The Morning Star

Posted on December 1, 2016 by Jennifer Grace

And I will give him the morning star. Revelation 2:28 (NKJV)

The morning star…I see it almost every morning over the barn behind our house. I curl up on the sofa by the window, sipping my Jesus tea and reading God’s Word. Glancing outside I smile at the sky, talking to the Lord. And there, above the barn, twinkling back at me, is the brightest morning star! Then, soon after, the sky lightens, the day dawns, and I view the mountains beyond Montana fields.

And so we have the prophetic word confirmed, which you do well to heed as a light that shines in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts. 2 Peter 1:19 (NKJV)

One morning in my usual quiet time spot, I was studying this verse from 2 Peter 1:19 about reading the Bible. Peter explains God’s Word is a light that shines in a dark place. How this world needs His light! We all must keep digging into His Word and shining His light to others. And someday, Jesus will come and we won’t need the lights in the sky anymore. For He will be our dawning light and His Morning Star will shine in our hearts. Though we celebrate now the advent before Christmas, we are always in the season of advent, preparing for Christ’s second coming.

Today’s TEA CUPP: Of all the presents that could come your way this Christmas, my prayer for you, My TEA CUPP friend, is the gift of His light in your heart. Sit by a window in the early morning hours, as you read your Bible, and invite Jesus to be the center of your advent season, your Christmas holiday, and your life.

“I, Jesus, have sent My angel to testify to you these things in the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, the Bright and Morning Star.” Revelation 22:16 (NKJV)

Every Perfect Gift

Posted on November 23, 2016 by Jennifer Grace

christmaspresent1 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning. James 1:17 (NKJV)

With the coming of Thanksgiving and Christmas shopping, how good it is to remember that every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights! Let us thank Him for these marvelous gifts, and put aside all else.

Today I give you “Tea Time with James” to ring in the Thanksgiving and Advent season. James is another book with incredible verses. You may like to read James yourself and underline more verses for your prayer time. Take some time to sip TEA with Jesus, thanking Him for His gifts, and sharing your joys, sorrows, sins, and celebrations. Use these verses as conversation starters for your prayers. Be blessed, My TEA CUPP friend…

T is for Thanksgiving

Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights... James 1:17 (NKJV)

E is for Exalting

…the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning. James 1:17 (NKJV)

A is for Admitting

For whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble in one point, he is guilty of all. James 2:10 (NKJV)

C is for Call

But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. James 1:22 (NKJV)

U is for Understanding

Whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away. James 4:14 (NKJV)

P is for Promises

Draw near to God and He will draw near to you... James 4:8 (NKJV)

P is for Petitions

…The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much. James 5:16 (NKJV)

Today’s TEA CUPP: May your prayers be effective and fervent and avail much for God’s kingdom today! Happy Thanksgiving and Advent season!

Praying Forever Prayers or TEA with Isaiah

Posted on October 26, 2016 by Jennifer Grace

2x8n It’s a delightful day when I sit down to read my BIBLE, and the section I’m reading has all the verses I need for my TEA time with Jesus. It’s such a blessing to underline my favorite verses and then pray them back to Jesus, while pouring out my heart to Him. I THANK Him for His many blessings, I EXALT Him as my Savior, I ADMIT my sins and ask His forgiveness, I listen for His CALL, I UNDERSTAND my story, I claim God’s PROMISES, and I lay before the Lord my PETITIONS, all using God’s Word.

Isaiah promises, “So is my word that goes out from my mouth:
It will not return to me empty,
but will accomplish what I desire
and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.” Isaiah 55:11 (NKJV)
Wow! That’s an amazing promise for praying BIBLE verses! God’s purposes will be achieved!

And Isaiah also proclaims, “The grass withers and the flowers fall,
but the word of our God endures forever.” Isaiah 40:8 (NKJV)
God’s Word is forever! So when we pray God’s Word, we are praying forever prayers. Now that is awesome.

And so today I give you TEA TIME with ISAIAH. It was inspiring to pick the verses, because there are so many good ones. I challenge you to read Isaiah with pen in hand and underline even more verses for your prayers. You will have a very precious TEA CUPP with your Savior.

