Bible reading Archives | Page 23 of 57

Word of the Year Dilemma

ByLauren January 21, 2022January 10, 2022 Bible reading, Christian, Grace & Truth Link Up, prayer, trusting God

Last year, for the first time ever, I chose a word focus for the year. Several things in my life felt out of control and my anxiety was at an all time time. I chose the word “trust”. Or maybe it chose me. I knew I needed to learn to more functionally trust the God of the Universe with my stuff.

I chose 7 Bible verses on trust (one for each day of the week) to focus on and memorize. Much prayer followed. I read books on trust. Praise music on the greatness of God blasted from my speakers. Everything I faced in 2021 brought me into deeper relationship with God. I learned to feel my feelings instead of escape from them. For this I am grateful.

Did I Trust?

I wish I could say that my anxiety disappeared, but that would be a bald faced lie. I wish I didn’t have to admit that – if anything – it escalated. Some of the situations I struggled to place in God’s hands got worse. And at the end of the year, my husband was diagnosed with cancer. This is life in a broken world – even when you walk it with a good, good Father. (I’m typing this from the surgery waiting room as I wait for my husband.)

My continued fear and anxiety have much more to do with me being a fallen human than they do with with the delivering power of my God. Of this I am VERY aware. And yet I know I have gained much from this focus for prayer and study. So I definitely wanted to choose a word again this year. I wrestled for several weeks with whether I should use TRUST again! I didn’t learn my lesson after all. But is that really the takeaway from this kind of practice?

Rest, Lauren

I started reading a book I was supposed to read months ago as a part of an unofficial launch team. Oops. Or was it? God used Rest Girl: A Journey from Exhausted and Stressed to Entirely Blessed by Jami Amerine to bring me my new word. REST. What could possibly be a better expression of trust than resting in His care? They go hand in hand. And isn’t God kind to continue to teach me to rely on him without me having to repeat a grade?

After more study and prayer, I chose Matthew 11:29 as my guiding verse for the year: “Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” And God is guiding me to additional verses for meditation and memorization. (Exodus 14:14, 1 Thessalonians 5:24 and Exodus 33:14 so far).

As I continue to pray and meditate on scripture and work through Jami Amerine’s book, I’m excited for the year ahead. Through every challenge I know God holds me and my family close. He is so faithful.

What About You?

I would love to continue this conversation. If you chose a word for the year, leave it in the comments below (and if it’s not too personal, tell us why you chose it). If not, give me a favorite verse on the subject of resting in God. And I would love your prayers as I learn to give it all to the only one big enough to hold it.

And now for this week’s featured post from the link up!

1. Share 1 or 2 of your most recent CHRISTIAN LIVING posts. (No DIY, crafts, recipes, or inappropriate articles.) All links are randomly sorted.

2. Comment on 1 or 2 other links. Grace & Truth linkup encourages community.

3. Every host features one entry from the previous week. To be featured, include this button or link back here on your post (mandatory to be featured, but not to participate).

We encourage you to follow our hosts on their blogs or social media.

MAREE DEE – Embracing the Unexpected
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LAUREN SPARKS
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LISA BURGESS – Lisa notes
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TAMMY KENNINGTON – Restoring hope. Pursuing peace.
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Praying God’s Word Wednesday #32

ByLauren January 19, 2022January 9, 2022 Bible reading, Christian, family, prayer

16 Comments

The shoe is on the other foot for today’s Praying God’s Word Wednesday. My family is in the middle of something tough and I’m very much depending on the prayers of others.

My husband has been diagnosed with tonsil cancer. I had never even heard of that before a fateful doctor’s visit. He is recovering from surgery and facing radiation and other things. There are so many unknowns. It hasn’t even been 5 years since my cancer treatment and we face it again – together.

We are so blessed to have many praying friends and family members. Even some who pray scripture! So I’m leaning on one my mom sent us recently.

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I pray it blesses you as it helps sustain me.

“Even before there is a word on my tongue, you know it all. You have inclosed me behind and before and you laid your hand upon me.”

Psalm 139:4-5

God knows the past, present and future. His knowledge of us personally is inconceivably absolute. And that hand He lays upon us is a hand of protection, healing, and loving caress – among other things. How comforting! My mom prayed:

Replace the names and pronouns with the appropriate ones for the person (or yourself) that you are praying for.

Praying for you in this. And don’t forget to share on social media or with a friend who could benefit. It would mean so much to me. And if you don’t want to miss a Praying God’s Word Wednesday, subscribe over on the right hand side of this page.