The O's of God, Day 2

The O's of God, Day 2

Omnipotence is defined as the almighty God's expectation for human beings to obey Him, and He holds them responsible for their thoughts and actions. He has created all things and sustains them by the Word of His power. He is the all-powerful Lord.

Interesting how our thoughts are just as important as our actions. That God can sustain all things by the Word of His power. Are there things that have died because of our words? Are there things that are being sustained because you speak life into them? Who speaks life into you, who sustains you?

Omnipresence is defined as the nature of God who is not like the other idols and God's that can only be worshiped in one place or that are dead and buried. God reveals Himself in the Bible as the Lord who is everywhere. God was present as Lord in all creation, and there is no escaping Him. He is present in our innermost thoughts. Even as we are formed in the womb, He knows all the days of our future.

Omniscience is defined as the knowledge of God, who knows our thoughts from afar. He is acquainted with all our ways, knowing or words even before they are on our tongues. He needs to consult no one for knowledge or understanding. He is the all-knowing Lord who prophesies the events of the future.

The following Psalm is one of my favorites. Take a moment to read it. If you can print it out, put it somewhere that will remind you of who God is and who you are because of Him. Read it often, commit it to heart, believe it.

Psalm 139

1 O LORD, you have searched me
and you know me.
2 You know when I sit and when I rise;
you perceive my thoughts from afar.
3 You discern my going out and my lying down;
you are familiar with all my ways.
4 Before a word is on my tongue
you know it completely, O LORD.
5 You hem me in—behind and before;
you have laid your hand upon me.
6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,
too lofty for me to attain.
7 Where can I go from your Spirit?
Where can I flee from your presence?
8 If I go up to the heavens, you are there;
if I make my bed in the depths, [a] you are there.
9 If I rise on the wings of the dawn,
if I settle on the far side of the sea,
10 even there your hand will guide me,
your right hand will hold me fast.
11 If I say, "Surely the darkness will hide me
and the light become night around me,"
12 even the darkness will not be dark to you;
the night will shine like the day,
for darkness is as light to you.
13 For you created my inmost being;
you knit me together in my mother's womb.
14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
your works are wonderful,
I know that full well.
15 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,
16 your eyes saw my unformed body.
All the days ordained for me
were written in your book
before one of them came to be.
17 How precious to [b] me are your thoughts, O God!
How vast is the sum of them!
18 Were I to count them,
they would outnumber the grains of sand.
When I awake,
I am still with you.
19 If only you would slay the wicked, O God!
Away from me, you bloodthirsty men!
20 They speak of you with evil intent;
your adversaries misuse your name.
21 Do I not hate those who hate you, O LORD,
and abhor those who rise up against you?
22 I have nothing but hatred for them;
I count them my enemies.
23 Search me, O God, and know my heart;
test me and know my anxious thoughts.
24 See if there is any offensive way in me,
and lead me in the way everlasting.

Please Continue to pray for Kathy L. this week.

Lord, today I pray for the elections. That you will be in this moment with us, our thoughts and our actions. Will you hep us to focus on you and your Word. If we haven't voted yet, Lord, I pray that you will help us to vote so that it pleases you. Lord, I pray that we understand our importance as Christians in deciding who will be our leaders. Mostly, Lord, I pray that you be honored in this election.

Hope, Day 3

So, what does it mean to have confident expectations or hope in God?

Scripture talks about both putting our hope in and on God. What is the difference?

Putting your hope in God, is really the first part of faith. When you have expectations of life reconciled, you are hoping in God's truth and Word.

Ephesians1:9-12 He made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His kind intention which He purposed in Him with a view to an administration suitable to the fullness of the times, that is, the summing up of all things in Christ, things in the heavens and things on the earth. In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to His purpose who works all things after the counsel of His will, to the end that we who were the first to hope in Christ would be to the praise of His glory.

When you believe and have expectations of God as He is the father He promises to be, then you are putting your hope on Him.

1 Timothy 6:17 Instruct those who are rich in this present world not to be conceited or to fix their hope on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly supplies us with all things to enjoy.

1 Timothy 4:10 For it is for this we labor and strive, because we have fixed our hope on the living God, who is the Savior of all men, especially of believers.

Please continue to pray for Shawna L this week.

Hope, Day 2

Why do we cheapen Faith? Why do we cheapen Christ? Why do we cheapen Hope?

If we don't believe in it's power, it no longer has any.