T is for Thanksgiving
O LORD, You are my God.
I will exalt You,
I will praise Your name,
For You have done wonderful things; (thank You, Lord, for these wonderful things…)
Your counsels of old are faithfulness and truth. Isaiah 25:1 (NKJV)

E is for Exalting
Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts;
The whole earth is full of His glory! Isaiah 6:3 (NKJV)

… And His name will be called
Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Isaiah 9:6 (NKJV)

A is for Admitting
“Come now, and let us reason together,”
Says the LORD,
“Though your sins are like scarlet,
They shall be as white as snow;
Though they are red like crimson,
They shall be as wool.” Isaiah 1:18 (NKJV)

“I, even I, am He who blots out your transgressions for My own sake;
And I will not remember your sins.” Isaiah 43:25 (NKJV)

C is for Call
“You are My witnesses,” says the LORD,
“And My servant whom I have chosen,
That you may know and believe Me,
And understand that I am He.
Before Me there was no God formed,
Nor shall there be after Me.” Isaiah 43:10 (NJKV)

U is for Understanding
See, I have inscribed you on the palms of My hand. Isaiah 49:16(NKJV)

Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying:
“Whom shall I send,
And who will go for Us?”
Then I said, “Here am I! Send me.” Isaiah 6:8 (NKJV)

P is for Promises
You will keep him in perfect peace,
Whose mind is stayed on You,
Because he trusts in You. Isaiah 26:3 (NKJV)

But those who wait on the LORD
Shall renew their strength;
They shall mount up with wings like eagles,
They shall run and not be weary,
They shall walk and not faint. Isaiah 40:31 (NKJV)

Fear not, for I am with you;
Be not dismayed, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you,
Yes, I will help you,
I will uphold you with My righteous right hand. Isaiah 41:10 (NKJV)

P is for Petitions
Then I said, “Lord, how long?” Isaiah 6:11 (NKJV)

O LORD, be gracious to us;
We have waited for You.
Be our arm every morning,
Our salvation also in the time of trouble. Isaiah 33:2 (NKJV)

Incline Your ear, O LORD, and hear; open Your eyes, O LORD, and see...Isaiah 37:17 (NKJV)

Today’s TEA CUPP: Use the above verses for a special TEA TIME with Jesus today. Read the book of Isaiah over the next several days, underlining even more verses and promises. Thank the Lord for His Word.

It shall come to pass
That before they call, I will answer;
And while they are still speaking, I will hear. Isaiah 65:24(NKJV)

He will be very gracious to you at the sound of your cry;
When He hears it, He will answer you. Isaiah 30:19 (NKJV)

… For My house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations. Isaiah 56:7 (NKJV)

Tea with Two Verses

Posted on October 5, 2016 by Jennifer Grace

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. For we are to God the fragrance of Christ among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing. 2 Corinthians 2:14-15 (NKJV)

Have you ever read your Bible and got stuck on just a few verses? Those verses jump out at you as something God has for you today. You underline them, you ponder them, you ask, “God what’s this all about?” Jesus must really enjoy when He gets our attention as we dig into His Word.

I love it when the verses I underline have all the parts for My TEA CUPP Prayers. The verse above from 2 Corinthians 2:14-15 is like that. First I noticed the “thanks” and put a “T” next to it in my Bible. Then I realized God was calling me to smell good and put a “C” for calling next to “fragrance of Christ.” As I kept digging, soon all the parts of My TEA CUPP Prayers were there. And so I share with you today, TEA in TWO VERSES:

T for Thanks:

Now thanks be to God who…

(Dear Jesus, thank You for Your many blessings…)

E for Exalt:

…the fragrance of His knowledge in every place…

(Father, be glorified in every place I go today…)

A for Admit:

…and among those who are perishing…

(Jesus, forgive my sins and save all who are perishing…)

C for Call:

For we are to God the fragrance of Christ…

(Dear Lord, please help me smell good to You and to all I meet today…)

U is for Understanding our story:

…and through us diffuses…

(Jesus, this is my story, You are using me to spread Your fragrance to others. Thank you for letting me help You!)

P is for Promises:

…always leads us in triumph in Christ…

(Oh, Lord, I claim your promise for triumph and victory through Jesus Christ…)

P is for Petitions:

…among those who are being saved.

(Now Jesus I lift up to you all the saints, all my family, all on my prayer list…)

In Jesus’ precious Name I pray, Amen.

