Running the Race

Today was an interesting day. I was challenged in more than one way. Physically I push almost as far as I could. I am not sure I could have done much more. Mentally, and Spiritually I was also pushed.  

The good news is that when you are pushed you usually only fall over if you aren't ready for the push. 

Today, I was ready for both. 

I ran a 5k race and set a personal best. It was hard, many times I thought about walking, and about quitting. You may be thinking, it's just a 5k why would you quit. But when you push yourself to pass your previous record, it can be tough. Today I pushed through. I kept telling myself, "you can do it, it's not much further."  "You can do anything for 3.1 miles"  "you have trained, you're ready for this." It was that self-talk that helped me, but the self-talk would have been useless had I not trained. 

Today, I was also challenged by a speaker at the conference I am at. He suggested that to often we hold onto our sins, to often we feel guilty because we are lacking in our faith in Jesus. We think that somehow our sin is bigger than His GRACE. But it's not. Nothing is. WE, yes You and I, are forgiven, and His grace is so much bigger, even then the worst things that have been done. 

The good news. The Gospel is that His death, paid for your sin, all of it. 

One of my favorite verses in scripture is in Romans 8

37 Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. 38 For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, 39 nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

This leads to my experience with a deeper prayer life. That is a powerful God, a big God, a great God, a gracious God, a God that is worthy of praise. 

When we pray, too often we pray with a bunch of requests. Instead of being the whiny child that asks over an over. Start your prayers by praising God, for who He is. 

Only when I praise Him, do I really experience Him. So when you pray next, start with praise. Thank Him for who He is and what He does. If you want to know how I praise him you can read yesterdays' entry from my prayer Journal posted in yesterday's blog post. 

Praise Him, Praise Him!