A Christmas Prayer

On December 12, 2017December 11, 2017 By roberthansen1317In Christian life, poems, Poetry, prayer7 Comments

Image result for depression at christmas

A Christmas prayer

For the ones out there

Who aren’t full of happiness and cheer

Who are depressed and worn out this time of year

This time of year can be tough

Sometimes you just want to scream ENOUGH!

Maybe it’s the loss of a loved one

Or past hurts that have been done

Everyone else seems full of glee

You’re thinking “everyone but me”

You aren’t the only one faking a smile

Remember the season is because of the birth of a child

It’s not the decorations or presents

Or all the parties and events

Here is an open invitation

To join in the celebration

Image result for bible verses on hope and strength

No gifts to bring or trees to decorate

Whenever you are ready, we will wait

A genuine heart with love to give

I believe you are meant to live

Do not give up, Do not be dismayed

If you are having a string of bad days

There is a hope for a better tomorrow

One not promised without sorrow

One not promised without pain

One not promised without rain

One promised that you are never alone

One promised that you have a home

One promised that you are loved

One promised of HOPE, sealed by His blood

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I can’t promise tomorrow will be better

I can promise you have a helper

Instead of falling down it’s time to rise up

Don’t give up when you’ve had enough

The night will fall and the sun will soon shine

Please, please give it some more time

Tomorrow is new

Perhaps a blessing for you

Tomorrow will soon be here

And maybe, just maybe, it’ll be your year

A baby boy was born in a manger

Don’t let him be a stranger

Get to know hope, love, forgiveness and grace

Tomorrow you will gladly embrace

I want you to know you are known

And that you aren’t alone

Don’t give up, YOU are loved, even when you are blue

This is my Christmas prayer for you

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Talk to your doctor if you are feeling sad for long periods of time. They can refer you to a mental health specialist. If your feelings of sadness during the holidays are accompanied by suicidal thoughts, do one of the following immediately:

Call 911.
Go immediately to a hospital emergency room.
Contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (1-800-273-8255).

You can improve your mood by practicing self-care during the holidays. Eat a healthy diet, and maintain a regular sleep pattern and exercise program. According to the kept Primary Care Companion to the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, as little as 30-minutes of cardiovascular exercise can provide an immediate mood boost similar to the effects of an antidepressant medication. Joining a support group where you talk to people with similar experiences to yours can also help.

YOU ARE NOT ALONE AND YOU HAVE WORTH AND YOU ARE LOVED MORE THAN YOU KNOW!

Image result for bible verses on tomorrow is a new day

Lots of songs but couldn’t decide to put suicide or hope or someone loves you song so put a mix of all them.

Why by Faith Hill –

Why by Rascal Flatts –

Different Kind Of Tears by Sully Erna –

Before The Morning by Josh Wilson –

Somebody Stand By Me by Faith Hill –

Home by Phillip Phillips-

Pray For You by Blessid Union Of Souls –

I Don’t Have The Answers by We Are Messengers-

10 Years Today by Bullet For My Valentine-

Don’t Close Your Eyes by Kix-

Hold On by Good Charlotte-

The Fuzz by Jeff Rosenstock –

Hold On by Wilson Phillips-

The Last Night by Skillet –

The Reason by Lacey Sturm-

Take The Bullets Away by We As Human-

The Right Time by Disciple –

Everybody Hurts by R.E.M.-

Goodbye (I’m Sorry) by Jamestown Story –

Just Say Jesus by 7eventh Time Down –

Pray For Me by Kirk Franklin –

Welcome To My Life by Simple Plan –

My Story by Big Daddy Weave –

Hope Was Born This Night by Sidewalk Prophets –

Hello God

On November 13, 2017November 7, 2017 By roberthansen1317In Christian life, God, prayer, Thank you God, Thank you Jesus, thankful, thanks4 Comments

Hello God,

I just wanted to take a minute and write to you. Not for me, but for you. I don’t need anything today and I am thankful for everything you have done for me. I just wanted to write you to ask how you are.

So God, how are you? I know I would not want to be you. I can’t imagine what you have to go through on a daily basis. Everyone doubting if you really exist. People worshiping you one day then condemning you the next. Everyone destroying this world you made for us to live on. I know I have caused you a lot of headaches. For that I am truly sorry.

How is Heaven God? What a joy it must be to spend your days with all those wonderful people. I know I can’t imagine what it is like to have all those people that believe in you. Most days I can count the people I think believe in me on one hand.

