What is prayer journaling?

What is Prayer Journaling?

The simplest answer is: It is journaling, when you put your life on the page, spending time with God, remembering what God has done, and counting your blessings in a prayer letter to God.
 The more complicated and more complete answer is this... Prayer journaling is all of the above + (plus):
Where you Pray the Word and study the Word
What you do to help you work through a problem
How to cope with a life challenge
Help with problem solving
How you learn life lessons
How you see patterns in your life
How you leave a legacy
Where you go when you need a safe place
A way to worship God
How you pray 24/7/365
Solitude
Silence
Draw close to God
Remember what has happened and your memories
Where and how you grow deeper in your faith
How to deal with the attacks of the enemy
Where you go to express your creativity
A sacred place
When you remember the cross
Where you ponder his grace
Etc.
Prayer journaling is writing out your 24/7/365 prayers to God and Pray the Word as you talk to God about life and spend time with the Lord.
Why Prayer Journaling?
Why should you read a blog or a book on prayer journaling?
Why should you prayer journal?
The answer to both questions stem to these reasons:
1 You want to get to know God.
2 You want to spend time with God. (This is done through prayer.)
3 You want to count your blessings.
4 You want to remember what God has done in your life.
5 You want to work through a problem or a challenge.
6 You want and need to heal.
7 You want to deepen your relationship with the Lord.
8 You need answers.
9 You want to get to know, study, and remember the Word of God.
10 Any other reason you can think of and more.  

MY ASSUMPTION: YOU ALREADY HAVE A JOURNAL
My assumption is that you already have a journal and you already have done some journaling.
If this is not the case, you might want to check out these blog posts and then you’ll be ready to read the rest of this blog post and book:
1 http://thejournalingpath.blogspot.com/2013/01/journaling-101-introduction.html
2 http://thejournalingpath.blogspot.com/2013/01/journaling-101-reasons-to-journal.html
3 http://thejournalingpath.blogspot.com/2013/01/journaling-101-i-now-have-journal-now.html
4 http://thejournalingpath.blogspot.com/2013/01/journaling-101-who-am-i.html
If you have never journaled before, read those four links and get your journal. Buy it or prepare it on your computer. If you have journaled before, please continue.
PREPARATION OF YOUR PRAYER JOURNAL
So, why don’t you get your journal? Now, let’s prepare it for prayer journaling at this time.
My first suggestion is to start with a brand new journal to do personal journaling and prayer journaling. This marks a new segment in your Christian walk and in your journaling journey. Therefore, start fresh with a new journal.
What do we do to prepare our journals to also act as a prayer journal?
Turn to the first page of your journal and at the top of the page write, for example:
^ THE PRAYER JOURNAL OF STACY DUPLEASE (Put your name there instead.)
Then, put today’s date on the next line. For example,
^ START DATE: 01 FEBRUARY 2013, FRIDAY
Now, pick a verse from the Bible you would like to focus on for this journal. IT will be the verse you pray at the start of each day. So, write this in your prayer journal:
^ JOURNAL’S FOCUS VERSE IS...
 PAGE 2 OF YOUR PRAYER JOURNAL
1 Write for a minimum of 10 minutes. Set a timer. Write out your hopes and expectations of your prayer journaling on the second page of your prayer journal. Share them with God. Write it as a prayer. Also, tell him your fears, frustrations, concerns, stressors, and anything else that comes to mind. Pour it all out to God.
If you run out of something to prayer journal about, worship him and praise him. Talk about what is going on in your life. Tell him about your day, week, month, and year. Tell him anything that you want.
If you want to keep going, turn off the timer and by all means, keep prayer journaling.
2 Now, set your timer for 10 minutes and so something that you will find very difficult at first.
Are you ready to hear the next step of this prayer journaling exercise or prompt?
Listen to what God has to say to you for ten minutes. Write it down. write it all down.
If your mind wanders, write it down. After all, you might not be able to sit in silence before the Lord unless you get it down on the page--so you can let it go. Then, write, I AM LISTENING TO YOU, FATHER. This will often times get you to refocus.
The listening segment of your prayer journaling is far more important than anything you could ever day. But, God wants to hear from you as well. He cares about what you care about. He wants you to share all of your life with him--no matter how small and silly you might think something is, it’s huge to him. He wants to be with you and show you his love for you. So, that’s why the first part of this exercise is important. But, the listening part is where he can actually get through the noise of your life and you are receptive to him in a way you normally are not.
This listening part is tough, I must warn you. You might find the first time out that you can only do this for 30 seconds--before your mind starts to wander.
If the I AM LISTENING exercise does not work, prayer journal a verse. That will also help you focus--and will give him the opportunity to speak to you. Sit in silence for a little bit. Then, repeat the verse if your mind starts to wander. But, don’t forget to write down what you thought when your mind wandered.
Try to sit in silence for as long as you can and just listen. Be open to him. Remain open to him and whatever he has to say to you.
There are times he might be silent. Do not fret. That doesn’t mean you aren’t hearing him. While that might be true, trust me. I know one thing for sure. When he has something to say to you, he will say it--and will say it multiple times and in multiple ways. He isn’t a God who speaks once and then stops. While he might grow quiet with you for a bit, it doesn’t mean he is punishing you. It means he is growing you and helping you attune your spiritual ears--your heart and mind--to him. Be patient. You will hear him when you are supposed to. Just keep listening. Don’t stop listening just because you might not hear from him today, for a week, a month, a year, or a decade. Keep listening. Remain open. He will speak.
In my experience, the only time he’s been silent with me for more than a week, it’s been because of me. I didn’t listen. I didn’t give him the opportunity to speak--because I wasn’t listening. Nonetheless, if I prayer journal, he usually speaks. I would say 95% of the time. He knows I am giving him that time. He will meet me there--since I am intentionally giving him the time that day.
Also, the more I listen, the more attune I get with him because I am in the word more.
EVERY time I open the Bible, the Word of God, he has spoken. Every word in the Bible is a word from him. So, that’s why I say write out a verse if your mind wanders and if you don’t hear from him. Write out the verse and you did. It might not feel like it. But, that’s okay. you don’t need to feel a thing. It doesn't diminish how he has spoken to you.
I hope that helps.
STEAL TIME TO PRAYER JOURNAL
Prayer journal all day long and all night long--here and there. Even if it’s a sentence here and a paragraph there. Carry your prayer journal everywhere you go. Remain open for prayer requests. you’ll hear someone say they aren’t feeling well, they are upset, their child has been in trouble at school, etc. Jot those down. Add them to your longer prayer journaling time each day.
Steal time to prayer journal. We have between one and two hours each day of  down time we usually cannot get back. We wait in a line, we wait on hold, we wait for an appointment, we go on break, we eat, we go to the restroom, we drive, etc. When driving, use the audio recorder on your cell and speak out your prayers. Then, write it down when you get home.
Steal time to prayer journal each and every day.
END OF DAY
Now, take some time to prayer journal anything you want.

