Author: Susan Panzica

Elementary, my dear….

Posted on by Susan Panzica
For my birthday, the family and I went to see the new mystery movie, “Sherlock Holmes.” I won’t critique it for you nor will I spoil it for you by giving away any info. But there is one observation that I do want to share with you.
Several times in the movie, we are allowed a vision of what Sherlock Holmes is planning. The director reveals what is about to happen, and then it does happen.
Other times, however, we see Sherlock making observations, but have absolutely no idea what the clue might mean, if it is relevant, or how they will all fit together.
Life with God can be like that, too.
And He made known to us the mystery of His will according to His good pleasure, which He purposed in Christ, … Ephesians 1:9
Sometimes, His strategy is clear. He reveals to us just what He wants us to do, His perfect plan apparent to our lowly eyes. The Word provides confirmation, and we can take action with the confidence that comes from knowing we are following His will.
But in the days when the seventh angel is about to sound his trumpet, the mystery of God will be accomplished, just as He announced to His servants the prophets. Revelation 10:7

But there are times when it is all just a complete mystery, and we won’t know the reason for His plan until much later, if in this lifetime at all.

Perhaps we need to mature some more before we are ready to understand:
When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me.
Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.
1 Corinthians 13:11-12 

Or perhaps, He just wants us to trust Him. It is at those times that we walk by faith, and not by sight (2 Cor. 5:7) like a child holding hands with her Father. [See my post on that here.]

If you’re like me, you want to know it all – all the “who, what, where, why and  how’s” of  life. But “faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.” (Heb. 11:1), so by its very nature, the life of faith must contain the unknown.

It’s a wonderful mystery, the greatest story ever told. And we are part of it!

Susan

 

Carpe Annum!

Posted on by Susan Panzica

 

It’s that time again.
A new year.
A new decade, too.
Some people reflect on the past.
Others look ahead.

 
 
 
 
 
Sometimes, God’s Word says to look back and remember.

  • And Moses said unto the people, Remember this day, … Exodus 13:3
  • Jesus asked, “You of little faith, … Don’t you remember … ? Matt 16:8-10

And other times, we’re warned against looking back.

  •  No one in the field should go back for anything… Remember Lot’s wife! Luke 17:32
  • Jesus replied, “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God. Luke 9:62

Sometimes, we’re encouraged to forget the past and look ahead at the goal.

  • Let your eyes look straight ahead, fix your gaze directly before you. Proverbs 4:25
  • But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal … Phil. 3:13-14

Yet, other times, we’re cautioned to just focus on today, not the future.

  • Choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve. Josh 24:15
  • Do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. Matt. 6:34

So confusing –
Do I look back or not?
Do I look ahead or not?
What’s a girl to do?

After compiling 4 pages of Scripture verses on both sides of this issue, I have arrived at the following conclusion:

There is a time to look back and remember, as long as our looking back is not filled with regretting and remorse.
Over and over, when the Lord talks about remembering, it is the covenant He made with His people that He remembers(Gen. 9:15).
Jesus’ closing words to His disciples at the Last Supper include exhortations to “remember the words I spoke to you.” (Jn 15:20)

David remembered the works of God. “I remember the days of long ago; I meditate on all your works and consider what your hands have done. Psalm 143:5

As for our sin, that He chooses to forget (Heb. 10:17).
Oh, thank you, Jesus!



Corrie ten Boom said, “When God buries your sins in the deepest sea, He posts a sign that says No Fishing Allowed!”


Time spent rehashing “could’ve, should’ve, would’ve” is time wasted. In a recent email I received, author Cec Murphy said, “No matter how many times I examine the past, there’s nothing I can do to make it different.”


Okay, so here it is –
Remember His words, remember His works, and remember the “great cloud of witnesses” that the writer of Hebrews mentions – those people like us who have gone before us, have had experiences like ours, have been victorious and are now cheering us on in our race of life.


