Is your child receiving a new device this holiday season? New devices show up as phones, gaming systems, computers, tablets, and watches. It can be difficult for us to keep up with the tech world and understand how to navigate it to protect our children. These two resources will help you lead your children through decisions about technology and the internet.
Tech Wise Family (http://a.co/d/a4FXXLT) and Every Parent’s Guide To Navigating Our Digital World (http://a.co/d/j6kp5Yx) are must-reads for parents navigating the digital world.
Airplanes have such important systems, that they ask you to silence your phone so it doesn’t interfere. Jesus is making the same ask for us – that we silence some of the distractions and focus in on what He has for us.
Do you know anyone who is ungrateful? Do you wish that someone would show them how to be grateful?
Ungrateful people tend to be people who:
Are never content and are always in need
Rarely say “thank you”
Don’t sacrifice for others but expect others to sacrifice for them
Are focused on their needs more than the needs of others
Think that God or others owe them.
I’m sure that you can make a list of all of the ungrateful people in your life:
Your spouse
Your kids
Your boss
Your co-worker
But if we are honest with ourselves, we are all ungrateful from time to time.
We accidentally take for granted the blessings we have in this life. Blessings like our health, family, friendships, and the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives.
If left unchecked, ungratefulness will draw us away from Jesus and bring bitterness, discontentment, and worry.
Gratefulness comes from a realization that you are nothing without Jesus and for some reason He has gifted you with another day to follow Him on this planet.
Gratitude is a life-giving attitude. How? Because gratitude will continue to draw us into the presence of Jesus, regardless of what possessions or blessings we experience.
Gratitude has nothing to do with your possessions but everything to do with your perspective.
How To Be Grateful
So how do we cultivate a grateful heart this week?
Gratitude overflows from your connection to the Holy Spirit. It is difficult for you to be grateful if you aren’t connected to Jesus through prayer and study of God’s Word.
Through God’s Word and be reminded of the:
Goodness of God – He is for you and with you
Your Need for Jesus – you are a sinner in need of the grace of Jesus
The Purpose God Has for You – you are still on this planet to make disciples and glorify Jesus.
Gratitude is a life-giving attitude because it draws us to the feet of Jesus. And as we overflow with gratitude to God, we will begin to overflow in expressing our gratefulness for others.
[bctt tweet=”Gratitude is a life-giving attitude because it draws us to the feet of Jesus.” username=”chasesnyder12″]
Now What?
If you desire to get plugged into God’s Word and cultivate a grateful heart, then I’ve created a simple 25-day Bible reading plan that walks through twenty-five passages about gratitude and thankfulness.
This is a difficult question to answer. In a culture of instant satisfaction the thought of committing to long-term prayer seems foreign. We have free two-day shipping on packages from across the world, we have instant food, and we can even watch an entire season of TV in one sitting.
I do not have evidence to support this, but I would assume most of us are great at praying fervently for a specific need or situation for a few days, but we don’t continue praying longer than that. If God hasn’t shown up in a day or two, like the Amazon package we ordered, then all seems lost and we give up on prayer. We throw our hands us and say that God hasn’t answered us.
God rarely works on our timetable. Prayer takes time and intentionality as it shapes our hearts and transforms us into the likeness of Jesus.
Prayer should be a honest and open conversation with God, but some fall into the scripted prayers that only thank God for the day and our food. I’m grateful for food and I’m thankful that I have another day to live on mission with my family, but prayer should be deeper than that. Think of prayer as an ongoing conversation with God. Let Him know if you are mad, joyful, broken, or confused. He can handle your frustrations. After all, He is God.
Prayer Must Be Persistent
Persistent prayer strengthens our faith in Jesus. Your passion for change or opportunities should bring you to prayer each day. Voice these prayers with passion and hope as you seek answers, comfort, or wisdom from God. Don’t give up after a few days of prayer – commit to pray for this area until God moves or He moves your heart.
“Rejoice always,pray without ceasing,give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” – 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
In the Bible we see that Abraham waited 25 years for his promised son to be born. David waited over 15 years from the time he was anointed in the pasture until he was the king in the palace. Nehemiah prayed for five months before he was able to return to his home country to rebuild the walls.
Prayer Must Be Consistent
[bctt tweet=”Prayer must be honest, persistent, and consistent. ” username=”chasesnyder12″]
Philippians 4 remind us of the consistent nature of prayer. Prayer is a spiritual discipline for us to strengthen through consistent obedience. I would suggest coming up with a way for you to capture your prayer that keeps you in a rhythm of praying each day. I prefer journaling in a Moleskine notebook or on my Macbook with the Day One App.
“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” – Philippians 4:6-7
Now What?
Don’t give up on prayer. God hears you. Be bold. Be Humble. Be willing to invest time each day praying.
You must be logged in to post a comment.