Find some time during your busy weekend to relax with Jesus as He speaks to you through these chapters. Imagine Him washing your feet just as He washed the feet of His disciples. What is He saying you?
Understand His comforting words, and accept the gift of the Holy Spirit to help you through your trials. Be refreshed in a new way so Jesus describes Himself as the true vine. Commit to abide in Him in a deeper way. Take some time during the weekend to record your reflections. Ame
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This Defrazzler will not only affect you, but will affect the life of another person. During your waiting times this week, focus on an individual; your waitress, a bank teller, a receptionist, or the person sitting in the next car. Ask the Father to direct you. He will draw you to a particular person. As you wait, pray specifically for that individual. The Holy Spirit will always impress upon you how to pray if you ask Him.
Anywhere you find yourself waiting, begin to pray. Your waiting time will take on a new meaning. Write about some of your prayer moments in your journal. May the Lord bless you this week. Take a mini-retreat this weekend and Read John 9-12. Consider Jesus' life as painted in these Scriptures. Hear His authority as He heals the blind man. capture His tenderness as He weeps with Mary and Martha over the death of Lazarus. Imagine the aroma of the perfume as Mary lovingly bathed her Savior's feet. Is your mind capturing the love of Jesus like never before?
Sometime this weekend, journal about your experience. These Chapters of John talk about the healing power of Christ. He was rejected by many in these verses, but just as today, many of us are blind to Jesus. We do not see the real Jesus. Reading these verses makes me see that sometimes I do not do the things God wants me to do, but we must live as Jesus lived and be committed to give our lives and works to him. May God give me answer this week to my role at my new church and my life here in DC Metro. May he give me the strength to do and live as he wants me to live. Amen. Ladies here is a great idea for Defrazzling your life.
This week you are going to create a detail book. Find a small notebook in which you can jot down your to - do list each day. List things you really need to or want to do before day's end: stop by the grocery, pick up dry cleaning, call a neighbor who is sick, make an appointment. Take a few moment in the morning or the evening before to make my list and pray over each item. My day goes more smoothly when I lift these items to the Father before I do them. Praying over your to-do list is a way of offering your entire day - even the little things - to Him. Write this thought in your book. Lord, here's my list of details, I'm recording things to do, errands to run, items to pick up, places to be, calls to make ... all the things that can drive me crazy if each one is not committed to You! Thank You for being the Lord of my details! Week 3 – Day 1 God is in Control
Focus: Focus on God instead of circumstances. Scripture: Prayerfully read Exodus 2:1-10. Open your heart to your Father, asking Him to bless this time. JOCHEBED and Her Circumstances God had given Jochebed, the mother of Moses (Exodus 6:20, NIV) the gift of beautiful baby boy, yet Pharaoh had ordered the death of every Hebrew male baby. How overwhelming her circumstances must have seemed! The mother of Moses knew God, Knowing Him led her to trust Him to take care of her child. Hebrews 11:23 tells us she disobeyed the king by hiding Moses for three months. What a courageous act of faith to place her baby in the bulrushes at the river’s edge. As a woman who loved God and understood the yearning of her own heart. Jochebed trusted Him completely with the welfare of her child. Her faith was rewarded as God inclined the heart of Pharaoh’s daughter to save the child, making his mother his nursemaid. Underline what you think may have been three of Jochebed’s most intense emotions as she lowered Moses into the basket. Anger expectancy hopelessness gratefulness Loneliness hopefulness distress weariness Fearfulness desperation anxiety determination Peacefulness excitement helplessness victimization Faithfulness guilt worry inadequacy Give a reason for each emotion you chose. 1. 2. 3. Life Can Be Unsettling Jochebed was in the middle of an unsettling circumstance yet she trusted that God was in control. You no doubt have experienced unsettling circumstances as well. “What causes you to be frazzled?” Mark an X on the line – indicating how much time you have for each area of your life. Skip the ones that don’t apply to you. 0 = no enough time. 5= adequate time; 10 = too much time. Building my relationship with my spouse O-----------------------------------------------------------------5------------------------------------10 Doing fun things with my children O-----------------------------------------------------------------5------------------------------------10 Exercising O-----------------------------------------------------------------5------------------------------------10 Showing kindness to others O-----------------------------------------------------------------5------------------------------------10 Being involved in church O-----------------------------------------------------------------5------------------------------------10 Being with friends O-----------------------------------------------------------------5------------------------------------10 Doing something just for me O-----------------------------------------------------------------5------------------------------------10 Choosing words from the list of Jochebed’s emotions, List some of your own feelings about the unsettling circumstance of TIME. Meeting Life’s Challenges I’m sure Jochebed drew from her maternal instincts in designing a plan she hoped would protect her baby. More importantly, she drew strength from her God who led her through a mission to protect and preserve not only the life of her young child but an entire nation of God’s children. How the Hebrew people would be blessed through the faithful leadership of Moses! Through Jochebed’s example we can learn two important principles of time management. First, Jochebed relied on God. Secondly, Jochebed was persistent. Her firm faith gave her the strength she needs to do what God called her to do. Place a check by the items on the last activity with a score less than 5. How many did you check? Pause right now to pray, Ask the Father if He wants you to give more time to these areas of your life. See His counsel about how to spend more time in each area. It takes tremendous faith, discipline and persistence to manage your time God’s way. As we work on time management principles this week, be open to God’s guidance. Perhaps it’s time for you to seek His counsel about what you do with the time He has given you. Just as He did for Jochebed, He will reward you with His strength, joy and provision. What is God revealing to you about how you are managing your time? As you close today’s study, start your prayer time with this prayer: Dear Father, I often feel overwhelmed with all I have to do. There never seems to be enough time to get everything done! Right now I’m seeking Your guidance. Please show me how to make the most of my time so I may bring glory to You. I love You. Week 3 – Day 2 More….
Focus: Making time with Jesus a priority will lessen the pressure of time issues. Scripture: Let the reading of Matthew 6:19-34 draw your focus to Jesus and His intense love for you. Worship Him as you Read. NEVER ENOUGH TIME Betty read the Sunday church bulletin that a ladies’ Bible study would begin next week. Her heart jumped with excitement as she anticipated gathering with Christian women to study and talk about Scripture. She longed to grow in her relationship with the Lord. She wanted to experience His peace and joy in her life on a daily basis. By Thursday night, Betty was exhausted from working at her daily job and coming home to begin “second shift”: the title she gave her responsibilities at home. Once again, she shelved the idea of the Bible Study, feeling she didn’t have enough time. She would attend when life wasn’t so busy. Write YES in the blanks beside the phrases you identify with in Betty’s story. ¾ Longing to grow in relationship with the Lord ¾ Wanting to experience His peace and joy ¾ Exhausted from working at daily job ¾ Coming home to begin second shift ¾ Not enough time for a Bible study ¾ Will join a Bible study when life isn’t so busy. Name something you put off because you were tired and busy. Did you go back and do it? Yes or No How do you feel about your decision? Treasures in Heaven I pray as you go through this week’s study you will be open to the Father’s revelation concerning time issues. He along can give you specific guidance to deal with the “time stress” in your life. Pause and prepare your heart to receive His message for you through the Scriptures. Thank Him for caring about your time. Consider these scenarios: Sue’s daughter, Heather plays soccer. During soccer season Heather’s afternoon are filled with soccer practice. After work Sue goes to watch practice. She and Heather usually grab a bite to eat on the way home. Is that an example of storing up treasures in heaven? Yes or No. Explain. Lisa shared this with our Bible study group. “When I walked into my kitchen at 6 a.m. I looked at the dirty dishes in the sink and then my Bible. For a moment I was torn about what do. Doing the dishes would give me a head start on my day, but I wouldn’t have time for Bible study. I decided to read my Bible; I had the most wonderful experience with God. The rest of my day went smoothly because I was filled with His peace.” Is this an example of storing up treasures in heaven? Yes or No Explain. Have you ever had an experience similar to Lisa’s? What happened? HAVING MORE Both of the above experiences could be examples of storing up treasures in heaven – depending on how you use your experience to glorify God and what He wants you to do with your time. I can’t possibly know what’s best for you in any area of your life, but your Father does. That’s why it’s so important to talk to Him about it. You will not have more time if you make Jesus a priority in your life, but the time you have will be MORE! More is what Lisa experienced when she made time with Jesus a priority over household chores. He gave her what she needed to complete each task. What a divine thing He does for us when we spend time with Him. How often do you make time with Jesus a priority? Circle the number. 