Today’s TEA CUPP: Won’t you join Jesus today for TEA with TWO VERSES? May the aroma of your TEA time stay with you all day.

God Loves You!

Posted on September 29, 2016 by Jennifer Grace

For the Father Himself loves you, because you have loved Me, and have believed that I came forth from God. John 16:27 (NKJV)

Long before there were Emoji with every face and feeling, there were simple yellow smiley faces with four words, “Smile, God loves you!”

Do you remember seeing these on bumper stickers and binders? They always brought a smile to my face and the thought, “That’s nice.”

But one day when I was reading the book of John, it hit me. John 16:27 proclaims that the Father Himself (God) loves me, because I believe in Jesus. All because I love Jesus and believe He came from God, God loves me! Even if I mess up today and all my friends send me frowny emojis, God loves me. He will never stop loving me. He loves me forever into eternal life in heaven, because I love Jesus and believe He came from God. What a wonderful promise.

The beauty of His promise is that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us (Romans 5:8). Jesus died for all our sins before we were even born, or knew Him, or believed in Him. Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends (John 15:13). That is an amazing love I hold dear in my heart forever.

Today’s TEA CUPP: My friend, God’s promises are for you. Believe in His Son Jesus and love Him with all your heart. Tell Him you love Him today! Smile, God loves you!

For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. John 3:16 (NKJV)

The Lord has appeared of old to me, saying:
“Yes, I have loved you with an everlasting love;
Therefore with lovingkindness I have drawn you. Jeremiah 31:3 (NKJV)

...I will call them My people, who were not My people,
And her beloved, who was not beloved. Romans 9:25 (NKJV)

Garden Minestone Soup

Posted on September 22, 2016 by Jennifer Grace

Yes, the Lord will give what is good;
And our land will yield its increase. Psalm 85:12 (NKJV)

Today is the first day of fall, and we are still bringing in veggies from our garden. What a fun summer we had watching it grow, setting out sprinklers on super-hot days, and bending over to pull weeds (well, we ignored many of them!). Now we are enjoying the fruits of our labors and trying to find creative ways to incorporate all these veggies into our meals. Thank you, Jesus, for our garden!

Here is one of our favorite soups which uses at least seven ingredients from our garden. The original recipe came from The first Moosewood Cookbook by Mollie Katzen (1977). I modified her recipe to fit our garden and taste buds. Garden minestrone soup doesn’t take long to prepare. Enjoy this on a crisp fall day!

Ingredients:
3 Tablespoons olive oil
1 cup onion, chopped
1 to 2 cups celery, chopped (I like extra)
1 to 2 cups carrots, circles or half-circles
5 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon basil
1 to 2 cups zucchini, diced
1 cup green pepper, chopped
2 cups tomato juice
3 1/2 cups water
1 can garbanzo beans, drained
1 cup fresh tomatoes, chopped
1/2 cup dry gluten-free pasta
Fresh parsley

Putting it Together:
In a big soup pot, heat the olive oil and saute the onions until soft, but not brown. Add the carrots, celery, and garlic, and 1 teaspoon salt. Add pepper, oregano, and basil. Cover and cook over low heat 5-8 minutes while you prepare more veggies. Add zucchini, green pepper, tomato juice, water, and garbanzo beans. Cover and simmer for 15 more minutes. Add tomatoes and 1 more teaspoon salt. Now turn up heat and bring soup to a boil. Add the gluten-free pasta and cook until tender, about 10-15 minutes. Serve topped with fresh parsley from your garden. Hmm, hmm, taste those blessings!

While the earth remains,
Seedtime and harvest,
Cold and heat,
Winter and summer,
And day and night
Shall not cease. Genesis 8:22

We still need the Key

Posted on September 14, 2016 by Jennifer Grace

key 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)

If you’re like me, you have a ring of keys…one key for the house, one for the car, one for the post office box, etc. We make sure we have our keys wherever we go, and we get very distressed if we can’t find them!

Well, after driving a minivan with oil leaks and miles to indicate driving around the equator 10 times, our family had to look for a different vehicle. My husband found a used minivan one state away. So for Labor Day weekend, we packed up the camping supplies and headed that way to take a look.

The car salesman located the vehicle for us and pulled it around so we could test drive it. The van was already running when we climbed in and buckled our seatbelts. So weren’t we surprised when we drove down the road and noticed there was no key! How could it run with no key?! A funny light was also blinking on the dashboard.

