Turn and Live

Posted on March 7, 2018 by Jennifer Grace

…“Therefore turn and live!” Ezekiel 18:32 (NKJV)

One of the toughest parts of My TEA CUPP Prayers might be the letter “A” for Admitting our sins. It can be hard to admit when we’ve done something wrong, said the wrong words, done the wrong thing, broken one of God’s commandments, and fallen short of the glory of God. It can be especially hard to even admit we need forgiveness, but we do. For all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23). We’re all in need of the forgiveness that only Jesus can provide.

Yet there is Good News! Though admitting our sins is tough, we are cleansed, our burden is lifted, and we have joy and peace again. Jesus bore our sins for us on the cross at Calvary so long ago. When we believe in Him, He washes away all our sins and makes us His child. Isn’t that Good News?! So, today, if you’ve been skipping this part of your TEA time with Jesus, I urge you to turn and live!

Turn from your sins, admit them to Jesus, repent and live a new life, walking with Jesus. This sin stuff is not new, it’s as old as Adam and Eve and the serpent. God’s people, the Israelites, fell into it often. God’s Old Testament prophets warned the people, as did Ezekiel:

Therefore I will judge you, O house of Israel, every one according to his ways,” says the Lord God. “Repent, and turn from all your transgressions, so that iniquity will not be your ruin. Cast away from you all the transgressions which you have committed, and get yourselves a new heart and a new spirit. For why should you die, O house of Israel? For I have no pleasure in the death of one who dies,” says the Lord God. “Therefore turn and live!” Ezekiel 18:30-32 (NKJV)

Are you ready to turn and live? How can you do it? James tells us so well in his New Testament book. James says…

Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Lament and mourn and weep! Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up. James 4:7-10 (NKJV)

Did you hear James’ points? 1) Submit to God. 2) Resist the devil. 3) Draw near to God (having TEA with Jesus each day is a great way to do this!). 4) Cleanse and purify your heart (by admitting your sins, weeping, and asking Jesus’ forgiveness). 5) Humble yourself in the sight of the Lord.

And did you see Jame’s promises? 1) The devil will flee from you. 2) God will draw near to you. 3) And God will lift you up!

Today’s TEA CUPP: Turn and Live! Dearest TEA CUPP Friend, whether you are a new believer, old believer, or a seeker, there is always something to admit to Jesus. Give Jesus that last sin you’ve been hanging onto, let Him wash it away and give you a new clean heart. Turn and Live!

There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. Romans 8:1 (NKJV)

For I have no pleasure in the death of one who dies,” says the Lord God. “Therefore turn and live!” Ezekiel 18:32 (NKJV)

Someone is Praying for You!

Posted on February 21, 2018 by Jennifer Grace

Therefore He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them. Hebrews 7:25 (NKJV)

Someone is praying for you, my friend! Someone is praying for you! I promise you that right now, someone is really and truly praying for you.

I know what you are thinking, “Not me, why would anyone pray for me? You are mistaken.” But I promise you, it is true, someone is truly praying for you.

Now, I can’t tell you all the people who are praying for you, because that is a surprise. It could be an aunt, a grandpa, a grandchild, a neighbor, a person at the grocery store, or someone who goes by your house everyday. You could be totally oblivious to these prayers as Job’s first children were (Job 1:5), but the prayers are still happening. And I can tell you Two who are praying for you:

1) Jesus is praying for you! Can you believe it? It is true! Romans 8:34 promises us that Jesus is sitting at the right hand of God, making intercession for us.

It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us. Romans 8:34 (NKJV)

Wow, isn’t that something?! Jesus, the Son of God, the Messiah, the Savior of the world, is praying for you! How does that make you feel? This question was asked at a Bible study I attend and the ladies had some wonderful answers: “Mind-boggling, blessed, He cares that much for me, nothing is impossible, He knows what I need before I ask, He hears us, we are just specks in eternity, specks in the universe, yet He hears us!” And how does it make me feel? I wrote that day, “O Jesus, thank You! To think I sit having TEA with You every morning and You take my requests to the Father! Thank You, dearest Jesus!”

2) Who else is praying for you? The Holy Spirit is praying for you! Even if we mess up our prayers and get it all wrong, the Holy Spirit is there, translating what our hearts really meant to the Father. Isn’t that good news?! You don’t have to pray just the “right” prayer. The Holy Spirit will take care of making it “just right” for God. The Spirit is praying for you!

Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. Romans 8:26 (NKJV)

A recent example of this for me was when my Daddy was dying. I definitely didn’t have it all together as my voice cracked in tears. I was trying to pray the Lord’s Prayer over the phone with Daddy, as my sister held the phone to his ear. Somewhere around “debtors” or “temptations” I messed up, not remembering which version I was on…yet I know the Holy Spirit interceded at that very moment and heard our prayers and took my dear Daddy to heaven. For as soon as we ended the call, my sister texted, “He’s gone.” And there I sat on the sofa between my two boys, crying tears of sadness and joy, that God let us all be together in my Daddy’s final moments.

Today’s TEA CUPP: Jesus and the Holy Spirit are both praying for you, taking your requests to the Father. Rest in this amazing promise today! Then pray with confidence, knowing God is on your side. What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? Romans 8:31 (NKJV)

Be One of the Faithful

Posted on December 30, 2017 by Jennifer Grace

Even if these three men, Noah, Daniel, and Job, were in it, they would deliver only themselves by their righteousness,” says the Lord God. Ezekiel 14:14 (NKJV)

Sometimes the books of the Old Testament prophets can be long and difficult to read, with much prophecy and destruction, because God’s people kept turning away from Him. But there are still good verses tucked in there to exhort and encourage us in our walk with God.

The verse above from Ezekiel 14:14 was one of these that caught my eye. When we read, “Noah, Daniel and Job,” we feel connected, since most of us have heard their stories: Noah’s Ark, Daniel and the Lions, The Patience of Job. The following verses remind us of each one.

…Noah was a just man, perfect in his generations. Noah walked with God. Genesis 6:9 (NKJV)

Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went home. And in his upper room, with his windows open toward Jerusalem, he knelt down on his knees three times that day, and prayed and gave thanks before his God, as was his custom since early days. Daniel 6:10 (NKJV)

There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job; and that man was blameless and upright, and one who feared God and shunned evil. Job 1:1 (NKJV)

A just man who walked with God, a man of prayer, a blameless and upright man…These are all great Bible heroes, strong in their faith. So, what does Ezekiel 14:14 tell us? It says that even if those three faithful men were there, they would only save themselves and no one else from God’s impending destruction.

What does this mean for us? John McCarthur says in his notes on Ezekiel 14:14, “one man’s righteousness is no protection for another.” (MacArthur, 1997) We can’t take comfort that we live in a country founded under God, or that our neighbor attends church, or that our grandmother prayed for us. We must make the decision for ourselves, confess Jesus is Lord and believe in our hearts that God raise Him from the dead, and we will be saved (Romans 10:9).

Even if we hangout with our pastor’s family or Bible study leader, though these are very good things to do, we won’t be delivered. We must “hang out” with the King of kings, the Savior of our souls, God’s only Son who gave His life for our sins on the Cross, pouring out His blood to wash us clean. We must be friends with Jesus.

Today’s TEA CUPP: Be friends with Jesus. Have TEA with Him each day, reading His Word, the Bible, pouring out your heart to Him in prayer. As you begin this new year, ask God to help you walk with Him each day as did Noah, Daniel, Job, Abraham and Sarah, Moses, Ruth, and so many others Bible heroes.

And the Scripture was fulfilled which says, “Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.” And he was called the friend of God. You see then that a man is justified by works, and not by faith only. James 2:23-24 (NKJV)

MacArthur, J. (1997). The MacArthur Study Bible. Nashville: Thomas Nelson, Inc. (p. 1168)

Many thanks to my Discipleland Sunday school curriculum for the Bible hero pictures I enjoy each week in our classroom!

Moan Noisily

Posted on November 29, 2017 by Jennifer Grace

Attend to me, and hear me;
I am restless in my complaint, and moan noisily. Psalm 55:2 (NKJV)

We’ve all heard the child moaning noisily, from the line at the grocery store to our own kitchen. Waaaaaaaaaah-wooooooooo-weeeeee-waaaaaah! Kids are experts at the art of moaning, whether it is warranted or not.

Did you know it’s okay for us to moan noisily, too? Sure thing! Doesn’t Jesus tell us to come to the Father as a child?

Assuredly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will by no means enter it. Luke 18:17 (NKJV)

So we come to Him as a child, crying and bawling and whining and moaning, ever so noisily. And He doesn’t turn us away. He opens His arms and holds us close and hears our complaint and assures us of His perfect plan.

The eternal God is your refuge,
And underneath are the everlasting arms… Deuteronomy 33:27 (NKJV)

Did you know Jesus Himself, when He walked this earth, moaned noisily? When His good friend Lazarus died, Jesus wept and groaned within Himself, before raising Lazarus from the dead…

Then Jesus, again groaning in Himself, came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone lay against it. John 11:38 (NKJV)

Today when we don’t have the words to say, but all we can do is cry out in anguish, moaning noisily, God has sent His Holy Spirit to pray for us, with groanings that cannot be uttered. Even the Holy Spirit groans…

Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. Romans 8:26 (NKJV)

Not only do Jesus and the Holy Spirit moan, the whole earth has been moaning! Ever since Adam and Eve disobeyed God and were kicked out of the garden, all creation has been crying out to be delivered from its bondage of corruption…

For we know that the whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs together until now. Romans 8:22 (NKJV)

If Jesus, the Holy Spirit, and all creation are groaning, we can groan, too. Yes, my friend, it is okay to moan noisily and let God hear your complaint.

Today’s TEA CUPP: Moan noisily. I’m serious. If you’ve been holding back at your TEA time with Jesus, just sharing small talk and not really pouring out your heart, today is the day. Give Jesus all your hurts and sadness. Tell Him you don’t like what’s going on in your world. Unload your burdens on Jesus and let Him carry them today.

Casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you. 1 Peter 5:7 (NKJV)

Cast your burden on the Lord,
And He shall sustain you;
He shall never permit the righteous to be moved. Psalm 55:22 (NKJV)

Not only that, but we also who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting for the adoption, the redemption of our body. Romans 8:23 (NKJV)

For we know that if our earthly house, this tent, is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed with our habitation which is from heaven, if indeed, having been clothed, we shall not be found naked. For we who are in this tent groan, being burdened, not because we want to be unclothed, but further clothed, that mortality may be swallowed up by life. 2 Corinthians 5:1-4 (NKJV)

My Thanks TEA

Posted on November 22, 2017 by Jennifer Grace

In everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. 1 Thessalonians 5:18 (NKJV)

The Apostle Paul tells us to give thanks in everything. God’s man who was ship-wrecked, beaten, stoned and imprisoned for Jesus, found ways to always be thankful. So this Thanksgiving, I’m challenged to give thanks in all parts of my TEA CUPP Prayers. Here is a blend of Thanksgiving verses put together especially for you, my TEA CUPP friend. May God bless your Thanksgiving prayers!

T for Thanksgiving:

Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving;
Let us shout joyfully to Him with psalms. Psalm 95:2 (NKJV)

We give thanks to You, O God, we give thanks!
For Your wondrous works declare that Your name is near. Psalm 75:1 (NKJV)

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

Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift! 2 Corinthians 9:15 (NKJV)

E for Exalting:

Sing praise to the Lord, you saints of His,
And give thanks at the remembrance of His holy name. Psalm 30:4 (NKJV)

I will praise the name of God with a song,
And will magnify Him with thanksgiving. Psalm 69:30 (NKJV)

It is good to give thanks to the Lord,
And to sing praises to Your name, O Most High. Psalm 92:1 (NKJV)

Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom,
Thanksgiving and honor and power and might,
Be to our God forever and ever.
Amen. Revelation 7:12 (NKJV)

We give You thanks, O Lord God Almighty,
The One who is and who was and who is to come,
Because You have taken Your great power and reigned. Revelation 11:17 (NKJV)

A for Admitting:

Save us, O God of our salvation;
Gather us together, and deliver us from the Gentiles,
To give thanks to Your holy name,
To triumph in Your praise. 1 Chronicles 16:35 (NKJV)

But fornication and all uncleanness or covetousness, let it not even be named among you, as is fitting for saints; neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor coarse jesting, which are not fitting, but rather giving of thanks. Ephesians 5:3-4 (NKJV)

Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good!
For His mercy endures forever. Psalm 106:1 (NKJV)

C for Calling:

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

I will offer to You the sacrifice of thanksgiving,
And will call upon the name of the Lord. Psalm 116:17 (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)

And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him. Colossians 3:17 (NKJV)

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

U is for Understanding our story:

To the end that my glory may sing praise to You and not be silent.
O Lord my God, I will give thanks to You forever. Psalm 30:12 (NKJV)

So we, Your people and sheep of Your pasture,
Will give You thanks forever;
We will show forth Your praise to all generations. Psalm 79:13 (NKJV)

Now thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and through us diffuses the fragrance of His knowledge in every place. 2 Corinthians 2:14 (NKJV)

P is for Promises:

Surely the righteous shall give thanks to Your name;
The upright shall dwell in Your presence. Psalm 140:13 (NKJV)

But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. 1 Corinthians 15:57 (NKJV)

P is for Petitioning:

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

We give thanks to God always for you all, making mention of you in our prayers. 1 Thessalonians 1:2 (NKJV)

Today’s TEA CUPP: We can find so many thanksgiving verses in our Bibles. Jesus must want to hear our thanks! Underline these verses and other favorites God shows you. Use these scriptures to pray and be thankful all year long.

Leave No Doubt

Posted on October 18, 2017 by Jennifer Grace

For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus. 1 Thessalonians 4:14 (NKJV)

It seems that as we get older, we attend more funerals and memorial services for loved ones, friends and acquaintances in our town, some departing too soon. The pastors leading the services always do a beautiful job of sharing memories of the departed and comfort for those left behind. We are especially comforted if we know the person is in heaven with Jesus.

I remember when my college cross country team died in a plane crash, I knew my coach was in heaven because of his life. Whenever we came home from meets I was always the last one to be dropped off, giving Coach plenty of time to share his faith. Coach Ron would talk long and serious about things I did not understand, yet I knew they were important. When he wasn’t planning our next big workout, he served at his church. Coach Ron had a dream to start a Christian running camp in northern Wisconsin. Because of his faith and example, I know my coach is with Jesus and will be there when I get there, too.

Every once in awhile, though, there is someone who we aren’t sure where she stood in her faith journey. We wonder if he is with Jesus. We pray she is in heaven. We ask God to comfort us and assure us he is with Jesus. But we just aren’t sure.

So, I want to encourage you today to LEAVE NO DOUBT when it is your turn to go. Make sure that while you are living, people know you love Jesus. Tell them how you study your Bible and meet with Him each day for prayer. Let them see the fruit of your faith in good works. Share how you are looking forward to the day when He comes to take you home. Then, when it is your turn to leave this world, your friends and family will have NO DOUBT that you are now in heaven having TEA with the King of kings!!!

Today’s TEA CUPP: Confirm your eternal destination today by praying with Jesus. Invite Jesus into your heart to forgive you and guide your remaining earthly days. Then tell a friend about this heavenly TEA party so she can join you there, too!

Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. John 14:6 (NKJV)

There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. Romans 8:1 (NKJV)

For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 (NKJV)

For I know that my Redeemer lives,
And He shall stand at last on the earth;
And after my skin is destroyed, this I know,
That in my flesh I shall see God,
Whom I shall see for myself,
And my eyes shall behold, and not another.
How my heart yearns within me! Job 19:25-27 (NKJV)

God is so Good!

