The Talking Woodpecker~

This morning I woke up to a constant and loud tap tap tap at my bedroom window. I opened the shutter to see a woodpecker with the most beautiful red crest pecking away. I was temporarily awestruck, and then I realized that it might actually break the window. I tried shooing it away, but it would not leave. I physically went outside, and that's when the woodpecker started flying toward me. I froze for a second then started flailing my arms to scare it away. The woodpecker was not deterred. Rather, it came closer and closer. I turned to run back inside the house and tripped on the front steps of my porch. I almost had a panic attack as I saw the woodpecker approaching again. It flew straight to my ear and said, "Help! I have nothing to eat!"

NOT! A bird will never ask us for food!

Matthew 6:26
"Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?"

We, dear people, are much more valuable than the birds. This means that God will care for our every need. Going back to this week's DEVO topic, we have been focusing on prayer. And believe it or not, there is still so much more richness to the verses we have been studying, so we will continue next week. But I have received so many emails about various concerns that today is all about encouraging you to keep on praying.

The verse that follows verse 26 above states:
Verse 27: "Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?"

If that were the case I might live to be 1,000 years old :(

But I have learned and am still learning that asking God for His kingdom to come into the middle of my problem is the first step toward eliminating worry. God, in His incomparable wisdom, set up the universe to include our prayers as part of what gets Him to move on earth with His power. If we can somehow get this truth into our lives we will realize that whenever we face a problem or difficulty, we do not have to sit around not knowing what to expect. We can get involved through prayer.

If you, your spouse, your child, or one of your relatives or friends is having a crisis or problem, activate verse 33:

"But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well."

"All these things," are whatever you need to thrive and survive physically, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually.

What is the first thing we should all be doing?

PRAYER:
Dear Lord, Thank You that You are our very first and finest source of EVERYTHING we need. We have decided not to worry, but rather to seek You and invite You and Your power to transform our lives. ________ needs ________ today. If You so freely take care of the birds, and if we are more precious to You than they, then we know that we know that we shall receive today that which we have prayed for. In Jesus' name, AMEN~