Prayer, Praise and Consistency

 

Are there areas you want to work on when it comes to your relationship with God? I have been looking into the different aspects of my walk with Him. These places where I want to go deeper with my Heavenly Father. The main things I've been looking at are prayer, praise and consistency.

There is a song called Blessed Be Your Name sung by Matt Redman that defines the need I have to be close with God at all times. It reminds me of the peace and strength that I can only find through Him. You can find the full lyrics for the song here. I have sung this song and looked to the sky in the depths of great pain and found comfort knowing He and my Angels in Heaven are wrapping their arms around our family.

Blessed Be Your name When I'm found in the desert place Though I walk through the wilderness Blessed Be Your name

Throughout my life I have had challenges and setbacks and have found myself questioning God. Yet, it is in these times where I have knelt down and prayed deeply, fully and diligently. Where my walk with Jesus has been at its deepest level. While this is wonderful; why is it that during the most troubled times I find myself having the relationship that I should be having everyday? During these times I pray without ceasing, my heart is in constant prayer. I am reading my bible and other literature, I am learning and being a disciple. My desire is to be a servant to him at all times. Seeking to strengthen my relationship with God no matter the circumstances. When everything is going well, I will still go on bended knee and pray earnestly and wholeheartedly.

Blessed be Your name When the sun's shining down on me When the world's 'all as it should be' Blessed be Your name

Praising Jesus during my struggles and times of despair is another area I want to improve greatly. When something wonderful happens, I will say "thank you, God" and give the glory to Him. I will say how good God is to my family, to my loved ones and myself when things are going in the direction I feel they should be headed.

What about when life brings those moments of hardships? Shouldn't I still be praising God and being grateful for the many blessings I do have? I don't find myself singing songs of praise when I'm in sadness, stumbling or wrestling with life's downs. God is still good, God is still faithful even when the world and things are not shaping up the way I feel it should at the moment. There are many things that have happened in my life that I still have no answers for. What I know for sure is his plan for my family is greater than my imagination. His love and blessings for us are grander then our eyes can see. I know this, I believe this with everything that I am. I am grateful and blessed and I want to consistently, no matter what is going on, praise God faithfully.

Every blessing You pour out I'll turn back to praise When the darkness closes in, Lord Still I will say

I have often complained when my kids only "bother" with me or act grateful when they need something or get their way. I have been thinking lately, aren't I doing the same thing with God?

How do you maintain a consistent walk with God? Do you find yourself turning to Him more in times of need? Share your thoughts with me :)

Thank you so much!
 Debbie Tom Blog: Heartbeats~ Soul Stains

Momma's Hands

For some reason this time of year always makes me think of home, not my home now but where I grew up.  Today I was running hot water over my hands to try to ease the ache they had, and as I stood at the sink looking at my hands, I began to think of my momma's hands.



My fingers are bent and crooked, especially my right  hand.  I was married to a mean, angry man when I was 15.  During his fits of anger and abuse one of the things he would do is break one of my fingers, they've all been broke once or twice, but that was another life time.  All these years later I still feel the pain just like it was yesterday.  As the warm water was running and the ache eased some I remembered how my momma's hands had looked when I was just a child.


Momma worked hard when we were kids on the farm, just like the men did.  She worked the fields side by side with daddy.  I can see her scrubbing cloths on that old washboard, I hope that old washboard is burning in the pits of hell.  Her fingers would bleed in the cold water of winter, but she never complained.  She'd say "hard work never killed nobody".  She'd put what she called a poltus on them at night and do it all over again in the morning.


These tired and bleeding hands were the one's that rocked me gently anytime that I would cry.
They picked me up when I fell down and tried to teach me right.  Momma's hands were my stronghold as I struggled to grow.  Who knew I'd grow and then move on so very far away.
Though knarled and bent from life she never pulled away, she kept her pain and held us tight, how I miss those hands today.  I never knew how momma felt until I had my kids, now the pain of my hands is the pain that must stay hid.  Momma never cried, at least I never saw.  I wonder if she cried alone as I do sometimes late at night, tears that will never see the light.  I understand now why she must have hid her tears, they would've served no purpose for we were only kids.

I wish I could hold her old and fragile hands today and let her know how much I appreciate her strength.  I know she'd never flinch no matter how tight I held on.  If I could hold her hands now I know it would hurt so bad because I I'd never want to let go.  I'd love to tell her, "momma please make the pain go away", because I know she'd hold my hands tightly as she prayed.


Now as I look back on days long gone by, I can see the love in momma's touch in the tenderness of those knarled and bleeding hands.  I'm putting this to paper, through tears, wishing I could once more feel the love of momma's hands.  I wish I could hold her hands, gently as this time I prayed, that God would take her pain away.


Now my kids depend on me and the strength in my two hands.

Angel

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