A little over a year ago I wrote a post about prayers for persecuted believers. It wasn't I wanted to do. Honestly, I wanted to stay as far away from it as possible. But as usual, God changed my heart and my mind. You can read about it here. God used something as simple as writing my signature to ...
Read More about 15 Brief, Yet Powerful Prayers for Persecuted Believers
persecution
I Soaked off My Acrylic Nails
I soaked off my acrylic nails today. I’ve been wanting to do this for a while. They don’t look so great right now. In fact, it will be at least four months before most of them are completely grown out and strong again.
I love having lovely nails. But I do not love the time it takes have them ...
Read More about I Soaked off My Acrylic Nails
Scrawled or Legible?
Soon after my husband and I became engaged, I began the inevitable--practicing my new signature. No longer would I sign, C. Dianne Strangmeier. I would sign important documents as Dianne Thornton. I couldn't wait for it to be official! A couple of years ago I realized that I had become sloppy with ...
Read More about Scrawled or Legible?
![This week in our small group study, I felt the Lord’s gentle chastisement.
We looked at the promise in Luke 11:28, “He [Jesus] replied, ‘Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it.’”
At first glance, the promise of blessing comes from obedience. But it’s much more.
In the preceding verses, Jesus had cast out a demon that caused a man to be mute. The crowd accused Him of casting out a demon with Satan’s power.
Jesus explained how ridiculous it would be for Satan to drive out his own demons. Then a woman cries out, “Blessed is the mother who gave you birth and nursed you,” (v 27).
This is the sticking point. Jesus was in the middle of an important discourse when this woman interrupts Him. He corrects her with this:
✨ Blessed are those who HEAR the word of God and obey it.
That word HEAR means to LISTEN with FULL ATTENTION.
✨ We cannot truly obey God if we don’t know what He’s saying to us.
Basically, Jesus told this woman, and the others in the crowd, “Pay attention!! Don’t get distracted from my voice. I have important things to tell you. You won’t know what they are and what I want you to do, if all you’re thinking about is what you want to say or how you can gain attention. Put your attention on ME.”
It’s never fun to be Jesus’s object lesson.
The questions I’m asking myself …
✨ What keeps me from spending time alone with Jesus?
✨ When I finally get alone with Him, what distracts me?
✨ What keeps me from focusing on God’s Word?
✨ What causes my kind to wander when I’m praying?
➡️ Eliminating distractions …
➡️ Exercising discipline …
… to bring every thought captive to the obedience of Christ (2 Corinthians 10:5)
… brings true blessing.
#DianneThorntonTX #DianneMicroBlog #MiniBibleStudies #FaithfulFollowers
#StandingFirmBibleStudy #ArmorOfGod🗡🛡
#standfirminchrist #SpiritualBattles #NameOfGod #standfirminthefaith #fullarmorofgod #Ephesians6
#StudyScripture #LampToMyFeet #WordOfGodSpeaks #LovetheBible #LoveGodsWord #StudyGodsWord #LifeWithJesus #DevotionalTime #WordOfGodSpeak #GodsWordIsTruth #JesusAndCoffee #InTheWord #SeekHimFirst
#Luke1128 #ChristianWalk #HearAndObey #ListenAndObey #HearingGodsVoice](https://www.diannethornton.com/wp-content/plugins/instagram-feed-pro/img/placeholder.png)