Learning from past mistakes is worthwhile, but regurgitating the past is just futile.

At this time of New Year resolutions, we look back and evaluate how far we’ve come. We look forward and see how far we have to go. We set goals and make plans. My friend, Jean from Encouraging Words, said, “I can usually handle planning my work. But I’ve come to realize that I fall short in the area of working my plan.” How true those words are for me, which is why I often regret looking back.

I recently saw a magazine with the headline, “Carpe Annum!” I so want to seize 2010, but it seems too awesome a task. Yet time is so fleeting. Can you believe Y2K was 10 years ago!! We need to make the most of every opportunity.


The key for me is found in Psalm 118:24:

“This is the day the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it.”


How do I seize the year? Hmmmm – Carpe Diem – day by day.



The caption above says,
“Every moment is an opportunity for those who are ready to seize it.”


In the movie “Dead Poets Society,” Robin Williams quotes John Keating when he says, “Carpe diem.
Seize the day, boys.
Make your lives extraordinary.”




Well, friends, I guess it’s about time I take my own advice 🙂

Susan

40 Day Wrap-up

Posted on by Susan Panzica

Hope that you had a most wonderful Christmas – especially the 40 days from Nov. 15th to Dec. 25th!


I’m grateful to the Lord for giving a new vision for this time of year. As I shared on Nov. 15th, my prayer is that these days, rather than be filled with the Christmas spirit, would be filled with the Holy Spirit. I prayed for you all that you would be led into His presence in a greater way, that the distractions so common at this time would be relegated to the background, and that this time of year would be redeemed for the Lord – in your life personally and across the country, in small measure now, but perhaps building as time goes on.


I did feel less stress and more blessed than in years past. Did you?

Even though it was much more work for me, both in writing and in coordinating the other writers, it kept me in the right focus.


I am so thankful for the guest contributors to Eternity Café. Each woman who shared did so out of her heartfelt desire to bring you closer to God. I invite you to check out their blogs for some great inspiration. And I thank Edie for providing the wonderful 40 Day Focus button. You can check out her blog for great graphic design options.

Joanne Kraft at Blessed


Cheri Bunch at Seven Branches


Laurie Hock


Lynn Mosher at Heading Home


Susan Reinhardt at Christian Writer/Reader Connection 


Jean Matthew Hall at Encouraging Words for Writers


Sonya Thompson at Truth 4 the Journey


Kelly Combs at Chatty Kelly


Susanne Scheppmann  from Proverbs 31 Ministry


Edie Moore at Rich Gifts

Patti Niebojewski


Pastor Janice Rizzo

My prior post was about how since childhood I’ve felt that Dec. 26th is the most anti-climactic day of the year. Maybe it was because of the 40 Day Focus, or maybe I’m just growing up a little, but this year provided a whole new insight regarding that day.


It occurred to me that perhaps Dec. 26th seems so dull because there’s so much hustle and bustle prior to that day, and then the activity level just drops suddenly.


Hmmmmm… I wonder how I’ll feel when God takes me home to heaven after the clamor of this earthly existence. Somehow, I just don’t think it will be anti-climactic at all! Aside from the obvious joy of being in God’s presence, on a purely earthly level, I think I’ll feel relief and peace and release from the never-ending hamster-wheel pace of life.


From now on, I’m going to consider my birthday (Dec. 26th) a little taste of heaven!

Susan

The Most Anti-Climactic Day of the Year

Posted on by Susan Panzica

Okay, here it is… Dec. 26th.



The most anti-climactic day of the year.


Discarded wrapping paper, boxes, assembly instructions, gift envelopes stuff bulging trash bags.


Abandoned toys, games, dolls sit askew under the tree and around the house.

Leftovers cram the refrigerator.


The frenetic pace has halted.

All of the energy that has been building for days, weeks, months has dissipated.


Carbon dioxide fills the homes as people everywhere release collective sighs of relief.






