When You Pray….

Scripture: Mark 11.  

OBSERVATION
(What is God saying here?)

Mark 11:22-25 (NLT)

22 Then Jesus said to the disciples, “Have faith in God.

23 I tell you the truth, you can say to this mountain, ‘May you be lifted up and thrown into the sea,’ and it will happen. But you must really believe it will happen and have no doubt in your heart.

24 I tell you, you can pray for anything, and if you believe that you’ve received it, it will be yours.

25 But when you are praying, first forgive anyone you are holding a grudge against, so that your Father in heaven will forgive your sins, too.”

APPLICATION
(How Can I apply what God is saying here to my circumstances today?)

For those of us that consider ourselves ‘Christian’ and for those of us that pray, Jesus teaches a lesson in this scripture to the person praying. First, it is important that we have faith in the One to whom we are praying. Have enough faith to believe that the God who could move a mountain into the sea, could also answer whatever it is that we are praying for. One that could do, what seems to us as, the impossible, surely is capable of handling anything that we might pray about. Secondly, we must not only be a believer in God and have faith in Him and His abilities, but we must pray truly believing that it will happen. If we daily pray that God will direct our path and show us His will, then would we honestly be praying about something outside of His will? I doubt it. So Faith and believing are two key elements of our praying. Thirdly, we must approach the throne genuinely and clean before God. In other words, if we are holding a grudge against anyone, then we must forgive that person first and ask God to forgive us of our sin before we pray for another. Fourth, we must not pray for selfish motives but instead the things that we pray for should be for the benefit of the Kingdom. Friend, there is forgiveness, praise, relief, healing and just sincere conversation with God in praying. So few of us pray enough, yet it is one of the most desirable, rewarding and powerful tools we can use in our Christian life. Let’s get ‘plugged’ in brother. Let’s talk to Jesus sister. After all, with Jesus on the other end of the line, we need to talk with Him at every opportunity and in every aspect of our lives.

PRAYER
(With God’s help, what am I going to do differently today because He said it?)

Father God, thank You for providing a means for me to communicate with You. I know that considering all that You have done for me, it must upset You terribly to see the mess that I make of things. Yet, I am convinced that when I come before You with a sincere and contrite heart, You are willing and ready to listen to Your child and give me direction for improving my walk with You. You know before I even open my mouth how much I hurt sometime, and how much I fail at times, and how much I need Your touch at times, and how desperately I need Your direction at times, and how many friends I have to bring before You at times, yet I believe that You look at me like You did Bartimaeus and ask “What is that I can do for You”. This requires me to communicate with You, and prayer is that avenue for conversation between us. Please help me to always communicate effectively with You. Thank You for hearing my prayer even today!

 

àWords underlined may be a hyperlink to a song that God laid on my heart while sharing this devotional this morning. Click it and be blessed by the song, like I was when I listened to it! …… I would be overjoyed to have the opportunity to pray with you about a need in your life that may, or may not have been highlighted by this Nugget today. Why not drop me a note and tell me about it? You may email me at:
nuggetsfromgodsword@yahoo.com.
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What Can Jesus Do for You Today?

Scripture: Mark 10.  

OBSERVATION
(What is God saying here?)

Mark 10:51 (NLT)

51 “What do you want me to do for you?” Jesus asked. “My rabbi,” the blind man said, “I want to see!”

APPLICATION
(How Can I apply what God is saying here to my circumstances today?)

