Thank you Redwood for your comments. If we can be kept so busy with the things of this life, (even squabbling over women in ministry!!) then we are losing time that could be spent in God's service.

God bless,

Beryl

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Families should pray together. But praying by oneself is important. Praying to God alone keeps our spiritual lives alive. It is impossible for a Christian life to be healthy without prayer. Family and public prayer is not enough. A person should open his heart to God alone in a prayer heard by Him only. No other ear is to hear these secret desires.

We are free from other influences when we are alone with God. We can reach out quietly to Him, and a sweet influence will flow from Him who sees in secret. His ear is open to hear our prayer as with quiet, simple faith we share our thoughts with Him. We receive rays of divine light to help us in the battle with Satan. God is our tower of strength.

A secret rendervous with the King of Glory! We are free to discuss with Him even those "secret sins" with which we struggle. No-one else needs to know the struggles we have. He knows how we have been tempted. He knows the struggles that we have. He wants us to be completely free to talk with Him about the good, happy things in our lives -- but also to freely confess to Him the struggles we are having.

No need for us to feel fearful or ashamed -- He knows, and He cares. He is the One who will give you the strength to break the chains that bind you. He will set you free.

Have a wonderful day -- if you live the other side of the world! As for me -- I am going to bed!.

God bless,

Beryl

Thank you Beryl for all that you have said. It is so good. Focus Focus Focus.

This really is the secret of prayer -- "practicing the presence of God!"

Ever been for a walk with a trusted friend? As you walk along, you chatter, chatter, chatter! About anything and everything. It is easy to open your heart to a real friend as you walk along.

Your very best friend is Jesus! You can trust Him with the worst secret of your life! He won't tell a soul! You can rant and rave about how someone has treated you -- get it all out, then let Him pour His soothing oil of kindness into your heart, and help you heal the rift. You can "cry on His shoulder" -- and He will comfort you.

Enjoy your walk with Jesus today!

God bless,

Beryl

Nehemiah was in trouble! As the cupbearer he was in close proximity to the king. For someone to be sad in the presence of the king was to ask for trouble -- even execution if the king chose. Nehemiah offered up a silent prayer for help. He NEEDED to go to Jerusalem! He felt the call of God -- and God gave to him the right words to say to the king.

Imagine the relief that came to him as the king answered, "How long will your journey take, and when will you get back?" The bible doesn't say, but I can imagine Nehemiah breathing a quiet "Thank You, my God!"

So, very quickly the time for Nehemiah to go to Jerusalem was planned, and Nehimiah courageously asked for required letters to ensure safety, and for materials needed for the repair of Jerusalem.

I love this next bit --"And because the gracious hand of my God was upon me, the king granted my requests" -- and, not only that, but "The king had also sent army officers and cavalry with me." God had seen to it that not only the materials for rebuilding were supplied, but that protection was given Nehimiah, and he was not just going to Jerusalem as a returning captive, BUT WITH THE FULL SUPPORT OF THE KING, INCLUDING ARMY OFFICERS AND CAVALRY! God was certainly working -- and He would do the same for us

God bless,

Beryl

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We need to understand more clearly why Jesus became a man, and understand better the value of eternal life. The beauty of holiness is to fill the hearts of all Christians. We must ask God to open our eyes that we may better see this beauty.

Our minds should turn to God so that we may breathe the air of heaven. We may keep so near to God that no matter what happens, our thoughts will turn to Him. They will turn as easily as the flower turns to the sun.

Breathing the air of heaven! WOW!! I wonder what that will be like!! During this past week I have been studying quite a bit about our need for air -- fresh, oxygenated air. Part of a report that I read stated, "In the beginning the air was made up of, maybe as high as thirty-two to thirty-four percent oxygen. Today it is down to nearly half that figure at somewhere around eighteen percent. In cities like Los Angeles, New York and Chicago on a hot summer day, you will find that the oxygen level can be as low as eight percent."

Fresh air outdoors is essential to health, but just as important, if not more so, is the necessity of a constant supply of pure air indoors.

So we need a full supply of the Holy Spirit, received fresh each day. It is our only protection in a sinful world.

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We may keep our wants, our joys, our sorrows before God. We may share with Him our cares and fears. We will not make Him weary. He is able to count the hairs of our heads, and He cares about the needs of His children. "For the Lord is full of mercy and compassion." James 5:11

Yes, the Lord IS full of mercy and compassion, and He DOES take care of our needs -- and we can't out-give the Lord. His blessings are so much greater than our giving! James gives us the example of Job. If ever there was someone who had an "excuse" to walk away from God, it was Job! But, despite his pain -- both his heart pain and his physical pain -- Job believed in God. Yes, he asked questions, but he did not give up on God.

Maybe you are going through a testing time. Maybe everything is going wrong. Maybe it seems that no-one is listening, the heavens are shut, and you are asking, Why, Lord, and getting no answer.

I can personally testify that God IS there -- right through the dark days, and He IS listening. We may never know the reason why this side of eternity, but brighter days will come, and you will realise that He has been there all of the time!

God bless,

Beryl

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God's heart of love is touched by our sorrows and even by our telling Him about them. We may take everything that troubles us to Him. Nothing is too great for Him to bear, for He holds up the worlds and rules the universe. Nothing that happens to us is too small for Him to notice. Nothing in our lives is too sinful for Him to know about. No problem is so great He cannot solve it. He shares our joys and our worries. He hears every sincere prayer and is always ready to answer. "He heals the broken-hearted and bandages their wounds" (Psalm 147:3). God knows His people perfectly, and He treats each one as though there were not another person for whom He gave His dear Son."

WOW! How much is wrapped up in that paragraph! This tells me that I have a personal God, Who treats me as an individual, giving me a personal interview each time I ask! I can tell him about my aching big toe and He listens! I can talk to Him about that little willie wagtail who comes to me every time he sees me working in the garden, and how wonderful I find it to have so close a relationship with a "wild bird"! I can tell Him about my friend who is dying of cancer. And I can talk to Him about things that I would never share with anyone else -- and He listens.

He never interferes without cause, without my consent. He likes me to share my joys as well as my sorrows with Him. What a wonderful Friend!

God bless.

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Jesus said, "When that day comes, you will ask Him in my name; and I do not say that I will ask Him on your behalf, for the Father Himself loves you" (John 16:16,17. "I chose you...and so the Father will give you whatever you ask of Him in My name" (John 15:16). Jesus tells us to pray in His name. But to pray in His name means more than saying His name at the beginning of the prayer and again at the end. It means to pray in the mind and spirit of Jesus. It means that we believe His promises, depend upon His grace, and do His work.

Just think for a moment. To whom are you praying? Don't we often start our prayers with "Dear Jesus"? But what is He telling us here? We are to pray DIRECT TO GOD THE FATHER -- in the name of Jesus. It is really that Jesus, by His death and resurrection, opened the way right in to the Throne Room itself, and, because of the love that the Godhead has for us, God will give to us anything for which we ask -- except those things which they know will not be in our best interest.

God bless,

Beryl

"Well", you might ask, "aren't we admonished to 'pray without ceasing'"? That's right! We can "practice the Presence of Jesus" by communing with Him as we go about our daily work. Lifting our thoughts to Him in paryer and praise we can ask Him to speak to someone's heart, bring us closer to Him -- and any other requests. By practicing His presence we can have a new relationship with Him, as He becomes part of our daily lives.

Beryl