This is harder than I thought it would be. I want you to know that I truly want to know how you are but I keep going back to me. Of course that probably goes back to the introvert in me. I am not good asking questions about other people. It’s not that I don’t care but you know that. Hey God, you can’t complain, you made me this way.

Do you get tired? Do you hurt when you see the evil in this world? Do you get so frustrated with us that you just want to end it all sometimes? I look around at what is around me and what I see on the news and I know if I were you.. I would be like poof, end of the world. Who could blame you? But I know that’s not who you are and I know that you want as many of us to believe in you that you can so you are giving us time to do that. Plus, I know there is a lot of good in this world also. We just don’t see it because it doesn’t sell. What if it did sell though? Hmm, there is an idea God. Help me to figure out a way to sell the good news of this world. The every day heroes that don’t look for recognition. The ones that help the least of us. We can fill of 30 minutes of news easily. Maybe if more people started seeing good on the news, more people would start doing good.

God, who would you want to eat dinner with? Is there that one person in this world that you look at and think this person gets it? Knowing you the way I do you would probably pick the person who is a complete mess. Good luck finding just one of us. We, including myself, are pretty messed up if you ask me.

Do you have a favorite hymn or song? Are you happy that you made us? Do you think it was worth sacrificing your son Jesus for us? Do you go to your room and just cry for us sometimes? Do you like jokes? Have you ever made something then went oops? Like the platypus or naked mole rat or ?

How do you do it all? Would you do things over again if you could? Wait a minute, you could. Don’t answer that. Do you have a favorite place here on earth that you like to visit? How often do you visit? Do you think anyone ever recognizes you? I know there have been times in my life that I thought that was you but then you were gone. Was that you?

Well God, I know you are busy so I will let you go. I pray you are doing well and that you are filled with joy for us. You are truly an amazing, wonderful, loving, caring friend and I don’t know where I would be without you.

P.S. Say hello to my dad and my grandparents and friends that are there with you. Two more questions. Do you pray for me? What do you want me to do today?

Dear Mr. God by The Warren Brothers –

Maintain by Jonathan McReynolds feat Chantae Cann – This wasn’t a song I had planned for today but I heard it this morning and it spoke to me.

In My Room by Thousand Foot Krutch – I know I have included this on several posts but this is a song that just really speaks to me. I included one with lyrics this time. My favorite line “I’ve never prayed so can we just talk” –

Questions by Steven Curtis Chapman –

Letter To God by Duncan James –

Dear God by FM Static –

Hey God by Lonestar –

Red Letter Day by NewSong –

Counting Blue Cars by Dishwalla –

Beer With Jesus by Thomas Rhett –

Me and God by Josh Turner –

Thank You God

On November 8, 2017November 7, 2017 By roberthansen1317In Christian life, God, prayer, Thank you God, Thank you Jesus, thankful7 Comments

Thank you God for another day. Thank you for sending Your son Jesus to die for us and save us. Thank you Jesus for dying on the cross for our sins even though we don’t deserve it. It is amazing that You would die for us knowing that we would continue to sin against You but You love us that much that You did it anyway.

Thank you for giving us Your word that You were coming, that You were here and that You will be coming back. Thank you for giving us the people that wrote Your word down for us to read and study to help guide us through this life.

Thank you for giving us life. From our first breath to our last. From conception to death. Thank you for the miracle of life. Thank you for all the miracles around us every day, from the big miraculous ones to the ones we don’t even notice.

I pray that people will come to You today. I pray that You will give them what they need. Peace, patience, perseverance, hope, healing, grace, goodness, faith, forgiveness, love, compassion, acceptance, answers, self-control, joy or anything else I pray God that You will help Your people.

Thank you for my wife Kim. Thank you for the person she is TODAY. I pray that she puts You first in her life. I pray that when she reads Your word that she understands it, relates to it, and lives her life by it. I pray that when the devil comes in her life that she will remember the lies of her past and listen for Your truth. I pray You will heal her back so she can live without pain. I pray for her salvation and that her story, our story, will bring others to Your kingdom.

Thank you for my daughters. Thank you for each of their unique personalities. I pray that each of them choose to follow You and live their lives for You. I pray that they are listening to You in the choices they make. I pray that they choose joy in You instead of happiness of this world.

Thank you for my job. Thank you for the opportunity it gives me and so many others to provide for their families and hopefully give some back to You. I pray that we get as many employees as You want us to have. I pray that we will be a good Christian company and stay in business for many years to come. I pray that we will make a profit by treating our employees, customers, and anyone else we talk to every day the way You want us to treat them.