In this story of Bartimaeus, often referred to as ‘Bartimaeus, the blind man’, he laid aside any and all pride and shouted over the crowd asking Jesus to have mercy on him. Now while he could have just as easy shouted out “Jesus, give me sight”, instead he chose to ask for mercy. I like this, because I get the impression that he was saying, “Jesus, whatever Your will is, may it be so. Just have mercy on me” There is another similar story where a man said to Jesus, “Have mercy on me, for I am a sinner”. In spite of the crowd and all they were doing and saying, and shouting, Jesus told the disciples to go and tell the man to come here. In our lives, we may feel like Jesus is much too busy with all the other important people of the world, and all the more critical needs that exist, but friend we must be bold like Bartimaeus and ask for what we need from God, but in all humility knowing that it is His will that we need to follow. The other thing that I am humbled and touched by in this story is that, like us, Jesus could easily have assumed that because this man was blind he must have been crying out for healing of his sight, but Jesus didn’t do that, He asked the man “what do you want me to do for you?” Oh that this may be a lesson for us today. Let’s not assume that we know what a person needs, because sometimes this may be totally different than what we might see or assume. What if we were asked by Jesus today, “What do you want me to do for you?” what would be our response? Remember, God sees and knows all things, He knows the desire of our hearts and what it would take to draw us closer to Him and be a better witness for Him, so we may as well be honest with Him and respond in a manner that truly reflects our heart. Instead of the selfish desire to be like, or have the toys like, our neighbor, I wish that we could consider what God can do to make us more like Him. Which walls can He tear down so that we may be humbled and so that we may represent Him better to the lost?

PRAYER
(With God’s help, what am I going to do differently today because He said it?)

Father God, please have mercy on me. Please forgive me for the selfish desires that I may often have so that I may be more like my rich friend, or neighbor, so that I may be envied by my friends or family. It is You that I need. It is You that I want others to see reflected in my mannerisms and in my actions. It is You that I want them to accept as their Lord and Savior, so may I never be a stumbling block to them. Please have Your will and way in my life today, and direct me into Your path to do Your will today. Please provoke the hearts of those that may read this devotional so that they may lay themselves bare before You and surrender all that is not Godly in their character or their daily lives. As children of the King, we must always be representative of Your character and Your holiness. Please direct me into that path daily!

 

àWords underlined may be a hyperlink to a song that God laid on my heart while sharing this devotional this morning. Click it and be blessed by the song, like I was when I listened to it! …… I would be overjoyed to have the opportunity to pray with you about a need in your life that may, or may not have been highlighted by this Nugget today. Why not drop me a note and tell me about it? You may email me at:
nuggetsfromgodsword@yahoo.com.
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Observer, Criticizer or Participant?

Scripture: Numbers 15-16.  

OBSERVATION
(What is God saying here?)

Numbers 16:42-45 (NLT)

42 As the community gathered to protest against Moses and Aaron, they turned toward the Tabernacle and saw that the cloud had covered it, and the glorious presence of the Lord appeared.

43 Moses and Aaron came and stood in front of the Tabernacle,

44 and the Lord said to Moses,

45 “Get away from all these people so that I can instantly destroy them!” But Moses and Aaron fell face down on the ground.

APPLICATION
(How Can I apply what God is saying here to my circumstances today?)

In these two chapters I saw several occasions where the people either were jealous of God’s appointed leaders, or they just didn’t approve of all that God was doing for them, so they protested. Before we raise our sanctified noses and feel like that was back then and we don’t have that type thing going on today, let me remind you of some of the ways that we protest against God today:

  1. When we withhold our tithes or offerings because we don’t approve what the church, or its leaders are doing. This is intensified when you consider that each member had equal opportunity to discuss and approve/disapprove the expense at a business meeting, but many chose to stay at home and …….;
  2. When we stay home from church because of who might be preaching that day. Are we saying that we could do better?
  3. When we gossip about the church, its members or its leaders. This is often done out of jealousy and especially because we are not a part of the action. Often if we had been at church and involved in the ministry, then we would have been a part of the action!

Now I would ask you/ourselves this: Can God be the same as He was in the days of Moses? Of course; not only could He be, but I can assure you that He is the same today as He was then. We may not hear many stories of fireballs being launched against church/ministry protestors, but God performs His discipline in various ways.

So how would this passage speak to us today: I believe that protests come from a jealous heart, and one that thinks that it can do a much better job than anything we see occurring today. How then shall we correct ourselves in this? Get involved in the ministry instead of being the official observer and criticizer! God’s job is to observe and judge the hearts of His people, let’s let Him do His job. Besides, we can do a much better job ourselves in our area of ministry if we do it without the strain of also doing or worrying about what someone else has been assigned to do for the kingdom of God.

PRAYER
(With God’s help, what am I going to do differently today because He said it?)

