God's Done It Again!

This week I needed emergency medical intervention for an ongoing health issue.

While the doctor was talking to me about treatment, she included the fact that I needed a shot along with the prescriptions she was sending to the pharmacy.

What she told me next had me singing God's praises in my heart!  She told me that they had been out of the shot that I needed for 8 months, that they had not been able to get it.  Her next words gave me goose bumps!  She said they had JUST gotten an order of the shot medication in that I needed.

It is the Lord who goes before you.  He will be with you; he will not forsake you.  Do not fear or be dismayed.  Deuteronomy 31:8

“Forever, O Lord, your word is firmly fixed in the heavens. Your faithfulness endures to all generations; you have established the earth, and it stands fast.”  Psalm 119: 89-90

patsy @ From This Heart Of Mine

(c) 2022 by Patsy Norwood.  All Rights Reserved.

Faith Planning

My faith planner is something I came up with for my personal use.  I looked at several faith journals/planners and while I came across some really good ones, they all did more than I knew I would do.

I wanted and felt like I needed something simple that would be a gentle reminder of things I could do throughout the week that would help strengthen my faith.

I didn’t want to feel like I had to do them, but I wanted to be reminded that these were some resources I could tap into for some spiritual fuel when needed so I sat down and made a list of faith building resources that were available to me.

Before I share my list though, I want to address something, a check-list mentality.  A check-list mentality is when you go through the motions of doing something just so you can say you did it.  That’s not what I want! 

I may not be able to accomplish everything on my planner for the day or week and that’s okay. What it does for me though is to give me a guide, a place to refer to that helps me be aware of how much time I’m spending or not spending in my efforts to grow spiritually.

Here’s how I do my weekly faith planning:

First, I make a list of things I would like to do each week that will help me grow spiritually. I don't think about how unrealistic or impossible it would be, I just write it down on paper. 

This is what my current list looks like: (I incorporate this list in my diary/journal that I write in every day.)

• Read and meditate on the Psalms (The Bible study that I do changes periodically) 
• Scripture memorization
• Listen to sermons and Bible lessons
• Listen to spiritual songs
• Prepare for Bible classes I teach
• Read a faith-based book
• Attend worship
• Attend Bible class
• Attend fellowship events
• Meet God in a set aside time of prayer daily (Read more about my prayer journal HERE.)

Before we go any further let’s talk about attitudes.  I don't want to develop a 'I have to do this or I'm going to hell' attitude, a pharisaical attitude, or a check box mentality attitude that we talked about earlier.  All of these will lead one to looking for ways to justify not doing anything, I want a heartfelt attitude of I get to do this!   An attitude that longs for and looks for opportunities to spend time with God.

Next, I have to think in terms of small increments of time. Occasionally, I’ll have bigger chunks of time to devote to faith building but usually I’m grabbing minutes here and there.

Where do I have 5 minutes that I can pause and work on memorizing scripture?  Here’s something that works well for me.  I like to write out the scripture or scriptures I’m learning on an index card and put it on the refrigerator door.  Every time I go to open the door, I glance at it and recite what I can of it in my mind.  This is a big help and doesn’t take much time at all.

Finding periods of time to do Bible study takes a little more ‘intention’ and planning.  I look for blocks of time when I have at least 30 minutes that I can sit down and study.  Usually, but not always, for me this is early morning when the house is quiet.  Sometimes, I grab some quiet time at other times of the day and that works too.  The goal is to take advantage and be ready when opportunity presents itself.  By ‘being ready’ I mean I have my Bible study and supports all in one place or where I can easily utilize and get to them when I’m blessed with an opportunity.

I utilize earbuds when it comes to listening to a sermon, Bible lesson or spiritual song.  I can add a little more fuel to my spiritual tank when working in the home, taking a walk, or even working outside by listening to sermons, Bible lessons or spiritual songs.

The point is, is that I have to be intentional in my faith journey.  It's not going to just happen on its own.  Satan will see to that.

Here are a few scriptures that remind me of the importance of being intentional in my faith journey.

Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a worker who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth.   II Timothy 2:15

Now these people were more noble-minded than those in Thessalonica, for they received the word with great eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see whether these things were so.  Acts 17:11

Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. I Peter 5:8

The thing about being intentional in one’s faith journey is that the more time one spends filling their spiritual cup the more one wants to! 

Please understand my heart in sharing how I do my faith planning, I’m not trying to be legalistic, holier-than-thou or something I’m not. I’m just trying to be as intentional as I can in reaching a goal that is very important to me.

May God be gloried in all that we do,

patsy @ From This Heart Of Mine

(c) 2022 by Patsy Norwood.  All Rights Reserved.

How I Set Up My Prayer Journal, part 3

In part one I shared how I utilize a monthly calendar/planner layout.