And —






Oh joy, it’s my birthday!






But I’m not bitter…






It’s not that my family doesn’t make an effort to make my day special. They do. But I don’t even feel like making it special either!


One year, my husband threw me a surprise birthday party on June 26th, my half-birthday.  That was a surprise, all right! And so for a couple of years we celebrated my birthday in June, but it began to get a little confusing. And my mom actually revolted, remembering the frigid cold day that she gave birth to her firstborn was not in June. So back to December we went!

All my life, even as a youngster when we didn’t celebrate Christmas in our Jewish home, I felt the letdown that is December 26th.


Today, I googled “December 26”. All I found was this “Drunk Santa mousepad” and many images of the 2004 tsunami, one of the worst catastrophes in history. Could we get more depressing?





Honestly, no one wants to do anything on this date! I should be writing a wonderful post recapping the 40 Day Focus. I have so much to be thankful for. But let’s face it. You don’t want to read it anyway!


At least not today…


Maybe tomorrow.


Lord, honestly I do thank You for my birthday, and for my spiritual birthday when I was born again into Your family. I thank You for being my heavenly Father, and for all those who have made my life so rich. I thank You for Your abundant grace towards me. May I serve You fully this coming year in everything You place in my path. May I be obedient to Your call.



Susan

Merry Christmas!

Posted on by Susan Panzica

Merry Christmas! May today be blessed as we honor the incarnation of our Lord.

Today’s post is from Greg Laurie, pastor of Harvest Christian Fellowship, Riverside, CA






“For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” Isaiah 9:6

The real message of Christmas is not the gifts we give each other. Rather, it is a reminder of the gift that God has given to each of us. It is the only gift that truly keeps on giving, so I want to point out four things about it.

First, it is surprising. When Christmas rolls around, you often try to figure out if certain people have bought that gift you really wanted. Maybe you already know what they bought, because they didn’t hide it very well. Or maybe you uncovered it by accident-or maybe not. But when the day comes and you open the present, you have to pretend you’re surprised. Yet all along, you knew what it was. God’s gift to us, however, was a complete surprise. It was not expected and, as you examine it more carefully, you realize how great a gift it actually was.

Second, God’s gift came to us in the humblest of wrappings. What would you think if you saw a gift under your Christmas tree that was wrapped in newspaper and tied up with string? At first, you would probably assume that a guy wrapped it.

But think about God’s gift to us. Jesus was not born in a palace of gold; He was born in a stable. He was clothed in rags. He was laid in a feeding trough. Yet these things do not, in any way, diminish the story of Christ’s birth. If anything, they help us realize the great sacrifice God made for us. God’s gift to humanity, the ultimate gift of eternal life through His Son, Jesus Christ, came in the simplest and humblest of wrappings.




Third, we don’t deserve this gift. At Christmas, we give gifts to the people we care about, the ones who have been kind to us over the past year, or the ones who have given us a gift first. We don’t give gifts to the person who has been slandering our name, or to the angry neighbor who never has a kind word to say. Yet God gave us His gift when we were His enemies. He didn’t give this gift to us because we deserved it. In fact, it was just the opposite. The Bible tells us, “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8 NKJV).




Fourth, the gift tells us something about the giver. When you want to give someone a gift, you start thinking about it ahead of time. Hopefully, you try to find what that person wants or needs. When God decided to give us the gift of eternal life, it wasn’t something that He just thought of on the fly. Long before there was a town called Bethlehem, a garden called Eden, or a planet called Earth, a decision was made in eternity that God would send forth His Son, born of a woman, to redeem those who are under the law.

The Bible says that He was slain from the foundation of the world (see Revelation 13:8). Make no mistake about it: this gift that God has given to us was the most sacrificial thing He possibly could have offered.

So Christmas isn’t about those gifts that you have under your tree right now. All of those things will be gone one day. All that will be left after this life is the human soul, and that will live forever. We will put so much stock in what we have, but this is all going to pass away.