When we returned to the car shop, the salesman confessed he had forgotten to take the key fob out of his pocket. The light on the dashboard was to warn us not to drive away without the fob. If we had turned off the car, we wouldn’t have been able to turn it on again.

This keyless entry is a concept brand new to our old vehicle minds. There have always been keys. It made me wonder how other events would be viewed in a keyless society. Will people think they can get into heaven without the key? If someone else opens heaven’s door, can we just walk in? If our friend has the fob in his pocket, can we get in with her?

Oh, my Tea Cupp friend, I want to be sure you have the key to heaven. Jesus is the Key. Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life, and no one comes to the Father except through Him (John 14:6). If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved (Romans 10:9). And to all who receive Jesus, to those who believe in His Name, He gives the right to become children of God (John 1:12).

Today’s TEA CUPP: If you have the Key to heaven, share it with a friend. If you need the Key to heaven, pray to Jesus right now. Welcome to God’s family!

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

…These things says He who is holy, He who is true, “He who has the key of David, He who opens and no one shuts, and shuts and no one opens”. Revelation 3:7 (NKJV)

Tea with Psalm 116

Posted on August 25, 2016 by Jennifer Grace

school-house-images-school-house Teach me Your way, O Lord... Psalm 86:11 (NKJV)

Sending a little prayer idea as you begin your new school year. Why not read a Psalm each day or week with your children, praying together for God’s protection and blessings, that you will shine as lights for Jesus in this world.

Today’s TEA CUPP: You can also read a Psalm during your own quiet time and pray for your children and their friends. Today I have Psalm 116 for you, divided up into the TEA CUPP.

T for Thanks:

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

E for Exalt:

Gracious is the Lord, and righteous;
Yes, our God is merciful. Psalm 116:5 (NKJV)

A for Admit:

I will take up the cup of salvation,
And call upon the name of the Lord. Psalm 116:13 (NKJV)

C for Call:

I will pay my vows to the Lord
Now in the presence of all His people. Psalm 116:18 (NKJV)

U is for Understanding our story:

For You have delivered my soul from death,
My eyes from tears,
And my feet from falling. Psalm 116:8 (NKJV)

P is for Promises:

I will walk before the Lord
In the land of the living. Psalm 116:9 (NKJV)

P is for Petitions:
I love the Lord, because He has heard
My voice and my supplications.
Because He has inclined His ear to me,
Therefore I will call upon Him as long as I live. Psalm 116:1-2 (NKJV)

God’s blessings to all children and parents and teachers out there!

A Runner’s Tea Cupp

Posted on August 17, 2016 by Jennifer Grace

O God, You are my God;
Early will I seek You;
My soul thirsts for You;
My flesh longs for You
In a dry and thirsty land
Where there is no water. Psalm 63:1 (NKJV)

What do runners drink? Usually we think of ice cold water, Gatorade and sports drinks. Those all refresh me after a long run down the highway. But what do I like to drink even before a morning run? I enjoy a TEA CUPP with the Champion of champions, Jesus.

Tea is certainly coming into vogue as the new sports beverage, but the brand I want to share with you is brewed with Living Water, straight from God’s Word. Here’s how it works: Before you do your stretches and head out the door, sit down with your Bible and a cup of tea. Read a selection, letting the Lord speak first. Then start praying, using Bible verses as conversation starters.

For example, to give God Thanks for your health or recent victory or other blessings in your life, recite 1 Corinthians 15:57 and tell Him for what you are thankful. Even if you’ve never had a victory, Jesus gives us all the victory over sin and death, because He conquered those when He died and rose again. Then continue your prayers with Psalm 20:5 to Exalt the Lord and tell Him how great He is. Follow this with Hebrews 12:1-2, asking Jesus to help you Admit and lay aside every sin.

Now you’ve finished your TEA and are ready for the CUPP. I’ve listed more suggested verses below for talking to Jesus about your Call, Understanding your story, claiming God’s Promises, and pouring out your heart with Petitions for others. As you finish your prayers and tie your shoes, you’ll find the conversation continues as you and Jesus head out for a run together.

