Welcome Ladies to Women Seeking Him "Tell It Tuesday!"
We are so excited that you have come to join us today! We want you to take a moment and get familiar with who and what we are. Women Seeking Him Bible Study Group is an online community of Christian Women on Facebook dedicated to studying God's Word. We have partnered up with women of "Good Morning Girls.org to participate in their Autumn Bible Study through Luke Chapters 17-24! We are so excited about diving into God's word and becoming Women that Seek God Daily!
Just recently, we wanted other women to be able to share with us in our awesome study since our facebook group is closed, so our leader, Angela Marks, has opened our study up to you via our Women Seeking Him Blog.
Today, we wanted to take a moment and allow you to visit us here!
"Tell It Tuesday"
Today, we have come to share in what powerful things God has done for us! We ask that you visit the link for our "Prayer Requests and Praise Reports" located below and leave your prayer request and most importantly your PRAISE REPORT! We want to hear what our awesome God has done in your life. Once you have finished, come back to this page and make sure you participate in our giveaway which will end onThursday, Oct. 3rd.byadding your entry to Rafflecopter and selecting that you have added your prayer and praise at our blog.
Apart of our "Tell It Tuesday" testimonies, we want you to be able to participate in an awesome giveaway! We will be giving away a Journal & Pen Set by 'A Cut Above Crafts.' Just use the Rafflecopter below for your entry. On Friday, I will email the winner of the journal set.
We look forward to you coming back to join us here and reading our scriptures and SOAPs. If you would like more information about our Women Seeking Him Group and how to join, please email our group leader Angela at angelamarks81@gmail.com.
Have an awesome "Tell It" Tuesday and don't forget to share with others what God has done!
(O) Jesus becomes upset when he see those in the temple selling goods for their own profit instead of praying. He tells them that the temple of God is a house of prayer. Jesus taught at the temple, but behind closed doors others were plotting against him. They had a hard time trying to find something to charge him with because the number of followers he was was many. God's house is a house of prayer! His temple is a place to come and meet God. We should never loose site of the true purpose and reason for us as believers to come to the temple. In reality, our Spirit is God's temple. It's the place where he dwells inside of us.
(A)The church building is a physical symbol of a temple structure in which we visit multiple times out of the week to learn, fellowship, pray and worship. Our temple should always be in order and line up with God's purpose. I want to always use my temple to edify and lift up God. Through prayer I can meet God at a special place, the temple of my heart. I want to make sure that when i visit the physical temple aka "church" every week, that my purpose and focus is on the things of God not on matters that are far from him. I want my heart to be like Jesus. That I recognize the importance of his temple and what should dwell there in. I will be disturbed with my temple not lining us with it's purpose!
(P)Most High God, Thank you for your word to remind us what your temple is for, A House of Prayer. Forgive me for not coming to your temple with the correct spirit. I want my spiritual temple to be pleasing to you and used for only the purposes in which you designed. I want to come to your physical temple to meet you there and not have fleshly desires and wrong motives for your temple. I thank you for your temple being a venue of prayer. Lord break my heart to be upset for what makes you upset!In Jesus Name, Amen
Week 3 ~ Thursday
(S) Luke 19:40-44
(O) Don't hold your praise! Don't let others tell you to keep your praise quite! There will be some who recognizes the King of Kings and their will be others that don't, but don't let the opinion of others silence your praise, because if you do, the rocks will cry out! The word says, "Let Everything that has breath praise The Lord!" Yes...everything! And if you, whom God has given life, won't praise him.....a rock...with no form of life...will glorify the name of Our Lord! I believe Jerusalem didn't recognize the God of their Salvation so Jesus was disappointed and because they didn't, their enemy would take camp over them. To me I believe the rock is an analogy that those who were considered the less recognized the King of Kings and they began to praise him, but those in Jerusalem (the chosen) didn't...and because they didn't recognize and give praise those rocks (those considered unworthy of being apart of his Kingdom) will and did praise his name.
(A) I won't let a rock cry out in my place! God has been too good to me! I recognize my salvation and I will forever praise the name of Jesus! He has brought salvation to my house and we proclaim that we serve an awesome and mighty God!
(P) Mighty King, Everlasting Father, Hallelujah to Your Holy Name! Thank you for salvation in my house! I will forever give your name the praise because you are worthy. When I'm down, I will praise you....When I'm up...I will praise you....When I'm worried....I will praise you.....When I'm happy...I will praise you....When I'm sad....I will praise you...You deserve all the praise! I worship you with my heart and my song will forever sing the praises of your name! In Jesus Name! Amen
Week 3 ~ Wednesday
(S) Luke 19:23-24, 26
(O) The third man hid his gift instead of doing what he thought the Master would appreciate or wanted him to do. Instead he did what he though was best and he wasn't the gift giver. The servant who used his gift wisely and made it profitable was openly rewarded before everyone. Storing up your gift isn't a benefit to anyone, not even yourself. God want you to use what you have for him, even if it's a little or a lot. He rewards those who are diligent. He wants our gifts to build "interest" in his Kingdom!
(A) What is my gift? Is it beneficial to God's Kingdom? Does it yield of great reward? For so long I wondered what my gift was...but through prayer.. I begin to seek God and then allow him to show me what it was he wanted me to do... and He did! That gift I use to complain about and feel like I was being taken advantage of....I had it all wrong...the gift of "helps" wasn't a disadvantage...it was an advantage to ADVANCE the Kingdom! God needed a willing heart who would help others not matter their situation, circumstance, and those whom other's wouldn't help! And To God Be the Glory....he gave little ole' me that gift! I love helping people, those I don't know and those I do know. So my application for today is more of Thanking God for showing me my gift and that I have a call to action to continue to use it! I want my gift of helps to build interest and touch the souls of people everyone. There are some people that will be converted through and act of kindness and I hope through my gift...that the Kingdom grows even the more.
(P) Father...the giver of every good and perfect gift...Thank you for blessing Angela with the gift of helps! I pray that as I continue my walk with you...that those who I encounter will feel the love of Jesus and be compelled to come to him through my gift. Use my gift to seek and to save those whom are lost. Touch hearts and bless souls through this gift. It's not my own because it was given to me by you. I acknowledge every gift and thank you for perfecting what's inside of me. Bless the hearts of my dear sisters in this group, that through my gift, they will be encourage, enlightened, empowered, and blessed to serve an awesome King! In Jesus Name, Amen
Week 3 ~ Tuesday
(S) Luke 19:17
(A) This illustration represents how God wants to respond to our service. He has give us so much to work with, but what shall we do with that he has given us. Will we use it all up and not be productive? Will we store it up for safe keeping? Will we use it to bless others? Will we make it profitable and have a greater return on investment? God requires for us to be servants, FAITHFUL, GOOD, PRODUCTIVE, AND PROFITABLE for the up building of his Kingdom and those things that he has blessed us with, he will continue to supply all our needs and give us abundance.
(O) God has given me so many gifts. Some of them I'm unsure what he wants me to do with them. But I have decided to just pray and use the gifts he has blessed me with for his service: to bless the hearts of others! I just want my actions to be pleasing in his sight and to hear him say, "Well Done, My GOOD and FAITHFUL servant!" I don't want what others have, I just want to use what God has given me, for he chose me to have the things I have for a specific purpose and reason.
(P) Father, I pray that as I continue to serve you and others with a clean heart, that I will hear those words, "Well done, Angela, my good and faithful servant." I pray that my service is not of pride, but it's of humbleness to be used by you and pleasing in your sight. Let the words of my mouth, the meditation of my heart, and the actions of my will be acceptable and pleasing in your sight. Thank you for using me! Thank you for choosing me to lead such an awesome group of women. I pray that we continue to be good and faithful servants, "Down to the Last Drop!" In Jesus Name, Amen!
Week 3 ~ Monday
(S) Luke 19:8-10
(O) When you really want to see Jesus, it will be..by any means necessary! Jesus knows each of us by name! Jesus doesn't have any favorites. We can never judge someone based upon their actions or what we feel they are. Jesus loves everyone and what man sees on the outside, God sees only through a persons heart. Meeting Jesus yields a heart repentance and a heart to serve him diligently. Salvation is for all who have sinned. Jesus desires every heart to be saved, even those we feel are unworthy, and a heart that yields to him can be accepted into his kingdom.
(A) There were times where I have sinned and weren't qualified to be apart of God's Kingdom. But through Jesus, I have access and my sins are forgiven. I will never judge someone based upon their past...for we all have sinned and none of us are worthy, but through his son's blood and grace that we can become a child of the King. When I yield my heart to Jesus, I will correct my wrong doings. My past heart will no longer control my actions, but my renewed heart will cause my actions to be based upon my repentance and the decision to live according to God's word. Everyone has the opportunity to come to Jesus. God's Kingdom will come again and every ear will hear the word and have an opportunity to come to him. Jesus knows my name, He know those hidden things in my life that no one else knows about. Today I will pray that through Jesus, those thing that I need to work on and change I will. I will live out my day with a heart of repentance and turning away from those things that will cause me to sin.
(P) Father, The God of peace and love, I thank you for accepting all of us into your Kingdom. You didn't leave salvation only up to one group, but through peace and reconciliation, we are ALL ONE IN CHRIST and I thank your for taking the undeserved and making us perfect through your son. I pray that you create in me a clean heart, a heart of service, a heart of love, a heart of peace, and a heart of forgiveness, and renew in me a right spirit like Zaccheaus. A spirit to recognize the error of my ways and change. In Jesus Name, Amen
(O) To gain we must forsake, even the toughest things and closest people.
(A) I don't want anything to separate me from the love of Christ.
(P) Father, remind me not to make things and people idols in my life. Wanting to hold on to what's present here on earth, but live in view of eternity with you. In Jesus Name, Amen!
Week 2 ~ Wednesday
{Verse of the Day & Application}
(S) Luke 18:16-17
(O) Jesus calls the children to come to him and rebukes the disciples in turning them away. No one is exempt from coming to Jesus Christ. There are no conditions, qualifications, and no one should ever be turned away! The kingdom of God isn't for the prideful, but its for those who display the heart like that of a pure child, full of trust!
(A) Have I ever felt like there was someone that wasn't worthy to be apart of Gods kingdom because of who they were or what they had done? Have I ever turned someone away? Is my heart as pure and trustworthy as a child it is it prideful and full of motive? Today I put into practice that God accepts all people! I encourage anyone to come to Jesus and will never turn them away from his love, for I didn't deserve it myself. Jesus didn't die to only save me, he died to save everyone! I turn my heart back to God pure and empty of motive and pride. I give myself to him as a trusting child full of hope, faith, and love. Today, I will make a list of people that I have discounted and pray that their hearts be turned to Christ and that they come to him.
(P) Merciful Father, full of kindness and the bestowed of glorious grace and mercy! Thank you for loving me when I didn't deserve to be loved. I pray that your love will cause me to see other through the eyes of Jesus and not my own. Forgive me for anyone that I have discounted as being worthy to be called your son or daughter for I was unworthy and you have me grace and mercy. Open the eyes of my heart to love others and not become prideful of my salvation. Give me a spirit of boldness to witness and lead the list to Jesus. I pray for a child-like spirit to trust you more! In Jesus Name, Amen!
Week 2 ~ Tuesday
{Verse of the Day & Application}
(S) Luke 18:13-14
(O) God requires us to have humble hearts like the tax collector, not boastful and full of pride like the Pharisee. We all are sinners and have fallen short. There is no need for any of us to stand in judgement. God loves a humble heart.
(A) Walk in humility daily and not sit in the seat of judgement and treat others badly. We all have sinned and fallen short of God's glory, but as I humble myself and accept that it's not through any good deeds that I have done, but through the righteous one that I have received grace to even be called an adopted Daughter of Christ. Today, I will walk in humility and love with my brothers and sisters. I don't have to exalt myself and be noticed whom I serve. But I serve God humble through my reverence and actions, not to be seen outwardly and boastful about who I am in Christ and who I serve, but to allow my humbleness to speak that I am a Christian and follower of Jesus Christ.
(P) Lord, Thank you for purging my heart and filling it with humility. I pray that I will continue not to look down on my brothers and sisters and judge them because of their faults. Thank you for forgiving me and them of their sins. Thank you for counting me worthy to even be forgiven, through the blood of Jesus. I pray that I will continue to humble myself and allow you to exalt me and not me exalt myself. For I am nothing without you. In Jesus Name, Amen!
{Apply It Question}
Week 2 ~ Monday
{Verse of the Day & Application}
(S) Luke 18:6-8
(O) The consistency of our prayer should be that as the widow coming to the unjust judge with persistence and never ceasing. The parable displays this. Although the judge was unjust, we serve a justice and righteous God that hears the prayers of his children because of their persistence and faith. He won't be like the judge that refused for a while, his answers will be on time!
(A) Make prayer a consistent part of my life. To pray without ceasing day and night. To teach prayer in my home to my son and pray with him. To never grow faint in praying.
(P) Father, I thank you for the opportunity to come to you in prayer. Thank you for answering my prayers speedily and on time. I thank you for the prayer being a two way communication between me and you so that I can develop a deeper relationship with you. Forgive me for not making prayer a constant part of my life in the past. Allow my sisters in Christ to allow prayer to saturate their lives. In Jesus Name, Amen
(O) - Jesus is talking to his disciples and he gives a warning, “Watch Yourselves”. Uh oh…..that means that it something we can possibly to that Jesus isn’t proud of.
