Dont Leave God Out of the Loop

Don’t Leave God Out of the Loop
by Joyce Meyer - posted December 03, 2013
 
I will say of the Lord, He is my Refuge and my Fortress, my God; on Him I lean and rely, and in Him I [confidently] trust!

—Psalm 91:2


When we are frustrated, it is often because we are trying to do something in our own strength, instead of putting our faith in God and receiving His grace and help. Let us learn to pray for what we would like to be changed, and then cast our care on God. If He leads you to take some kind of action, then do it; but if He doesn’t, then wait with peace.

I had to practice trusting God for a lot of things, but particularly finances. At one point in the beginning of my ministry, God asked me to trust Him to provide for my family financially without my working outside the home. I knew that I needed time to prepare for the ministry He had called me to. And working full-time in addition to being a wife and mother to three small children didn’t leave much time to prepare to be an international Bible teacher.

As an act of faith, and with my husband’s consent, I quit my job and began learning to trust God to provide for us. Dave had a good job, but his salary was forty dollars a month less than our bills. This meant we had to have a miracle from God every month.

I remember what a struggle it was to not go back to work—after all, I was a responsible woman and wanted to do my part. But I knew that God was asking me to keep preparing for the ministry He was calling me to and to trust Him for provision. Each month, He provided for our financial needs, and seeing His faithfulness was exciting, but I was accustomed to taking care of myself—all this “walking by faith” was crucifying my flesh big time.

Trusting God for the forty dollars a month we needed to pay our bills and for anything extra we needed was often difficult, but it helped us gain a strong foundation of faith that has helped us throughout our lives. I strongly encourage you to obey God and trust Him in every area of life. Each victory you have will increase your faith for the next challenge you face.

Trust in Him: Little faith can become great faith when we see the faithfulness of God as He meets our needs. You can become a person who enjoys great peace by trusting God.

Getting God in Your Day: 4 Practical Ways
 
 
 
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I hope you had a wonderful week! This was my first week of work all on my own, and the fact that I not only survived but thrived is leaving me singing His name in praise. I seriously have no idea where I’d be without the Lord’s strength & provision in my life right now.
But – since my schedule has been totally turned around, making sure that God is a priority has not looked perfect in the past two weeks. However, I’m happy to say that I fully feel God’s tenderness and patience in this transition time for me.
 
On one hand, I could choose to be upset that I don’t have crazy-long prayer time and time in the Word every day. But I’m not upset. Not at all, in fact. Because I know that this balancing act has me pulled in all directions right now. But more importantly, God knows that and He’s not mad at me either.
 
I’d like to cultivate better consistency with God, but I’m thankful that that desire hasn’t created any despair in me. One step at a time
 
With that said, I’m sure we can all use some pointers on how to actually make time for God in our busy lives. These are just a few things that help me keep my relationship going with God throughout the day.
1. Start Your Day With God
Now I know this idea isn’t novel. In fact, it’s probably the oldest “tip” in the book on how to keep your relationship with God going. It’s pointed out everywhere for a reason, though - because it works.
If you’re a morning person, this will work even better. But even if you’re not, starting your day with God can be as simple as remembering God in the morning. How often do you get out of bed without even acknowleding God, and that He is there? I’m sure we’re all convicted by that question to some extent.
 

“But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” – Matthew 6:33

Someone once asked me that question, and ever since, I often try to say a prayer in bed before I even get up. Or if I’m pressed for time, I say a prayer in the shower, first thing.
Starting your day with the Lord ensures that you do in fact put Him first, but for me, it also ensures that my day is going to go a lot smoother. I become grounded in His presence, assured that He can take care of anything my day will throw at me. Without that renewing start of my day with the Lord, it’s even harder to turn to Him later.
 
How you start your day with God is up to you. A few practical ways are:

• Get up 10-15 minutes early to pray
  
  
  
• Use a daily devotional in the morning before work (usually a page that takes a few minutes to read)
  
  
  
• Write down a list of things you want to pray over throughout the day & keep it handy
  
  
  
• Spend a few minutes asking God to quiet your mind before the day begins
  
  
  
• Light a candle to “clear the air” and aim to sit in His presence, listening for His voice
  
  
  
• Grab a cup of tea and talk to Him
  
  
  

 
2. Create Consistency
Like my post earlier in the week about relying on hope, when I hope to make time for God, it usually doesn’t happen. Consistency is something I believe that God is calling all of us to. That consistency can look very different for different people, though.
 
