IF YOU WILL, THEN HE WILL

 

James 4:8

 

"Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you . . ." ESV 

 

Our God waits for us to draw near to Him so that He can move the universe to welcome us. It is like a dance in perfect rhythm. As Christians, we come near to God with innocence and purity, separate from the world. Oh that we would always be drawing near to Him.

 

Lord, forgive us for getting too busy to set aside the things of this world and for failing to draw near to You. We fail to prioritize our time in a manner that we can hear Your Spirit gently calling us to come near. Forgive us and may we have an increasing desire to come closer to You. 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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A BRIGHT LIGHT

 

1 John 1:5

 

"This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all." ESV 

 

The disciples lived and talked with Jesus every day during His ministry on earth. The words He spoke to them, they wrote down to speak to us. They are words of eternal importance, full of wisdom, holiness, and salvation from sin. These words are light that are the only source of understanding the Truth, there is no other way. These are the words He gave to us and we are to study them, share them, and live them.

 

Lord, how thankful we are that You came to earth as the light to give us the message of truth and everlasting life. Help us to walk in the Light, and to shine Your light to everyone we meet. In Your great name we pray, Amen.

©2008-2014

Daily Grace

Bobbi Craigmyle, Psy.D., BCPCC

 

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NO NEED TO FEAR

 

Isaiah 41:10

 

"Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand." ESV 

 

This world is an anxious and fearful place. If we are honest with ourselves, we will admit that we have fear in our lives. We tend to get more discouraged while we watch the world getting more evil day by day. Remember, the great I AM is our God. We have the assurance and peace knowing He will give us the strength and help we need to be victorious in whatever we encounter. Our God is continually holding us up with His right hand, and interceding for us.

 

Lord, forgive us for allowing fear and discouragement to overtake us. Help us to clothe ourselves with faith and understanding. You are our God and You provide us with all we need to succeed in this earthly walk. We thank You for that. In Your name we pray, Amen.

 

©2008-2014

Daily Grace

Bobbi Craigmyle, Psy.D., BCPCC

 

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

 

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HE WAS SINLESS, WE WEREN'T

 

1 Peter 2:24

 

"He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed." ESV 

 

The Son of God took all of my sins, all of your sins, and the sins of the whole world onto His own body. He had no sin of His own. He took the punishment for us so that it would be as though we had not sinned at all. It was a sacrifice of agony and horror driven by His love for us. Because He willingly did that, the bondage of sin no longer holds us. We are free to choose what is righteous, just as He did. And because His body was beaten and battered, like wounds and bruises, we are healed from the disease of sin.

 

Lord, how can we ever thank You for the sacrifice on the cross. You took our sins, while You were sinless, so that we could be clean and free from the grip of Satan and this evil world. Fill us with Your Spirit so that we will be dead to sin and alive to all that is good in Your eyes. In Your name we pray, Amen.

 

©2008-2014

Daily Grace

Bobbi Craigmyle, Psy.D., BCPCC

 

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PEACE ISN'T THE ABSENCE OF ANYTHING!!

 

Colossians 3:15

 

"And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful." ESV 

 

Peace is not a lack of war or clamor. Peace is not a lack of anything. It is a strong, silent state. It is an active condition of the heart. Peace conquers war, confusion, and unrest. If we are living true to the Lord Jesus Christ, our lives will be filled with His everlasting peace.

 

Lord, we thank You for the peace that only You can give to us. Help us to understand that peace is not the absence of war, but that it is a powerful, active condition that passes all of our understanding. In Your holy name we pray, Amen.

 

©2008-2014

Daily Grace

Bobbi Craigmyle, Psy.D., BCPCC

 

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

 

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WHAT KIND OF ROCK IS THAT?

 

Matthew 16:18

 

"And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build by church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it." ESV 

 

What is this rock on which Jesus Christ builds His Church? It wasn't on the man Peter, but on what Peter responded to Jesus' question to him, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." v.16. If we have this same faith Peter had, we have the knowledge of the power of the sovereignty of God. We will conquer death, hell, and the grave as Jesus did. And together, united as one on the Rock, we will bring others to this saving grace and we will trample down the very gates of hell.

 

Lord, we worship You and give You praise for coming to this earth so that we would know the Truth. Oh, how we need Your grace to live in this power and victory as Your Church. Help us to stand on the rock, make our every conscious thought remember who we are in You, and give us victory over the attacks of evil. In Your gracious name we pray, Amen.

 

©2008-2014

Daily Grace

Bobbi Craigmyle, Psy.D., BCPCC

 

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BY THE WAY, LORD, CAN I HAVE MY PRAYER ANSWERED NOW?

 

Romans 4:17

 

". . .in the presence of the God in whom he believed, who gives life to the dead and calls into existence the things that do not exist." ESV 

 

People have always been intrigued by magic and miracles. People who gravitate and put their trust in magic are those who want instant answers and a showy display of amazement. After all, we are an "instant" society where things are done by the touch of a button. If we pray and do not get our desired answer immediately, we get disappointed and "faith disabled." If we are walking in the Spirit of Truth, we will know the miraculous workings of God and we will wait with faith and anticipation for His answers to our prayers.

 

Lord, You are the One who created all things and who has all things ordered to play out in time. Forgive us for getting caught up in the spirit of this world where we miss Your mighty works because we are looking for instant and glorious answers right now. Help us to stay focused on You and Your plan for us, so that we will not focus on what we want. In Your gracious name we pray, Amen.

 

©2008-2014

Daily Grace

Bobbi Craigmyle, Psy.D., BCPCC

 

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THINGS ARE NOT GOING GOOD HERE, BUT . . .

 

2 Peter 3:13

 

"But according to his promise we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells." ESV 

 

How often do we let ourselves get caught up in the things that go wrong and create unrest in our lives? Jesus told us that we will have trouble in this life. He said we are strangers and aliens here in this world. Why do we question what God is doing when we know these things? Our Lord has promised us a perfect, righteous dwelling place. All we need to do is look ahead to these great and wonderful promises, and we will find ourselves stronger and more peaceful getting through this life.

 

Lord, forgive us for looking at our circumstances and for questioning Your intentions for our lives. Help us to remember always that we are confined for a short while, in this cursed world. We confess that we question You when things are not going well for us here. Fill us with Your Spirit so that we will continually seek You, and so that we will fan the flames of our faith. In Your great name we pray, Amen.

©2008-2014

Daily Grace

Bobbi Craigmyle, Psy.D., BCPCC

 

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I MUST BE LOOKING IN THE WRONG PLACE!

 

Job 13:15

 

 "Though he slay me, I will hope in him.." ESV 

 

If we see life only by the things going on around us, we are lacking true peace, hope, and joy. It is when we begin to see our lives from God's perspective that we rejoice at His purpose and blessings waiting ahead for us.

Lord, forgive us for looking at the things going on around us and for getting discouraged and fearful. Increase our hunger to rise above these things that bog us down and keep us stuck in stress, frustration, and dissatisfaction. Give us courage to look at our world through Your eyes, we pray in Your name, Amen

©2008-2014

Daily Grace

Bobbi Craigmyle, Psy.D., BCPCC

 

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

 

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HOW DO WE GET THERE?

 

Matthew 16:24

 

"Then Jesus told his disciples, 'If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.'" ESV

 

 

Following in the footsteps of Jesus Christ is not for the weak and fragile hearted. Following Christ is refusing to recognize personal agenda. It is disowning personal rights and taking on the nature of His fellow heirs of the kingdom.

 

Lord, we can't deny our selves in our own strength. We recognize our weakness and self-centeredness that separated us from You in the first place. Help us to draw from the strength of the Holy Spirit so that we can put our own agenda aside by following You and bringing glory to Your name. In Your name we pray, Amen.

 

©2008-2014

Daily Grace

Bobbi Craigmyle, Psy.D., BCPCC

 

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

 

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WHERE DID I GO?

 

Galatians 2:20

 

"I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me." ESV

 

Since Jesus Christ willingly suffered the greatest, most horrendous agony by taking our sin onto Himself, how much more do we willingly crucify our sinful nature and allow Christ to live our lives for us? That is the battle we fight here on earth. Crucifying the self is a constant fight, but Jesus Christ gives us everything we need to be victorious. We merely have to move ourselves out of the way, and allow Christ to live our lives for us.

 

Lord, we give You praise for willingly taking our sin to the cross. We fail to keep our sinful nature buried so that we live solely by faith in You. Help us to persevere in living the new life, and totally leaving behind the old. We pray in Your wonderful name, Amen.

