A Cheerful Christmas!

I will be glad and rejoice in You I will sing praise to Your name, O Most High!
Psalm 9:2

Crowds, complaints, long check out lines,
You better watch out, you better not cry,
The chaos makes our tune all wrong.
Time to change our focus and sing God’s song!

Family, friends, neighbors, kids too 
Complaints, frustrations, expectations
No matter who or what, be unwavering—
Let your speech to God be favoring!

Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Redeemer, Savior, Lord, and Friend
Oh the joy — when we comprehend!
-Rhonda Sawtelle

Cry Out to God

This year, I'm sharing my "Treasures" of my study of my "Ponder the Morsels" book. I've picked 31 Psalms to study throughout 2013. Today I studied Psalm 61. Here is what I learned.

Hear my cry, O God; listen to my prayer. Psalm 61:1 (AMP)

God, hear my cry; ·listen [pay attention] to my prayer. Psalm 61:1 (EXB)

Hear my cry, O God. He was in terrible earnest; he shouted, he lifted up his voice on high. He is not however content with the expression of his need: to give his sorrows vent is not enough for him, he wants actual audience of heaven, and manifold succour as the result. Pharisees may rest in their prayers; true believers are eager for an answer to them: ritualists may be satisfied when they have, "said or sung" their litanies and collects, but living children of God will never rest till their supplications have entered the ears of the Lord God of Sabaoth.

Attend unto my prayer. Give it thy consideration, and such an answer as thy wisdom sees fit. When it comes to crying with us, we need not doubt but that it will come to attending with God. Our heavenly Father is not hardened against the cries of his own children. What a consoling thought it is that the Lord at all times hears his people's cries, and is never forgetful of their prayers; whatever else fails to move him, praying breath is never spent in vain!  The Treasury of David

So often we expect people to know what’s going on in our lives.... but we neglect to tell them! In reality people can’t automatically know what’s happening in our lives if we are silent. 

God does know what is happening, as He knows everything... even our thoughts are words to God. However, God still wants us to communicate with Him. We need to cry out to God in prayer. 

Why? If God already knows do I have to pray? The best reason, is because it makes us realize that we are dependent upon God! Another reason is that prayer is not just to give God our wish list, rather prayer helps us gain wisdom and change our hearts to be in tune to God’s will and purpose. 

To create a positive day, I cannot remain silent, rather I need to cry out to God, sharing my deepest secrets and accepting His wisdom and love. 

Heart-Voice

This year, I'm sharing my "Treasures" of my study of my "Ponder the Morsels" book. I've picked 31 Psalms to study throughout 2013. Today I studied Psalm 28. Here is what I learned.

Hear the sound of my ·prayer [supplication], when I cry out to you for help. I raise my hands toward your Most Holy Place [C the place where God made his presence known, the sanctuary]. Psalm 28: 2 (EXB)

I’m letting you know what I need, calling out for help And lifting my arms toward your inner sanctum. Psalm 28: 2 (MSG)

Hear the voice of my supplication as I cry to You for help, as I lift up my hands toward Your innermost sanctuary (the Holy of Holies). Psalm 28:2 (AMP)

The word "supplications," in the plural, shows the number, continuance, and variety of a good man's prayers, while the expression, "hear the voice," seems to hint that there is an inner meaning, or heart-voice, about which spiritual men are far more concerned than for their outward and audible utterances. The Treasury of David

Heart-voice. What is my heart crying out to God? Am I concerned with material things that don’t matter? Or am I concerned with my relationship with God and where I stand in relation to a Holy God? 

Heart-voice vs head voice. My head often thinks I need something or I want to demand something from God. Yet, whom am I to demand anything from a Holy God? 

I can enter the Holy of Holies, the presence of God, only because of His grace and mercy. When I enter His presence, I can then humbly let my heart-voice pour out to my Heavenly Father. 

To create a positive day, it must begin with spending time in God’s presence and pouring out  heart-voice to a gracious and merciful God.