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Faith in Action Prayer

Dare to believe Jesus

Kelly Kirby Worley
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Kelly Kirby Worley
Hi, my name is Kelly. I am an artist, writer & Jesus girl with a passion for helping others discover and embrace their identity, value and confidence in Christ.
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Dare to believe JesusEvery day began the same way; on my knees with my face to the floor, I wept and prayed, “Jesus, I need you to come and get me. You’ve softened my heart too much; I can’t live in a world where people who say they love you could be so careless and cruel.”

Jesus didn’t take away my pain or remove me from my circumstances. Instead, He told me to seek solace in my Bible and dared me to believe He would do what His Word promises He will do.

Oh, sweet friend, there are no words to express how much I cherish this bittersweet season in retrospect. When I think about the time spent snuggled up with Jesus, I realize how few people experience this kind of intimacy with Him because it often comes at high cost and sacrifice.

In Matthew 16, Jesus explains to His disciples, if any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me. If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it. (Matt 16:24-26 NLT)

As I let go and yielded all my desires to Him, He poured out His love demolishing my fears of abandonment and rejection and rebuilt my life in Jesus, the only true foundation. Today, I unequivocally declare, I am a different person, a new person, a much better person all because God held my hand and led me through the refining fire of adversity. And you know what, I’d do it again in a heartbeat because nothing in this world is better than intimacy with Jesus.

I can’t help but wonder who might be walking a similar path today, desperate to know there’s hope beyond her circumstances. So, sweet sister in Christ, I’d like to pray for you by name if you comment below. Otherwise, I trust the Lord to deliver.

Dear Father, thank you that you never leave me alone and abandoned to my circumstances. Thank You that You are with me right now, even though I can’t feel you; I believe You are working all things out for my good because You love me. With my mind fixed on You, I ask for Your perfect peace, trusting You and daring to believe the fulfillment of Your promises has already begun. In the mighty and precious name of Jesus, I pray, Amen

Faith in Action Prayer

How to have peace by giving your life to Christ

Kelly Kirby Worley
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Kelly Kirby Worley
Hi, my name is Kelly. I am an artist, writer & Jesus girl with a passion for helping others discover and embrace their identity, value and confidence in Christ.
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life in ChristDeciding to become a Christian is a decision I made as a young girl. But, I didn’t fully relinquish my heart to Jesus until I was in my 40’s. That’s because everything I knew about how I was supposed to “act” as a Christian revolved around rule-keeping, which, no matter how hard I tried, I could not do.

By designing a list of impossible rules for any human to uphold, God reveals our inability to save ourselves and thereby our desperate need for a Savior. From the get-go, the Old Testament teachings’ goal was always to point us to Jesus. (Romans 7:7)

The believer’s struggle with sin

Every believer struggles with the boundaries between good intentions and contradictory behavior at some point in our walk with Christ. That’s why the apostle Paul continually encourages us to keep our eyes fixed on Jesus. When we illuminate our minds with the Gospel, the fruitlessness of legalistic thinking is unmasked, and we are set free to experience the fullness of life in Christ.

Paul’s letters, especially the book of Romans, exposes the deathtrap of striving to accomplish something that only Jesus can do. (Romans 7:14-25) Because he understands and wants to help us in our struggle with sin, Paul reveals the only path to salvation in Romans chapter 10:8-12:

  1. Ask for forgiveness of sins
  2. Trust in Jesus as your resurrected Savior, and
  3. Let Him lead your life

With so much uncertainty about the future, peace in my life wouldn’t be possible without Christ. What about you; are you ready to roll your burdens onto the shoulders of Jesus?  

Romans 10:9 says that when we publicly declare with our mouths that Jesus is Lord, and we believe in our heart that God raised Him from the dead, we will experience salvation. A heart that decides to believe in Him receives the gift of righteousness and new life in Christ.

Just choose Jesus

Just choose to believe. That doesn’t mean that you don’t have any questions or understand all there is to know. It’s a humble admission to your heavenly Father and Creator that you cannot be good enough for a perfect God without His help. You can express your belief and trust in Jesus through prayer. Romans 10:9-12 will guide you, or feel free to use the prayer below.

Dear God, I know that my sin has separated me from you. Thank you that Jesus Christ died in my place. I ask Jesus to forgive my sin and to come into my life. Please begin to direct my life. Thank you for giving me eternal life. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Sending love, peace, and prayers to all!

Kelly Kirby Worley Christian Blogger

 

 

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Faith in Action Prayer

Wait and be joyful because you know God’s help is on the way!

Kelly Kirby Worley
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Kelly Kirby Worley
Hi, my name is Kelly. I am an artist, writer & Jesus girl with a passion for helping others discover and embrace their identity, value and confidence in Christ.
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Wait with joy trust God

For since the world began, no ear has heard and no eye has seen a God like you, who works for those who wait for Him! (Isa. 64:4)

Acknowledging our limitations opens the door to God’s intervention

Remembering how God has come through in our past circumstances gives us faith to call on Him in our time of need. In Isaiah chapter 64, the prophet Isaiah is interceding in prayer for the remnant of Israel. Before He makes the proclamation above from verse 4, He recalls and praises God for the awesome deeds He did in the past that exceeded their highest expectations. (v.3)

Waiting, in general, is difficult; the greater the need, the less patience most of us have to wait, am I right? The Hebrew word for wait used here is chakah; it implies waiting with trusting anticipation, or longing because we know and trust God’s heart for His children.

Although the Lord has been overwhelmingly gracious to me and redeemed me from past situations that I wouldn’t have survived without Him, when challenging circumstances crop up, I’m still inclined to think I can “fix” things on my own. Thankfully, those times are becoming fewer and farther between because I pray for discernment each morning, asking the Holy Spirit to “nudge” my heart when I begin to depart from His leading.

It’s our attitude, not our actions, that draw us closer to the heart of God. He’s looking for tender and broken hearts to dwell in; people who lay aside their pride and instead realize their need for Him. We do this by talking honestly with Him, submitting our lives to Him each day, and then spending time in His Word and being receptive to what He says.

Would you like to begin your day with eyes to see, ears to hear, and a heart that’s open and receptive to Jesus? Here’s a simple prayer if you need a little guidance:

“Father, thank you for your faithfulness to forgive me and answer my prayers. I know the temptations are coming, but I know I can’t face them without you. Lord Jesus, I can’t, but you can. I trust you to live your life through me. When I start to slip in the wrong direction, convict my heart, and lead me back to you. Help me relinquish my worries; let go of control and lean into you, trusting you to see me through. In Jesus’ name, I pray, Amen.

Sending peace, love, and prayers to all!

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Faith in Action Prayer

Prayers for peace and unity on Pentecost Sunday

Kelly Kirby Worley
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Kelly Kirby Worley
Hi, my name is Kelly. I am an artist, writer & Jesus girl with a passion for helping others discover and embrace their identity, value and confidence in Christ.
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Prayers for unity

Urgent call to prayers for unity

Unprecedented times call for unprecedented unity in prayer, asking God to bring about unprecedented change.

“Lord, we need you! Please heal our land!”  I know I’m not alone in my desperate plea for God to intervene and save our land and our people.

Emerging from isolation and the aftermath of a global health crisis, fear and uncertainty are already at the forefront of our minds. How on earth do we handle the outrage we feel over the senseless murder of George Floyd on Monday?

The Power of Prayer

There’s never been a more desperate need for unity in prayer than right now. Anger, hatred, and prejudice spur civil unrest and division across the land, leaving a path of death and destruction in its place.
As I watch what’s happening, I can’t help but wonder if this is what it looks like to “see all creation groaning as in the pains of childbirth.” (Romans 8:22)

Seeking to understand, I look up this verse in the original language. The word used in place of groaning is the Greek word, systenazo (συστενάζω) which mean to moan jointly, i.e. (figuratively) experience a common calamity:—groan together.

I’d say that’s a pretty accurate description, wouldn’t you? All of us, brothers and sisters, are groaning together over the calamities we see happening around us.

I read a little further and marvel over the way God speaks through His Word. The same root word is used again in verse 26; where Paul teaches us about the power of the Holy Spirit and how He strengthens us and prays for us when we don’t know what to pray:

“And the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. For example, we don’t know what God wants us to pray for. But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words.” (Romans 8:26 NLT)

These passages are relevant and divinely timed. Today is Pentecost Sunday, which marks the day the Holy Spirit filled Christ’s followers after He ascended back to the Father. I’d say we could all use a fresh infusion of God’s Holy Spirit today, wouldn’t you?  Below are three prayers from Bill Graham’s son, Franklin that we can pray together in faith that God will heal our land.

Prayers from Franklin Graham

We need to pray for PEACE, because “the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God” (James 1:20).

Pray for PERSPECTIVE, because “the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere” (James 3:17).

Pray for PATIENCE, because of God’s “kindness and forbearance and patience” toward us all (Romans 2:4). And pray for an OUTPOURING of His wisdom and direction for our leaders and officials who are dealing with this crisis. Ask God to change hearts and heal this divide in our nation.

Sending peace, love, and prayers to all!

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Faith in Action Prayer

How to pray for God’s love to direct our words and thoughts.

Kelly Kirby Worley
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Kelly Kirby Worley
Hi, my name is Kelly. I am an artist, writer & Jesus girl with a passion for helping others discover and embrace their identity, value and confidence in Christ.
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How to pray Psalm 19

Psalm 19 teaches us how to pray so that we honor God by the way we love others

Clean the slate, God, so we can start the day fresh!

If a non-believer curious about God were to observe you throughout the day, would it change the way you live?

If you’re like me, chances are you’d think twice before spitting out the thoughts that ramble around in your mind. Especially during stressful or difficult seasons like we are living in now. While we may not have non-believers watching us in quarantine, God most certainly is.

As this thought moves from my mind to words on paper, I reflexively sit up a little straighter in my chair. What adjectives, I wonder, would God use in describing a Christian after observing my life for a day or two?

These are the thoughts running through my mind as I read Psalm 19 this morning. Here David gives us a beautiful illustration of how to pray for God’s love to direct our words and thoughts.

“God’s Word is better than a diamond, better than a diamond set between emeralds. You’ll like it better than strawberries in spring, better than red, ripe strawberries.

There’s more: God’s Word warns us of danger and directs us to hidden treasure. Otherwise, how will we find our way? Or know when we play the fool?

Clean the slate, God, so we can start the day fresh! Keep me from stupid sins, from thinking I can take over your work; Then I can start this day sun-washed, scrubbed clean of the grime of sin.

These are the words in my mouth; these are what I chew on and pray. Accept them when I place them on the morning altar, O God, my Altar-Rock, God, Priest-of-My-Altar.” (Psalm 19:10-14 MSG)

There is absolutely nothing wrong with asking the Lord to make us pleasing to Him. In fact, God loves to teach us His ways; so that we honor Him in the way we love others.

David’s gift with words combined with his heart for God provides us with over 70 beautiful illustrations of communicating with the Lord. We, too, can pray for help, so the words we speak and the thoughts we think are pleasing to God. As we begin a new day, let’s decide that God’s love will guide what we say and how we think.

Sending peace, love, and prayers to all!

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Download a free Psalm 19 Prayer PDF here.

Prayer from Psalm 19 MSG

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