MATTHEW 6:7-8

SHORT & SIMPLE PRAYERS by Joyce Meryer in her book 'How to suceed at being yourself'

Each prayer should be simple, direct, to the point and filled with faith.
If I need forgiveness, I can pray:"Lord, I lost my temper, and I'm sorry. I ask You to forgive me. I receive Your forgiveness, and I thank You for it, in Jesus' name. Amen!"

Or I can pray:"Oh, Lord, I'm so wretched. I feel so miserable. It seems that I just cannot do anything right. No matter how hard I try, I am always fouling up and making mistakes. I lost my temper, and now everyone is mad at me. I have made a fool of myself, and I just don't know what I'm going to do. I have got to stop getting mad. I'm so sorry, Father. Please forgive me. Oh, God, please forgive me. Please, Lord, I promised. I will never do it again. Oh, Lord, I feel so guilty. I feel so bad. I am so ashamed of myself. I don't see how You can use me, God. I have so many problems. Well, Lord, I don't feel any better, but I will try to believe that I am forgiven."

HOW MANY TIMES SHOULD WE PRAY ABOUT THE SAME THING?

It is difficult to lay down any strict rules on this subject. I have heard some people say, "Pray repeatedly until you see the breakthrough." I have heard others say,"If you pray more than once for something, then you don't believe you got it the first time."

When I ask the Lord for something in prayer, and that thing comes to my mind or heart again later, I talk to Him about it again. But when I do, I refrain from asking Him the same thing as if I think He didn't hear me the first time. When I pray, I thank the Lord that He is working on the situation I prayed about previously. But I don't come back and repray the same thing all over again.

TOUCHED BY GOD (MARK 7:31-35)

Are you open to being touched by God?

Then Jesus left the vicinity of Tyre and went through Sidon, down to the Sea of Galilee and into the region of the Decapolis. There some people brought to him a man who was deaf and could hardly talk, and they begged him to place his hand on the man. After he took him aside, away from the crowd, Jesus put his fingers into the man's ears. Then he spit and touched the man's tongue. He looked up to heaven and with a deep sigh said to him,"Be opened!" At this, the man's ears were opened, his tongue was loosened and he began to speak plainly.

What Jesus did was very unconventional. Can you imagined? That man wasn't blind! He could see what Jesus was doing. What would you do if someone stuck their fingers in your ears? And then, what if that person spit and wanted to put their spittle in your mouth? Would you draw back? But the man didn't because he was desperate, so he allowed Christ to touch him-even though that touch was unconventional and probably very uncomfortable! That touch transformed him. Are you willing to be transformed?

Extracts from the book CONVERSATION PEACE by Mary A. Kassian

Isaiah 59:1

......the hand of God hath touched me (Job 19:21)

Yes, God can reach His hand down from the heavens and touch a life!

Let me share with you of a dear friend in distress and loneliness of soul. She felt God no longer near. She had prayed and beseeched Him for a touch of His hand once more in her life. "How can He leave me?" she queried. Her friend leaned near and whispered,"Just pray to Him and ask Him to touch you. He'll put His hand on you."

In anguish of soul she began to pray once more. Suddenly she felt the hand of her heavenly Father touching her and she cried out in exaltation, "He has touched me! What joy fills my soul again! What warmth floods over me! But you know, it felt just like it was your hand." "It was my hand," replied her friend. A look of complete dismay and disappointment rushed across her face, "Your hand?" "Of course, do you actually think there'd be a real live hand reaching down through the ceiling to touch you?" God just used the hand that was closest!"

THE MOST BEAUTIFUL WOMAN

PROVERBS 31

This is an excerpt from a book I am reading at the moment entitled 'THE ULTIMATE MAKEOVER' BY Sharon Jaynes.

A successful beauty product company asked the people in a large city to send pictures along with brief letters about the most beautiful women they knew. Within a few weeks thousands of letters were delivered to the company.

One letter in particular caught the attention of the employees, and soon it was handed to the company president. The letter was written by a young boy who was obviously from a broken home and living in a run-down neighbourhood. "This beautiful woman lives down the street from me. I visit her every day. She makes me feel like the most important kid in the world. We play checkers and she listens to my problems. She understands me and when I leave she always yells out the door that she's proud of me." The boy ended this letter saying,"This picture shows you that she is the most beautiful woman. I hope I have a wife as pretty as her."

Intrigued by the letter, the president asked to see this woman's picture. His secretary handed him a photograph of a smiling, toothless woman, well advanced in years, sitting in a wheelchair. Sparse gray hair was pulled back in a bun. Wrinkles that formed deep furrows on her face were somehow diminished by the twinkle in her eyes.

This little boy had discovered a valuable truth. Beauty - true beauty - begins on the inside and works its way out.

CONVERSATION PEACE :HONESTY

The Bible says an honest answer is like "a kiss on the lips" (Proverbs 24:26). In other words, honesty is a mark of love. If we are not openhearted, authentic, and truthful with others, we do not love them as we should.

Does honesty mean that we tell everybody exactly what we think all the time? If my friend's dress is horrendously ugly, do I tell her so? If my boss has bad breath, do I tell him? Does honesty give us license to be rude or insensitive?

Solomon compares "a word aptly spoken" to an apple of gold. To speak aptly, we speak with discretion. Our words are prudent and show good judgment. We not only know what to say; we also know how and when to say it.

The wise heart is not indiscriminate. It knows when to overlook an insult and when to rebuke sin. It knows when to keep knowledge to itself and when to share it with others. It knows when to heed correction and when to ignore opinions. It knows when to pick someone up and when to let him fall down. It knows when to draw closer and when to run and take refuge.

BREATH FRESHENER ( Ephesian 4:29 )

FOR WE ARE LABOURERS TOGETHER WITH GOD

1 Corinthians 3:9

One morning long before the Carpenter was to appear in His shop, the Carpenter's tools decided that they needed to have a conference to settle some of the problems which were steadily arising in their work. The first tool called to take the chair was Brother Hammer. The meeting informed him that he was to leave because he was too noisy with his work. "Bu'" he said, "if I am to leave this carpenter shop, Brother Gimlet must go too, he is so insignificant that he makes very little impression."

Little Brother Gimlet rose to his feet and said, "All right, but Brother Screw must go also; you have to turn him around and around again and again to get him anywhere."

Brother Screw then said, "If you wish, I will go, but Brother Plane must leave as well; all his work is on the surface; there is no depth to it!"

To this, Brother Plane replied, "Well, Brother Rule will have to withdraw, if I do, for his always measuring other folks as though he were the only one who is right!"

Brother Rule then complained against Brother Sandpaper, and said, "I just don't care, he is rougher than he ought to be, and he is always rubbing people the wrong way!"

In the midst of this discussion, the Carpenter of Nazareth walked in - earlier than they expected. He had come to perform His day's work. He first put on His apron and then went over to the bench to make a pulpit. He employed the screw, the gimlet, the sandpaper, the saw, the hammer, the plane, and all the other tools. After the day's work was over and the pulpit was finished, Brother Saw arose and said, "Brethen, I perceive that all of us are labourers together with God!"

I'M OK, AND I'M ON MY WAY!

Hi readers, at present I am reading a book by Joyce Meyer entitled 'HOW TO SUCCEED AT BEING YOURSELF'

Extracts from the book:
In Romans 7, Paul said the good things he wanted to do, he could not do; and the evil things he did not want to do, he always found himself doing. He said he felt wretched. I can relate to that-how about you?

Yes, we all have a way to go. I was distraught about how far I had to go, and it seemed Satan reminded me of it daily, sometimes even hourly. I carried a constant sense of failure, a feeling that I just was not what I needed to be, that I was not doing good enough, that I should try harder-and yet when I did try harder, I only failed more.

I have now adopted a new attitude:"I am not where I need to be, but thank God I am not where I used to be; I'm OK, and I'm on my way!"

I now know with all my heart that God is not angry with me because I have not arrived. He is pleased that I am pressing on, that I am staying on the path. If you and I will just "keep on keeping on," God will be pleased with our progress.

Keep walking the walk. A walk is something taken one step at a time. This is an important thing to remember.

Philippians 1:6

PHILIPPIANS 4:8

It is not what one does, nor is it what one says, but it is what one thinks that makes the man.
What one thinks determines what he will say and do. A person may try to make his words and actions to be much different than he actually thinks, but it will be all in vain. For it is still the thoughts that manage to break through the actions and the words regardless how closely they are guarded. Others can always see the soul when it is off guard.

Think noble thoughts if you would noble be;
Pure thoughts will make a heart of purity;
Kind thoughts will make you good, and glad thoughts gay,
For like your thoughts your life will be always.

Whate'er is true and reverend and just,
Think o'er these things, and be like them you must;
Of good report, of lovely things and pure,
Think, and your mind such nectar shall secure.

Think much of God and you shall be like Him be,
In words of faith and hope and charity;
Protect His image from all foul abuse,
And keep the temple holy for His use.

BREATHE FRESHENER

1 Peter 3:10-11
For 'whoever would love life and see good days must keep his tongue from evil and his lips from deceitful speech. He must turn from evil and do good; he must seek peace and pursue it.'

James 3:5-6
Likewise the tongue is a small part of the body, but it make great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. The tongue also is a fire.......It corrupts the whole person, sets the whole course of his life on fire.

Proverbs 12:14,20
From the fruit of his lips a man is filled with good things as surely as the work of his hands rewards him........There is ...... joy for those who promote peace.

Proverbs 18:21
The tongue has the power of life and death.

James 1:26
If anyone considers himself religious and yet does not keep a tight rein on his tongue, he deceives himself and his religion is worthless.

James 4:7
I am slow to speak, quick to hear, slow to anger

Psalm 19:14
May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in Your sight, O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer

Proverbs 16:24
Pleasant words are like a honeycomb, sweetness to the soul and health to the bones

Matthew 12:36
For every idle word man may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment

Before sowing seeds, do the PREPLANT test in Philippians 4:8

P Pure
R Right
E Excellent
P Praiseworthy
L Lovely
A Admirable
N Lovely
T True

THE PARABLE OF THE SOIL (LUKE 8:5-15)

Hi dear friends, today I would love to share with you about the soil (faulty belief) which I read in the book "Conversation Peace"yesterday. I am very sure most of us know the parable of the soil, so now let's test and examine the soil. Psalm 139:23-24 says "Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me." So let's check it out by reading the following Scriptures:
Romans 1:29-31
Ephesians 4:21-32
2 Timothy 3:1-5
Luke 8:5-15
1 Peter 3:8-11
Colossians 3:1-17

Humbly ask God to purify our hearts from contaminated soil.
1 Johnn 1:9 says that "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness."

CONVERSATION PEACE

At present I am reading a book recommended by a friend entitled 'Conversation Peace'. I would love to share with you some useful and helpful lessons I read.

Our words and behaviour (actions) are like the leaves and fruits of a plant.They are above the surface and can be observed. Our attitudes and thoughts are hidden like the root of a plant. Some roots of bad speech are envy, pride, malice, arrogance, bitterness, and lack of self-control. But there is a third factor that affects the plant-and it is the most important factor:the soil. The soil represents our deepest beliefs and values.

Let's look at a practical example. We'll evaluate the speech problem, identify the root attitude, and see if we can identify the false belief from which it sprang.

"You are so stupid!" Sally screamed after Fred had forgotten that it was his turn to pick the kids up from school. "You never get anything right! I wish I had never married such a blundering, inconsiderate fool!"

Leaves = faulty speech= Criticism, mocking, exaggeration, put-down
Root =faulty attitude = Impatience, anger, bitterness
Soil=Faulty belief= 1) Lie:I know his motives
Truth:Only God can see the heart. (1 Chronicles 28:9)
2)Lie : I am better than he is
Truth:All have sinned, me included (Romans 3:10)
3) Lie: I have the right to judge him.
Truth:God alone is judge (Romans 14:10)
4) Lie: I have the right to be resentful
Truth:God says forgive (Matthew:18:21-22)

The Bible has a lot to say about our mouths, our lips, our tongues, for our speech betrays us. what is down in the well will come up in the bucket.