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

02 Jul 2026 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

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 27 August 2014 John 15:5

27 Aug 2014 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

John 15:5.    I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.
 
Aye Friends, is mid-week Wednesday! That means we’re halfway through the workweek. Only a couple more days to go before some freedom time…

And all God’s people prayerfully declared: ‘Glory Hallelujah! Thank You Saviour Jesus! Thank You for all you’ve done, all you’re presently doing, and all that you’ve promised to do in the future! Right now we need some more of your LOVE, mercy, saving grace and strength to keep persevering and walking worthy of You.
 
Please enable us to be worthy ambassadors of your kingdom as we face the evil world that surrounds us. Help us to be in it, but not of it, as You desire. This we pray in Your glorious name! Amen.‘
 
Now here is what we can do to help ourselves. Here is a prayer for success from Dr. Robert Schuller’s Hour of Power Devotional. I believe I’ve shared it already, but that was probably a year ago, and no prayer is ever too trite or unimportant not to be prayed again. And I believe we need this one right now.
 
Please pray with me: ‘As I become a success with your help, Lord, let me never forget that what I am is more important than what I do. Faith stimulates success. Hope sustains success. LOVE sanctifies success. So I cannot and I dare not succeed without your power, peace and pressure in my life, Jesus Christ. Amen.’
 
Yes Friends, in a nutshell, we need all those things to be successful, but remember the Number One ingredient for true success, is the warm and LOVING presence of Jesus in our hearts, souls, bodies and minds.
 
Regardless of what the world advocates, without Jesus as our guiding light and His Word our principal guidebook, we’ll never obtain true success.
 
That’s why Jesus drilled it into the disciples’ heads: ‘Now ye are clean through (because of) the word which I have spoken unto you. Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.
 
I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.’ (John 15:3-5) 
 
And that’s the gospel, gospel truth my people! Without Jesus in our lives, we can’t do much at all. That’s why it’s so necessary to stay close to Him, to consult with Him through the Holy Spirit that indwells us, as to how to go forward successfully with the divine plan He has for each of our lives.
 
And we’re not talking about success as the world sees it, with the physical accumulation of wealth, power and celebrity status, but as Jesus sees it, with righteousness, LOVE, mercy and forgiveness, because that’s the only real, true and lasting success there is; everything else fades away eventually.
 
Bruh Paul describes our helplessness thus to the Corinthians. ‘Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing of ourselves: but our sufficiency is of God.’ (2 Cor.3:5)
 
And no truer word has ever been spoken my brethren! That’s the gospel truth in another nutshell! (smile)
 
And Jesus went on to warn: ‘If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them and cast them into the fire, and they are burned. If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto (for) you. Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples.’ (John 15:6-8)
 
And we all know that the fruit Jesus is talking about here, is what Bruh Paul so vividly describes to the Galatians: ‘But the fruit of the Spirit is LOVE, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness (kindness), goodness, faith (faithfulness), Meekness, temperance (self-control); against such there is no law.’ (Gal.5:22-23)
 
And we shall end with some wise and choice words from Hosea when he entreats Israel to return to the Lord, as we very much need to return to Him today, in these sad, strife-filled, ungodly times.
 
Thus says the Lord: ‘I will heal their backsliding, I will LOVE them freely; for mine anger is turned away from him. I will be as the dew unto Israel: he shall grow as the lily, and cast forth his roots in Lebanon. His branches shall spread, and his beauty shall be as the olive tree, and his smell as Lebanon.
 
They that dwell under his shadow shall return; they shall revive as the corn, and grow as the vine, the scent (remembrance) thereof shall be as the wine of Lebanon. Ephraim shall say, What have I to do any more with idols? I have heard him, and observed him: I am like a green fir (cypress) tree. From (In) me is thy fruit found.
 
Who is wise, and he shall understand these things? prudent, and he shall know them? for the ways of the Lord are right, and the just shall walk in them: but the transgressors shall fall (stumble) there in.’ (Hos.14:4-9)
 
Yes Friends, the only way to bear good fruit is to have Jesus as our riding partner, have Him riding shotgun for us, as they did on the stagecoaches in the days of the wild, wild West, where a man with a big shotgun rode upfront, beside the driver as protection from marauders.
 
In fact, life today certainly resembles the days of the Wild West, where law and order was very difficult to keep, where everybody taught it right to do their own thing.
 
So my people, let’s get out there and show them what true believers are really like nuh, by living with Jesus in our hearts, and showing by example, the fruit of the Spirit that we’re successfully bearing. That’s wisdom of the highest order! Much LOVE!
 
…to dress for success…you must have Jesus residing in you… 

 

 

 

 

Today’s Scrip-Bit 3 September 2013 Psalm 42:2

03 Sep 2013 Leave a comment

by randyobrien50 in Christian Thoughts and Inspiration., Daily Devotion, Daily Inspiration, Inspirational Living, Spiritual Living Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Psalm 42:2.    My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God: when shall I come and appear before God?
 