Father, it is truly amazing how applicable Your Word is, even today. Thank You for directing me to this passage this morning, and thank You for opening my eyes to this particular piece of this scripture. Obviously this is a Word to me this morning, for I must allow it to penetrate my heart and deal with the very challenge that You have presented to me. I pray that You will not only give me the strength and the power to overcome my weakness in this area, but also that You would use this devotional to speak to the hearts of Your people throughout the world that may read this online today. May Your holy will be accomplished today, so that Your kingdom and Your ministry here may become more effective for You and more focused on You instead of what I/we may consider to be the weaknesses of others. My obligation is to maintain a right relationship with You and to portray You through my life to a lost and dying world. Please give me strength and power to do just that dear God.

 

àWords underlined may be a hyperlink to a song that God laid on my heart while sharing this devotional this morning. Click it and be blessed by the song, like I was when I listened to it! …… I would be overjoyed to have the opportunity to pray with you about a need in your life that may, or may not have been highlighted by this Nugget today. Why not drop me a note and tell me about it? You may email me at:
nuggetsfromgodsword@yahoo.com.
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Genuine, Successful Leadership

Scripture: Mark 9.  

OBSERVATION
(What is God saying here?)

Mark 9:33-35 (NLT)

33 After they arrived at Capernaum and settled in a house, Jesus asked his disciples, “What were you discussing out on the road?”

34 But they didn’t answer, because they had been arguing about which of them was the greatest.

35 He sat down, called the twelve disciples over to him, and said, “Whoever wants to be first must take last place and be the servant of everyone else.”

APPLICATION
(How Can I apply what God is saying here to my circumstances today?)

Often in today’s view of leadership folk tend to look at who has made the most money or who might have the largest or longest lasting company. Jesus’ disciples were discussing which of them were most successful, or the greatest. Jesus told them that the way they would know is to look at who is the best servant to those that they lead. Friend, this is leadership from a whole new and different perspective than what the world looks at for genuine and successful leadership. Some leaders will tell you that you can’t be friends with those you lead. Some will tell you that you will only be a successful leader if you fire or really beat up (not literally) on an employee, then others would gain fear of you and your leadership and then they would respect you as a leader. As taught in this scripture, I believe that humble servanthood, respect of your employees, fairness to your employees and doing all you can to make your employees successful will result in the most genuine and successful leadership. We, as leaders, should never feel above any job that we would ask our employees/servants to do. This dear friend, will make us successful leaders and biblical leaders. Even in leadership, others must see and witness Jesus in us! This earns respect and brings honor to us as leaders – Christian leaders!

PRAYER
(With God’s help, what am I going to do differently today because He said it?)

Father, I know that leadership in today’s standards and in the view of those all around us, is very different to what you teach in your Word. Please help me to stay focused on what You teach so that I may first of all be the best Christian that I can be, then others will recognize the leadership qualities in me. Thank You for speaking to me, and other Christian leaders today, so that we may follow Your lead in being genuine, Christ-like and successful leaders even in this wicked and ungodly world.

 

àWords underlined may be a hyperlink to a song that God laid on my heart while sharing this devotional this morning. Click it and be blessed by the song, like I was when I listened to it! …… I would be overjoyed to have the opportunity to pray with you about a need in your life that may, or may not have been highlighted by this Nugget today. Why not drop me a note and tell me about it? You may email me at:
nuggetsfromgodsword@yahoo.com.
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The Results of Faithlessness

Scripture: Numbers 13-14.  

OBSERVATION
(What is God saying here?)

Numbers 14:33 (NLT)

33
And your children will be like shepherds, wandering in the wilderness for forty years. In this way, they will pay for your faithlessness, until the last of you lies dead in the wilderness.

APPLICATION
(How Can I apply what God is saying here to my circumstances today?)

There are several instances in these chapters where God either punished his people for their faithlessness or told them of punishment that would result from their faithlessness. Besides the above verse, look at 14:11-12 and 14:20-23 and 14:43. Is this any worse than us today? I dare say that we are just as bad. We receive blessing after blessing. We see prayers answered. We read God’s Word and see the miraculous things that He has done, yet we sit back in self-pity and question God or show extreme doubt in our prayers to the almighty. Why should we wonder why so many things happen to us as a city, as a state, as a country or even as a wicked world? We must learn to take God at His word, believe wholeheartedly in Him and His mighty works and in faith receive His blessings and His miracles. So many things seem impossible to us, but with God ALL things are possible to them that believe. I serve a God bigger than all my troubles, all my worries, all my concerns and all the mountains and giants that I may feel oppose me and my Christian walk! I must learn to always, always, have faith in God.

