An Old Hymn to Pray

A few Sunday's ago, our pastor had us turn in our hymnal(yes, we still use hymnals) to an old hymn that we had sung before, but not often enough for me to remember. This time we didn't sing it, we spoke it as a prayer. Than a friend gave me a copy of the hymn printed on nice paper. I keep it by my desk & have begun to use it as a prayer. As you read the words of this hymn, I urge you to ask the Lord how you can, not just speak the words, but apply them as well. There is so much that Christ wants to do for us, but we must seek the mind of Christ in order that we may gain his insight & wisdom.

May the Mind of Christ, My Savior

1. May the mind of Christ, my Savior, Live in me from day to day, by His love and power controlling all I do and say.

2. May the Word of God dwell richly in my heart from hour to hour, so that all may see I triumph only throu' His power.

3. May the peace of God my Father Rule my life in everything, that I may be calm to comfort sick and sorrowing.

4. May the love of Jesus fill me as the waters fill the sea; Him exalting, self abasing - This is victory.

5. May I run the race before me, strong and brave to face the foe, Looking only unto Jesus as I onward go.

6. May His beauty rest upon me as I seek the lost to win; and may they forget the channel, seeing only Him.

Go to this website to read the story behind this hymn. You can listen to it also. I encourage you to print it out & keep it where you can ponder & pray these words.

Jesus Method of Dealing with Stress

There is a popular belief that Christians only experience stress if they are sinning or somehow outside of the will of God. Mary Fairchild, the Christian Guide at About.com, writes:

"Stress and anxiety for a Christian can take on many different shapes and forms, yet in general, for most Christians, stress boils down to one idea - lack of trust in God."

While it is true that lack of faith in God results in unnecessary stress, it is also true that Christians are required at times to walk-in-faith through stress.

Even Jesus Christ experienced stress. In fact, His state of psychological stress was so severe that it has since been written about in medical journals: Hematohidrosis is a condition in which the blood vessels around sweat glands dilate to the point of rupture, whereupon the blood flows into the sweat glands - coming out as droplets of blood mixed with sweat.

This is a physical phenomena not frequently experienced, even in the most stressful circumstances. Yet, Jesus found Himself sweating blood on the evening before His crucifixion.

During this period of time, Jesus demonstrated for every Christian how God equips a saint to think about, walk through, and succeed when under necessary STRESS:

S - Scared to death of the
T - Time just ahead, yet
R - Resolving to
E - Exude grace while being willing to
S - Sacrifice our very life, if need be, to
S - Succeed in God's goals for us.

Jesus was literally "overwhelmed with sorrow", "full of anguish" and "falling face down" in prayer.

Next time you find yourself psychologically struggling, do what Jesus did:

P - Present your fears to God as honestly as you can
R - Relinquish yourself into His hands
A - Agree that He is Sovereign and ask for as much mercy as is possible given His goals
Y - Yield yourself fully to His choices for your future.

Marnie Swedberg is a leadership mentor to thousands of women, speakers and women's ministry leaders from six continents. Learn more about her life, ministry and published resources here: http://www.marnie.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Marnie_Swedberg

Free Israel Unit Study

Here she goes again...

Terri Johnson at Knowledge Quest has most graciously shared with us another one of her unit studies. This one is on Israel. These are simple & yet a lot of fun.

Go to Knowlege Quest to get the Unit Study.

If you subscribe to her newsletter, she will send you a link to her "Around the World" unit study. Her website & blog is full of lots of freebies (& who doesn't love that!).

My Verse for 2009

For the past several years I have asked the Lord to give me a verse for that year. It is a verse that I meditate on, pray to Him and claim as a promise to me.

Last year, Isaiah 43:19 was the verse that He gave me.

"See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland."

I have always loved that whole chapter of Isaiah. It always spoke deep truth & insight to me. So, with my new verse I was anxious to see what the Lord had to show me & accomplish in my life. I had my idea's of what he could (& hopefully) do, but I of course didn't know.

It wasn't until I was reading the Bible in my quiet time a few mornings ago that I realized what the "new thing" was that God began in my life. He opened the door and gave me the opportunity to be the leader of a very exciting mom's ministry in my church. It is something that I have been involved in in a variety of ways for a few years, but didn't think I would be leading it. This has been very exciting to me as I get to do what I love most-minister to & encourage moms.

So, I began praying and asking the Lord to show me a new verse for the new year. I had actually forgot about it until I was at a meeting the other night & the one leading the meeting was sharing some verses and one of those really stood out to me & I felt the Spirit say, "That is it, there is your verse." I got really excited though no one else in the meeting knew what was going on.

Ephesians 3:20&21 is my verse for 2009.

"Now to Him who is able to do exceeding abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us, to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen."

For about 3 years now, my husband & I have been on a roller coaster ride that we would really like to get off of. We have battled with our selves & are learning to trust & rest. It is a daily dying to self. It is a daily decision to to say, "God I know you are enough."

This verse is more confirmation to me & can arm me with the strength that he has for me. This verse is a daily reminder that of all that I try to ask for & think of for him to do for us, He has even greater things in store. More than I can imagine. WOW!

"He is able to do exceeding abudnatly more beyond all that we ask or think..."

That gives me chill bumps. Do you know why? Because we have been asking for a lot! Not material things, but we have been asking for wisdom, strength & understanding, and we often feel clueless. Have you ever felt like that?

I encourage you to ask for your verse. He knows what you need & He wants to pour His words into your soul.

What is your verse & how has it blessed you and strengthened you?