Spring

~ Spring ~

Spring is our gentle reminder that Yahweh is still making things new. Every day! Every morning! Just makes my heart sing! I hope it does for you as well, my friends!

"The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases; His mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness."  Lamentations 3:22-23

His Word is faithful and true and the seasons are just one of the myriad ways He proves this to us. One way is with the gorgeous displays of spring bulbs such as crocuses, tulips and hyacinths. No doubt some of your gardens are coming along this way.

"See! The winter is past ... Flowers appear on the earth; the season of singing has come...". Song of Solomon 2:11-13

Those first blooms never cease to amaze me!

Crocuses from a friend's garden 2026

“The desert and the parched land will be glad. The wilderness will rejoice and blossom. Like the crocus, it will burst into bloom."

Isaiah 35:1-2a

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May we always give all glory & honour to and thankfulness for our Awesome creator, God, of all things and people!.

With great Joy, let us sing praise to our God, Yahweh; by the power of His Spirit plant good seed; and continue to grow as we follow Yeshua, His Son!

 👣 💖🙏🏼🙏🏿🎶 ✝️

Rose Naomi O'Brey

Call or Text 613-920-2207

A Voice In His Garden Ministries

Growing Mind, Body, Soul & Spirit 

~ Praise People Plants Possibilities ~

Blogspot: https://avoiceinhisgardenministries.blogspot.com/ 

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@AVoiceInHisGardenMinistries 

Email: rosenaomiobrey@gmail.com 

"I will sing praise to Yahweh, my God, as long as I live." Psalm 104:33a

A Private Place of Prayer

~ A Private Place of Prayer ~

"But when you pray, go into your inner room, and after closing your door, pray to your Father who is in secret, and your Father who sees what is done in secret will repay you." Matthew 6:6

In this scripture, Jesus is speaking about a place (it could be a room or a closet) "inside" a house. Calling it a “closet” could cause some people to miss the point that Jesus was making ... He simply meant to go into an inner room/place where no one would see you, so your devotions could be private and prayerfully accomplished hopefully without distraction.

In having a place to go to (not necessarily the same place each day), we follow Jesus’ example of withdrawing to a solitary place where we can sit, kneel stand or lie to pray to God, our Father.

"And He withdrew from them about a stone’s throw away, and He knelt down and prayed, saying, “Father, if You are willing, take this cup away from Me. Nevertheless, let not My will, but Your will, be done.” Luke 22:41-46

Early in the morning is what sets the tone of peace and trust in God for me for my day. That seemed to often be the case for Jesus also ...

“Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where He prayed.” Mark 1:35

In the book 33rd chapter of Jeremiah, verse 3 reads ...

"Call to Me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know." These are such sweet words from our Awesome God telling us, His children to talk to Him, to call to Him and then we read why we should pray. What a beautiful invitation He gives to each and every one of us!

After walking through your abode and not finding a whole room or closet you can empty you might conclude that you cannot do this at all. Don't give up! If a space like this does not exist in your home, why not invent your own by creating an alternative one – perhaps there is enough space on the floor of your bedroom (not your bed - too easy to fall back to sleep), or living room, office, or porch where you could be alone. It just needs to be an electronics-free zone (no radios, iPads, Androids, iPhones, Laptops, etc.) as this time alone is not for research but relationship-building for you and me with our Awesome Father, our one and only God who loves us beyond measure!
Although we are not commanded in scripture to kneel to pray, doing so may help to prepare, focus and humble our hearts before God as we begin our time of worshipping Him. The verse from Psalms 95:6 says it this way ... "O enter! Let’s bow down and kneel; let’s kneel before Yahweh, our creator." God knows that some of our knees are not as good as they once were but He sees this and hears our prayers anyway, anywhere and any time!

Maybe the thought of spending extended time in prayer away from everything and everyone seems overwhelming to you. If so, perhaps you could set a kitchen timer or a watch and adjust the alarm to go off in a set amount of minutes. Maybe start with 10 minutes and then add more time from there. I think you’ll be surprised how fast time flies, once you really start talking to God about different people and situations in your life. I know I do! As I come to a close, I wanted to include a suggestion list of the pieces to include in your place of private prayer ...
A box of facial tissue
A songbook/words of worship Bible - the real paper book Prayer list (dated) Journal or notepad and pen A favourite book of prayers A timer or alarm clock Throw cushions Comfy Chair Lap desk Cozy Blanket Cuppa coffee If necessary for you, your 'prayer place' should be made portable/movable. This might be the only real issue holding you back from spending time alone seeking and listening to God. Maybe it is a chair you can easily move to a spot uninterrupted. Sometimes it might be your car. Out in your garden. On a secluded bench in a park. Pack a bag (a small luggage case works wonderfully well for this purpose, I have found) with your prayer pieces and begin.
Most importantly, I believe, is for us to take that first step and get ourselves into our 'prayer space/room/closet/place! Once you acknowledge that this part of your day along with the area and time is important to your health and growth (whole being - mind, strength, soul and spirit - Mark 12:29-31) it will be something we crave! With that accomplished talking, asking, praising, singing and listening to God comes easily and is soooo rewarding! Recognizing and detaching ourselves from life-robbing devices like TV, Facebook, multiple online platforms, etc. will be a challenge. I know this as a truth for I was a woman who rarely made room in my life for more than my bedtime and meal prayers for many years. Now, my prayer time is as essential and exciting to me as waking up each morning with His breath in my lungs! Halleluyah!!!

Prayer is a spiritual discipline and like all disciplines, it will necessarily take time, dedication, effort and energy.

"No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.” Hebrews 12:11

Personal places of prayer - I sure do need mine ...

T'is a place where I am reminded of Yahweh's great love and care for His creation, including you and me, dear friends. A place where I am strengthened to keep growing, setting down firmer roots, a wonderful place where I can sing out His praises and thank my God for sending Jesus, His Son and then His holy Spirit as He more deeply develops my prayer life through the great and unsearchable things He teaches me! Dear sisters and brothers, I pray that in our private time of prayer, our prayers as we grow in relationship with Yahweh, our Almighty God, would be from our hearts.

Let us remember that there is no need for fancy words or ones that go on and on.

Let us simply pour out our hearts to the One who loves us the most as we come before Him. Then let us be still and listen for the treasures that He surely will tell us that we do not know (Jeremiah 33:3). We pray in Jesus' name as we acknowledge that our access to God in prayer comes only through Jesus and the power holy spirit within us as sons and daughters of Adonai.

Friend, do you have a personal space for undistracted prayer for yourself? Is a prayer closet something that you can see yourself creating? Are there ways that you currently are protecting and preparing for your dedicated prayer time even without the use of a prayer closet?
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Take real good care, keep praying & growing, and sing out His praises!   
Rose Naomi

~ A Voice In His Garden Ministries ~
Growing Mind, Body, Soul & Spirit
~ Praise People Plants Possibilities ~
Blogspot: https://avoiceinhisgardenministries.blogspot.com/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@AVoiceInHisGardenMinistries
Email: rosenaomiobrey@gmail.com 

"I will sing praise to ADONAI, my God, as long as I live." Psalm 104:33a

Every Knee Shall Bow

 ~ Every Knee Shall Bow ~

Good evening, my friends!

As we enter the last week prior to Christmas Day, I felt led to offer this prayer ...

Dear God, 

I join with so very many people around the world who are once more heralding Your Son, Christ Jesus's birth. What great joy and amazement we feel as we once again join together to celebrate Your gift of immeasurable love toward us!

We see the much-championed concept of Santa that has risen from the work of the real-life man from Christmases past, Nicholas, Bishop of Myra, Lord. May we be equipped with the Spirit of truth and boldness to properly speak about this truth so that people will come to understand that Saint Nicholas was a Christian man who honoured Jesus Christ with his life and his material possessions.

May we likewise magnify Christ Jesus by bringing You glory in our homes and in all parts of our lives so that others might come to learn of Your great love and compassion as shown toward us on that first Christmas and then on the cross of Calvary. 

Strengthen us, Heavenly Father, so that we will communicate this wonderful news all through this coming week, on Christmas day and forevermore as we bring honour and glory to the King of kings who came to us as a baby in a manager on that long ago Holy night!