T for Thanks:

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

E for Exalt:
 We will rejoice in your salvation,

And in the name of our God we will set up our banners! Psalm 20:5 (NKJV)
A for Admit:
…let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus...Hebrews 12:1-2 (NKJV)
C for Call:
I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Philippians 3:14 (NKJV)
Trust in the Lord with all your heart,

And lean not on your own understanding;

In all your ways acknowledge Him,

And He shall direct your paths. Proverbs 3:5-6 (NKJV)
And whoever compels you to go one mile, go with him two. Matthew 5:41 (NKJV)
U is for Understanding our story:
However, I consider my life worth nothing to me; my only aim is to finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me—the task of testifying to the good news of God’s grace. Acts 20:24 (NIV)

P is for Promises:
But those who wait on the Lord

Shall renew their strength;

They shall mount up with wings like eagles,

They shall run and not be weary,

They shall walk and not faint. Isaiah 40:31 (NKJV)
I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. Philippians 4:13 (NKJV)
P is for Petitions:
Show me Your ways, O Lord;

Teach me Your paths. Psalm 25:4 (NKJV)

Today’s TEA CUPP: Sip this Runner’s TEA CUPP today, before heading out on your path. Use it as a conversation starter as you talk to the Lord. When you read your Bible, underline more verses you’d like to pray tomorrow.

Jesus answered and said to her, “Whoever drinks of this water will thirst again, but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life.” John 4:13-14 (NKJV)

Tea Time with Jeremiah

Posted on August 3, 2016 by Jennifer Grace

My Tea Cupp Prayers is all about using God’s Word as a conversation starter as you sit down with Jesus for a cup of tea and prayer. My favorite verses come from the Psalms, but there are great verses throughout the Bible which I also love. Jeremiah offers some of the most heart-felt verses.

If we think we are going through tough times, we should look at Jeremiah. According to John MacArthur in his study Bible (page 1059), “Jeremiah has been known as the ‘weeping prophet,’ living a life of conflict because of his predictions of judgment by the invading Babylonians. He was threatened, tried for his life, put in stocks, forced to flee from Jehoiakim, publicly humiliated by a false prophet, and thrown into a pit.”

Here is a fellow who knew pain and suffering, yet had a dedication to God’s calling on his life. This is a prophet we can trust with words for talking with God. And so I picked out a few verses for you today. Perhaps you will discover even more as you read Jeremiah. Have a blessed TEA TIME with Jeremiah and Jesus!

Today’s TEA CUPP: Try these verses from Jeremiah as conversation starters for your prayer time today.

T for Thanks:

Praise the Lord of hosts,

For the Lord is good,

For His mercy endures forever. Jeremiah 33:11 (NKJV)

E for Exalt:
Ah, Lord God! Behold, You have made the heavens and the earth by Your great power and outstretched arm. There is nothing too hard for You. Jeremiah 32:17 (NKJV)
A for Admit:
For I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more.  Jeremiah 31:34 (NKJV)

C for Call:
Thus says the Lord: “Stand in the ways and see,

And ask for the old paths, where the good way is,

And walk in it;

Then you will find rest for your souls…”  Jeremiah 6:16 (NKJV)
U is for Understanding our story:
Before I formed you in the womb I knew you;

Before you were born I sanctified you... Jeremiah 1:5 (NKJV)

P is for Promises:
For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. Jeremiah 29:11 (NKJV)
P is for Petitions:
Heal me, O Lord, and I shall be healed;

Save me, and I shall be saved,

For You are my praise. Jeremiah 17:14 (NKJV)
Extra verses for wives to pray for their husbands:
Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord,

And whose hope is the Lord.

For he shall be like a tree planted by the waters,

Which spreads out its roots by the river,

And will not fear when heat comes;

But its leaf will be green,

And will not be anxious in the year of drought,

Nor will cease from yielding fruit. Jeremiah 17:7-8 (NKJV)
 Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. 
Quote from The MacArthur Study Bible, 1997, Word Publishing, Thomas Nelson, Inc.

My TEA CUPP Prayers

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

Tag Archives: Tea Cup Prayers

The Morning Star

Every Perfect Gift

Praying Forever Prayers or TEA with Isaiah

Tea with Two Verses

God Loves You!

Garden Minestone Soup

We still need the Key

Tea with Psalm 116

A Runner’s Tea Cupp

Tea Time with Jeremiah