God Wants To Hear From You, Psalm 55:17

I want your dinner! Are you listening to me?

When I was a teenager, I’d walk my poodle, Penny, and talk to God for at least an hour. Sometimes poor Penny sat on the bed with me as I poured out my teen angst and concerns to the Lord. Although I wasn’t born again nor understood who Jesus was yet, I believed there was a God Who heard me.

That poor dog!

Over a decade later I became born again. And although I accepted Christ was the Lord God in the flesh (Matthew 1:23), I then started talking to God like a holy person was supposed to: interceding for people and making other mighty requests that an Almighty, caring God could answer.

And expressing thanks, of course, trying to focus on the silver lining of life and its events.

But over the years I’ve had one problem after another. My pastor talks about the valley every Christian will have to go through eventually. But I’d like to get out of the valley once in a while! Some of us just seem to stay there in the desert without understanding why and if we get out of the valley, we’re right back in another with little rest!

Even when not engaging in any willful disobedience.

So this past holiday season I asked God: “What’s up with that? Why can’t I get a break from things going awry?”

Psalm 55:17 provides an answer:

“Evening and mourning and at noon, I will complain and murmur, and He will hear my voice.”

What, Dawn? Have you lost it?

I sensed that God was trying to pull me back into a true friendship with Him. To not see Him just as The Big Guy Who answers prayers, but also as my friend Who wants to hear from me. Who wants to be the Heavenly Father Who listens to his child talk about her day, her feelings, her concerns, and her worries.

To engage with Him and not just talk to Him.

So I think God trying to coax me into opening up my heart to Him once again as I used to as a teen. After all, when everything’s going great, I don’t have much to complain or murmur about.

God wants a true relationship with us, to be a friend and not just a Guy Who Answers Prayers.

Now it’s OK to make requests. In the verse before, 16, David cries out:

“As for me, I shall call upon God, and the Lord will save me.”

But I have to remember that He’s also my best friend Who knows me more intimately and completely than anyone else ever could, Who understands me better than anyone else ever could, and is always there to call out to when no one else can always be there for me.

“I will never leave you nor forsake you.”—Hebrews 13:5, Deuteronomy 31:6

Please say “hello” to your best friend every day.

God bless you.

Much love from Dawn and Buddy

***

Even though I spoke for hours upon hours to the Lord as a teenager, pouring out my heart to Him, it was a one-way conversation as I was not yet born again, filled by God’s Spirit.

Only His sheep hear His voice (John 10:27).

If you’re unsaved, generally the Lord will have only one message for you to hear: Follow Me. Become born again by My Spirit. Come to Me for life (Matthew 16:24, John 3:3, 5:40).

God wants to be your Heavenly Father and best friend. Will you please accept His invitation to enter into relationship with Him?

“Whoever calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”—Apostle Paul, Romans 10:13)

The Lord’s name is Jesus, the God Who came in human flesh (Mathew 1:23) to die for your sins so that you don’t have to, and rose bodily from the dead to give you resurrection life through the power of the Holy Spirit.

Do you believe this?

If not, will you ask Him for the faith to believe?

If you’re ready to enter into a love relationship with God, please repeat the below prayer, out loud if possible:

Dear Heavenly Father, I call on Jesus to be my Savior and God Who died for my sins. I’m sorry for my disobedience and humbly ask for Your forgiveness. Please be my friend and Father and constant companion, my Good Shepherd Who will lead me and guide me now and forever. Please give me Your Holy Spirit. I give my life to You. Thank you for hearing my prayer. In the name of Jesus, amen.

If you prayed sincerely, congratulations, you’re born again. Please start reading the Bible daily as it’s your soul food. Just as your body needs daily nourishment to be healthy, so does your soul. I suggest starting with the book of Matthew as it’s easy to understand, and reading forward.

