God Always Hears Your Prayers!

My Friend,

Be encouraged that God always hears your prayers no matter what.

It doesn't matter if they are "perfectly" worded. It doesn't matter if they are long or short or somewhere in between.

What matters is that you commit yourself to prayer and humble yourself as you approach Him filled with confidence and faith.

Your heart and countenance matters more than eloquent prayers of any length.

Also, be encouraged that even when we don't have the words to say or don't know how to pray, The Holy Spirit always intercedes for us. (See Romans 8:26-27.)

Just pray knowing He always has time for you and always hears your prayers.

Read, study, be encouraged by, and take to heart Hebrews 4:16, Romans 8:26-27, and Matthew 6:7 which are some of the many verses about this.

Your brother and servant in Christ,

Randolph Koch

P.S. Please pass on this encouragement to others who may be encouraged that God hears their prayers.

Here's one place that lists where you can connect with A Shepherd's Heart:

https://linktr.ee/ashepherdsheart

Give Your Anxiety To The Lord.

We all may have experienced times where our circumstances, worries, or troubles, including the things that are often out of our control, weigh us down.

Instead of dwelling and abiding in The Lord and His Word, we allow ourselves to dwell in all of the before mentioned. 

We dwell on the could of, should of, would of scenarios as if we can fix or take back whatever it was or is all by ourselves.

We allow ourselves to go down the path of anxiety, depression, and more which may include or or result in stress, sleepless nights, weak strength, our joy is often diminished or gone at that moment, and we can also experience other physical side effects and more.

Now, don't get me wrong as there are real medical issues at times but often we hurl ourselves down a path we shouldn't go down or need to quickly back out of. However, it's often a path of our own making if we're honest.

Let's stop the sleepless nights and ulcer inducing behavior and instead, try our very best to give it to The Lord in prayer, seek the counsel and encouragement of His Word, as well as the counsel and encouragement of the godly people God has placed in our lives. 

God is our strength, so, to be blunt, we need to start living like He really is!

Read Matthew 6:34 and 1 Peter 5:7 for starters for encouragement from God's Word.

I'm praying for you and please pray for me as well that we might grow more in giving our anxiety to Him more automatically as we should not be carrying it first place. 

Your Brother and Servant In Christ,

Randolph Koch

He Is Emmanuel - God Is With You!

Hello Friend,

This time of year can solicit a multitude of thoughts, emotions, and the feeling of being alone. While this may be true, we need to remember that no matter what you and I are facing each day, remember that Jesus is Emmanuel. God is with you/us!

He is Emmanuel my friend and will never leave or forsake you!He will always be with you!

Let me ask you: Are you feeling feeling alone or low? If so, don't be afraid to reach out to Him in prayer and through His Word if you're feeling alone or low and He will lift you up.

And, don't be afraid to reach out to other's after you've met with Him because we're supposed to be in this life together as the body of Christ. 

“Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel” (which means, God with us). Matthew 1:23

May this truth that He is always with you be an encouragement to you and allow you to celebrate Christmas in an even more special and meaningful way.

Merry Christmas!

Your Brother and Servant in Christ,

Randolph Koch

P.S. You're in my prayers! Please reach out if you'd like me to pray for something specific! 

A Tent-Making Journey and You're Input and Prayers Are Appreciated!

Hello,

From time to time we'd like to share a bit more about the background, current happenings, and prayer requests of A Shepherd's Heart. 

1. Facts about A Shepherd's Heart: 
Did you know that since the very beginning, A Shepherd's Heart has been a "tent-maker" type ministry?

Similar to how the Apostle Paul worked various occupations such as "Tent-Making" to fund some of his mission work, Randolph Koch continues to work a regular job(s) to supply for his family and God's Kingdom Work through the local church and A Shepherd's Heart. 

He does not receive any income or funding from the many hours devoted each week to God's Kingdom Work and his day job income is devoted to God's Kingdom work through the local church and again, supplying for his family with very little that can be directed to A Shepherd's Heart.

This ministry is not a large and regularly funded ministry but none-the-less, he ministers from a big heart for God and His people. Many projects, resources, and services that could be provided are not because his income just covers only the before mentioned.

