UNITY

 

Ephesians 2:22

"And in Him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by His Spirit." NIV

"In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit." KJV

What comes to our minds when we think about God's church? Do we think about the place we go to worship regularly? The building we attended when we were children? Do we envision our denomination that has given us our doctrines and beliefs? It may come as a surprise to many that God's church does not consist of a particular building, congregation, denomination, or specific group of people who believe they have the real truth. The true Bride of Christ, God's Church is unified not by any of the above things, but it is unified by hearts that believe by faith Jesus Christ is the Saviour of our sins and if we repent of our sin and commit our lives to Him by faith, He will bring us into His Church. There is no earthly church, denomination, or group that can get us to eternal life. Christ's bride consisted of people from every nation, every race, and every denomination.

Heavenly Father, please help us to let go of our prejudices against those who have different ways, different worship styles, and different denominations. Help us to understand that faith in the saving grace of Jesus Christ is what makes us a part of God's Church. We ask this in Jesus' name, Amen.

           

©2011

Daily Grace

Bobbi Craigmyle, Psy.D., BCPCC

drbobbijo@yahoo.com

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

No Copyright Infringement Intended

Personal Use Only

BECOME LIKE CHILDREN

Matthew 18:2,3 "He called a little child and had him stand among them. And He said, 'I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.'" NIV "And Jesus called a little child unto him, and set him in the midst of them, and said, 'Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.'" KJV Some of us have come to believe that gaining knowledge of God and studying sophisticated theology gets us more spiritually fit and insures our place in the presence of God. How far from the truth this is. Rather, it is simple and pure faith in what the Word of God says and complete abandoned trust in the Lord Jesus Christ. Are we like little children? That is what gets us more spiritually fit and get us into the presence of God Almighty. Heavenly Father, forgive us for losing sight of true and simple faith. While You want us to gain wisdom and knowledge through study of Your Word, we cannot rely on that to purify our faith. Help us to live our faith as little children with pure and simple abandon so that You will be glorified. In Jesus' name, Amen.             ©2011 Daily Grace Bobbi Craigmyle, Psy.D., BCPCC drbobbijo@yahoo.com http://insidetheshrink-dailygrace.blogspot.com/ No Copyright Infringement Intended Personal Use Only

PROTECTED FAITH

2 Timothy 1:12 "Yet I am not ashamed, because I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that He is able to guard what I have entrusted to Him for that day." NIV "Nevertheless, I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day." KJV We know that we can invest every bit of our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ because He will keep and protect all of it until we join Him in heaven. First of all, we have to realize our need to be rescued from sin. Then the building of our faith begins. It is a daily, moment by moment life of learning to trust and give more and more of ourselves to HIm. Our lives become lives of absolute dependence on Him for everything. We will never be disappointed. Heavenly Father, we are but humans given to doubt and fear. You have promised that whatever we turn over to You, You will take care of it for us until we get to where You are. Help us to freely depend on You for everything we need so that our faith will grow and we will know Your faithfulness in truth and splendor. In Jesus' name, Amen.             ©2011 Daily Grace Bobbi Craigmyle, Psy.D., BCPCC drbobbijo@yahoo.com http://insidetheshrink-dailygrace.blogspot.com/ No Copyright Infringement Intended Personal Use Only

HE KNOWS

Job 23:10 "But he knows the way that I take; when he has tested me, I will come forth as gold." NIV "But he knoweth the way that I take: when he hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold." KJV Our God knows where we are and what we are going through. He knows we are suffering with bodies that age and waste away. He understands our fear at disease, pain, and loss. He identifies with our despair and rejection. But, He has provided everything we need to live above the trials of this cursed world. He gave us faith and His word to assure us. He will deliver us and we will be victoriously at His side, ruling in His kingdom. Heavenly Father, it is so hard to keep our eyes off the things that are happening to us and around us now. Please help us to keep our hearts and minds on Your faithfulness to us and the promise that You will never leave us nor forsake us. In Jesus' name, Amen.             ©2011 Daily Grace Bobbi Craigmyle, Psy.D., BCPCC drbobbijo@yahoo.com http://insidetheshrink-dailygrace.blogspot.com/ No Copyright Infringement Intended Personal Use Only

