TEA with Colossians

Continue earnestly in prayer, being vigilant in it with thanksgiving.
Colossians 4:2 (NKJV)

It’s our final week with the popcorn girls!  This month we’ve been exploring  “Girls Eat Pop Corn,” a mnemonic device for the order of four short books in the New Testament.  “Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, and Colossians” are our Girls Eat Pop Corn books.

This week we visit Colossians. Pop a batch of popcorn as you study these verses this week…

T for Thanksgiving:

We give thanks to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you…
Colossians 1:3 (NKJV)

Giving thanks to the Father who has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light.
Colossians 1:12 (NKJV)

And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful.
Colossians 3:15 (NKJV)

E for Exalting:

For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist.
Colossians 1:16-17 (NKJV)

A for Admitting:

If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth.
Colossians 3:1-2 (NKJV)

Therefore put to death your members which are on the earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry.
Colossians 3:5 (NKJV)

 Do not lie to one another, since you have put off the old man with his deeds, and have put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him.
Colossians 3:9-10 (NKJV)

 C for Calling:

That you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God.
Colossians 1:10 (NKJV)

Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering; bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do.
Colossians 3:12-13 (NKJV)

Walk in wisdom toward those who are outside, redeeming the time.
Colossians 4:5 (NKJV)

U is for Understanding our story:

He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love.
Colossians 1:13 (NKJV)

For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory.
Colossians 3:3-4 (NKJV)

P is for Promises:

And you are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality and power.
Colossians 2:10 (NKJV)

And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance; for you serve the Lord Christ.
Colossians 3:23-24 (NKJV)

P is for Petitioning:

…always laboring fervently for you in prayers, that you may stand perfect and complete in all the will of God.
Colossians 4:12 (NKJV)

Today’s TEA CUPP:  Read the book of Colossians in your Bible this week.  Underline your favorite verses or the ones listed above.  Use these verses as conversation starters as you pour your heart out to Jesus in prayer for THANKSGIVING, EXALTING, ADMITTING, talking to God about your CALLING, UNDERSTANDING your story, claiming God’s PROMISES, and PETITIONING.  May you always remember these four books when you see girls eating pop corn!

As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him.
Colossians 2:6 (NKJV)

Scripture from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson.

TEA with Philippians

I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.
Philippians 4:13 (NKJV)

For our third week of “Girls Eat Pop Corn,” we are having TEA with Philippians.  If you missed the last two weeks, we had TEA with Galatians and TEA with Ephesians.  We are exploring the four books of the New Testament that come right after First and Second Corinthians.  These four short letters, Paul wrote to his dear friends and new believers.  To help us remember what order they come in our Bibles, we can say “Girls Eat Pop Corn” for “Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians.”  Another trick is to say, “General Electric Power Company.” Use these verses as conversation starters in your prayers this week…

T for Thanksgiving:

I thank my God upon every remembrance of you.
Philippians 1:3 (NKJV)

Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God.
Philippians 4:6 (NKJV)

E for Exalting:

Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Philippians 2:9-11 (NKJV)

Now to our God and Father be glory forever and ever. Amen.
Philippians 4:20 (NKJV)

A for Admitting:

Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.
Philippians 2:12 (NKJV)

Do all things without complaining and disputing,that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world.
Philippians 2:14-15 (NKJV)

C for Calling:

Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which https://www.ncmh.info/ativan-lorazepam/ Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me.
Philippians 3:12 (NKJV)

forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 3:13-14 (NKJV)

Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things.
Philippians 4:8 (NKJV)

U is for Understanding our story:

For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain.
Philippians 1:21 (NKJV)

For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.
Philippians 3:20 (NKJV)

P is for Promises:

Being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ.
Philippians 1:6 (NKJV)

And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.
Philippians 4:19 (NKJV)

P is for Petitioning:

And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in knowledge and all discernment, that you may approve the things that are excellent, that you may be sincere and without offense till the day of Christ, being filled with the fruits of righteousness which are by Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.
Philippians 1:9-11 (NKJV)

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all.
Philippians 4:23 (NKJV)

Today’s TEA CUPP:  Read the book of Philippians in your Bible this week.  Underline your favorite verses or the ones listed above. You will find many more than these! Each day of the week, pour your heart out to Jesus in prayer for THANKSGIVING, EXALTING, ADMITTING, talking to God about your CALLING, UNDERSTANDING your story, claiming God’s PROMISES, and PETITIONING.

Scripture from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson.

TEA with Ephesians

But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.
Ephesians 2:13 (NKJV)

For our second week of “Girls Eat Pop Corn,” we are having TEA with Ephesians.  If you missed last week, we had TEA with Galatians.  We are exploring the four books of the New Testament that come right after First and Second Corinthians.  These four short letters, Paul wrote to his dear friends and new believers.  To help us remember what order they come in our Bibles, we can say “Girls Eat Pop Corn” for “Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians.”  Another trick is to say, “General Electric Power Company.”

I love the verse above from Ephesians 2:13, how we are brought near by the blood of Christ.  It’s because of Jesus’ sacrificial death on the cross for our sins that we are brought near to God when we believe in Him.  I pray that all these verses from Ephesians bring you near to Him today!

T for Thanksgiving:

Do not cease to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers.
Ephesians 1:16 (NKJV)

Giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Ephesians 5:20 (NKJV)

E for Exalting:

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ.
Ephesians 1:3 (NKJV)

Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.
Ephesians 3:20-21 (NKJV)

A for Admitting:

In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace.
Ephesians 1:7 (NKJV)

Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice.
Ephesians 4:31 (NKJV)

C for Calling:

For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.
Ephesians 2:10 (NKJV)

And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma.
Ephesians 5:2 (NKJV)

Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
Ephesians 6:10-11 (NKJV)

U is for Understanding our story:

Just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved.
Ephesians 1:4-6 (NKJV)

For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.
Ephesians 2:8-9 (NKJV)

P is for Promises:

But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.
Ephesians 2:13 (NKJV)

“Honor your father and mother,” which is the first commandment with promise: “that it may be well with you and you may live long on the earth.”
Ephesians 6:2-3 (NKJV)

P is for Petitioning:

For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man,  that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height— to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.
Ephesians 3:14-19 (NKJV)

Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints—
Ephesians 6:18 (NKJV)

Today’s TEA CUPP:  Read the book of Ephesians in your Bible this week.  Underline your favorite verses or the ones listed above.  Use these verses as conversation starters as you pour your heart out to Jesus in prayer for THANKSGIVING, EXALTING, ADMITTING, talking to God about your CALLING, UNDERSTANDING your story, claiming God’s PROMISES, and PETITIONING. My prayer for all you dear ladies and God’s prayer for us comes from Ephesians 1:17-19…

That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power.
Ephesians 1:17-19 (NKJV)

Scripture from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson.

TEA with Galatians

If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.
Galatians 5:25 (NKJV)

I love these popcorn girls!  They point us to the saying,  “Girls Eat Pop Corn,” a mnemonic device for the order of four short books in the New Testament.  Coming right after First and Second Corinthians, these four letters Paul wrote to his dear friends and new believers.  To help us remember their sequence, we can say “Girls Eat Pop Corn” for “Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians.”  Another trick is to say, “General Electric Power Company.”

This week we explore Galatians. May you remember these verses every time you pop a batch of popcorn!

T for Thanksgiving:

What then was the blessing you enjoyed?
Galatians 4:15 (NKJV)

E for Exalting:

Who gave Himself for our sins, that He might deliver us from this present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.
Galatians 2:4-5 (NKJV)

A for Admitting:

You ran well. Who hindered you from obeying the truth?
Galatians 5:7 (NKJV)

 C for Calling:

Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith.
Galatians 6:10 (NKJV)

U is for Understanding our story:

I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.
Galatians 2:20 (NKJV)

P is for Promises:

And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.
Galatians 6:9 (NKJV)

P is for Petitioning:

Grace to you and peace from God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ.
Galatians 1:3 (NKJV)

Today’s TEA CUPP:  Read the book of Galatians in your Bible this week.  Underline your favorite verses or the ones listed above.  Today’s devotion lists only one verse per category, but I’m sure you will find others. Use these verses as conversation starters as you pour your heart out to Jesus in prayer for THANKSGIVING, EXALTING, ADMITTING, talking to God about your CALLING, UNDERSTANDING your story, claiming God’s PROMISES, and PETITIONING.  

(Ladies), the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Amen.
Galatians 6:18 (NKJV)

Scripture from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson.

Prayer Journal How-tos

Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints. Ephesians 6:18 (NKJV)

Keeping a prayer journal is a great way to stay focused while you pray, to encourage you that you really did pray, and to look back to see how faithful God has been in carrying you through so many prayer requests.  Just as there are a variety of ways to pray, there are numerous ways to keep a prayer journal.  Today I’d like to show you how I do My TEA CUPP Prayers prayer journal, and soon I hope to give you one along with my book.

For now, start by finding a notebook you know you will use.  I like a spiral notebook that is about the size of my Bible.  The prayer journal and Bible fit nicely together in my book bag.  The spiral binding allows me to open it flat or flip it completely open while I am journaling.  You can find inexpensive notebooks and journals at Walmart or Target or Family Dollar, or you can find a pretty flowery one at an office or gift store.  Whatever inspires you and helps you pray is perfect!

Next, find your pens.  If your favorite color is purple, perhaps you’d like a purple pen!  I use blue Pilot G-2 pens for most of my journaling because of the smooth writing ability.  I always need two or three, because they run out right in the middle of my prayers and I don’t want to have to get up and search the house for another one.  Have extra pens right by your Bible and journal in your quiet time spot.

My quiet time begins with Jesus having the first Word as I read my Bible. I follow the one-year Bible reading plan found in the Our Daily Bread devotional.  I have also used a One Year Bible in the past, which has the Bible divided into daily readings already. I pray,

Open my eyes, that I may see
Wondrous things from Your law.”  Psalm 119:18 (NKJV)

I soak up all He has to tell me and underline my favorite verses.  I label the verses with the letters of the TEA CUPP acronym, so I may use them in my prayer journal.  Then I open my journal and get it ready for my prayers.  I write the date, then going down the page I write T-E-A.  On the next page I write C-U-P.  And on the next page I write another P.

Some Bible reading days have so many verses that it is hard to pick which ones to use.  Other days I don’t have enough verses, so I go back and use verses I underlined  in the previous weeks.  I find a THANKSGIVING verse and write it next to the letter T to thank God for His blessings.  I find an EXALTING verse and write it next to the letter E to exalt and praise my Jesus.  I find an ADMITTING verse and write it next to the letter A to admit my sins and ask Jesus’ forgiveness.

On the second page of my journal, I find a CALLING verse for something God is calling me to do today and write that in my journal next to the letter C.  I find an UNDERSTANDING verse and write it next to the letter U as I try to understand my story a little better.  I find a beautiful PROMISE verse and claim that as I write it next to the letter P.

On the third page, I find a  PETITIONING verse to use to pour my heart out to Jesus in prayer.  I pray all the parts of My TEA CUPP, filling in the extra spaces of my journal with more prayers on each letter.  Then I fill the rest of the PETITIONING page and perhaps another page with all my prayer requests for family and friends and loved ones.

If I am traveling or just had a new baby, I sometimes do just one letter a day in my prayer journal.  But I feel most complete when I have time to do all the parts and talk to Jesus about everything that is on my heart that day.

Today’s TEA CUPP:  I hope today’s devotion helps you as you fine tune your own prayer journal and devotion times with Jesus.  If you need ideas for Bible verses I have oodles for you here.  Someday, you will look back on all these prayers and be praising Jesus for His goodness all over again!

Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.  Hebrews 4:16 (NKJV)

Scripture from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson.

My Fasting TEA CUPP

 “Now, therefore,” says the Lord,
“Turn to Me with all your heart,
With fasting, with weeping, and with mourning.” Joel 2:12 (NKJV)

No tea, no cup, no plate, no food, no beverage, no water, nothing to nourish this earthly body, only God’s Word to feed my soul and His Living Water to quench my thirst.  This is an Esther fast, where we give up eating and drinking for a time, to pray and focus on Jesus and God’s Word.

When I first started a daily prayer time with Jesus, I didn’t know what fasting was all about.  My church didn’t talk about it, and there weren’t too many resources.  I wondered what the “rules” were.  As it turns out, there are no rules, only examples.  In our Bibles we have the example of Esther who fasted with her maidens for three days to save her people. Esther’s fast happened one time during an extreme crisis. They had no water and no food for three days and nights.  We also have the example of Daniel who gave up rich foods, eating only fruits and vegetables. Daniel’s fast was a way of life, along with praying three times a day.  And, of course, there are Moses, Elijah and Jesus who fasted for 40 days and nights during a time of great trial. If you are just getting started with fasting, I would recommend a one-day juice fast, where you only drink juice, a juice and banana fast is good for nursing moms.  You can work your way up to a full fast when the time is just right.

Some might think fasting is a thing of the past from Bible times, but it is still practiced by many Christians today as they seek God’s will in prayer.  If you are looking for a modern example of fasting, I encourage you to read The Heavenly Man.  This book gives testimony after testimony to fasting and prayer, from friends praying for the persecuted pastor to him praying and fasting himself.  I highly recommend The Heavenly Man.  Order a copy for yourself and share one with a friend. 

For today I give you My Fasting TEA CUPP, Bible verses that highlight fasting and trials. You may pray these verses while you are fasting, or any time you sit down with Jesus for prayer and TEA. Here are conversation starters for you as you pour your heart out to Jesus in prayer:

T for Thanksgiving:
(a verse of thanks as we finish our fast and have our first meal)

And Jesus took the loaves, and when He had given thanks He distributed them to the disciples, and the disciples to those sitting down; and likewise of the fish, as much as they wanted.  John 6:11 (NKJV) 

Giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.  Ephesians 5:20 (NKJV)

E for Exalting:
(our suffering during fasting is nothing to compared to the glory of Jesus!)

For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. Romans 8:18 (NKJV)

In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials, that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ.1 Peter 1:6-7 (NKJV)

(The prayer King Jehoshaphat prayed to exalt the Lord)

O Lord God of our fathers, are You not God in heaven, and do You not rule over all the kingdoms of the nations, and in Your hand is there not power and might, so that no one is able to withstand You?   2 Chronicles 20:6 (NKJV)

A for Admitting:
(we repent and admit our sins as we fast)

 “Now, therefore,” says the Lord,
“Turn to Me with all your heart,
With fasting, with weeping, and with mourning.” Joel 2:12 (NKJV)

C for Calling:

For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps: 1 Peter 2:21 (NKJV)

Jesus said to them, “My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me, and to finish His work. John 4:34 (NKJV)

But the days will come when the bridegroom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast.  Matthew 9:15 (NKJV)

But you, when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face.  so that you do not appear to men to be fasting, but to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.  Matthew 6:17-18 (NKJV)

But in all things we commend ourselves as ministers of God: in much patience, in tribulations, in needs, in distresses, in stripes, in imprisonments, in tumults, in labors, in sleeplessness, in fastings; by purity, by knowledge, by longsuffering, by kindness, by the Holy Spirit, by sincere love. 2 Corinthians 6:4-6 (NKJV)

U is for Understanding our story:
(I love it when God sends prayer answers right during our fasting!)

So Cornelius said, “Four days ago I was fasting until this hour; and at the ninth hour I prayed in my house, and behold, a man stood before me in bright clothing,  Acts 10:30 (NKJV)

I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need.  Philippians 4:12 (NKJV)

P is for Promises:
(Promises for when we are thirsty and hungry during fasting, and He will revive us!)

Therefore with joy you will draw water
From the wells of salvation.  Isaiah 12:3 (NKJV)

But He answered and said, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.’   Matthew 4:4 (NKJV)

You, who have shown me great and severe troubles,
Shall revive me again,
And bring me up again from the depths of the earth.  Psalm 71:20 (NKJV)

P is for Petitioning:

So He said to them, “This kind can come out by nothing but prayer and fasting.”  Mark 9:29 (NKJV)

Today’s TEA CUPP: Once you get started on fasting and prayer, you might like to plan a regular day to fast, such as the first day of each month, the first Sunday of each month, or every Wednesday. Or when there is a great trial or event in your life. Write it on your calendar and commit to this time of prayer and fasting with Jesus. Read Isaiah 58 in preparation. Another devotion you may enjoy reading is The Empty Plate.

…did you really fast for Me—for Me?
Zechariah 7:5 (NKJV)

Scripture from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson

TEA with Psalm 119 (Part 2)

Your word is a lamp to my feet
And a light to my path. Psalm 119:105 (NKJV)

It’s time for more Bible verses for your TEA time with Jesus!  Last week I shared verses from the first half of Psalm 119.  Today we have verses from the second half of Psalm 119.  May God’s Word continue to bless and guide you as you pray and put your hope in Him!

T for Thanksgiving:

I rejoice at Your word
As one who finds great treasure.
Psalm 119:162 (NKJV)

E for Exalting:

Forever, O Lord,
Your word is settled in heaven.
 Psalm 119:89 (NKJV)

How sweet are Your words to my taste,
Sweeter than honey to my mouth!  Psalm 119:103 (NKJV)

You are my hiding place and my shield;
I hope in Your word.  Psalm 119:114 (NKJV)

The entirety of Your word is truth,
And every one of Your righteous judgments endures forever. Psalm 119:160 (NKJV)

A for Admitting:

Let my heart be blameless regarding Your statutes,
That I may not be ashamed. Psalm 119:80 (NKJV)

I have restrained my feet from every evil way,
That I may keep Your word.  Psalm 119:101 (NKJV)

Direct my steps by Your word,
And let no iniquity have dominion over me. Psalm 119:133 (NKJV)

 C for Calling:

I have inclined my heart to perform Your statutes
Forever, to the very end. 
Psalm 119:112 (NKJV)

Seven times a day I praise You,
Because of Your righteous judgments. Psalm 119:164 (NKJV)

 U is for Understanding our story:

Unless Your law had been my delight,
I would then have perished in my affliction. Psalm 119:92 (NKJV)

I am Your servant;
Give me understanding,
That I may know Your testimonies.
 Psalm 119:125 (NKJV)

Trouble and anguish have overtaken me,
Yet Your commandments are my delights.
Psalm 119:143 (NKJV)

The righteousness of Your testimonies is everlasting;
Give me understanding, and I shall live.
 Psalm 119:144 (NKJV)

Let my cry come before You, O Lord;
Give me understanding according to Your word. Psalm 119:169 (NKJV)

P is for Promises:

The entrance of Your words gives light;
It gives understanding to the simple.
 
Psalm 119:130 (NKJV)

P is for Petitioning:

Revive me according to Your lovingkindness,
So that I may keep the testimony of Your mouth.
 
Psalm 119:88 (NKJV)

I am Yours, save me;
For I have sought Your precepts. Psalm 119:94 (NKJV)

I am afflicted very much;
Revive me, O Lord, according to Your word.  Psalm 119:107 (NKJV)

Depart from me, you evildoers,
For I will keep the commandments of my God! Psalm 119:115 (NKJV)

Make Your face shine upon Your servant,
And teach me Your statutes. Psalm 119:135 (NKJV)

I cry out with my whole heart;
Hear me, O Lord! Psalm 119:145 (NKJV)

Hear my voice according to Your lovingkindness;
O Lord, revive me according to Your justice. Psalm 119:149 (NKJV)

Plead my cause and redeem me;
Revive me according to Your word. Psalm 119:154 (NKJV)

Today’s TEA CUPP: Psalm 119:147 declares, “I rise before the dawning of the morning, And cry for help; I hope in Your word.” What do you think, my TEA CUPP friend, can you make a date with Jesus every morning before the sun come up?  Sit down with the Lord for TEA, open your Bible, read His Word, and pour out your heart to Him in prayer.

Scripture from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson.

TEA with Psalm 119

Open my eyes, that I may see
Wondrous things from Your law.  Psalm 119:18

It’s time for more Bible verses for your TEA time with Jesus! If you allow your Bible to fall open to the approximate center, it is very likely that you will be on Psalm 119, the longest Psalm with 176 verses.  If you ever aren’t sure what to read or which verses to pray, turn to Psalm 119 because it is packed with great verses.  Underline your favorites and use them as conversation starters for your prayer time with Jesus.  There are so many wonderful verses that I will have another batch for you next week.  Savor your sips with the Savior!

T for Thanksgiving:

At midnight I will rise to give thanks to You,
Because of Your righteous judgments.Psalm 119:62 (NKJV)

E for Exalting:

The law of Your mouth is better to me
Than thousands of coins of gold and silver. Psalm 119:72 (NKJV)

A for Admitting:

Remove from me the way of lying,
And grant me Your law graciously.
Psalm 119:29 (NKJV)

Turn away my eyes from looking at worthless things,
And revive me in Your way. Psalm 119:37 (NKJV)

 C for Calling:

Your word I have hidden in my heart,
That I might not sin against You. Psalm 119:11 (NKJV)

I will delight myself in Your statutes;
I will not forget Your word. Psalm 119:16 (NKJV)

Make me walk in the path of Your commandments,
For I delight in it.  Psalm 119:35 (NKJV)

My hands also I will lift up to Your commandments,
Which I love,
And I will meditate on Your statutes. Psalm 119:48 (NKJV)

 U is for Understanding our story:

With my whole heart I have sought You;
Oh, let me not wander from Your commandments! Psalm 119:10 (NKJV)

Before I was afflicted I went astray,
But now I keep Your word. Psalm 119:67 (NKJV)

It is good for me that I have been afflicted,
That I may learn Your statutes. Psalm 119:71 (NKJV)

Your hands have made me and fashioned me;
Give me understanding, that I may learn Your commandments. Psalm 119:73 (NKJV)

P is for Promises:

Blessed are those who keep His testimonies,
Who seek Him with the whole heart!
 
Psalm 119:2 (NKJV)

I will run the course of Your commandments,
For You shall enlarge my heart. Psalm 119:32 (NKJV)

P is for Petitioning:

Deal bountifully with Your servant,
That I may live and keep Your word.
 
Psalm 119:17 (NKJV)

My soul clings to the dust;
Revive me according to Your word. Psalm 119:25 (NKJV)

My soul melts from heaviness;
Strengthen me according to Your word. Psalm 119:28 (NKJV)

Teach me, O Lord, the way of Your statutes,
And I shall keep it to the end.  Psalm 119:33 (NKJV)

Teach me good judgment and knowledge,
For I believe Your commandments. Psalm 119:66 (NKJV)

Today’s TEA CUPP: Revive me, strengthen me, teach me…such powerful pleas we can bring to Jesus.  Try picking just one verse and let it be your cry to Jesus this week.  Ask the Lord to show you which verse you should pray next.

Scripture from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson.

Another Psalm TEA CUPP

The Lord will command His lovingkindness in the daytime,
And in the night His song shall be with me—
A prayer to the God of my life. Psalm 42:8 (NKJV)

 

Every summer I find myself reading the Psalms.  I use a one-year Bible reading plan found in the Our Daily Bread devotional.  The July and August Old Testament readings are in the Psalms. I enjoy how these verses bring such comfort and offer so many meaningful prayers.

When my husband and I were engaged to be married, a missionary gave us this advice:  Read one Psalm a day to count down the days to your wedding.  We followed his suggestion and it really was a blessing!  Now I think how this idea could be used by others for their weddings, to await the arrival of a baby,  to anticipate healing, and so on.  Perhaps you’d like to try reading one Psalm a day, too, as you pray and wait upon the Lord.

Or you might try a Psalm TEA CUPP with these verses from Psalms 41-50. Pray one or all these verses each day this coming week as you pour out your heart to Jesus.

T for Thanksgiving:

Offer to God thanksgiving,
And pay your vows to the Most High. Psalm 50:14 (NKJV)

E for Exalting:

Blessed be the Lord God of Israel
From everlasting to everlasting!
Amen and Amen. Psalm 41:13 (NKJV)

In God we boast all day long,
And praise Your name forever. Psalm 44:8 (NKJV)

Oh, clap your hands, all you peoples!
Shout to God with the voice of triumph!
For the Lord Most High is awesome;
He is a great King over all the earth. Psalm 47:1-2 (NKJV)

A for Admitting:

I said, “Lord, be merciful to me;
Heal my soul, for I have sinned against You.” 
Psalm 41:4 (NKJV)

 C for Calling:

Be still, and know that I am God… Psalm 46:10 (NKJV)

 U is for Understanding our story:

Why are you cast down, O my soul?
And why are you disquieted within me?
Hope in God;
For I shall yet praise Him,
The help of my countenance and my God. Psalm 42:11 (NKJV)

P is for Promises:

God is our refuge and strength,
A very present help in trouble.
Psalm 46:1 (NKJV)

The Lord of hosts is with us;
The God of Jacob is our refuge. Psalm 46:11 (NKJV)

Call upon Me in the day of trouble;
I will deliver you, and you shall glorify Me. Psalm 50:15 (NKJV)

P is for Petitioning:

Oh, send out Your light and Your truth!
Let them lead me;
Let them bring me to Your holy hill
And to Your tabernacle.
 
Psalm 43:3 (NKJV)

Today’s TEA CUPP: Dear TEA CUPP Friend, you are invited to TEA every day with the King of kings!  I hope you will enjoy your time in the Psalms with Jesus. Underline your favorite verses for your own special TEA time. Soak up His Word today.

Scripture from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson.

Word of God TEA

Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away. Luke 21:13 (NKJV)

Dear TEA friends,  My TEA CUPP Prayers is all about using God’s Word to start a conversation with the Lord.  One verse at a time, you can pray…one verse for giving thanks, one for exalting our great God, one for admitting our sins…and so on. Today all the verses are about God’s Word.  Use these verses this week to pour out your heart to Jesus. 

T for Thanksgiving:

For this reason we also thank God without ceasing, because when you received the word of God which you heard from us, you welcomed it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which also effectively works in you who believe. 1 Thessalonians 2:13 (NKJV)

E for Exalting:

The words of the Lord are pure words,
Like silver tried in a furnace of earth,
Purified seven times. Psalm 12:6 (NKJV)

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. John 1:1 (NKJV)

Your word is truth. John 17:17 (NKJV)

He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God. Revelation 19:13 (NKJV)

A for Admitting:

For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account. Hebrews 4:12-13 (NKJV)

 C for Calling:

Your word I have hidden in my heart,
That I might not sin against You. Psalm 119:11 (NKJV)

 But He said, “More than that, blessed are those who hear the word of God and keep it!” Luke 11:28 (NKJV)

 All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness.  2 Timothy 3:16 (NKJV)

U is for Understanding our story:

…man shall not live by bread alone; but man lives by every word that proceeds from the mouth of the Lord.  Deuteronomy 8:3 (NKJV)

 So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. Romans 10:17 (NKJV)

…I will put My laws in their mind and write them on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. Hebrews 8:10 (NKJV)

P is for Promises:

The grass withers,
And its flower falls away,
But the word of the Lord endures forever. 1 Peter 1:24-25 (NKJV)

So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth;
It shall not return to Me empty,
But it shall accomplish what I please,
And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it. Isaiah 55:11 (NKJV)

For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled. Matthew 5:18 (NKJV)

Most assuredly, I say to you, if anyone keeps My word he shall never see death.” John 8:51 (NKJV)

P is for Petitioning:

Remember the word to Your servant,
Upon which You have caused me to hope. Psalm 119:49 (NKJV)

If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. John 15:7 (NKJV)

Today’s TEA CUPP: My friend, God’s Word is the Holy Bible.  You are invited to a daily TEA time with the King of kings.  Get your Bible, a pen, and your favorite beverage.  Sit down in your quiet spot, open your Bible, and invite Jesus to join you.  Read His Word, underline your favorite verses or the ones listed above.  Use these verses to help you pray to the Lord.

Scripture from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson.