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Looking for the Goodness of God: Life is Hard and God is Here
Warthog So small and quick that it is easy to miss Examples: A stranger’s kindness, a natural beauty, a place you don’t have to wait. Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life. (Psalm 23:6) Giraffe So obvious you can’t miss Examples: A surprise gift, a financial provision, a new baby, job or friend Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. (James 1:17) Elephant Everyday needs that are met Examples: Food, housing, family, friends Let them give thanks to the Lord for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for mankind, for he satisfies the thirsty and fills the hungry with good things. (Psalm 197:8-9) Wildebeast God shining through an ugly thing Examples: A friend’s presence at the hospital, experiencing God’s peace in a difficult situation, being filled with courage to do a hard thing I remain confident of this: I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. (Psalm 27:13) Hippopotamus An answered prayer I am the Lord you God, who brought you up out of Egypt. Open wide your mouth and I will fill it. (Psalm 81:10) Zebra Anything that makes you smile or laugh Examples: Something beautiful or cute, a joke, a silly face or situation The Lord loves righteousness and justice, the earth is full of his unfailing love. (Psalm 33:5)
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Praying with Paul
Ephesians 1:17-19 I don’t stop giving thanks to God for you when I remember you in my prayers. I pray that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, will give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation that makes God known to you. I pray that the eyes of your heart will have enough light to see what is the hope of God’s call, what is the richness of God’s glorious inheritance among believers, and what is the overwhelming greatness of God’s power that is working among us believers. Open Heart Prayer: Thank you God for ____. I ask that you open the eyes of _____’s heart to help ______to know you better. Fill _____ with hope in God’s big story. May ____ know ALL that is available now and forever of your grace, love, and power. Amen. Ephesians 3:16-19 I ask that he will strengthen you in your inner selves from the riches of his glory through the Spirit. I ask that Christ will live in your hearts through faith. As a result of having strong roots in love, I ask that you’ll have the power to grasp love’s width and length, height and depth, together with all believers. I ask that you’ll know the love of Christ that is beyond knowledge so that you will be filled entirely with the fullness of God. Tree Prayer: Thank you God for ______. I ask that _____ would have inner strength, faith in you, and strong roots in love. I pray that _____ will have knowledge and power of your love so that ____ can be filled up with you. Philippians 1:9-11 This is my prayer: that your love might become even more and more rich with knowledge and all kinds of insight. I pray this so that you will be able to decide what really matters and so you will be sincere and blameless on the day of Christ. I pray that you will then be filled with the fruit of righteousness, which comes from Jesus Christ, in order to give glory and praise to God. Cupcake Prayer: Thank you for _______. May ____’s love be rich. May ____’s decisions be right, and may _____’s life be filled with the fruit of the Spirit. Colossians 1:9-12 Because of this, since the day we heard about you, we haven’t stopped praying for you and asking for you to be filled with the knowledge of God’s will, with all wisdom and spiritual understanding. We’re praying this so that you can live lives that are worthy of the Lord and