Also, join a Bible believing church or Bible study. And get baptized. If that’s not possible right now, I suggest these two ministries, which also have apps, if that’s your preference: http://www.LTW.org (Leading The Way) and http://www.AndrewFarley.org (The Grace Message).

God bless you as you start your new life in Christ.

May Buddy and I meet you in heaven one day.

The Father “Always Hears” The Mediator, Buddy Brief

Buddy’s gotten into the habit of barking at my parents’ home when he wants to be put outside into their backyard. They graciously completed the wall to ensure his safety.

But, obviously, someone else needs to respond to his strong request to open the door to meet his need.

Before raising his friend Lazarus from the dead, Jesus prayed publicly to the Father: “I knew that You always hear Me; nevertheless, because of the people standing around, I said it, so that they may believe that You sent Me.”—John 11:42

If you’re born again, you can pray in the name of Jesus to the Father with full assurance that you will be heard.

Because Jesus is your intermediary before the Father’s throne in heaven.

“For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the Son of Man, Jesus Christ;”—1 Timothy 2:5 (Aramaic Bible in Plain English)

Pray only in the name of Jesus. He alone guarantees that the Father is listening to Him.

The Ticking Clock, Psalm 145:18-19

Buddy being unusually cooperative.

Buddy loves to be the center of my attention—when he wants it. When he demands attention, I’d better give it to him. If I am busy and ask him to wait a few minutes, he’ll walk off and find something to knock over to draw my attention. The louder the bang when the selected item hits the floor, the happier it makes him. I have to leave the top off of my paper shredder when I’m not using it, as the machine makes a wondrously loud bang when the top hits the tiled floor of my dining room.

God makes a promise to His children to always be attentive to their call or cries for help.

“The Lord is near to all who call upon Him, to all who call upon Him in truth. He will fulfill the desire of all those who fear Him; He will also hear their cry and save them.”—Psalm 145:18-19

I started thinking about this verse earlier this week when I was doing my stretching exercises. I have to hold each stretch for fifteen seconds.

At first I whispered the standard, “One Mississippi, two Mississippi, three…” up to fifteen Mississippis. But after a few sessions, that rapidly got redundant.

Then I realized that this clock in the photo was not only within viewing distance (without my eyeglasses) while stretching, but the seconds ticked off quite loudly. So I began silently counting the seconds up to fifteen.

Much easier.

I continued this practice. Starting one session this week, I realized that I couldn’t hear the ticking, even though the clock was within hearing distance.

The ticking got lost in the cacophony of noises within my living room—until I consciously focused on listening to the ticking sound. Suddenly, I could hear the clock with no problem, loudly clacking out the seconds.

I think that’s a metaphor for our relationship with the Lord Jesus. He’s always there, leading and guiding us (Psalm 23:3) and walking alongside us (Psalm 139:5), but we remain unaware of His presence most of the time. His voice and presence gets lost in the noise and business of our daily lives.

Unless we’re consciously focused on Him through prayer, praise, reading the Bible or in fellowship with other Christians.

So I encourage you to spend time with Him every day. And to ask Him to open your eyes to focusing on the blessings He showers upon you with every day, to guard you against discouragement and despair.

After all, the Lord saved you because He wants to enjoy your company for all eternity.

Why not enjoy Him now?

Every day.

God bless you.

Much love from Dawn and Buddy

***

If you are not born again, you are not in union with God’s Holy Spirit and walking in union with Him. Sure, you can live an entire lifetime without acknowledging God’s existence—billions do, but your life will be emotionally enriched when you come to know how much the mighty King of the Universe loves you. He loves us so much that His Son took on human flesh. Do you realize how that shows how much He values human beings?

If you’re ready to walk with God and learn to fellowship with your loving Father through His Son, Jesus Christ, please repeat the following prayer, out loud if possible:

Dear Heavenly Father, I ask Jesus to be my Lord and Savior. Please take my hand and walk with me throughout my life. Forgive my sins, because Jesus died on the Cross for my sins so that I don’t have to suffer eternal separation from the one true God. I believe He rose from the dead to give me life, so I ask for the Holy Spirit to fill me and give me a new heart, to renew a right spirit within me. I give my life to You. Please show me how much You love me. In the name of Jesus, amen.

