Graciousness – Woman to Woman

 

 Woman to Woman: “Share an important quote and what it means to you.”  

Hosted by My Many Colored Days.

This is my first time participating. Here is the quote I would like to share with you today:

 

“Graciousness is shown by what you don’t say,
even if what you could say would be true.”
Total Forgiveness by R.T. Kendall

 

The context for this quote is forgiving your enemy and not saying a “truth” that would make them look bad.  Graciousness is biting your tongue so that you do not damage your enemy’s reputation.   So often we would like to have the last word and retaliate with a great one liner to bring our enemy down and bring them down hard.  But, as Christians we are to pray for our enemies and to turn the other cheek.  It is God’s job to have revenge not mine.

We must be gracious, even to our enemies – HARD, HARD lesson to learn. May we all be gracious today!

If you would like to participate and share your favorite quote, head on over to My Many Colored Days.

Tuesday In Other Words – Prayer

Tuesdays In “other” Words is hosted this week by Laurel over at Laurel Wreath. Laurel has chosen the following quote:

“When there is little awareness of real need there is little real prayer.”
~ Donald S. Whitney ~
Spiritual Disciplines For the Christian Life

Realizing that I have not read this book, nor do I know the context of what the quote is referring to, I can only make an assumption regarding context. If the author is talking about the awareness for the need to pray and how vital it is to the Christian life, I can agree with this quote.  Prayer is the very breath of our Christian life and without it we would suffocate and die spiritually.  If this is not what this quote is referring to, I have a barrage of questions:

Do I only pray when there is a need?  Do I pray just to talk with God? Is God the Spiritual Santa Claus and I only go to him in prayer when I need something?  Do I have a relationship with God where I can go to Him other than always asking for something; seeking only his hand and not his face?   Do I pray just to converse with God?  Is my “real need” just to sit in the presence of The Holy God and  BE STILL? Is my “real need” to be thankful?  Am I not aware because of my pride? Why would I not be aware of a real need?  What is causing me not to be aware?  Is there sin in my life that needs confessing?  Have I not totally forgiven someone?  Am I not in fellowship with my Savior? Am I not in fellowship with other believers to know their ”real needs”? Do I know what “real prayer” is?

This quote caused me to take a good look at my prayer life; to see what my motives for prayer really are. I found myself praying “Search me O God and know my heart” yet again.  My focus needs to be on God and not on myself.  If my focus is on God, we are in communion and my prayers will be a  conversation with Him. He is in control and knows my needs. When my focus is on God, I am able to see where I am falling short and pray for forgiveness and restore that area in my relationship with Him.  When my focus is on God, He opens my eyes to the needs of others. 

God is so good. He does not leave us helpless.  Even if I do not know how to pray, God still hears my prayer because he can see my heart.

Romans 8:26-27

In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our
weakness. We do not know what we ought to
pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us
through wordless groans. And he who searches
our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because
the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance
with the will of God.

I hope you too will search your heart and return to the love relationship the Lord seeks to have with his followers.  If your prayer life is being neglected, run to the One who will restore that fellowship.  He is waiting.

For more thoughts on this quote go to Laurel Wreath