READY? AIM! FIRE!
Happy New Year, my dear sisters in Jesus! Last night I wrote a letter to the Lord Jesus right before I went to sleep and recalled His faithfulness through a tumultuous year. Right before I turned out the light, I opened up Daily Light for the last Scripture reading for the year and it offered this verse:
The Lord your God carried you, as a man carries his son, in all the way you went until you came to this place. Deut. 1:31
I could have cried. Yes, He surely did. And He carried you, too. Tightly in His faithful arms.
Only God knows what this particular year has in store for us. He alone sees how the path will wind, and climb, and fall, and rise again. We do not have control over the future as we glance ahead to 2011 but make no mistake. He does and we, His lavishly loved daughters, can indeed prepare to live what He thoughtfully brings our way victoriously. On this first day of the new year, we are not victims. We are called to live as victors, holding up the Shield of Faith in one hand and the Sword of the Spirit in the other.We need BOTH.
It’s finally time to post your first memory verse of 24 in 2011! If you haven’t already read the instructions thoroughly, please look at the post on December 26th titled “Siesta Scripture Memory Instructions.” It will tell you everything you need to know. Just a quick refresher: Your comments will almost entirely consist of these entries:
First name, city, verse, reference, and version.
Please keep it limited to these facts so that the verses stand out prominently for us to behold. You can occasionally say something as brief as “I’m excited!” Or “I need prayer!” but nothing longer than that please. Let’s let the Scriptures themselves rise like we’re looking at them with our 3-D glasses on.
Here’s my first Scripture entry of 24 in 2011:
Beth, Houston: All generous giving and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or the slightest hint of change. James 1:17 The NET Bible
Be sure and hand write your verse in your spiral to help engrave it on your sweet mind. Also consider writing your contact information on the inside cover in case you leave it somewhere and God causes someone gracious to find it.
I love to claim Psalm 65:11 on the first day of the new year:
You crown the year with Your good blessings, and You leave abundance in Your wake. The NET Bible
Lord, I want an abundance of Your Holy Spirit! (See Luke 11:13!) Abba, go before us this year and leave the fragrance of Your very presence in Your wake!
OK, Siestas! Hit it! I’ve prayed for you and can’t wait to pursue the Lord Jesus Christ with you this year. If some of you don’t know which verse to use this time around, consider Psalm 65:11. It’s a great first round.
Remember to wait 24 hours from the time you post your comment until you assume it got lost and enter it again. So many comments come in at once on these Scripture memory posts that the server bogs down, causing it to take extra time.
I love you, Sisters! Through the power of the Holy Spirit, we can do this! Remember, KEEP IT SIMPLE AND MEANINGFUL!
Angi, Land O’Lakes, FL “Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things.”” Phil 4:8 NAS
Tina,Zeeland: “Haven’t I commanded you? Strength! Courage! Don’t be timid; don’t get discouraged. God, your God, is with you every step you take.” Joshua 1:9 The Message
Jeremiah 29:11, For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for a hope and a future. Plans to prosper and not to fail. New Living Translation
Ashley, Atlanta, GA (downtown serving at Passion 2011!)
“Take delight in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart.”
Psalm 37:4, NIV
Cona, Middletown, OH “Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart.” Jeremiah 29:12-13 NKJV
Kim, Ponca City, OK “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perserverance the race marked out for us.” Hebrews 12:1 NIV
Katrina from Wilmington, NC: “May the God of Hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.”. Romans 15:13 ESV
For if, when we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life! Romans 5:10
Debbie, Thomasville, GA: “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!” Philippians 4:4 (NIV)
Destinee, Greenville, OH
“Is this not the fast i have chosen: to loose the bonds of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, to let the oppressed go free, and that you break every yoke? It is not to share your bread with the hungry, that you may bring to your house the poor who are cast out;when you see the naked, that you cover him, and not hide yourself from your own flesh?” Isaiah 58:6-7
NKJV
Carole, Imperial, CA: “Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.” Psalm 51:10-12 NIV
Kirsten, Heavener, OK “But forget all that- it is nothing compared to what I am going to do. For I am about to do something new. See, I have already begun! Do you not see it? I will make a pathway through the wilderness. I will create rivers in the dry wasteland.” Is. 43:18,19 NLT
Kristen, Nashville: “And above all, my brothers and sisters, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or by any other oath. But let your “Yes” be yes and your “No” be no, so that you may not fall into judgement.” James 5:12, NET
Angie, Loveland, and if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs of the oppressed, then your light will rise in the darkness, and your night will become like the noonday. Isiaiah 58:10, NIV Bible
Diane from Fort Wayne, IN.
“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Jeremiah 29:11, NIV
Amanda (White Rock, BC Canada) “Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.” Psalm 139:23-24 NIV
Kristen- Covington, Georgia:
“You crown the year with a bountiful harvest; even the hard pathways overflow with abundance.”
