peace, be still

 

When the storms of life are raging, let your heart be quieted by the words of Jesus:

“Peace, be still.”

There's no need to fear when the creator of the stars is in your boat.

Trust that he has the power to calm every storm and every heart.

Even the wind and sea obey him.

Jesus heals the brokenhearted

Jesus has good news for you.

He wants to heal your broken heart.

He wants to set you free from the things that hold you captive.

He wants to open the door of your prison, so you can walk out into freedom.

He wants you to know that God loves you, and if you open your heart to him, you will see his favor changing your life.

_____________

Jesus read from Isaiah 61 when he was handed the scroll in Luke 4:18.

"The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me, because the LORD has anointed me to bring good news to the poor; he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound; to proclaim the year of the LORD’s favor..." Isaiah 61:1-2a ESV

He astonished the people in the synagogue by saying, "Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing."

if you truly believe

You have to admit, Jesus said some pretty wild stuff.

He also did some wild stuff, too.

Because he didn't have to believe.

He knew.

And he had the power to prove it.


Always remember that your words have power.  -  Mark 11:20-24

Hiding Place

Psalm 32:7 — You are my hiding place. You protect me from trouble; You surround me with songs of deliverance. (BSB)

PRAYER Lord, you are my hiding place, my safe place. Guard me from everything that is coming against me and wrap me in the assurance of your victory in my life. You are my rescuer, and I hide myself in your arms.

Psalm 32:7 on BibleHub

Postscript: The Hebrew word translated as "hiding place" is cether, Strong's number H5643.

Be Still + Breathing Prayer

"Be still, and know that I am God.
I will be exalted among the nations.
I will be exalted in the earth."

— PSALM 46:10

Spiritual growth can be painful — especially when you stub your toe by kicking an obstacle that stands in your way.

A few years ago, I was struggling through a trial, see-sawing between grief and growth. When I asked the Lord what was preventing me from growing spiritually, I felt him saying that there were blockages in my soul, things that needed to be surrendered to him in order for me to connect more fully with him.

When I asked him what to do about this, I felt him respond:


:: When you discover a blockage, get quiet with me. Come to me, bring it to me, sit with me, talk with me about it. Let other things go, and come to me. ... Surrender your love to me, your trust to me. Surrender your time to me. Breathe with me, and I will breathe my peace into you. ::


And so I began to learn how to breathe.

. . . . .

Here are two of the prayers that were born from that conversation, as well as an example of a "breathing prayer" that I have found to be helpful for calming myself.

Teach me to be still

Lord,
teach me to be still
to quiet my mind
to rest in your presence
and to trust that you are in control
that you are Almighty
and All-powerful
and that you are working in this situation

Teach me silence

Lord Almighty,
I know that you are All-powerful
you reign over all creation
and have written every detail of my life story,
so I choose to be still
to quiet my mind
I choose to trust
and to rest in your presence
to breathe in the silence
breathing your name
and your glory
into my soul
and breathing out my trust in you



I was advised by counselors over the years that I really ought to practice deep breathing for reducing the anxiety that has plagued me.

Deep breathing exercises generally involve taking a long, deep breath, holding it for 3 to 5 seconds, and then breathing it out slowly. One counselor suggested focusing on a mantra or a positive statement as I breathed.

Why not, I thought, focus on an internal prayer instead?

So here is what I came up with: