Whispers of Hope - 10 Weeks of Devotional Prayer

Beth Moore promotes the P.R.A.I.S.E method of prayer in this 10 week or 70 day study. 

Praise

Repentance

Acknowledgement

Intercession

Supplication

Equipping

Every Single Woman's Battle

"We are often only aware of what we believe in regard to the tings we have actually experienced but are undecided about our beliefs regarding the things or feeling we have not yet experienced"

"The pursuit of "love" takes the form of searching for intimacy and closeness, and unfortunately the world we live in teaches that this intimacy and closeness can be found only through sexual relationships."

"So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, "if you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free"' John 8:31-32

I. Has studying God's Word revealed truth to you, setting you free? What is that truth? From what were you set free?
The Word is full of truth. One verse that strikes me is Galatians 5:1 "For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery." Through my salvation in Christ I am free from the bondage of sin. Yes I will still sin, but I am not a slave to it. I have the freedom because of Christ's sacrifice to live fighting sin, to not live for sin. There is a specific sin I can think of that God strongly convicted me of last October and has since provided me the ability to fight that sin. God set me from the bondage I had allowed myself to that sin. Christ had already freed me from the sin, but I was choosing to serve under that sin, but God in His goodness convicted me and has given me the strength to pursue holiness in that area of my life.

II. What are you storing up in your heart?
Funny that this question should be here. I have been very convicted during our current sermon series especially in relation to work. I would have to admit that I have a lot of hatred, frustration, stress in my heart right now. A lot of selfishness. I have seen a difference in my behavior. I only want to do what will benefit me, I haven't been interested in serving the needs of my coworkers.  I have become more frustrated more quickly with my coworkers. My heart needs a makeover! Praise God for His never ceasing work in my life!

"For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need" Hebrews 4:15-16

III. How does it make you feel to know that Jesus can sympathize with your every weakness?
Humbling. Christ my Savior fought many of the same battles or similar that I fight daily, yet He never sinned. While living on earth I will never be sin free, I can strive daily to be more like Christ. I can read and learn how Christ dealt with these temptations. In a way it is also a comfort. As I read the Word, it is coming from an experiential view. Christ suffered, Christ was tempted His advice on fighting temptation is holy, fair, and correct. He succeed.

IV. How can you offer the same grace to others that God gives to you? What things might you need to accept in order to love somone unconditionally and unreservedly?
Grace. Wow God has been really been emphasizing this word in my life lately. It is so cool to see so many different outlets link so well together through the theme of grace. 

V. Perhaps you've heard people talk about God as a husband. Does it seem possible to you to be satisfied with God as your sole partner? Why or why not?
This is a tough but fair question that I think all single women should think about at some point or another. I want my answer to be without a doubt yes. But I know there is hesitation in me. As much as I love being single and love that I don't have a spouse taking away from focused time with God. I still have those desires to one day be married and have a family. I think what is most important, at least for me, to remember is that I was created to glorify God. If remaining single is most glorifying then I know it will be ok, just like if He can be brought more glorify through marriage I know it will be ok. I know either way there will be struggles I will need the grace of God. So yes I think I can be satisfied with God as my sole partner. I think I will struggle with desires for something else but God's grace is sufficient.

Statistically 67% of all women will experience at least one or more premarital or extramarital affair in her lifetime. 

VI. Do you find this statistic surprising with regard to our whole society? With regard to the Christian community? Why or why not?
I am not overly surprised by this statistic. We are all tempted and so many of us, even Christians have not prepared ourselves to fight temptation. I Matthew 4 Jesus is tempted by the Devil, He refutes temptation with Scripture. Is that how we handle temptation. I'll be the first to admit that is hard for me. I pray when tempted to sin, but I haven't memorized enough scripture to fight sin like I should. I think at least for me this is one area in life that I need to improve, and am working at improving now.