Psalm 65:11, New Living Translation
Kelly from Princeton, KY: “He gives power to those who are tired and worn out; He offers strength to the weak.” Is 40:29 (NLV)
Gwen, Syracuse, UT “Then he said to them, “Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.” Luke 12:15 NIV 1984
But the spirit produces love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness & self control. There is no law against such things as these. Galatians 5:22-23 GNT
Cara, Edmond, OK: But the spirit produces love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness & self control. There is no law against such things as these. Galatians 5:22-23 GNT
Cara from Conway, AR ““Do not destroy the work of God for the sake of food.” Romans 14:20a (NIV)
Ashley, Atlanta, GA:
“The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the afflicted; He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to captives and freedom to prisoners; to proclaim the favorable year of the Lord and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn.”
-Isaiah 61:1-2 (NASB)
Becky from Alabama
Thanks to my precious sister (biological) for being my inspiration!
Do not let any unwholesome talk come from your mouth but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs that it may benefit those who listen.
Ephesians 4:29 (NIV)
Amy, Dawsonville, GA Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things Phillipians 4:8 KJV
Beth from Platte, SD: For the Kingdom of God is not a matter of what we eat or drink, but of living a life of goodness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. Romans 14: 17 NLT
Hannah, Knoxville, TN, “In that day I will restore the fallen house of David. I will repair its damaged walls. From the ruins I will rebuild it and restore its former glory.” Amos 9:11 NLT
2 Tim. 1:7 For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline. NIV
Carolyn Raleigh, NC Psalm 32: 8 “I will instruct you and teach in the way you should go; I will counsel you and watch over you.” NIV
My hope for a New Year
Forget about what’s happened. Don’t keep going over old history. Be alert, Be Present.
I’m about to do something brand-new. It’s bursting out! Don’t you see it? There it is! I’m making a road through the desert, rivers in the badlands.
Isaiah 43:18-19
Shannan, Elk City, OK:
But He said to me, “my grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore, I will boast all the more gladly about my weakness so that Christ’s power may dwell in me.” 2 Corinthians 12:9 NASB
Linda – St. Paul, MN
You crown the year with Your good blessings,
and You leave abundance in Your wake.
Psalm 65:11, The NET Bible
Kay, Columbus: “Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body.” I Corinthians 6:19-20 NIV
Cheryl, Naperville, IL: However, it is written: “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him” 1 Corinthians 2:9 NIV
Barbara, Prescott Valley, AZ
“You crown the year with (your good blessings) a bountiful harvest; even the hard pathways overflow with abundance.” Psalm 65:11 NLT (NET)
Tracey from Shawnee, Kansas. 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil, but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. (NIV)
Amy from Perkasie, PA
“Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.” Ephesians 4:30 NKJV
Catherine, Puyallup WA
“If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it.” Luke 9:23-24 ESV
Laurie from San Juan Capistrano, CA “He is your constant source of stability; He abundantly provides safety and great wisdom; He gives all this to those who fear him.” Isaiah 33:6 NET
Misty, Douglas, WY
When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze.
~Isaiah 43:2 NIV
What a sweet assurance!!
Julie, Youngstown. You crown the year with a bountiful harvest;even the hard pathways overflow with abundance. Psalm 65:11, New Living Translation
Dana: Clarksville, TN: One thing I ask of the LORD, this is what I seek; that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD and to seek him in his temple. Psalm 27:4-NIV
Erika, Saint Maries, ID “Finishing is better than starting. Patience is better than pride.” Ecc. 7:8 (NLT)
Sarah- Macon, GA.
” Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.”- 2 Cor. 5:17 (NKJV)
Cara, Mt. Pleasant, IA
“For it is by free grace (God’s unmerited favor) that you are saved (delivered from judgment and made partakers of Christ’s salvation) through [your] faith. And this [salvation] is not of yourselves [of your own doing, it came not through your own striving], but it is the gift of God;” Eph 2:8, Amplified
Jennifer, Lexington, SC
“Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” Hebrews 12:2 NIV
Jana R. Houston, Tx. “I will meditate on Your precepts, and contemplate Your ways”. Psalms 119:15 NKJV.
Angela, Covington “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. As the heavens are higher than the earth so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.” Isaiah 55:8-9 NIV
Paula from Syracuse, Ks Forget what happened in the past, and do not dwell on events from long ago. I am going to do something new. It is already happening. Don’t you recognize it? I will clear a way in the desert. I will make rivers on dry land. Isaiah 43: 18-19 Gods Word Version
Lisa
Willimantic, CT
I have given you authority to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you.” Luke 10:19 NIV
Denise, Creswell: I lift up my eyes to the hillls – where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth. Psalm 121:1-2