So I kneel humbly in awe before the Father of our Lord Jesus, the Messiah, the perfect Father of every father and child in heaven and on the earth.
And I pray that he would unveil within you the unlimited riches of his glory and favor until supernatural strength floods your innermost being with his divine might and explosive power.
Then, by constantly using your faith, the life of Christ will be released deep inside you, and the resting place of his love will become the very source and root of your life.
Then you will be empowered to discover what every holy one experiences—the great magnitude of the astonishing love of Christ in all its dimensions.
How deeply intimate and far-reaching is his love! How enduring and inclusive it is! Endless love beyond measurement that transcends our understanding—this extravagant love pours into you until you are filled to overflowing with the fullness of God!
Never doubt God’s mighty power to work in you and accomplish all this. He will achieve infinitely more than your greatest request, your most unbelievable dream, and exceed your wildest imagination! He will outdo them all, for his miraculous power constantly energizes you.
The following is an excerpt from the book titled, “His Voice in My Heart.” by Lori O’Neil. It is shared with the permission of the author and publisher. It is book 1 in a series of three, a jouuney that speaks from the Heart of God, messages to heal, confirm and deepen our relationships with Him.
Is There Room for Me?
My birth is not a season, it is the beginning of the end — which is the beginning.
All must die for the body is not eternal. The spirit would live forever were it not for sin. Sin brought death to the spirit, while the body lived on — for the spirit to live for eternity it must be born anew, made new.
“– Jesus answered him, ‘Truly, truly I say unto you, unless one is born anew he cannot see the kingdom of God.” John 3:3
RENEW
I came as a child that you might see, I came as a babe that you might believe…
That you could be made new — totally freed, from a life of sin and death. A life without Me — yearns to be free,
Invite Me to your home this night. Ask me in — I’ll bring the light. Then you’ll see that all you need is the gift that was given — the One True Light. (John 1:4, 9) That light is Me.
There was no room at the Inn, will you ask Me in?
“And the angel of the Lord said to her, ‘Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, and he wil reign over the house of Jacob, forever; and of his kingdom there will be no end'” Luke 1:30-33
“And she gave birth to her first-born son and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid hin in a manger, for there was no room in the inn.” Luke 2:7
Read also: John 1:12-14 and Romans 6:23. — “But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave the power to become children of God… “ “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life…”
His Voice in My Heart, His Voice in My Heart, the Journey and His Voice in My Heart, to Freedom! can be purchased from Nation Of Women Publishing.
You can larn more about Lori, her books, and her vision to reach the lost and hurting, as well as opportunities to participate on Wordscroll.org.
On a personal note, I met Lori on a trip to Israel in May/June of 2019. It truly has been a grace connection. The Lord enabled me to connect her to Nation of Women Publishing, which brings me joy. However our connection goes much deeper as she has been there for me, encouraging me in the Lord, praying for me and my husband as we walked through the last three years. Its been a faith walk and I am SO very grateful for her love, late night texts and all. She truly “put skin on” Jesus for me. I treasure and hold close the word that God gave her for me — “Stand on your faith, I have heard your prayer. This will not happen quickly, but it will happen. And I believe!
Oh how HE loves you and me. Remember always, He is Immanuel – God with US — God with YOU.
We see this word used a lot this time of year, particularly in Christmas movies. While I thoroughly enjoy a good Christmas story, they are not real or a basis for belief.
In reality, BELIEVE is a word to be treasured and meditated upon. What we choose to believe goes to the very core of who we are and it impacts our lives.
As a believer in Jesus Christ, what He says, what His Word says, and His promises are the anchor of my soul. In good times, in stormy/hard times and every other time, I choose to stay anchored, believing that He is the way, the truth, and the life.
Storms may come, but He is a good Father, perfect, never changing, so this is what I BELIEVE:
Jesus explained, “I am the Way, I am the Truth, and I am the Life. No one comes next to the Father except through union with me. To know me is to know my Father too. John 14:6 TPT
…I am the Resurrection, and I am Life Eternal. Anyone who clings to me in faith, even though he dies, will live forever. John 11:25 TPT
My own sheep will hear my voice and I know each one, and they will follow me. I give to them the gift of eternal life and they will never be lost and no one has the power to snatch them out of my hands. John 10:27-28 TPT
A thief has only one thing in mind—he wants to steal, slaughter, and destroy. But I have come to give you everything in abundance, more than you expect —life in its fullness until you overflow! I am the Good Shepherd who lays down my life as a sacrifice for the sheep. John 10:10-11 TPT
“I leave the gift of peace with you—my peace. Not the kind of fragile peace given by the world, but my perfect peace. Don’t yield to fear or be troubled in your hearts—instead, be courageous! John 14:27 TPT
For the Father tenderly loves you, because you love me and believe that I’ve come from God. John 16:27 TPT
We have this certain hope like a strong, unbreakable anchor holding our souls to God himself. Our anchor of hope is fastened to the mercy seat in the heavenly realm beyond the sacred threshold,
Hebrews 6:19 TPT
So now wrap your heart tightly around the hope that lives within us, knowing that God always keeps his promises! Hebrews 10:23 TPT
On Sunday, Pastor George Pearsons read Psalm 100 and a little later in the service, Pastor Terri encouraged us to close our eyes and focus on just one thing and then to express thankfulness to God for it. So we took a few minutes and did just that.
You know what, that act of choosing to be thankful and give thanks for that one thing was very good. But in a really positive way, it wasn’t enough. I couldn’t stop there. More and more blessings, both large and small, came to mind, leading to me being more thankful.
It’s been really good for me all week. Life isn’t perfect. Relationships are challenging, things don’t always go the way I want, and work can be stressful this time of year… But then I remember Sunday and choose to give thanks. By doing that, both my attitude and outlook get adjusted. I feel His grace, peace, and presence, and I am grateful.
Based on this Psalm, here are some things to meditate on or do:
Sing joyfully to the Lord
Recognize the He is God, He made us, and we are His
Know that we (you) are a sheep of His pasture — He is The Good Shepherd (Psalm 23), and He cares for you
Enter His presence with a song
Be thankful and give Him praise
Think about His goodness and mercy (at work in our lives and the lives of those we love)
Consider His lovingkindness and His faithfulness to all generations
Serve the Lord with gladness and delight; Come before His presence with joyful singing. Know and fully recognize with gratitude that the Lord Himself is God; It is He who has made us, not we ourselves [andwe are His]. We are His people and the sheep of His pasture. Enter His gates with a song of thanksgiving and His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him, bless and praise His name. For the Lord is good; His mercy and lovingkindness are everlasting, His faithfulness [endures] to all generations. Psalms 100:2-5 AMP
Happy Thanksgiving, dear ones. Oh, how He loves you and me!
I’ve heard and said this prayer more times than I can count, and possibly you have too. But tonight I ŕead it in The Passion translation for the first time. Then I read it again and again while thinking on His great love, of the king of the universe, the Almighty, Most High God. And I was reminded that FIRST of all, his desire is to be known as our beloved father.
God, my shepherd! I don’t need a thing. You have bedded me down in lush meadows, you find me quiet pools to drink from. True to your word, you let me catch my breath and send me in the right direction. Even when the way goes through Death Valley, I’m not afraid when you walk at my side. Your trusty shepherd’s crook makes me feel secure. You serve me a six-course dinner right in front of my enemies. You revive my drooping head; my cup brims with blessing. Your beauty and love chase after me every day of my life. I’m back home in the house of God for the rest of my life. Psalms 23:1-6 MSG
It’s been a long night and now its early morning. One of my loved ones is in the recovery room after emergency surgery. I am reading the Word and feeling grateful for the peaceful presence of the Holy Spirit and for the faithful love of God. I read this version of Psalm 23 in The Messsage, and I am grateful to be His. I hope it will encourage you today too.
Being still doesn’t come naturally to me. Most of the time my hands are doing something (like knitting socks) even when I do have time to sit. And I can’t seem to think about “nothing” – ever. It amazes me to think that’s even possible, but my husband says it is. 🙂
Yes, my life is busy. I work full time from home and have been caring for my husband and all of the matters of our household (gratefully with help from family) since November of 2019. But I can’t let “busy” rule my life. It’s not sustainable, it’s not as God designed me to be. As I once heard Mark Hankins say, “we are human beings, not human doings.”
So at times I choose to be still, to pause, to be quiet, rest, and listen. This afternoon I am doing just that. Through my bedroom window. I am enjoying watching the leaves on my maple tree gently sway in the breeze, listening to little birds chirping. I am enjoying the quiet and counting my blessings. I am resting in His care and listening with the intention of being more like Mary than Martha.
I share these scriptures that inspire me in hopes they will minister to you too. Oh how He loves you and me!
Simply join your life with mine. Learn my ways and you’ll discover that I’m gentle, humble, easy to please. You will find refreshment and rest in me. Matthew 11:28
Surrender your anxiety. Be still and realize that I am God. I am God above all the nations, and I am exalted throughout the whole earth. Psalms 46:10 TPT
But even if we are faithless, he will still be full of faith, for he never wavers in his faithfulness to us! 2 Timothy 2:13 TPT
The Lord bless you and watch, guard, and keep you; The Lord make His face to shine upon and enlighten you and be gracious (kind, merciful, and giving favor) to you; The Lord lift up His [approving] countenance upon you and give you peace (tranquility of heart and life continually). Numbers 6:24-26 AMPC
Last week Thursday and Friday we went to the other side of Michigan and fished for Walleye in the Detroit River. It was quite an experience with perhaps 300-500 other boats doing the same, plus big barges passing by occasionally. The 1st day was warm but very windy, the 2nd was colder, and I was grateful to be wearing my son’s ice fishing bibs and jacket (I am sure that was an amusing sight since he is much taller 😉). We didn’t get a lot of fish and the guys caught all of them but it was wonderful to have a short getaway. I am very grateful my son was willing to take us. It’s the 2nd time Ed has been out to do something fun in 2 1/2 years.
I have been meditating on Psalm 139 and I find it is almost beyond comprehension just how very much God loves me.
Lord, you know everything there is to know about me. You perceive every movement of my heart and soul, and you understand my every thought before it even enters my mind. Psalms 139:1-2 TPT
He knows me intimately, He knows all the times I have messed up, failed, been unloving, unkind, unfaithful… And yet even knowing everything about me He still chose to love (and still loves) me.
This song says it so well: “When He Was On The Cross I Was On His Mind” I can never forget — He Knew Me Yet He Loved Me.
For here is the way God loved the world—he gave his only, unique Son as a gift. So now everyone who believes in him will never perish but experience everlasting life. John 3:16 TPT https://bible.com/bible/1849/jhn.3.16.TPT
I hope you know that He feels the same way about you. You are so very loved by God. It’s about how great He is, not how worthy we are. It’s the precious blood of Jesus that redeems, forgives and gives us the great honor to become His children. Oh how He loves us!
A Grateful Grace-full Life 