Paradise Café Discussions A Place For Bible Research And Christian Encouragement

My dear and much missed on-line family,

In the last year while I've been spiritually on my own, things have not gone very well.

I got wrapped up in worry and stress and quit reading, have been praying very sporadically (sp?). It feels like I was tested and miserably failed. Life can get so hard, and I'm afraid life robbed me of my joy for a time.

I finally had a long talk with Our Father, and did feel better. He tells me to stop worrying and focusing on the negative. This goes against my human nature but I promised to try.

I let hardships and worry keep me from my prayers and reading. Now I feel like I can't pray. Been alot of backsliding on my part, somehow my conscience won't let me pray. I know this is stupid, but maybe all that training is coming to the surface.

Anyway, I'm determined to get back where I was and move forward.

Hi Dana I am so glad you are back with us. It is so easy to get discouraged and down hearted--maybe we can all help be of spiritual encouragement and encourage each other--we all need it. Don't be too hard on yourself Dana--you are precious and you are loved--and I am glad you are here--xxxxxlove from Wolfie

Hello there wasblind my sister and friend ...

Sometimes where life leads us isn't very nice is it ... but oh how we can learn from it ... both the good as well as the bad ...

For in your sufferings dear sister only think HOW MUCH you are affirmed that you NEED our heavenly Father ... and that you WANT HIM IN YOUR LIFE!!

As to your prayers my sister ... maybe these Scriptures will be a source of comfort to you during your time of upheaval and seeking to reconnect ... although I am SURE you ARE CONNECTED ... you just don't know it yet is all ...

Matt. 6:8 ...

(BBE) So be not like them; because your Father has knowledge of your needs even before you make your requests to him.

(MKJV) Therefore do not be like them, for your Father knows what things you have need of, before you ask Him.

The 'being like them' part is of course those who pray but you only do it out of 'rote' or for 'show' or say the same things over and over without any real meaning ...

Jehovah KNOWS YOUR HEART dear sis ... and HEARS it beating for Him whether in joy, despair, shame, pain, hope, yearning, confusion, whatever ...

Rom. 8:26 ...

(BBE) And in the same way the Spirit is a help to our feeble hearts: for we are not able to make prayer to God in the right way; but the Spirit puts our desires into words which are not in our power to say;

(CEV) In certain ways we are weak, but the Spirit is here to help us. For example, when we don't know what to pray for, the Spirit prays for us in ways that cannot be put into words.

(Darby) And in like manner the Spirit joins also its help to our weakness; for we do not know what we should pray for as is fitting, but the Spirit itself makes intercession with groanings which cannot be uttered.

(ESV) Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words.

And then of course we have the comforting words of Ps. 139:4 that shows us how much our Father is aware of us ... yes it isn't only the 'hairs on our heads' that he has 'numbered' ... but the words we have yet to express on our lips ...

(DRB) And thou hast foreseen all my ways: for there is no speech in my tongue.

(ESV) Even before a word is on my tongue, behold, O LORD, you know it altogether.

(GNB) Even before I speak, you already know what I will say.

(GW) Even before there is a single word on my tongue, you know all about it, LORD.

So, remember that Jehovah thinks of you as we do my dearest sister ...

1Sam. 16:7 ...

7 But Jehovah said to Samuel: “Do not look at his appearance and at the height of his stature, for I have rejected him. For not the way man sees [is the way God sees], because mere man sees what appears to the eyes; but as for Jehovah, he sees what the heart is.”

So if for a time your heart is weighing you down please think about and draw inner strength from Ps. 34:18 ...

(BBE) The Lord is near the broken-hearted; he is the saviour of those whose spirits are crushed down.

(CEV) The LORD is there to rescue all who are discouraged and have given up hope.

(Darby) Jehovah is nigh to those that are of a broken heart, and saveth them that are of a contrite spirit.

(GNB) The LORD is near to those who are discouraged; he saves those who have lost all hope.

And once you realize just how CLOSE your Father really is to ... that He is not far off from you at all ...

Acts 17:27 ...

(ASV) that they should seek God, if haply they might feel after him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us:

(CEV) God has done all this, so that we will look for him and reach out and find him. He isn't far from any of us,

(ESV) that they should seek God, in the hope that they might feel their way toward him and find him. Yet he is actually not far from each one of us,

Then when you BEGIN TO FEEL his LOVE ... his CLOSENESS you can begin to heal and grow and feel warm and strong ...

Then you will also be able to understand how Peter felt and why Christ Jesus said to him at Luke 32:22 ...

(BBE) But I have made prayer for you, that your faith may not go from you: and when you are turned again, make your brothers strong.

(CEV) But Simon, I have prayed that your faith will be strong. And when you have come back to me, help the others."