REPENTANCE, THE OLD IS GONE, THE NEW HAS COME

2 Corinthians 5:17 "Therefor, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creations, the old has gone, the new has come." NIV "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new." KJV Repentance is a change of mind and change of practice of anything that we know offends God. It opens the way for the Holy Spirit to restore our spiritual health. It allows our old sinful natures to pass away and our new spiritual natures to let us become more like our Lord. Heavenly Father, it is only by Your grace that we can be drawn to repent of our sins. We ask that You accept our humble repentance of our old natures so that You will make us into new spiritual creations. Then we will become more Christlike. In His name we pray, Amen.             ©2011 Daily Grace Bobbi Craigmyle, Psy.D., BCPCC drbobbijo@yahoo.com http://insidetheshrink-dailygrace.blogspot.com/ No Copyright Infringement Intended Personal Use Only

GOT STRENGTH?

 

Philippians 4:13

"I can do everything through Him who gives me strength." NIV

"I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me." KJV

We get tired when we spend day after day struggling to maintain our faith in this evil world. We become weary in doing good when those around us seem to flourish and they are far from God. We lose hope when things seem to go from bad to worse. Our God has provided the way for us to be refreshed and conquer the fatigue we experience in this world. Our strength comes from Him. Through Him, we can move mountains and run the race until we reach the goal.

Heavenly Father, we need Your help to keep from becoming tired and weary in this difficult world. How we praise You for providing the strength we need to get through this life until we are with You forever. Help us to draw on that strength through the Word, prayer, faith, and fellowship. In Jesus name, Amen.

           

©2011

Daily Grace

Bobbi Craigmyle, Psy.D., BCPCC

drbobbijo@yahoo.com

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

No Copyright Infringement Intended

Personal Use Only

GOD IS MOVED BY OUR FAITH AND PRAYERS

 

Mark 11:22,23

"Have faith in God, Jesus answered. I tell you the truth, if anyone says to this mountain, Go, throw yourself into the sea, and does not doubt in his heat but believes that what he says will happen, it will be done for him." NIV

"And Jesus answering saith unto them, Have faith in God. For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith."KJV

Only God can intervene in the laws of nature and make the sun go backward in the sky. Only God can heal a sick man who is hanging onto life by a thread. Only God can make the blind to see and the deaf to hear. Only God can change a heart of stone into a heart of love and holiness. But, even more awesome is that our faith and prayers will move God.

Heavenly Father, we recognize that You are the One and Only miracle worker. We stand in awe that You are moved to do great things by our faith and prayers. Give us wisdom to pray and believe for the things that are in Your will. We pray in Jesus' name, Amen.

           

©2011

Daily Grace

Bobbi Craigmyle, Psy.D., BCPCC

drbobbijo@yahoo.com

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

No Copyright Infringement Intended

Personal Use Only

PRAYER AND PRAISE

Psalm 71:14,15 "But as for me, I will always have hope; I will praise you more and more." NIV "But I will hope continually, and will yet praise thee more and more." KJV We continually look for ways to draw closer to the Lord, to lift our souls toward Him, and to communicate with Him. This desire of ours brings great joy to our God. When we pray, we are asking Him in faith for His unending grace and mercy to act on our behalf. When we praise Him, we are accepting his answer and thanking Him for hearing us. What hope that brings to us knowing our God loves us in this way. Heavenly Father, Your loving kindness is everlasting. We praise You for Your faithfulness to us. Help us to display our hope through sincere prayer and praise to You, our God. In Your Son's name, Jesus Christ we pray, Amen.             ©2011 Daily Grace Bobbi Craigmyle, Psy.D., BCPCC drbobbijo@yahoo.com http://insidetheshrink-dailygrace.blogspot.com/ No Copyright Infringement Intended Personal Use Only

TOTAL TRUST

Psalm 91:2 "I will say of the Lord, 'He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.'" NIV "I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust." KJV When is the last time we meditated on the fact we are recipients of the lavish love only our Lord can give? How motivated are we by this wonderful love preceded by the grace and mercy of our God? Although we live in an unstable world full of uncertainties and dangers, have we totally accepted the Lord as our refuge and our fortress. Do we really trust Him even when we have no idea where He is taking us. If we cannot say we have total trust, it is time to get on our knees and have a long, honest talk with our Lord and Saviour. Heavenly Father, there is no other that we can depend on to keep us and protect us from the evil of this world. We trust that You will take us where we need to be. If there is any doubt in our hearts, help us Lord to get into our prayer closet and meet with You there until we have total trust in You. We pray in Jesus' name, Amen.             ©2011 Daily Grace Bobbi Craigmyle, Psy.D., BCPCC   No Copyright Infringement Intended Personal Use Only

FEED HIS SHEEP

 

John 21:17

"The third time he said to him, 'Simon son of John, do you love me?' Peter was hurt because Jesus asked Him the third time, 'Do you love me?' He said, 'Lord you know all things; you know that I love you.' Jesus said, 'Feed my sheep.'" NIV

"He saith unto him the third time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? Peter was grieved because he said unto him the third time, Lovest thou me? And he said unto him, Lord, thou knowest all things; thou knowest that I love thee. Jesus saith unto him, Feed my sheep." KJV

When we first came to the Lord Jesus Christ as our Saviour, we were babes in Christ and we had to draw on the life giving power of the Lord through those who were more mature spiritually. We listened and learned from the wisdom of others, asking our Lord to give us wisdom and understanding. Now, as we have gone farther along the narrow path, blessed by God's grace of wisdom and understanding, we owe it to God to feed His newly born again Christians and we owe it to those babes in Christ who hunger and thirst for Him.

Heavenly Father, how gracious You have been to us on our Christian journey from the day we accepted You as our Saviour. How thankful we are to those who were more mature in the things of God who took time and energy to teach us and set a Godly example for us. Give us a burning desire to be holy teachers and leaders to feed those who are coming into Your kingdom that they might grow and be fruitful for Your kingdom.

           

©2011

Daily Grace

Bobbi Craigmyle, Psy.D., BCPCC

 

No Copyright Infringement Intended

Personal Use Only

SEEING THE KINGDOM OF GOD

 

John 3:3

"In reply Jesus declared, 'I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again.'" NIV

"Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God." KJV

When God "declares" or speaks the same word twice, it is a call so powerfully important to listen with all our attention. If we don't, we will miss the critical gift of power to follow him. The kingdom of God is not a place far away that is waiting for those who have been born again. Once we become believers, we are given spiritual vision to see that God's kingdom is all around us. It cannot be perceived with our physical senses. It is available to us as God's own so that we can see what God's kingdom is like and how we are to take on His nature to dwell with Him, not some sometime in the future, but now, not somewhere far away, but right here.

Heavenly Father, our vision of Your kingdom seems to get limited because we use our senses and finite understanding to recognize it. Give us insight through rebirth into Your kingdom so that we can know Your kingdom is right here with us now. We ask in the name of Jesus, Amen.

           

©2011

Daily Grace

Bobbi Craigmyle, Psy.D., BCPCC

 

No Copyright Infringement Intended

Personal Use Only

LEARNING TO BE HUMBLE

John 3:30 "He must become greater; I must become less." NIV "He must increase, but I must decrease." KJV Our Christian journey here on earth is a process of Jesus becoming more and of us becoming less. That does not mean we think less of ourselves, putting ourselves down until we see ourselves as filthy trash. It means we think about ourselves less; our own wants and needs. Our thoughts and actions are more about Jesus and what He desires from us. If we cannot see this happening in our lives, we need to seek the Lord in prayer and get our hearts right. Heavenly Father, we are trusting in You to help us think of ourselves less often and to think of You more. Give us spiritual sight to see if this is happening in our lives and give us greater hunger to do so. In Jesus' name, Amen.

         

©2011

Daily Grace

Bobbi Craigmyle, Psy.D., BCPCC

 

No Copyright Infringement Intended

Personal Use Only

JESUS CAN

 

Ephesians 4:13

 

".....until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ." NIV

 

"Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ." KJV

Jesus Christ desires to restore us to wholeness. It is the reason He came to earth and gave Himself as a sacrifice for sin in our place. His desire is for everyone, no matter who we are, no matter what condition or circumstance we are in, and whatever lies in our past or present. We can never go too far that His love cannot reach us and restore us to Him.

