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Quiet Time
by Kasia Kedzia
So many times I can pray for other people and give biblical guidance or advice to those close to me in regards to Gods love and plans for them. I believe and am faithful that he will bring them through the trials they face, build their faith, and blow them away with how he loves them more then they could comprehend. Yet, it dawned on me that every once in a while the very things I pray for and advise others I don’t believe for myself. I actually found myself praying to believe in Gods great plans for my life as much as I believe it for others. Somewhere along the way I inadvertently omitted myself from the promises – I realized that I don’t really believe at times because I don’t think I deserve the happiness that others do. I forget about Grace and get distracted by ‘earning’ salvation by my deeds, as a result I do not trust God to provide for me.
I think God is using certain circumstances in my life to build up my trust in Him and not in people. And once I am fully surrendered in trust, he will blow up my faith. This journey of trust however is a process and a fight every day to cling to his words as truth for me as well as others.
I can only give Godly advice that I am also willing to follow myself otherwise I am a hypocrite. I have been reading through James in my times with God. I have also come across some others equally as inspiring. Here are seven scriptures, one for each day of the week, that I am clinging to in my fight for trust and surrender. I hope they can inspire you as well.
De 33:12 - (NIV) Let the beloved of the LORD rest secure in him, for he shields him/her all day long, and the one the LORD loves rests between his shoulders .
1Ki 9:3 - ( The Message) And GOD said to him, "I've listened to and received all your prayers, your ever-so-passionate prayers. I've sanctified this Temple that you have built: My Name is stamped on it forever; my eyes are on it and my heart in it always.
Pr 3:5 – (The Message) Trust GOD from the bottom of your heart; don't try to figure out everything on your own.
James1:16-18 (The Message) 16 So, my very dear friends, don't get thrown off course. 17 Every desirable and beneficial gift comes out of heaven. The gifts are rivers of light cascading down from the Father of Light. There is nothing deceitful in God, nothing two-faced, nothing fickle. 18He brought us to life using the true Word, showing us off as the crown of all his creatures.
Psalm 139:17-17 (The Message) 17 Your thoughts--how rare, how beautiful! God, I'll never comprehend them! 18 I couldn't even begin to count them-- any more than I could count the sand of the sea. Oh, let me rise in the morning and live always with you!
James1:2-8 (The Message) 2Consider it a sheer gift, friends, when tests and challenges come at you from all sides. 3You know that under pressure, your faith-life is forced into the open and shows its true colors. 4So don't try to get out of anything prematurely. Let it do its work so you become mature and well-developed, not deficient in any way.5If you don't know what you're doing, pray to the Father. He loves to help. You'll get his help, and won't be condescended to when you ask for it. 6Ask boldly, believingly, without a second thought. People who "worry their prayers" are like wind-whipped waves. 7Don't think you're going to get anything from the Master that way, 8adrift at sea, keeping all your options open.
James1:12 (The Message) 12Anyone who meets a testing challenge head-on and manages to stick it out is mighty fortunate. For such persons loyally in love with God, the reward is life and more life.
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Since those first days, I have made it out of the Projects, finished my Masters degree in International Development, and moved to DC to work in my field. As a young single Christian woman my struggles today are a little different than they were when I first came to know God, but who am I kidding, not much. It's the every day battle for my heart to be pure before God, to strive to please him, and help others to seek and know Him.
Over my years of a faithful walk with God I have received much grace and compassion and have been blessed beyond my wildest dreams. Through out it all one thing has stayed consistent: God's word. Through His word I have been inspired and it has kept me faithful even when faith seemed like a foreign concept and God seemed deaf to my prayers. I started emailing my Quiet Times which helped me stay accountable as I shared my struggles and fought for understanding. Some wrote back and said they too were inspired and could relate. I hope some of my times can help inspire others who are seeking and fighting just like I am, to get to heaven and take as many as possible with me along the way.
Like what your read? Check out my blog: http://stronggirlforlife.wordpress.com/
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