Wisdom – Day Four
by Deb Weakly
“The mind is the devil’s favorite avenue of attack.”- Billy Graham
1. Call your prayer partner for your 10-minute prayer call. If you are having trouble connecting, keep trying! Done:______
2. It’s time to meet with your Jesus! He is the One who saves, who heals, and who has the power to help you to overcome anything! Nothing is too big for God!
Ask God to speak to your heart as you read His everlasting Word, and give you wisdom and peace about anything that is troubling your soul.
3. Read Genesis 4:5-7 and Romans 12:1-2. Write Romans 12:2 in your journal. Done:______
The Powerless Power of Crouching Sin
Habitual sin. That dark, familiar foe that has tried to destroy the lives of countless Christians down through the ages. It is ruthless and rears its ugly head at every turn, often showing up in the worst times and seasons in our lives.
Where does it come from?
It all starts with a thought, a dark shadow from the Enemy casting its evil intent over our minds with the hope of destroying our lives.
In today’s Bible reading, we see the vivid picture of the true nature of sin:
“sin is crouching at your door; and it’s desire is for you”
Do you see that? Sin’s desire is to have you! Satan wants to have your life, or at least preoccupy you with untrue thoughts that distract you from the rich, abundant life that Jesus offers.
Jesus states the desires of the devil clearly in John 10:10: “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy.”
Steal, kill and destroy. All three are the desires of the Enemy. when we continue to think a thought that we KNOW we should not be thinking. We can begin to allow the devil to steal our joy and it can begin to change our hearts. It’s Satan’s way of crippling a Christian, and if he can get us to continually ponder a thought, it can sometimes change our life.
These thoughts don’t have to be lustful or murderous to cripple our lives. They could be as simple as harboring bitterness or unforgiveness against your husband, which causes you to pull away from him. Or you could have thoughts of anger directed at a particular child and can find yourself almost anticipating him or her to do something wrong.
What’s a Christian mom to do?
I believe the answer is found in Romans 12:1-2:
“Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God–this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.”
There are two great points here:
First, God says to offer our bodies as living sacrifices. Vocabularly.com defines sacrifice as “a loss or something you give up, usually for the sake of a better cause.”
Our mind is part of our body. God wants us to give our thought life to Him. He knows we are weak, and that sometimes it’s hard to think true thoughts, so He wants us to “take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.” 2 Corinthians 10:5.
Jesus wants to help you! We are not meant to live apart from Christ! He even says that apart from Him we can do nothing! “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.” John 15:5.
When we give our thoughts to Jesus, and not be satisfied with our old patterns of sin, our lives begin to change and we can live victoriously for God.
To put this into practical terms, it’s important that you identify your frequent thought patterns that are from the enemy, the ones that make you feel fearful, anxious, far from God, angry, bitter, etc.. A good indication is if you are thinking something that is making you feel anxious bad. This will help you as you go thru your day to identify them and give them to Jesus. Think thru the thoughts that are bad from you that are from the enemy, A good indication is if you are thinking something that is making you feel bad. os this a thought pattern that I need to stop?
We can then become the “The wise woman builds her house” and not “the foolish one tears hers down.” Proverbs 14:1.
Second, we need to be transformed by the renewing of our minds. We need to read God’s Word and do what it says. God’s Word is what changes us.
Record it on your phone, write it on your bathroom mirror with a dry-erase marker, put it on 3×5 cards and tape them on your cabinets and fridge. Do whatever it takes to allow the Word of God to transform you from the inside out.
It is wise to avoid habitual sin, and the way to victory lies in giving your thoughts to Jesus and knowing the power of the word of God!
It is the only way to render that crouching sin powerless and walk in victory in the power of God!
4. Questions to ponder: Write the answers to these questions in your journal: Done:______
-Are there areas of your life where you struggle with habitual sins or untrue thoughts?
-If so, ask God for forgiveness and write a prayer in your journal asking God for help.
-Pick a verse that encourages you in this area and write this in your journal.
5. Wisdom Faith-filled Idea #4: Done:______
-Sometimes, when we are having a tough week, all we need to do is get out of our house and be with a friend! When was the last time you met a friend for coffee or lunch? Call and plan a time to get together. Also, be sure to pray with each other. There is power in friendship and prayer!
Wisdom – Day Five
by Christie Frieg
“One of these days some simple soul will pick up the book of God, read it, and believe it. Then the rest of us will be embarrassed.” –Leonard Ravenhill
1. Grab your Bible and a journal and sit in your favorite, cozy place with a cup of something delicious. Pray that God will open your eyes, so that you may see wonderful things in His law (Ps. 119:18)
2. Write Hebrews 4:12 and 2 Timothy 3:16-17 in your journal, and read a few paragraphs of Psalm 119. Done:______
No Words More Precious
There are few things in life more demoralizing than fighting with your spouse. A night with high hopes, lit candles, and a delicious meal devolves into another knock-down, drag-out.
“We’re newlyweds,” I thought to myself. “This shouldn’t be happening for at least another year or so!” But I couldn’t argue with the evidence. We clearly had a problem.
One night, after our most disheartening conflict we’d ever had, I decided I couldn’t do it anymore.
But by “it,” I didn’t mean my marriage. I knew that was non-negotiable.
“It” was my selfish pride—my sin nature. “It” was the problem.
“Lord, I have come to the end of my own strength. I have no power against this selfishness and pride that wells up in me, and no matter how hard I try, I always end up here.” I needed some powerful prayers.
Where did I find these prayers? In the Scriptures. No other words carry as much weight, power, and history with them as the words in this book. You will never speak or pray truer, more beautiful, more deeply impactful words than those in the Bible.
