Andy's Inspiration Box

"The highest ideal of prayer is to have the Holy Spirit pray through us. He is in us to inspire our desires and longings, to quicken our minds and hearts, and giving us prayers, to pray them through us. "..."We can only realize His ideal for our prayer-life by abiding in Him and trusting Him moment by moment to pray though us with His own mighty intercessions ." - C.H.P. (Springs in the Valley - March 31)

Colossians 3:15-17 The Message (MSG) 15-17  Let the peace of Christ keep you in tune with each other, in step with each other. None of this going off and doing your own thing. And cultivate thankfulness. Let the Word of Christ—the Message—have the run of the house. Give it plenty of room in your lives. Instruct and direct one another using good common sense. And sing, sing your hearts out to God! Let every detail in your lives—words, actions, whatever—be done in the name of the Master, Jesus, thanking God the Father every step of the way.

Romans 15:1-2 English Standard Version (ESV) 15 We who are strong have an obligation to bear with the failings of the weak, and not to please ourselves. 2 Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, to build him up.

"Persistent, internal inklings matched by external confirmation is often the way God directs believers into His will."  - Priscilla Shirer

Proverbs 2:1-5 English Standard Version (ESV) The Value of Wisdom 2 My son, if you receive my words     and treasure up my commandments with you, 2  making your ear attentive to wisdom     and inclining your heart to understanding; 3  yes, if you call out for insight     and raise your voice for understanding, 4  if you seek it like silver     and search for it as for hidden treasures, 5  then you will understand the fear of the Lord     and find the knowledge of God.

"Stop trying to work things out before their times have come. Accept the limitations of living one day at a time." - Sarah Young Ecclesiastes 3:1 New King James Version (NKJV) To everything there is a season, A time for every purpose under heaven...

"We must cease striving and trust God to provide what He thinks is best and in whatever time He chooses to make it available. But this kind of trusting doesn't come naturally. It's a spiritual crisis of the will in which we must choose to exercise faith." - Charles R. Swindoll

Isaiah 26:3 New Century Version (NCV) 3  You,  Lord , give true peace      to those who depend on you,      because they trust you.

John 15:16 English Standard Version (ESV) 16  You did not choose me, but   I chose you and appointed you that you should go and   bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that   whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you.

"The things that are “freely given to us by God” (1 Corinthians 2:12) are the only things we need to know now. A lot of the reason we grow so upset and disturbed about not hearing specifically from God is that we want what isn’t “freely given.” When we pray, “Lord, show me Your will,” we’re often asking for things that He knows are not pertinent for another twenty years. We want God to paint the whole picture right away, but He wisely withholds certain truths and information from us until we need it, when we can actually do something with it besides just mess it up." - Priscilla Shirer

"The real truth is, that He is to come into the life of His servant to better qualify him for a more vital revelation of Himself; for with God 'the worker is more than the work'" - Springs in the Valley (March 26)

Romans 12:2 New Century Version (NCV) 2  Do not be shaped by this world; instead be changed within by a new way of thinking. Then you will be able to decide what God wants for you; you will know what is good and pleasing to him and what is perfect.

Acts 20:22-24 New King James Version (NKJV) 22  And see, now I go bound in the spirit to Jerusalem, not knowing the things that will happen to me there,   23  except that the Holy Spirit testifies in every city, saying that chains and tribulations await me.   24  But none of these things move me; nor do I count my life dear to myself, [ a ]   so that I may finish my race with joy, and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God.

"Cultivate a thankful heart, for this glorifies Me and fills you with joy."  - Sarah Young, Jesus Calling

Psalm 56:12-13 New International Version (NIV) 12  I am under vows  to you, my God;      I will present my thank offerings to you. 13  For you have delivered me from death      and my feet from stumbling, that I may walk before God      in the light of life.

“The more we let God take us over, the more truly ourselves we become - because He made us. He invented us. He invented all the different people that you and I were intended to be. . .It is when I turn to Christ, when I give up myself to His personality, that I first begin to have a real personality of my own.” - C.S. Lewis

"God surpasses our dreams when we reach past our personal plans and agenda to grab the hand of Christ and walk the path he chose for us.  He is obligated to keep us dissatisfied until we come to him and his plan for complete satisfaction.”  ―  Beth Moore ,  Breaking Free: Discover the Victory of Total Surrender

"Stirred by the examples of Old Testament heroes of faith, we can be even more stirred by a fresh vision of Jesus, the supreme exponent of faith. He is the pioneer of faith who leads us on to show us the way." - Selwyn Hughes

John 1:1-5 English Standard Version (ESV) The Word Became Flesh 1  In the beginning was  the Word, and  the Word was with God, and  the Word was God.   2  He was in the beginning with God.   3  All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made.   4  In him was life, and  the life was the light of men.   5  The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

"How many times have we knocked on doors which God was not opening and then been surprised when we have stumbled on one which He was?" - Selwyn Hughes

Isaiah 61:10-11 English Standard Version (ESV) 10  I will greatly rejoice in the  Lord ;      my soul shall exult in my God, for he has clothed me with the garments of salvation;      he has covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decks himself  like a priest with a beautiful headdress,      and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels. 11  For as the earth brings forth its sprouts,      and as a garden causes what is sown in it to sprout up, so the Lord  God  will cause righteousness and praise      to sprout up before all the nations.