VII. Do you find it difficult to confide in other women on this or other topics?
Interesting. A friend and I have been talking  a lot about this lately. There is unfortunately this basket if you will of sins that we don't talk about. If someone were to bring them up no one would no what to do so the person is made to feel awkward, or worse. The church as a whole needs to find ways to penetrate that basket and open the doors to openness. Openness in the right setting per what will  be talked about and by whom. While sin needs dealt with and talked about but not in a way that relieves you of what you have done and makes you feel better, in a way that provokes you to change, causes repentance. Sometimes you just need a sister in Christ to come along side you and pray for you. Ask you however often about that sin or struggle to make sure you are staying accountable to what you committed to doing or giving up. As a sister in Christ they don't need all the answers they just need a heart to serve their sister. I don't have to know how to help my friend in every situation she faces but I can pray for her! I can be accountability for her. I can help her find the help she may really need.

The Promised One: Week 1 The Road to Emmaus

Read Luke 24

As I am reading through one of the first things that strikes me is as Jesus is walking with the two gentlemen they do not know who He is. He has kept his identity unknown. So did Jesus look the same as always including the scares? What made Him different that they didn't know that it was indeed Jesus?

"Evidently God purposefully wanted to keep them from recognizing Jesus, perhaps so that they would not become so caught up in him actually being alive that they would not be able to think through what he had to teach them"

"We want our eyes to be opened to see Jesus in the Old Testament. We want our hearts to burn as this revelation kindles in us a fresh passion for Jesus and we want our minds to be opened so that we understand the Scriptures."

Tell some of what you remember thinking about the Bible from your childhood?
I remember the basic stories. Not that they are not important but the same basic stories retold. Noah and the Ark, Adam and Eve, Jonah and the giant fish. etc. The one thing I can pick out right now based off the introduction to this book is not once did they relate to the coming of Christ when told. They were all told as individual stories or lessons.

Imagine you are walking on the road to Emmaus, what have you just seen and heard and experienced in Jerusalem? What questions are in your mind and what concerns in your heart?
I guess immediately I think of sorrow of the loss of the man that many thought was the messiah. The confusion over who was this man and where does that leave us now? Think on the concerning news that the body can't be found. Where would the body go, why would someone steal it? Why would this man say He is one thing but turn out not to be? WHo is the messiah if not this man Jesus?

What do you think it must have been like to realize that there was something they had missed and to have Jesus take them through the Old Testament revealing how it pointed to him?
Well first my pride flares up a bit and it is a little difficult to be told you are wrong you didn't understand, especially seeing as the Torah was something they would have known well. And thought to understood well.  But I think as the lesson unfolded and I began to see what I had missed all along my tune would change. I would be amazed at the underlying story that I had been missing this entire time. I think to even now. I love to read the Bible but I haven't felt sucked into it like a typical romance novel, but maybe with these new lenses I will develop from reading this book I will find the heart throbbing love story I love to read.

Why am I partaking in this study? What do I hope to gain from this investment of time and effort? How do I want to be different after I read this book?
Initially I started this study because a couple friends were doing it and I had heard it is a fantastic book. But after reading only a few pages I realized that I am ecstatic to read this book. I am so looking forward to challenging my thinking and finding Jesus in the Old Testament. I want to be able to read through the Bible and see what God is teaching. one illustration in the book thus far is how Abraham took Issaic. While it is probably not wrong to think in terms of following hard after God and doing whatever He asks, it might also be as correct and thought provoking to think of it as God to will offer up His son, except there will not be a ram in the thickets, Jesus will breath a last breath before death for our sins.

Becoming a Woman of Purpose

Chapter Four: God's purpose to establish His kingdom

Isaiah 46:9-10; 48:12; Job 42:2

God's Purpose: To establish His Sovereignty
1. A king has supreme authority and we are told that "God is the King of all the earth" (Psalm 47:7). Rash Isaiah 40:1-31 and write down the descritpive phrases and images that convey God's sovereignty.
God knows that a voice is crying out in verses 3-5 continuing on in many verses. God stands forever, while things of this earth will fade. He is as a shepherd is to his sheep. God knows the depths, widths, weights of all that is in His creation. God is creator of all, there was not a single man involved as God would later create man. The people seem to compare Him to an idol. When an idol was made the intention is that it would last forever. While God should not be likened to an idol, the thought process was heading in the right direction. They realized that God is eternal, a being that would forever be. God Himself is far above the universe, He knows the workings of his creation. Just as a king would know the workings of his people. God is everlasting, never failing, growing faint, every strong, never weary.