PRAYER
(With God’s help, what am I going to do differently today because He said it?)

Father God, You are Alpha and Omega, You are God of this universe and You are God of my life. I want to submit myself to Your leadership and Your direction today. Please help me to always be obedient to Your will and way for my life so that anything that I may do may bring glory to Your holy name.

 

àWords underlined may be a hyperlink to a song that God laid on my heart while sharing this devotional this morning. Click it and be blessed by the song, like I was when I listened to it! …… I would be overjoyed to have the opportunity to pray with you about a need in your life that may, or may not have been highlighted by this Nugget today. Why not drop me a note and tell me about it? You may email me at:
nuggetsfromgodsword@yahoo.com.
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Humility or Envy?

Scripture: Numbers 11-12.  

OBSERVATION
(What is God saying here?)

Numbers 12:3 (NLT)

3 Now Moses was very humble—more humble than any other person on earth.

APPLICATION
(How Can I apply what God is saying here to my circumstances today?)

I saw so much in this passage of scripture that spoke to me this morning. God’s Word is truly current and applicable to us today, and I thank God for speaking to us through His Word that we may have direction and a clear understanding of what it takes to truly be Christ-like. His directions and His commands are clear. But to get it, we must be attuned to His Holy Spirit, allowing Him to lead us and control us. We must also be willing to let the Word speak to us and apply it to our lives, and not the brother who has so many flaws or the sister who seems to sin every day. God wants to speak to us personally through His Word. My heart was blessed by the description given, or the quality attributed to Moses. I was admiring throughout the last few chapters how patient Moses was, and how he was such a God-fearing man, but then this verse really topped it off. There were two people who found themselves criticizing God and His blessings to Moses. His right hand man, Aaron was one of them. The other was Miriam, the same lady that rescued Moses from the river as a baby and worked out a plan for him to be with his birth mother. Jealousy kicked in, and these two could no longer see the blessings that God showered on them. Instead all they could see was the way that Moses was excelling in leadership and gaining such blessings from God. Unfortunately, this is still very much a weakness in many of us today. We tend to look at the blessings of others with jealousy, rather than thanking God for the blessings that He showers on us each and every day through each and every turn. Yes, we have our challenges and we have our ups and downs, but had it not been for the love and blessings of our Savior, where would we be? I saw from this scripture that God became very angry with Aaron and Miriam for overlooking their blessings and criticizing instead. This caused God to strike Miriam with leprosy. God also became very angry with the Israelites for overlooking their blessings and criticizing Him for what else they thought He should be doing for them. This caused God to strike them with fire through His anger. How is it with us today? Can God shower more blessings on us because He is pleased with our attitudes and actions, or will he strike us with disease or disaster because He sees jealousy or sin so evident in our lives that it emerges above our love and obedience to a most holy God?

PRAYER
(With God’s help, what am I going to do differently today because He said it?)

Father, I feel very convicted this morning, because I am so aware of all that You do for me. All the many ways that You bless me every day. Please help me to keep my eyes fixed on You and my mind fixed on the many blessings that You bestow on me every day. There will be no time for jealousy or envy, because I will quickly realize that You already bless me more than I could ever fathom. Thank You Father for loving me so much to care for me and do so much for me.

 

àI would be overjoyed to have the opportunity to pray with you about a need in your life that may, or may not have been highlighted by this Nugget today. Why not drop me a note and tell me about it? You may email me at:
nuggetsfromgodsword@yahoo.com.
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It’s What’s on The Inside That Matters

Scripture: Mark 7.  

OBSERVATION
(What is God saying here?)

Mark 7:15 (NLT)

15 It’s not what goes into your body that defiles you; you are defiled by what comes from your heart.”

20
And then he added, “It is what comes from inside that defiles you.

21 For from within, out of a person’s heart, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder,

22 adultery, greed, wickedness, deceit, lustful desires, envy, slander, pride, and foolishness.