It was only a few short years ago that I had one of those "ahh-haa" moments and truly realized what Hope was/is. I don't remember what we were discussing at the time. We were at our small group in Cedar Falls and someone defines hope; "hope is confident expectation". What? Confident Expectation? What does that mean? Okay, so whatever the group continued to talk about was completely lost to me. I had just realized that all I had ever considered of the word hope was like "wish" or "luck". It was a pat on the back, a word of encouragement to let someone know you were, well, hoping that whatever it was they wanted to do or accomplish or have was going to happen for them. I don't know that up to that point in my life I had ever said the word hope with the thought of expectation.

May I encourage you to take time to reflect on how you use the word hope. Do you cheapen it like I did? Do you use it like a wish and not like putting expectations on/in Christ? Be intentional when you use the word hope. Every time you say Hope, may it be a prayer of expectation to your Savior.

1 Thessalonians 1:2,3
We give thanks to God always for all of you, making mention of you in our prayers;
constantly bearing in mind your work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ in the presence of our God and Father

Please continue to pray for Shawna L this week

Hope, Day 1

Hope: "favorable and confident expectation"

Colossians 1:26-29 (The Message) This mystery has been kept in the dark for a long time, but now it's out in the open. God wanted everyone, not just Jews, to know this rich and glorious secret inside and out, regardless of their background, regardless of their religious standing. The mystery in a nutshell is just this: Christ is in you, so therefore you can look forward to sharing in God's glory. It's that simple. That is the substance of our Message. We preach Christ, warning people not to add to the Message. We teach in a spirit of profound common sense so that we can bring each person to maturity. To be mature is to be basic. Christ! No more, no less. That's what I'm working so hard at day after day, year after year, doing my best with the energy God so generously gives me.

Please pray for Shawna L this week. Please pray for all of the people affected by Ike, including Janell O and her family in Ohio that doesn't have power.

Expectation Day 5

Prayer and Praise

It has been a great reminder this week of how amazing our God is. Here is a wonderful worship song for you during your next devotional/prayer time. Remember God is Enough....

Barlow Girl: Enough




Please pray for Janell O as she seeks God's guidance.
Praise God for the blessing staying at home with her children has been to Kelly H (Iowa).
Please continue to pray blessings into the upcoming union of Julz and Sam.
Please pray for strong Christian female and male role models in McKayla's life.
Please pray for safe travels for everyone that will be getting away for the three day weekend.
Praise God we can find time to be families and love each other without expectation.

Please remember to pray for all the children who are preparing to head off to school. After this week all of our beautiful children will be in the greatest battlefield of life. Pray the Lord protect and guide them. Remember to take time to pray over your children. Protect their innocent minds. Pray that as parents we take time to pay attention to all that is happening in their school work, friendships and extra curricular activities. Ask God for a little extra patience and love as we all get back into our routines.

God Bless you all and Thank you for your friendships and prayer. May the light of our Heavenly Father show with every step you take.

Expectation Day 4

Expectation Day 4

No more expectations!

God does not love us because we are valuable. We are valuable because God loves us. - Fulton J. Sheen

If God takes our lump of clay and remolds it, it will be on the basis of love and not on the basis of power over you. - James Conway

Write a list of human characteristics of love and then compare them to your understanding of God's love.

Now write a list of expectations that you have for yourself. That others have for you. Rip it up! Lift up those arms and praise God that it is not our expectations or those of others that matters to him. Praise him for giving us a simple call in our lives. To love him and others as he loves us.

Now, go on with your day, a bit lighter, knowing that what ever you accomplish today is enough, more than enough.

Dear Lord,

You are amazing. You are love. I love you. Thank you.

Expectation Day 3

Expectation Day 3

What to do about Expecting?

Romans 5:5And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.

Psalm 62:5 My soul, wait silently for God alone, for my expectation is from Him.

Psalm 145:15-16 The eyes of all look expectantly to You, And you give them their food in due season. You open your hand And satisfy the desire of every living thing.

God does not have any expectations on us. He already knows our weaknesses, our limitations, our hearts. He knows the measure of our faith and he knows our thoughts. So why would be have expectations? He already knows who we are, why don't we? Is it because we are always striving to be someone else? I hope this will be profound. Stop being someone else, just be you. Be the best you that you can be. How? Just do what you can with what you have been given. The Bible has given us many ideas of what we need to do. It is more a responsibility than an expectation. One thing I know is that if we are to live for today, then having expectations would be against that very call in our lives. If we have expectations, we are living in the future, in the not yet, in the later on. If we have love, hope and faith, we live in the now and we are in relationship with our God.

James 1:27Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.

Dear Lord, is it really that simple? Can we be freed from all that is expected? Will you help to remind us of this revelation? I am so amazed at how you have revealed the simplest of truths to us. May we abide in relationship with you by not allowing the world to pollute what it is that you want from us. There is not a huge list of things in our lives that we must accomplish, yet I feel like I was created to do so many things. I know that it is living in this society that makes me think this way. I know that you call each of us to do different things, to have different levels of accomplishments. I pray that you will continue to reveal your will to us, that you will help us to believe that you love us more than we could possibly ever imagine. I pray that you will be blessed by our lives. Amen.

Expectation Day 2

Expectation, Day 2

What do you expect?

Just for a moment, will you consider that expectations are also a way to control something. Okay, that may be hard to do. But if you have no expectations, you can't try to control your situation or the future, right? I myself am a planner, a doer, a woman that does too much. What I do may not be the same that you do or more or less of what you do, it is what I do because it is what I perceive to be expected of me or it is what I have set as an expectation of myself. Sorry if I lost you there.

For someone like me, it is really hard to actually believe that I have accomplished something. Just when I am about to bring something to completion, I tend to add other contingencies so that the task is not fully completed, requiring more of myself than what is needed. Sometimes I may be make tasks much harder than they are because being busy makes me feel safe and it makes me feel more responsible. It also adds a huge weight and burden and blinds me of my successes so that I am almost oblivious to all that I have actually accomplished.

In today's society, women are praised for being successful as long as she can continue, at the same time, to be a good wife, a good mother, good-looking, good-tempered, well-groomed and unaggressive. So what is the problem? Well, it is a little tough to be well-groomed when you have a toddler running around. When we have deadlines with work and home it really hard to remain good-tempered. Producing children does not help us with the good-looking expectation wither. As women, we try the hardest to meet the expectations of others. As a result, we are always looking outside for validation, and no matter how much we get, it isn't enough. In always trying to be what others think we should be, we have lost ourselves and end up having little to bring to any relationship or task. This includes our relationship with God and serving the purpose he created us for.

Margaret Mitchell said "Life's under no obligation to give us what we expect." Expectations just set us up for disappointment. This quote could be re-written from a Christian point of view. God is under no obligation to give us what we expect. Ouch, that is rough, but true.

Many times, in our expectations, we are oblivious to what is really going on in a situation. We are so entirely wedded to what we think should be happening, or what we want to happen, we don't see what is happening. Many times we set up expectations for others without knowing their limitations, their expectations for themselves or their boundaries in relationships. This makes it hard for us to relate to others and in return we miss the opportunity to be in relationship with them. We also do this with God. We forget that HE is in control and he has a will for us in our lives. We may not fully understand what he is doing in our lives if we are focused on our expectations.

When it comes to a relationship with God and religion, I think expectations are a huge barrier for those who do not yet know our Lord. We have enough superhuman expectations of ourselves that what others think of us is a pale comparison. Many really believe that we should be able to handle everything, know everything, be on top of everything. Don't be so hard on yourself, God doesn't even have those expectations of us. I believe he doesn't set up any expectations at all, he wants to relate to us, expectations are barriers and if he loves us all, then he will not be disappointed in us if there are no expectations to be met. This does not mean we do not have responsibility, but that is for tomorrow...

Please continue to pray for Becky H.

If you have a testimony or comment about expectations, please feel free to share.

Expectation Day 1

Expectation Day 1

Expectation (www.dictionary.com)

1. the act or the state of expecting: to wait in expectation.
2. the act or state of looking forward or anticipating.
3. an expectant mental attitude: a high pitch of expectation.
4. something expected; a thing looked forward to.

Dear Lord,

Please help me to articulate what it is that I have learned about expectation. Make it clear and this week, Lord, short and to the point. I know I am one of many words, but you know my heart and desire. I ask that you open our minds and our hearts to hear this message this week. That we can truly turn it into a devotional and be devoted to your word and what it is that you have prepared for us in the way we will interpret this weeks study on expectation. May you receive all the glory. Amen.

Please pray for Becky H. this week.

Disappointment, Day 4

There is something very important to note about disappointment. When you look it up in scripture it tells us again and again that those who believe in Him will not be disappointed.

Make a list of the top 5 expectations you have for your life and relationships. Now, take a little time to find scripture where God meets those expectations for you. If you need help finding one, add it to the comments today and I will find one for you. God will meet your every reasonable expectation, for he is the Alpha, the Omega, greater then any box you can put Him in. Keep the scriptures available so that the next time someone or something fails to meet your expectations, you can rely on the One who will meet them all.

Do you believe?

