on God using you

Yesterday, I had the privilege of eating lunch with a sweet friend who is still considered "new" to our area.  As we sat and caught up, I was reminded over and over, how thankful I am for the friends God has placed in my life.  This sweet lady is such an encourager in my life.  She reached out to me, very randomly a couple of Sundays ago, about how she could pray for me.  She felt like God had put me on her heart, and she was checking on me.

Before I go any further, how often have I thought of someone all of a sudden, and prayed for them, but then NOT reached out to them?  I couldn't help but wonder.  Her act of kindness in reaching out to me made another impression on my heart, and makes me want to reach out way more often to those I know and love and pray for.  (I literally just stopped and texted one of my best friends to tell her I had prayed for her and her husband today, who are under the weather.)

We all need friends like my friend I ate with yesterday.  We all need to BE those kinds of friends, too.  This spoke to my heart so much over the last twenty four hours, that I wanted to encourage anyone of you who might need to hear this as well.

There are two places I'm thinking of in the bible that address this.  One is in Hebrews 3:12-13.

"Watch out, brothers, so that there won't be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart that departs from the living God.  But encourage each other daily, while it is still called today, so that none of you is hardened by sin's deception."

My friend sensed something off in me when she texted me two weeks ago, and she outright asked me about whether or not everything was okay.  (Something WAS off in me, and that was the Holy Spirit leading her and guiding her.  She was obedient to His still, small voice.)  And though things are getting better for me now, I had been going through a time of discouragement.

We are to encourage each other DAILY.  If you have friends that God has given you, encourage them.  Ask them how you can pray for them.  Or, ask them to pray for you, if you need that.  We do this so that our hearts stay aligned with God's, for those of us who are believers and followers of Jesus.

The other scripture I'm thinking of is also out of the book of Hebrews.  This is from chapter ten, verses twenty four and twenty five.

"And let us be concerned about one another in order to promote love and good works, not staying away from our worship meetings, as some habitually do, but encouraging each other, and all the more as you see the day drawing near."  

She did this for me yesterday.  I have done that for other people over the years.  We are to do that with those we know and love!  I'm speaking to believers here, friends.  I thank God for those like this dear one He has given me, and I pray that I will be that for my friends in return.

Thinking along these lines, just this morning, I prayed that God would use me and allow me to share His gospel and love with those around me today.  I pray this almost every single day, and usually, He gives me people to share with.  I came across this video this morning, from an account I follow on Instagram, Ever Thine Home.  That is an account on Instagram, a blog, and a website you can shop form.  In the blog, she shared this video.  This is my prayer, and an example of a dear older woman who prays the same way in the Czech republic.



May the Lord be ever so kind to use me, to use our home that He has provided for us, and our lives, to point others to Himself.  Let it be, Lord Jesus.

Thanks for reading.  Love to all.