face becoming flush with embarrassment for not living a better life for Him. Just as she is ready to run, her eyes meet His.

She sees something in His loving eyes that is more intense than her shame, more powerful than her guilt. This “something” is stronger than anything she has ever felt before. His presence is irresistible, and no emotion can keep her from walking toward Him. As she keeps her eyes fixed on His, her shame begins to melt away, and the closer she gets to her Lord, the more sure she is that the look on His face is one of pure love, the kind of love that says,

You are Mine, My beloved bride, and nothing you have ever said or done could diminish My never-ending love for you.”

As she steps up to stand next to her Groom, every negative emotion loosens its grip on her and departs forever. Every pain that has burrowed its way into her soul disappears. As they stand there face-to-face, she realizes that she has always been loved, and for the first time she really experiences His love the way He wants her to. The Prince smiles at her and reaches out His hand and gently wipes away the tears from her cheek. He then wraps His loving arms around her and whispers, “You will never cry again, My love. Welcome home.”

When we know Jesus as our Savior, then He is our Prince, we are His bride, and this story is about the majestic day of His return. Let’s not wait; let’s get ready for our Prince and live our lives in a way that tells the world we are loved. We have nothing to lose in this life if we say “I do” and “I will” follow the Prince who gave His life for me. If we believe the Word of God and embrace eternity, it becomes effortless to surrender our hearts to His love and His will. He is coming to rescue us; the question is, will we be ready?

I’m not sure what you’ve walked through or who holds the key to your heart, but if you will hand that key to the Lord, you will find the safe place you’re longing for. Your security will no longer be based on others’ actions. Even those who love you the most don’t know how to love you the way your Lord does. Just listen to His promise in Revelation 21:4:

He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever.”

 by: Featured guest

Long Distance Relationship

Challenging and difficult, though they may not be what we want to hear, are the words that best describe long distance relationships. Keep in mind however, that the words are challenging and difficult, not impossible. Many people choose to give a long distance relationship a try, with the constant curiosity if it was the right decision to make and if it even stands a chance. The truth is, a long distance relationship has just as much a chance of succeeding as any other relationship!

Long Distance Relationships share the same facts as an average relationship. It involves two people who share an interest in each other's lives, care for one another and of course have a love for each other that they hope will only continue to grow. On the other hand, a long distance relationship does have its differences as well. It takes away your ability to see each other on a frequent note, as well as the choice of being intimate whenever you desire, not to mention that there would be major trust required. Being unable to spend time together in a physical presence makes it harder to hang on to, but does not spell out doom for your relationship.

The first step is to make an agreement of what your expectations are in the relationship and how much of a commitment you are willing to give and receive. If the two of you decide to be monogamous, then it is clear that neither of you will be dating anyone else as long as your romantic relationship exists. Being clear about what you both want is extremely important, especially in a long distance relationship, in order to prevent future misunderstandings and mistakes. Do not feel afraid to tell your partner what you really need and want from him or her, you deserve the chance to speak from your heart and he or she deserves to know the truth and judge whether they can give it to you.

Trust is a major necessity if you wish to have your relationship from a distance. Without trust and honesty, the relationship is in for danger and unsuccessfulness, just as it would be any other relationship. By accepting the challenge of a long distance relationship, you also accepted the fact that you will have to have the trust and faith that your partner will not be seeing anyone else as promised. Being paranoid and accusing will only grow doubts, insecurity and tension between you and none of those three will help the relationship survive successfully.

by:Love sessions