by Cathy Baker | Faith, Prayer |
The king said to me, “What is it you want?”
Then I prayed to the God of heaven, and I answered the king, “If it pleases the king and if your servant has found favor in his sight, let him send me to the city in Judah where my ancestors are buried so that I can rebuild it.” (Nehemiah 2:4,5 emphasis mine)
There it is. Cushioned between the king’s question to Nehemiah and Nehemiah’s response. A breath prayer.
A quick spoken or unspoken prayer to the God of heaven.
It’s easy to befriend to the breath prayer, and we should. “Lord, give me discernment.” “Help me know what to say, Lord.” The Father leans in for the whispers of His children.
While breath prayers are a privilege (as is all prayer), we see that Nehemiah’s breath prayer was drawn from a four-month reservoir of prayer and patience. (Neh. 1-2:2) Kelly Minter refers to this as the “prework of prayer.”
Nehemiah befriended the breath prayer but he did not depend on it as his only means of communicating with the God of heaven.
And the blessings of this dependence continue to unfold throughout our study in Nehemiah.
How will the blessings from our time with the God of heaven unfold this week?
by Cathy Baker | Faith |
Prayer is a gift that far surpasses the fleeting bliss of a February day.
While I plan to post several gift ideas for the literary lover in your life later this week, today is about blessing our husbands (or future husbands!)
Below are a few specific ways:
Lord,
- Give him strength to lead (Joshua 1:7), time to know his family (John 10:14), and a passion to manage his home (1 Timothy 3:4).
- Bless his work and show him daily how to honor You in his attitude and spirit; confirm the work of his hands unto Your purpose (Psalm 90:16-17; Daniel 6)
- Protect him physically, emotionally, and spiritually (Psalm 28:7-9; Psalm 41; John 17:15; 2 Thessalonians 3:3).
– taken from “Praying For Your Husband” pamphlet, Summit Church
To learn 31 more ways to pray for your husband, visit The Time-Warped Wife. Awesome site!
by Cathy Baker | Faith |
When asked by Oprah if he considered himself a bully based on past interactions, Lance Armstrong said, “Yes.” Many were surprised to hear his admissions of dominance over colleagues, some for simply disagreeing with him.
Bullying during adolescent years, however, doesn’t seem so surprising. Perhaps statistics from i-SAFE Foundation prove why, unfortunately:
- Over half of adolescents and teens have been bullied online, and about the same number have engaged in cyber bullying.
- More than 1 in 3 young people have experienced cyber-threats online.
- Over 25 percent of adolescents and teens have been bullied repeatedly through their cell phones or the Internet.
- Well over half of young people do not tell their parents when cyber bullying occurs.
The results can be devastating.
But bullying isn’t just for kids. Although adults may react differently, the pain remains — emotionally, physically, and spiritually. (If you’re being bullied at work, home, or in ministry, please tell someone.)
This post, however, is to raise awareness of our own actions.
According to bullystatistics.org we might be considered a bully if we:
- Are quick to put down others
- Desire to gain power over another person to make himself or herself more dominant
- Enjoy showing others “who is boss”
- Use sarcastic or demeaning language to dominate
More subtle ways?
- Invading another person’s “personal space” in a strong or dominant way. (Some believe this to be about arm’s length) Hugs, of course, do not count.
- Using a dominant tone of voice when speaking to others.
- Facial expressions. A nonverbal but powerful source of communication.
While preparing my first lesson in Nehemiah, I was struck by how Nehemiah’s shrewd leadership skills were divinely rendered in love.
The result? God used him to not only rebuild a wall, but to restore His people.
Are our actions/words restoring or destroying others?
Then I said to them, “You see the trouble we are in: Jerusalem lies in ruins, and its gates have been burned with fire. Come, let us rebuild the wall of Jerusalem, and we will no longer be in disgrace.” I also told them about the gracious hand of my God on me and what the king had said to me. They replied, “Let us start rebuilding.” So they began this good work. (Neh. 2:17, 18)
by Cathy Baker | Faith |
4 Reasons Why My Barnes & Noble Membership is a Friday Fave:
1. A 20% coupon lands in my inbox at least once a month.
2. I enjoy supporting a brick-and-mortar business.
3. I receive 10% off a favorite magazine, Writer’s Forum.
4. I’m purchasing Song-Writing Without Boundaries today at a discount (see #1) with my Christmas gift card. You don’t have to be a songwriter to appreciate this latest release from Pat Pattison. Contributing writers include multiple Grammy-winning songwriter Gillian Welch, professional poet Caroline Harvey, and songwriters from the Berklee College of Music faculty.
I’m not a member of much — my awesome church (Summit), the library, our gym, my writer’s group, and Barnes — but for $25.00 a year, I’m tempted to add a #5.
Have a great weekend, everyone!
by Cathy Baker | Faith |
I’ve never been a fan of motivation via guilt. I guard against “receiving” it and I especially guard against giving it.
Attempting to make someone behave via guilt may accomplish its short-term goal but it will leave the receiver feeling manipulated, frustrated, and resentful.
Nehemiah 2:6 says that when Nehemiah approached King Artaxerxes (after much prayer!) requesting a ticket back to Jerusalem to rebuild the wall, the King “was pleased to send him.” Aha!
He was willing to release Nehemiah to serve in a different capacity.
My own church (Summit Upstate) came to mind as the “aha!” moment faded. Last year, I was asked to serve in a certain capacity that seemed to be a great fit — but I had zero peace about saying yes. So I didn’t. And all was okay. I wasn’t made to feel guilty for not “filling a need.” They trusted God to bring the right person, and of course, He did!
I want to be that kind of person. One who “releases” others to simply be. To be who God wired them to be. To be who Christ has freed them to be — regardless if I understand, agree or “get it”. This is motivation via the Gospel — one based on trust.
I don’t have to control. I get to release instead.
For in him we live and move and have our being; as even some of your own poets have said, “For we are indeed his offspring.”
Acts 17:28
