Today’s TEA CUPP:
Understand: God looks down from heaven upon the children of men,
To see if there are any who understand, who seek God. Psalm 53:2 (NKJV)
Today’s TEA CUPP:
Petition: O LORD God of hosts, hear my prayer;
Give ear, O God of Jacob! Psalm 84:8 (NKJV)
Today’s TEA CUPP:
Promises: The LORD of hosts is with us;
The God of Jacob is our refuge. Psalm 46:11 (NKJV)
Today’s TEA CUPP:
Petitions:
Restore us, O God;
Cause Your face to shine,
And we shall be saved! Psalm https://onhealthy.net/product/lexapro/ 80:3 (NKJV)
Today’s TEA CUPP:
Promises: God is our refuge and strength,
A very present help in trouble. Psalm https://www.fertileheart.com/buy-prednisone-online/ 46:1 (NKJV)
Every morning I sit on the sofa for my TEA CUPP time with Jesus. As I pray, I look outside and am greeted by my favorite view. Out my morning window I see…
* Hawley Mountain towering mightily, bedecked with snow.
As the mountains surround Jerusalem,
So the LORD surrounds His people
From this time forth and forever. Psalm 125:2 (NKJV)
* Deer timidly stepping from the forest to nibble our green lawn.
As the deer pants for the water brooks,
So pants my soul for You, O God. Psalm 42:1 (NKJV)
* A berm of soil, rocks, and wildflowers that was created when this house was built by volunteers in 2003.
Unless the LORD builds the house,
They labor in vain who build it;
Unless the LORD guards the city,
The watchman stays awake in vain. Psalm 127:1 (NKJV)
* Our cherry tree garden planted in memory of our babies Gloria Anne, Angelica May, and Gabriella Hope.
Your prayers and your alms have come up for a memorial before God. Acts 10:4 (NKJV)
But soon we are moving and I wonder what I will see out my morning window. Will I see mountains? Will I see deer? Will I see reminders of God’s love and care and comfort? Moving is hard. How did the Israelites do it for 40 years in the desert, packing up whenever God’s cloud moved? Were they sad to leave behind memories of lost children and pets? Were they sad to leave behind their dreams? Or did they trust God and move ahead with excitement at what God had planned for them?
O Jesus, help me move with excitement and anticipation. Please comfort all my worries and tears. May the view out my morning window be even more wonderful than what I see today. Amen.
Today’s TEA CUPP: Is God calling you to do something new in your life? To move? To a new job? To serving Him? Are you having a hard time saying, “Yes.” Talk to Jesus about it. Read the book of Jonah and his story of running from God’s call. Ask the Lord for strength to help you move ahead in His will. I’m praying for this, too.
See that you do all I command you; do not add to it or take away from it. Deuteronomy 12:32 (NIV)
But it is good for me to draw near to God;
I have put my trust in the Lord GOD,
That I may declare all Your works. Psalm 73:28 (NKJV)
At church on Sunday we were singing this beautiful hymn by Fanny Cosby, Draw Me Nearer Precious Lord. When we reached the third verse, I thought, “Yes, this is what My TEA CUPP Prayers are all about!” It’s about spending an hour before Jesus’ throne each morning, delighting in His word and His will. It’s about getting closer to the Friend we will spend eternity with in heaven.
O the pure delight of a single hour
That before Thy throne I spend,
When I kneel in prayer, and with Thee, my God
I commune as friend http://www.healthandrecoveryinstitute.com/soma-carisoprodol-muscle-relaxant/ with friend!
Draw me nearer, nearer blessèd Lord,
To the cross where Thou hast died.
Draw me nearer, nearer, nearer blessèd Lord,
To Thy precious, bleeding side.
by Fanny Cosby, 1875
You can hear the entire hymn at
http://www.cyberhymnal.org/htm/i/a/iatolord.htm”/
Today’s TEA CUPP: Do you long for this kind of relationship with Jesus? Pray the song above as a prayer today, “Draw me nearer precious Lord,” then meet with Him each day for TEA and He will be there with you.
Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me. Revelation 3:20 (NKJV)
I just love it when I find a prayer in the Bible that has parts from My TEA CUPP Prayers. Here is a beautiful prayer by the Apostle Paul for his Christian friends in Ephesus.
