The Need for Christians to Understand the Importance of Prayer and the Guiding of the Holy Spirit in Their Lives!

Today’s Scrip-Bit   2 July 2026   Psalm 38:8a.

Psalm 38:8a.        ‘The Lord will perfect (complete) that which concerneth me.

And then it was Thursday; the Canada Day celebrations are over, and the work scene begins again. And yes, it’s sometimes hard to celebrate one day, then go to work the next. But I’m sure the smart ones have found a way to get these last two work days off, so they can have a long weekend. Now it’s going to be another blistering day, with another heat warning in effect. Like we’re finally getting what Europe’s been undergoing for a couple of weeks now, with so many places over there never ever experiencing such heat waves, and numerous people dying because of it.

So please, let’s stay inside as much as possible, hopefully in air conditioned comfort, or if you have to go out, make sure you put on your sun screen and a hat or something to protect you from those challenging rays of the sun. And talking about air conditioned comfort, it’s nice to note that the Duchess and I have not come to loggerheads over the AC just yet, (smile) for even she who likes the heat, is wary about going out in it. Thank the Lord!

And today I want to share one of the many encouraging things I have posted all around my office, which I never seem to notice, although I’m in here every day. And I only noticed this article last night possibly because I got a nudge from the Lord when I changed the wall calendar from June to July. For although the  prominent article in big print, is pinned to the wall right next to the calendar, and I change the calendar every month, I don’t ever seem to notice it. So it must be the Lord’s doing. Now, don’t ask where I got it from, or when, and it must be fairly old because the paper has begun to yellow, as old paper usually does.

Anyway it’s titled: ‘Prayer For Success In All My Undertakings.’  And it begins with this verse; ‘The Lord will perfect that which concerneth me.’ (Ps. 138:8) Now please pray with me: ‘Our Father who art in heaven, Thou seest all and knowest all and plannest all. Thou hast put me here on earth for the wonderful purpose known only to Thee. And Thou hast given me my life that I might make this a better and happier world for all Thy children.

O Father, Thou knowest how hard I try to do Thy will. And sometimes I do wish I could be able to see into the future and find out whether I will ever have success and good fortune in my undertakings. But then I know it is enough that Thou guidest me only one step at a time. Help me, dear Father, help me to make a wonderful success of my life. Put my feet on the path once more to health and happiness and success in what I undertake.

Guide my steps every day, dear Father; to the work Thou wantest me to do. Be with me and I promise to do my best, Father. Make me listen to what Thou tellest me and help me to be good and honest and pure in heart. Help me to work hard that I may overcome all obstacles. For I shall not grow tired, dear Father, if I know Thou art leading me on to success. Blessed be Thy name, dear Father; for I know Thou wilt never fail me! In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.’

Oh friends, isn’t that a beautiful and most interesting, as well as an appropriate prayer for these troubled and uncertain times, where many of us don’t know whether we’re coming or going! I suspect that it must have been written long ago because of the ‘Thys, Thous and Thees,’ but nonetheless it contains stuff that many of us pray every day. We know that God has placed us down here to improve life, and we all desire to know His will for our lives. And we all wish we could see into the future and check out if our lives are successful, but we need to have faith and patience and know that God is guiding us but only one step at a time.

One overview tells us, ‘God usually shows us the way a little bit at a time. He does not give us the whole map all at once. This builds our faith and helps us learn to trust Him every day. Think of walking in the dark with a flashlight. The light does not show the end of the road. It only shows the steps right in front of your feet. God’s guidance works in the same way.’

It’s like the literal translation of Prov. 4:12 says: ‘As you go, step by step I will open up the way before you.’ The pillar of cloud led the Israelites day by day. And the Holy Spirit lead us today, for the guidance we’re seeking from God, comes through the Holy Spirit. We need to listen to Him very closely every day for God’s guidance. And when we place our sincere faith and trust in Almighty God, then we’re assured that God will never fail us because that’s His promise, which you can find throughout the Bible.

 Moses said it thus to the Israelites before they went into the Promised Land: ‘Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the Lord thy God, he it is that doth go before thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.’ (Deut. 31:6) And it’s what we also need to believe in these chaotic times if we expect to do God’s work successfully. That’s exactly why Bruh David could write in Psalm 38: ‘The Lord will perfect (complete) that which concerneth me.’ (Ps. 38:8) We must not doubt that the Lord will ensure His purpose for our lives will be accomplished in His good time.

And to help us do His earthly work. He so generously bestowed on us these undeserved Thursday Blessings. So let’s declare and activate them right now nuh. As one strong and sincere voice: ‘I declare that I am blessed with God’s supernatural wisdom and receive clear direction for my life! I declare today that I am blessed with creativity, courage, talent and abundance! I am blessed with a strong will, self-control and self-discipline! I am blessed with a great family, good friends, good health, faith, favour and fulfillment! 

I am blessed with success, supernatural strength, promotion and divine protection! I am blessed with a compassionate heart and a positive outlook on life! I declare that any curse or negative word that’s ever been spoken over me is broken right now in the name of Jesus! I declare that everything I put my hands to, will prosper and succeed! I declare it today and every day! Amen!’ 

And having made that declaration, we’re now obliged to go out and share those undeserved blessings with others, just as generously as the Lord shared them with us, so that they too can come to know and LOVE Him like we do! Much LOVE!

…God’s plans for our lives will all come true…if we follow the Holy Spirit’s guidance…

Hear our podcast at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/randy-obrien

Today’s Scrip-Bit 13 May 2017 Matthew 25:35.

Matthew 25:35.    For I was an hungered (hungry), and ye gave me meat (food): I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in.

Ah mih people, our favourite lazy day, Saturday, is here at last! God bless Saturdays! And I see some big smiles and hear some sweet sighs as we just plan on lazing through Saturday, doing as little as possible. 

But don’t worry, that’s your entitlement. You are allowed at least one day each week to just commune with yourself and your Maker, while just rolling along with the tumbling tumbleweeds. (smile) 

So as we laze along this blessed Saturday morn, let’s check out some of our friend Anselm’s quotes for this week, as he aspires to inspire us for a better tomorrow. I like this week’s quotes because they are simple and practical. 

Hear this first one: ‘It’s supposed to be hard. If it were easy, everyone would do it.’ Now isn’t that the very truth? It surely is, because in these whatever you may call them times, nobody wants to do anything that’s difficult. Easy living is the name of the game! 

And that goes for our Christian faith too. As soon as a lot of believers’ come upon adversity, they are quick to think about giving up. They don’t realize that it’s the adversity that builds our faith. And that’s why our standards are continually falling.  

And the second quote says: ‘How far you go in life depends on your being tender with the young, compassionate with the aged, sympathetic with the striving and tolerant of the weak and strong. Because someday in your life you will have been all of these.’ Oh so true my people! It’s just another way of warning us that we’ll reap what we sow, and we need to treat others the way we want to be treated. 

This next one sounds like something Granny would say: ‘As you grow older, you will discover that you have two hands, one for helping yourself, the other for helping others.’ Ah friends, where has that sense of purpose, that commitment to helping others gone eh? 

Nowadays it’s predominantly each man for himself, and let the other one get by as best he can. I remember the days when the world wasn’t as prosperous, but there also wasn’t as much hunger and poverty, for we shared whatever little we had with the unfortunates. But today, in a world filled with plenty, hunger and poverty are rampant, pandemic to say the least. 

Steups! The Lord must look down from His high heaven and sadly shake His head sometimes, asking Himself, just where did He go wrong. But it wasn’t Him that went wrong it was us, we had too much free will and evil had a stronger pull on us than good. 

But hopefully this last quote will help us. ‘Do the best you can until you know better. Then when you know better, do better.’ It’s as simple as that friends, we can’t do better until we know how to do better. So I guess our quest now is to learn how to do better. 

And I have to laugh here at the philosophical stuff than Anselm’s quotes bring out every week. But it does the soul a lot of good, gets us thinking a little more than we normally might. It also brings us to our Bit, Jesus immortal words on the topic. 

‘For I was an hungered (hungry), and ye gave me meat (food): I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in. Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me.’ (Matt.25:35-36) 

Yeh friends, that’s the kind of stuff that Jesus is looking for from His followers. If we do those things, then when Jesus comes into His kingdom, we’ll be like the sheep, on His right hand, and not goats on His left. ‘Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.’ (Matt.25:34) 

Oh my brethren, we seem to forget that Jesus came to save the lost, the sick, the hungry, the poor; in other words, those who were having a hard time making it in life. If we go back to Isaiah, where he describes true religion, we’ll see where the Lord rags on Israel for their hypocritical fasting in the first 5 verses of chapter 58. 

Then He says: ‘Is not this the fast that I have chosen? To loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke? Is it not to deal (share) thy bread to (with) the hungry, and that thou bring the poor that are cast out (wandering) to thy house? 

When thou seest the naked, that thou cover him; and that thou hide not thyself from thine own flesh? Then shall thy light break forth as the morning, and thine health (healing) shall spring forth speedily: and thy righteousness shall go before thee: the glory of the Lord shall be thy rearward ( rearguard). 

Then shalt thou call, and the Lord will answer; thou shalt cry, and he shall say, Here I am. If thou take away from the midst of these the yoke, the putting forth (pointing) of the finger, and speaking vanity (wickedness).’ (Is.58:6-9) 

Oh friends, that’s what true religion is supposed to be about, not the hypocritical rules and regulations that pass for it today. And you’ll see that it’s not only when Jesus came that caring for the poor and downtrodden became a part of our faith. 

So let’s get serious about what we’ve said here this morning nuh, and try to do what we know is right, so that at the coming of Jesus’ kingdom, we’ll end up on His right hand and be called blessed. Much LOVE!

…unless we sincerely try to help others…we can’t truly say…we have a heart for Jesus…