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Showing posts with label advice. Show all posts
Showing posts with label advice. Show all posts

Wednesday, July 12, 2017

Proverbs Day 12

Read Proverbs 12
God did not design us to go through life alone.  We need people to encourage us, warn us, give advice, and hold us accountable.  And we need to do the same for others.

Pastor Chris' Paraphrase with comments:
Proverbs 12:1 - You won’t learn anything if you avoid discipline. It’s stupid to run away from correction.

You'll never get better is you don't own your mistakes. Don't cover up or make excuses or blame others. Take responsibility and learn and grow from your mistakes.

Proverbs 12:3 - Wicked plans never make you safe, but you can’t uproot a godly person.

Godly people are deeply rooted in the Bible and their relationships with God and His people. If you try to walk through life alone, you will be blown off the path. If you band together with a group of like-minded people, you will hold each other to the path when the storms of life rage.

Proverbs 12:15 - Fools are always proud of the way they do things, but a wise person listens to advice.

Even the smartest people have limited perspectives and skills and thinking your way is always the best way is just dumb. There is always a better way to do something and it's important to listen to other people's advice. It will help you avoid unnecessary blunders. Be wise.

Proverbs 12:25 - Worrying will sap you of all your strength, but a good word will encourage you.

When you're struggling with a problem or feeling down or worried about something, you need encouragement. Sometimes it makes you feel better just to tell another human being about it and let off some of the inner pressure; talking can be therapeutic. Plus, a good friend can encourage you and make you feel better. You can think more clearly when you are encouraged and not eat up with worry.

Proverbs 12:26 - Holy people give good advice to friends, but don’t follow bad people or you’ll soon be lost.

Be careful who you choose to open up to and rely on for encouragement, advice, and accountability. Not everyone is a wise choice. You need someone you can trust, someone who will be honest, someone who can keep a confidence. You also need someone who shares your Christian values. Find the right people and avoid those who might lead you astray.

Prayer
"Father, help me to be a good friend to others and help guide them along the path of Life. Help me also to find and trust the right people, godly people, who will be good guides to me. Amen."

Tuesday, October 20, 2015

Dear Pastor Chris

(Click here to email Pastor Chris your question and ask for spiritual advice!)

Dear Pastor Chris, 

I have been having trouble with my Prayer Life.  I have daily prayers and some days I pray throughout the day.  I read in the Upper Room Daily Devotion this morning, "When we have no Words", and I truly believe God listens to my heart when I am out of words.  However, the problem I am having is when I do pray I find myself trying to get fancy or mix it up, but I still find myself sounding like a broken record as I feel I am praying the same prayers.  I have a journal that I write down prayer requests in and I read over it, thank God for the blessings, and ask him to watch over me and my family and friends, but it begins to sound like I mentioned above, "A BROKEN RECORD".  Is this normal or should I be doing something different? 

Signed, Broken Record, Broken Record 

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Dear Broken Record, Broken Record, 

I commend you for your daily practice of prayer.  I can tell you take prayer seriously and the use of a prayer journal is an excellent tool to build your faith and spiritual muscles.  Prayer is simply your chance to talk to God.  So talk to God in ways that feel natural to you and know that God hears you.  If you wish to “mix things up”, you might focus on a subject that is different from your normal conversations.  You could assign a different subject to each day of the week. You might focus on local prayer concerns on Mondays, giving thanks on Tuesdays, evangelism on Wednesdays, etc.  Some other subjects of prayers could be government leaders, church leaders, your family, your vision for the future, God’s creation, etc.  The topics for prayer are limitless.  Have fun thinking of new ideas to talk about with God. 

I wouldn’t be over-concerned about sounding like a broken record though.  Prayer is an exercise.  Sit-ups are another exercise where you do the same things over and over again.  The repetition is helpful for building strength in your abs.  The same can be true of repetitive prayers.  Repetitive prayers can build your spiritual muscles and open up new insights over time.  As new needs or ideas arise, your prayers will naturally change.  If you find your prayer time becomes too tedious because of repetition, just mix in some new topics of conversation to keep your prayers fresh.   

Keep up the prayers! 
Pastor Chris

(Click here to email Pastor Chris your question and ask for spiritual advice!)