If you believe in this ministry, please keep A Shepherd's Heart and specifically, God's Kingdom work through this ministry in your prayers and check out 
https://www.ashepherdsheart.org/p/help-a.html for ways you might be able to come along side and help this ministry as Randolph continues to strive to serve God, the body of Christ, and his family. Thank you!

2. Teaching and Resource Ideas: 
If you have topics you want to hear or learn more about, or new resource ideas that you'd like Randolph Koch and or guest contributors to teach about or create, please send a message to info@ashepherdsheart.org with your ideas and he'll definitely take your ideas into consideration for future written, audio, or video posts or new resource creation!

3. Prayer Requests: 
We are here to serve you so please send your prayer requests to prayer@ashepherdsheart.org and rest assured we will pray for you regularly. 

Speaking of prayer requests, while we don't communicate our needs often, please continue to pray for this ministry as we're at a critical stage as we continue to seek The Lord for how He might direct our path. We're considering forming a 501 (c) 3 non profit for A Shepherd's Heart. 

Please pray for this little ministry and like the prayer of Jabez, the potential for expanded territory / opportunity. Please pray for additional ministry opportunities to open up for Randolph regarding speaking/teaching/podcasts and more as his heart is to serve. 

Please also pray for the completion of his next YouVersion Devotional plan that is currently in the works and that it would reach many for God's Kingdom and glory. 

Please pray for the audio and video equipment needs as well as the other basic operational resource needs to keep this little ministry running. 

Please pray for God to help direct Randolph's path to the right providing and fitting employment to supply more adequately for his family and God's Kingdom work.

Lastly, Randolph and his wife Angela's 25th wedding anniversary is coming up this year (August), please pray for them as they work toward a special vacation later this year to celebrate God's goodness! 

Thank you for upholding this ministry in you prayers and please be sure to send your prayer requests our way!

Sincerely, 

A Shepherd's Heart

Happy New Year 2019: Entering the New Year With Hope and Prayer!

Read: Jeremiah 29:11-13, Mark 11:17, James 4:2, Matthew 7:7, Hebrews 4:16, Romans 5:1-5, 1 Corinthians 3:16, and Numbers 6:24-26

Happy New Year 2019!

Can you believe it’s a new year already!? As we look forward to any new year, we often look forward with the hope of better things to come and if you’re in Christ, you have much to remain hopeful about!

If we’re honest, sometimes we can lose sight of the hope we have because of the circumstances we face, but, we need to be sure that our hope is grounded completely in The Lord or it’s not true hope at all! Why? Because if our hope is in Christ, this is not a temporal hope as hope in Him is an unshakable hope! This is the true hope that is built on the unshakable foundation of Jesus!

Let me encourage you to remember during every season of life, including all that’s ahead in this New Year, that nothing you face can shake the hope you have in Him!

Hold on to hope in Christ! Don’t allow anything to steal your hope and may you realize that your faith and hope should grow even stronger through the help of The Holy Spirit.

It’s been an especially challenging year for many of us for sure and for some it’s been a year of blessings upon blessing.

Regardless of what you’ve experienced, it’s still a perfect time to reflect on all the Lord has done in your life and to take a perspective, or “pulse” check to see where you are in your walk and life with the Lord.

He calls each of us to seek Him with all of our heart and promises that we will find Him and He will listen. Enter the New Year focusing on building and enhancing your prayer life. Based on His Holy Word we know that He wants our churches, the Body of Christ as whole, and ourselves to be “Houses of Prayer” or in sum, focus ourselves on prayer as He emphasizes that prayer should be a priority.

If the Lord wants us to pray, and it’s a true priority to Him, then why don’t we in turn really pray!? In fact, the Lord is the best role model of this for us as He constantly went to pray to the Father and He called His Disciples to pray many times. Each of us should be a house of prayer as we are His temples. (See 1 Corinthians 3:16) Not only this, but, He just plainly deserves our prayers and everything we are. Not to sound somewhat cliche but we should really become true “Prayer Warriors”, as this life is a real battlefield, spiritually and physically.

