Prayer - Walking on Mustard Seeds

How to Love Christ and Not Our Cares

Are you struggling with worry today? It is hard to escape thoughts of concern in our personal lives and socially.

Come on over to Walking On Mustard Seeds today and see how to offload the care of your heart.

“When the cares of my heart are many, your consolations cheer my soul.”
Psalm 94:19, ESV

Woman standing, looking over a large city, from a building's window view.

Who does not have concerns growing in their heart? There are too many issues to count in the world, not to mention our own lives. From Genesis to Revelation, God tells us to pray, not worry, and threads prayers and meditations throughout Scripture. Gifts to open our hearts to, allowing his view to penetrate, destroying our distress.

The above verse is a perfect meditation. We can look up the meaning of the words, examine other translations of the verse, and ask God for insight.

God, what am I overthinking?
God, what do I need to take my eyes off of right now?
God, show me all your consolations of the past. (Consolation means comfort in the face of misery.)

Meditating on Scripture draws out the fullest meaning God has for us. The promise of this 13-word verse is unmatched and a treasure to keep near.

Three treasures I found in this verse, plus a bonus.

First, our minds and bodies cannot thrive under the stress of worry and continual fear. The author penned they had many concerns. Can you relate? God wants to be at the helm of all our situations. Will you allow him to lead you?

God, through the Holy Spirit, can show us what to put our focus on and how to lovingly address each task and interaction.

Second, it clears up clutter in our minds to allow the Holy Spirit to guide our thoughts away from worry. The static of unruled thought steals our energy and takes our focus away from time with loved ones. The devil wants to steal our peace. Why? So we don’t trust and give God the glory in our situations. The Word tells us every situation can be turned to work out for God’s glory. We can be part of his amazing story when we seek wisdom in each situation from the Holy Spirit, Christ’s gift to us.

When we live this way it makes all of our concerns fall into the background.

Third, it improves relationships with family, friends, and neighbors. A lot of our worries are outside of our control. I can’t control how others drive on the road but I can control my attitude behind the wheel of my car. We can be fully present with our kids, grandkids, spouse, friends, and neighbors when not being controlled by consuming thoughts.

We have the most impact on those we love and are to minister to when freed from worry.

Bonus

Lastly, with our daily cares put in God’s capable hands, we can take care of details with a clear conscience. When we are truly free to be about the business of God, loving others as he would have us love them is loving Christ.

Encore

This leads us to his consolation; joy in exchange for grinding of mental gears. We waste valuable time when our thoughts are not aligned with God’s. Once we reflect on the Word and see the benefits, cheer becomes our companion.

Yes, the scripture says cheer leaving us wanting to burst out with shouts of joy.

Picture your hockey or football team. Do the fans sit idle the entire game? No! They shout and jump when their team is doing great things. Why shouldn’t we when God can silence fear?

Let’s give God a shout today!

YouTube News:

A little more about turning our thoughts to God. Also, let’s prepare the way for the release of my devotional Two or Three For Our City. Thank you for praying over Delaware with me!

Signature line, Keep Waling on Mustard Seeds, Michele

P.S. Update on Two or Three For Our City is with my editor for edits. Devotional Coming Soon!

What Never Fails and Never Needs Fixing?

God’s Word will never fail us and will never . . .

Conversations around our dinner table are still, you guessed it, about the tornado that came through last month. We, like many families in the area, are swimming in insurance claims while managing the needed repairs. Our stomachs dropped when the first word from our vehicle adjuster’s office was to total our 2017 car. It has a lot of life left in it, but the hail damage outweighed its value, to them.

We felt differently.

A long long time ago–or, in the latter half of the 1900s, I recall you could bring your broken toys to the fire department for repair.

This fact tells a few things.

Toys were built to last through a repair or two.

Toys were created to be enjoyed by more than one generation, or at least some extra siblings.

And, if a child’s Father wasn’t available to fix their toy, or didn’t have the know-how, the local fire department would do their best to bring new life to a well-loved toy.

I have found verses in the Bible that, if applied today, will bring new life to our neighborhoods. God tells us to pray for our cities. This is an overwhelming thought to many.

The excuses can sound like:

How can I pray for everyone?

How do people remember to pray for their neighbors?

What do I pray for them when I do not know what is happening in their life?

I have developed a twelve-week devotional, designed to pray for your City. Many topics are covered with your top worries and concerns, and some you probably have not thought of.

I hope you will find Two or Three For Our City, a Summer 2024 release, as helpful as those children with broken toys found the firemen who fixed them.

God’s Word will never fail us and will never lose its value or need fixing; although we need help applying it.

What is your favorite scripture to apply?

Watch the newest YouTube video, preparing the way to pray in your City.

