A Prayer for AcceptanceBy Vivian Bricker "For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will-to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves." – Ephesians 1:4-6 When I was in sixth grade, I desperately wanted to be accepted by my peers at my new school. Despite being bullied, my pre-teen mind still wanted to be accepted by them. There was a certain brand of coats that everyone had, which made me think that if I had one of these coats, they would accept me. This coat was very expensive and was not something my family could afford. Even though I knew my family couldn't afford it, I told my mother about this coat. Against all odds, my mother was able to purchase me this coat for my birthday. I was so happy because I thought I would finally be accepted by my peers, and they would like me. The day after my birthday, I walked into school with my new coat on, and everyone made fun of me. They called my coat a "counterfeit" and a "fake," which led me to tears.  Despite doing everything possible, I was still rejected and seen as unacceptable. As an adult now, I understand that those kids would never accept me because they were mean. There wasn't anything wrong with me, nor was I lacking anything, including a designer cost. Rather, the problem was them. If you have had something similar to this happen in your life, know you are not alone and know that there is nothing wrong with you. The problem is them.  Turning to the Bible, we see that we are beloved by God and we are chosen in Him (Ephesians 1:4-6). We are already accepted because of His everlasting, abounding, and unconditional love for us. All of the love God has for you will never end, nor will it become any less.  When we are feeling a lack of acceptance, we try to find acceptance in any way possible. As believers, we need to remember that our worth, value, and acceptance are in Jesus. Before the beginning of time, the Father has loved us and chosen us to be adopted as His children through Jesus. The Apostle Paul taught this truth to the Ephesians because he wanted to ensure they knew they were chosen before the creation of the world to be loved by Jesus and this is true for us in the modern day as well. There are not only a few people chosen to be saved and loved by God. Everyone is predestined and chosen by God because He loves all of us. The Bible tells us that God desires everyone to come to know Him (1 Timothy 2:3-4). All are chosen and all are loved. Through the Lord's love, we are worthy, valued, and accepted.  This can be hard to remember at times; however, we can turn to the Lord in prayer when we are struggling.  Let's pray: Dear Lord, please help me to know that I am accepted in You. There have been many people in my life who have made me feel not accepted. Please help me to focus on what You say instead of what they say. Whenever I am feeling down, please fill my heart with your grace and love. Don't allow me to question my worth or value. Surround me with your great love and compassion. I know I am accepted in You. I praise you Lord and I love you.In Jesus' Name, I pray, Amen."  Photo credit: ©GettyImages/ipopba Vivian Bricker loves Jesus, studying the Word of God, and helping others in their walk with Christ. She has earned a Bachelor of Arts and Master’s degree in Christian Ministry with a deep academic emphasis in theology. Her favorite things to do are spending time with her family and friends, reading, and spending time outside. When she is not writing, she is embarking on other adventures. Teach Us to Pray is a FREE prayer podcast hosted by iBelieve writer Christina Patterson. Each week, she gives you practical, real-life tips on how to grow your faith and relationship with God through the power of prayer. To listen to her episode on What to Pray in the Morning for a Worry-Free Day, click below! Now that you’ve prayed, are you in need of someone to pray for YOU? Click the button below! Visit iBelieve.com for more inspiring prayer content. The post A Prayer for Acceptance – Your Daily Prayer – June 28 appeared first on GodUpdates.

The beautiful masterpiece God is making you June 28 Yet you, LORD, are our Father.We are the clay, you are the potter; we are all the work of your hand. Isaiah 64:8 A huge chunk of beautiful marble lay in the courtyard of the Florence, Italy cathedral for almost a hundred years. The sculptor commissioned to carve it had made a mistake while attempting to carve the stone, and most people thought it was beyond repair. But in 1505, another young sculptor by the name of Michelangelo came across the piece and thought he could do something with it. For three years, he worked steadily, carefully shaping the marble into an 18-foot tall image of the young shepherd boy David – a sculpture that would define the great artist's career. Much like Michelangelo, God is our Sculptor. He finds us broken, lost, and in desperate need of work. Then, after putting our faith in Christ, He begins to chisel us – scraping and chipping away our imperfections and making us more and more into the image He wants us to be. This sculpting we undergo isn't always a pleasant experience. That's because sometimes we have idols and imperfections chipped away to which we've grown very attached. But our Master Sculptor knows what He's doing. Trust Him to mold you throughout your life into the masterpiece He's created you to be and thank Him that He's set you free from the imperfections that hinder you! Prayer Challenge Ask God to help you submit to His daily sculpting in your life as He transforms you into His image. Questions for Thought Why do you believe the "sculpting" God does in our lives can often be a painful process? In what areas do you believe God is shaping you more and more into His image today? Visit the Senior Living Ministries website The post The Beautiful Masterpiece God Is Making You – Senior Living – June 28 appeared first on GodUpdates.

