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.'

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.)

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.

4
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.  

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.) 

 What is a simple, still, silent faith? 

It's one that consists of intentionally (that's the doing) being with God (which is the being). 

Intentionality requires purpose and drive. It requires focus and effort all day and night long. 

This simple, still, silent faith consists of being with God and in His Word, the Bible. It's hanging out and being in the presence of. It's enjoying the company of God and His Word.

There are two spiritual disciplines we are to do at all times as we live a simple, still, silent faith. It's being in the Word of God and in prayer. To keep a simple, still, silent faith, combine them both in one. Pray the Word. That's it. Pray the Word night and day. Keep bringing your attention to God and His Word. 

Moreover, this simple, still, silent faith listens far more to God than it ever speaks to Him.  This is the silence part.

The still part is every day at one point or another, we still ourselves and spend a longer time of just being with God and not doing something else. However, we can also still the chaos in our lives, as we are busy, by focusing on God and bringing Him and His Word to our attention throughout the day and night.

All of that sounds quite complicated, if you ask me. But, it isn't. Notice, not one program was mentioned previously. There is nothing to do and no checklist to follow.  This simple, still, silent faith is just about being with God intentionally all day and night through focusing your thoughts on Him and His Word as you carry on with life as normal. 

Human beings are made to do think about more than one thing and do more than one thing at once. We can focus on God as we work, drive, wait, talk with others, clean the house, exercise, plan, read, and so on. Everything we do in life, we can do as we focus on God and on His Word. 

That's it.

This is a simple, still, silent faith. 

Would you care to join me in learning how to apply this to our lives? 

Would you like to simplify your life over the next year? 

More to the point, would you like to learn how to live a simple, still, silent faith?

What is a simple faith?

What is a simple faith?

What is a simple faith?

It is one which meets me where I am, as I am, and how I am.

I know I have eternal life. Do I take it for granted? I try not to do so, but it happens. 

I am a sinner and deserve death, but Jesus died so I can have eternal life. Jesus died so the sins I make now are forgiven. I do everything I can to avoid sin, but it occurs. When I realize it, I do everything I can to turn and not repeat it again. I also do what I can to avoid temptation. A simple faith keeps this in mind at all times and lives this as truth. 

This is why I say a simple faith is one which meets me where I am, as I am, and how I am. It really is that simple. 

Good Morning, Lord, Prayer and Galatians 5:16-18

Good Morning, Lord, Prayer and Galatians 5:16-18

Lord, here are three different versions of this passage I want to pray and meditate (ponder, contemplate, chew on, think on, grapple with) today, all day long, throughout the day: 

1 

Galatians 5:16-18 / Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
16 I say then, walk by the Spirit and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh. 17 For the flesh desires what is against the Spirit, and the Spirit desires what is against the flesh; these are opposed to each other, so that you don’t do what you want. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.  

-- 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.

2

Galatians 5:16-18 / Expanded Bible (EXB)

16 So I tell you: ·Live [Walk] ·by following [guided by; in the power of; L by] the Spirit. Then you will not do what your ·sinful self [sinful nature; T flesh] ·wants [desires; craves]. 17 Our ·sinful self [sinful nature; T flesh] ·wants [desires] what is against the Spirit, and the Spirit ·wants [desires] what is against our ·sinful self [sinful nature;T flesh]. [L For] The two are ·against [opposed to; or hostile toward] each other, so you cannot do just what you ·please [want]. 18 But if the Spirit is leading you, you are not under the law. 

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

3 

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. 

Lord, help me to remember that my life is Yours, not mine. Everything I am and do is because of You and is for the purpose of bringing You pleasure and glory. It's not about me. It's all about You. 

(Photo/Image Credit: Stacy Duplease 2009-2014.) 

Is my faith simple, still, silent enough I can hear You, Abba?

Is my faith simple, still, silent enough I can hear You, Abba? 

Is my faith simple enough I can hear You, Lord? 

Is my faith still enough I can hear You, God? 

Is my faith silent enough I can hear You, Father?

Is my faith simple, still, silent enough I can hear You, my Rock? 

Cover Changes

Here is the new cover. 

It Just Isn't Working and I'm Missing Something

It Just Isn't Working and I'm Missing Something

What I'm doing isn't working regarding my spiritual life. I just feel like something is missing. that being said, I feel like I'm standing on the precipice of something big. Maybe it's a spiritual awakening in my life. I'm not sure. 

So, what isn't working?

I realize that no matter how much I try to deny it, I keep living a check-mark, checklist faith. Bible in a year. Check. Praying all day long. Check. Studying the Word. Check. Fellowship with believers. Check. Prayer journaling. Check. Helping others become and be disciples. Check. 

Blah, blah, blah. (Rolling eyes and shaking head.) How boring! No wonder why it isn't working. 

I know all of that is wrong, but I fell into it's trap and spell yet again. Ugh! I know better than this. I'm bored with myself, along with my faith. So, what am I missing? 

How am I missing the mark?  What am I not getting? Understanding? Grasping? I know I am not because I wouldn't feel this way and wouldn't be doing the things I do if I did.

What else do I do? I allow my mind to wander. I get side-tracked. I fall off the path. No. I don't fall. I jump off of it. I start to follow the pretty butterfly along the walk and forget where I am and where I am headed until it's too late. 

SPECIFIC PRAYER: Lord, how can I stop this? How can I find the path and stay on it? What am I missing? Please guide me and help me to hear You when You do. Also, help me to respond immediately when You do give me instruction.

Good Morning, Prayer

Good morning, Lord. I come before You and thank You for yesterday and last night. I also thank You for the opportunity of this new day. Lord, help me to make it Your day, not mine. I want to draw forever closer to You. I want more of You, less of me in my life. Help me to live this way today. Teach me how to do so. 

Lord, keep my mind from wandering. Help me to stay focused on You. I realize I need to train my mind to do so. Please teach me how. 

You are my everything. 

Help me to ponder the things of You and Your Word, not the senselessness of this crazy, sinful, self-centered, material focused world. Help me not fall into that trap. 

You are God. No one is more important in my life. Help my day today reflect this truth. 

(Image Credit: Stacy Duplease. Backyard. 2013-2014)

Works and belief: Be still

Works and belief: Be still 

It isn't about what we do or don't do that matters most in our lives of faith. Now is it about what we want or need. Rather, it's about this pure and simple: Our belief is the only thing that really matters. It's believing in God, that Jesus Christ is our Lord and Savior, and the Holy Bible. That's it. 

It really is that simple. 

Read all of Romans 4, please, at this time to see what I mean. Then, read ahead to the next paragraph in this reading. 

Now, read Romans 4:4-6 in particular. 

Now, read Romans 4:18-25. 

What saves us? Answer: Belief does. 

Maybe we've put too much pressure on ourselves of what we think the 'shoulds' are in our lives regarding our faith. Maybe we've made ourselves too busy in our faith. Maybe we've missed the entire point. It isn't about doing. It's about being. Being in the most basic and is the most important thing we can do. 

After all, God could care less if we read our Bible 24 hours a day and if we pray for 24--if we are getting nothing out of it but are earning a check in a box of our TO DO LIST. He would rather us just curl up and hang out with Him. That's it. 

God and His Word are to be the center of our lives, but it's far better to focus on one verse the rest of our lives, if we get something deep out of it every day,apply it to our lives, and learn from the one verse every single day, all day long, than if we read the entire Bible cover to cover a thousand times and got nothing out of it except a check in a To Do List box. 

If you're feeling stressed, busyness is not the answer. If you're searching for answers, busyness will only make things worse. It's always best to stop, rest, reflect, be quiet, and listen to God first and foremost. If you are looking for answers, this approach also is best. If you're dealing with a life challenge, this approach is best. If you are living today, the best response is to stop, rest, be silent, and listen. This is always the case. And, isn't it usually the last one we do? 

So, let's stop.

Let's be still, be quiet, and listen--in solitude with the Lord and His Word. 

For, if we do this, we are acting a life of belief--not of works. This is where the sweetness of life, and our spiritual lives, begins, continues, and ends. This is the best of the spiritual life. It's not what we do, but what and who we believe. That's it. 

Morning Prayer 14 January 2014

Morning Prayer 14 January 2014

Good morning, Lord. 

Thank You for the opportunity of this day. It gives me the chance to live another day of loving You, worshiping You, living the purpose You have for my life, and to bring You glory. 

This is the day You have made, Lord. You created it, and have allowed me to wake up this morning for a purpose. Lord, help me to live that purpose and bring You glory. Help me to know the purpose and to live it today, tomorrow, this week, this month, this quarter, this year, over the next decade, and for the rest of my life. 

This is Your day, not mine. Help me to remember this and grasp it. 

I love You, Father and Daddy. 

(Image credit: Stacy Duplease 2011-2014.)

Be alone with God.

AN INTRODUCTION: A FRESH AND VIBRANT FAITH

AN INTRODUCTION: A FRESH AND VIBRANT FAITH

I’m I am desperate for a fresh faith.

As a matter of fact, I need it desperately.

I feel like I keep spinning my wheels and like I'm stuck in the mud and muck and can't get out of the mess. I am content, sure. I am quite content actually. I can be no matter where I am, for the most part. But, I know I am missing something and Someone being stuck here where I am.

I know I am missing a vibrant faith.

I am well aware there is far more to the Christian faith than this. I am missing the mark.

How about you?

I am going through the motions, and am doing a great job thereof, but it isn’t enough. My prayer life and Bible reading and study is lackluster at best. I might be doing them, but am producing fruit? Some. Not as much as I could, I am sure. I know it’s God who grows the fruit and produces my fruit, but I also know I am to cooperate with Him in the process. Have I? I doubt it.

I doubt it because I keep jumping around all over the place with my writing. I need to commit to writing one way. Period. No other way. This ambivalence shows how I am missing the mark and do not have the fresh and vibrant faith I could.

Am I bringing God as much glory as I could or should? No. I know I am not.

I’m also not getting as much out of my prayer life as I could, nor my devotional Bible study… My faith isn’t fresh and it’s dull rather than vibrant.

So, what’s the answer?

I think I need to listen to God more and spend more intentional one-on-one time with Him where He has my UNDIVIDED attention. I think this is the answer. I need to practice the spiritual disciplines of solitude and silence.

Hence, I am writing this new blog post series and book.

PRAYER JOURNALING AND CONTEMPLATION QUESTIONS

What are your thoughts so far?

So, how about you? Have you ever been here in this place?