Please take the time to pray for others and share your prayer requests as well:  CLICK HERE

Luke 6:38
Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that you mete withal it shall be measured to you again.

When you read that verse, what is your main focus? Be honest here because God already knows and no one else can hear your answer anyhow. Are you looking at it thinking of what you will gain by giving or are you interested in being all God has called you to be in the “giving area” of your life?

Let’s begin with this question: How are you doing right now, are you excited about this time of year because you have the opportunity to do so much good for others or are you miserable because you can’t seem to get your eyes off your problems?  It is very easy to get caught up in the struggle  if we allow Satan that opportunity – yes, I mean Satan because that is who is trying to keep you down.  I am not saying you don’t have a right to be down, but just don’t stay there! He wants you to focus so much on your misery that you don’t have time to be fully used by God! If that is you today – Stop and pray, turn on some praise and worship music or some wonderful Christmas music! Take a look around you and see all the good you can do for others and focus on it and watch how your problems seem to fade into the background.  Allow God to use you while He works on those things that have you so burdened!

God has a plan for you, he sees how you are hurting and He will take care of those hurts and He will bring about all that He has promised but in the meantime while He works on it allow Him to use you to bless others. Take the time right now to pray and ask God to show you how you can be used by Him this holiday season to show His love and ask Him for the strength to focus on Him and others. Ask Him to pour His love out on others through you! There is nothing that will make your day better than doing something for someone else and watching their face light up!

Maybe you are not struggling with being miserable, maybe you are out there enjoying the season and helping others, may I encourage you to see if someone you know needs an encouraging word to help them out of the pit they are feeling they are in. Include them in what you are doing and give them opportunity to serve along side you.  Look out for those people in your church or subdivision who may not have anyone to celebrate with and find a way to involve them.  Reach out to the hurting!  Show them how much God loves them by being His hands and feet!

God has promised in this verse to pour into you as you pour into others – “give and it shall be given to you”, so focus on the needs of others and allow God to focus on you! Not much gets accomplished when you focus on you instead of allowing God to work in and through you!

Now, something I would like to do that is simple and it is a gift we can all give ourselves and others is to pray for each other. There is nothing more powerful than an army of prayer warriors all coming together to pray boldly for each other. I look forward to watching how God will change our lives. It will only cost you a minute of your time to read it and pray and it gives each of us the opportunity to focus on each other instead of just ourselves.  All you have to do  is CLICK HERE

Quote:
“Life begins when you do.” Hugh Downs