1 2 3 4 5 hardly sometimes every Day TURNING A MARTHA DAY INTO A MARY DAY Jesus speaks directly to Martha in Luke 10:42, “Mary has made the right choice, and it will not be taken away from her.” When we daily make a divine appointment with Him, we will experience tremendous blessings to deal with our daily activities. Satan will use the “I don’t have time” attack to try to keep us from Bible study and prayer. But it’s our responsibility to make sure nothing stands in the way of our time with Jesus – especially when we don’t have time! In what areas of your life do you specifically long to experience His blessings? Underline them. As a mother as a wife at work cleaning house In my friendships serving others in my time with God other____________ Do you believe spending time with Him each day will lead you to experience His blessings? Yes or No Explain Circle three blessings you long for right now in your life. Peace joy patience intimacy with Jesus faithfulness Obedience Christlike love endurance gentleness This week’s defrazzler will help you experience greater peace in your daily activities. Some women are tempted to make only a mental list. I encourage you to write the items down daily and pray over each one. One excited Bible study member exclaimed. “This is how you turn a Martha day in a Mary’s day!” What are some truths He is revealing to you about time issues in your life? As you close today’s study, start your prayer time with the prayer: Dear Father, I long for Your peace in all I do. Lord, I want to do what’s to my advantage and to Your glory. Help me commit to sit at Your feet daily. Give me the persistence to do this, especially when I don’t have time. I want to experience Your peace and joy in my life. I love You. Focus: Exercising the power given to us by God to live a life that brings Him glory.
Scripture: Read Ephesians 2:1-10. Ask the Father to open your eyes to the reality of His power. GOD's Power In My Attitude Yesterday we began to explore the availability of God's power. We learned that as His children we have the gift of accessing His power in every situation we face, including our daily attitudes! The power available to you to have positive attitude is the same power God used when He raised Christ from the dead. How powerful is that? What's your part in accessing this power? According to Ephesians 1:19, it is to believe. I need to believe God for a positive attitude in ... Check all that apply to you.
It's not difficult to find negative things to think and complain about. We live in a much less than perfect world. It's more natural to behave in a negative way than in a positive one. The challenge comes in choosing to be positive in a negative world. Only God can provide that positive attitude when daily living is so filled with stress. SO, LORD HOW DO I DO THIS? At times I intellectually grasp a concept but I can't quite "plug it in" to my way of doing things. I find it so frustrating to understand what God is saying and yet remain uncertain as to how to put it to work in my life. When I get in one of these situations, I ask the Lord "How do I do this?" Write two "How do I do this? questions to the Lord. 1. 2. He will always answer when you call out to Him. As you seek Him and long to hear from Him, remember to be still long enough to experience His answer. Following are some of my experiences you may find help. THE WORRY BOX Anxiety and worry can lead to an extremely negative attitude. Ephesians 2 tells us this kind of thinking gratifies the craving of our sinful nature. Negativity keeps us busy with "self" obsessions. The enemy uses these as distractions to keep us from experiencing the peace of God which leads to distractions to keep us from experiencing the peace of God which leads to a positive attitude and a life that glorifies God. Ephesians also states that because of God's great love for us, we have been made alive in Christ. And this new life of ours is a gift from God! Years ago, I was impressed to give a gift back to the Father, I thought of worries that were occupying my mind, producing a cynical and negative attitude, and robbing me of my joy. I wrote them on separate sheets of paper and placed them in a box, giving them to the Father for a while week. I committed to not think of these issues for a week. Find a container or box and try this. Put your worries in the box. Write them on slips of paper. Place a check by the sentence when you have completed your task
