WHAT'S IN A NAME?

 

Isaiah 33:6

 

"And he will be the stability of your times, abundance of salvation, wisdom, and knowledge; the fear of the Lord is Zion's treasure." ESV 

 

Fearing the Lord is giving total respect to His divine authority. Do we have true fear of the Lord? Is so, we have access to His vast storehouse of blessings, His wisdom, His knowledge, His power. Can we grasp what glorious treasures He longs to give us, if we will give to Him the glory and honor that belongs to Him?

 

Lord, we offer up to You all honor, glory, and praise for Your almighty splendor and unequalled magnificence. We are humbled by Your gift of free access to all Your blessings, Your knowledge, and Your wisdom. Help us to be clothed with the righteousness from Jesus' own blood, so that we will have the key to Your unfathomable riches. In Your glorious name we pray, Amen.

 

©2008-2014

Daily Grace

Bobbi Craigmyle, Psy.D., BCPCC

 

http://insidetheshrink-dailygrace.blogspot.com/

 

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THE BLOOD AND THE EARS OF THE LORD NEVER FAIL

 

Isaiah 59:1

 

"Behold, the Lord's hand is not shortened, that it cannot save, or his ear dull, that it cannot hear." ESV 

 

Some people believe that their lives are so far into sin that they can never be saved. There is no sin that the blood of Jesus Christ cannot cleanse. Some people believe the Lord does not listen to their prayers or does not care. Every prayer that is spoken from the heart to the Lord Jesus Christ is answered. His answer may not be what we had expected, but it will be answered. His blood cleanses, His ears hear and move Him to answer.

 

Lord, we give You praise for Your precious and powerful blood that covers all sin. We thank You for hearing all our prayers and for answering them in Your time and in Your way. In Your gracious name we pray, Amen.

 

 

©2008-2014

Daily Grace

Bobbi Craigmyle, Psy.D., BCPCC

 

http://insidetheshrink-dailygrace.blogspot.com/

 

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SALVATION AND SUFFERING

 

Philippians 1:29

 

"For it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in him but also suffer for his sake, engaged in the same conflict that you saw I had and now hear that I still have." ESV

 

For every born again child of God, there is joy and peace in knowing that we are His and that we will live in eternity with our Lord and Savior. What an Honor! How humbling to know that He did this for you and for me. Sometimes we forget that along with this wonderful salvation, we are still confined to this world until He takes us home. While we are here, we will endure the trials and sorrows that this world brings to us. Our tribulations are the same as those who don't know Christ. The difference is, we know what awaits us. We can continue on in this life going through very difficult times with no complaining while continuing to praise Him.

 

Lord, how can we ever thank You enough for Your unending love and Your sacrifice on the cross? The least we can do is to keep walking through this life enduring the harsh and difficult things with praise on our lips, looking for Your return. In Your name we pray, Amen.

 

 

Bobbi Craigmyle, Psy.D., BCPCC

 

http://insidetheshrink-dailygrace.blogspot.com/

 

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FILL 'ER UP!

 

Psalm 51:12

 

"Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and uphold me with a willing spirit." ESV 

 

Can we say with all honesty that the joy we experienced at the time of our salvation is as fresh and strong now as it was then? In this battle we wage against our human natures and the trials of this world, we tend to become tired and weary. The good news is, we can ask God to give back to us that first energizing love and joy of our salvation. If we really want it and want to keep it, we can go to the Lord each day, remembering what He did to save us, giving Him praise for who He is.

 

Heavenly Father, we ask You to forgive us for letting the things of this world rob us of the powerful joy You gave us when we became Your children. Please give us the desire to accept back this joy and to keep it through daily thanksgiving and praise for giving Your all for us. In Your precious name we pray, Amen.

 

©2008-2014

Daily Grace

Bobbi Craigmyle, Psy.D., BCPCC

 

http://insidetheshrink-dailygrace.blogspot.com/

 

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HOW GREAT?

 

 

2 Samuel 22:36,37

 

"You have given me the shield of your salvation, and your gentleness made me great. You gave a wide place for my steps under me, and my feet did not slip." ESV 

 

Do we really understand all that is ours because of Jesus Christ? Because He conquered death, hell, and the grave, we have freedom to access the shield of faith that insures victory. Do we realize the vastness of His grace? We can journey all of our lives, and He will keep us from falling. Do we realize what a mighty God we serve?

 

Heavenly Father, how blessed and honored we are to serve You, our God who loves us so much that You gave all and You keep giving. Forgive us for our complacency. Give us the hunger to know just how great and powerful You are and the precious gifts You make available for our asking. We pray in the name of Jesus, Amen.

 

 

©2008-2014

Daily Grace

Bobbi Craigmyle, Psy.D., BCPCC

 

http://insidetheshrink-dailygrace.blogspot.com/

 

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WHAT A WORK OUT!

