Everything bears the Imprint of the Cross

 

 

 This is what the scientists have discovered  the black hole really looks like.  See the cross?

 

Memoirs To God excerpt

The following is taken from my book which I will periodically change to give readers a chance to preview before God sees me into publication: 

Dear God:

I am setting out on this mission with the faith that You will gird me with Your strength and encourage me with Your words. I cling to Your promise that You will not leave me nor forsake me. This journey is a path for me to bring healing to old wounds. As with all wounds, they must first be exposed, cleansed, and cared for before they can heal. This process can be painful, and I will need Your healing touch to carry me through. In the hope of discovering a new path for my life, I must reconstruct the old path.

It begins with the voice that echoed the same words again and again, “You are lazy, you’re so slow, you are fat, you are stupid, you are ugly.” It is not important where I first heard those words. That is not relevant to this healing process. The critical matter is how do I uproot these messages?

Each unkind word, when spoken, carries with it a dart that launches itself into the deep recesses of the mind; then eventually it becomes a part of the heart and soul. It drives itself deep enough to where I almost cannot find it. As it finds its resting spot, it carries a poison, one that seeps into my daily thought life. Every word I hear and speak becomes tainted and transformed by these distorted thought processes because I believed and accepted them as truth. They make themselves at home as I reinforce negative thoughts by persistently accepting them.

Soon the work is done. The ray of hope I am born with, which inherently believes the best for me, becomes a spark. Eventually, hopes fade. As life disappoints, the light is extinguished. The lowly beast just leans back, relaxes, and watches while I unconsciously unleash the dragon with the same thoughts over and over. I learn to expect nothing good.

Before I know it, I begin to look to others to reinforce the pattern. I must be around those with whom I am comfortable. Sure I feel bad. But that is nothing new.

Feeling bad is normal for me. It is familiar. Why change?

Why? There is something deep down past the mind, past all human reasoning; the eternal heart beyond the human heart. It is the very conduit by which there is divine communication with God. It is the spirit. This is the inner voice sensing when something is wrong and alerting me of some offense against my person. If I have stilled the voice by consistently ignoring it, I condition myself to disregard my own spirit, my light of life force. Thus I begin to muffle my connection with peace and unity.

As I continue to engage in this downward spiral, any negative thoughts begin to feel intuitively true and factual. I dismiss any reasoning that this just doesn’t make me feel good. I no longer trust feelings.

Experiences, instead of becoming a learning lesson, continue to disparage and degrade, only adding to the layers of decay stored in the mind. Unknowingly I continue to reject anything good or positive in my life simply because it just doesn’t fit the mold. Would it have ever occurred to me that the mold was wrong from the start? Why not just break the mold and create a new one?

And I am convinced and sure of this very thing, that He Who began a good work in you will continue until the day of Jesus Christ [right up to the time of His return], developing [that good work] and perfecting and bringing it to full completion in you. (Phil. 1:6 amp)

Father:

I am not alone! Even though I know You’re standing with me, change sometimes hurts. Then I am reminded I am on Your potter’s wheel, and You know so much better than I what to do.

Lord, right now I am giving it all to You. I am placing in Your hands the pain, the sorrow, all the memories from the yesterdays that were buried deep within me. I am putting You in charge, knowing You will never leave me or hurt me. I have Your promise, Your word that I can always depend on You. In Jesus’ name.

Prayers for self and others

I have combined several scriptures into the following prayers in order to use God’s Word as a tool to pray effectively. I hope you will see as many benefits as I have since I started praying them out loud daily.

Place your name, and/or the names of others, in the blanks, or just say "me."

Prayer for Self

O Lord, God of Israel, grant unto me, this very day, the prayer and petitions I ask of You:

Let ____ be like a tree firmly planted beside the waters. Let ___ be healthy and flourish like the palm tree; long lived, upright, useful, and fruitful. ____ shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon—majestic, stable, durable, and incorruptible.

You, Lord, are ____ high tower and defense, and ___ God, the rock of ___ refuge. ____ dwells in the secret place of the most high God and remains stable and fixed under the shadow of the Almighty, Whose power no foe can withstand. You deliver ___ from the snare of the fowler and from the deadly pestilence. ___ shall not be afraid of the terror of night, nor the wicked and evil plots that fly by day. Let the beauty and delightfulness and favor of You be upon ____. Establish the works of ___ hands and let Your works be revealed in ____.

_____ soul yearns for the courts of the Lord. ____ heart and flesh cry out and sing for joy to You, O God. ____ will bless You, Lord, at all times. Your praise shall continue to be in ____ mouth. You redeem the life of Your servant, and none who takes refuge and trust in You will be condemned. You give ____ beauty for ashes. You have turned ____ mourning into dancing. You gird ___ with gladness. You give ____ unyielding and impenetrable strength. Your favor is for a lifetime and in Your favor, Lord, is life!

Surely only goodness and mercy will follow ___ all the days of ___ life, and the house of the Lord and Your presence is ____ dwelling place. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

more prayers

Prayer for Family and Friends

My family (and/or) friends _________ shall serve the Lord all of their days, and great shall be their peace. Unto You, Lord, I bring their lives. They are the generation who seek Your face. You are their Shepherd, and they shall not lack. You forgive all of their sins, and they dwell in the refuge of Your strength. With long life they will be satisfied, and they will dwell in Your house forever. You will bear them up lest they dash their foot against a stone. You give Your angels charge over them, and they will show forth all your marvelous works and wonderful deeds.

Create in __________ a clean heart, O God, and renew a right, persevering, and steadfast spirit in them. ___________ shall be like a tree planted by the waters that spreads out their roots by the river; and they will not see and fear when heat comes; but they will be joyful. ___________ will not be anxious and full of care in the year of drought, nor shall they cease yielding fruit.

Thank You, Lord, that _____________ seek first Your kingdom and Your righteousness, and all provisions will be given to them. _____________ will not worry about tomorrow, but they will press on in Your peace that passes all understanding.

_________________ put on the full armor of God, that they are able to stand against all the strategies of the devil. ______________ put on the belt of truth, the breastplate of right standing with You, God. ______________ feet are shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace. ______________ lift up their shield of faith to quench the fiery darts of the wicked; ____________ put on the helmet of salvation and they uphold the sword of the Spirit, which is Your holy Word.

______________________ will continually pray at all times in the Spirit, for the earnest, heartfelt prayer of Your righteous people makes tremendous power available (dynamic in its working), and we draw our strength from You, Lord.

I thank You, Lord, that through skillful and godly wisdom is our house built (our lives, our homes, our families), and by knowledge shall its chambers [of every area] be filled with all precious and pleasant riches.

I pray the eyes of ________________’s heart flooded with light, so they can know and understand that hope to which He has called us; and how rich is His glorious inheritance for us who believe. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

If anyone reading this desires to “walk the path of light” and has not yet received Jesus Christ as Savior, please take a moment You are not alone! Jesus shed His precious blood to ensure you will never have to be in darkness or seclusion. If you find you are presently in a state of sadness and despair, run to Him. He is ever waiting with arms wide open. His love is never cold. He will never reject you. He wants only the best for you—God’s best.and read this prayer out loud:

 

Dear God, I confess that I am a sinner and am sorry for all the wrongs that I have done. I believe that Your Son, Jesus Christ, died on the cross for my sins. Please forgive me. I invite You, Jesus, to come into my heart and life as Lord and Savior. I commit and trust my life to You. Please give me the desire to be what You want me to be and to do what You want me to do. Thank You for dying for my sins, for Your free pardon, for Your gift of eternal life, and for hearing and answering my prayer. Amen.

 

All Content provided by Nina Toth