Life is about what happens beyond the grave. Life is about knowing the God who made you and who gave you the greatest gift you will ever receive.



Merry Christmas!
 
Susan

What Do You Believe?

Posted on by Susan Panzica
Despite pageants, stories and pictures to the contrary, there is no innkeeper mentioned in Scripture. Luke simply says it this way: “And she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.” (Luke 2:7)



The image of a cold-hearted scoundrel turning away the holy family is a part of folklore, but not part of the scriptural record.

The “Bethlehem Inn” was not like the Holiday Inns of today. Usually, the first floor of an inn was a stable for the animals owned by the travelers who stayed in the rooms above. There was little privacy at normal times, probably none during the census. The most private area for people would be the “fragrant” space reserved for animals. It was an act of kindness for Mary and Joseph to be allowed to share of corner of the first floor to deliver their Child.

What other images are part of our memory, but have no foundation in Scripture? Do you picture Mary and Joseph traveling alone from Nazareth to Bethlehem, a hugely pregnant Mary astride a donkey, solitary figures in dark silhouette against a blue background? It’s highly unlikely that they would be traveling alone. It wasn’t part of the culture. Bands of robbers roamed the highways. The other family members of Joseph would also need to be in Bethlehem. How about Mary running to see Elizabeth? Again, unlikely that she would be traveling alone from Nazareth to Jerusalem. Speaking of travelers, the magi are often pictured alongside the shepherds in a nativity scene, when they actually arrived up to 2 years after the birth of Jesus.

Those are just a few of the images that inhabit our minds that are not based on truth. The Scripture is silent about some details, and so our ideas are formed by popular culture instead.

But there’s plenty that Scripture is not silent about, and because of our familiarity with the story, we miss important messages. In Acts 17:11, Luke commended the noble character of the people of Berea when he said, “they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true.” I encourage you to search the Scriptures to see if what you believe is really true.  

In your search, you will find nuggets there that will speak directly to your heart, words that you might have skimmed over in the past. I had this experience a few years ago when reading Luke 1. I knew that after her encounter with the angel Gabriel, Mary hurried to see her relative Elizabeth. I knew that when Elizabeth saw Mary, the baby “leaped in her womb”, and Elizabeth declared Mary blessed and herself favored because of Mary’s visit. And then, Mary began her “song”. At least, I thought she did. I totally missed a little statement by Elizabeth that spoke volumes to me 2000 years later. “You are blessed because you believed that the Lord would do what he said.” Luke 1:45 NLT 

Maybe it was reading in a new translation (something else I recommend), but seeing those words made me realize how blessed I am simply because I believe that God will do what He says. I need nothing else to be blessed. That verse was there all along, but I had skimmed over it for years. 

As you read these 4 chapters (Matt. 1 & 2, Luke 1& 2) this year, in your quiet time or with your family, won’t you ask God to reveal something new to you?

I wrote a poem called “Mary Had A Little Lamb” which concludes:

For God did speak to Mary
And He spoke to Joseph, too.
And if you listen with your heart
God will speak to you!!
May He speak to You anew this Christmas season!
Susan

The Ultimate Gifts

Posted on by Susan Panzica
Since our family is observing the Advent Conspiracy, we’ve been thinking differently about gifts. I shared in my 11/29/2009 post that my children, my husband and I will not be buying gifts for each other this year (other than stocking stuffers). We will be buying “gifts” from World Vision, Samaritans Purse or Touch The World to benefit those in need. We will be contributing to provide clean water, livestock and food for villages, and helping women learn a trade to support their families ravaged by AIDS.


This week, my husband said that the magi gave gifts, but not to each other. The magi’s gifts were given to Jesus. (How did we get the idea that Christmas is about giving gifts to each other on Someone else’s birthday anyway?) Our family’s gifts this year will also be given to Jesus because He said that “whatever you did for one of the least of these, you did for Me.” (Matt. 25:40)

What about the gifts that the magi gave? Gold, frankincense and myrrh… The magi didn’t stop in Target or Walmart for these items. It is said that these gifts were not randomly chosen. They each have spiritual meanings:

Gold represents royalty, a symbol of His kingship on earth.

Frankincense is a symbol of priestship. The priests burned incense representing the prayers of God’s people, and Jesus is the great high priest (Hebrews 4:14).


Myrrh is an embalming oil or spice, and as such, represents death. Even at His birth, the reality is that reason He came was to die.


He is the King of kings and most deserving of receiving gold. But we are His children, joint heirs with Christ, a royal priesthood. So what can these gifts represent to us?

If gold represents His and our royalty, what noble qualities is He developing in us? Do we live like paupers, bereft of the riches that He offers us as His children? Are we growing fruit of the Spirit? (Gal. 5:22-23) Do we exhibit the peace that passes understanding, the result of thinking noble thoughts (Phil. 4)? Are we storing up treasures on earth or in heaven? (Matt. 6:19)

The Book of Revelation refers to incense as being the prayers of God’s people ascending to heaven (Rev. 5:8 & 8:4). We are a royal priesthood (1 Pet. 2:9) offering prayers on behalf of others and for ourselves. Our prayers can be hindered due to unconfessed sin or praying outside of His will. But sometimes, what seems like unanswered prayer is really an opportunity for His grace to be sufficient, for us to rely on Him instead of our own strength (2 Cor. 12:9). What about answered prayers? Can you testify about any prayers that God has answered in your life?

Anyone want some myrrh? Want to prepare for burial? The very thought is daunting I know, but there are things that we do need to die to: the deeds of the flesh, the attitudes of the heart, the things that Jesus came to give us victory over. These must be dealt the death blow.

May His gifts be yours this Christmas. May you experience His royal character. May your prayers ascend to heaven unhindered, a fragrant aroma to our King. May He reveal to you the those things that need to be addressed and confessed. And may the gifts that we will give be reflective of our royal relationship with the King.

Susan

Do As The Shepherds Do…

Posted on by Susan Panzica

The shepherds were tending to their flocks…







The shepherds were doing their business, tending to their flocks. They were feeding the sheep, taking them to graze, buying their food, shearing them, keeping them safe, doing many the same things that we do to take care of our flocks.

Right now, you are probably buying food for your family’s daily needs as well as the holiday dinners and parties you’ll be hosting or attending, buying gifts, cleaning and decorating your home, going to work and taking care of business there.


The shepherds were interrupted from their daily routine by a heavenly chorus. Hearing the good news proclaimed from the angels led them to leave their chores and go and worship the King.









So the question is:


What are you tending to?


Are you willing to set it aside to worship the King?

Lord, May we cease our busyness and be about Your business. May we sense Your presence and set aside any activity, even the “godly” ones,  that keeps us from You. Feel free to interrupt us, so that we can worship You. May we be filled with the joy of Your coming, and may we release the stress that depletes us.

Susan

Longest Night – Blue Christmas Service

Posted on by Susan Panzica


Today’s message was written by my dear friend, Patti Niebojewski, at her request. Patti has had more tragedy in her short life than many have in a lifetime, but meeting her, you would never know it. Her spirit is one of hope and encouragement. Last year, alone she attended a Blue Christmas Service on Dec. 21st that changed her life. This year, she is sharing her experience with us.

Needed: rocks or coins, 4 votive candles to light


This day, the winter solstice takes place. According to Wikipedia, “The seasonal significance of the winter solstice is in the reversal of the gradually lengthening nights and shortening days.” In other words, each day’s sunlight will now be increasing and the night will be shortening by one minute each day! That knowledge alone makes me happier!


Susan’s vision of these 40 days included a category of “nothing blue” – all blogposts are to be positive and uplifting. But this date is known as the “Bluest”. I chose to share on this date because this date is normally known as the “longest night of the year,” where much grief, sadness and/or depression are emotions felt by many for many reasons. My prayer and hope is that you will sense God’s presence in your life as He lifts the darkness and pain in your soul and that you will soon find He replaced your soul full of light and joy.


Loss takes its name in many things; a loss of a loved one, a spouse, parent, child, pet, job, dream, money, health, home, marriage, possible memories, relationship and the list goes on.


Burden takes its name in many things; fighting illness and/or disease, financial burden, job stress, lack of job, overwhelming schedule, a need to forgive, a grudge, just to name a few.


What I ask for you to do is to think about all the loss that you have experienced this year and make a list of all these things that pertain to your life. Also add any burdens that you may have and add these to your list.


For each thing on your list, collect a rock or a coin whatever is easiest. Hold onto them until the end. They are your burdens. I will ask you to place this rock or coin on God’s altar to give it to God. Or, you may hold onto your burdens for as long as you need to, and when you are ready, please release them to God. You may see that the weight of these burdens is heavy. As you release them, my prayer is that you will feel lighter and at peace so that you may be able to enjoy the birth of Christ and rejoice with the angels of the ‘great tidings of joy’.


“Come to me all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30.


Please speak out loud:


As Jesus cried, “My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?” How come you do not hear my words or my groaning?


ALL: Dear Heavenly God, my cries are day and night and yet you do not hear me? I cannot rest!






Our forefathers who believed in you had faith in you. They trusted in you and you delivered them.


ALL: You knew me before I was in my mother’s womb. You know the very number of hairs on my head. I am written in the palm of your hand. You are my God.






There is no one to help me and trouble is near. Please stay close Lord.


ALL: I am not alone for you God are with me. Your rod and your staff will comfort me. You will not hide from me but you will shelter me with your everlasting arms, your infinite love and mighty power. When I cry to you God, you hear me. Thank you God!






Please pray with me:


Dear God you are mighty and powerful yet gentle and humble in heart. You are Holy and full of grace. I am not worthy of your love yet you have limited yourself for me. You know me and have searched my heart. You know that my heart is not full of joy, and I confess that I am holding onto my grief, my sadness, and my anger. I do not believe that the angel’s song of ‘great tidings of joy’ is for me. I believe this joy may be for others this year. It is difficult for me to participate in the celebration of your birth. Help me to receive your grace and love. Help me to release to you my grief, my sorrow, and my anger. Forgive me Lord for holding onto it. Forgive me for not realizing that you are walking with me Emmanuel, you travel with me, and you will help carry my burdens. Please restore my soul with light, joy and peace. In His Name, Amen.






The Lighting of the Candles:


We remember as we light the candles:


Candle #1 represents those we loved and lost.


Take the time to remember their names, faces, voices and the memories of them.


Pray: May God’s everlasting love surround them. (Envision them happy in His presence.)






Candle #2 we light to redeem the pain of our loss.


Reflect on the losses that we have listed. Acknowledge the pain of this past year.


Feel it. Now, offer it to God asking him to replace it with peace.


Pray: Lord, take my pain and restore my soul to peace.






Candle #3 we think about ourselves, and all the people who have supported us through our tough times, by prayer and fasting, hugs and kisses, handshakes and pats on the back, financially, dinners, and just stood by us. We are grateful and give thanks to God for them this Christmas season.


Pray: Thank you Lord that the Light outshines and overcomes the darkness.






Candle #4 represents the fire of our faith and the promise of hope that the Christmas story offers to us. The gift from God is the promise that one day we will live with God and he will wipe every tear from our eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things will have passed away. He is making all things new! Revelations 21:3-5


Pray: We remember God’s gift this Christmas season, the birth of Jesus Christ, our Savior and Redeemer, the Prince of Peace, the Great Comforter, King of Kings and Lord of Lords, the Great I Am, worthy to be praised. He is the Word who reveals himself to us in it. Praise, honor and glory be to you Lord Jesus Christ.


