My Enemies Accuse Me

If you are a regular follower of this blog, then you will notice a bit of a change for the next 8 weeks. I am serving as a table leader for an 8 week Freedom Workshop. If you'd like to follow along, you can find the resources at the link directly above. Also, I will post here, the daily Bible reading assignment (heartwork) so you can read along. This workshop has been a life changer for me so I'm eager to share it with others. May you be blessed!

BIBLE READING HEARTWORK
Week 1 - Day 7
Galatians 2; Psalm 27

Psalm 27:11-13

Teach me how to live, O LORD.

Lead me along the right path,

for my enemies are waiting for me.

Do not let me fall into their hands.

For they accuse me of things I've never done;

with every breath they threaten me with violence.

Yet I am confident I will see the LORD'S goodness

while I am in the land of the living.

Lord, this is my prayer. I need you to teach me how to live and to lead me along the right path. Lord, my enemies are waiting for me. Please don't let me fall into their hands. The voice of my sinful nature and of satan and his minions accuse me of things I've never done and things I should've done. With every breath they threaten me with violence. Yet, I AM confident I will see the Lord's goodness while I am in the land of the living.

Lord, right now I'm struggling because I have this pain in my foot. It's making it painful just to stand on it or walk. Yet I still want to get my run in. Those other voices are telling me that I will stay fat and never loose my weight if I don't run TODAY. They are telling me to ignore the pain and run anyway. But I know if I do that I could cause more damage and end up having to take an even longer break from running. I need to trust in YOU and stay off this food as much as I can for a few days. Help me to trust that you will help me to loose the weight in your time. In Jesus' name, amen.

FREEDOM WORKSHOP VERSES

Psalm 77:1

I cry out to God without holding back.

Psalm 77:1

Psalm 27:8

My heart has heard you say, "Come and talk with me," and my heart responds, "Lord, I am coming."

Psalm 27:8

MEMORY VERSES

Must Receive Christ

John 1:12

Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.

John 1:12

Must Receive Christ

Must Receive Christ

1 Timothy 2:5

If you declare with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved.

1 Timothy 2:5

Must Receive Christ

He Loves Me

Romans 5:3-5

We can rejoice, too, when we into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation. And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love.

Lord, I gotta be honest here. My first response to problems and trials is usually not rejoicing. In fact, I'm not sure that has ever been my first response. I think I'm slowly getting there.

Thank you for giving me the Holy Spirit to fill my heart with your love. He assures me that you allow these trials because you love me and everything you allow is always for my good, not my harm.

MEMORY VERSES

2 Chronicles 16:9a

The eyes of the Lord search the whole earth in order to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him.

2 Chronicles 16:9a

Philippians 4:6-7

Don't worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God's peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 4:6-7

God's Power is Absolute!

Romans 4:17b

This happened because Abraham believed in the God who brings the dead back to life and who creates new things out of nothing.

Wow, Lord, you are the God who brings the dead back to life and creates new things out of nothing. We can trust you completely because of that. NOTHING is impossible for you! You created the entire universe out of nothing! You breathed the stars into existence - and then named each one! 

Psalm 147:4-5

He counts the stars 

and calls them all by name. 

How great is our Lord! His power is absolute! 

His understanding is beyond comprehension!

You can move mountains because you are the one who placed them there!

Lord, I confess that sometimes I lose sight of who I am talking to and trusting in. Please give me a new, fresh awareness of who you are and of your power which is ABSOLUTE. You are in the business of bringing the dead back to life and creating new things out of nothing. That's not something you did just once or twice; you do this every day. So I can trust any problem I have to you. Even if it's a couple thousand dollars that I just don't have but need right away.

You know our needs. Lamentations 3:37 tells me that nothing happens without your permission. So it follows that you allow me to have these trials to teach me to trust you. Matthew 6:25-34 tells me not to worry. That's a command, not a suggestion.

Philippians 4:6-7

Don't worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God's peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.

MEMORY VERSES

2 Chronicles 16:9a

The eyes of the Lord search the whole earth in order to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him.

2 Chronicles 16:9a

Philippians 4:6-7

Don't worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God's peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 4:6-7

Teach Me Through My Trials

Romans 2:29

No, a true Jew is one whose heart is right with God. And true circumcision is not merely obeying the letter of the law; rather, it is a change of heart produced by the Spirit. And a person with a changed heart seeks praise from God, not from people.

