Last Sunday my prayer buddy Mary B emailed asking that I tune in to Joyce Meyer who believes that “working on myself changes my attitude toward others, especially those with whom I’m experiencing conflict” (2008).
Perfect timing
Tuesday evening I was multitasking as usual, still ruminating Sunday’s message, ironing, sewing, surfing TV channels. Steven was at a three-day meeting in DC, so I had the remote control, and there was Joyce Meyer again.
“I belong to God, and he loves me,” she asked the audience to say.
Her words stopped me in the middle of the kitchen as I made my way to the ironing board. Steven had been so busy with his meetings that we hadn’t communicated lovingly since he’d left Monday morning.
“Believe and receive”
Build confidence in God’s love. Confess your love out loud. Study [the Word]. Read it. Meditate on it. Thank him for his love. But, most of all, say, “I believe God loves me, and I receive it by faith” (Meyer).
Joyce referenced Psalm 86:17: “Grant me a proof of your favor, that my enemies may see, to their confusion, that you, O Lord, have helped and comforted me.
Watch for signs of God’s love. Record them in a journal… and look for the seemingly silliest things important only to you.
Joyce mentioned the time she’d craved zucchini bread, only to be surprised by a woman in the audience who’d baked a loaf just for her.
Personalized blessings
Joyce’s program ended, so I headed for the computer. Personal blessings meant just for me, I reminded myself. Wow, Steven had emailed. My own personal gift. Something meant just for me.
I was in hog’s heaven because the message hit home. Hallelujah! Praise God! God sure works fast! I chuckled. I immediately emailed Mary B to share the news, and I’ve been glowing ever since.
So, Joyce Meyer’s message is this: Look for “signs of God’s love;” acknowledge them; and give thanks and praise for God’s many gifts, big and small, in our everyday lives.
November 6, 2015
At the end of the spiritual exercises, Ignatius invites us to “ask for an intimate knowledge of the many blessings received, that filled with gratitude for all, I may in all things love and serve the Divine Majesty.” Master Ignatius reminds us that God not only is a giver of gifts, but also continues to dwell in the gifts given, always working and laboring to share divine life and love with me, and us. For Ignatius, and for us, gratitude is the only appropriate response. When you give thanks— for family, for friends, for work, for health— to whom are you turning your heart and mind? May your thanks giving open you to generously offer all the gifts received to the Lord and his people. Take Lord, and receive… (Ignatian Institute).
December 17, 2016
Hold on to Jesus, God-with-us. Look for signs of his presence in your life. Wrap yourself in his protection. Most of all, rejoice in it! God has sent his son to you. You have a savior who is always with you! (the Word among us, November 27 – December 31, 2016, p. 45).
March 21, 2017
Have you ever stopped to consider the enormous sum that many “littles” can come to? (St. Josemaría Escrivá).
November 14, 2017
When does God speak to us? He speaks at all times, especially in prayer. Prayer is a conversation with God. But it is not a monologue. When we pray, then, we should also listen (Fr. Kilian J. Healy in Awakening Your Soul to Presence of God).
January 30, 2018
“Patience is not simply the ability to wait— it’s how we behave while we’re waiting” (Joyce Meyer).
Links of interest… Cultivating gratitude… Gratefulness… Hope & why the little things matter in the big picture… How to practice gratitude… If your life is utterly ordinary, you might well be on the right track… Ignatian Spirituality: dotMagis blog / find your inner Iggy / gratitude list / prayer online / videos: (1) Ignatian prayer, (2) Ignatian prayer: An overview, (3) Finding God in all things, (4) Spiritual exercises, (5) Examen, (6) Discernment… Joyce Meier… Morning & new beginnings prayers… Savoring the small stuff… To be truly humble, use the gifts God gave you…
WP page… Steven’s looking-glass…
WP posts… Dear God… Gifts… In good time… Letter to Santa… Making meaning… Morning exchanges… My Franciscan Crown… Prayer and praise… Two angels
Filed under: prayer, spiritual gifts, thanksgiving and praise | Tagged: building community, God's master plan, overcoming adversity |
Shared thoughts... 
You’re absolutely right, Jay. “The one who seeks, finds” (Mt. 7:8). I especially agree with you that “he knows the desires of our hearts even before we voice them” because I’m living a life that only God could’ve made possible. He’s sooo incredibly awesome!
I had occasion to visit with a dear friend, now 87 years young, twice today.
He mentioned that even at this age, he had trouble living in the “Eternal Now.” That surprised me because I think of him as being someone who has transcended a lot of the small stuff that drags all of us down. He shared that my understanding of God where He works outside of time and is eternally in the present, the past and the future was a hard concept to get his arms around.
I believe the path to that way of thinking comes from continuously focusing on praise and thanksgiving to God.
When I was a newly committed adult Christian in the late 70’s, I got a book entitled, Living in High Victory. The author had several points about approaching life as a child of God’s Kingdom. The most memorable element to me was to pattern our lives after St. Paul’s call to “in everything give thanks” (1 Thes. 5:18). When every issue, challenge, problem, loss and fear is reframed into what can I be thankful for, we are led to a life where praising God becomes a dominant way of interacting in the world.
It seems to me that Joyce’s Meyer is right on in her interpretation of Ps. 86. When we are watching for signs of God’s love, we become more aware of His intimate knowledge of us, how He knew us from before we were growing in our mother’s womb. He knows the desires of our hearts even before we voice them.
I encounter God’s treats for me daily— a new singing bird sent to my pine tree even in the dry conditions, white lilies blooming under our struggling magnolia tree as a sign of hope, the survival of my orchid tree after it was mistakenly cut down, my mom remembering little things from our shared past.
Yes, our cups run over if we pause to note and celebrate how cherished we are as His children.