Thank you for me and the way You have made me. Thank you for everything I have had to go through to get me where I am today, everything that makes me the person I am today. Thank you for the dead-ends, the u-turns, the wrong turns, the curves, the straights, the hills, thank You for every road I have had to travel to get to You. I pray that You my God, my Jesus, my Lord and Savior, Holy Spirit, that You take over my life. Fill me with You. Teach me how to live like You, be like You, to forgive and love like You. I pray that when You speak to me that I will listen. I pray that You lead me God and that I will follow. Give me words to speak that will bring others to You. I pray that today You will use me to change one person today. Thank you for healing my knee.

Thank you for loving me, I love You.

Thank You by Hillsong United –

Thank God For Something by Hawk Nelson –

Thank You by Jesus Army – love her voice –

Give Thanks by Don Moen –

Thank You For Saving Me by Chris Tomlin –

Dear God a Kids Prayer –

Be Grateful by Tamar Braxton –

I Thank God by Rhema Marvanne –

Grateful by Paul Cardall –

Forever Grateful by Gary Rea –

Jesus We Are Grateful by Jason Gray –

Thanks Be To Our God by Travis Cottrell –

Thanks For The Joy by Ruthie Foster –

Gratitude by Joshua Kadison –

Grateful People by Anthony Brown –

Dear God (A Prayer From Hell)

On December 8, 2016December 8, 2016 By roberthansen1317In Christian life, prayer4 Comments

~"Yea, the darkness hideth not from thee; but the night shineth as the day: the darkness and the light are both alike to thee."-Psalm 139:12:

Dear God, I am not sure how to do this because I have never done it before, as you probably know. I will make this short because I know I don’t have much time. If Satan finds me on my knees praying to you I will be sent to the next circle of hell. I don’t know if you hear prayers from hell but here I am on my knees.

I know the way I lived my life was my choice. I know I lived for me and me only. I know I didn’t love like I should’ve. I know I didn’t give like I could’ve. It was all about looking out for number one, me.

I know I had many people who tried to tell me about you and that I didn’t listen. I didn’t need you. My life was going exactly the way I wanted it to. Well, looking back, maybe not so much. I did have the job I wanted, all the money I could ever spend and the biggest house in the richest neighborhood. I was also divorced four times. I ran through women like a kid runs through a candy store. Speaking of kids, I had three. Well, I still have three but they quit talking to me a long time ago.

I didn’t believe in you. I didn’t believe in hell either but here I am. I guess what I am asking for is another chance. You know maybe you and the devil can do a role reversal of Job. You let the devil test Job to prove his heart was true to you. Maybe you can make a deal with the devil to let you test me to see if I will stay true to the devil.

This is no place to be. Maybe you could just ask the devil to let me come back for a month, a week, even just an hour. Just enough time for me to tell people that I now know the truth. I know a lot of people that are heading here if they don’t change. I know I squandered my opportunity when I was alive but I pray that you can give me one more chance to change.

One more chance to learn more about you. One more chance to live my life for you and not for me. One more chance for me to love and not hate. One more chance for me to give and not take. One more chance to save someone’s life. One more chance to show my kids how much they truly mean to me. One more chance for me to say I am sorry.

God, I pray that somehow, some way you can give me a miracle. I know I don’t deserve it but I know you are the God of second chances.

Thank you for listening. I pray that you can hear my prayer from hell.

It doesn’t matter where your hell is, it could be right in your own home. Only God can get you out of it. Whatever hell you are in there is nothing you have done or no place you can go that God can’t reach you.

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Out Of Hell by Skillet –

Prayers For The Damned by Sixx A.M. –

My Hell by Disciple –

Hell And Back by Tonight Alive –

Hell or Heaven by Lynyrd Skynyrd –

If You’re Going Through Hell by Rodney Atkins –

Out Of Hell by In This Moment –

Running Through Hell Motivational –

Pray by Sanctus Real –

Pray by Manafest –

Sinner’s Prayer by Deitrick Haddon –

Dear God, Are You Hearing My Prayers?

On March 24, 2016March 24, 2016 By roberthansen1317In Christian life, God, prayer26 Comments

Dear God,

Are you hearing my prayers? I have been praying the same prayer for as long as I can remember but my prayer isn’t being answered. Is there another way I can reach you? Can I send an email, text, tweet, Facebook message, any other way? Can You at least send me a message received? Should I keep praying or should I move on to another prayer? Do You get tired of hearing the same prayer every day?

Am I asking for too much? Am I asking with little faith? I don’t think so. Is my heart sincere? I think so. You say ask and it will be given to me. I believe in You and believe You will answer my prayer request. I just want to make sure You are getting it. I know you probably get more prayer requests each day than there are grains of sand so I could understand if one or two get missed. I’m not saying you miss any or anything, just saying I understand if You did. How do you keep track of all of them anyway? Health requests go in one file, relationships in another, financials in another or are they grouped by person or country?

Back to my prayer, sorry I got sidetracked. I seem to do that when I pray also. Can you figure out what I am asking when I start then go elsewhere then come back to you ten minutes later right where I left off? Sorry but my mind is constantly going, thought in, thought out, start, stop, start, where was I? Oh yeah, as you know I have been praying for people I know to get their health back, to even get partial health back. I am sure to be 80% would be a lot better than where they are now. It seems like some of them are getting worse. Or they get better only to relapse. Some of them have a much stronger faith than I do and I know they are praying to get better also. It is okay to pray for themselves right? I know I pray for me. Fix my mind God. Are their prayers stuck in your inbox also? Have you checked your spam folder? I know there are many people out there that pray for bad things or things they shouldn’t be praying for so maybe they go straight to spam so you don’t have to even acknowledge them. Maybe some honest prayers get stuck there also.

I don’t know God. I am just throwing ideas out there why my prayers aren’t getting answered. How about just send me a sign that you received it and will get to it when you can get to it? I know maybe my prayer requests are probably far down on your list. Look at all the evil in the world. The people starving. The homeless. The lonely. The deathly sick. The enslaved. The persecuted. I pray for them also and honestly, I know answers to my prayers can wait so You can take care of all those worse off than me. Those with more urgent requests. Please take care of those first. I totally understand.

Just in case you have missed them here is what I pray for. I pray for my wife and daughters, God. I just pray that they walk with You in this life. I pray for my friends and family to get their health back and to trust in You. I pray for my church to follow You, the truth. I pray for my job to stay secure. I pray You heal my mind and help me resist temptation. I thank You for giving me another day to rely on You. As You know that is the super condensed, none rambling version. Whenever You can get to them. I will try to be patient while You take care of the ones that need Your help more than I do.

I have noticed as I get older my prayers have changed. Those things I prayed for in my youth, I am glad You didn’t answer a lot of those prayers. I could only imagine what kind of mess I would be in now if You had. I have learned to be a lot more patient than in my youth. I can only imagine where all the people I prayed bad things to happen to would be if You answered them. I am glad You ignored them. I am glad You handled those situations in Your way and not my way. Even if Your way was just to give them grace and mercy. I am glad You didn’t answer people’s prayers about me either, extending me that same grace and mercy.

I also just want to say thank you God for answering prayers I didn’t ask for. Giving me what I didn’t know I wanted or needed. I also want to thank you for answering my prayer to use me a few years ago. It was not the way I wanted You to use me but it has made me a stronger person. It also helped my wife be closer to You.

Thanks for taking the time to listen. More prayers coming your way. I will trust in You and wait for your answers, even if your answer is an unanswered prayer. You know what is best for me.

Healing by Blessid Union Of Souls –

Pray by Manafest –

Unanswered Prayers by Garth Brooks –

Pray For Me by Kirk Franklin –

If His People Prayed by Casting Crowns –

Somebody Said A Prayer by Billy Ray Cyrus –

Sinners Prayer by Deitrick Haddon –

Say A Prayer by Veridia –

Pray It Down by 7eventh Time Down –

Pray For Me by Sixx Am –

Pray About Everything by Luke Bryan –

Pray by Sanctus Real –

The Power Of Prayer by Matthew West –

One Prayer Away by Jonathan McReynolds –

A Mother’s Prayer by Rachel Aldous –

The Marriage Prayer by John Waller –

Let Us Pray by Steven Curtis Chapman –

Just Pray by Moriah Peters and Rhett Walker –

I Pray For You by John Rich –

I Only Know To Pray by Sherry Anne –

Pray For You by Blessid Union of Souls –

Coincidence or God’s Plan?

On July 21, 2015July 31, 2015 By roberthansen1317In angels, Christian life, coincidence, God, God's plan, music, prayer, rain4 Comments

On July 15 I wrote God I Am Tired. Most of it was about being tired of all the rain this summer. We have had enough but our friends in California could use some. Since then we have had very little rain. We had a storm last night but other than that nothing of significance. Our forecast is for seven straight days of sun and no more than a pop up shower. Did you see the rain in California this past weekend? On July 18 San Diego had a record for a day in July with 1.03 inches of rain. Then they received another .66 inches Sunday making July the wettest month on record. As of Monday morning they had a total of 1.7 inches, the old record was .92 inches. Los Angeles had .38 inches of rain over the weekend. Lancaster 1.59 inches, Riverside 1.37 inches, San Luis Obispo 1.28 inches. More rain was expected for July 20th. Coincidence or did God hear my cries for less rain?

