Are You Called by the Lord’s Name?

Prayer – Lord, I am seeking You with all of my heart, soul, mind and strength. Finding You, I love You with all of my heart, soul, mind and strength. That’s what You expect…and I want to live to please You. 

Then if my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and restore their land. 2 Chronicles 7:14

 

Meditate. Seek Him.

 

Are you looking for God? Seeking Him? Do you want to be in His presence? Do you think you have to go to Asbury University to find God? The world was awakened this past week through the Holy Spirit at the Asbury University as they celebrated Jesus Christ in their lives and the greatness of God in our lives. Yesterday—the last Thursday of February—the National Collegiate Day of Prayer was celebrated at college campuses across the United States. Revival is happening in the lives of these students and the lives of those who have been touched by the Holy Spirit through this focus on God.

God has promised that as people seek Him…and that would assume that they are repentant as they seek Him…He will forgive them. Did you note that He not only promises to hear us from Heaven, but to “forgive their sins and restore their land?” Restoration of our land to Him—a revival. Claim that for your life. Praise Him. We are told in several places that if we seek God, we will find Him, including this passage from Second Chronicles. Look up these verses below and read them in the context of the chapters in which they are written.

·       And Solomon, my son, learn to know the God of your ancestors intimately. Worship and serve him with your whole heart and a willing mind. For the LORD sees every heart and knows every plan and thought. If you seek him, you will find him. But if you forsake him, he will reject you forever. 1 Chronicles 28:9

·       The humble will see their God at work and be glad. Let all who seek God's help be encouraged. Psalm 69:32

·       All night long I search for you; in the morning I earnestly seek for God. For only when you come to judge the earth will people learn what is right. Isaiah 26:9

·       Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need. Matthew 6:33

·       His purpose was for the nations to seek after God and perhaps feel their way toward him and find him--though he is not far from any one of us. Acts 17:27

·       And it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that God exists and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him. Hebrews 11:6

Have you ever found God without looking for Him? In cases like that, God is seeking you…and He found you! Usually we seek God—and if we are humble, honest, and diligent, we will find Him. He’s never far from us and has promised that He will never leave us or forsake us. Keep looking.

 

Are you thirsty?
Come and drink.
God provides unfailing love.

Verses of Salvation ~ Is anyone thirsty? Come and drink--even if you have no money! Come, take your choice of wine or milk--it's all free! Why spend your money on food that does not give you strength? Why pay for food that does you no good? Listen to me, and you will eat what is good. You will enjoy the finest food. Come to me with your ears wide open. Listen, and you will find life. I will make an everlasting covenant with you. I will give you all the unfailing love I promised to David. Isaiah 55:1-3

 

Friday’s Feast at the King’s Table

Feasting or Fasting? During this time of Lent, are you fasting? Jesus spent forty days in the wilderness fasting.

Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted there by the devil. For forty days and forty nights he fasted and became very hungry. During that time the devil came and said to him, "If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become loaves of bread." But Jesus told him, "No! The Scriptures say, 'People do not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.'" Matthew 4:1-4

No food for forty days! Even just a few days without food is challenging. I’ve found that doing an eighteen hour “fast” is a good way to start developing a fasting habit. Going for sixteen to eighteen hours between the last meal of the day until the first meal of the next day gets easier with each passing day. It may seem like you are just giving up breakfast—there is really only time for two meals in day when there are only a few hours additional hours for the remaining meals. You can actually eat “breakfast” foods at any time, so you don’t need to feel like you are giving up breakfast.

If you end your evening meal at six PM, then you can eat again at noon the next day, eighteen hours later. Then you can have another meal in the evening…finishing again around six PM. So, give it a try and let me know what you think. You can find more on this 18-6 intermediate fasting by Googling it on-line. Using the time when you would be eating to focus on Jesus Christ and His sacrifice for you is a good way to “live by every word that comes from the mouth of God.”

Happy Birthday, Debbie J.

May God continue to bless you with those creative gifts He has given you!

© 2023 Text, photos, and illustrations by Mickey M. Hunacek. All rights reserved. 

All scripture quoted from the New Living Translation (NLT) unless otherwise noted. 

New Living Translation copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. 

Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Biblical search from Blue Letter Bible - http://v3.blueletterbible.org/search.cfm. 

 

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