©2008-2014

Daily Grace

Bobbi Craigmyle, Psy.D., BCPCC

 

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

 

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MORE OR LESS

 

John 3:30

 

"He must increase, but I must decrease." ESV 

 

Many Christians have a tendency to pay more attention to how they measure up as a Christian. They may compare themselves to other Christians and attempt to align their lives with them. Our Christian journey is not about us! It is about the Lordship of Jesus Christ and bringing others to Him. If we focus on Jesus Christ and seeking to be more like Him, our walk will take on His likeness and others will follow. That is our call in this world.

 

Lord, forgive us for getting focused on ourselves and how we are doing as Christians. We know we are to exam ourselves, but we know that seeking You and You alone is the answer to being full of Your Spirit. Help us to keep our eyes on You, so that our footsteps will take the shape of Yours. Keep us from our worry about how we are doing. Let us be so in love with You that we become magnets for You without doing anything but seeking Your face. We pray in Your name, Amen.

 

©2008-2014

Daily Grace

Bobbi Craigmyle, Psy.D., BCPCC

 

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

 

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ALL OR NOTHING

 

2 Timothy 2:4

 

"No Soldier gets entangled in civilian pursuits, since his aim is to please the one who enlisted him." ESV 

 

If we have made a total surrender to live for God and for Him alone, there will be no room for getting involved in earthly things and things of the self. Staying focused and keeping the world in its place in our lives is possible only by the grace of God and seeking to be filled with His Spirit. We are humans, and we have need of frequent examination of ourselves to see if there are any places we have let the world weaken our commitment to the Lord.

 

Lord, please help us to look inside ourselves and reveal to us any worldly things we have allowed to control us. Help us to surrender those things so that we will not be hindering Your plan for our 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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WHICH WAY? THIS WAY!

 

John 3:16

 

"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life." ESV 

 

Do we truly understand the love our God has for all mankind? His love does not recognize certain laws, traditions, and denominations. When Christ died on the cross, all the dividing walls were ripped from top to bottom. From that moment on, there are no longer any elite groups that have privilege to the throne of grace. There is only one group. That is the Bride of Christ, those who believe by faith in the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The world is a harvest field. If we try to win converts to our own brand of "religion," we fail to bring them to Christ. It is only through Him, that eternal life become ours.

 

Lord, we know that it all comes back to the cross, where You gave Your life for us. Help us to be aware of how we share this good news. Please check us in our hearts when we get off track, talking about doctrine and traditions. We praise You for Your precious grace and mercy You freely offered us through Your suffering, death, and resurrection. In Your name we pray, Amen.

 

©2008-2014

Daily Grace

Bobbi Craigmyle, Psy.D., BCPCC

 

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

 

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COMMITMENT

 

Proverbs 16:3

 

"Commit your work to the Lord, and your plans will be established." ESV 

 

If there are things we are doing or planning that we would be ashamed to ask the Lord for His blessing, we need to get rid of them. With a clean conscience, we can bring our work and our plans to the Lord knowing He will use them in His wisdom and make them into eternal blessings.

 

Lord, search our hearts and reveal to us any thoughts, words, or deeds that would not glorify You. We desire to commit our ways to You so that You will be glorified and others will turn their lives over to You. In Your name, Amen.

 

©2008-2014

Daily Grace

Bobbi Craigmyle, Psy.D., BCPCC

 

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

 

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REFLECTING LIGHT

 

1 John 1:7

 

"But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin." ESV 

 

The true Christian journey takes us to increasing light of the knowledge of God. We all walk in different amounts of light, but, nevertheless, we walk holy and completely in the light we have. God is Light. If we are walking in Light, together we are joined with one another to Him. We will resemble Him and we will have one purpose, that is, to reflect Him, bringing Him glory. We are fully able to do this because of the blood of Jesus Christ.

 

Lord, thank You for being the Way for us to be able to walk in Your Light. Help us to walk worthy and to walk closer to Your Light so that we will reflect Your glory, drawing others to You. In Your name we pray, Amen.

©2008-2014

Daily Grace

Bobbi Craigmyle, Psy.D., BCPCC

 

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

 

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GOD, WHAT ARE YOU DOING?

 

Isaiah 55:8

 

"For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord." ESV 

 

How awesome it is that God's thoughts and ways are all wise and loving. But how difficult it is to remember that His thoughts and ways are so very different from ours. Because He has a plan for us, His ways will always seem to interfere with ours. His ways will frustrate us and take us to places we never imagined we would go. We can totally trust Him, because He is all knowing and we can let Him work in His ways, being willing to let go of our own ways.