Prepare the Way for Ohio

🕊 You are the Church. If you are a Christian, you are a walking, talking, and praying ministry for Christ. But who is God calling you to minister to and are you?

Help me minister to the state of #Ohio

AN INVITATION TO PREPARE THE WAY (Read or skip to PRAY –> 🙏‍🔥)

‍🔥🕊 You are the Church. If you are a Christian, you are a walking, talking, and praying ministry for Christ. But, who is God calling you to minister to and are you?

🎤 In 2014 God pursued me to pray for a local City. The daily news in that area was overwhelming and my prayers were drowned in despair. I invited others to pray with me #TwoOrThreeForYourCity and many said, “Yes.” 6 years of Sundays I emailed a devotional prayer for that City, uniting us all as we petitioned heaven.

➡️ Fast forward to today and God pursued me to write a devotional designed to pray for Any City in any state. Will you join me in preparing the land?

As I near the completion of my devotional to pray for your City, I feel the need to pray for each state. Help me minister to the state of #Ohio. #State35of50

🙏‍🔥 God, thank you for every person who calls Ohio home. We ask you to bless their land and every person there. We lift up Governor Mike DeWine and ask for wisdom and Godly counsel for him. Create a desire in Ohioans to pray in community for their community. In Jesus’ name, amen.🛐

❤️Be sure to ‘LOVE’ if you prayed. Thank you!
🏠If you live or have lived in Ohio, give a shout-out in the comments.
🔗Please share this post with someone you know in Ohio.

#PrayForOhio #PrayForOhioans #GovernorMikeDeWine #GovernorOfOhio #PrayForYourNeighbor #PrayInCommunityForYourCommunity #UnitedPrayerWorks #PrayersOfTwoOrThreeChangesThings #PrayForYourCity #PrayLocal #TwoOrThreeForYourCity #WalkingOnMustardSeeds #WOMS #DevotionalPromotion #DevotionalPrayerForYourCity #EveryCityEveryState #YouAreTheChurch #MustardSeedDevotion #MustardSeedGPSLocal #WOMSGiveLocal #WOMSPrayLocal #WOMSServeLocal #WOMSTwoOrThreeForYourCity #WalkingOnMustardSeedsDevotionalTwoOrThreeForYourCity

Keep Walking on Mustard Seeds,

Michele Marie Weisman

P.S. Sign up for my posts to be sent directly to your inbox and you will never miss an opportunity to pray. Thank you!

Three Keys to Peace

God gave me one prayer … simple, basic, and profound.

“Take no part in the worthless deeds of evil and darkness; instead, expose them.” (Ephesians 5:11, NLT)

Over-exposure ruins a photo as does overdevelopment. I took photography my senior year of high school when developing film was taught in the class. There was a simple wooden, four-walled structure to step inside to develop the film I shot for class assignments. I learned quickly, that this was not a gifting I had, leaving my images overdeveloped. I soaked them too long in the developer and the photos I took would never be revealed as darkness plagued the photo paper. You see, if you overdevelop, the crispness and clarity become blurred and darkened.

Like God calling me to pray over the City my family once lived in, I came up wordless due to the daily tragedies from crime that were reported. Inviting others to pray with me, cleared the picture of what to pray about and how to communicate the prayer.

Fast forward to modern America and the view became blurry again as confusion hit the streets, anger bursting forth in public gatherings and dinner tables. Again, I had blurred vision for prayer.

God gave me one prayer this time and I have prayed it ever since. It is simple, basic, and profound.

Pray for the truth to come out.

No clarifiers. No favorites. No affiliations. Across the board and across the nation, let the truth come to light.

You are to walk free from blurred confusion, it is time to come out of the developer and walk on what truth brings:

Peace within – Alignment with God’s ways always strengthens peace in the inner man.

Peace without – Truth brings sure-footedness in our interactions with others.

Peace Shared – When you practice this prayer at every angle, every affront, every thought, you can encourage others to pray in that same manner. Just as I hope I have encouraged you.

Will you pray with me?

God, I pray that truth be exposed in my City and Nation. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Your turn:

What area of your life or community will you pray for the truth to be exposed?

News:

Sign up on my site, to receive the latest news on my Spring 2024 Book Release. A devotional designed to pray for your City.

Keep Walking on Mustard Seeds,

Michele Marie Weisman

For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable. Romans 11:29

Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright ©1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Devotional Review of Crazy, Hard, Beautiful Journey by Joanna K. Harris

Devotional Review time!

The one thing I hear the most from you, my reader, is that you L O V E the devotional reviews.

I am oh so happy to add this new release to my collection of reviewed devotionals for you. Enjoy!

