Author Archives: ClayHeart

About ClayHeart

This author's personal blog is www.clayheart.com. Her heart is to share personal writings in an open, honest and raw manner in hopes to convey the human need for a Savior, Jesus Christ, and to inspire others toward deeper relationship with Him.

Expectations in Prayer

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My expectations are from Him. Psalm 62: 5

what is my purposeThere are many examples in Scripture of where Jesus met the needs and expectations of people when they encountered Him during his earthly ministry.  Wherever He went, people would gather to meet Him as they knew and expected that He would meet their need.  We can trust and believe that when we come to God with our prayers in Jesus name, He will hear us and will answer our prayers.

When Jesus walked upon the earth, He reached-out to offer God’s love and mercy for all who would believe and receive.  Jesus always offers peace, love, grace, and healing.  Regardless of the circumstances we currently find ourselves, it is wonderful knowing that Jesus is ready to meet our needs.

The woman who touched the hem of His garment received, as she believed.  He was the answer to her prayer.

A certain nobleman encountered Jesus and pleaded with Jesus that his son would be healed.  The son was close to death.  Jesus told the nobleman to go to his son, and he would find that his body had been healed.  The nobleman left with faith knowing that Jesus had healed his child – and indeed the boy was healed.

Whatever our situation, we too must believe that Jesus will answer our prayers.  We must go to Him expecting that He will hear our plea.  I believe every single prayer, uttered in faith, and led by the Holy Spirit will be answered according to His divine will.

But, we mus also be careful to not reject an answer just because it looks different than what we assume we asked for.  His answer will come – and it will be covered in His love and grace.   We will know that our prayer was answered in God’s loving way.

Expectation is a powerful burst of hope that explodes on the inside to give you strength to hold on a little longer until you see with your own eyes the prayer answered.  So, be watchful with a renewed expectation that the answer to your prayer is almost here.

Above all, never give up!

Believe now that the answer to your long awaited prayer is almost here – maybe only minutes away.  Just hold on to His promise and you will surly see the answer soon.

Rise Up!

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“Fear Not, for I am with you; Be not dismayed, for I am your God.  I will strengthen you, Yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.” 
Isaiah 41:10  NKJV

Many people have been hurt by rejection.  If you have ever experienced rejection, you can probably relate to that downward spiraling effect that rejection gives you.  It has a progressively negative effect; at first it affects your opinion of yourself, your emotional well-being, and if not dealt with rejection will continue to affect interpersonal relationships through-out your life.

Rejection is so painful and devastating that we can all agree it is one of Satan’s most successful tactics that he uses to separate and destroy homes, families, and relationships.  Once you are healed from rejection, you can breathe freely without the fear of rejection taking you down into that black hole of despair.

Rise up!  Receive your healing through the Truth of God’s unchangeable, unexplainable, and unconditional love and acceptance.

Turn Your Eyes

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Come to me, all you that are weary
and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.
–Matthew 11:28

“Yeah, right.”

That’s surely the response some people have when they hear those words of Jesus. Sure, just show up in front of God and your burdens—your financial problems, your difficult coworkers, your longest-held prejudices—will be lifted away.

“Turn your eyes upon Jesus,” the old Protestant hymn says, and— as I remember it—the “things of earth will grow strangle dim”.

But a lot of people have known about God all their lives and have always chosen Jesus as their path to God, but they somehow still seem heavily burdened.  How can that be?

You see, many people seem to look at God as somewhat of a “Cosmic Santa Claus” to be called upon whenever you want something.  They like the idea of having a supernatural hero to sweep in and save the day when things are a bit frustrating.

Here’s what I think people don’t always understand:  God doesn’t promise to take away our problems.  I mean, take a look at Job and you will realize that he wasn’t immune to problems.

God doesn’t promise to take us to such a high spiritual place that the things of this planet are no longer important.  The early disciples walked close with Jesus, but they weren’t exactly given a free pass void of difficulties.

God doesn’t even promise to protect us from pain or an empty feeling of hopelessness.  Many of the early hero’s of the Faith were persecuted, stoned, and even killed.  David shares often in the Psalms about feeling abandoned and hopeless.