(EMTV) But I have prayed for you, that your faith should not fail; and when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers."

My dear sister, all the troubles you are experiencing can have some good, just as Peter's did ... in all his troubles and shortcomings ...

He gained insight, understanding, empathy, courage, faith, endurance and a whole host of other good qualities that equipped him to help others in their faith and struggles in life ...

And just as he, so can YOU be there for others ... for US ... as you have been in the past ...

So, BE OF GOOD COURAGE my dear one ...

For the skies are ready to turn blue and the sun shine warm upon you ... all you need to do is have FAITH and BELIEVE ... and it will someday soon PROVE TO BE SO ...!!!

I hope some of these Scriptures and thoughts help you a teensy weensy bit ... and anyone else who may have needed to hear them as well ...

You are and will always be a wonderful part of our spiritual family here at our beautiful cafe my sis ... and don't ya forget it ...!!

Lots and lots of love, hugs and kisses to you ... me ... BR

oh yeah ... PS ... you WILL be in my prayers tonight as you have been all along ... ... just a more specific one on your behalf ...

I found this prayer, and was going to use it in the prayer thread, but I thought I would put it here instead. I hope you enjoy it.

Source of All Good


Source of all good! Day by day are thy blessings renewed to us; and again we come with thankful hearts to seek the sense of thy presence. O that we could be reborn like the morning, and our love rise as fresh as the dawn, and our obedience be as sure as the path of the sun.

For even as we seek to commune with thee, shadows from our past dim the joy of our aspiration. We remember our thoughtless lives, our impatient tempers, our selfish aims; and yet we know that thou has neither made us blind like the creatures that have no sin, nor left us without holy guidance--thy still, small voice speaking in our inmost conscience and thine open word, having dwelt among us full of grace and truth, appealing to us to choose the better part.

Take us now to serve thee in newness of spirit, and sweep away with a holy breath every dust of care, every trace of fear, every taint of an uncharitable mind.

James Martineau

Much love to you,
Your sister in Christ, by the Grace of God,
Micah

Hi Dana,

From experience I can tell you, our worst enemy is ourself. Our old self wants to tell us, "You aren't good enough, and no one, including God, wants you."

This isn't true. God loves you know matter what condition you are in. And once you turn to him and start pouring out your heart, you feel better.

So don't get down about "slacking off" or whatever, it happens to plenty of us.

Hope you are doing well.

Andrew

Love it WOTS, miss reading your thoughts,

And SIS,,, To beat thyself is futile.. it will result in no change.

what man has done no backsliding as you say..

Saul was beloved and look what happened, so was david so was his son,

when we think of these men do we dwell on their short comings or their strengths and examples?

well it should be their strength's, remember in GOD's own eye's the end of our life is what he looks at not each individual trip and fall.

HE cares about what we become. SATAN cares to push our evry little fault in our face.

26 In the same way, the Holy Spirit helps us where we are weak. We do not know how to pray or what we should pray for, but the Holy Spirit prays to God for us with sounds that cannot be put into words.
(Romans 8:26, New Life Version.)

Dana, you and I know that YHWH and the Christ, Jesus, would not let you stay down, even if you thought you wanted to. Too much Love there, sis. And here, too.

iso...

Hi, Dana! Welcome back, by the way!

Love it, Micah!

For even as we seek to commune with thee, shadows from our past dim the joy of our aspiration.

I might add, worry about the future is a real drag too.

Live completely in the present, Dana. Be right here, right now...for what is eternity but the endless "nows" in which we live? As I'm fond of saying at work: "DO IT!" whenever someone has a great idea. The past is gone, forgiven...and the future never comes. So why worry? What is real is now....what is joyful is now. The past and future don't even exist. They have no power except what we give them.

Be here now.

gus

Thanks guys.

Monday night my friend Kevin came to visit. He's been our friend for almost 10 years. Anyway, he and I ALWAYS end up talking about the bible and related things. We talked for about 2 hours, would have talked longer but it was getting our bedtimes.

He went out and bought a concordance and has been doing research almost constantly. Only thing is, he's researching baptism in Holy Spirit and the Trinity and I fear he's getting confused a little.

Anyway, after he went home, I felt like weight had been lifted off my shoulders.

Hi Dana,

I am glad you seem to be getting back to normal

love, hitomi

Dear Dana

ditto on the welcome home... and keep up that chin... we all get in a rut from time to time.... the adversary seeks to trap us and hold us down, but he is not match for our hero who will in time eradicate him... Hebrews 2:14

You are also in my prayers... we all have to support one another, especially in prayer...

May God continue to bless and keep you and show you the way...

peace

jonalfred