Devotional Title

Crazy Hard Beautiful Journey *

Subtitle

Stories of God’s Unfailing Grace, Goodness, and Divine Purpose

Author

Joanna K. Harris

Publisher and Copywrite Date

Where I found this book and why I selected it.

A few years ago I attended my first writer’s conference. The speakers were engaging and I still have a fat file filled with all my notes. A bonus of signing up was entry into a private Facebook group for all attendees.

Recently, on the Facebook group, I asked how to find devotionals that are being released soon or have just come out. A member replied with her newest title. I popped onto Amazon, to check out her devotional and decided to read and review it for you–and this is what I found …

What did I love about it?

After reading Joanna K. Harris’ devotional, I was left feeling like I just made a new friend.

Crazy, Hard, Beautiful Journey is filled with 60 devotions. Each page tells the chronological story of her life struggling with and triumphing in the face of medical challenges.

Each devotion reflects God’s continual provision for her. Growing up a missionary kid, prepared her for the life she would walk with the Lord, needing to rely on the kindness and care of fellow Christians. Each day is filled with hope, a learned wisdom, and a way to apply those two to your own experiences.

I felt invited along as she learned spiritual truths about God and how he was intimately involved in her circumstances.

You don’t have to have an ongoing health issue to relate to her challenges Harris weaves each devotion in such a way that she makes her lessons relatable to the reader. God is always sovereign and reliable, and Harris makes that point abundantly clear while leaning into His leading.

Each devotional starts begins and ends with a bible verse. It does not end with a prayer but with a section called Self Reflection. Here she places a question or two, to create an inner application to walk out the lesson in your own life.

Who would want it?

I think young to middle-aged women would be drawn to and appreciate Harris’ tested faith. She writes in a striking story-like way, bringing you along her journey. I found myself looking forward to reading what happened next in her life.

Who would not want it?

Men may not be initially drawn to her story, but her lessons learned about God do not strike me as just women.

A Bonus Point

Crazy, Hard, Beautiful Journey as a bonus message, perhaps unintentional, to take care of your body. It is important to make sure you take care of and notice symptoms in your body. Fatigue, pain, or other issues may be telling you to rest, take a break, seek medical help, and definitely, spend time with God.

Your Turn

Is there someone you know who might enjoy Crazy Hard Beautiful Journey? *As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Thank you!

Signature line, Keep Walking on Mustard Seeds, Michele

“For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.” (Romans 11:29, ESV)

City Prayer –It’s About Time

You have heard the slogan, buy local. I like to say Pray Local. Come on by Walking on Mustard Seeds to see why time is important — in prayer and in your local community.

An old-fashioned pocket watch swinging side to side a galaxy of stars in the background.

“TO EVERYTHING there is…a time for every matter or purpose under heaven.” (Ecclesiastes 3:1, AMPC)

You have a purpose in this moment, this very time that is ticking with the clock. I thank you for using this time to read my post. There are reports saying we are consumed by social media and news outlets.

If you are like me, after catching up on news, the updates can run through my mind while I go on with my day. That is not good.

No one needs the plague of modern news to bat around. God would rather we be about our purpose than trying to wrestle out the times.

Let’s figure out how to be in step with God’s plan for time.

I think it starts with thanking Him FOR time.

It goes something like this while walking my dogs in the morning, I say, “Thank you, God, for time to walk my dogs.” When I am driving into town to run errands, I say, “Thank you God for time to shop.” While researching curriculum for my youngest’s freshman year of high school, I say, “Thank you Lord for time to gather information.”

At these times, when my thoughts regularly turn to to-do lists, worry about the economy, and any number of other thoughts, I can thank God for the joy and gift of time.

Without time, we can do nothing.

As we turn our hearts to pray for our City this week, we can thank God for the time he has provided to pray and serve where we live. I am sure your town has slogans to buy local. Local farmers, local crafters, and local shops. I believe in praying local.

Pray for the farmer, the artists, the entrepreneurs. The farmer needs time to prep their land and for their crop to grow. The crafter needs time to design and make their art. And the shop owners need open hours and time to shop for products or services provided.

Time is precious to you and your neighbor. As schools start back up and summer vacations are in the past, may we each keep focused on how precious each moment is. Thanking the Lord for it on behalf of our fellow citizens too!

Keep Walking on Mustard Seeds,

Michele Marie Weisman

#praylocal

#Cityprayer

#prayforyourCity

P.S. Have you Checked out Deana Farrell’s new book, You’re a Beautiful MESSterpiece: A Guide to Prioritizing the God-Given Dream You’ve Been Entrusted to Pursue & Share? If you have been thinking about that God-size dream inside of you, I HIGHLY suggest it!

Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay