Donny, your call to reflect on our own relationship with God and our prayer life is a timely one. It is so important to pause and examine where we stand in our own walk of faith. As you brought in the scripture from John 14, "If you love me, keep my commands," it makes it clear that I cannot earn nor do I deserve God's love. Ephesians 2:8-9 also supports this. It takes my total surrendering to Him in trusting Him and His Word through obedience. My faith must be demonstrated by my obedience to Him. Prayer for me is all about communicating with God asking for His will to be done and not mine. Yes, I've been guilty of selfishly asking for things in the wrong way before. (I'm just being transparent.). I pray for others, and yes I do pray for myself, and I hope I do unselfishly. I pray for God to reveal His will and next steps for me. If I don't pray for myself in that way, then how would I ever know what His will is for me or when to take that next leap of faith? If we ask boldly for His will to be shown to us, then I believe that is good. So where do I stand today? My relationship with God is an ongoing journey, filled with both joys and challenges. It is through reflection, prayer, and a willingness to surrender to His will that I experience the transformative power of His love. Donny, I am grateful for your encouragement today to deepen my relationship with Jesus and to try and live a life that reflects His grace and truth. Thank you my friend for a wonderful prayer walk by the sea. The sound of the ocean is a very peaceful one. God bless you and safe travels wherever God takes you next. 🙏
Donny my mom and I were talking about this earlier this morning to some extent. My relationship with God I think has gotten stronger in the last 5 months than any time before. Do I think it needs to be worked on indeed every day. I ask God in my prayers in the mornings to guide me strengthen me to give me wisdom to continue my journey in knowing him. We are sinners no matter how we try to live like God we are going to fail. We can breathe just right and sin. God wants us to come to him not only ask for forgiveness but to surrender to him. Though he also wants us to not go back and do the same thing and again and ask for forgiveness . God is perfect we cannot as human beings be perfect we can only do are level best to do what he asks of us. I believe with all my heart that Jesus Christ is my savior I believe God gave up his son has a gift to let us know that we could believe in him that our sins are forgiven. So that one day we might sit with God in heaven and join our brothers and sisters in Christ. As far as the million dollars go. I definitely would give it to a charity there is a hospital that my sister was in when she was 4 it was Children’s Memorial in Chicago now it Lurie. Children Hospital. They deserve it much more than me. I do however have to be honest and say I would keep a small portion for me. I try to do my very best to pray during the day and at bed time as well. I thank God for each and every day I wake up and I thank him for his guidance that got me through the day. I also ask for forgiveness because I know some where through my day I have sinned. My prayers also include my loved ones my mom, sister and her family my brother and his family and my husband’s family as well as friends and those who have asked me to pray for family members. Like I said before I pray for you that doors will be open just a little so you can go through and see the other side. I pray for Graham that one day he might accept God as his savior. Kerry as well same thing. God has given each of us amazing gifts and we need to honor him by believing in him praising him and thanking him for our gifts. Thank you Donny for such inspiring prayer walks. Not once have I listened and not been inspired. Blessings to you my dear friend and I hope you can help your friend while you’re in Florida.
Thank you for this wonderful walk this morning. I just felt close to the Lord and thought about my relationship with Him. I talk to the Lord just like I would anyone and it is wonderful. Today, I cried while listening and looking at the ocean. How anyone could look at that and deny God is beyond me. I am so happy that I have a personal relationship with God and Jesus and I have the Holy Spirit inside me for power to manipulate this world.
Thank you for the closed caption read, you know my eyes. I thought while you were talking about the question and my prayer life and my relationship to God. I use one dinner opportunity to bring Mark into prayer with me. He won’t pray out loud so I keep a list of those I know who have needs and we agree together. My prayers are always reaching to Jesus and I love my connection to Him. He is like a glove covering my heart and words. I have learned to wait on Him even when it is hard. Money and me need God to wisely use it. I know if I had a million dollars it wouldn’t last long because I would give it away. If someone cries help, I help in the best way I can. No matter how I have been treated in the past it doesn’t excuse me from giving out God’s love freely. I hope people will see Jesus in me. I love Him with all of my heart. Walk in peace and love my friend.
I understand that there is a condition for having a relationship with God: you must believe in and accept Jesus as Lord and Savior. Only when this happens can we have access to God and thus deepen our relationship with Him. This is what the Bible says in John 14:6 - Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me."
I also understand that having a relationship with God means sharing your life with Him, therefore, it is a relationship of love, closeness and trust.
Like any relationship, with God it is no different, the relationship only grows through time and dedication, James 4:8 says: "Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you!..."
As we know more about God and have more experience with Him, the relationship becomes stronger and more intimate.
To be honest, the way I live does NOT ACCURATELY reflect what I claim to believe about God, because I am human, full of mistakes, however, I increasingly seek to live submissive to the will of God.
To do this, it is necessary to stand before Him stripped of myself; presenting myself as dependent on Him, that is, it implies not having a will of my own and assuming the will of God; it requires renouncing and transcending the material atmosphere.
It is tearing the veil to enter into life of God and participate in it. So, having a relationship with God goes beyond a mystical experience, moments of worship, or going to church. Having an intimate relationship with God means being free before Him, without fear or embarrassment.
Thank you for the walk. I must say that the theme is very appropriate for me, since
2024 is my sabbatical year, a period that I took to seek a better relationship with God.
Our joy is found in the Lord, our Savior, not in our situations or circumstances, my friends. Please don't think that the Lord has overlooked you during troubling times. He knows precisely what each of us is going through and is with us at every step. His grace is sufficient and more than enough to see us through. It's His promise. Thank You, Lord.
Let's make sure to remind ourselves often of God's promises in His Holy Word, and may we never forget about God's unwavering love and faithfulness towards us.
Here are just a few truthful reminders that you can speak over yourself at this moment and change the atmosphere around you, my friend:
- God will not fail you.
- God will provide for you.
- God is able.
- God will strengthen you.
- God heals you.
- God will answer you.
- God is always with you.
- God wants what's best for you.
- God is always for you.
- God will never be against you.
- God does not lie.
- God keeps His promises.
- God's words are truth.
- God's love is relentless.
- God is your peace.
- God is your best friend.
- God calls you His beloved one.
- God is Love, and He loves you.
His peace is with us in every situation and all circumstances. God loads us daily with His benefits. Let's be sure not to overlook them and always be thankful for God's perfect love.
He has called and chosen each of us for such a time as this. What an honor it is. God is using our lives, all of the good and not so good, to be His glory initiators.
That's beyond beautiful, and it's very encouraging when we view it through the lens of God's perfect love for us. God doesn't need us, but He has chosen us, my friends.
You are worthy, Lord, of all the glory, honor, and praise.
Have a blessed day in the Lord.
Miss Peg
Lamentations 3:22-23
It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness. The Lord is my portion, saith my soul; therefore, will I hope in him. The Lord is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him.
Psalms 103:1
Bless the Lord, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name. Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits: Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases; Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies; Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle's.
What an interesting question at this time for me. I feel that it is very difficult to find answers with God as the world is run by Satan right now. How else would there be such huge atrocities in so many places that go unresolved. Where is the benevolent being to answer our prayers for peace in this world. It is bewildering for me to make sense of it all. I do my best to be kind and generous and to have gratitude for all that I have even when I struggle and to be thankful for where I live. As always I love the setting of your walk and the footsteps in the sand. I love the water and the feeling of serenity it brings. Many blessings to you and so glad to have met you at Graham's party. Thanks for your contributions, your music and your witty remarks. Take care.
