A couple of weeks ago I was struck by my unbelief. And by struck, I mean, convicted by the Holy Spirit. You see, I believe God can do stuff. I believe He can heal. I believe He can save. I believe He can change lives. Where I stumble is I struggle to believe He will. Ouch.
I have been praying for a friend for many years now. Her life has changed somewhat, but she is still no closer to knowing Jesus and living with freedom. I believe God can save her, but as I was praying for her a couple of weeks ago, I found myself confessing to him that I didn't believe that he will actually save her.
My solution to growing and changing this unbelief in my heart is scripture and prayer. I've picked out some passages to memorize about faith and I will be reading through Praying God's Word. I'm also asking God to help my unbelief and to increase my faith. Funny thing is I know He will. I'm all whacky and confused.
This is what I'm memorizing now:
Ephesians 3:12
In Him and through faith in Him, we may approach God with freedom and confidence.
Jeremiah 17:7-8
But blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in Him. He will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drouth and never fails to bear fruit.
Also, as per last year about this time, memorizers are falling off right and left. Jump back on, friends! If you know someone who has fallen off, reach out and help them back up! That's what we do. We help each other. We encourage each other. We hold each other accountable. You are disciplined to take showers even when you feel lazy and don't want to. You may skip a couple of days, but eventually you start to stink so you force yourself to bathe. Don't get spiritually stinky, friends. Be in His Word. Even in your weariness, stick with it. The benefits of a heart like Jesus' far outweigh the cost of self-discipline. Do it.
What are you memorizing?
16 important comments so far. What are your thoughts?
I enjoyed talking with you the other day about this subject of believing God can, but will he? I love your heart and transparency, and look forward to seeing how God builds your faith in this journey.
I am continuing to work through my list of scriptures that are keeping me focused on how I want to parent and the verses I want to teach my children.
Colossians 3:12
"Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourself with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience."
Thanks for the kick in the seat of the pants, Angel. It's needed.
I've somewhat unintentionally memorized a few verses over the past months, just cause the Holy Spirit keeps bringing them to mind:
"They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the LORD for the display of his splendor." Is 61:3
"Yet the LORD longs to be gracious to you,
He rises to show you compassion.
For the LORD is a God of justice,
Blessed are all who wait for him." Is 30:18
All of these Isaiah verses came up in cross-references from my Bible study in Luke. I love how scripture shows the whole picture of God's heart for his children!
My current verse:
'In that day, they will say,
"Surely this is our God;
We trusted in him, and he saved us.
This is the LORD, we trusted in him;
Let us rejoice and be glad in his salvation."' Is 25:9
Yes, yes, I confess to having neglected this activity. So I intend to re-group and decide on a more consistent plan of study involving scripture memory. My deadline for finalizing this plan will be July 1st :)
I'm getting back on track, but have some major reviewing to still do. God led me to this verse a few days ago and I cannot get enough of it. As I have prayed through it and asked God what He would teach me in it, He has answered in reminder, encouragement, and expectation.
Galatians 6:9 (ESV)
And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.
Ephesians 6:12, ESV
For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.
I've always known the first part of this verse, but I'm trying to have integrity with quoting God's word.
I like this verse because it gives me the ability to forgive people, give grace to people, and to remind myself of the larger picture. I always need reminders of the big picture.
Ok feeling those teeth gnawing...I've been feeling weak and insignificant lately in my grad program and in many other areas of my life. It's difficult to find joy in everything I do and feel like I am sufficient and good at anything. But 2 Corinthians 12:9-10 says, "But he said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.' Therefore, I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong."
It's amazing that the idea of unbelief has come up lately because it is definitely the thing that is keeping me the most separated from God during my prayers right now. I can think that God can do anything but do I actually believe in my heart that he will get me through grad school. Wow, it's humbling to say it's not something I truly believe on a regular basis. I feel like I always come against those huge hurdles Chad mentioned on Sunday and that I'm just ready to throw in the towel instead of stop and pray. But God reminds me that HIS grace is sufficient and HIS power can overcome weakness. I just long to be able to ingrain that on my heart and truly, with no morsel of doubt, believe God's word.
Just a very simple verse this time!
"He must increase, but I must decrease."
-John 3:30 (ESV - NIV says "He must become greater, I must become less.")
Quick one-liner, but it reminds me who is really at work, or who should be. It reminds me who this is about.
Oops, the above is Christy Harrison...forgot I was signed in under a different name!
I am going to add verse 19 to the verses I memorized earlier this month from 1 Peter 4.
"Therefore let those who suffer according to God's will entrust their souls to a faithful Creator while doing good."
Definitely one who has fallen off and have felt convicted to start back up. I feel that I never made a commitment to reviewing my verses as I always had an easy time memorizing quickly, however that Changed recently and things aren't sticking. So until July 1st I am going to get in the routine of picking up my verse pack and actually reviewing before adding a new verse. I need to find real commitment in my heart to this and not rely on my quick to memorize brain
To be honest, I haven't memorized the previous set of verses just due to busyness and fatigue. But in the past I have been able to be consistent without strategy or lots of effort- guess I have to change my game plan :) I am memorizing the next 2 verses just to keep on track and be more challenged.
2 corinthians 6:8-9
8 through honor and dishonor, through slander and praise. We are treated as impostors, and yet are true; 9 as unknown, and yet well known; as dying, and behold, we live; as punished, and yet not killed;
agh! i'm not memorizing anything. i use to, always.
need to. hmm, what?
i was reading 1 kings this a.m. one of solomon's prayers struck me. i should memorize that.
Jumping back on!! For He will give His angels charge concerning you, to guard you in all your ways. Ps. 91:11
I've not been diligent the last few weeks so I'm going to review and keep working on my previous verses. I've set an alarm on my phone to alert me a few days before the 1st and 15th each month so I can remember to plan ahead and consider what to memorize next. :)
I know this is ridiculously late -
I kept trying to find this passage and couldn't!
Then I remembered Caylin posted it on her blog -
Thanks, Caylin!
Psalm 139:13-16 NIV)
"For you created my inmost being;
you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
your works are wonderful,
I know that full well.
My frame was not hidden from you
when I was made in the secret place,
when I was woven together in the depths of the earth.
Your eyes saw my unformed body;
all the days ordained for me were written in your book
before one of them came to be."
Colossians 3:16
Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, signing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs with thankfulness in your hearts to God.
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