My wife and I met online. Of all the dating sites she just happened to be on the one I was on. Of all the women I was looking at, she was the only one that didn’t have a picture. When we first started talking she asked if I wanted one and I said no. Our first date was the first time I saw her. Eleven and a half years later we are still together. Coincidence or God’s plan?

We drove four and a half hours to go to Gull Lake Ministries in Michigan only to meet an amazing Christian couple who I have a lot to learn from who only live two miles from us. If we had never went there we would’ve never met these new friends in our lives. Coincidence or God’s plan?

Karen Kingsbury talks about angels walking and how she got the idea on an airplane flight. In forty minutes she had over thirty pages of outlines, characters, etc. I would write down her book Angels Walking to read but never read it. Until 8 months later when I start to blog and how the characters in it are like me and some of the things I blog about. Coincidence or God’s plan?

Viktor Frankl was an Austrian neurologist and psychiatrist. He had a choice to make. He had a visa to leave his country and come to the United States before the Nazis took his country and send him to concentration camps. What to do?When he returned home, he found it. A piece of marble was lying on the table. His father explained that it was from the rubble of one of the nearby synagogues that the Nazis had destroyed. The marble contained the fragment of one of the Ten Commandments — the one about honoring your father and your mother. With that, Frankl decided to stay in Vienna and forgo whatever opportunities for safety and career advancement awaited him in the United States. He would later write that even in the worst conditions, even in suffering, life can have meaning. He would write the best selling book Man’s Search For Meaning. Coincidence that one piece of marble survived and wound up in his dads hands or God’s plan?

Have you ever totally slept through your alarm and was running late to work only to find out there was a terrible accident right at the intersection you would’ve been at if you had woke up on time? Have you ever started out on your morning run wanting to go one way but something tells you not to go that way, then you find out on the news that another runner was attacked on that route you wanted to run?

There a alot of stories out there of guardian angels. I have heard of a girl named Diane walking alone down a dark alley and seeing a guy standing there. She prayed to God for protection and she walked right by without any harm. Then the girl twenty minutes behind her was attacked. Diane read what had happened and came in to identify the attackers. She asked the police why he didn’t hurt her and he said “because she wasn’t alone. She had two tall men walking on either side of her.”

Another story of a beginning surfer who went out by himself one morning so he wouldn’t be embarresed with all the times he fell off. He was the only one on the beach and the water. He fell off and was caught in a riptide. He thought for sure he was going to die but then another surfer came up beside him and gave him his board. He got to the shore and looked out in the water to thank the other surfer but no one was there.

Do you have any stories of “coincidence” or of angels? I would love to hear about them.

A little conversation with God I read a few years back that I have never forgotten.

Me: God, can I ask You a question?

God: Sure

Me: Promise You won’t get mad

God: I promise

Me: Why did You let so much stuff happen to me today?

God: What do u mean?

Me: Well, I woke up late

God: Yes

Me: My car took forever to start

God: Okay

Me: at lunch they made my sandwich wrong & I had to wait

God: Huummm

Me: On the way home, my phone went DEAD, just as I picked up a call

God: All right

Me: And on top of it all off, when I got home ~I just want to soak my feet in my new foot massager & relax. BUT it wouldn’t work!!! Nothing went right today! Why did You do that?

God: Let me see, the death angel was at your bed this morning & I had to send one of My Angels to battle him for your life. I let you sleep through that

Me (humbled): OH

GOD: I didn’t let your car start because there was a drunk driver on your route that would have hit you if you were on the road.

Me: (ashamed)

God: The first person who made your sandwich
today was sick & I didn’t want you to catch what they have, I knew you couldn’t afford to miss work.

Me (embarrassed): okay

God: Your phone went dead because the person that was calling was going to give false witness about what you said on that call, I didn’t even let you talk to them so you would be covered.

Me (softly): I see God

God: Oh and that foot massager, it had a shortage that was going to throw out all of the power in your house tonight. I didn’t think you wanted to be in the dark.

Me: I’m Sorry God

God: Don’t be sorry, just learn to Trust Me…. in All things , the Good & the bad.

Me: I will trust You.

God: And don’t doubt that My plan for your day is Always Better than your plan.

Me: I won’t God. And let me just tell you God, Thank You for Everything today.

God: You’re welcome child. It was just another day being your God and I Love looking after My Children.

The Call by Matt Kennon –