A Prayer for AcceptanceBy Vivian Bricker "For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will-to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves." – Ephesians 1:4-6 When I was in sixth grade, I desperately wanted to be accepted by my peers at my new school. Despite being bullied, my pre-teen mind still wanted to be accepted by them. There was a certain brand of coats that everyone had, which made me think that if I had one of these coats, they would accept me. This coat was very expensive and was not something my family could afford. Even though I knew my family couldn't afford it, I told my mother about this coat. Against all odds, my mother was able to purchase me this coat for my birthday. I was so happy because I thought I would finally be accepted by my peers, and they would like me. The day after my birthday, I walked into school with my new coat on, and everyone made fun of me. They called my coat a "counterfeit" and a "fake," which led me to tears.  Despite doing everything possible, I was still rejected and seen as unacceptable. As an adult now, I understand that those kids would never accept me because they were mean. There wasn't anything wrong with me, nor was I lacking anything, including a designer cost. Rather, the problem was them. If you have had something similar to this happen in your life, know you are not alone and know that there is nothing wrong with you. The problem is them.  Turning to the Bible, we see that we are beloved by God and we are chosen in Him (Ephesians 1:4-6). We are already accepted because of His everlasting, abounding, and unconditional love for us. All of the love God has for you will never end, nor will it become any less.  When we are feeling a lack of acceptance, we try to find acceptance in any way possible. As believers, we need to remember that our worth, value, and acceptance are in Jesus. Before the beginning of time, the Father has loved us and chosen us to be adopted as His children through Jesus. The Apostle Paul taught this truth to the Ephesians because he wanted to ensure they knew they were chosen before the creation of the world to be loved by Jesus and this is true for us in the modern day as well. There are not only a few people chosen to be saved and loved by God. Everyone is predestined and chosen by God because He loves all of us. The Bible tells us that God desires everyone to come to know Him (1 Timothy 2:3-4). All are chosen and all are loved. Through the Lord's love, we are worthy, valued, and accepted.  This can be hard to remember at times; however, we can turn to the Lord in prayer when we are struggling.  Let's pray: Dear Lord, please help me to know that I am accepted in You. There have been many people in my life who have made me feel not accepted. Please help me to focus on what You say instead of what they say. Whenever I am feeling down, please fill my heart with your grace and love. Don't allow me to question my worth or value. Surround me with your great love and compassion. I know I am accepted in You. I praise you Lord and I love you.In Jesus' Name, I pray, Amen."  Photo credit: ©GettyImages/ipopba Vivian Bricker loves Jesus, studying the Word of God, and helping others in their walk with Christ. She has earned a Bachelor of Arts and Master’s degree in Christian Ministry with a deep academic emphasis in theology. Her favorite things to do are spending time with her family and friends, reading, and spending time outside. When she is not writing, she is embarking on other adventures. Teach Us to Pray is a FREE prayer podcast hosted by iBelieve writer Christina Patterson. Each week, she gives you practical, real-life tips on how to grow your faith and relationship with God through the power of prayer. To listen to her episode on What to Pray in the Morning for a Worry-Free Day, click below! Now that you’ve prayed, are you in need of someone to pray for YOU? Click the button below! Visit iBelieve.com for more inspiring prayer content. The post A Prayer for Acceptance – Your Daily Prayer – June 28 appeared first on GodUpdates.

Gary Brooker called it modern blues – but however you tag it, the proto-prog follow-up to blockbuster single A Whiter Shade Of Pale was everything he’d wanted it to be, almost