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Praying the Beautitudes…and Grace and Truth Link up

August 21, 2020 by Lauren 22 Comments

The poor in spirit are blessed,
for the kingdom of heaven is theirs.
4 Those who mourn are blessed,
for they will be comforted.
5 The gentle are blessed,
for they will inherit the earth.
6 Those who hunger and thirst for righteousness are blessed,
for they will be filled.
7 The merciful are blessed,
for they will be shown mercy.
8 The pure in heart are blessed,
for they will see God.
9 The peacemakers are blessed,
for they will be called sons of God.

Matthew 5:3-9 HCSB

Have you ever reached into a bag of your favorite chips anticipating flavor heaven, only to bite into the equivalent of salty cardboard?  At times, my prayer life gets stale and flavorless too.  And it’s just as disappointing.  I sit down with my journal and write down what comes to mind.  But my mind can be a pretty shallow pool to draw from.  My needs and concerns, even my thanks and praise, can get pretty rote.  The same things come up over and over again, and left to my own devices, what should be a two-way conversation can get pretty one-sided.  Not to mention selfish.  That’s why I’ve started praying lots of scripture.

 

All scripture is inspired by God [literally breathed out by God] and is profitable for teaching, for rebuking, for correcting, for training in righteousness.  2 Timothy 3:16 HCSB  Since the bible’s words are the words of God (by way of the Holy Spirit – 2 Peter 1:21), and this verse tells us that ALL of it is profitable, when I pray scripture I know I am praying perfectly within God’s will.

 

Sometimes I search the bible with intention for a scripture on a certain topic or situation.  But more often than not, as I study, I just feel drawn to pray specific verses or passages over my family.  Lately I’m fascinated with the idea of praying the Beatitudes.

 

The word beatitude means blessing.  There are many places in the bible, especially in Psalms, where blessings are promised or bestowed.  But the only spot where more than two or three blessings are listed together is the recording of Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount in Matthew.  All of these blessings refer to the future kingdom of heaven.  Not to be mistaken with things we would consider blessings in the here and now.  God owes us nothing, of course.  But because of the work of Jesus, He promises us everything in due time.

 

When reading the Beatitudes, it’s important to understand that Jesus was not referencing a certain group or type of people.  These promises are for anyone who allows the presence of God to manifest in his/her life.  If God wants to bless those who possess these characteristics, then I want them!  My sin nature gets in the way, though.  I need His divine help to be merciful and meek and pure in heart.  So I’m asking for these things in prayer.

 

Prayer

Lord, I’ve spent far too long selfishly praying for you to bless me.  Today I ask that you make me into someone that you will bless.  In my flesh, I am the polar opposite of the person Jesus preached about.  But I’m asking you to take possession of my heart and mind so that my thoughts and actions look more like You.

 

Questions

  1. Poor in spirit doesn’t have anything to do with finances, but humility. In what areas do you rely too much on yourself and not the omnipotence of God?
  2. When Jesus referenced those who mourn, He wasn’t referring to sorrow over earthly things; but people who mourn their own sin and the sins of others. Spend some time confessing your sins and praying against the evil in the world.
  3. Ask God to show you relationships that need an extra dose of supernatural meekness, gentleness and self-control.
  4. In what areas of your life are you struggling with obedience? Ask God to give you an unquenchable hunger and thirst for His will and His justice in the world around you.
  5. Pray about ways you can show mercy to others. Is there someone you need to forgive or someone who needs a hand up?
  6. To take a step towards being more pure of heart, analyze the way you spend your leisure time. Are there movies, TV shows, music or websites you would steer clear of if you could see Jesus sitting beside you?
  7. Where do you see a lack of peace in the world around you. If there is forgiveness you need to offer or reconciliation you should involve yourself in, journal about how you can be an instrument of God’s peace.

A version of this appeared first in Prayer – Approaching the Throne Room of Grace:  A 26 Week Devotional and Journal.  As a contributing author of this book, it excites me that Amazon offers it now in paperback here!  I also want to give away a copy right now!  If you have not subscribed to receive my weekly blog post sent to your email inbox, do so in the right hand column of this website.  You will not only be entered to win a free hardback copy of the book worth $20, you will also receive a scripture coloring page bundle.  What are you waiting for?  A drawing will take place next Thursday August 27.

 

And now for this week’s featured post!

 

My family is currently in the midst of a huge spiritual battle.  And there is absolutely nothing I can do about it but pray.  So Deborah Haddix of deborahhaddix.com struck just the right chord with me in 4 Practical Ideas for Performing the Work of Prayer.  Thank you for linking up, Deborah!

 

And thanks for sharing!  Here’s a button for your blog:

Grace and Truth_Rules

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).

Grace Truth_Button

Grace and Truth_Meet Hosts

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

MAREE DEE – Embracing the Unexpected
Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Pinterest

HEATHER HART & VALERIE RIESE – Candidly Christian
Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Pinterest

LAUREN SPARKS
Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Pinterest

LISA BURGESS – Lisa notes
Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Pinterest

Now Let’s Link Up!

 

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

 

 

 

Sharing is caring! If you liked this post, do me the huge honor of using the buttons below to share it to your favorite social media accounts. And if you want to get these essays emailed to you once a week, subscribe!  Lastly, my posts may contain affiliate links and I earn from qualifying purchases. If you buy anything from one of these links, I will receive a few pennies to help offset the cost of this website at no additional charge to you. Thank you in advance for your help.

 

To find some great places where I might be sharing this post, click here.

