WHAT SPIRIT HAVE WE ACCEPTED?

 

1 Corinthians 2:12

 

"Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given us by God." ESV 

 

It isn't in our human nature to know and understand the things of God. We can know them by His Holy Spirit. The spirit of the world can only reveal those things we can experience through our five senses. As true children of God, we can have full knowledge of the things of God that the world cannot understand. The world thinks we are foolish. They need Christ.

 

Lord, we thank You for Your Holy Spirit who guides us into all truth. Help us to remember that the world is blinded to the things of Your kingdom because of sin. Prompt us to pray for them to believe and receive You into their lives. 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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PRIVATE INVESTIGATING

 

Psalm 51:10

 

"Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me." ESV 

 

The Lord never asks us to fix those things in our hearts that are impure. He asks us to examine our hearts to see if there is impurity there. If there is, we are to let Him shine His light there so He can make it clean.

 

Lord, help us bring the impurities of our hearts to You so that You will shine Your light on them and make us clean. In Your name we pray, Amen.

 

©2008-2014

Daily Grace

Bobbi Craigmyle, Psy.D., BCPCC

 

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

 

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MY WAY IS NOT NECESSARILY GOD'S WAY

 Romans 8:5 

"For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit." ESV 

 

How often do we find that we struggle to do what we want and then find a way to make it seem as though it is God's desire for us. The noise of the world and our weak spirits tend to drowned out the voice of God in us. It's really hard to stop and just listen. But if we do, we will hear His voice telling us His will for us and we will find it is the best thing that could ever happen to us.

 

Heavenly Father, we ask for Your forgiveness because we try to make our own desires as if they are Yours for us. Help us to shut out the noise of this world that keeps us deaf to Your voice. Give us hearts to turn from our own wants and to follow You wherever You want us to go. In the name of Jesus, Amen.

©2008-2014

Daily Grace

Bobbi Craigmyle, Psy.D., BCPCC

 

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

 

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FAMILY RESEMBLENCE

 Romans 8:16 "The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God." ESV 

 

As humans, we all belong to a family bloodline. Each family has a bloodline that identifies the members as belonging to that family. Each family member has the bloodline in them. Most of the time, others can identify a person as belonging to a particular family due to various physical characteristics and temperaments. As Christians, we belong to the family of God. We are connected by the Holy Spirit, given by God at salvation. Others will be able to tell if we belong to the family of God by our lifestyles and our words. How many of us can be recognized as belonging to the family of God?

 

Heavenly Father, how great is Your love for us that You would make us a part of Your family. We pray that we will live our lives with unquestionable proof by our behaviors and words that we are Your children. In Jesus' name we pray, Amen.

 

©2008-2014

Daily Grace

Bobbi Craigmyle, Psy.D., BCPCC

 

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

 

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FREE AS A BIRD

 2 Corinthians 3:17 "Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom." ESV 

 

Unfortunately, the concept of freedom in the Bible is tragically misunderstood. Freedom is not being able to do whatever we want to do, because all we have to do is ask for forgiveness and it will be just fine. Actually, freedom is being able to say no to sin. We are no longer held captive by our sinful natures. We are given this freedom from sinning through the presence of the Holy Spirit. It is then we are free to live righteous and holy lives in the sight of God.

 

Heavenly Father, please forgive us for taking advantage of the freedom You paid so great a price to give us. Help us to trust You and be receptive to Your Holy Spirit so that we can truly be free to say no to sin and become more and more like Christ. In His name we pray, Amen.

©2008-2014

Daily Grace

Bobbi Craigmyle, Psy.D., BCPCC

 

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

 

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HOW TO NOT BE A HIPPOCRITE

 

 

Matthew 5:17

 

"Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them." ESV 

 

 

Jesus stated that He came to complete the Law in living form. The only thing that His life destroyed was Satan's works. The Law speaks of the outward man's obedience to God. Jesus' life and teachings demonstrated how the Law must first live in the inner heart. He taught us that we could practice all the rules successfully in our behaviors, while our inner spiritual lives were dead. If the fulfilled Law that Jesus Christ brought us by life, death, and resurrection lives within us, we will by that nature be living it on the outside.

 

Heavenly Father, we give You praise for sending Your only Son to show us the fullness of how our lives should be. Forgive us for being spiritually lazy, and merely doing the outward things that others expect or that make us look spiritual. Help us examine our hearts and open them to the fulfillment of living the life in our spirit. Then our outer lives will be genuine reflections of the new spiritual nature inside us. In the name of Jesus we pray, Amen.

