Welcome to Amazing God Stories! Christian allegories, parables, analogies, fiction short stories as well as creative nonfiction stories that show the variety of amazing ways God has been working in my life. And if He has done all this for me, I can only imagine what He’s been doing for you!
My goals are simple:
#4. To brighten your day with a little entertainment, for you to leave feeling a bit better than when you arrived.
#3. To teach, warn, and clarify Biblical issues we face as Christians so we can be all that God calls us to be. 2 Timothy 3:16-17 All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.
#2. To inspire you to keep on keeping on in your own walk with God. God is working in your life as much as He’s working in mine. Maybe something I’ve learned or experienced will help you get through a rough patch or to grow in your own desire to know God.
And the #1 reason: To glorify God – to acknowledge and thank Him for all the ways He has been faithful to me! From the day I met Him, He has been by my side. He’s been my Friend, Coach, Counselor, Father, Teacher, Comforter, Defender, Provider, and a million other things.
This blog is my way to shout to the world that GOD IS AMAZING!
If my stories do what I hope they will do – like, comment, follow, and/or share them!
It would mean a lot to me to to know that they are being read and to hear what you think!
Lord, speak again to SIL’s heart as she sleeps. Let her dreams instruct her.
I bless the Lord who gives me counsel, in the night also my heart instructs me. Psalm 16:7
Jesus, some say that we shouldn’t ask to encounter You in our dreams. But Your Word says otherwise. Thank you for Your promise to counsel and instruct us in the night. I pray that You continue to do so for SIL – and that You use her dreams as a communication tool. She is not used to listening for Your voice during the day – I pray she hears You at night. Show her both the good things in her as well as the things that need to improve. Grant her discernment and understanding, and the courage/motivation to act on what You teach her.
And he said, “O man, greatly loved, fear not, peace be with you; be strong and of courage.” And as he spoke to me, I was strengthened and said, “Let my lord speak, for you have strengthened me.” Daniel 10:19
Lord, as You once told Daniel that he was greatly loved and then gave him a blessing and some encouragement, I pray that You tell SIL that You love her. Bless and encourage her so that she is strengthened and ready to hear Your words to her.
Lord, just when I’m ready to give up, SIL does something to show that she’s trying and it’s just enough for me not to give up. I don’t see it, but I know You are working to bring her to completeness. I pray that as she responds to You, as she takes these small steps, that she is not discouraged by anything I do. I admit I don’t want a place in her healing. It’s hard, discouraging at times, and wearying. But if that’s where You call me, that’s where I’ll be – blessing and praying for SIL.
From the same mouth come blessing and a curse. My brothers, these things ought not to be. James 3:10
By the God of your father who will help you, by the Almighty who will bless you, will blessings of heaven above, blessing of the deep that crouches beneath, blessings of the breasts and of the womb. Genesis 49:25
Lord, You are the God of our fathers, the Almighty one. I pray that You bless SIL with the pure and holy blessings of heaven above, and with the deeper, healing blessings in the places in her that crouch below the surface. I pray that You bless her with nurturing and nourishing blessings like a baby at her mother’s breasts, and blessings of restoration to the woman You created in her mother’s womb.
Lord God, here we go again. SIL is back into herself, reinterpreting whatever is said to her in ways that make sense to her but is not the truth, arguing with people, spending most of her time on herself. She is not responding to me when I try to initiate an important conversation. She is still self-defensive and keeps deflecting blame onto everyone but herself. After all these prayers, why is nothing changing for more than a day or two? Maybe I should just give up.
Fear not Daniel, for from the first day that you set your heart to understand and humbled yourself before your God, your words have been heard… the prince of Persia withstood me 21 days but Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me… Daniel 10:12-13a
Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving. Colossians 4:2
(watchful: awareness of spiritual realities and challenges that believers face, including the schemes of the enemy)
I will continue praying. I will trust that You have heard me and that Your answer is on its way. I will watch with thanksgiving for Your work in SIL to be revealed.
Every morning and evening my goldfish gather at the feeding spot until I arrive. Some swim with their mouths open, gulping in expectation of the food they would soon receive. Some swim near the surface appearing to look for food in the water around them as if it would suddenly appear. Which it does. Some seem to just be swimming around because the others are. And a few remain hidden under the floating plants.
