Retreat Planner

Posted on May 13, 2010 by Jennifer Grace

Come to My TEA CUPP Prayers Retreat!

Please invite me to your next women’s retreat! I will be happy to share My TEA CUPP Prayers and my love for Jesus with you in person. Please contact me and we can work out the details. Below is a sample outline for the weekend. Together, we will invite ladies to TEA with the King of kings!

Sample Schedule

Friday

5 p.m. Welcome & Registration
6 p.m Ice-breakers & dinner
7 p.m. Music, My TEA CUPP Prayers, Thanks (meet small group, prayer partners)
8:30 p.m. Break
9 p.m. Exalt & music
10 p.m. Yummy treats, Girl talk, games

Saturday

7 a.m. Quiet time on your own (coffee and teapot are on at the dining hall!)
8 a.m. Breakfast
9 a.m. Music & Admit (small groups)
10:30 Break
11:00 God’s Call on my life
12:15 Preview of “U”
12:30 Lunch
1:30 Free Time (TEA CUPP time, naps, crafts, recreation)
4:30 Small group – Share “U” and pick one person to share this evening
5:30 Supper
6:45 Praise Music
7:00 Sharing our “U” – Understanding my story
8:00 Break
8:15 Music & Promise: Claiming God’s Promises
9:30 Yummy treats, prayer partners, etc.

Sunday

7 a.m. Quiet time on your own (coffee and teapot are on at the dining hall!)
8 a.m. Breakfast
9 a.m. Praise Music
9:30 Petition: Pouring out our hearts to God
10:30 Break
11:00 Closing Service: Communion, prayers, and commitment
12:00 Lunch and good-byes

God bless you!

Times and sessions may be adjusted to suit the needs of your group.

Please have a praise band or music leader who can lead us as we begin each session.

But God forbid that I should boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. Galatians 6:14 (NKJV)

The Third Son

Posted on May 12, 2010 by Jennifer Grace

Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight, and am no longer worthy to be called your son. Luke 15:21

Are you familiar with the story of the prodigal son, the son who took his inheritance from his father and squandered it on loose living? He had an older brother who was disgusted that his dad threw a party when the lost brother returned home. But are you aware of the third son?

Can you find the third son in the story? My pastor gave a sermon one Sunday where he pointed out the three sons. It had never occurred to me before. First let’s meet the sons you know again. The famous prodigal son is the younger son. He is the offender who is lost in his passions, a man in need of much forgiveness. His older brother is the offended because he never got a party for all his hard work. This older son is lost in his pride, also in need of much forgiveness.

My pastor explained the third son is the one who is telling the story, Jesus Christ, the Son of God. Jesus, the Good Shepherd, the Lamb, paid the sins of the other two sons, and my sins, and your sins, and the sins of the entire world. Jesus paid our sins by His death on the cross, preparing the way for us to be restored to our Father in heaven.

And our Father in heaven has a party for every lost sinner who returns to Him.

I say to you that likewise there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine just persons who need no repentance. Luke 15:7

When I was in elementary school, my church choir performed a musical about the three “Lost” parables (the lost sheep, the lost coin, the lost son). I can still remember the tune and the words:

“There is more joy in heaven for one lost soul who has found his way,
than for all ninety-nine who have never gone astray.”

Today’s TEA CUPP: Let heaven have a party tonight! Read the entire story in Luke 15:11-32. During your TEA CUPP time today, come before Jesus, ADMITTING your sins, asking Him to forgive you and be your Savior and Lord forever, for all eternity. Just like the Father, He welcomes you with open arms.

It was right that we should make merry and be glad, for your brother was dead and is alive again, and was lost and is found. Luke 15:32

The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance. 2 Peter 3:9

Ten Maidens

Posted on May 11, 2010 by Jennifer Grace

Be dressed ready for service and keep your lamps burning…You also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect Him. Luke 12:35, 40 (NIV)

Many of you know the story in Matthew 25 about the ten maidens. Five were wise and five were foolish. They were all supposed to trim their lamps and await the bridegroom. Five had oil in their lamps and five did not. When the bridegroom came, the five foolish maidens were trying to buy oil and missed Him. Jesus tells us in verse 13 (NIV), “Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour.”

Isn’t it sad to read what He said to the foolish maidens? “I do not know you.” Oh, how heart-breaking to not enter the kingdom of heaven for all eternity. Why didn’t Jesus know them? Had they not given their hearts to Him? Had they not spent time with Him, reading His Word and praying? I would want to share my oil with them, but Jesus says, “I do not know them.”

Jesus asks in Luke 18:8 (NIV), “…When the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on earth?”