Romans 10:11 For the Scripture says, "WHOEVER BELIEVES IN HIM WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED."

1 Peter 2:6 For the Scripture says, "WHOEVER BELIEVES IN HIM WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED."

Please continue to pray for Annemarie M. Please send in prayer and praise for tomorrow. Also, if you have a testimony in regards to dissapointment, please share. God Bless

Disappointment, Day 2

I am a huge fan of the Olympics. Last night I was watching the women's gymnastic competition. Amazing athletes that have committed every piece of themselves to be perfect at what they do. When you see on one of their faces the disappointment of not winning the gold medal, you want to cry for them.

Failure to meet expectation. It happens to all of us. Someone disappoints us or we fall short of those expectations ourselves. It is even harder to deal with failing at the things we have set out to perfect in our own lives. There is not a solution that makes disappointment easier. In fact, I think the more heart and soul you put into something with hopes of success can hit the hardest when they don't work out as we plan.

Take the gymnast for example. She had performed to the peak of perfection but due to things out of her control she now holds the silver medal in her event. While you and I see the blessing in the silver, she sees the failure in not wearing the gold. Perspective has a lot to do with disappointment.

In Romans we are told we are hemmed in with troubles. Okay, that doesn't sound good. So, no matter how hard I try, will I fail, will people fail me? No, that isn't it. Sometimes though there are things in this world that will cause pain and disappointment. Although many of us like to think that we can control everything, we really can't. If you think for a moment that you can, I am thankful not to be hemmed in with you and your troubles. We are not suppose to dwell in our pain, we fight the good fight and learn the lessons of patience that becomes virtue. If you continue to attempt control, disappointment will become despair because nothing will ever meet your expectations. Dealing with disappointment in this life prepares us for the promises of God. With Him we will never be "shortchanged" but blessed generously by the Holy Spirit.

Romans 5:3-5 There's more to come: We continue to shout our praise even when we're hemmed in with troubles, because we know how troubles can develop passionate patience in us, and how that patience in turn forges the tempered steel of virtue, keeping us alert for whatever God will do next. In alert expectancy such as this, we're never left feeling shortchanged. Quite the contrary—we can't round up enough containers to hold everything God generously pours into our lives through the Holy Spirit!

Heavenly Father, I praise your name for all that you are and the beauty of your majesty. I read your inspired words in Romans 5 this week and I am weak with the knowledge of your gift. Lord I find myself holding back from challenges and relationships because I don't want to feel the pain of disappointment. Lord, the next time I am given the chance to love a little stronger or try a little harder remind me that when the disappointment can be great that the gift is more amazing and greater then anything I could imagine. May I never store up my blessings but share them with those you wish to see you. ~Your precious Holy Name.
Please Continue to pray for Annemarie M this week.

Prayer Request: Hello, This Saturday a family, the Brewers, in our church lost their home to a house fire. They were not home when the fire started and they were not able to recover anything but 2 Bibles. They are a young family with 3 children, 6, 4 and 2 years of age. Today they are coming back to town to share with their children why they are not able to "go home". Please pray for them as they have lost everything they have ever worked for. They are thankful that they are safe and have each other. Praise God that our church has come through and that they may have a place to stay and temporary comforts, but the grief and the loss is hard. Please pray for them. If there is anything you would like to do or if you would like to encourage them, please forward on to womenofworship1@gmail.com and we will make sure to let them know. Mostly though, the prayers will be needed, so thank you in advance.

Expectations

E X pectations

Day 1

E X pectations

To consider probable or certain; hope; assurance

1 Peter 1:3

All honor to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, for it is by his boundless mercy that God has given us the privilege of being born again. Now we live with a wonderful expectation because Jesus Christ rose again from the dead.

Our hope is not only for the future; eternal life begins when we trust Christ and join God's family. No matter what pain or trial we face in this life, we know that it is not our final experience. Eventually we will live with Christ forever.

Day 2

Expecting

Good or bad, expectations may limit our relationship with God. I have only been a Christian for about 6 years now. In that time I have learned that my expectations are not always God's greatest concern. I have learned to become a bit more humble when presenting my requests to God. Not to expect that what I desire will be given to me, but to expect that God will hear my prayers and will answer them according to his own understanding and expectations for my life.

This is a hard concept for me. I tend to listen to many views and then desperately try to filter them through God's word so that I will rely only on his promises and not on what I have come to expect from him. In my walk with God, I have come across those who believe that if you ask, then you can expect to receive what you have asked for. Experience shows me otherwise. I am thankful that there have been times that I have not gotten what I expected, because the alternative was far better than my tiny little mind could have imagined. Many times, though, I have allowed my self to only expect a little and God has provided more. So what do we do to balance out our expectation when it comes to God?

In 2 Corinthians 8-11, Paul writes "I think you ought to know, dear brothers and sisters, about the trouble we went through in the province of Asia. We were crushed and completely overwhelmed, and we thought we would never live through it. In fact, we expected to die. But as a result, we learned not to rely on ourselves, but on God who can raise the dead. And he did deliver us from mortal danger. And we are confident that he will continue to deliver us. He will rescue us because you are helping by praying for us. As a result, many will give thanks to God because so many people's prayers for our safety have been answered.

I think this passage tells us we need to pray for each other and ask for other to pray for us. We need to be in constant prayer for what we need and want, but always remember that God is ultimately in control. That is where faith shows its face. Even if our expectations aren't met or are met far greater than we could imagine, our faith in prayer is the vehicle in which God can act out his Love for us. Remember, that the blessing your receive is for God's glory and for others to come to know and praise him for the prayers he answers.

Day 3

Expect your faith to be enough

We often depend on our own skills and abilities when life seems easy and only turn to God when we feel unable to help ourselves. But as we realize our own powerlessness with out him and our need for his constant hope in our lives, we come to depend on him more and more. God is our source of power and we receive his help by keeping in touch with him. With this attitude of dependence, problems will drive us to God rather than away from him. Learn how to rely on God daily, start your day with prayer and thanksgiving.

A few years ago I decided to run for the Biggest Turkey Contest. Despite it's name, the contest was well worth it. The Biggest Turkey Contest was comprised of several members of the community who had about 3 months to earn/raise the most money for Hospice care in our community. My husband and I had volunteered on the committee since he ran in the contest several years earlier. I had no doubt that I would be able to raise funds as I had many very experienced people on my team helping me. It was the second part of the contest that I feared the most, the talent show. This talent show consisted of a lip sync about 3-4 minutes long in front of the entire community and it would be played on public access channel for an entire year. I had decided I wanted to honor my mentor and friend, Lea, who was also the head Hospice Manager in the area. I had it all figured out until the week of the talent show. I realized I was not going to be able to get up on stage and do this thing by myself. So I hit my knees and I prayed and I cried and I prayed some more. I asked God to bless whoever put the time and energy into their talent show and that I would do my best but that He had to be there for me. I only expected that I was going to be able to get up on stage and somehow my lips would move to a song I had not rehearsed. In a matter of 30 minutes, I received a call from my daughters ballet instructor asking if she could put together the lip sync for me. PRAISE GOD. I did win the Biggest Turkey Contest overall, raising the most money, I did not get first place for the talent show, but I was able to go through with the talent show and honor my friend. Every time my life gets a little out of hand I remember how my faith brought me to God's feet and even though He did more than I expected, he did not go over board and he did not do only what I expected.

Have you relied on your own skills and abilities when life is easy?

Have you turned to God when you feel unable to help yourself?

Do you depend on God at all times?

Do you have a story about how God has met or exceeded your expectations? Not met them?

What are your beliefs about God? Do you think he will give you EVERYTHING you ask for, or will he use these opportunities to teach us?

Dear Lord, I know that many times I don't expect your power and love to be big enough to help me through my situations. I know that there are times I expect you to take care of things because you have done it so many times in the past. Help me Lord, to come to you with everything and to be willing to receive whatever it is that you have for me. Help me not to have high or low expectations, but faith that you listen to my prayers and want the best for me.

Day 4

Proverbs 10:28 The hopes of the Godly result in happiness, but the expectations of the wicked are all in vain.

Ask God to give you hope and faith enough to come to him in times of pleasure and need. Give yourself the opportunity to lay down your requests to God daily and not have any expectations, but faith that God will hear you and do what is best for you.

Be willing to let go of the past expectations you may have had and look for the gift that God gave you in place of your expectations. Let go of any resentment you may have for not getting what you wanted and remember to give praise for those times you have received more than you expected.

Day 5

Gracious Heavenly Father, I thank you.

I thank you first for the love you showed me in giving your son to save me.
I thank you for the mercy that did not leave me in my sin.

Thank you for the sunshine and the rain.

Father, I want to be content wherever I am.

I ask you to show me the blessing in my circumstances. Please open my eyes to see your grace and its sufficiency.

Remind me how you have delivered me and protected me.

Show me placed in my life where your hand held me when I would have fallen.

Put praises on my lips.

Let my life praise you.

Clothe me with your glory, that others might see you and praise you too.

In Jesus' name, Amen.