How To Pray

 

By Andrea Merrell

 

I hear it all the time: “I just don’t know how to pray.”

For some reason, we tend to complicate something God has made so simple. Something that should come as natural as breathing.

In Matthew 6, Jesus tells us:

Here’s what I want you to do: Find a quiet, secluded place so you won’t be tempted to role-play before God. Just be there as simply and honestly as you can manage. The focus will shift from you to God, and you will begin to sense his grace. The world is full of so-called prayer warriors who are prayer-ignorant. They’re full of formulas and programs and advice, peddling techniques for getting what you want from God. Don’t fall for that nonsense. This is your Father you are dealing with, and he knows better than you what you need. With a God like this loving you, you can pray very simply. Like this:

Our Father in heaven,
Reveal who you are.
Set the world right;
Do what’s best—as above, so below.
Keep us alive with three square meals.
Keep us forgiven with you and forgiving others.
Keep us safe from ourselves and the Devil.
You’re in charge!
You can do anything you want!
You’re ablaze in beauty!
Yes. Yes. Yes.

(Matthew 6:6-13 MSG)

 

God doesn’t require lofty, rehearsed words copied from those we deem as more spiritual. No pretense, only sincerity. Prayer is a personal, intimate conversation with the One who loves us with an unconditional, everlasting love.

 

Talk to Him. He’s waiting to hear from you.

Photo courtesy of Unsplash and Fa Barboza.

The Myth of More

 

By Andrea Merrell

The Lord will guide you continually,
And satisfy your soul in drought,
And strengthen your bones;
You shall be like a watered garden,
And like a spring of water, whose waters do not fail.

Isaiah 58:11 NKJV

 

“Look what I just bought,” the woman said. “It’s the greatest little gadget I never knew I wanted or needed.”

As excited as she was about her newest purchase, a week later she threw it on top of the pile of all the other items she once thought she couldn’t live without.

This woman was searching for fulfillment and satisfaction, but nothing was ever enough. Some call it “the myth of more”—the illusion that more will be enough. It keeps people looking for the next best thing. The more they get, the happier they think they will be. Unfortunately, when the newness wears off—and it always does—they go searching for something else. It becomes a vicious cycle.

Every person alive yearns for happiness, for that something that will make them feel complete. The problem is too many folks look in all the wrong places.

Years ago, Larnelle Harris and Sandi Patty sang a song asking the age-old question, what can truly satisfy our souls? The answer? Only Jesus.

One writer says that only Jesus can satisfy; everything else is sure to disappoint.

Let’s not waste our time chasing illusions and that which will never fill the God-shaped void inside us. The only thing we need more of is Jesus.

Photo by Jon Tyson on Unsplash

 

Perfect or Excellent?

 

By Andrea Merrell

Supplement your faith with a generous provision of moral excellence,

and moral excellence with knowledge.

2 Peter 1:5 NLT

 

For so many years of my life I struggled with perfectionism, thinking anything “less than” was unacceptable. I felt judged by others for a less-than-perfect appearance … behavior … house … children. The pressure I lived under to please others and measure up to their unrealistic standards and expectations—as well as my own—created a constant feeling of failure and self-condemnation, even shame. No peace. No joy.

I was looking for my self-worth and affirmation in all the wrong places.

One writer says that after she was born again, she lived in fear that her “salvation contract” would become null and void the moment she made a mistake or didn’t do things perfectly. She attributes these feelings to pride and the fear of man.

We need to remember that the Enemy will constantly bombard us with accusations: You royally messed up. You said the wrong thing. What you did was unacceptable—and unforgiveable. You’ll never be good enough, so you might as well quit trying.

But Jesus says, “I love you even though … in spite of … because of … There’s nothing we can say or do that His grace and forgiveness won’t cover. He doesn’t expect or require perfection; that’s a quality only He possesses.

Our responsibility is to strive to do things in excellence—doing the best we can with what we have and doing it all as unto Him. As one writer says, “His perfection covers our imperfections.”

Photo courtesy of FreeDigitalPhotos.net and David Castillo Dominici

What Are You Full Of?

 

By Andrea Merrell

A good person produces good things from the treasury

of a good heart, and an evil person produces evil things

from the treasury of an evil heart.

What you say flows from what is in your heart.

Luke 6:45 NLT

 

Normally, when someone says, “You’re full of it,” their meaning is anything but positive.

But it still begs the question, What are we full of? Faith? Joy? God’s Word? Or is it more a matter of fear? Anxiety? Bitterness?

The Word for You Today says, “You can learn a lot about yourself by listening to what you say.” Why? Because Jesus plainly tells us the mouth speaks whatever the heart is full of.

It’s a matter of input/output. What goes in is what comes out, so it’s important for us to realize what we think about, read, watch, dwell on, do habitually, and allow to become part of us.

The psalmist declared, “Your Word I have hidden in my heart that I might not sin against you” (Psalm 119:11 NKJV). The Passion translation put it like this: “I consider your Word to be my greatest treasure, and I treasure it in my heart to keep me from committing sin’s treason against you.”

When we fill our heart and mind with God’s Word, we allow our thoughts, words, and actions to line up with His.

Take a moment and listen to yourself, then ask yourself, “What am I full of?” If you don’t like the answer, you can change it starting today.

Photo courtesy of FreeDigitalPhotos.net and winnond.

You Are a Masterpiece

 

By Andrea Merrell

For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew 

in Christ Jesus,

so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.

Ephesians 2:10 NLT

 

The young woman tried to please everyone. Unhappy with herself, she attempted to emulate those she looked up to, to be what she thought others thought she should be, all while trying her best to fit in. The problem? She based her identity and self-worth on what all these other people said to her and about her, as well as how they treated her.

She had no clue who she really was.

Trying to be someone we were never created to be is a no-win situation. It only leads to confusion, frustration, and heartache.

God calls us His masterpiece which, according to The Word for You Today, “is not mass-produced or created on an assembly line. It’s not average; it’s unique. It’s original. It’s custom made. It’s one of a kind.”

That, my friend, is how God sees each one of us. We are His special creation, His very own idea. Just like no two fingerprints are alike, none of us are alike. Every single thing about us differs from everyone else: Our appearance. Our personality. Our gifts, talents, and abilities. How we express ourselves. How we think. Our sense of humor.

We may see traits in others that we admire, but we should never be envious or try to be like them. God wants us to embrace the person He created us to be and allow Him to transform us into the image of His dear Son (Romans 8:29).  

Don't try to blend in or be afraid to stand out in a crowd. Begin to see yourself as God sees you. He says you are a masterpiece.

Photo by Rupert Britton on Unsplash