When they see me, they swim faster around each other until the moment the food hits the water. Then a feeding frenzy breaks out with fish gulping at the food as if they had not been fed for days. Then slowly, one by one, they settle down and return to their normal lives.
I love watching them go from ordinary swimming to excited expectation to an explosion of activity and then back to ordinary swimming as they drift back under the plants that provide shade and protection. It reminds me of groups of Christians as they meet each week.
Some Christians come to church with their eyes looking up and with their hearts wide open, ready to receive any tidbit God sends down.
Some Christians come to church with a hope that they will find spiritual food sometime during the church service. But instead of looking up, they are looking at others such as the worship team or the preacher.
Some Christians attend church just because their families or friends do. They focus on each other, chit chatting until the preaching starts. And sometimes even after it starts.
And some Christians stay away from church until they get desperate.
When the service is at its peak – whatever that means in whichever denomination they are in – everyone seems focused on receiving from God. But before and after that, they are in different places.
For the goldfish, it doesn’t matter which place they are in – the food arrives for all of them and they all get fed regardless of how excited they are.
In a way, that is true for Christians also. The food – God’s Word – is available for all of us regardless of our enthusiasm. We can be in church or out of church, on fire for God or busy with our own lives – God’s nourishment arrives daily.
However, in both cases, for the fish and for the Christians, the food must be deliberately and personally ingested. The food doesn’t enter our bodies automatically, nor do we get fed by watching others eat. Fish must open their mouths and suck the fish food flakes in. We must open our ears to hear, to actively listen. But just listening won’t nourish any more than just looking at the food on a banquet table. We must open our hearts and chew on the Word of God. We must take it into ourselves, meditate on it, and act on it.
How precious is your steadfast love, O God! The children of mankind take refuge in the shadow of your wings. They feast on the abundance of your house, and you give them drink from the river of your delights. For with you is the fountain of life; in your light do we see light. Psalm 36:7-9
Other Scriptures:
Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? Matthew 6:26
Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good! Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him! Psalm 34:8
I will ponder all your works and meditate on your mighty deeds. Psalm 77:12
But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. James 1:22
Father, pour out Your Spirit on SIL again as she sleeps. Give her dreams of You. She has not told me of any dreams that she’s had recently so I ask You to manifest Yourself so clearly in her dreams tonight, that You show her what she needs to see/know so powerfully that when she awakes all she can think and talk about is You – Your message, Your presence, and Your love.
If I say, “I will not mention him, or speak any more in his name”, there is in my heart as if it were burning fire shut up in my bones, and I am weary with holding it in, and I cannot. Jeremiah 20:9
For we cannot but speak of what we have seen and heard. Acts 4:20
For out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks. Luke 6:45b
Lord, I pray that You fill SIL so full of Your Spirit that she cannot help but share what she is learning with those around her.
Jesus, You are the Good Shepherd. A shepherd not only watches over his flock but also monitors the health of the sheep. If one is injured or sick, the shepherd does what he must to restore the sheep to good health. That’s what I pray tonight for SIL. I pray that You, as her Shepherd, do what You need to do in order to restore her to good health both physically and spiritually.
Beloved, I pray that all may go well with you and that you may be in good health, as it goes well with your soul. 3 John 1:2
Jesus, I pray that all may go well with SIL and the she may be in good health physically as she is in good health spiritually. If there is any area that is not good or well, I pray that You take care of that. No, not if. There are definitely areas that need Your attention. Restore her, Lord, that she may be at peace with You, with herself, and with others. Real peace. Not the peace that comes from ignoring issues but the peace that comes with healing them.
Lord, God, she did it again. And she had no idea why it hurt me. “It’s just a joke. I didn’t know it offended you,” she had retorted and then dismissed the whole thing. Jesus, how did You live here without being offended by people? You got angry and frustrated at times – but at people’s lack of faith and their hypocrisy – not for personal reasons. Teach me how to do it so I can be more what I need to be with SIL instead of self-protecting and being too busy dealing with offenses.