Donny it's so funny how your prayer walks has something to do with what I am going through first GOD has basically held my hand and took me to Drs that I needed to get to the first they found 6 polyps and and second Dr found 3 tumors and all came back cancer free 🙏🙏 But this is the funny and blessed part when you were talking about money I was at work the last day before my last surgery and I was going to have to be out of work for awhile and I was talking to this older couple cause I have lupus and my one foot and knee is bone on bone and I walk with a limp and walk slowly anyway she told me that she had knee surgery and I was telling her that I couldn't cause of my lupus cause I have no immune system any way they went to pay for their stuff and she came back to me and gave me $100 dollars I told her no that I was fine and she told me yes that GOD told her to 🙏🙏 all I could do was was cry and thank GOD 🙏🙏 i still have it put up for hard times 🙏🙏 GOD has been so so good to me and i know i do wrong at times but i pray for forgiveness and for him to help me to be closer to him and walk closer with him each day 🙏🙏 that poem footprints in the Sand is my favorite poem 🙏🙏Thank you so much Donny for what you do and I am praying for you always 🙏🙏
AMEN! WOW! That was beautiful! I love the sounds of the ocean; very soothing. I was just thinking about the footprints poem as I was looking at your footprints then you mentioned it.
I know many times Jesus has carried me and continues to. My relationship with God is very precious to me; I could not have walked through some of the seasons of my life without Him; I would have quit. I honestly don’t know how people do it without Him. I realized this weekend, that I spent with a group of women as we explored our relationship with God, that the part that was missing was me sharing Him with others and letting others in. I have experienced lots of rejection in different ways from various people over the years. And I allowed that to keep me from connecting deeply with His people because I felt that once they knew me they would reject me as so many others did. And I needed to believe my identity in Him and let that be enough. To let other people in! It was very freeing for me. So my relationship is even more precious now!
If someone would give me money no matter what amount I would accept with a very grateful heart. Because I have learned that if I don’t accept I’m stealing their blessing; cause I know how blessed I am when I can give. No matter what it is. In the same way I am very grateful for God’s love, grace, mercy, and forgiveness because, no I don’t deserve it, but Jesus freely gives it to me and I believe He is blessed when we receive it gratefully just like we are blessed to give and/or receive.
Have I always been in this place? No, I have not! But God has so patiently and graciously brought me to this place as He has become the dearest person to me.
Hi Donny ~ My relationship with God right now is like one of a rebellious child. I know God wants me to be loving, turn the other cheek, but I can hardly hold myself back when people attack my children, claim I'm stupid for my political beliefs, carry on & on idolizing someone, etc. I am vulnerable for wanting to feel powerful. I'm tempted to strike out. Have you ever felt that way? Praying God can reel me back in soon. Thanks for the beautiful walk. I knew it was Florida the moment it showed up on the screen. ~ Jan xoxo
I think each of us has weaknesses in our character. They are unique to each one of us -- and evil knows where to attack us according to those vulnerabilities.
Thank you once again Donny. My relationship with God has been ongoing for a long time. My Mom was a devout Catholic and we knew prayer was a gateway to God when growing up. She never wavered in her belief. Therefore this was imprinted on me. God, our Lord, and the Holy Spirit has always been a part of my prayer life. "When God is for us, who can be against?" I know He is with me daily through so many trials including the death of my husband. I lean heavily on Him and He is there for all of us. We just have to ask. Peace to you Donny and safety in your travels.
Donny my relationship with God is the privilege of his presence. God will challenge me to do many wonderful things in this life- he will encourage me to launch out in faith either the task he calls me to do.But there is something that brings an even greater degree of satisfaction than anything can experience on a human level, and that is time spent in quiet devotion to him. Though our life may seem too full to take time to be alone with him,consider thus: He is never too busy to be with you. His one consuming desire is for me to know him. When I begin to do this , even the smallest of activities will take on new meaning. So I spend time with him, and enjoy the awesome privilege of being in his presence. Surely it will be the best time I have had all day. Psalm 65:4 HCSB “How happy is the one You choose and bring near to live in Your courts. “
Donny it was amazing to finally meet you in person. Thanks for the hug and entertainment at Graham Farewell Party.