In part two, I shared how I utilize a weekly calendar/planner layout.

In today's post, part three, I'm going to share how I utilize both a monthly calendar layout and a weekly calendar layout to help me be more intentional in my prayer life.

Being intentional means that I purposefully set in motion things that will help me accomplish a goal.  That's what my prayer journal/planner does for me, it helps me reach my goal of having a more effective prayer life.

Here's how I combine both the monthly calendar layout and the weekly calendar layout to help me have a more effective prayer life.

Every day (or as close to every day that I can manage), at some point in the day depending on what I have going on, I pull out my prayer journal/planner and look at the monthly layout first.  I take note of any birthdays, anniversaries or anything else mentioned in part one for that particular day and transfer them over to the appropriate day in my weekly layout.

Next, I write in any prayer requests and or things I want to bring before God that day.  Then I take note of my 'focus' category for that day (See part 2 for a reminder of what my 'focus' categories are.) and make note of any previous days answered prayers.

Now I'm all set to enter into a time of prayer in a quiet place, alone and before God.

That's it, that's how I have my prayer journal set up along with how I utilize it.  I hope this series has been beneficial and that you have found something that will help you have a more intentional prayer life.

May God be gloried in all that we do,

patsy @ From This Heart Of Mine

(c) 2022 by Patsy Norwood  All Rights Reserved.

How I Set Up My Prayer Journal, part 2

In part one I shared how I set up my prayer planner/journal using a monthly layout.

(picture on left:  monthly layout from part one)

In part 2, I'm going to share how I use the weekly layouts in my prayer planner.

Here's what my weekly page layout (below) looks like:

I start with a clean page and add the stickers myself.  When adding stickers, I try to place them in places that won't typically get a lot of writing.  Of course, when starting with a 'plain' layout, you can embellish it anyway you want, I choose to keep it simple and leave space for writing.

As you can see from the layout, I have specific prayers that I focus on for every day of the week.

On Monday, I focus on my husband. I pray for encouragement, strength and any area that he might be struggling in.  I also pray that God would bless Him abundantly.  I pray Scripture over him and for safe keeping from Satan's attacks.  I also pray that I be the kind of wife he needs that makes his journey easier.

On Tuesday, I focus on my children and grandchildren.  I call them by name and pray individually for each.  I pray that their parents will guide and teach them the truth of God's word and I pray for anything that is important in their little hearts and minds.  I pray for protection from the evil one for them.

For their parents, my children, I pray for guidance and spiritual wisdom for them.  I pray that their eyes be opened to Satan's ways and tactics and that they have the strength to stand on God's word.  I pray that they know that God loves them even more than their dad and I do.  I pray for protection from the evil one for them as well.

On Wednesday, I focus on close friends and family.  These are the people that I can reach out to at the drop of a hat and know that they are there for me.  These are the people that keep me going and expect nothing in return, these are the people that are truly gifts from God in my journey to heaven. Hence, they have their own day where I go before God on their behalves, anything that concerns them is prayed about.  I pray for each of them by name asking God to abundantly bless them and to protect them from the evil one.

On Thursday, I pray for myself!  Oh yes, I do!  Even though I'm in the fall/winter season of life, I'm still a work in progress and no one knows the things I struggle with more than I do.  I pray for wisdom, guidance and discernment in all that I do so that others can see God living in me.  I pray for anything I'm personally struggling with physically and spiritually.  I just pour it all out to God sharing my heart with Him.  I pray for protection from the evil one for myself also.

On Friday, I pray for the Church worldwide, our local congregation and for my church family.  I pray for the spiritual growth of the Church worldwide as well as local and I pray for the numerical growth of both as well.  I pray for any issues that the Church is dealing with, both local and worldwide.  I pray for unity and for the strength to stand on God's Word. I pray for its protection as a whole from the evil one.

I pray for our local church family.  I pray for individual needs and for any spiritual obstacles they are dealing with/facing.  I pray for unity here as well and for its spiritual and numerical growth.  I pray for its protection from the evil one as well.

On Saturday, I pray for world leaders and events.  I pray for wisdom for world leaders and that they seek God's guidance in all their decision making.  I pray for world events and that those involved in the decision making of these events will seek God's wisdom and consider the effects of said decisions on those they govern.   I pray for world peace.

On Sunday, I pray for the unsaved and prodigals.  I pray for them as a whole and call by name those I know specifically.   I pray that they come to realize that God loves them, really loves them and longs for them to come to Him or come back to Him.  I pray that the binding Satan has them bound up in be loosed.

In addition to the above daily focuses, I write down any specific prayers that I've been asked to pray about on the appropriate day.   This is also where I make note when and how prayers are answered.  Being able to go back and look at answered prayers is a great faith builder!

