A Prayer For When You Are Starting Over, Fundamentals. 8/22/2018

Good Morning,

Here comes Wednesday and I raise my cup of Door County Tanzanian Peaberry  Coffee to salute another day given to me by God.

There are times when each of us just feels like we have to start our life over or we are forced to start over. For instance I had a surgery on my shoulder a few years ago and for my mind I thought it went well. The rehabilitation went very well and I am able to do most everything just like when I was younger. One thing I haven't tried much of is throwing a ball. I don't know why but I decided to pull a football out of the garage and toss it around last night,. Ha, I dropped back to pass like an NFL quarterback and I let her fly. Yuck! The ball went  about twenty yards , wobbled all the way and had no speed on it at all. I need to start that throwing arm all over I guess. So I paced off about ten yards, hung a tire in a tree for a target and went. back to basics. I planted my foot and threw over my head with slow velocity for about ten throws. That went very well, Then I massaged my arm. I threw five more with picture perfect form allowing to experiment with the speed. I wasn't ready to accelerate the speed of the throws. I had to be content for the night. I started over with my arm, but needed to go back to what I learned about developing a throwing arm. I had to humble myself and accept that I need some help with that arm. I had to forgive myself for letting the arm get into that kind of shape.

Our lives experience times when we need to start over for one reason or another. God has given us Psalm 25 which I have used as a prayer to get me going on a new start. It also contains excellent instructions for starting over.

Key elements in starting over are forgiving and being forgiven. Trust in God is the next important element. Being teachable is the next element. Hope must be present to be able to start over. Hope in God and hope in yourself. Receiving guidance and following it are the next two elements of  a successful life restart. Humility is a main ingredient to a new start. Realizing that God loves you is the most important element of starting over.

 

Psalm 25 New International Version (NIV)

Psalm 25:1-11

Of David.

¹ In you, Lord my God,
    I put my trust.

² I trust in you;
    do not let me be put to shame,
    nor let my enemies triumph over me.
³ No one who hopes in you
    will ever be put to shame,
but shame will come on those
    who are treacherous without cause.

⁴ Show me your ways, Lord,
    teach me your paths.
⁵ Guide me in your truth and teach me,
    for you are God my Savior,
    and my hope is in you all day long.
⁶ Remember, Lord, your great mercy and love,
    for they are from of old.
⁷ Do not remember the sins of my youth
    and my rebellious ways;
according to your love remember me,
    for you, Lord, are good.

⁸ Good and upright is the Lord;
    therefore he instructs sinners in his ways.
⁹ He guides the humble in what is right
    and teaches them his way.
¹⁰ All the ways of the Lord are loving and faithful
    toward those who keep the demands of his covenant.
¹¹ For the sake of your name, Lord,
    forgive my iniquity, though it is great.

 

If you are starting over and find yourself wondering if it is worth it, ask others to pray for you.

James 5:16 New King James Version (NKJV)

¹⁶ Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective,  fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.

God bless,

Marty