God has reasons for allowing us to sometimes endure some difficulties.  I suspect we occasionally need an “adjustment” in our character, or perhaps a nudge for us to seek God.  Whatever the reason at the moment, God is always Faithful.

Giving us rest and peace — as well as hope, joy and a sense of Who He is – is perhaps more in line with what God does for us during difficulties.  And I believe, God is doing a pretty good job :).

You know, I wish I had more money.  And I wish I had a little more energy so I could cram even more into each day.  But when I pray, I’ve stopped asking God for money, time and abilities.  I ask God to quiet my sometimes-troubled soul.  I ask for God’s spirit of gentleness to blow through the wilderness of life and make it calmer and more sane. I n other words, I ask God for some much-needed rest from my heavy burdens.

Visit our training on Burden Bearing at:   www.burdenbearing.com

Sink into God

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As a mother comforts her child, so I will comfort you.
—  Isaiah 66:13

Some people and churches shy away from talking about God as a mother or a father—even though both are perfectly Biblical, if that matters to you—because so many people don’t have very good relationships with their parents.  Some people were so happy to escape the clutches of an abusive mother or abrasive father that they can’t face the God so many people think of as a father.  Others simply can’t relate to these parental images because they never had a parent.

For some reason, I’ve never really thought of God as a father. I’ve actually never thought of God as a mother either.  Amazingly, I was taught from an early age that the Bible refers to God in a variety of ways—and that God is much larger and grander than any one term onto which some people have latched in reference to the One who created this universe.

But I like this scripture from Isaiah.  To me, it simply says that God comforts us.

If your mother isn’t or wasn’t a comforting influence on your life, this scripture offers you the joy of knowing that like a mother should comfort you, God does.

If you were fortunate enough to have a mother to comfort you in times when little else could, this verse, I believe, asks you to recall that unrestricted love and remember that God offers it, too.  Or if your mother is no longer around, God offers it instead.

It is also important to me what this simple scripture doesn’t say.  It doesn’t say that God will keep us from hurting. When we are hurt, though, God comforts us.

Do you need comfort today? Maybe your mother caused the pain in your life that now needs comforting.  Whatever is hurting you today, God is offering you comfort.

All you have to do is spend some time doing whatever it is you do to bring yourself more into the presence of God—perhaps praying. Or if your pain is keeping you from feeling God today, remember that God is trying to break through.  If you try, too, maybe God can meet you halfway.

Just like a mother should, God is trying to comfort you.  Sink today into the calm, soothing, reconciling arms of the God who has been waiting for you.

Love, Not Commands

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The first is … ‘you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ The second is this, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’   from Mark 12

When Jesus was asked which of the commandments was most important, his answer, According to Mark 12, seemed to suggest that he is a person whose ministry is based on love, not commands.

Sure, the two statements in the scriptures above are written like commandments – they say “you shall”—but what follows those words is much more about teaching people how to have a good life than telling them what God requires of them.

So what does Jesus say God commands?  That’s simple enough:  Love God and love everybody.  How hard is that?  In reality, of course, both of those simple teachings are difficult to live up to and sometimes even intentionally ignored.

Loving God should be easy.  God is responsible for our very existence, so we should have an innate, overwhelming joy for the one set our lives into motion. Too often, however, I’ve noticed people exhibiting contempt for God because they really aren’t satisfied with their lives.  They’re not perfect, so God gets the blame. Perhaps their energy would be better directed toward improving themselves rather than attacking God.

And what about loving other people? That should be easy, too, since we’re all siblings. We’re all joined together by God, our common creator. But if that isn’t enough reason to love the people around you, think of it this way: You can’t fully love God unless you love what God has created. And you can’t love the things God has created without a loving respect for the creator.

Try to see the people around you from what you imagine is God’s perspective.

To do that, you’ll have to love everyone just as they are. You’ll have to accept them, even if they’re flawed. You’ll have to affirm the worth of each person. You’ll have to help them grow to be better and encourage them to call up the very best they have inside themselves.

To love people radically and unquestioningly, you’ll have to use all your heart, all your soul, all your mind and all your strength. God does. And showing that kind of love to other people is the best way to show it to God.

If you call that a commandment, then that’s what I think Jesus commands.