My JOY Journey ~ PRAYING and READING GOD'S WORD

*if you haven't read "the beginning of the end", start there before reading here... 

THE JOY of PRAYING and READING GOD'S WORD

Each Friday, I set aside, a time away with God (it's our date) ... and I believe with my whole heart, it is this time well spent that has helped me the most on my journey. Not denying, that the other topics covered and the important ones left to come, are not contributing factors in JOY for our journeys... it's just that this devoted special time, where I try my very best to shut off (including tv and internet) myself  from all else and focus just on Him, then on each of the many prayer needs of so many with Fearless Friday and/or Lighthouse of Prayer as well as ministries here and around the world. Ones that God impresses upon my heart for that week or day.

It isn't that Friday, is the only day I pray or seek God or read His Word, that's a daily venture... it's placing Him as the most important part of my day for that day in every way, which gears me up for ministry, on either Fri. evening or throughout the weekend and week. It is time well spent listening to His voice, hopefully hearing Him and allowing His Spirit to fill me once again. Sometimes, I have to do this on other days also, especially in my up hill journey to escape the valleys... 

I 
need 
to lift 
my eyes 
'unto the hills' 
to get my footing 
solid and 

look up rather than down, 

look to Him rather than others, 

look forward rather than backwards,

look intently rather than look around,  

look for joy rather than despair.

This I find in prayer!

He sets my feet 
on higher ground and 
keeps me dancing 

in His Joy!

*"To walk with God, we must make it a practice to talk with God."

1 Samuel 1:2, 10, 11, 20, 24-28

*PROMISES... 1) to help you Praise God Psalm 149:1; Psalm 106:1-2; Psalm 113:3 2) about the Joy of Solitude and Silence Psalm 4:4-5; Psalm 46:10; Lamentations 3:25-26 3) to help you Trust God Isaiah 65:24; Isaiah 26:3-4; Isaiah 12:2 4) about Worshiping God Psalm 29:1-2; Psalm 95:6-7; John 4:23-24 5) to keep Your Focus on God Isaiah 30:15; Psalm 11:2-4; 2 Corinthians 5:6-7 6) about Asking Hard Questions Hebrews 4:15-16; Jeremiah 29:11-13; Proverbs 19:8 7) about Praying for God's Work 1 John 4:4; Ephesians 6:17-18; 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 8) about Moving God through Prayer 1 John 5:14-15; Psalm 86:6-7; Psalm 6:8-9 9) to help you Pray Daily Psalm 55:17; Daniel 6:10; Psalm 119:164 10) about Gaining Perspective from God's Word Psalm 119:15-16; Psalm 119:105; Romans 10:17;  Mark 4:20 11) about Being Refreshed by God's Word Psalm119:103; Psalm 19:7-8,10 12) about Sabbath Rest Psalm 37:7; Exodus 31:15; Joshua 1:8

Part of my Friday Focus also has been building my FAITH FOCUS through God's Promises, made available at 365promises.com with beautiful photos, short devotions and paraphrasing a scripture as a Promise spoken to us by God. The above promises and this full week of my Joy journey has some wonderful Promises also from God's Word that we can focus on as well (maybe they are some of the same ones). It is in digging into Scriptures of God's Word that we are able to find JOY or whatever we may be seeking and claim those promises right from His Word. His Word does not fail nor will it return void if we claim these promises and make them into our prayers. 


*Part 4 in "Joy for the Journey"