Watch what you hear

"So then, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear"     James 1:19   NKJV

Mark Twain said:

"If God intended us to talk more than listen, he would have given us two mouths and one ear."

It is possible to talk too much and fail to listen to what is being said. This is so important if you are counselling someone. The person who needs help, needs to do the talking but, if you're not careful, you can take over the session. This can be witnessed in prayer groups. One of the members may tend to take over with lengthy prayers that somehow lose the theme of what they are saying. In our own personal prayer time, it's so easy to do all the talking to God and not give Him the chance to get a word in at all. 

If you're like me, I tend to drift off in open prayer meetings and, many is the time when I have been asked what I feel about something and I haven't had the foggiest idea of what has been prayed. I am working on this but I am a great supporter of keeping prayers short, sharp and crisp. This way. I am ready if God speaks a word.

Do you think that there are times when God has spoken to you but, because you are going through your own prayer requests that you have missed what He has said? Yes, God can repeat Himself but, what if He doesn't we may miss the answer that we have been waiting for. It may be helpful to try not to cram everything in your own prayer time. Keep focused on what you want to say and give God the opportunity to speak to you about it. If after a short time, you haven't heard from God, then move on to your next request and so on. God hears what you say, don't doubt that, but, He will not be rushed. Things take time to fit into place if it's needed.

Make sure that you listen to God on a regular basis. Ensure that your ears are always open to Him (Notice I said ears and not ear). And let's not forget to keep our ears open to people who wish to speak to us. Proverbs 4:20-22 says 'My son, give attention to my words; incline your ear to my sayings. 21 Do not let them depart from your eyes; keep them in the midst of your heart; 22 For they are life to those who find them, and health to all their flesh,'

You know, there is nothing more irritating than trying to speak with someone who is doing something while your are with them. They may answer the 'phone or shout over to someone else about something or other. As much as you possibly can, always try and give people the dignity to listen. They may interrupt your working day, but if it can't wait for a suitable time, then break off and try and help. It may be a matter of life or death. 

Just think, God always has a listening ear to us, let us endeavour to do the same for each other.

Copyright 2025 Grahame Howard. 

If you don't know Jesus or, have fallen away, why not say this prayer right now:

Lord Jesus, I have sinned. I ask you to forgive me and be my Lord and Saviour. Please come into my heart, fill me with Your Spirit and give me a brand new start today. 

In Jesus' Name. Amen'

dailylifewithjesusbygrahamehoward.blogspot.com  

If you would like to contact me, grahame.howard@hotmail.co.uk

Member of the National Association of Christian Ministers

Why not order my Daily Commentary from Amazon - Paperback or Kindle 

Check it out. Just tap on Grahame Howard books.

Watch what you say

"A soft answer turns away wrath, But a harsh word stirs up anger. 2The tongue of the wise uses knowledge rightly, But the mouth of fools pours forth foolishness".

                                                                           Proverbs 15:1.   NKJV

One of the biggest problems human beings have is being able to control their feelings. 

Someone may say something that cuts like a dagger and our reactions can be likewise, an almighty mess caused by not being in control of the mouth. Likewise, you may be very busy and thus, stressed out by it all and suddenly someone may make a comment. You may then hear it wrong and go for the throat causing unnecessary hurt to the person. Let's be honest here, in both examples, you are to blame not the other person. It is you that lost control. No matter what the other person said or did, you had a choice to either to let it pass over your head or throw a wobbly. 

Solomon offers some good advice here but, as always we have to be willing to make a few changes within ourselves. A good way of looking back on a recent, negative experience, is to imagine that the whole thing was videoed, Then play the video back in your mind and let your thoughts be activated. Grab a notebook and pen and jot down the pros and cons of what you see. Doing this you should be able to observe what you may have done wrong and what you could have done to improve the situation instead. This does work; I know it sounds very much like shutting the stable door after the horse has bolted but hey, if it helps you to handie yourself better on any future altercations, this has just got to be a positive move forward.

You can't change other people's behaviour but, you can your own. It is how you react that matters in God's eyes, not the other person. He'll take care of that. Probably the hardest thing is keeping your mouth shut. Refuse to retaliate. Sometimes it may be easier to climb the Eiffel Tower than to refuse to retaliate. But, it has to be part of the plan. Read James for further information on this.