Hated stirs up strife, but love covers all offenses. Proverbs 10:12
Whoever covers an offense seeks love, but he who repeats a matter separates close friends. Proverbs 17:9
Lord, I pray that I will learn to cover offenses, sharing them only with You and those You direct me to. And that that will be enough.
I will cleanse them from all the guilt of their sin against me, and I will forgive all the guilt of their sin and rebellion against me. Jeremiah 33:8
Father God, just as You forgave the Israelites time and time again, I pray You forgive us yet again. I pray that You cleanse us from all the guilt of our sin against You – for that is who we ultimately sin against – and that You forgive all the guilt of our sin and rebellion against You. When we don’t care if we offend someone, or if we withdraw from those who offend us, we are not obeying Your command to love others as ourselves. We are choosing not to obey. That’s rebellion. Jesus, I can’t repent for SIL, but I can pray that You forgive her just like You prayed that the Father forgive those who crucified You.
In Part 18, my yard was complaining about losing more dirt, specifically in such a narrow band. It didn’t understand why the rich dirt was removed along with the dry clay. My answer had been to make room for something new. Here it is. I think my yard is content now.
***
God will remove dirt in our lives – both old, dry things and rich, productive things – at times to make room for something new. Often it doesn’t make sense to us with our limited wisdom but when it’s finished, we will understand. Sometimes that happens when we are still alive; sometimes that happens only after we meet Him in heaven.
The path God sets us on may twist and turn for good reasons. Sometimes He has us go the way of least resistance (like I followed the dried clay) or to make the least amount of disturbance to others as possible (like I avoided as much grass as possible). Sometimes it’s to avoid an unnecessary battle (like a thick root) or to go around something that may cause injury (like my rose garden).
But no matter the shape or the length, we can be assured that God has good reasons for whatever path He has created for us. We just need to stay on it.
Scriptures:
You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore. Psalm 16:11
All the paths of the Lord are steadfast love and faithfulness, for those who keep his covenant and his testimonies. Psalm 25:10
You have made known to me the paths of life; you will make me full of gladness with your presence. Acts 2:28
He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. Psalm 23:3
My steps have held fast to your paths; my feet have not slipped. Psalm 17:5
Father God, You created SIL. You know her completely. There’s not a place in herself that she can hide from You.
O LORD, you have searched me and known me! You know when I sit down and when I rise up, you discern my thoughts from afar. Psalm 139:1-2
If I say, “Surely the darkness shall cover me, and the light about me be night,” even the darkness is not dark to you; the night is bright as the day, the darkness is as light to you. Psalm 139:11-12
Meet SIL in those places she is trying to hide. She seems to believe that if she doesn’t think about something, it doesn’t exist. Show her how her past and her present are related and show her the unresolved areas in her heart that her mind doesn’t want to think about. With You there, holding her hand and leading her, she will be healed and set free.
Even there your hand shall lead me, and your right hand shall hold me. Psalm 139:10
Lord, I want to give up, to accept things as they are, to dismiss any hope that things will get better. But those are my feelings talking. Your Spirit and my spirit both say to always hope. Your Spirit and my spirit both say to trust You. And so I will. Regardless of what SIL does or does not do. Regardless of what my flesh things should be happening right now. Regardless of what my mind understands or doesn’t understand. I will look to You. You have not given up hope.
Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. 1 Cor 13:7
You have not stopped loving SIL, neither have you stopped working in her. So I will continue praying.
But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 2 Corinthians 12:9
For we are glad when we are weak and you are strong. Your restoration is what we pray for. 2 Cor 13:9
Lord, I know that Paul wasn’t talking to You but to the Corinthians in 2 Corinthians 13:9, and that the power Paul spoke about in 2 Corinthians 12:9 was for testifying and teaching. But with Your permission, I would like to use as the basis of my prayer tonight.
Thank You, Lord, that Your grace is sufficient for me, and that Your power is made perfect in my weakness. I will be glad when I am weak in my faith and desire to pray for SIL like I feel tonight. I know that You are strong all the time and that SIL’s restoration is what we both want. Knowing my weakness, I know it will not be me when SIL is restored, but Your power resting on me. All the glory will be Yours!
Amazing God Stories 