Posted on September 27, 2017 by Jennifer Grace

Thank you to my friends Donna and Wendy and the Forest Service for these great photos!

He gives rain on the earth,
And sends waters on the fields. Job 5:10 (NKJV)

In Montana we had a miracle these past few weeks. For two months we had smoke and fires. Then God sent rain and snow to put them out! The next week He sent more rain and snow, just to make sure there weren’t any more hot spots. God is so good!

Usually we have the bluest sky in all the world here in Montana. It really is the Big Sky State, with a sky that for me stretches from the Beartooth Mountains to the Absarokas to the Crazies and beyond. But on July 17, my parents came to visit and suddenly it was hazy. I remember, because we always want it to be beautiful for our family and visitors. But the Crazy Mountains just weren’t as clear any more.

The smoke persisted for two months as over a million acres of Montana forests and ranch lands burned. Firefighters worked nonstop to contain the flames. High temperatures and drought conditions kept the blazes going. It seemed that every time there were storm clouds, we would get the lightning, not the rain, as if someone was praying Psalm 144:

Bow down Your heavens, O Lord, and come down;
Touch the mountains, and they shall smoke.
Flash forth lightning and scatter them… Psalm 144:5 (NKJV)

The second week of September it was 90 degrees and a new fire broke out from a lightning strike at the north end of the Crazy Mountains. From our house we could see the plume of smoke going up to the sky. Friends’ husbands were going out to fight the flames. People were posting on Facebook, “Pray for snow!”

And guess what, God sent rain and snow!!! He really does answer prayers! When the storm lifted we had blue skies again and snow covering our long-hidden Crazy Mountains. The doxology was my prayer as I took in this beautiful sight, “Praise God from whom all blessings flow, praise Him all creatures here below, praise Him above the heavenly host, praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost!”

Alleluia! Jesus answers prayers! I bet our friends in the south affected by the hurricanes have awesome stories of God’s goodness, too!

Today’s TEA CUPP: Let’s praise Jesus for how He has provided for us, carried us through the storm, protected us and answered our prayers!

When you pass through the waters, I will be with you;
And through the rivers, they shall not overflow you.
When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned,
Nor shall the flame scorch you.
For I am the Lord your God,
The Holy One of Israel, your Savior. Isaiah 43:2-3 (NKJV)

Pebble Pocks in My Palms

Posted on September 20, 2017 by Jennifer Grace

When you walk, your steps will not be hindered,
And when you run, you will not stumble. Proverbs 4:12

Why was my nose in the dirt? Lying face down on the gravel road with pebble marks in my hands and knees, I wondered, “What happened?” Just a split second before I was running and praying for my neighbors. How had my feet slipped? My shocked body just wanted to lie in the dust, but my brain told me to get up. So, I pulled my bruised flesh off the rocky ground and hobbled home.

Having a good cry on the sofa was a welcome idea, but then I remembered my busy schedule and this was my only chance to go running. So, with band-aid help from my dear husband and youngest son, I was soon out the door and running again, this time on the smooth highway, managing to squeeze in five miles before breakfast.

Still, a week after my running fall, I could feel the pebble pocks in my palms and see the bruises on my legs, a reminder of God picking me up. I know it could have been so much worse, as friends have been through broken arms, fingers, legs, ankles, and concussions this year. But God let me feel it in my hands to remind me of his Son Who also has marks in His hands. His marks proclaim how He died for the sins of all the world.

Then He said to Thomas, “Reach your finger here, and look at My hands; and reach your hand here, and put it into My side. Do not be unbelieving, but believing.” John 20:27 (NKJV)

Today’s TEA CUPP: Jesus died for you, my friend. He has nail holes in His hands to remind us of His sacrificial death on the cross. All who believe in Jesus are saved and will live forever with Him in heaven. Today, let Jesus pick you up from wherever you have fallen. Believe in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved.