 

©2008-2014

Daily Grace

Bobbi Craigmyle, Psy.D., BCPCC

 

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

 

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THE INTERNAL BATTLE

 

 

Romans 7:22,23

 

"For I delight in the law of God, in my inner being, but I see in my members another law waging war against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members." ESV 

 

Are we consciously aware of the conflict inside of us? This conflict is between the desire to do those things that are good and pleasing to the Lord and the desire to do those things that are good and pleasing to ourselves. As Christians, we have put to death our old nature and it's desires, but temptation and spiritual weaknesses cause that old nature to creep back into our lives. Walking close to our Lord, filled with His Spirit, we can be conquerors of sin and powerful to live our lives pleasing to the Lord.

 

Heavenly Father, forgive us for listening to our old fleshly natures and displeasing You. We pray for discernment and courage to continually put to death our old natures and to live by the new nature You gave us when we put our faith in You. In the name of Jesus we pray, Amen.

 

©2008-2014

Daily Grace

Bobbi Craigmyle, Psy.D., BCPCC

 

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

 

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AND THE BATTLE GOES ON

  Galatians 5:16 

"But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do." ESV

 

 

As Christians, we are constantly in a battle between what our own desires want and the Holy Spirit's desire that lives within us. Do we recognize the difference between the two? Do we consciously listen to the Holy Spirit and choose to follow Him? If we don't, our human desires will lead us to things that destroy us physically, mentally, and spiritually.

 

Heavenly Father, we bow humbly before you asking for strength, wisdom, and discernment to follow the leading of Your Holy Spirit. We know then, that we will win each battle and that we will not sin against You. In Jesus' name, Amen.

 

©2008-2014

Daily Grace

Bobbi Craigmyle, Psy.D., BCPCC

 

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

 

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MORE THAN WORDS CAN SAY

2 Corinthians 3:6    ". . .who has made us sufficient to be ministers of a new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit. For the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life." ESV

When Jesus gave Himself on the cross and rose again, we never again had to rely on the written law to be saved. We can study for hours on end and memorize the Bible from cover to cover, but that in itself will not give us life. It is the Spirit of God that will bring life to His Word in our souls. If we are made alive in the Spirit, we will be naturally abiding in what God has commanded and He will be pleased with us.

Heavenly Father, how we praise You for the precious and wonderful gift of Your Holy Spirit. We thank You for bringing Your Word to life and planting it within us by Your Spirit. Increase our hunger for Your Word and the openness to receive the Holy Spirit who will bring life to all You have told us. In Jesus' name, Amen.

©2008-2014

Daily Grace

Bobbi Craigmyle, Psy.D., BCPCC

 

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

 

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FITNESS ULTIMATE

1 Timothy 4:8

 

"For while bodily training is of some value, godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come." ESV

 

To be concerned about one's physical health is beneficial for living here in this life. To be concerned about one's spiritual life is beneficial for this life and crucial for eternal life. Take care of the body, God's temple, but our spiritual life is the number one priority in our lives with God.

 

Heavenly Father, we confess that we have not done our best to take care of our physical bodies, much less our spiritual lives. Forgive us for such neglect. Give us hunger for healthy spiritual lives which will result in our taking care of our physical bodies. We pray in Jesus' name, Amen.

 

 

©2008-2013

Daily Grace

Bobbi Craigmyle, Psy.D., BCPCC

 

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

 

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Galatians 3:23

 

"Now before faith came, we were held captive under the law, imprisoned until the coming faith would be revealed." ESV

 

So many people who have not accepted Christ as their Savior continue to see Christianity as a large list of do's and don'ts. Even some Christians are still under the teaching of this same concept. The good news came as Jesus Christ, who showed us a new way. We are no longer bound by the laws of do this and don't do that. We have been set free to live by the Spirit of the living God who leads us by His Spirit. It is by His Spirit that we know what is pleasing and right in God's eyes. We no longer need a list of rules to follow. If we are walking in the Spirit of God, we will never be breaking any laws. There are no laws against the things God would lead us to do.

 

Heavenly Father, how can we ever show our gratitude for the freedom You gave us through Christ. Help us to always walk in Your Holy Spirit so that we will be beyond the law, being full of Your living Spirit. We will no longer need a list of rules, but we will be living right and just before You and before our fellow men. In Jesus' name we pray, Amen.