LET’S BEGIN: MONTHLY, WEEKLY, AND DAILY PRAYER JOURNALING VERSES
Note: Everything I share from this point on in this INTRODUCTION is just a suggestion. It’s what you can do when you aren’t reading and doing this book.
Now, that your prayer journal’s first page is ready, we are ready to start to do some weekly and daily prayer journaling. As you might have guessed from the section of this section, you will need to pick out a verse to focus on for the month, the week, and for each day. That way, each day, you will have at least four verses to focus on throughout your day: your daily, weekly, monthly, and prayer journal’s verses--along with any others that God reveals to you. You also might have a yearly verse and verses to help you with a present situation. There might be verses you want to memorize and other verses God has put on your heart for whatever reason. You might have a family member or a friend struggling with something and you might have verses you are praying for them. But, either way, you will have at least four verses to pray each and every day.
FOUR VERSES MINIMUM EACH DAY FOR DAILY PRAYER JOURNALING
Let me put this in list form to help you picture this better. What verses will you pray each day?
^ Your prayer journal’s verse
^ Your monthly verse
^ Your weekly verse
^ Your daily verse
^ Any other verses God has put in your mind and heart.
Is this meant to act as a legalistic mechanism to force you to pray? No. Not at all. Rather, there are four verses to give you the words to pray whenever you are blank. Moreover, you will find these four verses a comfort, once you get into the rhythm of prayer journaling. They will give you something to focus on each day and will help you get through your day better because of it. Therefore, I recommend that you bring your prayer journal with you everywhere you go.
HOW DO YOU FIND YOUR DAILY VERSE?
There are many ways to find a daily verse. I will list several suggestions here in this section. However, let me state that if you are memorizing a verse, do not use that as your daily verse, except for the first day you decide to start memorizing it.
Pick a new verse each day. This is the hard, fast rule to never break.
You can find a daily verse in these ways:
^ www.biblegateway.com has a daily verse on their home page each day.
^ Pick your own verse at random.
^ Look at a chapter of the Bible and look at each verse one day at a time.
^ I recommend the Psalms and Proverbs when you are stuck and are not sure what you want to pray.
^ The New Testament is also jammed pack with wonderful verses. Start with Matthew 1:1 and go to the last verse in Revelation. Or, pick one in random.
^ You’ll read it somewhere--like in a daily devotional, walking through a store, in your Bible study, etc.
^ You’ll hear someone say it--on the radio, in a sermon, in passing, talking with someone else, in your Bible study, etc.
^ God will put it on your heart.
ONE SENTENCE A DAY TO PAGES UPON PAGES A DAY
In the next section, I will give you the general guideline for your main prayer journaling time each day. I recommend this at the start of your day each day. Ideally, you would also do it at lunch, when you get home from work (or when your spouse gets home from work), and before bed. At first, you might not be able to do all of that. More to the point, you may not want to do all of that or may not have the time to do so.
Therefore, start with prayer journaling one sentence each day. The one sentence to write: Your daily prayer verse. Do this for one week. Then, add a sentence and do 2 sentences every day for a week. Then, add another sentence every day for a week. Do this until you prayer journal pages each day and in the morning, noon, evening, and before bed at least.
Of course, if you want, you can start with more than one sentence--and that would be ideal. I would say to start off with a page per day personally and build from there. But, do what you can, as you can.
If you have no idea how many sentences to start off with, and build from there, I recommend this: Prayer journal every day for a week--whatever you can. Then, at the end of the week, add up how many sentences you wrote each day. Then, add them together and divide by seven. This will be your starting average. Start with that next week. Then, add another sentence the following week, then add another sentence the week after that, and so on--until you are up to multiple sentences per day, multiple times per day.
All of that being said, you might do really good adding a sentence per week, then something might happen and you’ll get thrown off course for a day or two to a month or two. If this happens, remember this rule of thumb: Prayer journal a minimum of one sentence per day: your daily prayer verse. Period. And do what you can, when you can from there.
ADD THIS TO YOUR PLANNER (CALENDAR)
Add prayer journaling to your planner. Start with ten minutes per day for a week. Anyone can steal 10 minutes each day for prayer journaling--starting today. If not, check your priorities. You will do what's important in your life.
Then, next week, add 5 minutes. Do this every week until you are to at least two hours a day. that would be 40 minutes in the morning, 20 at lunch, 30 when you get home from work (or when your spouse gets home), and 30 (or 40) before bed.
Take your planner or calendar out at least five years--adding this time in each day. And, once a month, add another two months to your planner.

THE STEPS OF PRAYER JOURNALING
1 Pray your prayer journal's verse, along with anything else that comes to mind. Then listen.
2 Pray your monthly verse, along with anything else that comes to mind. Then listen.
3 Pray your weekly verse, along with anything else that comes to mind. Then listen.
4 Pray your daily verse, along with anything else that comes to mind. Then listen.
5 Praise God. Worship him for who he is. Adore him. Then listen.
6 Thank God for what he has done. This includes all of your life's memories. Then listen.
7 Share your day and life with him. Then listen.
8 Pray your check list. Then listen.
9 Pray whatever else comes to mind. Then listen.
10 Listen.
11 Listen.
12 Listen.
Okay, so there are really 10 steps. Steps 11 and 12 were added to make a point. You really do not have to go in this order. Nor do you have to pray all 10  I recommend it as often as you can. But, there are times you will feel compelled to pray one of the 10 specifically. Then, do it. There is a reason why God placed it on your heart.
There are times I will pray number 1, for example, for days on end and nothing more. This typically happens when God speaks to me through his Word. If God is speaking, that is far more important than anything I ever could. Therefore, I will pray that same verse over and over until he tells me to move along or he grows quiet.
The steps I just provided you are what you can do in addition to the material I give you in this book, if you so desire. Otherwise, feel free to just do what is in this book. This book will give you assistance in your daily prayer journaling time. I will provide you with material to use as you desire. I recommend you do each day and all of the steps. But again, if God starts speaking, stop and listen.
Prayer journal what he says, along with your response.
Shall we begin?
Just so that you know, I will not write out any verse in this blog post, book, or series. After all, it is far more important for you to look them up for yourself. God will speak to you through each verse.
Often times, it will be a word at a time. Really take in each word.
Pause. Chew on the Word, word by word. Ponder each.
Then, contemplate the entire verse. Take your time. Listen far more to God than you speak.
Even if you know the verse by heart, please look it up in the Bible for yourself. Maybe use a different version. This will guarantee you get the most out of each verse.
Also, if you are tempted to read the verse and think, "It doesn't speak to me," then ignore that reaction. It will go against your fleshy ways, but remember this is God we are talking about and he can use any verse to speak to you. So, remain open and listen. Usually, when it is a verse I do not want to read for whatever reason, God uses it more than any other verse. I think sometimes, he tests us and teaches us at these times.
Now, let us begin. 