-We are supposed to correct our brothers and sisters when they sin. (So that means don’t get offended because someone is going to correct me :-) ).
-If they sin, but ask forgiveness, we are supposed to forgive them. I don’t see here where Jesus puts a condition on forgiveness (no if, and’s or but’s about it, He says “FORGIVE.”
-Here comes the big one: He says, we are supposed to forgive if the person comes to us seven times and ask. Meaning… it doesn’t matter how many times a person sins and asks for forgiveness, it’s our duty to forgive our brothers and sisters (I tend to think he means those who are brother and sisters with us in Christ, other believers or disciples) a million times if they ask.
(A) Forgiveness is such a hard word, or more like a hard act to follow. It has been difficult for me to forgive people that have done me wrong. Especially those claiming to be “Saints” of God, my brother and sisters in Christ, but because I live by the word, I have to be obedient, even if my flesh says, “Don’t forgive them.” Now he said, FORGIVE, and I can work on that, but when the person does the same act or sin, multiple times, I need much prayer on that one. But I guess here Jesus is telling us that we have to walk in a spirit and have a heart to forgive. SN: That’s what he does for us, forgives us multiple times over and over. So why can’t I do the same, I should, since he lives inside of me.
(P) God, this is an areas that I really need your help. I desire to have a forgiving heart no matter what the sin the person commits. Help me not to focus on the person or the sin, but bring back to my mind and heart the words of Jesus, “Seven Times Forgive.” Help me to walk in forgiveness and have a boldness to correct my brothers and sisters when they do wrong. I believe that it will help them to see the affect sin has and maybe they will change. Amen
Week 1 ~ Tuesday
{Verse of the Day & Application}
(S) Luke 17:9-10
(O) The disciples, who are now referred to as Apostles, want their faith to be increased.Jesus tells with mustard seed faith (just a small bit of faith) you can COMMAND something, such as a mulberry tree, to be uprooted and planted in the sea, and it would OBEY you! Here Jesus uses an example that I love! God has called us to serve him and we shouldn't think that we should receive and award because we are obedient and we serve him! That's what he has called us to do!
(A) I want Jesus to increase my faith, but first I need to activate the faith (mustard seed faith) that I already have. My faith in Him, his word, in prayer, in service, and in love. Sometimes I feel like my mustard seed faith doesn't work, but maybe that reason is that I still have a bit of doubt. I'm waiting for something tangible and evidence that it can really happen. I need to let go of fear and doubt and trust God. When I trust him, I know that my faith will increase. Now I think this is my favorite part, there is no GOOD that I could do that I think I deserve a reward from God, why? Because that is what I am SUPPOSED to do! I don't need a handshake, a pat on the back, or a thank you because I have obeyed and served him. That is why he called me. So, now that my attitude has been checked, I can live humbly, because really, I'm not even worthy enough to be a servant, neither are any of us, but because He loves me and I have a second chance, I will serve him and humble myself to do everything he has called me to do.....with no reward or expectation.
(P) Father, I praise you today for the word! Like the apostles, I pray that my faith will increase, even from the faith smaller than a mustard seed to a mustard seed faith, where mulberry trees in my life can be uprooted and planted in the sea. Lord, forgive me for those times where I thought that I needed to receive special treatment for serving you. I had it all wrong. I serve you because that is what I'm suppose to do and I don't live to receive anything but your glorious grace and mercy that you gave to me through the blood of your son for free. I am so unworthy and humble to be called and chosen by you. I pray that my duties of service to you and your people are pleasing in your sight! I thank you for my sisters in this group, and I pray that they will continue to grow stronger through this study. Increase their faith, and remind them that we are merely unworthy vessels that you decided to use through a worthy SON! In Jesus Christ Name, Amen
Week 1 ~ Wednesday
{Verse of the Day & Application}
(S) Luke 17:17-19
(O) 10 lepers call out to Jesus to have mercy on them.
- Jesus gives them a command to go show themselves to the priest
- Through their obedience, they are cleansed while on their way.
- Only 1 leper comes back to glorify God while the others lepers go about their way
- Jesus asked why the only leper that came back was the foreigner? (the Samaritan, according to the bible Jews didn't have anything to do with Samaritans, and Jesus was a Jew.) I would think that the others lepers were of the Jewish faith and the Samaritan was the only one who came back to give thanks to God.