Donny, your call to reflect on our own relationship with God and our prayer life is a timely one. It is so important to pause and examine where we stand in our own walk of faith. As you brought in the scripture from John 14, "If you love me, keep my commands," it makes it clear that I cannot earn nor do I deserve God's love. Ephesians 2:8-9 also supports this. It takes my total surrendering to Him in trusting Him and His Word through obedience. My faith must be demonstrated by my obedience to Him. Prayer for me is all about communicating with God asking for His will to be done and not mine. Yes, I've been guilty of selfishly asking for things in the wrong way before. (I'm just being transparent.). I pray for others, and yes I do pray for myself, and I hope I do unselfishly. I pray for God to reveal His will and next steps for me. If I don't pray for myself in that way, then how would I ever know what His will is for me or when to take that next leap of faith? If we ask boldly for His will to be shown to us, then I believe that is good. So where do I stand today? My relationship with God is an ongoing journey, filled with both joys and challenges. It is through reflection, prayer, and a willingness to surrender to His will that I experience the transformative power of His love. Donny, I am grateful for your encouragement today to deepen my relationship with Jesus and to try and live a life that reflects His grace and truth. Thank you my friend for a wonderful prayer walk by the sea. The sound of the ocean is a very peaceful one. God bless you and safe travels wherever God takes you next. 🙏
So beautifully said Anne.I am referring to myself. I thank the Lord for Donnie and pray for you both.i pray that the Lord draws me closer to Him.
Donny my mom and I were talking about this earlier this morning to some extent. My relationship with God I think has gotten stronger in the last 5 months than any time before. Do I think it needs to be worked on indeed every day. I ask God in my prayers in the mornings to guide me strengthen me to give me wisdom to continue my journey in knowing him. We are sinners no matter how we try to live like God we are going to fail. We can breathe just right and sin. God wants us to come to him not only ask for forgiveness but to surrender to him. Though he also wants us to not go back and do the same thing and again and ask for forgiveness . God is perfect we cannot as human beings be perfect we can only do are level best to do what he asks of us. I believe with all my heart that Jesus Christ is my savior I believe God gave up his son has a gift to let us know that we could believe in him that our sins are forgiven. So that one day we might sit with God in heaven and join our brothers and sisters in Christ. As far as the million dollars go. I definitely would give it to a charity there is a hospital that my sister was in when she was 4 it was Children’s Memorial in Chicago now it Lurie. Children Hospital. They deserve it much more than me. I do however have to be honest and say I would keep a small portion for me. I try to do my very best to pray during the day and at bed time as well. I thank God for each and every day I wake up and I thank him for his guidance that got me through the day. I also ask for forgiveness because I know some where through my day I have sinned. My prayers also include my loved ones my mom, sister and her family my brother and his family and my husband’s family as well as friends and those who have asked me to pray for family members. Like I said before I pray for you that doors will be open just a little so you can go through and see the other side. I pray for Graham that one day he might accept God as his savior. Kerry as well same thing. God has given each of us amazing gifts and we need to honor him by believing in him praising him and thanking him for our gifts. Thank you Donny for such inspiring prayer walks. Not once have I listened and not been inspired. Blessings to you my dear friend and I hope you can help your friend while you’re in Florida.
Thank you for this wonderful walk this morning. I just felt close to the Lord and thought about my relationship with Him. I talk to the Lord just like I would anyone and it is wonderful. Today, I cried while listening and looking at the ocean. How anyone could look at that and deny God is beyond me. I am so happy that I have a personal relationship with God and Jesus and I have the Holy Spirit inside me for power to manipulate this world.
Great word today,
Gesta
Thank you for the closed caption read, you know my eyes. I thought while you were talking about the question and my prayer life and my relationship to God. I use one dinner opportunity to bring Mark into prayer with me. He won’t pray out loud so I keep a list of those I know who have needs and we agree together. My prayers are always reaching to Jesus and I love my connection to Him. He is like a glove covering my heart and words. I have learned to wait on Him even when it is hard. Money and me need God to wisely use it. I know if I had a million dollars it wouldn’t last long because I would give it away. If someone cries help, I help in the best way I can. No matter how I have been treated in the past it doesn’t excuse me from giving out God’s love freely. I hope people will see Jesus in me. I love Him with all of my heart. Walk in peace and love my friend.
I understand that there is a condition for having a relationship with God: you must believe in and accept Jesus as Lord and Savior. Only when this happens can we have access to God and thus deepen our relationship with Him. This is what the Bible says in John 14:6 - Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me."
I also understand that having a relationship with God means sharing your life with Him, therefore, it is a relationship of love, closeness and trust.