How does giving these worries to the Lord makes you feel? SCRIPTURE CARDS I try to have a Scripture card handy while I'm waiting in line or anticipating a negative encounter. This keeps me from allowing negative thinking to creep in. Instead of focusing on a negative thought, I pull the card out and focus on the Scripture. Share a situation from the last couple of days when focusing on a Scripture could have helped you avoid negative thinking. FOCUSING ON PRAISE When I'm involved in a task that causes me to be irritated, "praise focus" becomes a delightful challenge. I often paraphrase Colossians 3:17 "Lord! I'm tired of cleaning up this kitchen, but I'm doing this for You and in Your name, I praise You for my family who made this mess at mealtime and for a physical body that can clean it up." You can be creative with this. And as you focus on the Lord and Scripture instead of the "event," you are empowered to glorify Him in everything you do. Try thinking of a recent scenario where you could have practiced a "praise focus." Write your paraphrase of Colossians 3:17 below. What is God revealing to you during your time with Him today? As you close today's study, start your prayer time with this prayer: Dear Father, Thank you for the gift of Your power in my life. Help me think of Your power often as i go about my daily activities. I love You. Week 2 Day 5 Being Positive in Negative Circumstances
Focus: Being positive in the face of negative situations Scripture: Ask the Father to reveal His purpose and ways to you as you prayerfully read Romans 4:18-25. No way! Glenda thought as she read her devotional about being positive in the midst of trails. Through a simple story, the author challenged her at the very point of her vulnerability. She had been engaged a year ago to a man she desperately loved and longed to spend her life with. Three weeks before the wedding, he walked away pledging his love to another. Check three feelings you imagine were at the top of Glenda’s emotional heap. o Anger o Confusion o Embarrassment o Loss of self-esteem o Betrayal o Shock o Rejection o Glad to be rid of him Have you ever experienced these feeling or similar ones? Did you have a difficult time being positive. Yes or No – Explain The author received a call from a friend who was experiencing difficulty with the concept of being positive when her world was falling apart. “It doesn’t seem humanly possible,” she said, “to be positive when so many bad things are happening to me. It doesn’t seem realistic? God does understand our inability and even our resistance to being positive when everything inside us feels negative. He knows that in our weakness we are not able to overlook all of life’s negatives and immediately jump into a positive lifestyle. He doesn’t want us to ignore the facts of the negative situation, but He does want us to rely on His power to get us through one step at a time. Abraham was Hopeful Based on your understanding of Romans 4:18-25 see if the following statements are True or False Abraham believe God because everything He said was made sense Abraham knew God would do what He said He would do even though he had reason not to believe Abraham faced the face that his body was as good as dead Abraham’s negative outlook got the best of him, and God did not receive glory God continued to bless Abraham for his hope and positive attitude. We Have a Reason to Be Positive As Christians we have a reason to be positive. At times God may ask you to be positive and hopeful about a situation simply because He is God and He is in charge of your life. The world says, “seeing is believing.” The Bible says that we must “trust in, adhere to, rely on God” (Romans 4:24, AMP). God wants you to believe Him first, without knowing the outcome of your situation! Pause and ask the Father to touch your heart about a particular situation where you need His power to be more positive. It may be one you’ve already thought of during this week’s study. Submit your free will to Him, asking Him to help you take small, positive steps of obedience. Have you ever heard someone say, “I’m not being negative, I’m just being realistic?” Some people think being positive is not being realistic. That line of thinking is contrary to Scripture. Just like Abraham you can face each situation by choosing to place your faith and hope in God. As you practice this, you will develop a mind that is open to the will of God – whatever that may be. Consider Glenda who fiancé’ ran out on her. By adopting a negative attitude, Glenda might say, “My life is over. No one will ever want me again. I’m going to be miserable the rest of my life.” By being positive and realistic, Glenda could say, “I hate that this happened and I hurt so much. I know it’s going to take time to