May God grant you renewed and continued Peace this Holy Christmas season.


Love, Patti Niebojewski

Dear Lord,
I thank you for speaking to Patti, and using her to speak to us. May you protect her on the journey she’s on and keep her close to You. May you be with those who have suffered loss and won’t be having a cheerful Christmas this year. May Your peace sustain them and give them hope. May the words above lead them to release their burdens to You.

For excellent tips on how to cope with Christmas while grieving, please check out this post by Stacie Ruth Stoelting on Lynn Mosher’s blog Heading Home.

Susan

A C T S of prayer

Posted on by Susan Panzica
For I cried out to Him for help, praising Him as I spoke.
If I had not confessed the sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened.
But God did listen! He paid attention to my prayer.
Psalm 66:17-19 (NLT)

Years ago, when my children were small, I learned a model for prayer that they and I have used ever since. It is especially timely during this season when it is common to hear the words, “O Come Let Us Adore Him.” But this model works all year ‘round helping us to keep our focus where it ought to be.

Using the acronym ACTS, we pray in the following order:
Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, Supplications.

A = Adoration
When we start by telling God how much we love and adore Him, it immediately changes our heart from a “me” focus to a “Him” focus. To adore God is to appreciate God in our heart and mind and to tell him so with our lips.
The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told. Luke 2:20

C = Confession
Confession is simply telling God what He already knows about us. It clears the way for honest conversation with God. The Spirit reveals to us our thoughts, attitudes, words and actions that are contrary to God’s best for us. Then it is up to us to confess and repent.
He who conceals his sins does not prosper, but whoever confesses and renounces them finds mercy. Prov. 28:13
If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. 1 John 1:9

T = Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving is the key that opens the door to His presence. “Enter His gates with thanksgiving ….” Psalm 100:4 An attitude of gratitude enables us to recognize that God controls everything, not just the blessings, but the problems and difficulties too. Troubles becomes opportunities to exercise faith. Giving thanks is God’s will for us: “Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.”1 Thess. 5:16-19

I will praise God’s name in song and glorify Him with thanksgiving. Psalm 69:30
S = Supplications

Supplications are prayer requests. Where Adoration, Confession and Thanksgiving have us focus upward, Supplication has us look inward at our needs and outward at the needs of others around us. It is partnering with God and asking Him to meet those needs.
Hear the supplication of Your servant and of Your people when they pray… Hear from heaven, Your dwelling place, and when You hear, forgive. 1 Kings 8:30

May my supplication come before You; deliver me according to Your promise. Psalm 119:17

I’ve found that when I start praying with my list of demands and desires, I can totally miss the fellowship with God that really is what prayer is all about. But when I start with my focus on the Lord, it puts my desires in proper perspective. It calms my emotions, clears my thoughts, and strengthens my faith.
For me, at this time of year, it is especially important to follow this model of prayer. I can get so caught up in my to-do list that my supplications go on forever! But when I read the Christmas account in Scripture, I see that adoration was the first response to meeting the newborn King. May it be our first response as well.

Lord, I love You.
A-You are worthy to be praised. I am in awe of Your might and of Your compassion. You, who the universe cannot contain, chose to humbly dwell with me and in me.
C-I confess that I am both impatient and a procrastinator. How is that even possible? Please forgive me. Forgive my sharp tongue and my delayed obedience.
T-I thank You for all You have done and still do for me. I thank You for my wonderful family and for friends who are like family to me. I thank You for Your provision, for healing, for miracles.
S-I need You. Please reach my loved ones who don’t know You. Give me the right words to share at the right time. Make me more like You, so that they will see You when they see me. Help me to accomplish what You want me to do, and only what YOU want me to do, not what I want to do.

Susan