Peaceful Restful Sleep

Psalm 4:8 AMPC … In peace I will both lie down and sleep, for You, Lord, alone make me dwell in safety and confident trust.

From NetBible Ps 4:8

• NET … I will lie down and sleep peacefully,  for You, Lord, make me safe and secure.

Psalm 3:5 AMPC … I lay down and slept; I wakened again, for the Lord sustains me.

From NetBible Ps 3:5

• NET … I rested and slept; I awoke,  for the Lord protects  me.
• BBE … I took my rest in sleep, and then again I was awake; for the Lord was my support.
• * When the psalmist received an assuring word from the Lord, he was able to sleep calmly. Because the Lord was protecting him, he awoke safely from his sleep.
  => Psalm 3:3-4 AMPC … But You, O Lord, are a shield for me, my glory, and the lifter of my head. 4 With my voice I cry to the Lord, and He hears and answers me out of His holy hill. Selah [pause, and calmly think of that]!

 

Having trouble sleeping? Before you sleep – cry out and ask the Lord for an assuring word => then sleep comes with peaceful rest ….

Also notice and trust that He is the shield – protection about you as you sleep – thank Him for this before you sleep.
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Lord, thank You that You hear and answer us when we cry out to You. Thank You that You are the shield of protection around us as we sleep and as we wake. Thank You for Your assuring word, it brings life, healing and rest. Help us ask for this assuring word when we are in need of peaceful, restful sleep. Thank You that Your assuring word will bring us peaceful, restful sleep. Thank You that You alone can give this, the gift of sweet refreshing sleep. In Jesus name. Amen.

Proverbs 3:24 AMPC … When you lie down, you shall not be afraid; yes, you shall lie down, and your sleep shall be sweet.

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Living Faith in Christ

Ephesians 2:4-10 NASB … But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, 5 even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), 6 and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7 so that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; 9 not as a result of works, so that no one may boast. 10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.

• NLT … For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so that we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.

James 2:26 AMPC … As the human body apart from the spirit is lifeless, so faith apart from [its] works of obedience is also dead.

Good works of obedience to the Spirit
Are evidence of a living faith in Christ Jesus …

Lord let us be obedient to the leading of your Holy Spirit. Thank You that as we let you accomplish Your work within us, Your fruit will become evident in our lives.

Galatians 5:22-26 AMPC … But the fruit of the [Holy] Spirit [the work which His presence within accomplishes] is love, joy (gladness), peace, patience (an even temper, forbearance), kindness, goodness (benevolence), faithfulness, 23 Gentleness (meekness, humility), self-control (self-restraint, continence). Against such things there is no law [that can bring a charge].
24 And those who belong to Christ Jesus (the Messiah) have crucified the flesh (the godless human nature) with its passions and appetites and desires.
25 If we live by the [Holy] Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit. [If by the Holy Spirit we have our life in God, let us go forward walking in line, our conduct controlled by the Spirit.]
26 Let us not become vainglorious and self-conceited, competitive and challenging and provoking and irritating to one another, envying and being jealous of one another.

Good works of obedience to the Spirit
Are evidence of a living faith in Christ Jesus
Fruit showing who you belong to –Jn 15:8
They shine
Displaying the riches of  His grace, mercy & love –Eph 2:4-10
Glorifying our Father in heaven.

John 15:4, 8 AMPC … Dwell in Me, and I will dwell in you. [Live in Me, and I will live in you.] Just as no branch can bear fruit of itself without abiding in (being vitally united to) the vine, neither can you bear fruit unless you abide in Me. …
… 8 When you bear (produce) much fruit, My Father is honored and glorified, and you show and prove yourselves to be true followers of Mine.

Lord Jesus, help us abide vitally united to You. Thank You that as we do this, much fruit will be revealed, showing us to be Your workmanship. We desire to shine displaying the riches of Your grace, mercy & love glorifying our Father.

Matthew 5:14-16 NASB … You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden; 15 nor does anyone light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. 16 Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.

Waken My Ear

Isaiah 50:4 AMPC … [The Servant of God says] The Lord God has given Me the tongue of a disciple and of one who is taught, that I should know how to speak a word in season to him who is weary. He wakens Me morning by morning, He wakens My ear to hear as a disciple [as one who is taught].

From NetBible Isa 50:4

• learned[03928] = taught, discipled, instructed
• wakens[05782] = rouses, to be triumphant
  – from primitive root (rather identical with [05783] through the idea of opening the eyes)
• to hear[08085] = listen(attentively) to obey, to perceive(intelligently) by ear

Lord, morning by morning waken my ear to listen attentively as one being taught, that I should know how to speak a word in season. A word spoken at the right moment – O how good it is! Help me to listen and obey You alone.

Proverbs 15:23 AMPC … A man has joy in making an apt answer, and a word spoken at the right moment—how good it is!

Proverbs 25:11-12 AMPC … A word fitly spoken and in due season is like apples of gold in settings of silver. Like an earring or nose ring of gold or an ornament of fine gold is a wise reprover to an ear that listens and obeys. 

From  Prov 25:11

• apple[08598] = apple associated with fragrance
  *From [05301] = to breathe, cause to breathe out
  and [01054] = place of apples located in Judah[03063] = praise/He shall be praised (assigned to the tribe of Judah Josh 15)
• spoken[01696] = to declare, converse, command, promise, warn, threaten, prophesy, sing

=>These apples of gold contain a fragrance that can be breathed in and out!

Related:
Speak a Word in Due Season{blog}
Breathe Apples of Gold{blog}

Open the Eyes of My Heart

Ephesians 1:17-19 NET … I pray that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you spiritual wisdom and revelation in your growing knowledge of Him, 18 – since the eyes of your heart have been enlightened – so that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what is the wealth of His glorious inheritance in the saints, 19 and what is the incomparable greatness of His power toward us who believe, as displayed in the exercise of His immense strength.

Praying that our Lord Jesus Christ “opens the eyes of our hearts” to “see and hear” clearly that we may grow together to know the hope of His calling. Lord please give Pastor _____ your spirit of wisdom and revelation. Strengthen him in Your power as he leads our church family in this growth to become more healthy – individually and corporately. For Your glory Jesus! 🙂 —Ephesians 1:17-19

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@Khollandsblog . Tweets: #ScripturePrayer May the Father give U the Spirit of Wisdom&Revelation=>to know Him better. bible.com/111/eph1.17 wp.me/pshYV-vU #ScripturePrayer Lord Jesus-Open the eyes of my ❤ to know the hope to which U are calling. bible.com/8/eph1.18 wp.me/pshYV-vU Lord Jesus-Open the eyes of my ❤ to know the hope of Ur calling & the riches of Ur glory bible.com/8/eph1.18 wp.me/pshYV-vU

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Related:
Eyes to See{blog}

Ears to Hear

Ephesians 1:15-16 NET … For this reason, because I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, 16 I do not cease to give thanks for you when I remember you in my prayers.

From NetBible Eph 1:15-16

• * because I have heard of your faith & love = Paul’s prayer can be made for his audience because he knows that they are true believers.
• Faith in the Lord Jesus and love for all the saints = reasons to give thanks=> very similar to Col 1:4

From NetBible Col 1:3-5
NET … We always give thanks to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, 4 since we heard about your faith in Christ Jesus and the love that you have for all the saints. 5 Your faith and love have arisen from the hope laid up for you in heaven, which you have heard about in the message of truth, the gospel …

• Thus the phrase “Your faith and love have arisen from the hope” is literally “because of the hope(of salvation in Christ).” The perfect tense “have arisen” was chosen in the English to reflect the fact that the recipients of the letter had acquired this hope at conversion in the past, but that it still remains and motivates them to trust in Christ and to love one another.
• So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. –Ro 10:17

Thank You Father that faith in Christ comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God. Continue to let this faith in Christ and love for the saints grow. Continue to open ears to hear and follow what Your Spirit is saying.