In Jim Cymbala’s book "Fresh Wind, Fresh Fire", he has this to say about the apostles’ priority of prayer,

“The apostles had this instinct: When in trouble, pray. When intimidated, pray. When challenged, pray. When persecuted, pray.”

What a great observation! What a truly awesome challenge for us- Can we like the apostles, make prayer our priority in every circumstance, even when we’re not facing troubling times? Just making prayer so much a part of us that we pray throughout the day or set a special portion of the day a side to, intercede, cry out, praise, thank, communicate, etc., with Him through prayer! He wants to hear from us. It pleases Him so much when we focus our attention on Him through prayer.

Why not forget the New Year resolutions this year and consider instead, seeking God’s will for your life and telling Him the desires of your heart? Why not pour yourself out to Him through your fervent prayers and serving Him and others?

May you renew your commitment or begin making prayer a vital part of your life- every day! This can begin with you and I then maybe, just maybe, our example of a prayerful and a “prayer full” life will spread to the Body of Christ as a whole, then on into every Christian Church locally where ever we live around the world?! We can then be the houses of prayer, as the Lord would desire us to be.

Why not make this year an even more special New Year, by entering it in prayer! Seek Him today with all of your heart and be encouraged that He desires this and is ready and waiting to hear from you.

Ring in the New Year filled with hope and prayer!

Questions To Get Started With:

-What or Who is the foundation of your hope?

-What are the barriers in your life to holding on to true hope in Christ?

-Do you remain hopeful no matter the circumstances you face?

-Will you help build others up with the hope you have in Christ?
-Will you make prayer a priority in your life this New Year?
-Will you “pray in” the New Year this New Year’s Eve?
-What kind of changes do you need to make in order for prayer to be a priority?
-If prayer is already a priority for you, what can you do to encourage others to pray?
-Do you know someone that can help you be accountable to your commitment to the Lord in your walk with Him?
-Consider keeping a prayer journal chronicling / highlighting your prayer times with Him, answers to prayer, the revealing of His will for you over time, etc. This is a great exercise for us to make a habit to see Him at work in our lives.

Again, Happy New Year! Keep Seeking, Serving, and Loving Him with all that is within you! 

Your Brother and Servant in Christ,

Randolph Koch

-Founder and Servant-Shepherd of A Shepherd’s Heart

God's Protection Over You.

Dear Brothers and Sisters,


In the book of Job, God states this about Job: “that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, who fears God and turns away from evil.”(Job 1:8)

Then the evil one responds with, “Have you not put a hedge around him and his household and everything he has?” (John 1:10)

Even the evil one knows that God is Job’s and our protection and no matter how satan might roam around looking to try and devour us (See 1 Peter 5:8), we are under God’s protection!

Just like the barrier of thorn bushes people used especially in ancient times to protect themselves and their livestock from predators, God is our “hedge of protection / hedge of thorns" against the schemes of the enemy.

Furthermore, God has also given us the protection of His full armor that we need to put on and wear daily. (See Ephesians 6:10-20)

Be encouraged today that God is your protector!

My prayer for you in Jesus mighty name, is that His Hedge of Protection and His Full Armor will be upon and around you and your household as you live for and serve Him all the days of your life as He alone is your protector, refuge, deliverer, and provider!

Read Psalm 91 for further encouragement of God’s protection of you.

Your Brother and Servant In Christ,

Randolph Koch

P.S. I could really use your ongoing help through prayer and other support. Please visit https://www.ashepherdsheart.org/p/help-a.html to find out how you can help me in moving A Shepherd's Heart forward. 

20 Day Prayer Challenge!

Hello Friends,

I'd like to encourage you to join me in a 20 day prayer challenge!

20 day prayer challenge! Watch and listen to the following video in this post for the details. (May not be visible via e-Mail as it's embedded in the post)

What: Set aside 30-60 minutes a day to seek God through prayer!

When: Now through October 1st!

Who is with me?!

Let me know via the comments below the post or if you're receiving this via e-Mail, please reply and let me know if you haven't already. :-)

You're brother and servant in Christ,

Randolph Koch

Parenting: The Art Of The Release and Other Practical Advice.

Read Proverbs 22:6, 2 Peter 1:3-12, Colossians 1:28-29, John 4:7-14 for an encouragement and challenge from God’s Word.