2. The Everlasting God has no equal! What one thought on the sovereignty of God encourages you in your relationship with Him?
There are so many thoughts but one that has initially come to mind is how God can take the sin in my life and use it to glorify Him. What I mean is seeing as I am human, I am going to sin. God in His sovereignty is always a step ahead of me taking my chance of sin for an opportunity to open a door for His glory. While it would be amazing not to sin and for those doors to open in a different way. I am thankful that in the midst of my messy life, God has shown me grace in His sovereignty and finds a way to still be glorified.

Every Single Woman's Battle

Chapter One: whose battle is it?

"Men and women struggle in different ways when it comes to sexual integrity." - Does our current culture truly recognize that both men and women struggle? When was the last time you heard anything about a woman's purity in the same regard that a man's purity is talked about?

Planting good Seeds:

1. How important is the Word of God to you? Why?

The Word of God is highly important to me. It is literally the Words of God being spoke into my life. It is the answer to everything I need. It is the foundation of a solid relationship with my Lord and Savior. It is truth. It is right. It is home. It shows how to love. It proves that God chastens the one's He loves. It is the ultimate love story with a storyline so compelling it is humbling - yet it is so hard for me to get sucked into the love story. It is the physical presence of God that I have in my life. It is a blessing, I own more than one version of something very few even today have at all, let alone in different versions and sizes. 

Galatians 6:8; James 1:14-15

2. What, if anything, in these verses feels like a threat or a warning to you? Why do you think you respond to the verses the way you do?

There is a strong warning in these verses for those that seek fleshly pleasure or pleasure that is selfish. The warning states that those that are selfish or those that are not seeking to please the Lord with their behavior will find destruction. James tells us that we will be tempted and enticed to follow our own selfish ways, but it will lead us down a path of destruction just as Galatians warned us of. 

I Corinthians 10:13

3. What does the promise of I Corinthians 10:13 mean to you?

There is no temptation that I will encounter that someone else (a woman) has not already encountered. While I can't let this be a reason to not respond to temptation I can allow it to be encouragement to me that others have fought this same battle or one similar and they to have made it through. The verse allows tells us God will not give more than we can bear. What is tricky about this is often we can handle more than we think we can, we need to remember that God won't give us more than we can bear. God is in control not us. So more than likely we will bear more than we think, because God has made us strong and sin has deceived us into thinking of ourselves as weak. But all of this should be remembered in the perspective that With God all things are possible and with Man nothing is possible.

Weeding Out Deception:

4. Do you agree with the statement that every woman fights the battle for sexual and emotional integrity? On what do you base your opinion?

Yes I do believe that every woman on some level does have to fight the battle for sexual and emotional integrity. We are surrounded by sexual content. While I would agree that a man’s struggle would seem more directed in physical appearance and a woman’s toward emotional ties. I believe that in our culture we opposite sexes flaunt this at each other. To some extent women realize that a man is tempted by appearance and she may dress a certain way to obtain that attention. Just as I believe men realize that woman are drawn by words. All this to say that with the Word of God and a serious heart to fight sexual sin I think that the battle of sexual sin in an individual’s life can be won and maintained.

5. The author warns that it is not wise to think that sexual immorality can’t happen to any one of us. How prevalent do you think sexual immorality is among Christian singles?

I think that sexual immorality is highly prevalent. It would seem overall that the issue is attended to in the church but mainly in terms of helping men. Where is the help for women? Why does the Christian culture only see this battle as a man’s problem? Why aren’t we asking women to be as accountable, I don’t mean in dress but in their sexual integrity? Calling women to be responsible for their emotional responses to men in their lives. If a man is to be held responsible for a double take shouldn’t a woman be held responsible for lusting after the words of a co-worker? I think because of the lack of knowledge and openness about this struggle for single women we have created a larger shelter to sin in because people don’t acknowledge it as sin and so in return people don’t address the sin.

“Even people who are committed to celibacy are sexual beings. Our sexuality is who we are, and we were made with a body, mind, heart, and spirit, not just a body. Therefore, sexual integrity is not just about physical chastity. It is about purity in all four aspects of our being, body, mind, heart, and spirit”

A few more questions from the book to think on….  seeing as I have not yet dated or courted I don’t have any thoughts on these…. :)

10. In your dating relationships, where have you set the line of sexual integrity? How far is it okay to go prior to marriage? Where does this belief come from?

