Letter to tuck in your pocket

Receiving hand-written letters in the mail is a rarity these days. 

When we are eagerly waiting to hear from a loved one, then it is even more special.

Words are devoured. Sentences savoured. Lines linger in our minds.

And we read them over and over again, unwilling to put them down or away.

So we tuck the letter in a secret place away from prying eyes, ready to return to at our leisure and enjoy it all over again.

Have you ever thought about God's word being like a personal letter to our souls?

We benefit from seeing it as such.

The Bible is His love letter to reassure, comfort, speak truth, grace and light into our darkness.

Words of affirmation, encouragement, help, healing, hope, forgiveness and mercy.

Words that change lives, restore, transform, teach, guide, give wisdom, strength and peace.

Who wouldn't want such a letter?

And as we make our journey of faith, God continues to pour forth words we can tuck away into our pockets, hearts and minds. 

They may be direct from the Bible as words seem to come alive for us as we read them. Or they may be words He whispers close any time when we are receptive or have paused specifically to listen to Him.

God's love and ability to express Himself are inexhaustible.

During this year, I've been greatly blessed by hearing personal words from God that have helped me tremendously. I sense they're not all meant for me alone.

Maybe my slow, tortoise-like life has equipped me to be still long enough to hear them, or maybe He has opened my ears to listen better to His voice than I could before.

I call them 'Prayer Whispers' and I'd like to share some with you here. They are words I have tucked into my Prayer Journal and my heart and mind.

Prayer Whisper:Change and renewal

"Change and renewal also require a mourning process. Until you can let go of the old ways of doing, thinking and believing, your arms and heart are too burdened and weighed down to receive the new.

It is a process of trust and faith. Relinquishing the old can make you feel empty, lost and confused because you cannot yet see the things I have in mind to replace what you have surrendered.

In the Divine Exchange I will pour more of Myself into you as you make space for me to do so. You won't be left empty-handed. Rather, you will be set free to receive and have an abundance to give out to others.

Listen to what My Spirit is saying to you. Heed My voice. My desire is to bless you, not to harm you, to give you hope and a future."

********

Prayer Whisper:Living with challenging circumstances

"Take courage. Though your circumstances may not be as you want them to be, trust that I am working in and through them to produce fruit and a harvest of righteousness in your life.

To step away from the crowd and live differently can feel scary, but I never intended for you to follow everyone else. My plan for your life is individual and personal. It is uniquely tailored for what I want to accomplish in your life, who I desire to reach and impact by your example and testimony.

Though it can feel as if you are wearing clothes that don't fit or chafe you, trust that this is all part of My plan. In time you will begin to notice more and more how I am using the very things you fight against to shape you as my precious child.

The cracks and imperfections in your life enable the Light of my glory to shine all the brighter through them. Keep surrendering yourself and every aspect of your life to Me and it will become beautiful in the process."

********

Prayer Whisper:When you are in a waiting period

"Great patience is needed in the waiting period. Though it may feel like a dark night of the soul where you cannot perceive any light, keep on trusting and believing that I am already acting on your behalf.

However long the night is, remember that joy comes in the morning. In due time you will experience the joy of needs and expectations met as you surrender them to My refining process.

My best work cannot be hurried. Impatience will spoil what I am achieving in you through the waiting process. Do not lose heart or become discouraged.

Seek My presence; rest in confident, child-like trust and faith; stay rooted and grounded in My Word and refreshed and enabled by My Spirit.

Continue to look for the glimmers of grace which remind you I am at work in your life.

My hand is never taken off you for a second.

I watch you as a mother hen broods over her chicks. Nothing escapes My attention either, so be wise how you act and react.

Allow Me to decide when things happen for you and how they happen.

I will always, always love and keep you safe."

********

My hope and prayer is that these words will bless and encourage you as they did me when I first received them.

If you want to see more 'Prayer Whispers' on the blog then please let me know. They may become a feature here, or even find their way into a book one day!

Meanwhile, you may like to try reading 'Jesus Calling' by Sarah Young, or 'My Dear Child' by Colin Urquhart to see how God spoke personally to them. 

Or you could watch 'Father's Love Letter' DVD - a beautiful depiction of several Bible verses which speak of God's love for us.

********

Linking here with the lovely Ruth Povey for the 'Letter to' series. This week's prompt is:'Letter to tuck in your pocket'. 

Over to you:

What letters/words do you treasure up in your heart?

How has God spoken in ways that have blessed and surprised you?