Tag: worship

Christian

The Holy Spirit Our Helper & Guide

Cindy Dawson

I went to my office, lay my head down on my Bible, and sighed in defeat, “Lord, I don’t know what to do!” As soon as the words slipped out of my mouth, I remembered something that I had read earlier in the day.

“We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you!” 2 Chronicles 20:12 NIV

When King Jehoshaphat was warned that a vast army was coming against him, he was alarmed and resolved to inquire of the Lord. He called a fast for all of Judah, and the people came together to seek God.

King Jehoshaphat stood up in the assembly and cried out to God in prayer. He ended the prayer with these words:

“We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you!”

I quickly found the passage in my Bible and read it over and over. God was telling me what to do: Keep my eyes on Him! I can do that! Immediately, my anxiety melted away. My fear disappeared, and I felt the comfort only God can provide.

“But the Helper, the Holy Spirit whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and remind you of all that I said to you.” John 14:26 NASB

The Greek word translated “helper” is Paraklētos (παράκλητος). It is a Greek term, commonly translated as Advocate, Helper, Counselor, or Comforter. Literally meaning “called alongside.” It refers to someone summoned to aid another.

The Holy Spirit will bring Scripture to your mind. The better you know the Bible, the more often this will happen. The Holy Spirit has reminded me of specific verses that applied to my situation many times.

“I keep my eyes always on the Lord.
    With him at my right hand, I will not be shaken.” Psalm 16:8 NIV

You might be wondering what happened to King Jehoshaphat and the people of Judah when they fixed their eyes on the Lord rather than on the problem.

This is what the Lord said, “Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle is not yours, but God’s. (v15) Stand firm and see the deliverance the Lord will give you. . . Do not be afraid. Do not be discouraged.”(v17)

“Jehoshaphat bowed down with his face to the ground, and all the people of Judah and Jerusalem fell down in worship before the Lord. . . Jehoshaphat appointed men to sing to the Lord . . . ‘Give thanks to the Lord, for his love endures forever.’ As they began to sing and praise, the Lord set ambushes against the men of Ammon and Moab and Mount Seir who were invading Judah, and they were defeated.” (v18 & 21)

Read more about Jehoshaphat’s battle here. (2 Chronicles 20:1-30)

When we realize it isn’t within our own ability to fix the problem and we don’t know what to do, that’s when we can depend completely on the Lord.

When our battle is too hard, let us fix our eyes on Jesus. Let us worship His holiness, thank Him, praise Him, and give Him glory.

In His Love, Cindy

“Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: May they prosper who love you.” Psalm 122:6 NASB

All Scripture is from the NIV unless stated otherwise.

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Christian

The Importance of Truth

Cindy Dawson

1-minute devotion for Friday, 11/7/25

“But the time is coming—indeed it’s here now—when true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth. The Father is looking for those who will worship him that way.  For God is Spirit, so those who worship him must worship in spirit and in truth.” John 4:23-24 NLT Read full chapter

My thoughts: Have you ever noticed how often the Bible emphasizes the importance of truth? (In case you’re wondering, it’s over 380 times depending on the translation!)

In His Love, Cindy

Would you like to learn more about Jesus? See my page Who Is Jesus?

“Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: May they prosper who love you.” Psalm 122:6

All Scripture is from the NIV unless stated otherwise.

Photo by Jeff Arnold on Unsplash – Beautiful Kentucky!

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Christian

Why Am I Discouraged?

Cindy Dawson

1-minute devotion for Tuesday, 11/4/25

Psalm 42
For the director of music.
A maskil of the Sons of Korah

“Why am I discouraged?
    Why is my heart so sad?
I will put my hope in God!
    I will praise him again—
    my Savior and my God!” Psalm 42:11 NLT Read full chapter

This Psalm was written by King David when his son Absalom defected. The sons of Korah are the men David put in charge of the music in the house of the Lord, evidence that David placed great importance on worship through musical excellence, both instrumental and vocal.

When we worship and praise God we become aware of His magnificence. Suddenly the circumstances of life begin to pale when compared to the greatness of God. (Jeremiah Study Bible Notes)

In His Love, Cindy

Would you like to learn more about Jesus? See my page Who Is Jesus?

“Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: May they prosper who love you.” Psalm 122:6

All Scripture is from the NIV unless stated otherwise.

RealChristianWomen.blog

Christian

Sunday’s Memory Verse, 11/3/24

Cindy Dawson

“Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.” Romans 12:2 NIV Read full chapter

In His Love, Cindy

Do you want to know more about Jesus? See my page Who Is Jesus?

“Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: “May they prosper who love you.” Psalm 122:6

RealChristianWomen.blog  

Christian

What Kind of Worshiper Am I?

Cindy Dawson

Those bad Pharisees! I can’t believe how stubborn they were! I’m glad I’m not like one of them!

We tend to see the faults in others before we see our own. Isn’t that true? I’m pretty sure that’s called pride. So as we examine what the Bible says about worship, let us look inward, at our own hearts.

Jesus talked about two kinds of worshippers – “true worshipers” and those who “worship me in vain.” Do we really understand the difference? Let Jesus explain.

To the Samaritan woman at the well, Jesus said,

“Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks.” John 4:23-24 NIV

But when Jesus spoke to the Pharisees, He said,

“You nullify the word of God for the sake of your tradition. You hypocrites! Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you: These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.
 They worship me in vain;” Matthew 15:6-9 

The Greek word translated “worship” in the first passage is proskuneo. It means to prostrate oneself in worship, to reverence, to adore. To lie prostrate implies total surrender.