Lord, I want to be this kind of person. I think I'm becoming this kind of person. You certainly are changing my heart and I like it! It's not always a fun process, but you are always here to help me through all of it.

In your perfect love, you see the big picture while I can only see a tiny part of it. 

You know that I need to go through specific trials to get to the end result which you can already see.

I'm so glad that yours is not a weak, oh-poor-baby, let-me-comfort-you-and-take-away-the-pain kind of love. No, yours is a this-is-for-your-best-good and you-need-to-experience-this-pain-to-learn-from-it kind of love. Please help my heart to always be soft so I can learn what you are teaching me. I love you, Daddy! In Jesus' name, amen.

MEMORY VERSE

Isaiah 26:3-4

You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you! Trust in the LORD always, for the LORD GOD is the eternal Rock.

Isaiah 26:3-4

Think On These Things

John 16:33

"I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world."

I praise you, Jesus, for the peace you give me. There are indeed many trials and sorrows here on this earth. But if I keep my focus on you, then I can continue to have sweet peace.

It's interesting to me that the world is constantly searching for peace of mind, yet it can only be found in you, who they are rejecting.

Isaiah 26:3-4

You will keep in perfect peace

all who trust in you,

all whose thoughts are fixed on you!

Trust in the LORD always,

for the LORD GOD is the eternal Rock.

Jesus, help me to keep my thoughts fixed on you. Help me to not worry about anything, but instead, pray about everything. Let me trust in you always, for you are the eternal Rock.

Philippians 4:6-8

Don't worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God's peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus. And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.

I need to be intentional and proactive about this. Worry will come. When it does, I must have a plan of attack. That plan is to bring it to God, tell him what I need, thank him for what he has already done, and then put the matter out of my mind. I can do this because I trust the One who is the eternal Rock.

In addition to this, I need to fix my thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. I need to only think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.

If I am to do this, I need to be careful about what I allow into my mind. If I am always watching or listening to things that are full of this world's lies and hypocrisies, then I will find it very difficult to keep my thoughts on things that are excellent and worthy of praise. In fact, you tell us to get rid of all the filth and evil in our lives. I'm sure this is part of the reason you told us to do that.

James 1:21

So get rid of all the filth and evil in your lives, and humbly accept the word God has planted in your hearts, for it has the power to save your souls.

Lord, help me to be wise about what I watch and listen to. I want to keep my thoughts fixed on you. I make that harder for myself if I feed garbage into my mind. It may not always appear as garbage on the surface. Help me to use discernment when choosing. Help me to get rid of all the filth and evil in my life. Help me to see the things I entertain myself with the way YOU see them. In Jesus' name, amen.

MEMORY VERSES

James 1:19-21

Understand this, my dear brothers and sisters. You must be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry. Human anger does not produce the righteousness God desires. So get rid of all the filth and evil in your lives, and humbly accept the word God has planted in your hearts, for it has the power to save your souls.

James 1:19-21

John 12:49-50

"I don't speak on my own authority. The Father who sent me has commanded me what to say and how to say it. And I know his commands lead to eternal life; so I say whatever the Father tells me to say."

John 12:49-50

My Provider

John 6:8-9

Then Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, spoke up, "There's a young boy here with five barley loaves and two fish. But what good is that with this huge crowd?"

This boy was willing to give all he had to you, Jesus. And it really wasn't much. Barley was the food of the poorest people. In fact, barley was also given to the livestock to eat.

When I give you my all, even the most meager bit, you are able to multiply it to supply not only my needs, but also the needs of others around me.

Philippians 4:19

And this same God who takes care of me will supply all your needs from his glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus.

You are able to supply all my needs. It's on me to remain in you and be obedient to what you tell me to do. It's on you to provide for my needs. When I worry, I'm revealing my lack of trust in you.

Philippians 4:6-7

Don't worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God's peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.

When I talk to you about everything, telling you what I need and thanking you for all you have done, you whisk away my worry and replace it with trust. You are the ONLY one who can do this for me. You take my worry and replace it with a peace that exceeds anything I can understand.

You are awesome and mighty and worthy of all my praise! My heart rejoices in you! In Jesus' name, amen.