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Welcome, Praying Pals!


We are so glad you've joined us to pray. As you know, PrayingPals.org offers a way for thousands of Christians worldwide to gather online and pray for prayer requests. In addition to church, it's a great way to get extra prayer. Please share about it with your friends. Take part in our weekly prayer time in three easy-to-apply steps. Yes, it's as simple as 1, 2, 3...

 

1) Focus on God's Word with the devotional and prayer tip of the week.

2) Pray for all submitted and consolidated prayer requests.

3) Send in your prayer request and/or praise report. 






Or simply click here to listen and pray with the radio version of this week's devotional and prayer time with Stacie Ruth. (NW Iowans can tune in each Sunday to KCHE 92.1 FM at 7:20 AM to listen and pray.) Remember to pray for your pastors. Amen? 

Click here to join in the devotional and prayer time with the radio version.
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1) Take God's Word for It

a weekly devotional by Stacie Ruth


Recovering from Thanksgiving? Here's some comfort and joy.


Did your Thanksgiving include surprises or even disappointments? Did a person majorly disappoint you? Or are you just aching inside because a loved one died or couldn't be there? Maybe you just felt physically sick and exhausted.


Hey, no one (yes, no one!) has a perfect holiday. That's a myth. We actually can experience something infinitely better: We can experience someone: the reality of Jesus Christ indwelling us.


Reminder: If we experienced the original Christmas, nobody would say it contained perfect surroundings and gatherings. Yet His perfect presence made Christmas. That remains the case today.


We need to focus most on His presence and prepare ourselves to give everything to Him and experience His comfort and joy in the process. Let's focus on some tips. (Actually, I posted something on social media and I'm turning part of it into a devotional because I thank God that it resonated and helped people.)


7 Tips to Transform the Holidays


  1. Remove unrealistic expectations. Don't expect perfect. (Perfect meals and gatherings will happen when Christ returns.) Nobody (yes, nobody!) is going to have a perfect holiday. But anybody can savor the Lord's perfect love.
  2. Don't own other people's problems/conflicts. Ask God for wisdom.
  3. Focus on the Lord and literally count blessings (even though the holiday of Thanksgiving is over).
  4. Read (and do!) Psalm 100. (See below.)
  5. Just enjoy the best parts of Christmas and New Year's. Give yourself permission to not dismiss the "tiny" treasures in your life that God gave you (and others still desire and wait for).
  6. When grieving, it's a good idea to rest more and reach out to someone else suffering this Thanksgiving.
  7. Prayerfully get ready to give this Christmas. I'm not talking about just shopping. Instead, let's not just rush and buy stuff without heart prep. Instead, intentionally give God everything. Ask Him for His forgiveness. And ask Him to help you forgive so that you're truly ready to give whatever He leads you to give. It's the heart behind the gift (not the size of gifts) that matters. Only Christ can clean out our hearts and make us new. Ask Him to do that. He will.


Now, let's read (and do!) Psalm 100:


"1 Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all you lands!

2 Serve the Lord with gladness! Come before His presence with singing!

3 Know (perceive, recognize, and understand with approval) that the Lord is God! It is He Who has made us, not we ourselves [and we are His]! We are His people and the sheep of His pasture.

4 Enter into His gates with thanksgiving and a thank offering and into His courts with praise! Be thankful and say so to Him, bless and affectionately praise His name!

5 For the Lord is good; His mercy and loving-kindness are everlasting, His faithfulness and truth endure to all generations."


Did you notice how it all depends on the fact that the Lord IS good (even when things feel bad)? That's an irrepressible source of true joy and comfort. He will carry you and, as you open yourself up to Him, He'll give you the greatest gift: Himself.


And know we are praying for you. You ARE loved by God and His people.


Stacie Ruth Stoelting Hudzinski


P.S. Is this type of content new to you? Learn more about how to know Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord by reading our testimony by clicking here

Prayer Tip of the Week  


Ask God to share His love through you as you seek His face this Christmas season. Be open to how He wants you to give and what/when.




2) Prayer Time:

  

"Lord God, thank You for hearing us when we pray. Today, we lift up all requests submitted to PrayingPals.org and ask for Your best for each request. Please heal and be with the sick. Help the persecuted. Draw unsaved loved ones to Yourself. Help the widowed and grieving. And be with those who desire Godly spouses or are in challenging marriages. Please provide jobs for the jobless and hope for the hopeless. We also pray for U.S. military members, who protect the innocent and yet are in harm's way, and for their families. We pray for another great awakening in America and beyond. We ask You to draw us all closer to You and ask You to use us as we share about Jesus. We love You and surrender our will to Yours. We love You. We praise You! You are good all of the time! In Jesus' Name, Amen."


3) Share Time:

 

Share your prayer request at www.PrayingPals.org.

 

If you have a praise report, please send it by e-mail

instead at info@prayingpals.org.

 


Reminder: Be sure to encourage your local pastor

and love your neighbors with intentionality.


Special Note to the Depressed and Anxiety-laden:


If you are on the brink of suicide, immediately contact the National Suicide Prevention Hotline in the way you prefer: You can text at 741741, call 1-800-273-8255 (en Español:1-888-628-9454), or use the Deaf and Hard of Hearing version at 1-800-799-4889.


For other battles with less acute depression and anxiety, here are other free options which will help you talk, pray, and find a Christian mental health professional in your area:

  1. Schedule a free conversation with Focus on the Family's Counseling Department. Call them at (855) 771-HELP (4357) from 6:00am to 8:00pm (Mountain Time).
  2. Call Hope for the Heart at 1-800-488-HOPE (4673) Monday through Friday, 8 a.m.-1:30 a.m. CST; Closed weekends. Línea en español 1-855-867-0824.
  3. Utilize this web site to find someone in your region: https://connect.aacc.net/?search_type=distance.
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