Make it your aim to make some headway in this area. It will help you to be a better person and you will feel much better in yourself making the effort. You can do this, you know you can!

Copyright 2025 Grahame Howard. 

If you don't know Jesus or, have fallen away, why not say this prayer right now:

Lord Jesus, I have sinned. I ask you to forgive me and be my Lord and Saviour. Please come into my heart, fill me with Your Spirit and give me a brand new start today. 

In Jesus' Name. Amen'

dailylifewithjesusbygrahamehoward.blogspot.com  

If you would like to contact me, grahame.howard@hotmail.co.uk

Member of the National Association of Christian Ministers

Why not order my Daily Commentary from Amazon - Paperback or Kindle 

Check it out. Just tap on Grahame Howard books.

Where do you place your trust? Part 2

"But his delight is in the law of the Lord, And in His law he meditates day and night.
3He shall be like a tree Planted by the rivers of water, That brings forth its fruit in its season, Whose leaf also shall not wither; And whatever he does shall prosper".

                                                                           Psalm 1:2-3   NKJV

In this part of this Psalm, notice the contrast. Yesterday we were looking at the perils of placing our trust in man - 'Cursed is the man who trusts in man.' Jeremiah 17:5. Today we look at the mid-section of Psalm I and read what is laid out in our text above. It tells us that to be involved with God is a delight. As we do this we are like a tree planted by a river, which continually nourishes us. Our fruit is worthy of our calling and we, like the tree that is frequently refreshed, will never wither. And whatever we do will prosper.

That last bit is mind-blowing when you consider it. Whatever we do shall prosper. This doesn't mean that we will be a millionaire overnight but it does mean what it says. The blessing of God is available to us constantly. Rather like the tree has a root system where it continually receives life-giving water so that it can be nourished and prepare good fruit to be available to whoever picks it. We, like the tree, also have a root system via the Holy Spirit. He continually pours life and nourishment into our spirit for as long as we are linked to Him. We abide in Jesus (John 15:1-9), through this spiritual root system but the moment we end this, we are not able to survive any longer (John 15:5). 

Just picture the scene of the one who delights in the law of the Lord. There just has to be pure joy here and laughter. This is the way God wants us to be. As we read our bibles and good, reliable Christian books, we become more fired up too. We may grow older but this doesn't prevent us from still staying in step with Jesus. We may become ill but again, this should not deter us in fact, we should live as if we will be healed.

And let us not forget that whatever we do, Jesus will prosper us. He will bless our work and He will bless whatever we do, in Him. He wants you to succeed and He will help us all to achieve this. This is what delights us about Jesus. He is our forever friend.

Copyright 2025 Grahame Howard. 

If you don't know Jesus or, have fallen away, why not say this prayer right now:

Lord Jesus, I have sinned. I ask you to forgive me and be my Lord and Saviour. Please come into my heart, fill me with Your Spirit and give me a brand new start today. 

In Jesus' Name. Amen'

dailylifewithjesusbygrahamehoward.blogspot.com  

If you would like to contact me, grahame.howard@hotmail.co.uk

Member of the National Association of Christian Ministers

Why not order my Daily Commentary from Amazon - Paperback or Kindle 

Check it out. Just tap on Grahame Howard books.

Where do you place your trust?

"Cursed is the man who trusts in man And makes flesh his strength, Whose heart departs from the Lord. 6For he shall be like a shrub in the desert, And shall not see when good comes, But shall inhabit the parched places in the wilderness, In a salt land which is not inhabited."                            Jeremiah 17:5-6.  NKJV

It is so easy to put your trust in a human being instead of, the Lord. For example, you may have a good friendship with your pastor and, because of what you see in him or her - their character, the way they are spirit-lead and full of faith - you are prone to trust them with all you have. If this is you, I'm afraid you have it wrong. They may be the greatest Christian that you have met but, at the end of the day, they do not have the power to accept you into heaven. They may help and point you in the right direction of course, but that, is as far as it can go. They can do no more.

To place your trust in the wrong area, you can end up like a desert shrub instead of a fruitful tree planted by the water (Psalm 1:3-4). This unbelief turns life into a parched  wasteland. In contrast, faith makes it a fruitful orchard. 

It is never wrong to have good friends; friends who you can trust. However, the balance has to be right. If that friend has a special anointing, such as a pastor or evangelist, it is so easy to discuss difficult things with them, trusting that they will be able to change things for us. They can pray and support you but that is as far as it can go. God has the power, after all it is He who gave this person the anointing in the first pace..

Friends give us that wonderful feeling that everything is going to be all right whenever we see them. It is like having to go somewhere you don't particularly  want to go. If this person goes with you, it feels much better. There is no problem with this. There are many times that we need support. The problem comes when we are tempted to go too far and place them on a pedestal. This is wrong and is putting this person in God's place. Remember, He will have no-one take His place.

So where do you place your trust? Do you place it in God or are you tempted to trust a friend. The decision you make will determine the outcome.

Copyright 2025 Grahame Howard. 

If you don't know Jesus or, have fallen away, why not say this prayer right now:

Lord Jesus, I have sinned. I ask you to forgive me and be my Lord and Saviour. Please come into my heart, fill me with Your Spirit and give me a brand new start today. 

In Jesus' Name. Amen'

dailylifewithjesusbygrahamehoward.blogspot.com  

If you would like to contact me, grahame.howard@hotmail.co.uk

Member of the National Association of Christian Ministers

Why not order my Daily Commentary from Amazon - Paperback or Kindle 

Check it out. Just tap on Grahame Howard books.

Stop being Anxious

"Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God;  7and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus."

                                                                                Philippians 4:6-7  NKJV

The Greek word for anxious means to be pulled in different directions. Our hope pulls us in one direction and our fear pulls us in the opposite and we are pulled apart not knowing what to do. The English root of the word means to strangle and it is not too hard to see why, as this strangle-hold can cause extreme worry.

Paul gives us some valuable pointers in these two verses. We are to pray and offer supplication, which means, we should ask humbly or earnestly in our prayers and we should be thankful for all He does, has done and will do in the future. We are then given peace, the peace that surpasses everything we could ever imagine and this will guard our hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

Don't forget that our hearts and minds can easily play tricks on us if we're not focusing on God. It can lead us to doubt and fear- all the things that anxiety is made up of. This is where the pulling in two different directions comes from followed by the stranglehold.

Mental Health units are full of people who are in some type of crisis and, the root is often anxiety.  Depression and anxiety are rife in our world today. People are full of darkness that comes from these conditions. Just think for a moment, where does darkness come from? That's right, the devil spreads it around like marmalade on toast. But, listen to me properly, this does not mean that the people who are suffering from these conditions have the label of being demon possessed. Not at all, but there is a link because worry and anxiety does not come from God does it? 

Being anxious and worried not only places you into a stranglehold, it causes you to hit rock-bottom. feeling that you are a failure; are of no use to anyone and all the other negatives you can think of. This is a lie and that is from the pit. Jesus Christ can help here by bringing freedom from this. He can allow the chains to fall off and give you a hope and a future. And all you need to do is use these two verses to ask Him for help.

Why not ask Him right now.

Copyright 2025 Grahame Howard. 

If you don't know Jesus or, have fallen away, why not say this prayer right now:

Lord Jesus, I have sinned. I ask you to forgive me and be my Lord and Saviour. Please come into my heart, fill me with Your Spirit and give me a brand new start today. 

In Jesus' Name. Amen'

dailylifewithjesusbygrahamehoward.blogspot.com  

If you would like to contact me, grahame.howard@hotmail.co.uk

Member of the National Association of Christian Ministers

Why not order my Daily Commentary from Amazon - Paperback or Kindle 

Check it out. Just tap on Grahame Howard books.

Be Happy

"A merry heart does good, like medicine, But a broken spirit dries the bones".

Proverbs 17:22   NKJV

Let us read what BibleRef.com says about this verse:

'Solomon offers sound medical advice in this verse. A person's attitude affects his outlook on life and even his health. If he is joyful, negative circumstances don't knock him off balance and cause him to despair. Over the centuries, medicine has become more and more aware of the influence a person's happiness has on their overall health. The ultimate source of joy is found in a relationship with Christ (Proverbs 10:28; John 15:11). The believer can rejoice in the Lord, as Paul did even when he was a prisoner in Rome. From his imprisonment, he urged the Philippian believers to rejoice in the Lord (Philippians 3:1; 4:4). Instead of looking around at circumstances, a joyful believer looks to the Lord and rejoices in Him. In contrast, being mentally beaten down leads to the physical symptoms of severe depression. Whoever fails to look to God and His faithful goodness becomes joyless and loses hope. He develops what Solomon calls "a crushed spirit." A crushed spirit produces ill-health, perhaps high blood pressure, ulcers, lack of energy, heart disease, or general malaise. The apostle James advocated for a resilient spirit even in the face of trials. He writes in James 1:2, "Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet with trials of various kinds.'           bibleref.com

When we are happy, laughing and enjoying good company, we feel much better. No wonder Nehemiah 8:10 calls joy our strength. There is so much misery in our world that it is so easy to become overtaken by it and follow suit. A good belly-laugh works wonders for our health, especially those times that we're laughing so long and hard that it hurts our stomach muscles. It is rather like when we do some strong physical exercise, everything hurts, our hearts are pumping but, in most cases it is doing us good.

In contrast, sorrow and hurt leads us to feel awful and lifeless. We just want to crawl under a rock and die. Now it doesn't take a rocket scientist to work out that it is no good for us and, let's face it, this is not God's best for you. God wants you happy and joyful,   There are times to laugh and there are times to cry, that is true; but it is getting the balance right, no one ever felt good about a good cry, there is no joy in that is there? It is far better to program yourself to be as happy as you can all of the time. 

Instead of looking around at circumstances, a joyful believer looks to the Lord and rejoices in Him. 

Copyright 2025 Grahame Howard. 

If you don't know Jesus or, have fallen away, why not say this prayer right now:

Lord Jesus, I have sinned. I ask you to forgive me and be my Lord and Saviour. Please come into my heart, fill me with Your Spirit and give me a brand new start today. 

In Jesus' Name. Amen'

dailylifewithjesusbygrahamehoward.blogspot.com  

If you would like to contact me, grahame.howard@hotmail.co.uk

Member of the National Association of Christian Ministers

Why not order my Daily Commentary from Amazon - Paperback or Kindle 

Check it out. Just tap on Grahame Howard books.

Death could not hold Him

 "But when they looked up, they saw that the stone had been rolled away—for it was very large."                                          Mark 16:4    NKJV

The stone had been rolled away from the mouth of the tomb but, Jesus wasn't there, He had risen just as He said He would, and what's more, He is still alive today and will be for eternity!

There is nothing more thrilling or exciting than knowing that, death has been conquered. Yes, we will all die at some point but, for those of us who know Jesus as their Saviour, just like Jesus, they will rise for eternity in heaven. None of us will have to wait; our death will be like closing our eyes and opening them again, and instantly we will have been transported to eternity in heaven. It's painful for those who we leave behind but, one day, if they believe in Jesus, they will join us for the biggest celebration we have ever known.

Some unbeliever may feel that this is all a fairy story, that death is final, 'No-one comes back from the dead.' They don't? Well Jesus did and there is so much evidence in the bible to prove this. Some people in our world today, have been resurrected from the dead and these were no flukes, some doctors have been amazed over it.

We have all longed for a new start and, for believers in Jesus, this has been fulfilled. But we have still continued to commit sin. But the real new start will be the greatest of all. We will reign with Jesus in heaven. What will it be like. I haven't a clue but, it will be so different to how we live today. We not be always sitting on a piece of grass singing hymns and chorus' to Jesus. That will be a part of it of course but there will be much, much more. One thing, we will not need electricity for lighting because Jesus is the Light. There will be no darkness and no energy bills; in fact, I don't think we will have any bills at all.

Our mind just cannot comprehend what heaven will be like. Read the latter part of Revelation to grasp an idea of it all. This is God's blue print of heaven and your name is written there. When Jesus was dying on the cross, He shouted out, 'It is finished.' John 19:30. It was like God had been writing a story and painting a picture of all that had happened and then, He put His pen and brush down because, it was finished. Mission completed and successful.

Copyright 2025 Grahame Howard. 

If you don't know Jesus or, have fallen away, why not say this prayer right now:

Lord Jesus, I have sinned. I ask you to forgive me and be my Lord and Saviour. Please come into my heart, fill me with Your Spirit and give me a brand new start today. 

In Jesus' Name. Amen'

dailylifewithjesusbygrahamehoward.blogspot.com  

If you would like to contact me, grahame.howard@hotmail.co.uk

Member of the National Association of Christian Ministers

Why not order my Daily Commentary from Amazon - Paperback or Kindle 

Check it out. Just tap on Grahame Howard books.