If you prayed sincerely, congratulations, you’re born again. Please start reading the Bible, as it’s your soul food. Just as your body needs daily nourishment to be healthy, so does your soul need to feed daily on the Word of God.

And, please, join a Bible believing church or Bible study. And get baptized. If that’s not possible right now, I suggest these two online ministries, which also have apps, if that’s your preference: http://www.LTW.org (Leading The Way) and http://www.AndrewFarley.org (The Grace Message). There are other godly ministries, but it’s easy to get misled by legalism or bad teaching till you know the Bible fairly well.

God bless you as you walk with the one Lord—Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

May Buddy and I meet you in heaven one day.

Be Strong In The Lord, Ephesians 6:10

During Buddy’s last physical, his vet said that Buddy was unusually muscular for his age; a good thing. Likely because he’s decided that the loft is his doghouse, he’s frequently climbing up and descending the staircase.

The apostle Paul, in his epistle to the Ephesians church, admonished (Ephesians 6:10): “Be strong in the Lord and the strength of His might.”

So how can we be strong in the Lord?

The number Seven is the Biblical number of completion, per scholar Louis A. Brighton, so let’s look at seven ways:

1. Read the Bible and think about what you just read: “His delight is in the law of the Lord, and in His law he meditates day and night. He will be like a stream firmly planted besides streams of water,”—Psalm 1:2-3

2. Rest in the grace given us through faith in Jesus Christ, not trying to earn His favor or salvation through good works: “It was for freedom that Christ set us free; therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of bondage.”—Galatians 5:1

3. Keep your eyes set on the future return of Christ and the establishment of His kingdom: “Let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the Cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”—Hebrews 12:2

4. Accept and seek the encouragement of fellow believers: “But now that Timothy has come to us from you, and has brought us good news of your faith and love, and that you always think kindly of us, longing to see us just as we long to see you, for this reason, brethren, in all our distress and affliction we were comforted we were comforted about you through your faith,…”—1 Thessalonians 3:6-7

5. Closely related to #4, Regularly attend a Bible-believing church or Bible Study: “Let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day (Lord’s return) drawing near.”—Hebrews 10:24-25

6. Stay strong in prayer: “The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much.”—James 5:16

7. Submit to God by resisting the devil and temptation, confessing your sins: “Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.”—James 4:7

In summary, trust In Jesus and His word and power, not in the fleeting opinions of people and our culture.

God bless you.

Much love from Dawn and Buddy

*NASB version of the Bible is usually the one I quote.

***

Jesus appeared to “destroy the works of the devil (1 John 3:8).” Until you give your life to the Lord Jesus and accept Him as the authority for your life, you remain under the power and influence of the kingdom of darkness. You try to be good, but you can never be good enough to meet God’s perfect standards of behavior to earn your way into His heavenly forever home.

If you’d tired of trying to do the impossible and want to accept Jesus’ rescue plan:

“For He rescued us from the domain of darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of His beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.”—Colossians 1:13-14

Please repeat the below prayer:

Dear Heavenly Father, I call on Jesus to be my Lord and Savior. Please forgive all of my sins: past, present and future. Fill me with Your Holy Spirit. I give my life to You. Reveal to me how much you love and cherish me. Help me learn to follow You as my Great Shepherd. Transfer me out of the kingdom of darkness and into the kingdom of light of Your beloved Son. In the wonderful name of Jesus, amen.

If you prayed sincerely, congratulations, you’re born again. Please start reading the Bible daily as it’s your soul food. I recommend starting with the Book of Matthew as it’s easy to understand. And join a Bible-believing church or Bible Study and get baptized. Christians are never meant to be lone wolves.