- Jesus tells the 1 leper that is faith made him well. I would think that the other lepers may have been cleansed, but this one leper was healed! You can wash your hands to clean them, but they have the ability to be dirty again. But when your hand is hurt or broken and it is healed, their is a transformation that has taken place and through that healing that same hurt or brokenness will no longer return!
(A) 1. How can I respond immediately when Jesus gives me a command?
2. Do I trust Jesus enough to obey what he says despite what the situation may look like or what others may say?
3. Has there ever been a moment in my life where, by faith, I obeyed Jesus and received and immediate response?
4. Do I give thanks and praise for what he has done in my life?
5. Am I ungrateful and self-centered at times? Do I take lightly the things God has done fore me?
6. Do I judge those that are the "least" of God's adopted children?
7. What keeps me from telling the Father, "Thank You"?
8. Am I different from the others? Do I thank God even if I'm thanking him alone?
9. How can I respond differently to God after he has blessed me?
10. What can I do today to tell God "Thank You"?
(P) Dear God, The Father of all of Heaven and Earth, the forgiver of our sins, and the lover of our hearts. Forgive me for the times in which I failed to return to you and say. "Thank You!" For those selfish moments. I see that you bless us and hear our cries and prayers and you answer them because you love us, but for those times that I took for granted what you have done for me, I repent and ask for forgiveness. Today, at this very moment, I thank you for last night's rest and this mornings joy. You have been my help from day 1 and without you there would be no me. Continue to work inside my heart so that the eyes of my heart are enlightened to your word. I pray that I will continually abide in you and you abide in me. I thank you for the privileged of being IN Christ Jesus. I don't take it lightly being your child and I serve you with a grateful, humble, and sincere heart, this is my reasonable service, Thank You! In Jesus Christ Name, Amen!
Week 1 ~ Thursday
{Verse of the Day}
(S) Luke 17:20-21
(O) When President Obama comes to a city everyone knows about it! It's all on the news, it's in the papers, there are officers dispatched, everyone in that city, state, and the nation is awaiting his arrival. Everything and everyone comes to a halt. But we see in the text that the Kingdom of God will not be as such, because this kingdom is not an external, visual Kingdom like the Jewish Kingdom the Pharisees knew about, but it is a spiritual Kingdom and there will be no signs, now announcements, no "hoop lah" that it's here. As believers we are now apart of this Spiritual Kingdom (the Kingdom of God) and we must be ready for our Lord's return.
(A) Do I live my life as part of God's Kingdom or do I have to tell others that I am apart of the Kingdom as if it's a natural Kingdom that people can see it's external rewards? Me being apart of God's Kingdom is not about natural possessions or blessings, but it's the spiritual richness I receive as a believer that I want others to see, the Kingdom of God that I am apart of lives "IN" me!
(P) Dear Father, Thank you for accepting me into your Kingdom! As I continue to grow in wisdom, knowledge and understanding, allow my spiritual eyes to be opened to spiritual things. Take away carnality and replace with spirituality! In Jesus Name, Amen!
Week 1 ~ Friday
{Verse of the Day & Application}
(S) Luke 17:26-27
(O) Jesus gives an example of how the days will be when the Son of Man will return. People will be going about their daily routine, indulging in the "happy's" of this life and when he returns and in an instant things will change. Jesus tells us that we will have to leave those earthly things and not return to get them. He calls us to remember what happened to Lot's wife, she looked back and everything she knew was gone. He urges us to not preserve these temporal things, but willingly give them up because we will gain much more when we do.
(A) Not to hold tightly to the things of this world, my desires, my degrees, my job, my aspirations, or my family....but to set my eyes on things that are eternal. For Jesus is coming back real soon. God has blessed and given us gifts here on earth, but he desires for me to not cling to them, but have a heart to let them go for his Kingdom. This is something very hard for me to do sometimes. I love my family, I like to make crafts, I desire to be married and one day have a business, but through all of that my focus needs to change. I don't want to be left here and devoured by vultures. What a call to respond today!
(P) Heavenly Father, You the most mighty and awesome God in the Heavens and you desire your daughter to live with you in your Kingdom. I pray that you continue to stir your words in my heart so that I will remember that things on earth are temporal. It can be so hard for me to imagine the reality of being without my family and close friends, but this is the sacrifice we have to make when we decided to serve you, eternally. Give me a heart to understand and have wisdom concerning the spiritual things. Bring back to my remembrance that this world is not my home. In Jesus Name, Amen!