Scooped Up and Carried Away by Him

 The Clouds were absolutely beautiful!

"We loved you so much that we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well, because you had become so dear to us." 1 Thessalonians 2:8

Paul's letter to Thessalonica makes me smile. Oh how I would love to be Paul's friend in those days. A man, I imagine was a spit of the Spirit's fire. He longed for those next to him and miles away to know of Jesus Christ. What a passion I can almost feel as I read of his stories and travels in the New Testament. This passage struck me as I reading through 1 Thessalonians. Sometimes I really just like to go back through and reread the scriptures I have underlined in the past. This one caught my eyes after finishing up the book of Colossians. In this passage Paul is talking to the Thessalonians about how he came to love and serve them in Christ. He encourages them in this letter to go out and continue in his ministry that he left with them. I know for me as I read his heart on these Bible pages that I pray for my friends and myself that we would not just live life but live it with a purpose for the Will of God. This morning I was reading in, "When Godly People Do Ungodly Things" and Beth Moore encouraged me as a Christian to pray constantly (1 Thess. 5:17) in order to have a seduced proof life from Satan. Not only to pray for myself, but to pray for fellow believers in scripture. My heart became just overjoyed! I LOVE when fellow believers pray with faith and the idea of inserting my friends and families names into scripture would be bullet proof!

My prayer scripture for right now is found in Ephesians 5:6-8. It says (emphasize mine), "Elli obey them not only to win  their favor when their eye is on you, but like slaves of Christ, doing the will of God from your heart. Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not men, because you know that the Lord will reward you for whatever good you do, whether being a slave or free."

I'm excited to see all of the scripture my friends send me to pray over them Oh what a great thing God will continue to do in their lives and in mine as well. I can't thank him enough for a wall of protection of believers who love Him!

Sifted Like Wheat.

   "Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, Simon that your faith may not fail. And When you have turned back, strengthen your brothers."
   But he replied, "Lord I am ready to go with you to prison and to death." Jesus answered, " I tell you, Peter, before the rooster crows today, you will deny three times that you know me." Luke 22:31-34

    In the book, "When Godly People Do Ungodly Things", by Beth Moore, she discusses how even the righteous will fall. It simply amazes me to know that Satan has to ask God permission to tempt us. It just makes me step back and remember just how much power God has. Satan doesn't have any reign on believers lives. He must make a request first to bring an attack upon us. Beth Moore used example of men in the Bible who were attacked by Satan and not just any men, but passionate, devoted followers of Christ. She mentioned Peter, Paul and Job and how Satan each requested permission to attack them.
    Simon Peter was following after Jesus Christ and was a steadfast disciple. In the midst of an attack from Satan we must clothe ourselves with the Armor of God each day in order to prepare for anything he might throw at us. It is very important to stand clothed in the Word of God. I so desire to memorize as much scripture as I can. It's so uplifting as well :). Look up Ephesians 6:10-18.
    An encouraging thing about Christ (there are many!) is that he calls the broken and sinful and the ones who desire to follow after Him. A scripture I read tonight really uplifted my spirits and know with all my heart it was Lord speaking. "I have not come to call the righteous, but the sinners." Mark 2:17. I am merely a sinner being shaped by God's grace each day! Oh praise Him! :)
     "I believe God allows Satan a certain amount of leash where believers are concerned, but I am convinced that if he wants more than his daily, allowance he has to get permission. None of us is less important to Christ than Peter, John or the apostle Paul. He would NEVER take lightly one of Satan's attacks on his followers. For Satan to launch a full-scale attack of seduction on a wholehearted, sincere and purely devoted follower of Christ, you bet I believe he has to get permission." -Beth Moore
  

Receiving blessings.

My life is a blessing each day that I wake up. Our God is so full of compassion! I don't understand how he stands me at times. I fall each and every day. At times Satan would use the idea of "perfection" against me. I constantly desire to be like the Lord and grow in Him each day but then when I would consciously fall, I would tend to beat myself up over it, instead of fully just giving it to the Lord and trusting that he forgives me each time. In James 3:11 it says, " We all stumble in many ways." Constantly I stumble and constantly I fall but each time the Lord reminds me, in your weakness, my beloved, I will make you strong.

Don't we serve such a great God? Recently I have been reading out of a devotional my pastor's wife from school gave me. It's called, "Lord I Want To Know You", by Kay Arthur. I would recommend it to anyone who's looking for an encouraging devotional! Kay Arthur discusses the different names of the Lord and there meaning behind each of them. Today she talked about El Shaddai,  the All-Sufficient One and how he never fails to provide for our every needs! I have been looking back over the past semester and the prayers I have presented to the Lord. It AMAZES me each and every time how he answers those prayers. "Ask and it will be given to you, seek and you will find; knock and door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened." Matthew 7:7-8 This verse is one of the many that is proof to my life how God, El Shaddai has been moving. After spring break I began praying that the Lord would provide a job for me and a week before I was coming home for summer my dad emailed me, telling me about a man who was looking for someone to help him take pictures at his office. One of the many answers and then I had begun praying for a place to serve or a mission trip I could go on. One of my friends text me asking me if I would be interested in being a counselor at my church camp. I prayed about it, discussed it with my parents and filled out the application and then received a phone call saying they would love for me to be a counselor!

Don't ever stop praying to our God, our Father in heaven and our best friend! He's waiting with anticipation to hear from his children and never ever stop praising him! Blessings and answers are all around us when we simply start asking and knocking on his door!

But be sure to fear the Lord and serve him faithfully with all your heart, consider what great things he has done for you. 1 Samuel 12:24