Listen

Have you ever cried so hard and for so long that you've been blinded to help that is right under your nose? When we find ourselves having "a good cry", it does sometimes help us feel a little better afterwards, and that's often just from the release of all the built up emotions we've been experiencing.

We must never be too busy crying, to pray. I for one know that that is often when it's most difficult to find the words to pray - I've been there - and still am - and in some deep moments of despair, I've felt God hasn't been there for me. However, I've never completely let go of my faith, so I have kept on trying to pray, unsuccessfully for a long time, but eventually through my tears, a few words of prayer came...and what a relief those words were too! But throughout these time I do try to listen for God speaking to me and directing me as that is what makes it all so reassuring.
God doesn't ignore us in our time of need, while we're having a "good cry", he's there right beside then just as he is every other day.

So next time you find yourself too busy crying that you can't pray? Listen for God voice and dry your tears. Our tears and cries will only block out our ability to hear God speaking to us. God is waiting to show us the solution to our problem.

Don't think I'm making light in any way of days when you feel you can't cope and can't stop crying, as I most certainly am not. I have been there (and as I indicated earlier, still am) and been unable to stop my tears from falling and been unable to pray. It is not easy to be quiet long enough to just listen to God, but believe me, if you do it, He will help you cope so much better. Have faith in God and listen to Him.

God Speaking by Ronnie Freeman shows us some of the situations God might try to speak to us - Just remember to listen

Where Do I Belong?

"Where do I belong?"
"Is there a vision that I can call my own?"

Are these questions you find you asking yourself?

Sometimes life can make you feel like you don't belong here because you feel you have no purpose in your life. Don't worry you're not alone in having these feelings, many of us do...me included!

But don't despair, God has a purpose for each and every one of us! God planned our life's out for us before we were even born!

If we pray to God and most importantly, listen to God talking to us, He will tell us what our purpose in life is. Put your trust in God, ask Him to show you what He's planned for your life and then make it a reality with God's help.

Place In This World by Michael W Smith


The wind is moving
But I am standing still
A life of pages
Waiting to be filled

A heart that's hopeful
A head that's full of dreams
But this becoming
Is harder than it seems

Feels like I'm
Looking for a reason
Roamin' through the night to find
My place in this world
My place in this world
Not a lot to lean on
I need your light to help me find
My place in this world
My place in this world

If there are millions
Down on their knees
Among the many
Can you still hear me

Hear me asking
Where do I belong?
Is there a vision
That I can call my own?

Show me, I'm
Looking for a reason
Roamin' through the night to find
My place in this world
My place in this world
Not a lot to lean on
I need your light to help me find
My place in this world
My place in this world

Lookin' for a reason
Roamin' through the night to find
My place in this world
My place in this world
Not a lot to lean on
I need your light to help me find
My place in this world
My place in this world

Lookin' for a reason
Roamin' through the night to find
My place in this world
My place in this world

You can find out more about Michael W Smith at his website: http://www.michaelwsmith.com/

It's a Conversation

What do you think of when you hear the word "prayer"?

Someone kneeling in prayer?

God?

Now consider what you think the word prayer means...

Time to talk to God?
Time to ask God for all you need/want?


What about time to listen to God?


John 10:27 (New Living Translation)
My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.

Not only is prayer our time for reverent petition to God, it's also our time to listen to God talking to us. Prayer should not be a one way monologue with God, it should be two way dialogue between us and God.

How would you feel if one of your friends talked to you all the time, and you never got a chance to speak to them in return?
It wouldn't be very nice would it. Well God is no different, He wants a two way conversation with you so give Him the chance to talk to you...but most importantly be willing and ready to listen to what he wants to say to you!

Remember to be willing and ready to hear what God wants to say to you. Don't make prayer a one way conversation from you to God.

God Knows

Phillipians 4:6-7 (The Message)
Don't fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God's wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It's wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life.

When we pray, we invite God to enter into our heart and guide us through each day. Prayer is our way of connecting with God, of talking directly to Him.

Bur don't ever forget, that we don't have to pray to let God know how we are feeling or what we need, because God knows what's in our heart. God made each of us with His own hands, so He already knows everything about us, He knows our every thought and our every feeling, even before we know them ourselves!

When we are struggling or facing difficult times, that's when we often plead with God to listen to our prayers. Why do we plead with God? Is it because we think He isn't listening to us, or doesn't care about it? Far from it, as I said earlier, God knows what we are needing before we even ask Him, so He's not forgotten us. God cares about us more than anyone else, so He would not desert us in our hour of need.