Philippians 2:12 "Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling." ESV 

 

How do we "work out" our own salvation? It is much like cleaning house, getting rid of all the dirt. Or it is like heating metal to the point that all the impurity is gone. Working out our salvation is allowing ourselves to experience difficult, uncomfortable, and sometimes frightening things to drive out worldliness in ourselves. Then our God will work in holiness and purity that is characteristic of His children.

 

Heavenly Father, we pray that You would help us stay at Your side as we work out the impurity in our lives. We desire to be pure and holy, to be Yours. In the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen.

©2008-2014

Daily Grace

Bobbi Craigmyle, Psy.D., BCPCC

 

http://insidetheshrink-dailygrace.blogspot.com/

 

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SAYING NO BECAUSE WE CHOOSE TO DO SO

 

Titus 2:11,12

 

"For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age." ESV

 

Jesus Christ is the Grace of God sent to provide salvation for everyone, everywhere, at all times. No one is excluded except those who choose not to receive His free gift. If we accept this gracious, free gift of salvation, we are free to say no to sin, impurity, immorality, and ungodliness, the ways of the world. It's not that we are bound by a set of rules to stay away from these things. We are set free to choose to stay away from these things. Without salvation, we are imprisoned to be caught up in them.

 

Heavenly Father, we praise You and thank You for Your grace that gives us eternal life and freedom to live Godly lives. In Jesus' name, Amen.

 

©2008-2014

Daily Grace

Bobbi Craigmyle, Psy.D., BCPCC

 

http://insidetheshrink-dailygrace.blogspot.com/

 

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ARE YOU SHALLOW?

 

Luke 8:13

 

"And the ones on the rock are those who, when they hear the word, receive it with joy. But these have no root; they believe for a while, and in time of testing fall away." ESV

 

Saving faith in Christ is so much more than giving mental agreement to a belief. Giving a mental assent is much the same as having good intentions, or as though seeds were planted on rocky soil. When that kind of faith is tested it doesn't last long, it washes away quickly. To be good soil, ready to receive salvation through faith in Christ, we will be drawn by the Holy Spirit with open hearts, ready to receive Him deep into our very hearts.

 

Heavenly Father, we pray for ourselves and for others, that we will be good soil, drawn by Your Holy Spirit, with open hearts to receive the salvation with which You paid such an unimaginable price. Remove the rocks from the hearts of people who need Your salvation. We pray in the name of Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us, Amen.

 

©2008-2014 Daily Grace Bobbi Craigmyle, Psy.D., BCPCC   http://insidetheshrink-dailygrace.blogspot.com/   No Copyright Infringement Intended Personal Use Only

SAY WHAT!

 

 

Matthew 1:20,21

 

"But as he considered these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, 'Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.'" ESV

 

It is difficult and even frightening to receive knowledge or information that we don't quite understand and we're positive others will not understand. If God's hand is in it, there is nothing to fear. Like Joseph, we accept by faith and walk forward, because God is working something glorious through our lives.

 

Heavenly Father, forgive us for not getting out of our comfort zone when You have prompted us to do so. Help us to motivate one another to build up the faith, so that we will be ready to go forward with whatever You call on us to do. In the name of Jesus we pray, Amen.

 

©2008-2013

Daily Grace

Bobbi Craigmyle, Psy.D., BCPCC

 

http://insidetheshrink-dailygrace.blogspot.com/

 

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TALK ABOUT EXPENSIVE!

 

 

Romans 3:23-25

 

"For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith." ESV

 

When we accept the free gift of salvation, often times we forget its extremely expensive cost. Who paid the bill for this most eloquent and elaborate gift? It was paid in full by the God who loves us that much, by the perfect Son who was willingly tortured and shed His blood for us, and by the Holy Spirit who leads us to Him. All free to us, costing our Lord everything. How can it be that difficult to give back to Him everything we are, everything we have? It all belongs to Him anyway.

 

Heavenly Father, how narrow our sight gets when we keep looking at all the things we have and all the things we want. Forgive us when we take Your lavish gift of salvation for granted. Forgive us for holding on to earthly things dear to us when You withheld nothing. Search our hearts and do the work necessary to give us the willingness to turn everything over to You. We pray in the name of Jesus, Amen.

©2008-2013

Daily Grace

Bobbi Craigmyle, Psy.D., BCPCC

 

http://insidetheshrink-dailygrace.blogspot.com/

 

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TWO KINDS OF BEING SORRY

 

 

2 Corinthians 7:10

 

"For Godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret, whereas worldly grief produces death." ESV

 

There are two kinds of remorse for being caught in a wrongdoing. Godly remorse is based on knowledge and acceptance that God has been offended by our actions and we are ashamed that we have dishonored Him. We will turn from that sin and walk in the right way. Worldly remorse is based on awareness that we have been caught and are embarrassed  that others know we have done wrong. We will continue to do wrong when we think we can get by with it. This type of remorse puts us in danger of eternal separation from God.