As you can see, my 'prayer closet' time is specific and in-depth.  I take my prayer time with God seriously and don't put a time limit on it.  I look at this time as an appointment with God that I try not to miss.  I try not to miss doctor appointments or any other appointments I have on my calendar, how much more important is a set aside appointment time with God in prayer.

This is how I utilize the weekly spread of my prayer planner, but it's not the only time that I pray.  I'm not naive enough to think that everything is always going to work out where I can go to my 'prayer closet' when needed (Satan works hard at trying to keep that from happening.)  Other times that I pray are:  

in those minutes of waking up in the mornings from a night's sleep  

(It has long been my prayer that God wakes me up with prayer or a song of praise on my heart every morning.)

throughout my day anytime I feel the need to pray

(If I'm dealing with or praying for a difficult situation, I can set a timer to remind me to stop and pray over the issue every hour on the hour or whatever time frame I decide.)

as I'm falling asleep at night

(Here again it has long been my prayer that God allows me to fall asleep with a prayer or song of praise on my heart every night.)

one more ... in the middle of the night

(I pray for a song of praise or a prayer on my heart during those awake moments or when I'm having trouble sleeping even in the middle of the night.)

Lastly, look at the 'notes' section at the bottom of the page on the right.  This is where I write inspirational quotes, Scriptures of encouragement or further notes on anything I'm praying about.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

In part 3, found HERE, I'll share how I tie the monthly layout and the weekly spread together as we wrap up this series on 'How I Set Up My Prayer Journal.'

May God be gloried in all that we do,

patsy @ From This Heart Of Mine

(c) 2022 by Patsy Norwood  All Rights Reserved.

How I Set Up My Prayer Journal, part 1

Last year I started searching for a method of creating a prayer journal that would work for me and help me stay focused on that time of day when I would head for my 'prayer closet.'  (For me my 'prayer closet' is anywhere it's quiet and I can be alone.)  I spent considerable time watching Youtube videos and looking at websites that offered examples and suggestions. 

Creating a prayer journal is a personal and private thing and I wanted it to be a tool that I would actually use and one that was pleasing to the eye as well.

In part 1, I'm going to show you what I purchased and how I set up the first phase of my journal.

The picture on the left is what I purchased at a local big box store, it's officially a planner.  The reason I chose this one is because it has plenty of space to write on each day. I think I paid about $12 for it.

It has a monthly spread for each month followed by a breakdown for each week.  Here's how I use the monthly spread ...

I'm using the month of October as an example as I already have things written on the August and September months.

The planner was plain when I purchased it so the first thing I did was add flower stickers.  I put them different places every month, this is what appealed to me for the space I had to work with for this October spread. I think they give the pages a little beauty.

The way I use this spread is to write in birthdays and anniversaries on appropriate dates.  You could use different colored pens for each if you like, but I generally just use a regular ink pen.  

After I get birthdays and anniversaries written in, I add any travels we have for the month.  I usually take a highlighter and draw a line at the bottom of each day across all the days we'll be traveling.

Next, I add any special events we need to attend, appointments we have, or any medical procedures scheduled.

The last thing I add is any dates of medical procedures, doctor appointments, etc that I've been asked to pray about.

The 'notes' area is for any notes or scriptures I want or need to add that better help me pray.  Sometimes when you don't know how to pray for or about a situation, praying through a specific scripture fits the bill perfectly.  This 'notes' section gives me room to write it out.

When I head to my 'prayer closet,' this journal goes with me and I pray for anything written on that day.

If someone has a birthday, I pray for them.

If someone has an anniversary, I pray for them.

If someone has a doctor's appointment or medical procedure, I pray for them and so on.

This helps me keep my mind focused and I'm less likely to forget someone's special occasion.  Who wouldn't like to be prayed for on their special day or days?

This also helps me to remember those who have asked for my prayers for or about a specific appointment or procedure they are having done.

All the date specific things go on this monthly spread.

I do something different with the weekly spread and in part 2, I'll share what that is.  (In part 3, I'll show you how I tie both part 1 and 2 together.)

I hope this makes sense and that it's beneficial to you.

Part 2 can be found HERE.

May God be gloried in all that we do,

patsy @ From This Heart Of Mine

(c) 2022 by Patsy Norwood  All Rights Reserved.

Devotional Thoughts: Deuteronomy 31:8

Some days my heart just soars and overflows with thanksgiving to God over how He goes before me and provides the way.

Today has been one of those days!

Several weeks ago, I ran across an item in a clearance basket at a grocery store that I don't use a lot, but it was such a good price that I purchased some anyway.  Today I needed that item ... for medical purposes ... enough said!

Thank you, Lord, for going before me and providing the way!

And the Lord is the one who is going ahead of you; He will be with you. He will not desert you or abandon you. Do not fear and do not be dismayed.” Deuteronomy 31:8  NASB

patsy @ From This Heart Of Mine