Prayer Thoughts for the Heart

Archive for February, 2009

We often hear sermons about the Proverbs 31 mother and rightly so, however, there is much said about the father if you look very close.

The successful father often has a loving, caring, and supportive wife and a successful wife and mother has a loving, caring, and supportive husband.

When a godly faithful husband and godly faithful wife teach their children to be godly, Christian virtues will show up in all of their relationships in the home and elsewhere.

The Proverbs 31 husband has full confidence in whatever his wife does and has no reason to worry. Trusting in each other and God, allows people to be at peace in their heart and mind, because they each know that each will always do what is right. “Her husband has full confidence in her and lacks nothing of value. She brings him good, not harm, all the days of her life” (Proverbs 31:11-12 NIV).

She and her husband praise each other and he praises her virtues and blessings to others. He loves her and he gets love in many ways in return. Their children also call their mother blessed. “Her children stand and bless her, so does her husband. He praises her with these words. There are many fine women in the world, but you are the best of them all” (Proverbs 31:28-29 LB).

Everyone knows her and what kind of wife and mother she is and everyone knows the husband and father. He is a ruler and well respected in authority with elders of the city. They both have a good reputation. “Her husband is respected at the city gate, where he takes his seat among the elders of the land” (Proverbs 31:23 NIV).

There seems to be no jealousy in this family. Each is proud of the accomplishments of the other. What a wonderful goal for any family. Slay the green-eyed monster of jealousy. “Pride only breeds quarrels, but wisdom is found in those who take advise” (Proverbs 13:10 NIV).

Perfect Father, perfect Mother, and perfect Children. Perfect here means they are all putting God first in their lives. This is a Mutual Admiration Society Household.

God Bless and Have a Good Day,

Celia Milam

The mirror is where we look each morning so that we can make ourselves presentable to the world. The Bible is a mirror we need to look into each day in order to make ourselves presentable to God.

The mirror in the book of James tells us that when we look into the bathroom mirror, we see our flaws and try to fix them. Then we go and forget them. They no longer bother us, at least not until we look into the mirror again.

The same is true of the Bible. When we look into the Divine mirror we can see our moral flaws. Then we go and forget them. But we must look into it often so we can see ourselves as we really are and seek to make changes.

Looking into the bathroom mirror is an everyday thing and looking into the Divine mirror is an everyday thin g. What did you see in the Divine mirror today that God would want you to change?

“And remember, it is a message to obey, not just to listen to. So don’t fool yourself. For if a person just listens and doesn’t obey, he is like a man looking at his face in a mirror; as soon as he walks away, he can’t see himself anymore or remember what he looks like. But if anyone keeps looking steadily into God’s law for free men, he will not only remember it but he will do what it says, and God will greatly bless him in everything he does” (James 1:22-25 LB).

Celia Milam

We all like cake, so how about a scripture cake we can eat every day. Guaranteed not to cause weight gain.

The Ingredients Are:

1 1/2 Cups of Humility
1 Cup of Compassion
1 Cup of Kindness
2 Cups of Faithfulness
1 1/2 Cups of Mercy
1 Cup of Joy
2 Cups of Patience
1 Cup of Peace

Mix together all of the ingredients very carefully. Add as much service to others as you would like. Fold in enough sweetness to make it taste good. Blend in a generous amount of prayer.

Bake in a gentle oven until well done and sprinkle with a generous amount of love. Plate the cake and decorate it with some goodness. Slice cake and enjoy to your heart’s content. Also, by all means share your delicious cake with everyone.

“Therefore by Him let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name. But do not forget to do good and to share, for with such sacrifices God is well pleased” (Hebrews 13:15-16).

Celia Milam

We all have a wardrobe full of clothing. Some for work, play time or dress up. We also have a spiritual wardrobe and it needs our careful attention.

Scripture records examples of putting on different godly characteristics as we would put on a piece of clothing. The most important piece of our spiritual wardrobe is the putting on of the helmet of salvation.

Next we are to dress up in mercy, kindness, humility, meekness and patience. All these will make us beautiful to God and to our friends and neighbors.

Celia Milam

Prayer Thought:

Bad things can happen in our life without prior warning. My husband had a heart attack on Christmas Day. Our hearts and minds were not prepared for this shocking emergency.

Since we are not prepared for some things that come our way, we can call out to God for help and hope. God can send friends and relatives to comfort us and the best doctors to be at the hospital to take care of us.

God said that He would never leave us or forget us and the Holy Spirit will remind us of scriptures that will be encouraging to us during our troubled times.

The Formula for Coping God’s Way: God + Family + Friends + Our Church Family + Our Pastor + The Holy Spirit + Prayers of Many in Jesus’ Name.

“But the salvation of the righteous is of the Lord: he is their strength in the time of trouble” (Psalm 37:39).

Celia Milam, The author of “Prayer Thoughts for the Heart”. One Prayer Thought for Each Day of the Year, Now available at PrayersForTheHeart.com