However, if that’s not possible right now, I suggest these three ministries: http://www.LTW.org, http://www.InTouch.org and http://www.AndrewFarley.org. They also have apps if that’s your preference. There are other godly ministries, but it’s easy to be misled till you know the Bible fairly well.

God bless you, my new friend. May Buddy and I see you in heaven one day.

Just Bark! James 4:2

Unhappy dog

Last night I was editing the second edition of my first novel. Buddy wanted my attention, so he knocked over my waste can.

Now a normal dog would bark for attention. Not my dog! He knocks things over: dry brushes, bottles, books, the paper shredder—anything upright within the reach of his nose. To my horror one afternoon, he even knocked over my folding ladder. He likely enjoyed the satisfying “BANG!” when it hit my balcony deck. I, however, quickly turned the ladder into its side as Buddy was fortunate it didn’t fall back into him. A steel ladder hitting an almost twenty pound dog is not a good thing.

No challenge for Buddy!

James, the half brother of Jesus, wrote one of the New Testament books. He warned that God doesn’t give what we ask for in prayer because our motives are wrong.

However, James notes in Chapter 4, verse 2: “You do not have because you do not ask.”

Jesus was grieved because the people of His hometown didn’t believe in His Deity. Since he lived most of His life in Nazareth, they were accustomed to His unusual nature and didn’t recognize that He was anyone special, not just a prophet but God Himself.

“And He could do no miracle there except that He laid His hands on a few sick people and healed them. And He wondered at their unbelief.”—Mark 6:5-6

Jesus was (and is) “God with us (Matthew 1:23).” He is the image of the invisible God (Colossians 1:15)” through Whom “all things were created, both in the heavens and on the earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things have been created through Him and for Him (1:16).” Why? “For in Him all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form (vs 2:9).”

Jesus is part of the Trinity, God Almighty. There is nothing He cannot do for “Nothing is impossible with God (Luke 1:37).” So why couldn’t He perform many miracles in his hometown of Nazareth?

The people didn’t ask. They didn’t believe He was God Who could answer their requests or meet their needs and desires.

We often think we must get God’s attention first to get our prayers answered. Like Buddy, we think we need to make a big noise or knock something over. That we have to prove ourselves worthy by being “good enough” or emulating the “Phantom Christian” by accomplishing some spectacularly great work.

The Church often doesn’t encourage us to just humbly ask God to meet our needs and desires. We hear stories about Christians who dig wells in Africa to provide a community with clean water or someone who is never shy about sharing their faith and leads dozens to Christ each year. Or the family who fosters dozens of kids. We’re told that we “can do all things through (Christ) Who strengthens (us) (Philippians 4:13).” So we think we should be able to measure up to the example of “Super Christians” if we just had enough faith.

So we get discouraged, thinking we don’t measure up to God’s lofty standards.

But what did the Apostle Paul say?

“For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them (Ephesians 2:10).”

Pastor Dr. Charles Stanley says that the Greek word for “workmanship” in the above verse is actually “masterpiece”. We are all created in the image of God (Genesis 1:27) for His purposes. He designed each of us to be a unique individual for the good deeds He wants us to do.

Which means He’ll enable some people to be missionaries and some to be loving dads; some to paint spectacular paintings portraying Jesus walking on water and others to play basketball with the neighborhood kids; some to care for aging or dying loved ones and others to rescue animals.

God designed each of us to fit a unique spot in His great puzzle of life. For the puzzle to look right, each piece must rest in its proper place. And every piece is important, whether a corner piece or one with lots of colors or one that’s got the same color as a dozen others.

If just one piece is missing or is trying to fit in the wrong location, the puzzle won’t look right, no matter how large it is.

So know that we are saved by God to be in a loving relationship with Him. Multiple times Jesus declared that we will receive if we just ask in His name.

If you’re a child of God, you don’t need to prove to Him that you’re worthy of His love. God loves His kids.