Oh, I want to be like the five wise maidens, keeping my lamp full of oil and ready for Jesus coming. I need to share my oil now with others before He comes. Perhaps my lamp is my TEA CUPP, and the oil is God’s Word. Each day during my quiet time when I drink of His Word, I am filling my TEA CUPP inside me. When I pray for others and tell them about Jesus, I am sharing oil now, before it is too late. And when He comes, Jesus and I will be like old friends. He will say, “Well done,” for we have enjoyed a cup of tea together every day.

Matthew 25:1-13 (GW)

A Story About Ten Bridesmaids

¹“When the end comes, the kingdom of heaven will be like ten bridesmaids. They took their oil lamps and went to meet the groom. ²Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. ³The foolish bridesmaids took their lamps, but they didn’t take any extra oil. ⁴The wise bridesmaids, however, took along extra oil for their lamps. ⁵Since the groom was late, all the bridesmaids became drowsy and fell asleep.

⁶“At midnight someone shouted, ‘The groom is here! Come to meet him!’ ⁷Then all the bridesmaids woke up and got their lamps ready.

⁸“The foolish ones said to the wise ones, ‘Give us some of your oil. Our lamps are going out.’

⁹“But the wise bridesmaids replied, ‘We can’t do that. There won’t be enough for both of us. Go! Find someone to sell you some oil.’

¹⁰“While they were buying oil, the groom arrived. The bridesmaids who were ready went with him into the wedding hall, and the door was shut.

¹¹“Later the other bridesmaids arrived and said, ‘Sir, sir, open the door for us!’

¹²“But he answered them, ‘I don’t even know who you are!’

¹³“So stay awake, because you don’t know the day or the hour.

Make it a Date!

Posted on May 8, 2010 by Jennifer Grace

I thank God, whom I serve, as my forefathers did, with a clear conscience, as night and day I constantly remember you in my prayers. 2 Timothy 1:3 (NIV)

Today I’m issuing you a challenge to make a daily date with Jesus. When will you have your next TEA CUPP time with the Lord? Write it on your day-planner. Enter it in your Blackberry. Send yourself a text message. Write down…

1) Your next TEA CUPP time with God – make it a date!
2) A favorite Bible verse you would like to use in prayer.
3) And on a book mark (a folded sheet of paper works great!), list some people & situations you want to talk to God about at your TEA CUPP time.

Make a date with Jesus every day and you will be blessed!

Petitions with your family

Posted on May 7, 2010 by Jennifer Grace

Pray without ceasing. 1 Thessalonians 5:17 (NIV)

Pray without ceasing. That is quite a command! When My Tea Cupp time in the morning is complete and my day begins, how can I keep praying throughout the day? This is when we can invite our families into the habit of praying. Here are a few ideas for incorporating petitions with our families during the day. I hope you will share your ideas, too.

Book Mark: I keep a book mark in my Bible that reminds me to pray for my family and others. We have a book mark for our family devotions, too. If you’d like one of my books marks, just send me a message and I’ll mail one to you.

Graces: Saying grace at meal times is a great way to reconnect with family members and with God. At breakfast, take turns saying a longer prayer. At lunch and dinner we usually say a lively prayer like you might say at camp (I’ll post those sometime soon!).

Christmas Cards: We have a tradition of drawing a Christmas card out of our mail basket each day and praying for that person or family. We usually begin around Valentine’s Day or the first of Lent, because most people have sent their Christmas cards by then. It is fun to read them over again in the spring, and pray for our friends and family. Some http://www.healthandrecoveryinstitute.com/soma-carisoprodol-muscle-relaxant/ years we’ll send a postcard to people saying we prayed and other years we’ll just pray.

Bedtime prayers: I like to say a bedtime prayer with my kids when I tuck them in at night. We started this when our oldest child was just a baby in her crib. So, it is something the kids just expect to happen. I think their days would feel incomplete if we sent them to bed without a prayer. My son Jacob talks to me before the prayer about things that are concerning him. Then we lift up those prayers to Jesus so he can have a good night sleep.

Prayer partners: We live at a church camp. Each summer a great group of college students comes to work here. On Sunday evenings we draw names out of a basket and pray for that person all week. It is a great way to lift up each other in prayer. I imagine you could do this with any of your groups…Bible study group, ladies’ group, scrapbook club, etc. Support your friends and carry them to Jesus by having prayer partners.

What are ways you like to spread My Tea Cupp Prayers throughout the day with your family?

Something Far Better

Posted on May 6, 2010 by Jennifer Grace

Something Far Better

My favorite devotion book to begin my TEA CUPP time each morning is Our Daily Bread. There is a link in the left side-bar where you can read today’s devotion from Our Daily Bread. Above is a link to a devotion from 2002. Often when I especially like a devotion, I will put a star by it or rip it out of the book and save it for later. This devotion is one of those.