(Image Credit: Stacy Duplease 2009-2014.)

Verse of the day: Galatians 6:7-8

Verse of the day: Galatians 6:7-8

Today's verse of the day is from http://www.biblegateway.com/ and it's: Galatians 6:7-8. 

Galatians 6:7-8 / The Message (MSG)

7-8 Don’t be misled: No one makes a fool of God. What a person plants, he will harvest. The person who plants selfishness, ignoring the needs of others—ignoring God!—harvests a crop of weeds. All he’ll have to show for his life is weeds! But the one who plants in response to God, letting God’s Spirit do the growth work in him, harvests a crop of real life, eternal life. 

-- MSG: Scripture taken from The Message. Copyright © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002. Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group.  

Pray this passage all day and night long to the Lord. Allow each word to sink in. Ask God to reveal what He means for you and your life today. Allow these verses to bring you closer to Him and bring you to the Word of God. 

Thought to Pray and Ponder Ephesians 1:7-11

Thought to Pray and Ponder  Ephesians 1:7-11

Ephesians 1:7-11 / New Living Translation (NLT)
7 He is so rich in kindness and grace that he purchased our freedom with the blood of his Son and forgave our sins. 8 He has showered his kindness on us, along with all wisdom and understanding.
9 God has now revealed to us his mysterious plan regarding Christ, a plan to fulfill his own good pleasure. 10 And this is the plan: At the right time he will bring everything together under the authority of Christ—everything in heaven and on earth.11 Furthermore, because we are united with Christ, we have received an inheritance from God, for he chose us in advance, and he makes everything work out according to his plan.  
-- NLT: Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.  

Life's Difficulties and Challenges: 2 Corinthians 1:3-5

Life's Difficulties and Challenges: 2 Corinthians 1:3-5

2 Corinthians 1:3-5 / The Message (MSG)
3-5 All praise to the God and Father of our Master, Jesus the Messiah! Father of all mercy! God of all healing counsel! He comes alongside us when we go through hard times, and before you know it, he brings us alongside someone else who is going through hard times so that we can be there for that person just as God was there for us. We have plenty of hard times that come from following the Messiah, but no more so than the good times of his healing comfort—we get a full measure of that, too. 

-- MSG: Scripture taken from The Message. Copyright © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002. Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group. 

Thought to Pray and Ponder: Ephesians 1:7-14 EXB

Thought to Pray and Ponder: Ephesians 1:7-14 EXB

Ephesians 1:7-14 / Expanded Bible (EXB)
7 In ·Christ [him] we ·are set free [have been redeemed/purchased] by ·the blood of his death [his blood; blood signifies his sacrificial death], and so we have forgiveness of sins. ·How rich is [or This redemption reveals the wealth of;  …according to the riches of] God’s grace, 8 which he has ·given to us so fully and freely [lavished on us]. With ·full [all] wisdom and understanding [this phrase may go with the previous sentence], 9 God let us know ·his secret purpose [or the mystery of his will; a “mystery” in Scripture is something God had not previously disclosed]. This was what ·God wanted [pleased him], and he ·planned to do it [or set it forth; publicly revealed it] through Christ. 10 His goal was to carry out his plan, ·when the right time came [or at the time of fulfillment; in the fullness of the times], that all things in heaven and on earth would be ·joined together [unified; or summed up; or renewed] in Christ as the head.
11 In Christ we ·were chosen to be God’s people [have received/were given our part of an inheritance], ·because from the very beginning God had decided this [L having been predestined] in keeping with his plan. And he is the One who ·makes everything agree [or accomplishes everything in accord] with what he decides and wants. 12 We are the first people who hoped in ·Christ [the Messiah], and we were chosen so that we would bring praise to God’s glory. 13 So it is with you. When you heard the ·true teaching [message/word of truth]—the ·Good News about [Gospel of] your salvation—you believed in Christ. ·And in Christ, God put his special mark of ownership on you by giving you […having been sealed with] the Holy Spirit that he had promised. 14 That Holy Spirit is the ·guarantee [down payment; deposit] ·that we will receive what God promised for his people [L of our inheritance]until ·God gives full freedom to those who are his [or we acquire possession of it; L the redemption of the possession; v. 7]—to bring praise to God’s glory.  

--  EXB: Scripture taken from The Expanded Bible. Copyright © 2011 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.   

(Image Credit: Stacy Duplease)

Verse to Ponder: Matthew 6:33

Matthew 6:33

1

  Matthew 6:33 / New Living Translation (NLT)
33 Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.
--  NLT: Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

2
// Matthew 6:33 / Expanded Bible (EXB)
33 ·Seek first [Be concerned above all else with] God’s kingdom and ·what God wants [his righteousness]. Then all ·your other needs will be met as well [these things will be given to you].

--  EXB: Scripture taken from The Expanded Bible. Copyright © 2011 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. 

3
// Matthew 6:33/ The Message (MSG)
Steep your life in God-reality, God-initiative, God-provisions. Don’t worry about missing out. You’ll find all your everyday human concerns will be met.  
--  MSG: Scripture taken from The Message. Copyright © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002. Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group.

4
//  Matthew 6:33 / Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
33 But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be provided for you.  
--  HCSB: Scripture quotations marked HCSB are taken from the Holman Christian Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2009 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Holman Christian Standard Bible®, Holman CSB®, and HCSB® are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers.  

Thought to Pray and Ponder: Psalm 36:5-6

Thought to Pray and Ponder

Psalm 36:5-6 / The Message (MSG)

5-6 God’s love is meteoric,
    his loyalty astronomic,
His purpose titanic,
    his verdicts oceanic.
Yet in his largeness
    nothing gets lost;
Not a man, not a mouse,
    slips through the cracks.  

--  MSG: Scripture taken from The Message. Copyright © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002. Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group. 

Making Space for God: A Simple, Still, Silent Faith

Making Space for God: A Simple, Still, Silent Faith

God is bigger. 

He will meet us where we are at any time. 

All we need to do is open your hearts and minds to Him and He will meet us there.

Be receptive to Him and listen. 

Spend far more time listening thank talking. 

Do this every moment of every day and night. 

Be open.

Keep your faith simple.

Whatever you are doing, be receptive to Him being with you and You being with Him.

That's 'A Simple, Still, Silent Faith.'

Psalm 91: A Psalm for Life's Challenges and for Perspective

Read it here:

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=ps+91&version=MSG

Ephesians 1:7-14 MSG

Ephesians 1:7-14 MSG

While I have decided to go paperless, this is one of those biblical passages (Ephesians 1:7-14) I have decided to print out and carry around with me everywhere I go for a while. I want to read it at every opportunity, pray over it, journal about it, think on it, and do all of this so much I end up memorizing it by accident. 

Ephesians 1:7-14 / The Message (MSG)

7-10 Because of the sacrifice of the Messiah, his blood poured out on the altar of the Cross, we’re a free people—free of penalties and punishments chalked up by all our misdeeds. And not just barely free, either. Abundantly free! He thought of everything, provided for everything we could possibly need, letting us in on the plans he took such delight in making. He set it all out before us in Christ, a long-range plan in which everything would be brought together and summed up in him, everything in deepest heaven, everything on planet earth.
11-12 It’s in Christ that we find out who we are and what we are living for. Long before we first heard of Christ and got our hopes up, he had his eye on us, had designs on us for glorious living, part of the overall purpose he is working out in everything and everyone.
13-14 It’s in Christ that you, once you heard the truth and believed it (this Message of your salvation), found yourselves home free—signed, sealed, and delivered by the Holy Spirit. This signet from God is the first installment on what’s coming, a reminder that we’ll get everything God has planned for us, a praising and glorious life.  

--  MSG: Scripture taken from The Message. Copyright © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002. Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group. 