Just bark!

God bless you.

Much love from Dawn and Buddy

PS. Like any loving parent, God doesn’t want to encourage wrong behavior, so He won’t answer your prayers if you’re refusing to obey Him. If He’s telling you to stop something, He’ll give you time to repent before He disciplines you. As our great Shepherd, He promises to “lead us in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake (Psalm 23:3).”

But please don’t stress. We cannot be perfect in this lifetime in our sinful bodies, living in a sin sick world. We’re declared righteous through faith in Christ. You know when you’re allowing “presumptuous sins to rule over you (Psalm 19:13).” God loves you. He only wants what’s best for you. Obeying Him always keeps you on the best path for your life.

***

Jesus promises that “your Heavenly Father (will) give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him (Luke 11:13).” You see, we’re born spiritually dead, devoid of God’s Holy Spirit Who gives us eternal life. That’s why we sin.

We sin because we need new hearts changed by the power of the Spirit of God.

If you’re tired of sabotaging your life, or realize that your soul is empty and incomplete, please ask God to enter and transform your life. You don’t need to “clean up your act” first. The Holy Spirit will begin that process when You invite Jesus to be your God and Savior.

Ready? Let’s pray!

Dear Heavenly Father, Please forgive my sin. I want to live for You. I ask Jesus to be my Lord and Savior. Please change my heart and life by giving me the Holy Spirit. Jesus promises that I only need to ask. Help me to grow in faith. Thank you for answering my prayer. In Jesus’ name, amen.

If you prayed, congratulations, you are born again. Please join a Bible based church or Bible study and get baptized. Your soul needs soul food, the word of God, just as your body needs daily food to be healthy.

If that’s not possible right now, I recommend these three ministries, which also have apps if that’s your preference: http://www.InTouch.org, http://www.LTW.org and http://www.AndrewFarley.org. There are other godly ministries, but these are my favorites. It’s easy to be misled till you know the Bible.

May Buddy and I see you in heaven.

Jesus Came To Do More Than Die For Our Sins, Part 4, Psalm 34:4

Thank you for following this short series on what Jesus came to do for us besides dying for our sins. This is the fourth of the planned posts. Certainly others writers could come up with more, but I’ll leave my final thoughts with tonight’s post.

In the prior three posts, I discussed that Jesus came to: give us abundant life, defeat the power of Satan and to bring us peace with God.

But Jesus also bought with His blood sacrifice at the Cross something very special and precious for us: hope.

Buddy turned 14 last August 21st. I don’t know his actual birthday date but I think his adoption day is close as he’s probably a summer puppy. I rejoice that I’ve enjoyed eleven years with my furry pal, but also am aware that my future with him on planet earth grows shorter with each birthday. Fortunately, although he sleeps more than he used to, he still displays a lot of pep and spunk for an older dog, and I expect him to be with me at least another two to three years.

My future separation from Buddy will be temporary as I have hope in God that we’ll be reunited again in heaven—unless we’re raptured together. Jesus said we cannot predict the exact date (Matthew 24:36).

Because Jesus died for our sins, so that we don’t have to, born again Christians have the great hope of being reunited with beloved friends and family for eternity. Death is a temporary situation. We may grieve at the loss of a loved one, but not as unbelievers:

“But we do not want you to be uninformed, brethren, about those who are asleep, so that you do not grieve as do the rest who have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus.”—Apostle Paul, 1 Thessalonians 4:13-14

I tell my Christian friends that we’re “eternal friends.” I wonder if it makes them shudder at times!

Secondly, because we have peace with God through our faith in Jesus (Romans 5:1) and are united with Christ in our spirit, we also have the assurance that ALL of our prayers are heard by the Father. What greater hope is there, in times of need or sorrow, that our omnipotent God hears our cries for help?