As a dad who has helped raise 5 kids, (All but one are young adults now but I give most of the credit to my wife that they made it into adulthood alive) :-), it’s not uncommon to reflect on things you could have or wished you’d done better as well as the things you did do well too. As I reflected recently, there were many things that came to mind and wanted to share a few reflections / learnings with you. There more to share another time but here's a mini-share for now. :-)

As a parent you learn quickly that there’s no manual for parenting other than of course as followers of Christ, the pages of wisdom found in God’s word.  We are also influenced in one way or another by how we were raised. So, each parent does (or should do) their very best to raise their children with the goal of launching them into adulthood, because launching them is the goal.

As followers of Christ we strive to model an abiding faith in Christ for our children.  However, as they launch into adulthood we have to remember that they have to choose to own their faith and even prior to this they have to own their faith if they are a follower of Christ.

Years ago I read a book by Stu Weber titled, “Tender Warrior” and in that book he describes a quiver of arrows.  What I learned is that there are different arrows for different weather conditions and as I recall, Stu used this as a picture of how each child is different and we pour into them differently and it's not easy sometimes to remember and do, but from the time they are born until they launch into adulthood we are practicing the art of the release. If you've done any amount of archery you quickly get the mental picture of that release.

"If you aim at nothing, you'll hit it every time." -Zig Ziglar

You have to have a direct aim with parenting and while it’s true that we do need to keep the day-by-day in mind, we also have to keep the future release in mind as we have a responsibility to help launch them successfully.  Ultimately we are not responsible for their actions, for the actions they choose, but, we are responsible for pouring as much into them as possible. 

This doesn’t mean we’re so wrapped up in their lives that we neglect our marriages and don’t continue to build a relationship with their spouses, (keep in mind, once they are launched it’s just you and your spouse if our married and you need to build into your relationship all along and if you haven't...that can make things difficult for your relationship) but it does mean we are responsible to do our very best in God’s strength in order to help our kids become adults.

The scripture reminds us that we’re to train up a child in the way they are to go and the hope is that they would turn to the truths that have been instilled in them from God’s word as well as the wisdom and life skills we tried to instill in them as parents. 

Remember this, as parents, none of us are perfect and we need to learn from our mistakes and grow in grace even for ourselves. We also need to draw from God’s Wisdom and Strength often as parents and consult Him through His Word and prayer. Please drink deeply from God’s Well! As we do, we can build into our children and practice the “release” and speaking from experience, as the day comes more quickly than we imagine. So, you and I better be ready and stay ready building into them as we practice releasing them into adulthood and we can’t do this in our own strength and wisdom alone.

Another thing to consider is that you don't have to go it alone with parenting nor should you. You should seek out and learn from the wisdom and experience of other parents who are at different stages in parenting or stages ahead of you as you progress forward as well. You can and will be used in the lives of other parents too!

Let's pray for one another as parents and let's encourage each other to keep pressing forward. Also, guess what…as your kids launch into adulthood, they will still need you and your counsel so get ready for spontaneous late night conversations on their terms (even in high school) because even though they want to be independent, they still want your counsel too. Doesn’t mean they will follow that advice but it does mean they still want your input so be ready for that! :-)

Keep pressing forward and practice the good form of release just like and archer does. 

In Christ,

Your Brother and Servant,

Randolph Koch

Please consider helping this ministry through prayer and other ways! Find out more here:  https://www.ashepherdsheart.org/p/help-a.html

Also, here are a few ideas of how I can serve you: 
https://www.ashepherdsheart.org/p/ministry-service-offerings.html

Quit Over-Complicating Prayer

Read: 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, 2 Chronicles 7:14, Matthew 6:5-13, Luke 5:16, Matthew 21:13, Hebrews 4:16

Sometimes as we walk with Christ we can over-complicate things...and prayer shouldn't be one of those things. :-)
 
Prayer is a gift from God and just like having a conversation with a friend, you can humbly and reverently approach the King of Kings.
 