Like any relationship, with God it is no different, the relationship only grows through time and dedication, James 4:8 says: "Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you!..."
As we know more about God and have more experience with Him, the relationship becomes stronger and more intimate.
To be honest, the way I live does NOT ACCURATELY reflect what I claim to believe about God, because I am human, full of mistakes, however, I increasingly seek to live submissive to the will of God.
To do this, it is necessary to stand before Him stripped of myself; presenting myself as dependent on Him, that is, it implies not having a will of my own and assuming the will of God; it requires renouncing and transcending the material atmosphere.
It is tearing the veil to enter into life of God and participate in it. So, having a relationship with God goes beyond a mystical experience, moments of worship, or going to church. Having an intimate relationship with God means being free before Him, without fear or embarrassment.
Thank you for the walk. I must say that the theme is very appropriate for me, since
2024 is my sabbatical year, a period that I took to seek a better relationship with God.
I also thank you for the beautiful images!
Beautifully stated Angela! Like you, I'm a continual walk in progress & will be until God calls me home. Love what you shared.
Thanks for commenting, Anne!
My friend, God is so perfect, He already knew that we needed a process to become saints.
Therefore, sanctification lasts a lifetime, which means we need to be mindful of how we look at people, money, and material things.
See what Paul says: “For God did not call us to uncleanness, but to sanctification” (1 Thessalonians 4:7).
So true!
The Lord is our portion.
Great is His faithfulness.
His compassions never fail.
Our joy is found in the Lord, our Savior, not in our situations or circumstances, my friends. Please don't think that the Lord has overlooked you during troubling times. He knows precisely what each of us is going through and is with us at every step. His grace is sufficient and more than enough to see us through. It's His promise. Thank You, Lord.
Let's make sure to remind ourselves often of God's promises in His Holy Word, and may we never forget about God's unwavering love and faithfulness towards us.
Here are just a few truthful reminders that you can speak over yourself at this moment and change the atmosphere around you, my friend:
- God will not fail you.
- God will provide for you.
- God is able.
- God will strengthen you.
- God heals you.
- God will answer you.
- God is always with you.
- God wants what's best for you.
- God is always for you.
- God will never be against you.
- God does not lie.
- God keeps His promises.
- God's words are truth.
- God's love is relentless.
- God is your peace.
- God is your best friend.
- God calls you His beloved one.
- God is Love, and He loves you.
His peace is with us in every situation and all circumstances. God loads us daily with His benefits. Let's be sure not to overlook them and always be thankful for God's perfect love.
He has called and chosen each of us for such a time as this. What an honor it is. God is using our lives, all of the good and not so good, to be His glory initiators.
That's beyond beautiful, and it's very encouraging when we view it through the lens of God's perfect love for us. God doesn't need us, but He has chosen us, my friends.
You are worthy, Lord, of all the glory, honor, and praise.
Have a blessed day in the Lord.
Miss Peg
Lamentations 3:22-23
It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness. The Lord is my portion, saith my soul; therefore, will I hope in him. The Lord is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him.
Psalms 103:1
Bless the Lord, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name. Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits: Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases; Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies; Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle's.
What an interesting question at this time for me. I feel that it is very difficult to find answers with God as the world is run by Satan right now. How else would there be such huge atrocities in so many places that go unresolved. Where is the benevolent being to answer our prayers for peace in this world. It is bewildering for me to make sense of it all. I do my best to be kind and generous and to have gratitude for all that I have even when I struggle and to be thankful for where I live. As always I love the setting of your walk and the footsteps in the sand. I love the water and the feeling of serenity it brings. Many blessings to you and so glad to have met you at Graham's party. Thanks for your contributions, your music and your witty remarks. Take care.
Donny it's so funny how your prayer walks has something to do with what I am going through first GOD has basically held my hand and took me to Drs that I needed to get to the first they found 6 polyps and and second Dr found 3 tumors and all came back cancer free 🙏🙏 But this is the funny and blessed part when you were talking about money I was at work the last day before my last surgery and I was going to have to be out of work for awhile and I was talking to this older couple cause I have lupus and my one foot and knee is bone on bone and I walk with a limp and walk slowly anyway she told me that she had knee surgery and I was telling her that I couldn't cause of my lupus cause I have no immune system any way they went to pay for their stuff and she came back to me and gave me $100 dollars I told her no that I was fine and she told me yes that GOD told her to 🙏🙏 all I could do was was cry and thank GOD 🙏🙏 i still have it put up for hard times 🙏🙏 GOD has been so so good to me and i know i do wrong at times but i pray for forgiveness and for him to help me to be closer to him and walk closer with him each day 🙏🙏 that poem footprints in the Sand is my favorite poem 🙏🙏Thank you so much Donny for what you do and I am praying for you always 🙏🙏
What a beautiful story Robin. Thank you for sharing.
I am praying for you now.
Thank you 🙏 I sure need prayers 🙏🙏
AMEN! WOW! That was beautiful! I love the sounds of the ocean; very soothing. I was just thinking about the footprints poem as I was looking at your footprints then you mentioned it.
I know many times Jesus has carried me and continues to. My relationship with God is very precious to me; I could not have walked through some of the seasons of my life without Him; I would have quit. I honestly don’t know how people do it without Him. I realized this weekend, that I spent with a group of women as we explored our relationship with God, that the part that was missing was me sharing Him with others and letting others in. I have experienced lots of rejection in different ways from various people over the years. And I allowed that to keep me from connecting deeply with His people because I felt that once they knew me they would reject me as so many others did. And I needed to believe my identity in Him and let that be enough. To let other people in! It was very freeing for me. So my relationship is even more precious now!
If someone would give me money no matter what amount I would accept with a very grateful heart. Because I have learned that if I don’t accept I’m stealing their blessing; cause I know how blessed I am when I can give. No matter what it is. In the same way I am very grateful for God’s love, grace, mercy, and forgiveness because, no I don’t deserve it, but Jesus freely gives it to me and I believe He is blessed when we receive it gratefully just like we are blessed to give and/or receive.
Have I always been in this place? No, I have not! But God has so patiently and graciously brought me to this place as He has become the dearest person to me.
Hi Donny ~ My relationship with God right now is like one of a rebellious child. I know God wants me to be loving, turn the other cheek, but I can hardly hold myself back when people attack my children, claim I'm stupid for my political beliefs, carry on & on idolizing someone, etc. I am vulnerable for wanting to feel powerful. I'm tempted to strike out. Have you ever felt that way? Praying God can reel me back in soon. Thanks for the beautiful walk. I knew it was Florida the moment it showed up on the screen. ~ Jan xoxo
Thank you for your honesty Jan. I have felt tempted to lash out at people.
What does being "vulnerable" mean to you?
I think each of us has weaknesses in our character. They are unique to each one of us -- and evil knows where to attack us according to those vulnerabilities.
Thank you once again Donny. My relationship with God has been ongoing for a long time. My Mom was a devout Catholic and we knew prayer was a gateway to God when growing up. She never wavered in her belief. Therefore this was imprinted on me. God, our Lord, and the Holy Spirit has always been a part of my prayer life. "When God is for us, who can be against?" I know He is with me daily through so many trials including the death of my husband. I lean heavily on Him and He is there for all of us. We just have to ask. Peace to you Donny and safety in your travels.
Donny my relationship with God is the privilege of his presence. God will challenge me to do many wonderful things in this life- he will encourage me to launch out in faith either the task he calls me to do.But there is something that brings an even greater degree of satisfaction than anything can experience on a human level, and that is time spent in quiet devotion to him. Though our life may seem too full to take time to be alone with him,consider thus: He is never too busy to be with you. His one consuming desire is for me to know him. When I begin to do this , even the smallest of activities will take on new meaning. So I spend time with him, and enjoy the awesome privilege of being in his presence. Surely it will be the best time I have had all day. Psalm 65:4 HCSB “How happy is the one You choose and bring near to live in Your courts. “
Donny it was amazing to finally meet you in person. Thanks for the hug and entertainment at Graham Farewell Party.
it was great to finally meet you as well Lucy.
I shared Lamentations 3 ;22-23 today as well my friend