“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”
Joshua 1:9 NIV
God Is With Us by Casting Crowns
“The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.”
Deuteronomy 31:8 NIV
(This photo was taken in Big Sky, Montana )
“Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. 3 For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ, who is your[a] life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.
5 Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. 6 Because of these, the wrath of God is coming.[b] 7 You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived. 8 But now you must also rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips. 9 Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices 10 and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator.”
Colossians 3:2-10 NIV
Ever had one of those days?
When you know you have things to do and you just can’t focus…you feel scattered?
Your mind keeps jumping from thought to thought and you have moments when you are telling yourself, “c’mon stop it…focus on what you need to do!”
This is an example of how we can’t overcome things on our own…we need help…we need God
There is a sign in our home with the letters ASAP on it…yet it doesn’t stand for what you are thinking it does
This ASAP stands for “Always Stop And Pray”
When you notice things going the wrong direction, always stop and pray…
When you just don’t know what to do, always stop and pray…
When life gets overwhelming, always stop and pray
Distractions and taking our attention away from God will be constant in life…
We can overcome our problems by remembering to Always Stop And Pray
“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
8 Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.“
Philippians 4:6-8 NIV
(This photo was taken in Badlands National Park in South Dakota)
“The Lord is righteous in all his ways
and faithful in all he does.
18 The Lord is near to all who call on him,
to all who call on him in truth.
19 He fulfills the desires of those who fear him;
he hears their cry and saves them.”
Psalm 145:17-19 NIV
Don’t give up…keep going. God is with you.
Keep praying and be courageous even when you are unsure of the outcome
He is with you, He is within you, every day, all the time!
Remind yourself all that He has done and is still doing
Just keep praying…
Haven’t Seen It Yet by Danny Gokey
“Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.”
Romans 12:12 NIV
(This photo was taken while traveling along Beartooth Pass)
“Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”
John 14:6 NIV
“Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.”
2 Timothy 2:15 NIV
“To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. 32 Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
John 8:31-32 NIV
(This photo was taken at a lake near Plymouth, Minnesota)
“Rejoice always, 17 pray continually, 18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 NIV
“being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”
Philippians 1:6 NIV
Father God, thank You for being faithful
Thank You for making a way for us in this life
When we reflect on past events give us an eye for gratitude in all circumstances
Please show us how You are at work in our lives
We want to choose to patiently wait on You
Becasue we know that You will finish the work You have started in us
In Jesus name, Amen
“I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.”
John 15:5 NIV
(This photo was taken at sunset by a lake in Plymouth, Minnesota)
“But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. 7 And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. 8 Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.”
Matthew 6:6-8 NIV
“Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. 13 And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.”
John 14:12-14 NIV
“Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.”
Mark 11:24 NIV
(This photo was taken in Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado)
““Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust[a] destroy and where thieves break in and steal, 20 but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”
Matthew 6:19-21 NIV
Father God, You know everything about us
You know all of our thoughts, desires and intentions
Help us turn our focus to treasures in heaven
Please remove any ideas or behaviors that will keep us from becoming the people You created us to be
In Jesus name, Amen
“Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. 9 Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.”
Philippians 4:8-9 NIV
(This photo was taken at Sapphire Point near Dillon, Colorado)
“I remain confident of this:
I will see the goodness of the Lord
in the land of the living.
14 Wait for the Lord;
be strong and take heart
and wait for the Lord.”
Psalm 27:13-14 NIV
“Let your eyes look straight ahead;
fix your gaze directly before you.
26 Give careful thought to the[c] paths for your feet
and be steadfast in all your ways.
27 Do not turn to the right or the left;
keep your foot from evil.”
Proverbs 4:25-27 NIV
Father God, we know You have a plan for our lives, and that You want to bless us
Help us lean into that promise!
Sometimes it is hard to see past our present struggles
Thank You for loving us even when we have doubts and fears
Fill each of us with Your hope and give us courage to carry on
In Jesus name, Amen
“The Lord is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and rich in love. The Lord is good to all; he has compassion on all he has made.”
Psalm 145:8-9 NIV
(This photo was taken in Theodore Roosevelt National Park in North Dakota)
“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom,
and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.“
Proverbs 9:10 NIV
“How much better to get wisdom than gold,
to get insight rather than silver!“
Proverbs 16:16 NIV
Often times the writings in the Bible can be misunderstood because the true intent of the word has lost its meaning in society
Take the word ‘fear’ as an example…in today’s world this strictly means to be afraid, danger or a bad feeling
In the Bible to fear the Lord is to regard God with reverence and awe, to be respectful
When we learn we gain wisdom and when we understand the writing becomes clearer
We would be wise to seek wisdom and to get understanding from God, not the world
“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom;
all who follow his precepts have good understanding.
To him belongs eternal praise.“
Psalm 111:10 NIV
(This photo was taken on the shore on Lake Superior near Ashland, Wisconsin)
“Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”
John 14:6 NIV
“Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.”
2 Timothy 2:15 NIV
“To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. 32 Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
John 8:31-32 NIV
(This photo was taken in at a lake in northwestern Wisconsin)
