CrossRoads Community Church

Trusting God When Life Hurts Day 7 - Prayer for Guidance from the Holy Spirit And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased. ~Hebrews 13:16 One of the Holy Spirit’s tasks is to experientially validate for every believer God’s awesome love, acceptance, and encouragement toward each of His children. We taste and see that the Lord is good through the Holy Spirit, bringing his goodness to us (Psalm 34:8). We sense it and feel i...t deeply. We love how the Holy Spirit takes the intellectual concepts of love, mercy and grace of God and makes them practical and experiential. The Holy Spirit’s best work in people is seen in how He changes the way they relate to one another. You want the best part of your character displayed in your kids. It’s when your positive qualities, ways, words, actions and encouragements are reproduced In your child’s interactions with others that brings you joy. On the other hand, if they abuse, discourage and harm others with their way and words, you are grieved. That’s not me, you protest. I think our waywardness has the same effect on the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit heals relationships. He does this by lending and prompting all believers to show to others what God has shown them in the person of Jesus Christ. His point: you didn’t deserve grace, but now that you have it, you better give it as liberally as you received it! If we don’t the same thing grieve the Holy Spirit. Jesus aggressively illustrated His heart in the parable of the unmerciful servant. You feel the Holy Spirit’s presence and you honor him when your character reveals the grace that Jesus has freely given you. If you want more of the Spirit’s presence in your life, to be more in touch with His leading, here is a prayer you can pray today: Lord, I pray you would move the Spirit more boldly in my life. I know that any sin can grieve and diminish the voice of the Spirit, and I pray against the temptation to sin. Help me crave your presence more than I crave sin. Help me grow in the fruit of the Spirit and so walk closer with Yourself. I pray for guidance from your Spiritlet your will and promises always be a meditation of my heart. In Jesus’ Name, Amen. The following is an abridged version of Holy Spirit Impact from Every Man Ministries. https://media.swncdn.com/p/salem-marketing/trusting-god.pdf

We are called to LOVE!

Trusting God When Life Hurts Day - 6 A Prayer for When You Don’t Understand Your Circumstances His disciples did not understand these things at first, but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that these things had been written about him and had been done to him ~John 12:16 ESV... We can all attest to the 20/20 nature of hindsight; that moment of looking back on a complicated, confusing situation and realizing exactly what we should have done or been aware of at the time. But can we somehow turn this expectation into an advantage in the moment, as it’s playing out? Can we live in light of the reality that a time is coming when we’ll see God’s hand in all of this? Have you ever been in a situation like thatwhere you didn’t understand what was happening? Where you couldn’t seem to feel anything but disappointment or confusion? Where you seemed to be more questions than answers? Knowing why is not part of the skillset God expects from us as His followers. Answers to all the usual questionsWhy is this happening? What on earth is God doing?are not required, most likely not even available, during the heat of life’s most mystifying moments. All you need to know in times like these is the confident assurance that afterward, when you look back, you will see His hand at work in it. And knowing you’ll see it from a distance means it’s already here in the presentperhaps not to be recognized immediately, but to be trusted implicitly. Even when it’s difficult now, remember that one day you’ll see with clarity what God has been doing. And that it was always, only, for your good and His glory. Pray: Lord God, I know You are here. I trust in Your presence, Your power, Your goodness, and Your complete control over everything I’m facing. Help me walk through the questions, assured of Your answers, even though they’re still unclear to me. I know one day King Jesus will appear as the Faithful and True (Revelation 19:11), riding a powerful horse and fully revealing His authority. And I know that even now, when I don’t understand all the answers, I have You with me, and that is all that matters. Please give me increasing eyes of faith to trust what You are doing, evenand especiallywhen I don’t understand. I love You and I trust You, and I pray these things in Jesus’ Worthy Name, Amen. Content taken from the Our Journey Online devotional, What God’s Been Doing, written by Dr. James MacDonald https://media.swncdn.com/p/salem-marketing/trusting-god.pdf