hearing God’s word

Before Opening Your Bible

~ Ann Cuddy-Sullivan ~ Leave a comment

This prayer was taught to me by my mother many years ago. It is still so very valuable.

Before opening the pages of your Bible,
ask the Holy Spirit to be your Teacher and Guide.

Father God,

I ask that You send Your Holy Spirit to be my Guide as I open Your Holy Word.

I ask that You open my eyes, that I may read Your Word.

I ask that you would open my ears, that I may hear Your Word.

I ask that you would open my mind, that I may understand Your Word.

I ask that You would open my mouth, that I may speak Your Word.

And Lord I ask that You would open my heart, so that Your Word will come and live in me.

Thank You Father God, I pray this in the name of Your Son Jesus. Amen.

Hearing God’s Voice Today

~ Ann Cuddy-Sullivan ~ Leave a comment

Hearing God's Voice Today: Practical Help for Listening to Him and Recognizing His VoiceHearing God’s Voice Today: Practical Help for Listening to Him and Recognizing His Voice by James W Goll
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

“Discover the Adventure of Hearing God. God longs for a deeper, more intimate relationship with you. When we pray, He listens. Always. But do you listen for His response? You should! Hearing God is a privilege and delight available to every child of God.”

“As it was in the beginning”… and so starts this book; “Hearing God’s Voice Today; Practical help for Listening to Him and Recognizing His voice” by James Goll. In this book the author takes us right there… to the beginning and from there offers the readers the tools necessary and equips them draw nearer to God and truly believe that He wants to speak to us. In this book, we learn to recognize His voice while overcoming what gets in the way of that.
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Hebrew Word Study

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Hebrew Word Study: Revealing the Heart of GodHebrew Word Study: Revealing the Heart of God by Chaim Bentorah
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

“Hebrew is a language of poetry and pictures. With Chaim Bentorah’s expertise, you will see how to examine not just word definitions, but also the origin of the words, their place in the culture and idioms of the day, and even their emotional context. Through this devotional, you will walk the road less traveled as you uncover the deeper spiritual messages in God’s Word. In the process, you will discover the heart of God toward you and come to know Him better. You will see just how beautiful the Word of God is and, most of all, you will see the beauty of God Himself and love Him all the more.”

I loved this book! As the author says, “I would love to walk in the garden and converse with God as Adam did; Alas, the reality is that our most authoritative source for understanding Him is what is written in Scripture that came from the heart of God into a human language that we can’t understand, and were then translated into yet another language that we can understand.” Therein lies the heart of it… and this book cuts through all of that, brings us beyond the dozens of translations of the Word to discover the heart of God. Continue reading →

The Country Road through the Book of Matthew

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The Country Road through the Book of MatthewThe Country Road through the Book of Matthew by Mike Lovett
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The Country Road through the Book of Matthew is just that, a road that travels through the entirety of Matthew with stops along the way where the reader can pause and explore on their own. Desiring to live out Paul’s admonition to Timothy that all scripture is inspired by God and useful to us, Mike keeps the reader on the road in hopes that each day will bring new growth in their relationship with Christ as they read about His birth, life, ministry, death, and resurrection.
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Created With Purpose

~ Ann Cuddy-Sullivan ~ Leave a comment

Created with Purpose: Unlocking Your Dreams and Fulfilling the Desires of Your HeartCreated with Purpose: Unlocking Your Dreams and Fulfilling the Desires of Your Heart by Johannah Clark Leach
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

“Become the Confident, Secure, and Powerful Person God Designed You To Be. Do you live in fear of what others think of you? Do you worry about missing out on what God has for your life? Are you lacking the confidence or courage to pursue the dreams in your heart?

You have been created with a unique purpose and divine destiny on your life. There are dreams in your heart that are just waiting to be released! Unfortunately, so many people let their insecurities and fears hold them back from being the world-changes that God made them to be.”

Created with Purpose by Johannah Clark Leach and Victoria West Henady is a must read. So many of us today wonder why we are here. What is our purpose? Are we doing what we were created to do? What were we created to do?
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Proverbs Prayers

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Proverbs PrayersProverbs Prayers by John Mason
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

“Experience God’s wisdom as never before and find encouragement, peace, answers, and a better life through this devotional prayer book.

The book of Proverbs is a wellspring of wisdom, offering practical guidance for life and the tools to make good choices, withstand pressure, prioritize relationships, and avoid unnecessary trouble.

Now bestselling author John Mason helps you make that wisdom a part of your inner life. For thirty-one days, he takes you through each chapter of Proverbs, unpacking the wisdom within and providing a heartfelt prayer based on the insights from that chapter. As you read and pray, you’ll discover the principles found in this wisdom-packed book coming alive in your life in ways you may never have imagined.”
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It’ Time To Enter Your Promised Land

~ Ann Cuddy-Sullivan ~ 1 Comment

Glory Days: Living Your Promised Land Life NowGlory Days: Living Your Promised Land Life Now by Max Lucado
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Keep walking. This may be the day your Jericho walls come down.

We all face them. Strongholds with a strong hold on our lives. Roadblocks to our joy. Obstacles in our marriages. Fortresses of fear blocking us from peace. How can we bring down these walls that keep us from the future God promises? Remember the story of Joshua and the battle of Jericho? Those were some formidable foes and big barriers.

Max Lucado says the book of Joshua is in the bible to remind us of one thing: God Fights For Us! We can overcome, because He has already overcome.

We were not made to stand in the shadow of our walls and quake. We were made to stand on top of Jericho’s rubble and conquer. We win, because God’s already won.

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Fervent Prayer

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Fervent: A Woman's Battle Plan to Serious, Specific and Strategic PrayerFervent: A Woman’s Battle Plan to Serious, Specific and Strategic Prayer by Priscilla Shirer
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

“You have an enemy . . . and he’s dead set on destroying all you hold dear and keeping you from experiencing abundant life in Christ. What’s more, his approach to disrupting your life and discrediting your faith isn’t general or generic, not a one-size-fits-all. It’s specific. Personalized. Targeted.

So this book is your chance to strike back. With prayer. With a weapon that really works. Each chapter will guide you in crafting prayer strategies that hit the enemy where it hurts, letting him know you’re on to him and that you won’t back down. Because with every new strategy you build, you’re turning the fiercest battles of life into precise strikes against him and his handiwork, each one infused with the power of God’s Spirit.”
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Waiting on God

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Waiting on God: What to Do When God Does NothingWaiting on God: What to Do When God Does Nothing by Wayne Stiles
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

“What do you do when the life God has promised you looks nothing like the life he has given you? We wait at red lights, in long lines, and for a person to change. But the most difficult waiting? Waiting on God.

We want to know God’s plan so that we can trust the plan–but often God hides his plan so that we will trust him. What can we do in the meantime while we wait for an answer to prayer, a change of heart, or a miracle of provision?”
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Hearing God

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Hearing God: For Intimacy, Healing, Creativity, Meditation, and Dream InterpretationHearing God: For Intimacy, Healing, Creativity, Meditation, and Dream Interpretation by Mark Virkler
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

“In this interactive journal, Dr. Mark Virkler takes you on a life-changing journey that reveals three powerful ways you can hear God’s voice and recognize how He is speaking in your life everyday. As you hear God’s voice and respond to what He is saying, you will receive direction, experience healing, and unlock creativity in your life like never before”

Hearing God by Mark and Pattie Virkler is an interesting book filled with a lot of information and exercises designed to help the reader to increase the ability to hear, and discern the promptings of the Holy Spirit with clarity in their own lives.
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