The Pharisees put on a show of reverence but were not totally surrendered to God. Interestingly, Jesus did not use the same word for worship in Matthew 15:9. He used the word sebomai, which means to revere. There is a big difference. The Pharisees honored God, but they were not surrendered to His will. Their hearts were somewhere else.

“Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship.” Romans 12:1 NIV

Let us examine our hearts. What kind of worshipper am I? Is my worship pleasing to God? Am I surrendered to His will? Or, do I worship Him in vain? Do I give Him reverence, but cling stubbornly to my own will? Do I worry more about how I appear on the outside, or the condition of my heart?

Am I totally surrendered to Jesus?

In His Love, Cindy

Do you want to know more about Jesus? See my page Who Is Jesus?

Pray for Israel!

Photo: Woodlands Worship

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Christian

Quote of the Week, 10/2/24

Cindy Dawson

Music is not the origin of worship, but it can be the expression of it. Do not look to music to induce your worship; look to music as simply an expression of that which is induced by a heart that is rapt by the mercies of God, obedient to His commands.” GotQuestions.Org

“Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship.” Romans 12:1 NIV (emphasis mine)

In His Love, Cindy

Do you want to know more about Jesus? See my page Who Is Jesus?

Pray for Israel!

RealChristianWomen.blog  

Christian

Tuesday’s Verse, 6/6/23

Cindy Dawson

“But the time is coming—indeed it’s here now—when true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth. The Father is looking for those who will worship him that way.” John 4:23 NLT

In His Love, Cindy

Do you want to know more about Jesus? See my page Who Is Jesus?

Photo by Sean Oulashin on Unsplash

RealChristianWomen.blog  

Christian

Quote of the Week, 12/21/22

Cindy Dawson

To truly worship God, we must understand who He is and what He has done, and the only place He has fully revealed Himself is in the Bible. Worship is an expression of praise from the depths of our hearts toward a God who is understood through His Word.”

GotQuestions.org

Do you want to know more about Jesus? See my page Who Is Jesus?

Photo by Johannes Krupinski on Unsplash

realchristianwomen.blog  

Christian

The Holy Spirit, Our Helper

Cindy Dawson

I went to my office, laid my head down on my Bible, and sighed in defeat, “Lord, I don’t know what to do.” As soon as the words slipped from my mouth, I remembered something that I had read earlier in the day.

When King Jehoshaphat was warned that a vast army was coming against him, he was alarmed and resolved to inquire of the Lord. He called a fast for all of Judah and the people came together to seek God.

King Jehoshaphat stood up in the assembly and cried out to God in prayer. He ends the prayer with these words:

“We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you!” 2 Chronicles 20:12 NIV

I quickly found the passage in my Bible and read it over and over. God was telling me what to do: Keep my eyes on Him! I can do that! Immediately my anxiety melted away. My fear disappeared and I felt the comfort only God can provide.

I also remembered, “And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus” Hebrews 12:1-2 NIV

“I keep my eyes always on the Lord.
    With him at my right hand, I will not be shaken.” Psalm 16:8 NIV

What does it mean to keep your eyes on the Lord? Here are some thoughts.

  1. Acknowledge that you can’t fix this in your own strength. Jehoshaphat knew that he was in for a battle that he was not strong enough to win and he didn’t know what to do. The enemy was getting closer every minute.
  2. When we realize that it isn’t within our own ability to fix the problem, only then can we really depend completely on the Lord.
  3. These kinds of opportunities will stretch our faith and bring us closer to God.

You might be wondering what happened to King Jehoshaphat and the people of Judah when they fixed their eyes on the Lord instead of the problem.

This is what the Lord said, “Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle is not yours, but God’s. (v15) Stand firm and see the deliverance the Lord will give you. . . Do not be afraid. Do not be discouraged.”(v17)

“Jehoshaphat bowed down with his face to the ground, and all the people of Judah and Jerusalem fell down in worship before the Lord. . .Jehoshaphat appointed men to sing to the Lord . . . ‘Give thanks to the Lord, for his love endures forever.’ As they began to sing and praise, the Lord set ambushes against the men of Ammon and Moab and Mount Seir who were invading Judah, and they were defeated.” (v18&21)

Take away: They depended completely on the Lord. They worshipped Him. They thanked Him. They praised Him. The Lord threw their enemies into confusion and they were defeated.

Read more about Jehoshaphat’s battle here. (2 Chronicles 20:1-30)

When our battle is too hard, let us fix our eyes on Jesus. Let us worship His holiness, thank Him, praise Him, and give Him glory. When you read God’s Word, God Himself will teach you and encourage you because He says,

“All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness,  so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” 2 Timothy 3:16-17

“But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.” John 14:26 NIV

Thank you for letting me share my journey with you, today. Comments are welcomed and appreciated.

With Love, Cindy

Do you want to know more about Jesus? Check out my page Who Is Jesus?

Photo by Ben White on Unsplash

realchristianwomen.blog  

Christian

Verses for Meditation, 6/2/22

Cindy Dawson

“Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship.  Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.” Romans 12:1-2 NIV Read full chapter

With Love, Cindy

Do you want to know more about Jesus? Check out my page Who Is Jesus?

Photo by Priscilla Du Preez on Unsplash

realchristianwomen.blog