Jesus perfectly modeled prayer for His disciples as they asked Him to teach them how to pray. He also modeled it as He often escaped to a secluded place to have His time of prayer with God The Father as well. Jesus is the best example for you to follow as He truly made prayer a priority and in turn, He instructs you to be committed to it as well. 

There are many elements of prayer God’s Word models for you including: confession, petition, intercession, thanksgiving, praise, and more. 

Confession is your opportunity to tell God about how you sinned and to agree with Him about your sin.  Petition is your opportunity to ask God to provide for your needs while Intercession is your opportunity to ask God to provide for the needs of others. Thanksgiving is your opportunity to thank God for everything He has already done and continues to do in, through, and for you and Praise is a sweet time for you to speak words of complete adoration to Him. When you pray, you may consider incorporating these elements as time allows as you approach Him in prayer.

Through prayer you can praise His mighty name and bring thanksgiving. You can share your heart including your hopes and fears. You can seek wisdom and direction. You can intercede for others and confess your sin when you stumble. You can simply speak to Him anytime about anything.


In the good times and the difficult times, prayer should be your first response and not an afterthought. Furthermore, Jesus said that His house will be a house of prayer, and guess what? You're His house, the house that The Holy Spirit resides in! 
So, be a walking house of prayer!

Just like breathing, may you speak a prayer to the most high King remembering that He wants to hear from you often. 

So, don't over-complicate prayer and simply approach Him often and with confidence.

In Jesus name I pray, Amen.

Your brother and servant,

Randolph Koch

Please consider helping this ministry through prayer and other ways! Find out more here:  https://www.ashepherdsheart.org/p/help-a.html

Prayer Is A Gift But Remember: God is NOT Your Personal "Genie in a Lamp".

Read:  Matthew 6:1-15, Hebrews 4:16, Mark 11:24, Matthew 21:22, James 1:5-8

Prayer is a precious gift and vital tool that God has given us. 

The fact that we can freely talk to The One Who gave us life is amazing and we should never take this gift or Him for granted. 

As we approach prayer, we need to remember and be encouraged that He's a loving Father Who knows what's best for us and when He instructs us to pray believing in faith and to approach Him with confidence, He really means it. 

Can and should we pray about everything in faith as the scripture tells us? Of course, but, we have to trust God's will and pray according to His will just as Jesus modeled for us in The Lord's Prayer. (See Matthew 6:1-15) 

Unfortunately, some have taken this as an invitation to believe and or teach that He's going to give us everything we want just for the asking. Or, equally flawed are those who "demand" that He give them what

A New Year and a Request for Ongoing Prayers for A Shepherd's Heart.

Hello and Happy New Year!

As the New Year begins, I want to simply ask you to keep A Shepherd's Heart in your prayers. 

Here are thoughts and several areas where your prayers will be appreciated: 

Specifically prayer for God's wisdom, direction and provision for A Shepherd's Heart as I seek to continue to serve The Lord and His people seeking to encourage all of us to Live Life On Purpose...grounded and routed in Christ!

I want to focus on the projects, resources, teaching / speaking opportunities as well as any other opportunities He provides and directs me to do in serving Him from the heart He's given me. 

I've been a "tent-maker" for years and I'm constantly seeking The Lord for the continued direction He wants me to go and I know He'll provide the clarity needed as He directs my path.  

Please pray that God will help me be very strategic with my time as working high demand positions in the marketplace as well as every other important priority God's given me including a family and friends I've been blessed with, a home to maintain, etc., time is always at a premium. All of these areas are important and I need to be present in the lives of my family especially and my friends too and with this...again, need to be better at time management. 

May God provide the availability and means to serve in each case He opens and directs me to serve including the tools, technology, time and financial resources. 

May God help me grow more as a shepherd-servant, communicator, husband, dad, friend and employee. 

May God somehow expand this ministry including it's reach - for His kingdom and glory. 

May God help me grow the needed income to meet every need for my family, ministry which includes helping others. There are many growing needs including practical every day needs where my income isn't keeping up and I want and need to provide better. With this, please pray that God will open up a new good fitting and providing position that also provides enough flexibility to serve or possibly something entrepreneurial that will do the same.

Thanks for your prayers and please know that I'm praying for you! Please don't hesitate to let me know how I can be praying for you!

