Hi, I'm Joni Eareckson Tada and you’re listening to "Joni and Friends."
…And friends help each other, right? Build each other up and encourage one another. And that’s what I love doing here every day on "Joni and Friends" – saying and sharing things that will bolster your spirit and forge a stronger faith in God. Because you will often hear me say how much I need Him, and need Him desperately. In fact, I woke up this morning and you know that in-between time when you haven’t gotten out of bed yet and your eyes are still closed? It’s only a few seconds; it’s that time when you’re awake, but your head hasn’t started the day. A lot of battles are won or lost in that brief moment your eyes are still shut, like, “… can I face this day? Do I have the energy? Can I muster the strength?” And right then and there, you decide your attitude, don’t you?
Well, that’s the way I wake up almost every morning. I think I’ve been talking a lot about that to you lately. And in that brief moment when my eyes are still closed, I’ve got to decide what kind of day it’s going to be. And I realize that while my covers are still over my head, I’ve got to pray. Lord Jesus, there are a zillion things I need to catch up on… a doctor’s appointment, a dinner commitment this evening. And you know what? My emotions are telling me, I don’t want to do any of it. But I'm not going to listen to my feelings ‘cause I know they will drag me down that dark path to discouragement. I don’t want that! I don’t want to live feeling defeated before I’ve even gotten out of bed. So I'm going to grab hold of Psalm 79, verse 8 – I claim it, I own it, I embrace it, and I believe you’re going to give me all the grace available through it!
That prayer didn’t take more than a few seconds in my head, but when I opened my eyes, I can’t explain it but I had grace. I had the God of all grace on my side. Grace sent straight from heaven, filling my heart and giving me His perspective on the day. And, friend, if there’s one thing God wants for you and me when we get up in the morning, the one thing He wants is for us to not feel defeated. He wants us to be victorious, to be more than conquerors, and in so doing, extend that same grace that we’ve received to others who may be experiencing defeat. Oh, and by the way, just what does Psalm 79 verse 8 say? It simply says this, Lord God, “… may your mercy come quickly to meet us, for we are in desperate need.” That’s short and to the point, but it is a great prayer to offer up first thing in the morning before you open your eyes. And I want you to start your day like that tomorrow morning, recognizing that God is faithful and His mercies are fresh, they are new every morning. But Psalm 79 reminds us that we need to humble ourselves and recognize our desperate need, then God's mercy will be quick to meet that need.
I invite you to join me in making those brief few seconds in the morning before you open your eyes, make that moment a prayer, would you? Short and sincere. And you will be amazed by the supernatural attitude God gives you for the day. Oh, and since we’re on the subject of prayer, please do stop by my radio page today at joniandfriends.org for I’d love to show you a brief video clip on prayer that I recorded. And don’t forget to hold onto Psalm 79, verse 8 tomorrow morning and God's mercy will come quickly to help you… because you know what? We are all in desperate need of Him. I hope you’ve been inspired and refreshed by our time together today. I just want you to know that I treasure these few minutes that we have together and I’d like to hear from you. I’d like to hear your story, hear what you’re learning from God’s Word. So write me today, would you, at PO Box 3333 Agoura Hills, CA 91376. Or you can always visit Joni’s Corner at joniandfriends.org.
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JONI AND FRIENDS
P.O. Box 3333
Agoura Hills, CA 91376
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