get through this, but I trust God to restore me. He may send someone else my way if that’s His will for me. God knows what’s best for my life.” Self-talk day after day is encoded in our mind. We can make it explosive and filled with doubt and criticism or positive and filled with hope. Here are some examples of self-talk “why don’t I just give up?” “God is in control. Things are going to work out.” “I don’t understand, but I trust Him.” “God must really be disappointed in me.” “I’m never going to make it through this.” “Father, I turn this over to You. I choose to believe You will take care of it.” Can you identify with one of these examples? Is it positive or negative? Our Part is to Believe God sometimes wants us to mentally, emotionally, even physically back off from a situation, allowing Him to reveal his Glory as he resolves the issue. Romans 4 tell us that Abraham was strengthened and credited with righteousness as he believe God. As you close today’s study, start your prayer time with this prayer. Dear Father, You are speaking to me through Your love about the negative in my life. Thank You for understanding my weakness, my hurt, my frustration, I place ______________ in your keeping right now. I believe You love me and You will take care of this situation. Reveal Your glory, I love You. Week 2 – Day 3 – The Power of God
Focus: Focusing on God’s power in your life will help you grow a positive attitude. Scripture: Talk to the Father right now, giving Him your love and adoration. Ask Him to speak to you directly as you read Ephesians 1. Seek to hear Him as you enter into today’s study. Stress and Your Attitude All week Debbie had been looking forward to sleeping in on Saturday. Every day she had gotten up at her usual “abnormally early” time just to get things done. Her week was filled with putting out fires – everybody else’s. People always wanted her to do something but were never satisfied with anything she did. Every time she made a little progress with her work, she had to add another item to her to-do list. Early in the week Debbie promised God she would really try to have a more positive attitude. She told Him she wanted to spend more time with Him to soak in His goodness and joy. However, she had an aging parent who took much of her time and a family that didn’t help with housework. By the end of the week she was exhausted and grumpy. The only thing she looked ward to was sleeping late on Saturday morning. On Friday night, Erin, Debbie’s friend, called telling her that her husband, Jeff had to report to work at 7 am. The following day. Erin was sick and wondered if Debbie could keep two-year-old Carly on Saturday. Jeff could drop her off on his way to work. Imagine that You are Debbie. How would you feel about Erin’s call? If you listed guilt or self-condemnation among your emotions, you are not alone. We often feel guilty over our initial reaction to stress. Describe a recent situation when you overloaded with stress and reacted negatively. Place an x by the statements that describe how you felt about your attitude. ¾ I hate it when I say stupid things. ¾ Once again, I’ve failed you Lord. ¾ My witness is ruined. ¾ I’m never going to get any better. ¾ As soon as I get a little better, I mess up again. ¾ Other _________________________________ Life can be frustrating; it often is a challenge to remain positive when stressors are continually being thrown at you. Women generally can handle the big things in life that produce stress. Perhaps they have planned in advance for them and realize they are coming. However the accumulation of common daily hassles often sneak up on them and rob their joy and positive attitude. Look back at Debbie’s story. Underline the events that could contribute to a negative attitude. How do you think these events affected her attitude? What things are accumulating in your life that negatively affects your attitude? God’s Power is Available Debbie talked to God about her attitude. Aware that she needed to improve in this area, she promised Him to do so. She also longed to spend more time with Him and planned to make this happen. Her plan, however, rested in her own strength, resulting in major frustration! Have you ever told God you wanted to “do better”? Did you have difficulty with your “do better” plan? Why do you think people often have difficulty “doing better”? Even believers tend to forget it is the power of Jesus Christ living within us that enables us to become more Christ like. In Ephesians Paul prayed for those struggling Christians to realize the hope they have in Jesus. Read Ephesians 1:20 – “He demonstrated this power in the Messiah by raising Him from the dead and seating Him at His right hand in the heavens.” The power available to me is the same power God exerted in the ____________________ by __________ Him from the __________________! Read Ephesians 1:20 again. This same power is available to us to deal with other people, situations, and