Some practical ways to cultivate consistency with the Lord are:

• Set apart several times of day for prayer/reading (I have set apart time in the morning first thing, when I drive to work, on my lunch break, my drive home and before bed to either pray or read scripture).
  
  
  

• Keep a prayer journal. It can be as detailed as writing out whole prayers or as simple as a bulleted list of things you’re praying for. This helps me visualize and process my prayer life better as well as see answers to prayer too.
  
  
  

• Adopt a reading plan. This is the best way, in my opinion, to consitently get God’s voice into my life and keep scripture in front of me. Just like a prayer journal, a reading plan can be as simple as a one page devotional, one line of scripture, or a venture through the entire Bible in a year. Pick a plan that works for your schedule and attention span.
  
  
  

 
3. Focus on Scripture
I truly believe that scripture is alive – that it’s God’s way of communicating and speaking with us. His scripture never fails to amaze me.
 
Some practical ways to keep scripture (aka, God’s voice) in your every day are:

• Keep a dry erase/chalk board in your home where you’ll see it often with a new scripture on it each week. Read it out loud every time you pass it.
  
  
  

• Put tabs in your Bible to easily locate your favorite scripture quickly. I find that tabbing my favorites helps me remember to read them more often.
  
  
  

• Choose to read one book of the Bible.
  
  
  

• Look up scripture by keyword or main idea on a Bible app or the internet to find scripture relevant to your needs right now.
  
  
  

• Memorize a scripture verse per week or month, meditating on it regularly.
  
  
  

 
At first thought, memorizing scripture seemed daunting and “not for me.” But after a few tries and the help of some friends, memorizing scripture became a joy. Having those “power verses” on the tip of your tongue, hidden inside your heart are amazing tools that God can use in you at any time of day.
 
4. Be Grateful
Do you ever have those days or moments where your heart feels like it’s exploding with gratitude for the Lord? I just had an amazing day. My run was so exhilirating. My dog is so cute. I realize that you have everything I’ll ever need. And then I just have that moment. Like, wow. And I can’t help but thank God and be grateful for all He has done for me.
 
In truth, there is not a secret formula to getting God in your day. The tips above are certainly helpful, but what I find His presence all boils down to is my heart. When my heart is not gracious, but disappointed and envious, I am much less likely to be grateful toward God, let alone even remember Him.
 

“…That my tongue and my heart and everything glorious within me may sing praise to You and not be silent. O Lord my God, I will give thanks to You forever.” – Psalm 106:1

If gratitude is something you struggle with regularly, pray that the Lord would bless you with a grateful heart. A heart that sings His praises for even the simplest of things. I have struggled with this in the past and He has more than delivered. If that joy you seek is missing, ask the Lord to fill you with it, with Him. He is most certain to answer the prayer of one who desires a right heart.
 
http://freeingimperfections.com/god-in-your-day-practical-ways/

Good Stuff  Practicing the Presence of God

See that none of you repays another with evil for evil, but always aim to show kindness and seek to do good to one another and to everybody. Be happy [in your faith] and rejoice and be glad-hearted continually (always);  Be unceasing in prayer [praying perseveringly];  Thank [God] in everything [no matter what the circumstances may be, be thankful and give thanks], for this is the will of God for you [who are] in Christ Jesus [the Revealer and Mediator of that will]. Do not quench (suppress or subdue) the [Holy] Spirit; Do not spurn the gifts and utterances of the prophets [do not depreciate prophetic revelations nor despise inspired instruction or exhortation or warning]. But test and prove all things [until you can recognize] what is good; [to that] hold fast. Abstain from evil [shrink from it and keep aloof from it] in whatever form or whatever kind it may be. And may the God of peace Himself sanctify you through and through [separate you from profane things, make you pure and wholly consecrated to God]; and may your spirit and soul and body be preserved sound and complete [and found] blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ (the Messiah).


(1 Th 5:15–23)AMP