(Image Credit: Stacy Duplease. Mount Evans, Colorado) 

Good Morning, Lord, Prayer

Good Morning, Lord, Prayer 

Psalm 16:8-9 / New King James Version (NKJV)
8 I have set the Lord always before me;
Because He is at my right hand I shall not be moved.
9 Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoices;
My flesh also will rest in hope. 

--   NKJV: Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Lord, help me to set You before myself always and without hesitation. For, it's all about You and is not about me. My life is Yours. I hope to put You as the center of my thoughts in every moment, every minute, for the rest of my life on this earth. I want to put You first and foremost. Teach me to live in this way. 

(Image credit: Microsoft Images Online 2008-2014.)

Verse of the Day to Ponder and Pray: Matthew 12:34-37

Verse of the Day to Ponder and Pray: Matthew 12:34-37

Matthew 12:34-37 / The Message (MSG)

34-37 “You have minds like a snake pit! How do you suppose what you say is worth anything when you are so foul-minded? It’s your heart, not the dictionary, that gives meaning to your words. A good person produces good deeds and words season after season. An evil person is a blight on the orchard. Let me tell you something: Every one of these careless words is going to come back to haunt you. There will be a time of Reckoning. Words are powerful; take them seriously. Words can be your salvation. Words can also be your damnation.” 

(Image credit: Microsoft Images Online 2008-2014.)

Does He Know You or Just of You?

Does He Know You or Just of You?

1
Matthew 7:21-23 / Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
21 “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord!’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of My Father in heaven. 22 On that day many will say to Me, ‘Lord, Lord, didn’t we prophesy in Your name, drive out demons in Your name, and do many miracles in Your name?’ 23 Then I will announce to them, ‘I never knew you! Depart from Me, you lawbreakers!’  
--  HCSB: Scripture quotations marked HCSB are taken from the Holman Christian Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2009 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Holman Christian Standard Bible®, Holman CSB®, and HCSB® are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers.  

What a pointed passage of Scripture. 

Can you imagine Jesus not knowing you?

Lord, I cannot. This is troubling to think.

The people He talked about were those who had the check-mark faith. They did, did, did. But, they didn't be with Him. They didn't really know Him either. They did stuff to pat themselves on the back, and make sure others notice. They even filled their schedules with being busy in the name of the Lord. 

But, did they really know You, Lord?

Jesus didn't know them.

Talk about an in your face, eye-opening, life--transforming passage in the Word of God. What a wake-up call.

I want, Jesus Christ, the One who was brutally murdered on my behalf to not just know of me, but to know me. I want to spend the rest of my life ensuring this every moment. This is where a simple, still, silent faith comes to play.

I like to look at multiple versions of Scripture in order to gain the best, deepest, and broad understanding of what is trying to be conveyed. Hence, I try to look up several versions of the Bible. This is no different.

2
Matthew 7:21-23 / Expanded Bible (EXB)
21 “Not all those who say [to me] ·‘You are our Lord’ [‘Lord! Lord!’] will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only those who do ·what my Father in heaven wants [the will of my Father in heaven]. 22 On ·the last day [judgment day; that day] many people will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, ·we spoke for you [Did we not prophesy in your name…?], and ·through you we forced out demons [cast out demons in your name…?] and did many ·miracles [mighty works in your name…?].’ 23 Then I will ·tell them clearly [declare to them; publicly announce to them], ‘I never knew you. ·Get away [Depart] from me, you who ·do evil [break God’s law; practice lawlessness; Ps. 6:8].’ 
--  EXB: Scripture taken from The Expanded Bible. Copyright © 2011 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

3
Matthew 7:21-23 / The Message (MSG)
21-23 “Knowing the correct password—saying ‘Master, Master,’ for instance—isn’t going to get you anywhere with me. What is required is serious obedience—doing what my Father wills. I can see it now—at the Final Judgment thousands strutting up to me and saying, ‘Master, we preached the Message, we bashed the demons, our God-sponsored projects had everyone talking.’ And do you know what I am going to say? ‘You missed the boat. All you did was use me to make yourselves important. You don’t impress me one bit. You’re out of here.’ 
--   MSG: Scripture taken from The Message. Copyright © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002. Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group.

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Matthew 7:21-23 / GOD’S WORD Translation (GW)
21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord!’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the person who does what my Father in heaven wants. 22 Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, didn’t we prophesy in your name? Didn’t we force out demons and do many miracles by the power and authority of your name?’ 23 Then I will tell them publicly, ‘I’ve never known you. Get away from me, you evil people.’ 
--   GW: Scripture is taken from GOD’S WORD®, © 1995 God’s Word to the Nations. Used by permission of Baker Publishing Group.  

Question to Ponder

Question?

Who is Lord?

You or me?

Do I live as though You are Lord and Lord of my Life--or as though I am? 

How to Live

I have come to realize in the last twenty-four hours that every single time I use the word, 'I,' I also need to think of and/or mention You. The purpose of my life is found in You alone. My plans don't matter. Your plans and purposes alone matter for me and my life. It is all about You and not about me one iota. My life is Yours. 

Every moment of every day, I want to focus on You God and live Your will alone. I want to listen to You every moment for Your guidance. Help me to learn to live in this manner, moment by moment, for the rest of my life. 

How simple this is to live. It can be at the same time as I do everything else in my life. I will try to sneak in one-on-one moments, though, of just You and me all day and night long.

John 5:19 / New American Standard Bible (NASB)
19 Therefore Jesus answered and was saying to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, unless it is something He sees the Father doing; for whatever the Father does, these things the Son also does in like manner. 
--  NASB: Scripture taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE®, Copyright © 1960,1962,1963,1968,1971,1972,1973,1975,1977,1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.  

I have not lived in this manner much in my life. I have fallen terribly short, including lately--until Sunday or Monday. This is a way of living. It's how to live. Could anything have a more profound influence on me and in my life?

It's about living an intentional life where I focus and open myself and my life on the will of God each moment, at least once every thirty minutes for the next year, then every fifteen minutes, then I strive to do this every minute. When I sleep, it will be as I fall asleep and every time I wake up,even to roll over. I will accept the times I am awake longer than a minute or two to spend with You, God. 

I shall call this way of living, 'the silent, simple, still faith.' The S-cubed faith. The triple S faith. 
It is a sweet surrender of me and my life to You, Lord. After all, You know far better than I how I should live and be. You know Your will for every single moment of my life. Hence, what a sweet surrender, as I allow You to work in me, through me,and around me--and as I join You in Your work. 

It is all about You, Your will, and Your glory and is not about me.

Galatians 5:16 / The Message (MSG)
16-18 My counsel is this: Live freely, animated and motivated by God’s Spirit. Then you won’t feed the compulsions of selfishness. For there is a root of sinful self-interest in us that is at odds with a free spirit, just as the free spirit is incompatible with selfishness. These two ways of life are antithetical, so that you cannot live at times one way and at times another way according to how you feel on any given day. Why don’t you choose to be led by the Spirit and so escape the erratic compulsions of a law-dominated existence?  
-- MSG: Scripture taken from The Message. Copyright © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002. Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group.   

Romans 8:5-8 / The Message (MSG) / 5-8 Those who think they can do it on their own end up obsessed with measuring their own moral muscle but never get around to exercising it in real life. Those who trust God’s action in them find that God’s Spirit is in them—living and breathing God! Obsession with self in these matters is a dead end; attention to God leads us out into the open, into a spacious, free life. Focusing on the self is the opposite of focusing on God. Anyone completely absorbed in self ignores God, ends up thinking more about self than God. That person ignores who God is and what he is doing. And God isn’t pleased at being ignored.   

I choose to live Your way. I will continue to choose each and every minute of my life. I surrender to Your will. 

How easy it is to do this when I reflect on my life and realize how much I have stepped off Your path for my life, how I have fallen and stumbled, and how missed the mark far more than I ever hit it. Yes. I deserve death. But, it's all good. 

Isaiah 1:18 / New American Standard Bible (NASB)
18 “Come now, and let us reason together,”
Says the Lord,
“Though your sins are as scarlet,
They will be as white as snow;
Though they are red like crimson,
They will be like wool. 
--   NASB: Scripture taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE®, Copyright © 1960,1962,1963,1968,1971,1972,1973,1975,1977,1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.    

Jesus Christ died so I am forgiven and my missteps are wiped away. 

Therefore, I want to live a life, moment by moment, surrendered to You and Your will, my Redeemer and Savior. You have already forgiven me. It's the absolute least I can do and I know how much it will be to bring You glory. 

(Image Credit: Miscrosoft Images Online 2008-2014.)