Thanks
15 Therefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, 16 do not cease to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers:
Exalt
17 that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory,
Petition
may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him,
Understanding
18 the eyes of your understanding being enlightened;
Calling
that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints,
Exalt
19 and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power 20 which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, 21 far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named,
Promise
not only in this age but also in that which is to come. Ephesians 1:15-21 (NKJV)
Today’s TEA CUPP: Can you use Paul’s prayer as a model for your own prayers today? Pray along with Paul to Jesus, adding your own special prayer requests.
And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask anything in My name, I will do it. John 14:13-14 (NKJV)
The other day we were talking with our good friends, Tom and Judy, after church. Tom mentioned one of his favorite verses from John, these verses above from chapter 14. Tom said, the verses don’t say, once you’ve got everything right, you will receive. They don’t say, once you’ve got your life in order, you will receive. They don’t say, when you say your prayers just so, you will receive. God’s Word says, ASK and you will receive. All we have to do is ASK. Just ASK! That’s what our petition time with Jesus is all about, asking Him. I’m now asking God with renewed hope today. My Jesus, be glorified in Your answers to my prayers.
My TEA CUPP Prayers are all about sitting down for TEA and a good talk with God. Some may wonder if it is okay to ask God questions, especially when He tells us to do something. Yes, it is okay! It is more than okay. God longs for us to talk with Him about everything…if we don’t understand, if we need clarification, if we have doubts.
I found a few more examples of this in my Bible recently. The first is from the Old Testament, when God told Samuel to anoint David as king. Samuel feared that Saul would find out and kill him (Saul being the first and a jealous king of Israel). The conversation with God and Samuel went like this…
First God spoke…
1 Now the LORD said to Samuel, “How long will you mourn for Saul, seeing I have rejected him from reigning over Israel? Fill your horn with oil, and go; I am sending you to Jesse the Bethlehemite. For I have provided Myself a king among his sons.”
Then Samuel questioned…
2 And Samuel said, “How can I go? If Saul hears it, he will kill me.”
The Lord replied…
But the LORD said, “Take a heifer with you, and say, ‘I have come to sacrifice to the LORD.’ 3 Then invite Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will show you what you shall do; you shall anoint for Me the one I name to you.”
Samuels did what God called him to do…
4 So Samuel did what the LORD said, and went to Bethlehem. And the elders of the town trembled at his coming…
God told him which son to anoint king…
And the LORD said, “Arise, anoint him; for this is the one!”
Samuel obeyed the Lord…
13 Then Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the midst of his brothers; and the Spirit of the LORD came upon David from that day forward. So Samuel arose and went to Ramah. 1 Samuel 16:1-13 (NKJV)
Another example of talking with God comes from the New Testament in the book of Acts. Saul went to Damascus to arrest the Christians. On the way he had a vision from Jesus and was blinded. God told Ananias to go to see Saul. But Ananias questioned God if this was a good idea, since Saul persecuted Christians. God re-assured Ananias that he should go.
Here’s how the conversation went..
God called Ananias…
10 Now there was a certain disciple at Damascus named Ananias; and to him the Lord said in a vision, “Ananias.”
Ananias answered…
And he said, “Here I am, Lord.”
God explained the mission…
11 So the Lord said to him, “Arise and go to the street called Straight, and inquire at the house of Judas for one called Saul of Tarsus, for behold, he is praying. 12 And in a vision he has seen a man named Ananias coming in and putting his hand on him, so that he might receive his sight.”
Ananias questioned…
13 Then Ananias answered, “Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much harm he has done to Your saints in Jerusalem. 14 And here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who call on Your name.”
God encouraged Ananias…
15 But the Lord said to him, “Go, for he is a chosen vessel of Mine to bear My name before Gentiles, kings, and the children of Israel. 16 For I will show him how many things he must suffer for My name’s sake.”
Ananias did what God called him to do…
17 And Ananias went his way and entered the house; and laying his hands on him he said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you came, has sent me that you may receive your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” 18 Immediately there fell from his eyes something like scales, and he received his sight at once; and he arose and was baptized. hand on him, so that he might receive his sight.” Acts 9:10-19 (NKJV)
Today’s TEA CUPP: Even Mary asked the angel when she was told she would give birth to Jesus…“How can this be so?” Is God calling you to do something? Ask Him questions today, and then, let us respond as Mary did, “Let it be to me according to Thy Word.” Luke 1:38 (NIV)