God knows everything about you - He knows your every fear and your every need.

A Child's Prayer...

Decisions, Decisions

Are you faced with making a difficult decision?
Are you faced with making a decision that could dramatically change your life?
Scared you will not make the right decision?

Well you're not alone - all these situations/feelings are all perfectly normal. I think if we are all honest, we all get a bit scared/worried when we face difficult decisions or face new situations that are unfamiliar to us.
But how can we be sure we are making the right decisions? We can only ever be 100% certain when we involve God's in our decision making. Friends, family and colleagues may all try to give you advice, but ultimately God is the only person who can guide you to the right choice for you.

Talk to God. Listen to what he's saying to you. Trust his leading.

If you follow God's directions He will guide you though. He will give you all you need to do whatever it is he has directed you to do. Trust Him.

I Can Trust You (Rebecca St James)

Yes, I know that You have paved a path for me
Yes, I know that You see what I do and don’t need
But when it comes to the deepest things
I have a hard time relinquishing control
Letting go

God, it hurts to give You what I must lay down
But when I let go, freedom’s found
God, it hurts to give You what I’ve held so dear
Because of Your love it’s clear
I can trust You with this
I can trust You with me
I can trust You

Lord, I know that You are worthy of my trust
For You have shown me time and time again
You’re faithful and yet
I’m so scared of letting go of this
Afraid of what You might do with it
How could I forget who You are like this

Me forsaking
Heart is breaking
I let go of what I’ve held so tight
Freedom’s mine now
For the taking
I move in faith, not by sight
Let Your will be done

Entertaining Angels

Entertaining Angels

One to another, do You remember me?
I feel so small;
Are You listening tonight?
So temporary, the things that I have seen.
I ran so far,
Will you take me back again?

Entertaining Angels
By the light of my TV screen
24/7, You wait for me.
Entertaining Angels
By the time I fall to my knees
Host of Heaven, sing over me.

One to another, the feelings in between
I won't let go
Of all you taught me, alright.
Close as a brother, the way we used to be
I hold my breath,
And I wait for You to breathe.

Entertaining Angels
By the light of my TV screen
24/7, You wait for me.
Entertaining Angels
While the night becomes history
Host of Heaven, sing over me.

Entertaining Angels
By the light of my TV screen
24/7, You wait for me.
Entertaining Angels
By the time I fall to my knees
Host of Heaven, sing over me.
Entertaining Angels
By the light of my TV screen
24/7, You wait for me.
Entertaining Angels
WHILE THE NIGHT BECOMES HISTORY
Host of Heaven, sing over me.
Entertaining Angels
By the light of my TV screen
24/7, You wait for me.
Entertaining Angels
By the time I fall to my knees
Host of Heaven, sing over me.

No matter where we are, what we're doing, or the situations we find ourselves in, God is with us, looking out for us.

Praise God in the good times and when things aren't going so well, turn to God no matter what time of day or night it is. He's always there to listen when you "fall to your knees".

Visit the Newsboys website: http://newsboys.com/

Only Trying to Help

Today I left my work quite sharp so I could get home in plenty of time to play "catch the cat"!

Those of you who have a cat or have had one in the past, probably know what's going on - it's that time of year when I have to take our cat to the vet for his annual checkup and inoculations!

Tigger doesn't like going to the vet, so as soon as he sees his carry case coming out the spare room, he goes into hiding and then plays a mixture of hide and seek and tag when we try to get him into his box! The daft thing is we're only trying to take him to the vet to make sure he stays well.

Isn't this just a bit like our relationship with God sometimes? God has a plan for our lives and when He tries to tells us and direct us, we do everything we can to avoid hearing Him, just because we don't want to do what he's requesting of us.

Just like my cat's aversion to going to the vet, we can often find ourselves scared of what God is wanting us to do. The daft thing is just like my cat, we have nothing to worry about, as God will help us to do whatever he wants us to do. So when we listen to God and accept his leading, we find (just like my cat going to the vet) we actually had nothing to fear in the first place!

Don't ignore God when He's speaking to you, He's wanting to help and guide you.

Team Briefing

In your job, do you get regular team briefings?

Well today, for the first time since I move to my current office (I moved there in November last year) we had a team briefing. Better late than never I suppose! To be fair, it definitely was better late than never!

What's the purpose of a briefing?

Here's one definition I found...