pleasing to him in every way: by producing fruit in every good work and growing in the knowledge of God; by being strengthened through his glorious might so that you endure everything and have patience; and by giving thanks with joy to the Father. More Prayer: Thank you God for _____. May ____ know God’s will and do it in Jesus’ way. May ___ always grow in this and be filled with strength so _____ can endure everything, have patience, and give thanks–with joy. Start here sentence prayers: “Not my will but yours be done.” (Luke 22:42) “Speak, Lord, your servant is listening.” (1 Samuel 3:9) “Let your good Spirit lead me on level ground.” (Psalm 143:10) “Lord, make me an instrument of your peace (shalom).” (St. Francis of Assissi) “I believe, help my unbelief.” (Mark 9:24) Kuomba Pamoja na Paulo Waefeso 1:17-19 Siachi kumshukuru Mungu kwa ajili yenu ninapowakumbuka katika maombi yangu. Naomba kwamba Mungu wa Bwana wetu Yesu Kristo, Baba wa utukufu, awape roho ya hekima na ufunuo itakayowajulisha Mungu. Naomba kwamba macho ya mioyo yenu yawe na nuru ya kutosha kuona tumaini la wito wa Mungu ni nini, utajiri wa urithi wa utukufu wa Mungu kati ya waumini ni nini, na ukuu mkubwa wa nguvu za Mungu zinazofanya kazi kati yetu sisi waumini ni nini. Sala ya Moyo Mzima: Asante Mungu kwa ____. Naomba ufungue macho ya moyo wa _____ ili kusaidia ______kukujua vyema. Jaza _____ na tumaini katika hadithi kubwa ya Mungu. ____ ajue YOTE yanayopatikana sasa na milele ya neema yako, upendo, na nguvu. Amina. Waefeso 3:16-19 Naomba kwamba awaimarishe ndani yenu kutokana na utajiri wa utukufu wake kupitia Roho. Naomba kwamba Kristo aishi mioyoni mwenu kwa imani. Kwa sababu ya kuwa na mizizi imara katika upendo, naomba kwamba muwe na uwezo wa kuelewa upana na urefu, kimo na kina cha upendo, pamoja na waumini wote. Naomba kwamba mjue upendo wa Kristo unaopita maarifa ili mjazwe kikamilifu na utimilifu wa Mungu. Sala ya Mti: Asante Mungu kwa ______. Naomba kwamba ______ iwe na nguvu ya ndani, imani ndani yenu, na mizizi imara katika upendo. Naomba kwamba ______ iwe na ujuzi na nguvu ya upendo wenu ili ______ iweze kujazwa nanyi. Wafilipi 1:9-11 Hili ndilo ombi langu: kwamba upendo wenu uzidi kuwa mwingi kwa maarifa na kila aina ya ufahamu. Naomba hili ili muweze kuamua ni nini hasa kilicho muhimu na ili muwe wanyofu na wasio na lawama siku ya Kristo. Naomba kwamba mtajazwa matunda ya haki, yatokayo kwa Yesu Kristo, ili kumpa Mungu utukufu na sifa. Sala ya Keki ya Kombe: Asante kwa _______. Upendo wa ____ uwe mwingi. Maamuzi ya ____ yawe sahihi, na maisha ya _____ yajazwe matunda ya Roho. Wakolosai 1:9-12 Kwa sababu hii, tangu siku tuliposikia habari zenu, hatujaacha kuwaombea na kuwaombea mjazwe maarifa ya mapenzi ya Mungu, kwa hekima yote na ufahamu wa kiroho. Tunaomba hivi ili muweze kuishi maisha yanayomstahili Bwana na kumpendeza katika kila njia: kwa kuzaa matunda katika kila kazi njema na kukua katika kumjua Mungu; kwa kuimarishwa kwa nguvu zake za utukufu ili mustahimili kila kitu na kuwa na uvumilivu; na kwa kumshukuru Baba kwa furaha. Maombi Zaidi: Asante Mungu kwa _____. ____ na ajue mapenzi ya Mungu na kuyafanya kwa njia ya Yesu. ___ na akue kila wakati katika hili na ajazwe nguvu ili _____ aweze kuvumilia kila kitu, kuwa na uvumilivu, na kutoa shukrani - kwa furaha. Anza hapa sala za sentensi: "Si mapenzi yangu bali yako yatimizwe." (Luka 22:42) "Nena, Bwana, mtumishi wako anasikiliza." (1 Samweli 3:9) “Roho wako mwema aniongoze katika nchi tambarare.” (Zaburi 143:10) “Bwana, unifanye kuwa chombo cha amani yako (shalom).” (Mtakatifu Francis wa Asisi) “Naamini, nisaidie kutokuamini kwangu.” (Marko 9:24) Praying with Jesus (For Weight Loss)
Promises from Jesus that encourage us to make weight loss swaps:
Weight Loss Swaps… Swap worry, advising, fixing, avoiding, pretending we don’t care, being mad, being bored, sitting in powerlessness, and hopelessness for PRAYING WITH JESUS. Praying with Jesus for others:1. The Lord’s Prayer - Matthew 6:9-13 God, you are my Father and _____’s Father, I remember and thank you that you are perfect, powerful, and loving in all your ways for me and for ______. May your Kingdom come in _______’s life. May your will be done in ________’s life. Give _____ the daily things they need. And forgive ____ and help ____ to forgive others. Please lead ______ away from temptation and protect _____ from evil. We know that we will see your Kingdom, power, and glory both now and later. I pray this because Jesus told me I could. Thank you. Amen. 2. Open Hands Prayer - Matthew 26:39, 42 God, our Good Shepherd, this is my idea of what I would like to happen in _____’s life: _________. But I trust that you are wiser and more loving than I am, so I pray not for my will but for your will to be done in ______. Amen. 3. The Cross Prayer - Luke 23:34 Father, forgive ________ for they do not know what they are doing. 4. Unity Prayer - John 17:20-26 Father, may you be in _____ and may _____ be in you. May they experience the peace, joy, unity, and unfailing love that you and Jesus share. May your glory shine through _____ to all those around them. Start swapping every situation for praying with Jesus. Philippians 4:6, 7 “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God and the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Meditating on God’s Unfailing Love
Within your temple, O God, we meditate on your unfailing love. (Psalm 48:9) Deuteronomy 4:4-9 Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates. Meditating includes: 1. Truth a. Most important: a phrase or verse or passage from the Bible b. Sometimes someone else’s interpretation or compilation of Scripture’s truth c. Sometimes a line from a hymn or a worship song or a poem 2. Research a. Gather info about that truth b. Consider different ways to say that truth c. Like a bouquet of flowers, all the pieces of a puzzle, all the lego pieces d. Ask the journalist questions: Who, what, where, when, why, how? 3. Focus a. Looking at one thing for a period of time b. Looking from all the different angles 4. Emotion a. Open heart, open hand b. Attitude of receiving c. Desire to experience 5. Repetition a. Not just once, but many times b. Saying it out loud c. Muttering, groaning d. Singing, listening to singing e. Writing it down f. Telling someone else g. Posting it 6. Questioning a. Do I believe this? How could I believe this? b. Do I receive this? How could I receive this? c. Do I live like this is true? How could I live like this is true? Scriptures on God’s unfailing love: Exodus 15:13 Psalm 6:4 Psalm 66:20 Psalm 143:8 1 John 4:9-11 1 John 3:1 Romans 8:37-39 Romans 5:8 Ephesians 2:4-6 Kutafakari Upendo wa Mungu Usioshindwa Ndani ya hekalu lako, Ee Mungu, tunatafakari upendo wako usiokoma. (Zaburi 48:9) Kumbukumbu la Torati 4:4-9 Sikia, Ee Israeli: Bwana, Mungu wetu, Bwana ni mmoja. Mpende Bwana, Mungu wako, kwa moyo wako wote, na kwa roho yako yote, na kwa nguvu zako zote. Amri hizi ninazokuamuru leo, ziwe mioyoni mwako. Zitie moyoni mwa watoto wako. Zizungumze juu yake uketipo nyumbani, na unapotembea barabarani, unapolala, na unapoamka. Zifunge kama alama mikononi mwako, na uzifunge kwenye vipaji vya nyuso zako. Ziandike kwenye miimo ya nyumba zako, na kwenye malango yako. Kutafakari kunajumuisha: 1. Ukweli
2. Utafiti
3. Mkazo
4. Hisia
5. Marudio
6. Kuhoji
Maandiko kuhusu upendo wa Mungu usioisha: Kutoka 15:13 Zaburi 6:4 Zaburi 66:20 Zaburi 143:8 1 Yohana 4:9-11 1 Yohana 3:1 Warumi 8:37-39 Warumi 5:8 Waefeso 2:4-6 |
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