We see from our Scripture for this study that Paul, David, and the author of Hebrews place God’s word on a pedestal as the most precious, powerful, and true words ever known to man. All these men of God believed strongly in the value of God’s Word. I think that’s enough reason to read it.
And read it I did. I started a journal of verses, categorized by Exhortation, Praise, Petition, and Truth. I began to pray these verses every day. My top favorite verse was James 1:5: “If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.” As I prayed, my heart cried out to God for change, for empowerment to love my husband, and for Christ’s humility to become my own.
Fast-forward a few months, and I barely recognize myself. I don’t remember the last time we fought. I couldn’t be more thankful or happier to be married to my husband. On top of it all, I feel invincible. Nothing he says makes me angry like it used to. My first thought in a potentially heated situation is to rewind: “Whoa, back up. What miscommunication just happened?” My temper is gone. My tendency to criticize is gone. What a gift.
Because of my prayers, I am passionate about God’s word. I created a beautiful book with my Scriptures in it that I carry in my car. I have another one for the gym. I have verses all over my home. Through praying these words over and over, I eventually memorized them.
Now, when I pray without my notebooks, my prayers consist almost exclusively of God’s words. I love these words more dearly than any other book, quote, or poem, and I always want more. I have more peace and joy in my heart than I ever have.
3. Questions to ponder: Write the answers to these questions in your journal. Done:______
– Do I truly love and desire God? Am I hungry for his Word? (if you can’t answer a resounding “Yes!”, don’t worry. Pray to desire his Word, and he will answer)
– How often to I pray God’s words, promises, and truths back to him? Do I know his Word well? How can I improve in these areas?
4. Wisdom Faith-filled Idea #5: Done:______
“You Christians look after a document containing enough dynamite to blow allcivilisation to pieces, turn the world upside down and bring peace to a battle-torn planet. But you treat it as though it is nothing more than a piece of literature.” ― Mahatma Gandhi
-This book is the most incredible literary treasure ever known to man! It contains more power, truth, and life than any other book! It has changed more hearts, empowered more lives, and saved more souls than any self-help seminar. When you hold the Bible, you hold the culmination of all human history, the universe, and eternity. This book contains your native language, the language of Heaven and of God.
Read it. Know it. Speak it. Pray it.
What situation in your life seems impossible? What problem can’t you see a solution for? What sin can’t you overcome?
Write out your difficulties in your journal, and write a verse (or many) that directly speaks to it. Pray it every day for the next month. Include James 5:16-18 and 1 John 5:14 and pray those as well.
Wisdom – Day Six
by Deb Weakly
“We all live under grace and do the best we can.”- Billy Graham
1.Take time and start your day with a special quiet time of prayer, Scripture reading, and listening for the Lord to speak to your heart. Keep asking the Lord to speak to you specifically about wisdom this week. Watch and pray, expecting answers to your prayers! Also, take the time to light a candle, and drink something delicious too!
2.Read Proverbs 14:1 and write it in your journal. For deeper study, read the whole chapter. Done:______
I absolutely love this passage of scripture, and I pray it often in my own prayer time and when I pray with my friends. I find myself asking God often to make me “the wise woman who builds her house” and to keep me from being the “foolish woman who tears hers down.”
Building my house is what gets me out of bed every morning. As a wife and mother I am always prayerfully building, building, building. Even now, as my children are grown, I still ask God for ways to build my house and the lives of those closest to me, and to have our lives glorify God together.
Lets look at Proverbs 14:1 a little more closely:
What does this verse say the wise woman does?
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What does the foolish woman do?
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Do you feel like you have done anything recently to tear down your house? If so, what?
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If you have, simply ask God for forgiveness and help to be the Wise Woman who builds her house. Leave it with God and move forward in grace and peace in the power of the Holy Spirit, knowing that you are forgiven and free.
The quote at the beginning of today’s study by Billy Graham says it all!
We all have to rely on God’s infinite grace and keep trying, keep loving, keep believing and do the best we can!
In what ways have you built up your house lately?
______________________________________________________________________________
I have read this verse many times and have often pondered its simple, yet profound meaning.
I wanted to be wise, but felt like I messed up all the time; I constantly blew it and felt like a failure. There were many nights that I would cry out to God for the help and grace to be wise in my home with my precious husband and children.
I fell time and time again, but I wanted to keep getting up because I knew that if God had called me to be a mother, and raise up children who are eternal beings for Him, then I knew He would help me, and I just had to keep trying.
We all need to keep trying! There are many descendants coming behind us for hundreds, maybe even thousands of years. ( If Jesus doesn’t return before then.)
God has called us, in the power of the Holy Spirit, to live wisely and be women of purpose who live our lives for our Jesus and love those He has put in our lives well.
We will never, ever be perfect, but here is where Jesus comes in- He is perfect, and so we get our wisdom and life from Him to do this wonderful calling He has placed on our lives, to be a Mom.
3. Questions to ponder: Write the answers to these questions in your journal. Done:______
-Is there anything the Holy Spirit is speaking to you about today?
– Ask God for specific ways that you can build your house this week.
4. Wisdom Faith-filled Idea #6: Done:______
The wise woman is intentional with her love for her family! Pray and ask God to help you to understand your husband and children’s hearts. Ask Him to show you their hearts and how you can truly show them love in a way that they feel loved.
God tells us in 1 Peter 4:8 “Above all, love each other deeply because love covers over a multitude of sins.” If you are struggling with a particular child, you can pray and ask God to show you the deeper issues of their heart and how to handle it.
Sometimes, your children aren’t being defiant, they would simply have an empty “love tank” as talked about in the following books: “The 5 Love Languages: The Secret to Love that Lasts” and also for children, “The 5 Love Languages of Children”