23 All these vile things come from within; they are what defile you.”

APPLICATION
(How Can I apply what God is saying here to my circumstances today?)

We are often quick to judge someone by what they eat or anything else that we may see externally. Reading these verses gives good reason for us to concentrate on our own condition and leave the judging of others up to God. For Jesus said, that it all depends on what’s inside a person that determines who they truly are, and we all know that only God knows what is truly on the inside of a person. Bottom line is that we have a lot to worry about in trying to keep ourselves aligned with God’s will, His example and His expectation of us. So besides being incapable and unqualified to judge others, we have a fulltime job trying to read God’s Word, understanding it, and following God’s will for our lives. So let’s not be as concerned about judging others, because we will truly mess up in that. If we think that we see a weakness in our brother, let’s try praying for strength for him, so that he might overcome the temptation or sin and live victorious.

PRAYER
(With God’s help, what am I going to do differently today because He said it?)

A little chorus came to mind as I read this passage, Change My Heart Oh God, as I have a responsibility to see God’s face for His help in keeping my own heart aligned with His will and His precepts. Lord, it is my desire that I honor You and be more like You every day of my life. Please help me to seek Your face, Your will and Your direction for my life and to follow You in all sincerity daily. You are my King, my Lord and my deliverer. Be Lord of my Life, dear God.

 

àI would be overjoyed to have the opportunity to pray with you about a need in your life that may, or may not have been highlighted by this Nugget today. Why not drop me a note and tell me about it? You may email me at:
nuggetsfromgodsword@yahoo.com.
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Sorry?

Scripture: Numbers 4-5.  

OBSERVATION
(What is God saying here?)

Numbers 5:6-8 (NLT)

6 “Give the following instructions to the people of Israel: If any of the people—men or women—betray the Lord by doing wrong to another person, they are guilty.

7 They must confess their sin and make full restitution for what they have done, adding an additional 20 percent and returning it to the person who was wronged.

8 But if the person who was wronged is dead, and there are no near relatives to whom restitution can be made, the payment belongs to the Lord and must be given to the priest. Those who are guilty must also bring a ram as a sacrifice, and they will be purified and made right with the Lord.

APPLICATION
(How Can I apply what God is saying here to my circumstances today?)

I believe that today we use the word ‘Sorry’ way too lightly. We find this very easy to say when we have wronged someone. We find this very easy to say to God when we have disobeyed Him. It’s just seems like we say this word thinking that the action will be an automatic forgiveness by the other person and that in and of itself it can easily erase all that we have done, or not done. I was impressed with the way that God had the Israelites seek forgiveness, where they not only asked the word, but they also paid restitution. While I realize that paying restitution can also be another action that can be taken lightly, in addition to taking the word ‘sorry’ lightly, I just feel like when it costs us something to apologize for something or some way that we have wronged someone, it may impose greater emphasis on the action being taken by the one seeking forgiveness. This is similar to jail time, where a prisoner may go to jail to pay for the wrong he has done to someone. Often there is a lot of pain, anger, regret, hurt, loss of confidence and disappointment when someone is wronged. Saying something as simple as ‘sorry’ seems way too insignificant to help overcome the affect that this may have caused to another. Let us be reminded that we should do all we can to restore the love between us and the person we have wronged. If it still means paying restitution to them, then I see nothing in scripture that says we shouldn’t. The other thing I liked in this passage is that God’s representative, the priest, was also involved in the process of seeking forgiveness. I believe that today we as Christian leaders have taken the responsibility given to us by God way too lightly, and this has caused the people to lose confidence in us. I also believe that we, as people of God, have taken our responsibility of praying for, respecting, and honoring those whom God has placed in Godly responsibility over us. If God has truly constructed the leadership hierarchy of the church, who are we to question that? Let’s let God be God and we, in turn, be His obedient children.

PRAYER
(With God’s help, what am I going to do differently today because He said it?)

Father, I know that I have wronged You in numerous ways by not being obedient to Your commands and biblical direction. Please help me to not only seek Your forgiveness, but to also seek help in being stronger through more consistency in Your Word and on my knees. As I seek to serve and honor You, I believe I can then do a better job of sincerely apologizing to a brother or a sister. Please help me to follow Your ways and be more like You in every way. May I represent You well, especially when I have wronged anyone. May Your love shine through me in such a way, that others will know that You are guiding me and working through me.

 

àI would be overjoyed to have the opportunity to pray with you about a need in your life that may, or may not have been highlighted by this Nugget today. Why not drop me a note and tell me about it? You may email me at:
nuggetsfromgodsword@yahoo.com.
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Don’t Be Afraid!

Scripture: Mark 6.  

OBSERVATION
(What is God saying here?)

Mark 6:50 (NLT)

50 They were all terrified when they saw him. But Jesus spoke to them at once. “Don’t be afraid,” he said. “Take courage! I am here!

APPLICATION
(How Can I apply what God is saying here to my circumstances today?)

In a world that seems so full of chaos, strife, confusion, disastrous happenings, war, poverty, hatred and the like, our Savior reaches out His hand and says to us “Don’t be afraid. Take courage, or be encouraged, for I am there”, in other words all else is unimportant and temporary. Take strength and encouragement in knowing that I am in control and am right there with you. Wow, what a Savior! It is in Him that I place my faith and my trust friend. For there is none other in this world that any of us can rest our faith in and have that kind of assurance, comfort and relief. To have this assurance, we must have a very personal relationship with Christ. Do you know Him today? May I introduce you to my Friend, my Savior, my Lord and my Master?

PRAYER
(With God’s help, what am I going to do differently today because He said it?)

Father, I pray that today I may learn to always depend on You, no matter what overwhelms me, and what may seem to be out of control around me. Please help me to place my hand in Your outstretched hand, so that Your power, Your love, Your forgiveness and Your divine direction may envelope me, fill me and direct my daily path. I pray that anyone reading this today may have that same assurance, if they truly know You as Lord and Savior of their lives. Otherwise, I pray that You will speak to their heart today with extra encouragement to make the most important decision of their lives. Love them Lord, into a sweet personal relationship with You, their creator.

 

àI would be overjoyed to have the opportunity to pray with you about a need in your life that may, or may not have been highlighted by this Nugget today. Why not drop me a note and tell me about it? You may email me at:
nuggetsfromgodsword@yahoo.com.
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As You Go, Tell the Good News!

Scripture: Mark 5.  

OBSERVATION
(What is God saying here?)

Mark 5:18-20 (NLT)

18 As Jesus was getting into the boat, the man who had been demon possessed begged to go with him.

19 But Jesus said, “No, go home to your family, and tell them everything the Lord has done for you and how merciful he has been.”

20 So the man started off to visit the Ten Towns of that region and began to proclaim the great things Jesus had done for him; and everyone was amazed at what he told them.

APPLICATION
(How Can I apply what God is saying here to my circumstances today?)

Often we want to be in the limelight, or we want to be identified with a popular evangelist, or we want to be recognized by our church members for what we could do on the mission field or in an area outside of our church. This man who had been demon possessed, but since healed by Jesus, wanted to be with Jesus and minister alongside Him. Just as Jesus told this man, I believe that He would quickly say to us today: friend, get your own house in order first. Before we should talk about going on a mission trip, have we practiced ministering in our own home, or in our neighborhood? How about ministering to those in need right inside our church family? As we share our faith with others we are expanding the ministry of Jesus and the church. As we share our faith with others we are really witnessing to them, and the Bible repeatedly tells us to be bold in our witnessing and sharing of our faith so that we can truly minister to those with little, or no faith. Let us have a renewed commitment to share our faith with those that we come in contact with today. As we go, let us tell!

PRAYER
(With God’s help, what am I going to do differently today because He said it?)

Lord Jesus, I am thankful for all You have done in my life, and I can very easily tell You that. Today, please help me to share that news with others that I come in contact with. May others know that the joy I have, comes from You and You alone. May they have a desire to know the One from whom I gain my joy, so that they too may share in this wonderful joy and endless flow of blessings. Thank You Father for Your joy in my heart today!

 

àI would be overjoyed to have the opportunity to pray with you about a need in your life that may, or may not have been highlighted by this Nugget today. Why not drop me a note and tell me about it? You may email me at:
nuggetsfromgodsword@yahoo.com.
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