A Team Briefing is a regular and systematic process that ensures communication takes place between management and employees. The objective is to make sure that every employee knows and understands what they and others are doing in the organisation and why.

The process involves managers and their team getting together for anything from half an hour to several hours, in a formal setting, on a regular basis (at least once a month) to discuss issues relevant to their work and to provide them with information about the wider organisation. Everyone has the opportunity to discuss specific job related matters with members of their team.

The key to the success of the process is holding the meetings on a regular basis and contributions being made from everyone. The system operates on a cascading principle with the ‘trigger’ meeting being Management Team.

Any of that sound familiar? Well it does to me. The key to successful team briefings in making sure they take place on a regular basis and that the relevant information is communicated to the team.

I've been thinking about how often communication takes place and whether its content it worthwhile, which in turn got me thinking about how God communicates with us and how frequently. Well the frequency is down to how often we put time aside to listen to what God wants to communicate to us. As far as content is concerned, we're talking about God here, so of course the content is worthwhile, God's always communicates worthwhile information to us. The big thing is whether we actually hear and understand what God is saying to us.

Personally I often find that when God speaks to us, He often backs it up by reinforcing His message to me by giving me the same message in another way, often via something someone says or does. Isn't God wonderful!

Deuteronomy 5:27

Go near and listen to all that the Lord our God says. Then tell us whatever the Lord our God tells you. We will listen and obey.

You can't go wrong if you listen to God and follow His directions.

Weariness

Are you weary of your weariness?

Wouldn't you like to rise above it?

Have confidence in God, He will help you through. If you wait on God's help instead of relying on your own strength alone, He will help you do amazing things.

You don't need to kneel down in prayer, be in church, or even be silent and still to wait on God. You can wait on Him at anytime and anywhere

• you can stop internally even as you are busy externally
• you can wait on the Lord in your car, the supermarket, school, work, or in a meeting

Spend time with God, waiting on Him, listening to Him. Bathe in the atmosphere of strength He will provide. God will help mend our raw nerve ending, and still our turmoils.

Isaiah 40:31

But those who wait on the Lord will find new strength. They will fly on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint.

Frustrations

Grrrrrrhhh! I've had a day of frustrations!

My day got off to a bad start when I'd to go to our health centre for a couple of things and got stuck there much longer than I should have done. When I finally got to work, I spent 5 minutes going round in circles looking for somewhere to park.

Having got into the office the day didn't get any less frustrating, with several things happening that just makes you wonder "why?". But like the rest of us affected by the frustrating things that happened in our today, I had a wee moan, and got on with my work...but still disappointed and frustrated by today's events.

Been thinking for the last hour or so what to write about today so started thinking about what kind of day I've had and the various frustrations I've felt. I wonder, does God ever get frustrated.

I think the answer to that must definitely by a resounding YES! I'm sure we each frustrate Him more times that we even realise, by doing our own thing rather than listening to what God wants us to do.

There I go again taking about listening to God! Just realising I've talked about this just a few days ago, on Saturday 25th April.


Do you think God's wanting us to listen to Him more?!

P.S. For those of you wanting an update on Andy that I spoke about in my blog yesterday, you can get on his friend Rob's blog.

Hairdresser

I was at the hairdressers today. While I was sitting waiting to get my hair cut after it was washed, I started asking myself a few questions

1. How often do you get your hair cut?


2. How often do you change your hairstyle?


3. How often do you wish your hair was a different colour or style than what it is?

Here's my answers, are they similar to your's?

1. every 5-6 weeks


2. every few years


3. all the time!

I then got to thinking, just how many haircuts that is in a year...a lot! And what about how many that would be in my lifetime. Wow!

So we all go to the hairdressers quite frequently, what about new clothes, how often do you buy yourself new clothes?

Maybe in the current economic climate you aren't able to do any of the about as frequently as you used to. However I'm sure you'll still plan when you're going to get your haircut, and when your next going to buy ne clothes.

I know you're probably wondering where I'm going with this...well what struck me while I was at te hairdressers was how much time and how much time to I put aside to allow God to restyle me into the person He wants/needs me to be?

A very deep question, and one which is not the easiest one to answer - not because I don't know the answer, but simply because I know my answer is not what God wants it to be!

What's your answer? If you find you are not putting aside time each day to listen to God speaking to you (not just time for you to speak to God), you, like me, need to allow more time for God to speak to you.

So next time you're getting a haircut, or buying new clothes, remember that as well as looking after your physical appearance, you need to look after your spiritual life too - you can only do that by spending time with God, talking and listening to Him.