For You have delivered my soul from death,
My eyes from tears,
And my feet from falling.
I will walk before the Lord
In the land of the living. Psalm 116:8-9 (NKJV)

Seven Things Job’s Friends Did Right

Posted on August 2, 2017 by Jennifer Grace

Listen to this, O Job;
Stand still and consider the wondrous works of God. Job 37:14 (NKJV)

Do you know the story of Job, how he lost everything? He lost his children, his animals and riches, and his health, all because God had a conversation with Satan. Then some friends came to visit Job to cheer him up but failed miserably with all their talking. We often focus on how those friends messed up, but today I want to share what they did right, a great lesson for us all.

When you begin reading the book of Job, the friends enter in the second chapter. This first paragraph of their visit tells all the things they did right:

Now when Job’s three friends heard of all this adversity that had come upon him, each one came from his own place—Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite. For they had made an appointment together to come and mourn with him, and to comfort him. And when they raised their eyes from afar and did not recognize him, they lifted their voices and wept; and each one tore his robe and sprinkled dust on his head toward heaven. So they sat down with him on the ground seven days and seven nights, and no one spoke a word to him, for they saw that his grief was very https://viagragen.com great. Job 2:11-13 (NKJV)

Did you notice the seven things Job’s friends did right?:

They came.
They mourned.
They comforted.
They wept.
They tore their robes.
They sat down.
No one spoke for 7 days and nights.

Today’s TEA CUPP: Can we learn from this when we have friends who are grieving or hurting? Yes, we can! Let’s start with the first thing they did and simply come. Sit down and listen to your friend, then cry together. Our friends will always remember how we were there and they will be comforted. I know when I had my first miscarriage and lost our long-awaited baby, it was the friends who came and cried with me that comforted me the most. Even my parents drove all the way across the country, just to sit in lawn chairs with me while I recovered. Then when a friend of mine lost a baby, I knew what to do. I came and cried with her. My friend, just come.

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. 2 Corinthians 1:3-4 (NKJV)

Scripture from the New King James Version®

Jesus loves Peter, Jesus loves me

Posted on June 28, 2017 by Jennifer Grace

What am I thinking about as I have my TEA today? I’m so thankful for Peter. Peter was one of Jesus’ twelve disciples who often messed up. Yet Jesus always loved and forgave him. Before Jesus went to the cross, Peter declared he would never desert Him:

Peter said to Him, “Even if all are made to stumble, yet I will not be.” Jesus said to him, “Assuredly, I say to you that today, even this night, before the rooster crows twice, you will deny Me three times.”But he spoke more vehemently, “If I have to die with You, I will not deny You!” And they all said likewise. Mark 14:29-31 (NKJV)

If we continue reading Mark 14, we see how Peter denied Jesus three times before the crucifixion. How many times have I told Jesus I would shine for Him, yet then been too shy to be His witness?

But he said to them, “Do not be alarmed. You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He is risen! He is not here. See the place where they laid Him. But go, tell His disciples—and Peter—that He is going before you into Galilee; there you will see Him, as He said to you.” Mark 16:6-7 (NKJV)

After Jesus rose from the dead, He specifically said to tell Peter to meet Him in Galilee. Jesus keeps calling me each day, even though I mess up, too. He gives me second and third and hundredth chances to show I love Him.

He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me?” Peter was grieved because He said to him the third time, “Do you love Me?” And he said to Him, “Lord, You know all things; You know that I love You.” Jesus said to him, “Feed My sheep.” John 21:17 (NKJV)

When Peter saw Jesus on the shore after His resurrection he dove into the water and swam to Him. Jesus told Peter three times, feed my lambs, saying “I forgive you” for the three times Peter denied Him. Jesus says “I forgive you” each day to me, too.

Today’s TEA CUPP: Dear Jesus, thank you for Peter! Because of Peter, I know you love me, even when I mess up. Even when I lose faith and start to sink as Peter did. You love me. Help me always remember. Thank you, my Jesus.

My TEA CUPP Prayers

Praying God's Word … Inviting Ladies to TEA with the King of kings!

Category Archives: The TEA CUPP