 

Lord, we are but dust and yet we try to understand what You are doing and we try to define it by our own thoughts and plans. Help us to remember that our minds are so limited to the knowledge of this world. Help us to accept Your ways with contentment and thankful hearts. In Your name we pray, Amen.

 

©2008-2014

Daily Grace

Bobbi Craigmyle, Psy.D., BCPCC

 

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WHO TURNED OUT THE LIGHT?

 

1 John 2:11

 

"But whoever hates his brother is in the darkness and walks in the darkness, and does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes." ESV

 

 

If we can't seem to find our spiritual direction and the Lord seems to have moved farther away from us, it's time to search our own hearts for harbored resentment and anger. If we are holding grudges or rehearsing angry thoughts about anyone or anything, we have turned off the Light of our Lord and His Holy Spirit. It is only when we let go of this resentment, forgive whoever wronged us, and ask for forgiveness from our Lord, that the Light will shine on us once again.

 

Lord, forgive us for harboring resentment toward others. We truly desire Your Holy Spirit to fill us with Your love and forgiveness toward those we feel have wronged us. Cleanse us Lord of the negative hold of anger and hatred that leaves us stumbling around in the darkness. In Your name we pray, Amen.

 

©2008-2014

Daily Grace

Bobbi Craigmyle, Psy.D., BCPCC

 

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WHAT ARE WE SEARCHING FOR?

 

Isaiah 55:6

 

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

 

Seeking the Lord is a matter of opening ourselves to being in uninterrupted communion with Him. This is the key to all things falling into place in our lives. Praying for needs is important. But unless we seek after the Lord to be able to simply be with Him, we will not be successful intercessors.

 

Lord, how we must grieve You with our endless petitions for You to carry out for us. We don't even take the time to just bask in Your presence and tell You that we know what an awesome God You are. Keep us aware that seeking You and being in Your presence is all we need to live victoriously on this earth. In Your name we pray, Amen.

 

©2008-2014

Daily Grace

Bobbi Craigmyle, Psy.D., BCPCC

 

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WAIT WAIT WAIT

 

Psalm 130:5

 

"I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in his word I hope." ESV 

 

Patience is a spiritual product we choose by faith. It is so much easier to wait when we know God isn't going to disappoint us. But, everyday our faith is tested. Waiting with true faith will keep us on solid ground, enduring under the heaviest burdens and trials. If we can just remember how long the Lord waited for us, we will gladly wait patiently for Him.

 

Lord, forgive us for not exercising the measure of faith You have given us, so that we will be able to wait patiently for You to act on our behalf. Help us to stand strong in our faith so that nothing in this world can cause us to waiver and lose hope. Thank You for hearing us. In Your name, Amen.

 

©2008-2014

Daily Grace

Bobbi Craigmyle, Psy.D., BCPCC

 

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

 

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MISSING JUST ONE THING

 

Mark 10:21,22

 

"And Jesus looking at him, loved him, and said to him, 'You lack one thing: go, sell all that you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.' Disheartened by the saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions." ESV 

 

Becoming a true follower of Christ is a simple act of faith for us, but the cost for this marvelous privilege cost Him so very much. Salvation is a free gift to ALL who will believe. True repentance and faith in Christ is not so easy because we find it inevitable that we manifest the life of God in our thoughts and actions. Being a Christian is not an easy mental agreement. It is living the life of God through our daily lives rather than living the way we think is right.

 

Lord, how can we ever give back to You for freely providing this most awesome gift of salvation and eternal life? All that we have is our selves and what we have collected here of material things. Take our lives and all that we have and use them for Your glory. In Your name we pray, Amen.

 

 

©2008-2014

Daily Grace

Bobbi Craigmyle, Psy.D., BCPCC

 

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

 

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DON'T JUST KNOW IT, LIVE IT

 

John 8:12

 

"Again Jesus spoke to them saying, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life." ESV 

 

We can read all about sanctification, growing in the Lord, and walking in the Spirit. But, this will only educate our minds. It is obedience to the Light of the Lord and His Word that will change our hearts to bring about these miraculous things. Reading about it and discussing it merely brings knowledge. Obeying His Word brings us into the Light and keeps us walking on the path to Him.

 

Lord, please forgive us for sitting passively by, reading and talking about the life we are to be living in You. Help us to be obedient in the light You have given us and prepare us for the light that is ahead. We ask in Your precious name, Amen.

 

©2008-2014

Daily Grace

Bobbi Craigmyle, Psy.D., BCPCC

 

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

 

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