 

          

©2008-2013

Daily Grace

Bobbi Craigmyle, Psy.D., BCPCC

 

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

 

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SPIRIT VS LAW

 

 

2 Corinthians 3:5,6

 

" . . .but our sufficiency is from God, who has made us sufficient to be ministers of a new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit. For the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life." ESV

 

Jesus angered the religious leaders of His time because He chose to live by the Spirit of the Living God rather than the law, given to Moses before the Holy Spirit came to fill all those who seek after Jesus Christ. If a child fell into a sink hole on the Sabbath, and we adhered strictly to the law, we would have to let the child lay in that sink hole until the Sabbath was over. Where is the mercy in that? Where is the love and concern for a child in desperate need, even on the Sabbath? This is what Jesus was trying to teach those rigid religious leaders. The Spirit would lead us to immediately come to the rescue of that child. Would we be profaning the Sabbath? No. God desires mercy rather than sacrifice.

 

Heavenly Father, how grateful we are that You have given us a day of rest, to honor and glorify You and refrain from our every day tasks. We are equally as grateful that You have supplied mercy to us and allow us to extend mercy to others even on the Sabbath. Give us a fuller understanding of living in the life giving Spirit. In Jesus' name we pray, Amen.

 

          

©2008-2013

Daily Grace

Bobbi Craigmyle, Psy.D., BCPCC

 

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

 

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IT'S THE LAW!

 

 

 

Galatians 5:18

"But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law." ESV

The law is a set of rules that govern a community or group of people so that order is maintained and the rights of people are not violated. Why do we need laws? Because the human default mode is to do what seems the most profitable for the self. We can see what results this has on our world. Being governed by the Spirit is an attitude of the heart committed to obeying God. In doing so, by His nature, we will be doing those things that are good and right, orderly and respectful, pleasing to the Lord. If we allow the Spirit to lead us, there is no need to worry about breaking any of man's laws.

Heavenly Father, how we pray for the indwelling of Your Holy Spirit so we can stop doing things our own way and begin to walk in the Spirit. Forgive us for the problems we have caused by living under the direction of our human natures. Help us to continually walk in Your Spirit, living the law of Love. We pray in Jesus' name, Amen.

         

©2008-2013

Daily Grace

Bobbi Craigmyle, Psy.D., BCPCC

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

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EXERCISE THAT REALLY WORKS

 

1 Timothy 4:8

"For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come." NIV

"For bodily exercise profiteth little: but godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come." KJV

Physical fitness has become a huge focus in our society. We see people walking and jogging, the large expensive gyms are crowded 24 hours a day. It seems that getting and keeping the physical body in shape has become more important so some than anything else. It can be addictive. The Lord has entrusted us to take care of our bodies, because they are His temples, but He does not want us to put that first. God tells us over and over that our spiritual fitness is far more important. A healthy, lean body will not get us to eternal life. In fact, we are going to get new bodies. It is our spiritual health that will get us through this life and to eternity. If we make our spiritual health our priority, we will automatically take care of our physical health.

Heavenly Father, forgive us for giving our attention to our physical health while neglecting the more important thing, our spiritual health. Give us unquenchable hunger for the Word and prayer, so that we will be spiritually healthy. Help us to put our physical health in the right perspective. We pray in the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, Amen.

           

©2011

Daily Grace

Bobbi Craigmyle, Psy.D., BCPCC

drbobbijo@yahoo.com

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

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GOD IS SPIRIT

 

John 4:24

"God is spirit, and his worshippers must worship in the Spirit and in truth." NIV

"God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth." KJV

Of course God is spirit. We know He is not confined to a physical body or any other kind of containment. He is omnipresent (everywhere). How then, can we call ourselves true worshippers if we are merely going through motions, following a program, mindlessly singing a hymn or repeating a memorized or written prayer. That is not true worship. That is going through the motions of worship. True worship is bringing ourselves into the very presence of God with humble hearts of thanksgiving and praise. It is drawing near to Him with our hearts and minds totally focused on Him and His awesomeness. When we leave the scene of true worship, we are changed and know we have been in the very presence of the Lord God almighty.

Heavenly Father, forgive us for our complacency and failure to give You our hearts and minds in worship. Put a burning desire within us to worship You in spirit and truth so that we will know the joy of being in Your presence and that we will become more like You. In the name of Jesus Christ we pray, Amen.

           

©2011

Daily Grace

Bobbi Craigmyle, Psy.D., BCPCC

drbobbijo@yahoo.com

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

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