I'll keep you posted on new projects and items I'm working on this year some of which includes...I hope, new encouragement / teaching videos and finally publishing my first 30 day devotional.

I'm here to serve you so, feel free to share your thoughts on resources and topics you might be encouraged by and I'll definitely take your suggestions into consideration for future projects!

Thanks again for your regular prayers!

In Christ,
Your Brother and Servant,

Randolph Koch

Don't Just Say That You'll Pray...Actually Do It!

Read: 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, Colossians 4:2-6

When you say you will pray for someone, do you say it as just a passing phrase or do you actually intend to pray for them?

I think we're all guilty sometimes of saying we'll "pray", (kind of like "how are you doing" but not really wanting the answer sometimes...just a passing phrase) and not following through with prayer and...we need to change this! 

The fact is that prayer is a fundamental tool God has gifted us with.

"When you say you will pray for someone, actually pray for them!"

We're to be people of prayer and commit to praying for one another.

So, let me encourage and challenge you to be a man or woman of your word and The Word...and make every effort to follow through and pray when you say you will do so.

I pray that God will help us take prayer all the more seriously.

Prayerfully,

rlk

#pray #prayer #faith #hope #truth #wisdom #life #encourage #integrity #encouragement #inspire #inspiration #inspirational #Jesus #HolySpirit #bible #scripture #Godsword #heart #mind #soul #strength #christian #Christianity #christfollower #ashepherdsheart

Endor and The God of Impossibilities!

Read: Isaiah 55:8-11, Matthew 19:26

As part of a family road trip vacation we had the opportunity to drive to northern California to see some of the giant Redwood Trees in part of the Jedediah Smith Redwoods which spans many miles. It was truly incredible!

We spent several hours enjoying hiking through a very small section of the forest. Everywhere stepped we were surrounded by massive trees. When I say massive, it's very true because some have grown to 37 feet wide and hundreds of feet tall and  have been there for hundreds of years too!

Humorously and maybe a bit nerdy-like, it almost reminded me or made me "feel" like I'd traveled to the "Planet Endor" in one of the Star Wars movies of my childhood...but, of course to my disappointment I had not. LOL...Ok, just kidding I'm not out of touch with reality but maybe just a little bit of my inner kid wished it was really Endor!...But I digress...

A Father's Day Reflection: Praising God for Being The Perfect and Loving Father

Read: 1 John 1:9, Colossians 1:13-14, Psalm 103:12, John 3:16, Romans 5:8, Psalm 86:15, John 13:34-35, 1 John 4:18-19, 1 Chronicles 16:34, Ephesians 1:4-6, Galatians 4:4-5, Romans 8:15, John 15:15, Romans 5:1, 1 Corinthians 12:27, Romans 8:1-2, Romans 8:31-39, 2 Timothy 1:7,  John 15:16, 1 Corinthians 3:16,Ephesians 2:10, 1 John 3:1

BOOM....there it is again. The feeling of pain, grief, loss, brokenness and potentially a multitude of other feelings that may flood one's heart, mind and emotions. 
All is well for a period of time and then something such as a holiday or other memory sparks the before mentioned emotions.

No matter how it came about, this is often what it is like for those who largely grew up without a father and or mother. 

Happy New Year - 2017!

Hello Friends, 
Happy New Year!  As we close out 2016 and begin a new year, I wanted to share a few brief thoughts with you. 

1. I'm thankful that because of God's love and grace, each day is a a gift of a new beginning and an opportunity to make a fresh start. As you approach 2017 may you look at it as another gift and opportunity to begin fresh and forge the best path forward with God's help while putting the mistakes of the past behind you! Begin again my friend, begin again! 

2. As you make your goals and plans for the New Year, remember The One Who goes before you! Trust Him, communicate with Him and include Him in "your" plans. You'll be more successful in all your ways if you do so. 

3. There is a phrase in Romans 5 (5:5 NASB, but read it in context of course, read Romans 5) that says "hope does not disappoint" or in some versions it says "hope does not put us to shame". No matter what you face in the New Year don't lose hope... Keep hoping in the Lord as He's with you every step of the way! Enter the New Year with hope and prayer! God's hope does not disappoint and you will not be put you to shame! 

