Seasons

I stand in awe of God and His Majesty. His creations are beautiful and purposeful. Recently, I have become more aware of all His work that surrounds me. Even the leaves that are falling from the trees during this time of year catch my attention.

As a tree grows, it becomes more and more noticeable. I was driving past a business recently and could not believe how big the trees that were planted there just a few years ago had become. They had not stopped growing after they were planted, I just had not paid attention to them. Sometimes, we don't realize how much we have grown in our faith because we don't look back to see where God has brought us from. 

As believers, we are kind of like trees. We go through seasons in our lives. We have some seasons where we feel extremely blessed. Everything seems to be just perfect. God is answering prayers left and right, and we feel close to Him. 

Then, there are seasons where we feel like God has left us wandering in the desert alone. We are drying up and withering away. The leaves are falling off of our branches, leaving us feeling alone and afraid. This doesn't happen overnight; it happens slowly when our prayer life has diminished and reading the Word becomes a drudgery. We even tend to miss church services here and there.

In the book of Ecclesiastes, we find there is a time for everything, good and bad. God ordains the hard times just as much as the good times. If things were great all the time then why would we need Him? We need to keep God as the center of our focus in good times and in bad times. 

I do know that God loves all of us, and even though we don't see the big picture, He has a plan and a purpose for each of us. We have to be plugged into His Word and spend time with Him in prayer so that we can grow closer to Him each day.


Be Blessed,
Dawn

...In Jesus name, Amen

As believers, most of us end our prayers with "in Jesus' name, Amen."  Why do we do this? Because that is what we have read in the Bible and have been taught to do, right?

Three times in John chapters 14 - 16, Jesus tells us to ask in His name.  In chapter 16, Jesus said, "You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit, fruit that will last. Then, the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name."

When you go in someone's name or in their stead, you go in their character - representing who they are. When we pray in the name of Jesus, we are representing the very character of Jesus in full realization of who He is. 

Don't let this prayer ending become just a habit. Recognize the power in the name of Jesus. Spend time reading God's Word, searching for verses that pertain to the things you are asking of Him. Then, pray in the name of Jesus, believing that He will hear and answer your prayers.

Col 3:17 

Whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of Jesus, 

giving thanks to God the Father through Him.

Be Blessed,
Dawn