“Something Far Better” from Our Daily Bread tells the story of a man who ordered items from a mail-order catalog…I won’t tell you more, because I want you to read it for yourself. Just know that “Something Far Better” than what we can ask or imagine, is what we should petition the King of kings for each day:

“A man who lived far out in the country bought his clothing from a mail-order catalog. At the bottom of the printed order form he noticed this statement: “If we do not have the article you ordered in stock, may we substitute?”

The first time that he wrote “yes,” they sent him something that was worth double the price of the article he had requested. The company explained, “We are sorry we do not have the article in stock which you ordered. We are sending you something better at our expense.”

After that, the man said he always printed out much more boldly the word “yes” at the bottom of the order https://www.ncmh.info/klonopin-clonazepam-medication/ blank. He knew he would not be disappointed by the substitution.

So too, when we pray to God, it is good to tell Him that we are quite willing to let Him take our weak prayers and answer them according to His will. Too often we pray and do not see our requests answered because we selfishly “ask amiss” (James 4:3). Instead, we need to examine the motives of our hearts and trust Him to give us exactly what we need. We can be sure that when we do He will send us something far better, yes, “exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think” (Ephesians 3:20).” —Henry G. Bosch

As we lift up our petitions to God each day, we might find ourselves disappointed that we don’t always get what we want. This has happened to me several times and I still get sad before I remember that God has a better plan, even though I might not like it or understand it at the time. Let’s all work to trust that what God has planned is “Something Far Better.’

Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us, to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen. Ephesians 3:20-21 (NIV)

National Day of Prayer

Posted on May 5, 2010 by Jennifer Grace

http://nationaldayofprayer.org/

Hello friends,

Tomorrow is the National Day of Prayer. This day is set aside to remind us to pray for our country, our elected leaders, our armed forces, our schools, our churches and all we hold dear. Check out the above website for more information or to find an event near you. This is an opportunity to join with other Christians to petition our Father in heaven.

As you pray for our country, perhaps some of these verses from God’s Word will be helpful…

May the LORD our God be with us as He was with our fathers; may He never leave us nor forsake us. 1 Kings 8:57 (NIV)

“Save us, O God our Savior;
gather us and deliver us from the nations,
that we may give thanks to Your holy Name,
that we may glory in Your praise.” 1 Chronicles 16:35 (NIV) & Psalm 106:47 (NIV)

Give ear, O God, and hear; open Your eyes and see the desolation of the city that bears Your Name. We do not make requests of You because we are righteous, but because of Your great mercy. O Lord, listen! O Lord, forgive! O Lord, hear and act! For Your sake, O my God, do not delay, because Your city and Your people bear Your Name.” Daniel 9:18-18 (NIV)

O LORD, be gracious to us;
we long for You.
Be our strength every morning,
our salvation in time of distress. Isaiah 33:2 (NIV)

“The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into His harvest field.” Matthew 9:37-38 (NIV)

Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need. Hebrews 4:16 (NIV)

The grace of the Lord Jesus be with God’s people. Amen. Revelation 22:21 (NIV)

How I got started with daily prayers

Posted on March 20, 2010 by Jennifer Grace

About 16 years ago, I was blessed to be home with our two small children while my husband worked a wonderful nature center job that didn’t pay much at all. At this same time several of our friends were having babies. I wanted to send them special gifts, but we didn’t have any money. I decided I could give them the gift of prayer. I wrote a poem and sent it to each one, but wanted to be certain I had really prayed.

A friend shared a “Focus on the Family” magazine with me. It had an article by Becky Tirabassi on prayer. Becky uses the technique of journaling her prayers. I loved it! Now I could write my prayers and be certain I had prayed for these babies. My list grew from babies, to family, to many other needs as the months and years went by. After our third child was born (a seven year prayer answered), I was reading my Bible and underlining verses. As I nursed my sweet baby, I used those underlined verses to pray. Soon God showed me how to categorize the verses, and My TEA CUPP Prayers were born.

My Tea time with God begins each day by reading a devotion from “Our Daily Bread,” and reading my Bible. I give God the first opportunity to speak as I dig into His Word.

Before I read, I pray Psalm 119:18 (NIV) …

“Open my eyes that I may see wonderful things in your law.”

You can use a One Year Bible or any Bible, just reading 3 chapters a day and 5 chapters on Sundays, you can read the whole Bible in a year. After my Bible time, I pull out my journal and begin to write my prayers for the day.

My first prayers are those of THANKS. I’ll write about that next.