Heavenly Father, what grace and mercy You have shown us, that all of us are on equal ground in Your eyes and You desire to restore every one of us to the place You intend for us to be. Help us to believe and use the faith You have given us that will allow You to restore us. In Jesus' name we pray, Amen.

            

©2011

Daily Grace

Bobbi Craigmyle, Psy.D., BCPCC

 

No Copyright Infringement Intended

Personal Use Only

PRAISE HIM FREELY

 

Philippians 2:10,11

"That at the name of Jesus, every knee should bow in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." NIV

"That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." KJV

We are told several times in God's Word that there will come a day when all people will bow down on their knees and speak with the truth revealed in them that Jesus Christ is Lord. It will be a day of universal worship that no one will escape. As Christians, we have the privilege and the call to worship the Lord now and always. What would it say about our Christian walk if we wait and are forced with the rest of the unbelieving world to worship and praise Him?

Heavenly Father, You are worthy of all our praise. We humbly ask You for the spirit of praise on our lips and our hearts so that You will be glorified. In Jesus' name, Amen.

           

©2011

Daily Grace

Bobbi Craigmyle, Psy.D., BCPCC

 

No Copyright Infringement Intended

Personal Use Only

WE ARE REDEEMED AND RESTORED

Galatians 4:4,5 "But when the time had fully come, God sent His Son, born of a woman, born under law, to redeem those under the law, that we might receive the full rights as sons." NIV "But when the fullness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, to redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons." KJV When Jesus went to the cross, He found us in our depravity. He brought us out of that hopeless condition. He paid the full price for our freedom with His own precious blood. Along with that, He restored us to our original place as His children, with full rights as heirs of His kingdom. What joy and hope we have! Heavenly Father, we can never repay You for the sacrifice You made to set us free from sin and restore us as Your own. Help us, Lord, to live worthy of Your great grace and mercy until that day You bring us Home. In Jesus' name. Amen.             ©2011 Daily Grace Bobbi Craigmyle, Psy.D., BCPCC   No Copyright Infringement Intended Personal Use Only

LIVING ON THE WORD

Matthew 4:4 "Jesus answered, 'It is written: Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes out of the mouth of God.'" NIV "But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God." KJV If we do not feed our physical bodies sufficiently, we will become weak, tired, and sick. If we do not feed our minds with new information, we will lose our abilities to stay connected to the world around us and our thinking will stagnate. If we do not feed our spirits with the Word of God, we will find ourselves further from God. We will begin to drift toward the world where we do not sense the prompting of the spirit or see the gentle but significant working of God all around us. If we seek to feed our spirits on the Word of God we will have the compass, the guide to get us from this life to eternity with Him. Heavenly Father, how we thank You for Your Word that gives us all we need to draw closer to You and live lives pleasing to You while we are here on earth. Increase our hunger to feed on Your Word and learn the great truths You have revealed to us. In Jesus' name, Amen.             ©2011 Daily Grace Bobbi Craigmyle, Psy.D., BCPCC   No Copyright Infringement Intended Personal Use Only

ETERNAL HOPE

 

Revelation 22:3

 

"No longer will there be any curse. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, and his servants will serve him." NIV

 

"And there shall be no more curse: but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it; and his servants shall serve him." KJV

 

One of the most horrible conditions anyone can experience in this life is hopelessness. Hopelessness seeps into our lives by sadness, pain, loss, and no apparent way out. But, as children of the Most High, we can look forward with hope. This is an eternal hope that will never be taken away or demolished. Our hope is in Christ who promised us that one day there will be no more separation, no more pain, and no more suffering. We can bask in that hope right now and experience joy in knowing that day is drawing near.

Heavenly Father, You are such an awesome God. We praise You with all our hearts because of the wonderful promise of eternal hope, where everything will be perfect. Give us joy as we think on this and give us understanding to know that day is close at hand. In Jesus' name, Amen.

           

©2011

Daily Grace

Bobbi Craigmyle, Psy.D., BCPCC

GIVE GOD A BLANK CHECK

 

Galatians 2:20

"I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me." NIV

"I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me." KJV

Becoming a born again Christian is not merely making a mental decision for Christ. It is a forever commitment to turn our entire lives over to the Lord in faith that He will bring us to Himself. We are freed from enslavement in sin and become slaves of the Lord Jesus Christ. There is no partial salvation, no riding the fence, no serving two masters. Our Lord cannot bring us to Himself and make us like Himself unless we give Him a blank check with our lives.

Heavenly Father, oh how we glorify Your Name and praise You for providing the way of salvation. Help us, O God, to turn our whole lives over to You. Show us where we might be holding on to the old life and give us boldness to let it go and be totally Yours. We pray in Jesus' name, Amen.

           

©2011

Daily Grace

Bobbi Craigmyle, Psy.D., BCPCC

THE GOOD FIGHT

 

1 Timothy 6:12

"Fight the good fight of faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses." NIV

"Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold of eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and has professed a good profession before many witnesses." KJV

Christianity has been called a "crutch" for weak people. This couldn't be further from the truth. We are called to fight the good fight of faith. This tell us living the Christian life is a tough struggle that is definitely not for the weak. Making our public testimony of faith by baptism, we are equipped and responsible to defeat the evil one and our own sinful nature. That is the good fight of faith, not a crutch.

Heavenly Father, we have confessed our faith in You and we realize we are now in a spiritual battle. We ask for Your strength and power to overcome Satan and our own sinful natures, not for crutches to hobble along life's path. In Jesus' name, Amen.

           

©2011

Daily Grace

Bobbi Craigmyle, Psy.D., BCPCC

DIMENSIONS OF GOD'S LOVE

 

Romans 8:39

"For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angles nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creations, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord." NIV

"For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord." KJV

We cannot get down so low that God's love is not deeper still. We cannot face any trial in this life, including death, that God's love is not surrounding us and leading the way. We cannot be overcome with the mountains of stress that God's love is not pouring out peace into our souls. We cannot be threatened by any person, place, or thing that God's love is not our covering of protection. What words of comfort in a world that seeks to destroy us.

Heavenly Father, how we praise and thank You for Your infinite love that keeps us from all things that would try to come between You and us. Help us to always remember, no matter what situation we are in, that Your love envelopes us and keeps us safe in Your arms. In Jesus' name, Amen.

         

©2011

Daily Grace

Bobbi Craigmyle, Psy.D., BCPCC

THE WAY TO JOY

Psalm 119:111

Your statutes are my heritage forever; They are the joy of my heart." NIV

If we think of all the things we would sacrifice because we choose to live our lives totally focused on Jesus Christ and His eternal kingdom, we would still be so over come with joy it would flow out of our hearts onto our faces. We would have smiles of satisfaction and peace.

Heavenly Father, we know that our strength is Your joy. We thank You that You favor us with Your joy as we focus on You. We will never miss what we leave behind to serve You. Give us that wonderful joy. We pray in Jesus' name, Amen.

 

           

©2011

Daily Grace

Bobbi Craigmyle, Psy.D., BCPCC

HIS PROMISE IF WE COMMIT TO HIM

 

Psalm 37:5,6

"Commit your way to the Lord; trust in Him and He will do this: He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn, the justice of your cause like the noonday sun." NIV

"Commit thy way unto the Lord; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass. And he shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light, and thy judgment as the noonday. KJV

Our Almighty God has charged Himself with full responsibility for our eternity in heaven. He is perpetually ready to take over the management of our lives the very moment we put our faith in Him. There is no greater promise than this, and no greater love than that of our God.

Heavenly Father, what great love You have for us. We pray that we remain reverent of that love and let others know they can have this wonderful promise too. In Jesus' name, Amen.

           

©2011

Daily Grace

Bobbi Craigmyle, Psy.D., BCPCC

REST FOR THE WEARY

 

Matthew 11:28-30

"Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light." NIV

"Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light." KJV

If we follow the command of Jesus Christ with all our hearts, and effortlessly rest our burdens on Him, we will find His burden is easy. Under the gentle pressure of His burden, we will receive the power to persevere to the end. The Lord Jesus Christ carries our burdens so much better than we do.

Heavenly Father, we praise You that You allow us to give You our burdens. We gladly take Your yoke that is light and easy. Please give us Your grace and mercy to do this without resistance. In Jesus' name, Amen.

            

©2011

Daily Grace

Bobbi Craigmyle, Psy.D., BCPCC