ourselves! Spend the remainder of today’s study time relaxing in the Lord. Meditate on the verses in Ephesians 1, focusing on this mighty power that is already yours as the daughter of your Father. Think of areas in your life where you want to begin to exercise God’s power so your attitude may become more like the attitude of Christ. After you’ve had time to consider what the Father is revealing to you, make some notes about it. You may want to think about this mighty power throughout the day and record your findings later. Dear Father, in my efforts to have a positive attitude, I fail miserably. Help me to love myself even when I feel guilty for not being more like You. Remind me that Your power is available to me to do all the things that often trigger a rotten attitude. I long to be more like You. Cleanse me and empower me with Your love. I love You. Week 2 - Day 1
A Positive Beginning Focus: Listening to God will help you be positive. Scripture: Begin today’ study by giving this time to the Lord. Ask Him to speak to your heart as you read Genesis 12:1-9. When God told Abraham to set out for a new land. Abraham chose to listen. He also chose to be positive about God’s direction for his life. Abraham’s obedience in his attitude and in his behavior caused him to be uprooted from his familiar way of life yet led him to discover God’s greatness. He chose to trust even when God’s promises seemed impossible to believe. Abraham sometimes strayed from the path by trying to work things out his way, but he continued to listen and be obedient as God called for his trust. You have a Choice God called Abraham to leave his home and family and go to a foreign country. Abraham must have experience some intense emotions! Place a check by the statements describing how Abraham may have felt. Ÿ He was pleased God asked him to do such an exciting thing Ÿ Leaving most of his family behind made him extremely sad. Ÿ Doubts filled his mind as he wondered if he had heard God correctly. Ÿ He was afraid and felt very insecure. Ÿ He was afraid of what people might think if he did such a crazy thing. Ÿ Although he didn’t understand God’s plan, he chose to trust Him. Think of a time God asked you to do something difficult or risky. Underline the words or phrases that describe how you felt. Afraid worried about the outcome Doubtful wondering why God asked me to do such a thing Impatient preoccupied with what others might think Hesitant wanting to be obedient but feeling inadequate Anxious other _____________________________ Probably nothing in God’s plan made sense to Abraham in the beginning. Perhaps that’s how you felt when God asked you to step out of your comfort zone. However, in going with God Abraham headed in a positive direction. Anytime you listen to God and obey His words you are moving in a positive direction. Abraham Made Positive Choices “[He] went, as the Lord had told him” (Gen 12:4). Being obedient to the Lord is a sure way to move in a positive direction. Like Abraham’s experience, your obedience might involve some difficult “moves” on your part. But any discomfort you experience will eventually lead you to God’s blessings. Describe a time you felt God telling you to do something difficult, but you did it out of obedience to Him. How did God bless your obedience? As Abraham continued his journey of obedience, the Lord continued to reveal Himself and His plan. Abraham, in turn, worshipped God. “[Abraham] built an altar there to the Lord” (Gen 12:7). As you grow in your walk with the Lord and gradually develop a lifestyle of listening to Him and obeying Him, remember to worship Him along the way. Worship is an integral part of developing a positive lifestyle. We can rejoice in the truth of Jeremiah 29:11! Pause and worship your Heavenly Father. Thank Him for taking care of you and giving you a future with Him. Seeking God’s direction in every part of life will help us become and remain positive. The more time we spend with Him, the more positive we will become!!! In which of the following areas do you need God’s direction to become more positive? Check all that apply Ÿ Attitude Ÿ Behavior Ÿ Housework Ÿ Relationship with _____ husband ___ children ___ friend ____ coworker Ÿ Other Being positive involves more than what we think about. For the Christian a positive attitude encompasses out whole being. We become positive by listening to God, obediently following His directions, continually worshipping Him, and seeking His guidance. What is God revealing to you about becoming a more positive person? _______________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ As you close today’s study, start your prayer time with this prayer: Dear Father, I want to be more positive. Please make me aware of those times when I say things and act in ways that are not pleasing to You. Teach me to express myself in ways that truly bring You glory. Cleanse me from negative thinking and infuse me with your joy. I love you. |
