Just Continue That Thought...

A thought by Craig Groeschel, from his book,  Dangerous Prayers:   Because Following Jesus Was Never Meant to Be Safe ,   Zondervan. Kindle Edition. (Click on the book title to go to Amazon.com to buy the book) Is there? Craig says, “Maybe some people have suggested that you play video games way too much. They are concerned that you have more to offer, that you are missing out on more important things in life. “Perhaps someone has suggested that you drink too much. Or have a problem with pain medication. Or overeating. I f more than two trusted friends or family members have suggested this, maybe it’s time to pause and pay attention. “Maybe you have had a bad run at dating. Your friends continue to remind you that you are always saying yes to the wrong kind of person. Rather than defending your actions, perhaps it’s time to consider changing your patterns.” He goes on, “In recent years, I finally had to pause and recognize something that was out of whack

A thought by Craig Groeschel, from his book, Dangerous Prayers , Zondervan. Kindle Edition. (Click on the book title to go to Amazon.com to buy the book.) This is another part of the dangerous prayer that David prayed. Craig says, “David was called ‘a man after God’s own heart’ (see 1 Sam. 13:14 and Acts 13:22). He was devoted to God’s will and worshiped passionately, gave extravagantly, and led courageously. Yet he still made mistakes—big ones. Like you and like me, he was tempted to sin and didn’t always make the right choice. Even after he knew the goodness of God and had walked with him for most of his life, David still blew it. And that’s why he prayed this dangerous portion of the prayer: ‘Search me, God . . . know my anxious thoughts. . . . See if there is any offensive way in me’ (Ps. 139:23–24). “Show me if I am doing anything that offends or hurts your heart. ” Craig goes on, “Hearing God’s response to this portion of the prayer can be challenging. It’s

A thought by Craig Groeschel, from his book, Dangerous Prayers :  Because Following Jesus Was Never Meant to Be Safe ,   Zondervan. Kindle Edition. (Click on the book title to go to Amazon.com to buy the book.) That is a very good question, isn’t it?  Thanks for asking it, Craig. He says, “I’m not talking about normal external fears like snakes, spiders, or the fear of flying. I’m wondering what keeps you up at night, those things that ricochet in your mind and refuse to be quieted. Things like losing your job. Not getting married. Or being stuck in a bad marriage. Having your health fail. Draining your savings account just to get by. “We don’t know what exact fears were running through David’s mind, but it’s clear he was troubled about his safety and perhaps his future. Because after asking God to search his heart, David prayed, ‘know my anxious thoughts’ (Ps. 139:23). He wanted to share his worst fears with God. To face them and give them a name. To trust that God

A thought by Craig Groeschel, from his book, Dangerous Prayers , Zondervan. Kindle Edition. (Click on the book title to go to Amazon.com to buy the book.) That is a great thought and it is so true! Craig says, “We’re told in the Bible that we can ‘come boldly to the throne of our gracious God’ (Heb. 4:16a NLT). We don’t have to approach timidly or feel awkward—we can come before him with confidence, assurance, and boldness. When we pray this way, then ‘we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most’ (Heb. 4:16b NLT).” Later Craig says, “In the Old Testament we see David squaring off against God’s enemies left and right. In a raging fit of jealousy, King Saul falsely accused David of treason and attempting to assassinate the king. . . And he knew how to hit where it hurts—he claimed David wasn’t faithful to his God. “With all his heart, David wanted to please God. He fought against his anger in order to protect and show honor to

A thought by Craig Groeschel, from his book, Dangerous Prayers , Zondervan. Kindle Edition. (Click on the book title to go to Amazon.com to buy the book.) Prayer is very personal. Craig says, “There’s certainly nothing wrong with reading a prayer or using someone else’s words to pray. In fact, reading prayers can be a good starting point in learning to pray your own. Over time, though, if you want to know God intimately, you will begin to pray more unscripted prayers that come straight from your heart. As your faith grows, your prayers will likely well up deep inside you. You may not even know how to express them in words. They’re simply communication between you and your Father, the living God Almighty. Deeply personal and just as unique as your fingerprint.” He goes on, “You don’t have to look far in the Psalms to see the honest cries from the heart of David. He questioned God. He complained to God. He petitioned God. From the depths of his soul, David cried out to

A thought by Henry Cloud, from his book, Changes That Heal ( p. 131). Zondervan. Kindle Edition. (Click on the book title to go to Amazon.com to buy the book.) I’m sure we understand our limits in some areas but maybe not all of them.” Henry says, “God has designed us in his image with one exception: he is infinite, and we are finite. This truth has serious implications for our idea of boundaries. “We all possess a finite amount of ability, time, money, energy, and so on. The amounts are not static, however. We may get more or less as time goes on, but it is still true that, at any given moment, we have fixed amounts. Our salary limits what we can spend. Our energy level limits how many projects we can take on.” He goes on, “Many people don’t take responsibility for their limits and overextend themselves. It takes time to learn our limits in the various areas of life, but they can be learned if we are aware of our feelings, attitudes, and behaviors. If we are fee

A thought by Henry Cloud, from his book, Changes That Heal ( p. 128). Zondervan. Kindle Edition. (Click on the book title to go to Amazon.com to buy the book.) For some, making choices is very difficult but it is so important. Henry says, “ But our choices are not true choices unless we are aware of all the aspects of our identity that go into them—our feelings, attitudes, behaviors, wants, and thoughts. To own and make our own choices, we must be aware of all the aspects of ourselves that go into any decision. In addition, we must be aware that we are making a choice about almost everything we do.” He goes on, “Choices have two directions: yes and no. We can choose to do something, or we can choose to not do it. We can choose to give to someone, or we can choose to not give. In either case, we are responsible for the consequences. This is the essence of having a sense of limits and the cornerstone of love. “Many people give out of obligation and compulsion, whi