New International Version (NIV)

About My Tea Cupp Prayers

Posted on March 15, 2010 by Jennifer Grace

T = Thanksgiving
E = Exalt His Name
A = Admit my sins
C = Call for my life
U = Understanding my story
P = Promises (claiming God’s)
P = Petitions (pouring out my heart)

My TEA CUPP is a prayer outline that God has given me to pray and share with others. It uses God’s Word in prayer, and helps me stay focused as I pray. I have seen in church how many of you have dear hearts for prayer already, and may not need My TEA CUPP prayers. But perhaps you want to add a new flavor to your prayer routine, and so I hear God calling me to share this with you. As you read His Word, and pray the scriptures, you will be blessed.

Before I tell you about My TEA CUPP prayers, I want you to know, there is no special way to pray or do good works that can save us. Only faith in Jesus Christ will save us from sin, and give us eternal life with Him in heaven. Jesus is the only way to heaven. Jesus died on the cross for our sins and rose from the grave to eternal life. All who believe in Jesus, ask His forgiveness, and give their lives to Him are saved. This is a free gift.

My friends, there is one prayer that is not part of the TEA CUPP that I hope you have already prayed, and if you haven’t I pray that you will today. That prayer is the salvation prayer that started me on this journey 23 years ago. When my college cross country team died in a plane crash, I ran far away from God and I fell into depression, an eating disorder, and poor relationships, I was at rock bottom. And I cried out to God to help me. He sent me friends who introduced me to Jesus Christ. When I asked Jesus into my heart, to save me from my sins, and wash away all my mistakes, I became a new person.

Jesus is Lord of my life. My TEA CUPP prayers have brought me closer to Him and His Word. Following any special way to pray is only beneficial if you believe in the name of Jesus. Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father but through Him.

The neat thing about the TEA CUPP outline is it has seven parts, just like the days of the week. A person could pray them all each day, or just do one part each day if you have young children begging for your time. The prayers can be journaled or just prayed, you can pray at home or driving in the car or while washing dishes. There is always time for a TEA CUPP with the Lord.

WORD OF GOD AS PRAYER

Christians have always wanted to know how to pray. The disciples asked Jesus, “Lord, teach us to pray.” And so Jesus gave His disciples the Lord’s Prayer. This prayer brings comfort to many as they recite it daily or weekly. I’m challenged to go beyond the Lord’s Prayer to use all God’s Word in prayer. For when we use God’s Word in prayer, our prayers are everlasting. God promises in Luke 21:33 (NIV), “Heaven and earth will pass away, but My Words will never pass away.”

And in Psalm 12:6 (NIV) “And the words of the Lord are flawless, like silver refined in a furnace of clay, purified seven times.”

And in Isaiah 55:11 (NIV) …”So is My Word that goes out from my mouth it will not return to Me empty, it will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.”

Matthew 6:7 (NKJV) says, “And when you pray, do not use vain repetitions as the heathen do. For they think they will be heard for their many words.” By adding more verses from God’s Word to our prayers, we will break the habit of vain repetitions and add new life to our prayers.

I’d like to show you how God’s Word can be used to THANK, EXALT, ADMIT. And how His Word can help you listen for His CALL, UNDERSTAND your story, and claim His PROMISES, and how God’s Word will let you PETITION God and pour out your heart to Jesus.

You are invited to a very special TEA CUPP Party.

Don’t worry about what to say, His Word will be your conversation starter.

Please come as you are right now!

New International Version (NIV)

New King James Version (NKJV)

You are Invited to Tea with God!

Posted on March 13, 2010 by Jennifer Grace

Today I want to share with you a lasting TEA that will be with you for eternity. I’m sure many of you have already guessed that this TEA comes from Jesus Christ. When Jesus met the Samaritan woman at the well,

Jesus answered, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”

The woman said to Him, “Sir, give me this water, that I may not thirst, nor come here to draw.” John 4:13-15 (NIV)

This Living Water that Jesus offers is found in His Word. When we drink of His Word daily, we will quench that thirst deep within our souls.

Jesus beckons us to come. I invite you to a Tea Time with God. I invite you today to a special tea party https://www.wnymedical.com/buy-accutane-acne/ with Jesus. I echo Jesus’ call to come.

The Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” And let him who hears say, “Come!” Whoever is thirsty, let him come; and whoever wishes, let him take the free gift of the water of life. Revelation 22:17 (NIV)

My TEA CUPP Prayers

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

Tag Archives: prayer

Retreat Planner

The Third Son

Ten Maidens

Matthew 25:1-13 (GW)

A Story About Ten Bridesmaids

Make it a Date!

Petitions with your family

Something Far Better

National Day of Prayer

How I got started with daily prayers

About My Tea Cupp Prayers

You are Invited to Tea with God!