 

Heavenly Father, how we ask for Your grace to have true remorse when we sin. Keep our hearts clean and our spirits open to think before we act so that we will not have to be remorseful. But when we do sin, keep our hearts humble to remember that our sin has offended You. We pray in Jesus' name, Amen.

 

©2008-2013

Daily Grace

Bobbi Craigmyle, Psy.D., BCPCC

 

http://insidetheshrink-dailygrace.blogspot.com/

 

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SOMEBODY TURN ON THE LIGHT!

 

 

Psalm 97:11

 

"Light is sown for the righteous, and joy for the upright in heart." ESV

 

When we accept Jesus Christ as our Savior and turn from being our own sinful god, He will breathe into us the seeds of light, being able to see with our spiritual eyes. The joy this brings to our souls will overflow into all that we think, say, and do.

 

Heavenly Father, how we thank You for Jesus Christ who took the punishment for all we have done against You. Give us more fervor to open our spiritual eyes to see the light You have given us, and to experience the joy that this brings. We want to live our lives so that others will be drawn to You. In Jesus' name, Amen.

 

©2008-2013

Daily Grace

Bobbi Craigmyle, Psy.D., BCPCC

 

http://insidetheshrink-dailygrace.blogspot.com/

 

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WE'VE GOT A TWISTED VIEW

 

 

Isaiah 53:4

 

"Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted." ESV

 

 

 

Remember the story of the young girl who was ashamed of her grandmother's hands because they were scarred, blemished, wrinkled, and twisted? The young girl would look away and try to keep her friends from seeing her grandmother's hands. One day the young girl asked her grandmother about her hands. Her grandmother told her the story of how she grabbed the young girl who had caught fire by the wood stove and put out the fire with her hands. Now read today's verse again.

 

 

 

Heavenly Father, we ask Your forgiveness for our sins that drove the nails into Your hands at Calvary. Forgive us for looking the other way and not accepting that You did that to save us. Give us hearts of praise that we will lift up Your name and the grief and sorrows You carried for us there. In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, Amen.

 

 

©2008-2013

Daily Grace

Bobbi Craigmyle, Psy.D., BCPCC

 

http://insidetheshrink-dailygrace.blogspot.com/

 

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HEY JUDE!

 

 

Jude 3

Beloved, although I was very eager to write to you about our common salvation, I found it necessary to write appealing to you to contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints." ESV

If we are contending for the faith, that is, faith in Jesus Christ, then we are wrestling against anything that would threaten that faith. We would be taking a stand against any human power or entity that questions or degrades our faith. In addition, we would be battling any thought, imagination, or temptation that would distract us from the narrow path of truth. So, actively take a stand for the faith!

Heavenly Father, we live in a world where being different is ridiculed and misunderstood. Forgive us for not standing up for our Christian faith in times of testing. Fill us with the power of the Holy Spirit to stand strong and ready to defend the faith You gave so much to allow us to have. We pray in the name of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ, Amen.

         

©2008-2013

Daily Grace

Bobbi Craigmyle, Psy.D., BCPCC

http://insidetheshrink-dailygrace.blogspot.com/

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IT WASN'T ANYTHING WE DID

 

 

Ephesians 2:8,9

"For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast." ESV

We did not seek to be saved from sin. While we were bankrupt and dead spiritually, God, in His infinite grace, sought us out and provided the way for us to be freed from the strongholds of sin. How then, can anyone believe that being "good" and following rules, and doing any works of kindness, can result in right standing with the Almighty God? Believing in the Lord Jesus Christ and His sacrifice for us is all that we can do. None of us can take any credit for our salvation or our eternal inheritance with God. Was the thief on the cross near Jesus saved because he deserved it? Was the donkey pulled out of the mud pit on the Sabbath because he was special?

Heavenly Father, we confess no other other way to right standing with You but by the precious blood of Jesus Christ. In His name we pray, Amen.

         

©2008-2013

Daily Grace

Bobbi Craigmyle, Psy.D., BCPCC

http://insidetheshrink-dailygrace.blogspot.com/

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HIS DESIRE FOR ALL OF US

 

 

1 Timothy 2:4

"Who (God) desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth." ESV

Since God provided the Way and desires that every human accept His provision, it is up to us who already believe to tell the Gospel of Jesus Christ to others. It is not our responsibility to "save" others, but only to tell them the Good News. The Holy Spirit is present to convict and reveal the truth, but it is up to the person who receives this news of Jesus Christ to accept it, believe, and be saved. God wants this for everyone. Even those who believe they have gone too far in their sin. The good news is that the blood of Jesus Christ covers all sin.

Heavenly Father, how we thank You for providing the way for us to be reunited with You after sin separated us from You. We thank You that someone obeyed the call to tell us the Gospel so that we believed. Now give us the boldness and unending hunger to spread the Good News on to those who need to hear it and be saved. This is Your desire and we pray this in Jesus' name, Amen.

        

©2013

Daily Grace

Bobbi Craigmyle, Psy.D., BCPCC

drbobbijo@yahoo.com

http://insidetheshrink-dailygrace.blogspot.com/

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GET HIM WHILE YOU CAN

 

 

Isaiah 55:6

"Seek the Lord while he may be found; call upon him while he is near." ESV

God's Word is clear that there will be a time when it will be too late to seek His salvation. The Lord will come and gather those who are his and the door to eternal life with Him will be closed. Seek Him now.

Heavenly Father, if we have put off giving our hearts and lives to You because we believe there is plenty of time or there are things we want to do first, set our hearts on fire with the conviction of the Holy Spirit so that we will understand the urgency that today is the day of salvation. Help those of us who have committed our lives to You to be able to lift up Jesus Christ, so that He will draw those to Him who need His salvation. We pray this in the name of Jesus, Amen.

        

©2013

Daily Grace

Bobbi Craigmyle, Psy.D., BCPCC

drbobbijo@yahoo.com

http://insidetheshrink-dailygrace.blogspot.com/

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WHAT A WORKOUT!

 

Philippians 2:12

"Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed--not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence--continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling." (NIV)

 

 

"Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling." (KJV)

As Christians, we all have the same Lord and the same Spirit dwelling in us. However, we all have different temptations, difficulties, and situations with which to contend in this life. It is up to each one of us to work out what God has put in us and apply it to our own unique situations. We all have the same tools but a different set of circumstances in our lives and our walk with the Lord. We have to work it out, carefully following Him.

Heavenly Father, forgive us for trying to be like others in our walk with You. Help us to realize our own place in this life and the design You have for us to walk toward holiness. Show us that we have our own set of obstacles and issues of the self to overcome and that You will help us work through them, if we trust in You. We pray in Jesus' name, Amen.

       

©2012

Daily Grace

Bobbi Craigmyle, Psy.D., BCPCC

drbobbijo@yahoo.com

http://insidetheshrink-dailygrace.blogspot.com/

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Ephesians 2:8,9

"For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith--and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God--not by works, so that no one can boast." NIV

"For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God; Not of works, lest any man should boast." KJV

In our world, we work to make money so we can pay our bills and buy things we need and want. There are some things that money just can't buy. The greatest of those things is salvation through Jesus Christ. This cannot be earned in any way nor can we be good enough to received it based on our good morals and beliefs. Salvation is a gift paid for by Christ's giving of Himself on the cross for our sins so that we would not have to pay the price ourselves. This free gift is for everyone who recognizes their need to be set free from being separated from God. If we could receive eternal life based on our own efforts, we would be able to brag to others that we had worked our way to salvation and they haven't. Because of God's unending grace, no one can take pride in earning their salvation. We can only rejoice that our God loved us so much that He gave us this precious free gift through our faith, believing.

Heavenly Father, how we praise You and thank You for the free gift of eternal life through Jesus Christ's blood shed on the cross. We thank You that we don't have to work for it or earn it, because we would never be able to pay off the debt of sin we owe. Give us boldness to share this good news with those around us so that they, too, can accept this free gift of salvation. In Jesus Christ our Saviour's name, Amen.

           

©2011

Daily Grace

Bobbi Craigmyle, Psy.D., BCPCC

drbobbijo@yahoo.com

http://insidetheshrink-dailygrace.blogspot.com/

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IT'S REALLY GOT A HOLD ON US

 

Romans 7:25

"Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God's law, but in my sinful nature, a slave to the law of sin." NIV

"I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin." KJV

Do we really grasp the captivity of sin that Christ freed us from by His death and resurrection? We are free to make a conscious decision to live the way our Lord intends for us to live. We no longer have to be enslaved by temptation and ungodly ways. When we get our minds off God, it is natural for us to fall back into our old fleshly ways. If we commit ourselves to engulf ourselves in communion with God and His Word, we will stay safely in the freedom for which Christ paid such a precious price.

Heavenly Father, how we praise You that You sent Your Son to set us free from our own fleshly natures and from the grasp of Satan. Give us more hunger for Your Word and to spend time in quiet communion with You so that we will not fall back into our old natures. We pray in Jesus' name, Amen.

           

©2011

Daily Grace

Bobbi Craigmyle, Psy.D., BCPCC

drbobbijo@yahoo.com

http://insidetheshrink-dailygrace.blogspot.com/

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