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Norma L. Brumbaugh

Inspirational Writer, Author, and Speaker

PO Box 6432, Chico, CA 95927
nlbrumbaugh@gmail.com

Keep a smile in your heart.

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The Biggies in Spiritual Life (Part 3 of 6)

EARNEST PRAYER

I believe earnest prayer is the most powerful resource we have as Christians. Developing this avenue of communication is of benefit to you, those you love, and God’s purpose in your life. More prayer, more power.

We pray differently when our main focus is God. Prayer becomes an intimate conversation with God. The following prayer is one I prayed during a time of genuine sorrow. It speaks from the heart. It acknowledges the need for God to help me.

The prayer pivots out from its central cog, a dependence on God’s loving plan for my life and includes my love for God and His love for me. It is a prayer of the heart.

Sorry, it is rather lengthy. My heart was full the day I prayed it.

PRAYER OF THE HEART

Dear Father,

Today I want to sense your presence as I go about my business.  Help me to get things done even though I feel like hibernating and sorrowing. Oh, dear Father God, fill me with thoughts of you. Banish my little faith. Bring me understanding. I open my mind to you. Pour in your thoughts.

Convict me of sin.  Give me hope.  Heal me internally. May the mourning be only for a season. Please bring some cheer into my life. Help me to get up and going. I thank you for your faithfulness to me that you have been with me on this painful journey.

I’m so thankful that you love me and that you also love those who have hurt me. Please keep them in your care. Help them with the deep things of the heart.  May they one day know what it is to have a contrite heart and a renewed spirit. These things I also ask for myself, gracious God. How I want to serve you with the rest of my life, precious Father.

I yield to you my wants and desires. I accept your will in my life. Help me to be a good parent. Fill me with wisdom. Keep me on the right path. Give me victory over Satan and self. Fill me with compassion. Refresh my sorrowing spirit. Show me your way, and if it is possible, show me things I don’t know, how you have worked behind the scenes in my life. Show me how to view them.

Continue to heal my broken heart. Reveal my sin.  May I see it on a daily basis. Help me to be content with what I have. Provide much or little. Motivate me to deal with the issues of finance and home care. Use me to further your kingdom in my steps wherever I go. Help me to stand up to injustice and fear, to have courage to step in where needed, to confront when necessary, and to comfort others.

Help me to be wise in my dealings and kind in my actions and words. Please keep me from evil, dear God. Protect me from harm. Keep me pure in heart and deed. Give me the energy to complete the tasks of daily living and in care for my family. Bless me, O Lord, with the fruit of your loving-kindness. Be gracious to me, your servant.

Humbly I submit my every wish and desire to you. Make my path straight. Fill me abundantly with joy and happiness. Keep me true to your word always. Make me a blessing to my children, and my children’s children, and my spiritual children. Father God, without you I am nothing, for you are everything, the only reason for living on this planet of suffering and death. Satan has sought to destroy, but you, dear God, have lifted up. Praise your holy name.

Blessed be the name of the Lord. I love you from the depths of my heart, my precious Jesus, my Morning Star, my God of all comfort, the most high God of all truth and justice. As with Mary, I say, “May it be to me as you have said, according to your will.”

In Jesus’ precious and holy name, I pray these things. Amen

To God be the Glory

♥♥♥

Dear reader,

I invite you to take a look at my writings at A Quiet Space for the Soul by clicking here. You can sign up to receive these inspirational posts in your email inbox if they are of interest to you. I hope you will be blessed.

God’s best,

Norma ♥

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The Biggies in Spiritual Life (Part 2 of 6)

GODLY SURRENDER

I learned about surrender through My Utmost for His Highest by Oswald Chambers. I thought it a noble idea but did not have understanding on how to do it. Over the course of time I began to turn over more and more of my life to God. The surrender came naturally because I wanted more of God. It became my reality when I decided to follow God without striving to influence the outcome.

An individual surrenders their life to God out of love for God. They are secure in following Him with their all. Surrender is an act of the will. A person doesn’t surrender until they are ready and want to and see a reason to. It is a giving up, a giving to, a letting go, a no-holds barred process. God is their reason and driving force. To follow Him fully, with heart, mind, and soul, is to change in their outlook and purpose.

Surrender to God is a Process

As God shows more, they surrender more.  He brings an awareness of areas of bondage. He reveals thoughts. In prayer, they learn to ask Him to show them how and what to think. “Show me, Father.”  Small and big issues are brought to God before they confront them or choose to proceed.

At this point, the individual sees themselves for what they are, and they have given all of it to their Savior: Their part, their excuses, their attitudes, their actions, and even their well-meaning hopes and dreams. And they have said, “Here it is. Please take it. I can’t bear their burden any longer. I’m sorry, Father God. Help me. I love You.”

Refocused and Enlivened

When this flushing of the toxins–cleansing of the soul–is finished, the transaction is complete between them and God. At first they may feel emptied and uncomfortable. In surrender, they let go of harbored resentments, bitter feelings, and angry thoughts, those areas that had guided and been resident in them, that had lived submerged inside and in control of their emotions and thinking.

Then surfaces another realization, that self-justification and self-will have also contributed as a source of strength that has guided their life, in addition to God and His work in them. These will diminish as they seek God. By this time their life is not the same. They are not quite certain exactly how to function now that they’ve surrendered to a Higher Authority. The old props are gone unless they take them up again, which will be the temptation days, months or years from now.

They are now living in freedom. The strength of the Lord will renew, rejuvenate, revive,  transform and help them as they find their way. It is then they understand living water and how to live in God’s abundance. They will not be shaken as they go through trials, and they will not be prideful as they receive people’s praise. They know it is not them, it is God in them that is carrying them along.

This Is You

So, this is you, your time to consider my words. If you’ve never read about surrender or feel that it is an impossible concept and too hard to consider as a life-style undertaking, I encourage you to seek God with your whole heart. As He reveals Himself to you, as both loving and kind, you will find your desires changing. No longer will God seem remote or at arms-length. He will be ‘there’ for you as He draws you in His loving way and reveals His holy attributes.

♥ I wish you well on your spiritual journey. I pray for my readers. I will be praying for you. God bless you.