Well mih Friends, all the summer frivolity is now ended in the north country! That’s so sad! (smile) Schools will reopen today, and many adults who have been on vacation will also go back to work, having closed up the cottages for another year.
 
And though the summer wasn’t as hot and sunny as it usually is, it’s way, way better than what we’re about to receive. Would you believe that it’s only the third day of September and trees are already turning brown and shedding their leaves?
 
Ah Lord eh! But that’s what we bargained for when we decided to live in the northern climes. The Lord promised us four general seasons, spring, summer, autumn and fall, but He didn’t say exactly how long they’d be, or what temps we’d have on what days.
 
All that we have are man’s approximation. So if the leaves begin falling at the start of September rather than at the end, around the 22nd, when we audaciously declare that autumn begins, then that’s our problem.
 
The Lord God Jehovah is still in control of His universe, although I believe that the divergence between what should be and what actually happens is basically man’s fault, due to his polluting the atmosphere and thus setting the finely tuned work of God awry.
 
And having given us that somewhat depressing news (smile), here is some positive, uplifting stuff. It’s a Prayer for Success from Gramps Schuller (Dr. Robert H. Schuller) from his Hour of Power Devotional. I don’t know if I’ve shared it before, but even if I have, it’s certainly worth sharing again.
 
So let’s pray together for success this Tuesday morning, when our lives will get busier and change from much fun and freedom to much school and work.
 
As one voice now: ‘As I become a success with your help, Lord, let me never forget that what I am is more important than what I do. Faith stimulates success. Hope sustains success. LOVE sanctifies success. So I cannot and I dare not succeed without your power, peace, and pressure in my life, Jesus Christ. Amen.’
 
And again my true believers in Christ, we say a loud and lusty, ‘Amen!’
 
Now all of that just fits nicely with our Bit: ‘My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God: when shall I come and appear before God?’
 
Now that’s certainly a good question my people! And it’s certainly how we ought to feel! A longing for God, just dying to get acquainted with Him and His ways should permeate our very being.
 
Please note how the psalmist begins the psalm. ‘As the hart panteth after (the deer longs for) the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God.’ (Ps.42:1) 
 
Oh Friends, do we pant after God, do we have that intense longing for our Creator as Psalm 42 is superscripted? And do we say, as the author of Psalm 119 says: ‘I opened my mouth, and panted: for I longed for thy commandments.’ (Ps.119:131) 
 
I surely do hope so, although from the physical evidence reflected by the sad state of our world, it’s obvious that enough of us feel that way, otherwise planet earth would be in much better shape.
 
But let’s look now at some scriptures that also extol the longing for God, starting with Psalm 63, God satisfies the thirsty soul, penned by Bruh David during his sojourn in the wilderness of Judah, while running from his enemies.
 
‘O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee: my soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is;’ (Ps.63:1)
 
Yes Friends, whenever we find ourselves in a dry and thirsty situation, be it physical, spiritual or emotional, the correct place and first person to run to is our ever-LOVING God, for He ALONE can satisfy our thirst!
 
Meanwhile, Psalm 84, a psalm of the sons of Korah, confidently proclaims: ‘How amiable are thy tabernacles (lovely are thy dwellings), O Lord of hosts! My soul longeth, yea, even fainteth for the courts of the Lord: my heart and my flesh crieth out for the living God.’ (Ps.84:1-2)
 
Oh Friends, I couldn’t put it any better or simpler! To be a longing for God is just how and why we were created!
 
That’s why none of us are ever fully satisfied with the mere wealth and things of the world, regardless of how much we have, but can be satisfied with little or nothing, if we truly find God.
 
We never find true peace, wealth and joy until that little space, that small partition in our souls that God reserved for Himself, has been filled with a sincere longing for the Almighty.
 
And that’s an undeniable fact my people! Check out all the rich and famous and powerful, and you’ll find very few are truly happy, unless that part of their souls reserved for God is filled with Him.
 
And we’ll end with some true and stellar words of Bruh David, when he was again beset by enemies. ‘I remember the days of old; I meditate on all thy works; I muse (ponder) on the work of thy hands. I stretch forth my hands unto thee: my soul thirsteth after thee, as a thirsty land.  Selah.’ (Ps.143:5-6)
 
Yes my brethren, let’s muse, let’s ponder on that today nuh! Let’s see how we personally shape up on the matter of longing for, of panting after God. Then let’s make and take the necessary actions to improve our standing in so important a matter. For that’s undeniably wisdom and common sense at their zeniths! Much LOVE!
 
…if there’s NO longing in our souls for God…then there’s NO God in our souls…