Before Jesus called Lazarus forth out of the grave (John 11:43), He prayed publicly to the Father, making a very important proclamation:

“Father, I thank You that You have heard Me. I knew that You always hear Me; but because of the people standing around I said it, so that they may believe that You sent Me (John 11:41-42).”

Jesus could’ve prayed: “Father, please resurrect Lazarus from the dead when I call Him forth.” But He didn’t. He had something He wanted everyone to know.

I believe that Jesus wanted His followers to know, that if they believed in Him, then their prayers will be answered. Because the Father ALWAYS hears His prayers, so our are ALWAYS heard and answered. Often, maybe not the way we think or hope. After all, Lazarus’ sister Mary thought that her brother would be resurrected “on the last day (vs. 24)” at Christ’s Second Coming, not that same day.

Often Jesus would refresh Himself by leaving his disciples to pray alone in private. But before He was arrested, He prayed the following as the Apostles listened in. He had something very important He wanted them to know—and all future believers—before He was crucified. The following excerpt, John 17:20-23, is part of what has been coined the “High Priestly Prayer”:

“I do not ask on behalf of these alone (the Apostles), but for those also who believe in Me through their word; that they may all be one; even as You, Father, are in Me and I in You, that they also may be IN US, that the world may believe that You sent Me. The glory which You have given Me I have given to them, that they may be one, just as We are one; I in them and You in Me, that they may be perfected in unity, so that the world may know that You sent Me, and loved them, even as You have loved Me.”

Christian born again believers are united supernaturally with the Godhead and with fellow believers as one body throughout the world and the ages. This is one of the great mysteries of Christianity: being united together in one fellowship as the body of Christ (Ephesians 4:12).

Yes, we can delay the answer to our prayers by “quenching the Spirit (1 Thessalonians 5:19)” through willful disobedience or other reasons, but God hears us because He hears Christ.

For brevity, I will not list every benefit of prayer in this particular post. But will leave with this final summary of the blessing of hoping in God:

“I sought the Lord, and He answered me.”—King David of ancient Israel, Psalm 34:4

God bless you.

Much love from Dawn and Buddy

***

God is always aware of everything and everyone in His created universe (Psalm 103:19). He knows “every careless word that people speak (Matthew 12:36).” And, also, He “works things after the counsel of His will (Ephesians 1:11),” so He is working in the lives of all people.

But He only promises to answer the prayers of His children who are united in faith with Him and His Son through the Holy Spirit. I’m not a theologian, so this may not be the precise way to state this mysterious union with God that Christians have. But only born again Christians are part of the body of Christ.

Do you want eternal life? The assurance that God will answer your prayers—on His timing, His will, His way?

Please note the emphasis on God’s will, timing and way. You see, Adam and Eve rejected God’s authority, wanting to define right and wrong for themselves. When you give your life to Christ, you’re submitting your will to His will. Most people don’t want to humble themselves to do that.

(I want you to really understand what you’re doing if you take the following action.)

If you’re ready to stop being your own false god and to declare belief that Jesus is God, Who came in the flesh (Matthew 1:23), to die for your sins and was resurrected bodily to give you life, please pray the following:

Dear Heavenly Father, There is so much that I don’t understand right now. But I call on Jesus to be my Lord and Savior. Please forgive all my sins. Fill me with Your Holy Spirit. I give my life to You. Thank you for hearing my prayer. In the mighty name of Jesus Christ, amen.

If you prayed with sincerity, congratulations, you are now born again and part of the everlasting body of Christ (Who is the head—Ephesians 5:22). Please start reading the Bible daily, as it is your soul food. Also, attend a Bible-believing church or Bible study so that you can grow and be strengthened in your faith. If that’s not possible right now, the following are three (but not the only) great ministries, which also have apps if that’s your preference: http://www.InTouch.org, http://www.LTW.org and http://www.AndrewFarley.org (The Grace Message).

God bless you.

We Are All Dependent Upon God, Psalm 57:2-3

Buddy

Buddy likes to guard me when I’m at my most vulnerable, lying nearby and watching the door when I’m in the bathroom. At only 19.5 pounds, he doesn’t realize that he’s actually dependent upon me for protection. I feed, wash, groom and walk Buddy; take him to the vet, for rides in the car, even provide him with supplements to ensure he’s healthy. At his adoption, I assumed total responsibility for his well-being.

When we accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and confess that He rose bodily from the dead (Romans 10:9), we become a child of God. Adopted into His family, He assumes responsibility for our welfare. Rescued from the domain of darkness (Ephesians 2:1-2), we are no longer under satan’s rule and authority, but Jesus’.

Therefore, because Jesus is our advocate before God’s throne, we can have confidence that He hears our prayers: “I will cry to God Most High, to God Who accomplishes ALL things for me. He will send from heaven and save me (Psalm 57:2-3, emphasis mine.)”

God is all powerful. There is no problem large or small that He cannot help you with.

ALL things…

“The Lord has established His throne in the heavens, and His sovereignty rules over all (Psalm 103:19.”

In fact, I’ve discovered that Jesus loves us so much, that I can bring even my smallest concerns to Him. He wants an intimate relationship with us, not just a superficial one.

“He who is faithful in a very little thing, is faithful also in much (Luke 16:10).”

I used to apply that verse just to my own behavior, that if I wasn’t doing what was right in inconsequential matters, then how could I expect to resist temptation and be faithful in more serious matters with bigger consequences. But I finally realized that it applies to God too: He proves that He can be trusted to handle the big things in life that concern us, by doing little favors for us. Being a scatterbrained creative, I often misplace things and the Holy Spirit helps me find it. Or when I’m praying, He reminds me of something I’ve forgotten and need to take care of.

When I was a teenager, I’d walk my poor poodle for hours, pouring my heart out to God. (You know how melodramatic teenage girls can be.) But when I came to Christ and became aware of how sinful I was, particularly in relation to a holy God, I stopped pouring my heart out to Him and began “praying to Him.” You know, the big prayers: for people’s salvation, for safety of family and friends, for surgeries, for nations, for putting on spiritual armor—basically, praying to God but not speaking to Him like a friend and caring Father. After all, why would the Big Guy Who created the vast universe care about my petty issues?

When I got saved, I really struggled with my self worth. Was I only important to Him for being useful in helping and serving others? That I, myself, had no value?

No wonder my relationship seemed stale for so many years.

But He does care. I think He finally got me to realize that my relationship with Him is not just about praying for, or serving others, or trying to be good to expand His kingdom—but about realizing how much He really loves and cares for me, too.

“Casting all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you (Apostle Peter, 1 Peter 5:7).”

Hope this post was helpful.

Pour out your heart to Him.

God bless you.

Much love from Dawn and Buddy

***

God loves us all so much that He provides food, air, life, talent, intelligence, status and prosperity even to people who hate or ignore Him. But to have your prayers heard, you need Jesus as your advocate before His throne. It is Jesus Who shed His blood to pay for the sins of all humanity so that we could fellowship with the Father.

But we have to accept Jesus as Lord and confess that He was raised from the dead to be saved to become His child with the right to be heard. (Romans 10:9, Hebrews 7:25, John 1:12).

If you’re ready to be adopted into God’s family and have the right to have your prayers answered, please pray the following: “Dear Heavenly Father, I call on Jesus to be my Lord and Savior. Please forgive all my sins. Fill me with your Holy Spirit. I give my life to you. In Jesus’ name, amen.”

If you prayed with sincerity, congratulations, you are born again. Please start reading the Bible (recommend starting with the book of Mathew) and find a Bible-based church to fellowship with other Christians and grow in your faith. If that’s not possible right now, these three ministries are my favorites and also have apps: http://www.LTW.org, http://www.InTouch.org and http://www.BasicGospel.net.

God loves you and wants to hear from you. See you in heaven!