 

 

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I Jumped Over June and Now July…and Grace and Truth Link Up

July 31, 2020 by Lauren 4 Comments

The world has gone crazier the last two months.  At least that’s my perspective.  So much happened in June, in fact, that I completely forgot to do a roundup post.  After the death of George Floyd, racial unrest and protests filled my thoughts and my keyboard.  My heart couldn’t write about anything else.

 

In these month end reviews, I usually tell you about what I’ve been reading, watching and listening to.  I recounted much of that in Resources on Race in America.  To add to that list, I read Sunday Punday:  Celebrate the Little Everyday Joys that Make Us Smile  by Thomas Kincade’s daughter Winsor.  Simple, sweet and only took a few minutes.  I’m also working on an advance reader copy of a book I will review on a later date.

 

Since we spend most of our time at home now, our TV and movie time is through the roof.  I coerced my husband into watching Rebel Without a Cause starring the late James Dean – a classic I’ve always been curious about.  I had no idea it was so tragic.  And Chuck hated it.  We also watched Chappaquiddick.  I’m not sure why, but the Kennedy’s fascinate me.  Shazam disappointed me.  The Farewell with Akwafina surprised me.  We caught up to Queen Victoria.  We love those royal dramas.  Oprah’s OWN Spotlight:  Where Do We Go From Here? rounded out the adults’ viewingThe Farewell

 

As a Family we enjoyed Breakthrough, Remember the Titans and Just Mercy – all true stories.  The last two were rewatches for Chuck and me.  We’ve also kept a fire burning under YouTube for breaks from all the seriousness around us.  James Corden’s Carpool Karaoke and Crosswalk Musicals fit the bill nicely.  Disney+ reignited our obsession with Hamilton 3 years after seeing it on Broadway.  We are catching so much more the 2nd, 3rd and 4th times.

 

I took the recommendation of a bloggy friend and added Pass the Mic to my podcast subscriptions.  And though I don’t listen regularly to Brene Brown’s Unlocking Us, I downloaded the episode with Austin Channing Brown.

 

In real life, we took our kids to downtown Dallas for a Potluck Protest.  The event involved food from black owned restaurants.  The month of July has been all about racial justice at our church as well with the sermon series Lead with Love: a Biblical Perspective on Race and a Prayer Night for racial unity.

 

Shelby and I added zoom karaoke, bingo and a brain booster class to give her back a little socialization and meaningful activity.  We enjoy them together, even if we must participate online.  In the brief period we tried to lift some quarantine restrictions, we took Allie and two friends to a sunflower field an hour’s drive away to take pictures.  And Allie is still in an orthopedic boot – for four months.  Bless.  But after one last surgery (which had to be postponed a week due to a close call with the Rona), she sees the finish line.  Hallelujer. 

 

I saved the retelling of our 4th of July celebration for last because it’s too mortifying not to tell.  Chuck and I invited a neighbor couple over for snacks and games while the fireworks played in the background on TV.  That’s how we roll in a pandemic with the Texas heat.  Mid-game (Awkward Family Photos), my girlfriend asked me what I was drinking.  I showed her the diet root beer and asked if I could get her one.  She declined and then her husband regaled us with tales of how much she hates root beer.  Can’t even stand the smell.  He and the kids breath on her after drinking it or eating root beer barrel candies to get her goat.  Not five minutes later, I took a swig while simultaneously feeling a tickle in my throat.  Unable to control myself, I spit my drink across the table and all over my root beer hating friend.

 

I ran to the sink to spit the rest of my mouthful in a more appropriate location, where I coughed and laughed so hard that I cried down my face and down my leg.  And then the horror set in.  I not only spit on her, but during a viral pandemic!   I could not stop apologizing and she could not stop laughing as we cleaned her up along with the table and the soggy game contents.  I’m so thankful that our friendship is stronger than her gag reflex!

 

The moral of this muster?  In times like these, it’s good to educate ourselves, it’s nice to be entertained, and it’s great to have a friend with a stout sense of humor.

 

What have you done so far this summer?  Drop me a comment below.

 

And now for this week’s featured post!

 

I don’t usually select my fellow Grace and Truth hostesses for the feature, but this week I felt so in touch with Lisa Burgess of lisanotes.com since we both wrote about humility.  Lean into Repeat After Me:  “I don’t know!” for some humble wisdom 😉

 

Thanks for sharing, Lisa!

 

 

Grace and Truth_Rules

 

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).

 

Grace Truth_Button

 

Grace and Truth_Meet Hosts

 

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

MAREE DEE – Embracing the Unexpected
Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Pinterest

HEATHER HART & VALERIE RIESE – Candidly Christian
Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Pinterest

LAUREN SPARKS
Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Pinterest

LISA BURGESS – Lisa notes
Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Pinterest

Now Let’s Link Up!

 

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

 

 

Sharing is caring! If you liked this post, do me the huge honor of using the buttons below to share it to your favorite social media accounts. And if you want to get these essays emailed to you once a week, subscribe!  Lastly, my posts may contain affiliate links and I earn from qualifying purchases. If you buy anything from one of these links, I will receive a few pennies to help offset the cost of this website at no additional charge to you. Thank you in advance for your help.

 

To find some great places where I might be sharing this post, click here.

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About Me

I love Jesus, my husband and caffeine. The order of these can change depending on how tired I am. When my two daughters, stepson, and 4 grandchildren get to be too much, I practice yoga. God graciously allows me to share our adventures, victories and flub-ups from my laptop. May He be glorified here.
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