Thank you for your prayers and encouragement in 2016! Its been an honor to serve you and I look forward to prayerfully serving you in 2017 as we seek to live life on purpose together! 

You're prayers for wisdom, direction and God's provision for these ministry endeavors are always appreciated as I seek out what God's will is for me according to His calling on my life. 

Again, Happy New Year! Keep your hope in the Lord alive! I'm praying for God's best for you and please don't hesitate to let me know how I can serve you in the New Year! 

In Christ Alone and for His Glory, 

rlk 



#hope #future #faith #opportunities #plan #GodIsGood #encourage #encouragement #inspire #inspiration #inspirational #christian #Christianity #christfollower #bible #scripture #Godsword #heart #mind #soul #strength #ashepherdsheart #2017 #newyears #newyear

Advent Christmas Eve or Day - A Prayer of Praise and Rejoicing in Christ (His Arrival!)

Read: Luke 2:1-35

Dear Heavenly Father,

As we enter Christmas day we rejoice in the arrival and indescribable gift of Jesus! We celebrate the most important birthday of all time and the most amazing gift to mankind!

We praise You for His arrival!

We celebrate, Emmanuel...You with us! What and awesome reality!

We praise You and thank You that Jesus humbled Himself to come here so we might have life through Your love and forgiveness.

I ask for Your help through Your Holy Spirit to help us point people to Your son and that we'll proclaim Who You are, Who Jesus is, Why He came and the true meaning of Christmas!

We praise You and thank You as we have much to be thankful for and celebrate.

I pray that we keep Jesus in the center of our Christmas celebration and the center and forefront of our lives day-to-day!

I pray that You're Joy and peace would be at work in and through us!

I pray for comfort for those where Christmas is really hard for them. 

I remember and pray for those who are mourning this Christmas for a lost loved one or who are battling disease, depression, anxiet or other things. Please help them to know Your love and may Your love overshadow their grief. I pray that You would heal them in Jesus Name!

I pray that relationships, especially family relationships, would be mended and differences would be put aside for this Christmas and beyond. 

May Your peace reign in each household and each heart in Jesus name!

May we remember anew the gift of Jesus Who was wrapped in cloths as we unwrap our gifts and as we enjoy a wonderful meal and celebration.

As we open presents, may we remember His presence today and each day. 

Thank You for all that Christmas represents and I pray that we never become cynical about the Christmas celebration and each year may our awe, wonder and childlike faith be renewed!

I thank You and praise You again for the indescribable gift of Jesus!

In Jesus name I praise You and Thank You, Amen.

Because He is THE Reason for the season,
Your Brother and Servant,

rlk

P.S. : As a little Christmas gift from me to you... Here's a link to a recording of the Luke 2 account of the birth of Jesus: https://soundcloud.com/user-335546274/the-birth-of-jesus-luke-21-35 Merry Christmas!

Advent Week 4 - A Prayer of Peace

Read: Isaiah 9:6-7, Philippians 4:7, Romans 6:23

Dear Heavenly Father,

As we enter this fourth week of advent we consider peace, especially the true peace that come from You!


I thank You and praise You that Youre Word reminds us and we celebrate this time of year, that Jesus is the Prince of Peace!

I praise You that we can experience true and lasting peace through knowing Him!
Even amongts the chaos that we experience in life HIs peace is beyond our understanding. 

Advent Week 3 - A Prayer of Love

Read:  Micah 5:2, John 3:16, 1 John 4:9-17

Dear Heavenly Father,

As we enter this third week of advent we consider love...most importantly Your great love.

I thank You and praise You that we can celebrate and rejoice during this season and beyond that You sent Your love down to earth through Your Son Jesus. 

Advent Week 2 - A Prayer of Joy

Read:  Isaiah 35:10, Luke 2:7-15, Nehemiah 8:10, 1 Peter 1:7-9

Dear Heavenly Father,

As we enter this second week of advent we consider joy in You. 

I thank You and praise you for the great and true joy that comes from knowing You!

As we sing songs of this wonderful season just as "Joy to The World", we remember that Jesus is our true source of joy.