    Hebrews 2:1-4 J.B. Phillips New Testament (PHILLIPS)   2  1-4  We ought, therefore, to pay the greatest attention to the truth that we have heard and not allow ourselves to drift away from it. For if the message given through angels proved authentic, so that defiance of it and disobedience to it received appropriate retribution, how shall we escape if we refuse to pay proper attention to the salvation that is offered us today? For this salvation came first through the words of the Lord himself: it was confirmed for our hearing by men who had heard him speak, and God moreover has plainly endorsed their witness by signs and miracles, by all kinds of spiritual power, and by gifts of the Holy Spirit, all working to the divine plan.

Jeremiah 31:3-4 English Standard Version (ESV) I have loved you with an everlasting love;      therefore  I have continued my faithfulness to you. 4  Again I will build you, and you shall be built...

Psalm 126:1-3 New King James Version (NKJV) A Joyful Return to Zion A Song of Ascents. 126  When the   Lord   brought back the captivity of Zion, We were like those who dream. 2  Then our mouth was filled with laughter, And our tongue with singing. Then they said among the nations, “The   Lord   has done great things for them.” 3  The   Lord   has done great things for us, And   we are glad.

Matthew 10:39 English Standard Version (ESV) 39  Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. 

Our life is but a little holding lent To do a mighty labor. We are one With heaven and the stars when it is spent To do God's will. It is possible for us to cross God's plan for our lives. - Springs in the Valley (March 18)

" I put all my hope in the truth of Your promise". - Audrey Assad

2 Timothy 1:12 English Standard Version (ESV) 12 ...for   I know whom I have believed, and I am convinced that he is able to guard until   that Day   what has been entrusted to me.

2 Corinthians 1:20 English Standard Version (ESV) 20  For  all the promises of God find their Yes in him. That is why it is through him that we utter our  Amen to God for his glory.

"Strength of my heart, I need not fail, Not mind to fear but to obey, With such a Leader, who could quail? Thou art as Thou wert yesterday. Strength of my heart, I rest in Thee, Fulfil Thy purposes through me." - Amy Carmichael

Colossians 3:15  Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. 

"Sometimes My blessings come to you in mysterious ways: through pain and trouble. At such times you can know My goodness only through your trust in Me. Understanding will fail you, but trust will keep you close to Me." -  Sarah Young , Jesus Calling

"We take up our cross not when we put up with grumpy relatives or bad weather but when we choose, on a daily basis, to forego self-interest in order to follow His leadership in living. Interestingly, and most importantly, we discover that we don't lose our true selves this way; paradoxically, we find out who we really are only as we relate to Him." - Selwyn Hughes

“There is nothing dreary or doubtful about (the life). It is meant to be continually joyful...We are called to a settled happiness in the Lord whose joy is our strength.” - Amy Carmichael

Romans 8:10 The Message (MSG) 9-11  But if God himself has taken up residence in your life, you can hardly be thinking more of yourself than of him. Anyone, of course, who has not welcomed this invisible but clearly present God, the Spirit of Christ, won’t know what we’re talking about. But for you who welcome him, in whom he dwells—even though you still experience all the limitations of sin—you yourself experience life on God’s terms. It stands to reason, doesn’t it, that if the alive-and-present God who raised Jesus from the dead moves into your life, he’ll do the same thing in you that he did in Jesus, bringing you alive to himself? When God lives and breathes in you (and he does, as surely as he did in Jesus), you are delivered from that dead life. With his Spirit living in you, your body will be as alive as Christ’s!

"True faith means holding nothing back. It means putting every hope in God's fidelity to His promises." - Francis Chan

1 Thessalonians 5:17 New Revised Standard Version (NRSV) 17  pray without ceasing, "Prayer is ongoing communication with God and as such occurs beneath the articulate, verbal level. Most of my own prayers are silent and break all sorts of grammatical rules! So we can be driving a car, doing the shopping, watching TV, or weeding the garden and at the same time be praying. Our prayers at such times may be silent expressions of barely conscious thoughts. Or they can be silent or verbalised fragments that intrude into our other activities from time to time.  Seeing prayer in this way allows us to have prayer in the centre of our life, not as some separate compartment. We turn our ceaseless thoughts into ceaseless prayer. All those fear-flooded concerns can be converted to prayers. All that glad remembrance can become prayer. All our restless preoccupation can be transformed into prayer. We do this by bringing God into the picture. Rather than just thinking, we think and i...

"A fine glass vase goes from treasure to trash, the moment it is broken. Fortunately, something else happens to you and me. Pick up your pieces. Then, help me gather mine." -  Vera Nazarian

Isaiah 58:11 King James Version (KJV) 11  And the   Lord   shall guide thee continually, and satisfy thy soul in drought, and make fat thy bones: and thou shalt be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters fail not.

James 1:12 New International Version (NIV) 12  Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial  because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life  that the Lord has promised to those who love him.

"Though Thy way be long and dreary, Eagle strength He'll still renew." - Springs in the Valley (March 9)

"No one is useless in this world who lightens the burdens of another."  - Charles Dickens

"I may not be where I need to be but I thank God I am not where I used to be." - Joyce Meyer

Hebrews 12:1-3 New International Version (NIV) 12  Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run  with perseverance  the race marked out for us,   2  fixing our eyes on Jesus,  the pioneer  and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross,  scorning its shame,  and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3  Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary  and lose heart.

"It takes faith to come to God simply to be with Him. It proves, first of all, that we believe He exists. And that He is our greatest gift." - Stormie Omartian

Acts 13:32-33a New King James Version (NKJV) 32  And we declare to you glad tidings—that promise which was made to the fathers.   33  God has fulfilled this for us their children, in that He has raised up Jesus.

"Giving thanks to God is what ushers one into the very presence of God." - Ann Voskamp

Isaiah 30:18  (Living Bible) Yet the Lord still waits for you to come to him so he can show you his love; he will conquer you to bless you, just as he said. For the Lord is faithful to his promises. Blessed are all those who wait for him to help them.

Ephesians 6:10-12 The Message (MSG) A Fight to the Finish 10-12 God is strong, and he wants you strong. So take everything the Master has set out for you, well-made weapons of the best materials. And put them to use so you will be able to stand up to everything the Devil throws your way. This is no afternoon athletic contest that we’ll walk away from and forget about in a couple of hours. This is for keeps, a life-or-death fight to the finish against the Devil and all his angels.

"The resources of the Christian life," says Dr. Robert F Horton, "are just Jesus Christ." He is our regal provision for the way. He is the way. Let us draw upon these Divine resources. Whom should He bless, even on earth, if not His own? - Springs in the Valley (March 5)

Proverbs 3:5-12 The Message (MSG) 5-12  Trust  God  from the bottom of your heart;      don’t try to figure out everything on your own. Listen for  God ’s voice in everything you do, everywhere you go;      he’s the one who will keep you on track. Don’t assume that you know it all.      Run to  God ! Run from evil! Your body will glow with health,      your very bones will vibrate with life! Honor  God  with everything you own;      give him the first and the best. Your barns will burst,      your wine vats will brim over. But don’t, dear friend, resent God ’s discipline;      don’t sulk under his loving correction. It’s the child he loves that God  corrects;      a father’s delight is behind all this.

"When your heart is churned up because you sense you are at odds with the world - the world that ultimately crucified Jesus - it is possible to sense an inner peace that confess from knowing that God's b purposes will be filled despite the negatives that shout at you from all directions." - Selwyn Hughes

"Gratitude is not only the memories of our heart; gratitude is a memory of God's heart and to thank is to remember God." - Ann Voskamp

"Faith must first have visions; faith sees a light, if you will, an imaginary light, and leaps! Faith is always born of vision and hope! We must have the gleam of the thing hoped for shining across the waste before we can have an energetic and energizing faith." - Springs in the Valley (March 3)

Psalm 27:13-14 The Message (MSG) I’m sure now I’ll see God’s goodness      in the exuberant earth. Stay with  God !      Take heart. Don’t quit. I’ll say it again:      Stay with  God .

Proverbs 4:25-27 English Standard Version (ESV) 25 Let your eyes look directly forward, and your gaze be straight before you. 26 Ponder[a] the path of your feet; then all your ways will be sure. 27 Do not swerve to the right or to the left; turn your foot away from evil.

"Without God's Word as a lense, the world warps. Who deserves any grace? When I realise that... I... am in His great debt, then doesn't it all become a gift?"  - Ann Voskamp

Matthew 6:22-23 The Message (MSG) 22-23  “Your eyes are windows into your body. If you open your eyes wide in wonder and belief, your body fills up with light. If you live squinty-eyed in greed and distrust, your body is a dank cellar. If you pull the blinds on your windows, what a dark life you will have!

"The men who have done the most for God in this world have been early on their knees. He who fritters away the early morning, its opportunity and freshness, in other pursuits than seeking God will make poor headway seeking Him the rest of the day. If God is not first in our thoughts and efforts in the morning, He will be in the last place the remainder of the day." E.M. Bounds