11. If you ever crossed that imaginary line, were you able to back up and reestablish your previous standards? How did you do it or fail to do it?

12. If you were to allow God to control your mind and desires, what would be the result in regard to your love life? Your relationship with God? Your self-esteem?

Briefly I think that I would be much more focused on serving God. Sharing the gospel with others. While I honestly feel far from ready for marriage at this point in life, I do still have that desire for a relationship whether or not I am ready…. It is hard not to let that desire over play what is most important in my life. While one day should the day come that I get married I want that man to be a godly, god fearing man, but right now, and always really, what is most important is serving God in whatever capacity He allows me to do that in right now. Life works itself in a sense when you focus on God. When I am really giving God that is where it is at. That’s not to say there won’t be trials, good days, difficult days, heartbreak, elation. It just means that you are truly in the midst of God’s will. What a place to be… a place I long to be, yet have such so much growing to do.

**Indicates question from book**
**Indicated recommended scripture reading**

New Bible Studies

Ok lets be honest for a moment I am so ADD I can't focus on one thing at a time for to long... so to prove so I am going to be working through three different Bible studies. I am not an over acheriver just looking to actually finish what I start!

1. Every Single Womans Battle: Shannon Ethridge
2. Becoming a Woman of Purpose: Cynthia Heald
3. The Promised One: Nancy Guthrie

So try to keep up if you can!

John 7

Click Here to Read John 7

John 7:1-53 

"The right Time"

Observations:

• Jesus is a Jew yet the Jews are seeking to kill Him in Judea.
• V. 5 "For not even his brothers believed in him"
• Our time is always here, we should always be sharing about the work of Jesus 
• V. 7 "The world cannot hate you..."
• The Jews reject Jesus because He calls them out on sin, He calls sin evil.
• Jesus repeats that His time has not yet come twice in just nine verse; He was stressing that His time has not yet come
• V. 13 fear of man kept people from openly speaking about Jesus
• Jesus is teaching by the one who sent Himm, not himself.
• Some of the people in Jerusalem question, can this really be the Christ, there are people seeking to kill this man.
• For a third time John states that Jesus' time had not yet come
• Jesus is fortelling of His death ascention to the right hand of God. He wil go to a place were you cannot come for me.
• Jesus references again the living water, just like in chapter four with the Samaritan woman.
• It become obvious that the people are split on what to believe of this Jesus. Some do believe as He is the the Christ, while others are still unsure.
• The officiers notice there is no one else like this man, while the hearts of the Pharisees are still hardened. 

Resources Observations:

• There was a main emphasis of water and light during the Feast of Tabernacles. Could this be why yet again Jesus uses water, living water, as tool in sharing His message?
• Even Jesus demonstrated obedience in doing the Father's will over going to the feast with His brothers. 
• "This matter of timing highlights Jesus total control of the situation, even amidst the complete confusion and conflicting claims that await Him in Jerusalem" - John, pg95
• There is a drastic difference between Jesus and the people. He seeks always to the will of the Father.
• The leaders deny Jesus as Christ.
• The people do not like that that Jesus healed on the Sabbath and accuse Him of not keeping the law. However they do not like when Jesus brings forth the fact that they are not keeping the law.

Questions:

I. Do I let the fear of man prevent me from speaking openly about Jesus Christ? 

II. The people were expecting a King in the traditional sense of the time. Could it be that His denial was so obviously linked to the fact that when He came so much of His work was of the heart? 

III. Verse 12 talks about muttering. Why do we whisper when we grumble, complain, or gossip? Is it because we know what we are doing is wrong? Are we avoiding being caught? why?

IV. Jesus's teachings clearly indicate that with Him everlasting life is possible, but not without Him. What would my response have been to His teaching? 

Applicational Thoughts:

Timing was a huge emphasis of this chapter. Jesus was always waiting for the right timing. God is very diliberate in His planning, does my own impatience get in the way of waiting for the right timing? Also the second coming will be in His timing. The perfect timing.

God's timing is best. 

Resources:

Read/Mark/Laern, John, St Helen's Bishopsgate

The Message of John, John Stott