This Day With God – A Spiritual Journey | Share The Word

Getting a Jump on What is Thrown Your Way

Posted on January 19, 2013 by Mark Shields

The purpose of this blog is to keep me accountable to daily Bible study and sharing with others about faith. What I have found is that starting the day out with God helps to get my day started right as I try to be the best I can to glorify Him. At this link, I write about being inspired to maximize performance. Also, here is a song that I hope gives a lift to your day: Here I Am to Worship by Chris Tomlin.

Teach me your way, Lord, that I may rely on your faithfulness; give me an undivided heart, that I may fear your name. – Psalm 86:11

Posted in Applied Faith | Tagged Applied Faith, Bible, Bible Study, Chris Tomlin, Christianity, daily bible study, Faith, Faithfulness, Glorify God, God, Heart, Jesus, Lord, Performance, psalm 86, religion, Religion and Spirituality, undivided heart, Worship | Leave a comment

Conditioning Our Faith

Posted on January 18, 2013 by Mark Shields

Thoughts fixed on the things of God and being thankful for God’s grace conditions our faith. God’s mercy is like an ocean which is always full and in constant motion as waves that travel to the shore. For me, James 5:13-20 is about spending more time each day in prayer and praise to God. Here’s a piano piece that can be clicked at this link: Be Thou My Vision: Norm Hastings,Piano or below as you think about what to pray for today. It might be for your day ahead; for a friend, your family, church, or job.

Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he. – Proverbs 29:18

Prayer and Praise (thisdaywithgod.wordpress.com)
“Give me Faith” (athisfeetwillistay.com)
Tragedy to Truth: A Tragic and Beautiful Story Of a Young Man’s Journey Through Loss, Faith, and Transformation (prweb.com)
Faithfulness (cxgentlemen.wordpress.com)
The one thing you just have to know about God (ptl2010.com)

Posted in James | Tagged Be Thou My Vision, Christianity, Church, Divine grace, Faith, faith god, Family, Friend, God, Grace, James, Jesus, Job, Mercy, piano piece, Praise, praise to god, Prayer, religion, religion & spirituality, spirituality, Thankful | 2 Comments

Prayer and Praise

Posted on January 17, 2013 by Mark Shields

We can spend time with God at all times of the day. As explained in James 5:13-20, during troubled times, there is the need for prayer and during happy times there is a cause for praise (v. 13). The condition for answered prayers is faith. Like an antenna to our soul, faith energizes, inspires, and transmits God’s power which lightens our load. We are able to lean on God as we talk to Him about what’s on our heart and He removes all obstacles in our way.

The book of James is a good instruction manual on how we can apply our faith in all that we do. Think about common task that might seem boring but could be approached with more enthusiasm if there was an attitude of praise or worship. Task like washing the dishes or other household chores, exercising, and doing yard work can be done while in silent prayer or thoughts of praise to God.

This day will be amazing because we can spend time with God at all times of the day; praising and praying. Our greatest power is prayer because we are speaking to the ONE who already has the answers.

The Key To Effective Prayer (bummyla.wordpress.com)
Today’s Verse for 01/17/2013 (jesusmyjoy.wordpress.com)
St. Francis of Assisi Now Taking Prayer Requests Via Text Message (newyork.cbslocal.com)

Posted in James | Tagged Attitude, attitude of praise, Christianity, effective prayer, Epistle of James, Faith, God, household chores, James, Praise, Prayer, religion, religion & spirituality, spirituality, st francis of assisi, Worship | 7 Comments

Surrender All

Posted on January 16, 2013 by Mark Shields

As I wrote in yesterday’s post about prayer and having patience during difficulty, anything worthwhile takes some time to acquire. When a farmer plants, the crop doesn’t appear the next day. It requires rain, fertilizer, and a lot of patience. Our spiritual life is similar in that it is a daily process of growing to be more and more like Christ.

This day with God, I’m praying for more patience and persistence in my spiritual growth; to put God’s will first in my life – in my marriage, family, and career. I’d like to share this video with you to inspire patience and surrendering all to God. Just click at this link or on the video below: I Surrender All – Oslo Gospel Choir.

But he knows the way that I take; when he has tested me, I will come forth as gold. – Job 23:10

Patience and Prayer (thisdaywithgod.wordpress.com)
Surrender Does Not Mean Giving Up (shrinkingthecamel.com)
Surrendering Our Self-centered Nature (donboydblog.com)
Jan. 14, 2013 – A Day at a Time (12thstepper.wordpress.com)

Posted in James | Tagged Career, Christ, Christianity, Difficulty, Family, God, having patience, Holy Spirit, Marriage, marriage family, oslo gospel choir, Patience, Persistence, Prayer, religion, Religion and Spirituality, Spiritual Growth, Surrender, Surrender All - Oslo Gospel Choir, Test | Leave a comment

Patience and Prayer

Posted on January 15, 2013 by Mark Shields

patience (Photo credit: I am marlon)

During difficult times, there is the need for calmness and poise. We may be in a hurry but God isn’t. God measures time very differently than we do. A lifetime is like hours for God. What we do in life may not seem to bear much fruit but as long as we do God’s will, we can claim victory. The work that is done now may not come to fruition until future generations. As long as we stay in God’s will, the reward for us is a crown of glory.

There is no need to worry over things we can’t control. Patience allows us to wait on the Lord so things will be worked out the best way possible. Impatience only causes worry over the things we can’t control. If we try to finish outside of God’s timing, a lack of poise sets in and makes things even worse.

Reading in James 5:7-12, we are reminded of Job who showed us patience while enduring difficulties (v. 11). He went through misery yet gave us a good example of the benefits of patience. Through it all, he passed the test because he continued to trust in God. The lesson for us is to be patient, be in awe of God, and be sincere in what we say and do (v. 12).

One blogger I read often, Pastor Mike Says wrote the following in a post. “If we trust in the Lord, we will never fail to bear fruit. Sometimes we want to live the easy life in the shade but that’s when we get no light and we can’t grow. Like pruning a vine, we have to cut out those things in our life that might cause us to veer from the light of God’s will for us”.

This day with God will be amazing because we can pray for direction, accept that patience is needed, and surrender all to Him.