Follow God

We can do NOTHING on our own! Every step we take led my our will leads to death, while each path we walk with God's strength, and guidance, leads to salvation.

AMEN

Righteousness (my thoughts)

I have become a very prayerful woman, but it takes effort to attempt righteousness while walking amongst the evil on this earth. In Isaiah 55 it says that God's ways and thoughts are not like ours. Of course they aren't, He's PERFECT! All we can do is try our best, and we will still have an uncountable number of sins each day, even each hour--in God's eyes.

I am so thankful for the mercy and forgiveness that we were graced with by the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ for OUR sins. Even if we parallel the life of Mother Teresa, the Dalai lama, or the holiest person you know; we are all still sinners (even them). God and Jesus don't have to try to be holy and free of sin, they just are.

Striving to be perfect in our righteousness is not an attainable goal. For me to think I could do that would be vanity at best, and blasphemy at worst. I would also be setting myself up for the certainty of failure and disappointment from the start.

I've found the best way to attempt righteousness is to simply pause. That may sound odd in our fast paced world, but we have to remember who the prince of the earth is right now. Everything is so quick, because if we were to slow down, we may just think first. This is what I suggest we all try:

1. Pause to think before you speak.

2. Don't say it if it isn't kind, helpful, or necessary.

We've all heard these concepts dozens of times I'm sure, but it's easier said than done. As simple as this sounds, you will see it's hard to keep up all day long. Let's all try to make a righteous effort to improve ourselves with how we treat others!

AMEN

P.S. A tip that has helped me is to remember that God will be the final judge. Don't concern yourself with who's right or wrong, and just be willing and able to turn the other cheek.

Prayer for Salvation

Lord, Creator of heaven and earth, all that is seen and unseen--I pray that You see Your humble servant now.

I beg that You let the Holy Spirit give me the words to pray that are in the deep recesses of my heart and mind...

Lord, redeem me, and lift me up from the weeds of trouble that entangle me; the hardships that cast doubt on decisions I make.

Lord, instead allow me to be reminded of Your constant and unyielding love. The love that shares all my pains and my sorrows. Love that not only sees, but endures the trials with me.

Merciful Lord, my God, You know where I have been weak--in those areas I beg for Your strength and salvation. Place the helmet on my head. Let me feel the presence of Your salvation surround me like the protection of a crevice in a rock.

Lift my feet out of the sludge of the earth that has encompassed me, and place on them Your peaceful protection. With those feet I pray You lead me to bright pastures, cool brooks, and breezy seas.

Let us rise together in our shared yoke that I keep weighing down with the distresses of this earth.

Lord, give me power to lift my shield of faithfulness and subdue all those that attempt to harm me because, I know, nothing is too hard for God. All this I pray in the name of Jesus Christ.

AMEN