May Your all-powerful hope, love, joy, and peace guide each one of us in our journey Homeward as we wait expectantly for that day of Your Son's return when 'Every knee shall bow'!

In Jesus's name, I pray.

*Painting - 'Every Knee Shall Bow' by Gaye Frances Willard

Gaye Frances Willard
https://portraitartistnc.com/

Every Kneee Shall Bow painting
https://portraitartistnc.com/?product=every-knee-shall-bow

2020 video - Painting depicting Santa and baby Jesus blocked, deemed 'violent' by Facebook, but painter, Gaye Frances Willard categorized it as 'Worship'! 
https://youtu.be/pZcFiVc2GZc

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Take good care, keep growing, and sing out His praises! 

Rose Naomi

~ A Voice In His Garden Ministries ~
Growing Mind, Body, Soul & Spirit 
Blogspot: https://avoiceinhisgardenministries.blogspot.com/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@AVoiceInHisGardenMinistries
Email: rosenaomiobrey@gmail.com 

~ Firmly Rooted In His Love ~

Greetings on this 4th of May, 2022 my friends!

I hope you will agree that God is still and always working miracles!

Five years ago today, this green heart I have pictured below, simply appeared on the front lawn at my home in Belleville, Ontario. That's right! I did not plant it, it simply appeared!

I had been fervently praying for some time for a much-needed breakthrough and that afternoon as I was looking out my front living room window I turned my head slightly to the right and there it was. A rather large, beautiful heart, growing as green as could be! My friends, it was as real as the air we breathe!!

After I got over my initial shock, had captured a few photos ad finally sat down again, I asked God the reason for the heart for I knew I had not 'grown' it! His answer, whispered clearly into my mind through His Spirit, were the most comforting words, words I desperately needed to hear. He whispered, "I love you, Rose Naomi, I am with you always and this is My sign of the love and calling I have for you, forever, continue to listen and follow Me." What a wonderful balm of healing and strength His message was to my searching heart! What a time of rejoicing, thanksgiving and praise I gave Him for answered prayer and this miraculous show of His love for me!!!

My green heart of God's love and my Angel statue, September 9, 2017

Needless to say, I kept my 'green heart of love' growing and trimmed around all the rest of 2017 (the picture above is from September 9th) and right up to the day I left for my new home, in Nova Scotia the next year, on May 1st, 2018! Such a blessing it was to me, I dearly wanted to dig it up and bring it with me, but that wasn't possible, of course. :-) I am so happy that I have the pictures so I can look back upon them and 'see' His whispered Words of promise for my life then and my future as well!

Autumn - October 2017 Where would we be without His promise of love?

For me, without faith in the love of God for me, my life and living would be pointless. But by knowing and experiencing His love I have gained strength and hope and much like a muscle when exercised, I have become stronger! Darkness, oppression and stress have lifted as His power, strength, and love enabled me to carry on. These days, I find it easier to obediently walk the way He leads me, personally, each day. Sometimes, this is a moment-by-moment exercise but I remain firmly planted in the fertile soil of His everlasting Love, thankful and empowered by the Holy Spirit's presence, always with me, to guide and instruct me every moment of each day of my journey Homeward! Without that assurance (firm confidence) of God's love I know for a fact that I would not have come this far! Hallelujah!! His love has and will continue to change me/us, His children, and give us divine life - we are changed into 'new 'creations with purpose! Now that's true love!

This picture taken May 4, 2017, will always be a beautiful remembrance and confirmation for me (and you too) of the direction He will continually give us as we journey Homeward. Hallelujah!!!!

“But blessed is the one who trusts in the LORD, whose confidence is in him. They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.” Jeremiah 17:7-8

As I leave you, for now, friends, I want to provide you with the YouTube link to a song that I was blessed by our Lord, to write which makes reference to the scripture above and the victories we have in His love!!!:

Victory Gardening 
https://youtu.be/V6b4ir-CXHI

How has God shown you His love and direction and given you victory in life? I would sure love to hear your story!!! 💖🙏🎶

Take good care, keep growing, and keep singing! 
Rose Naomi

~ A Voice In His Garden Ministries ~

 Praise People Plants Possibilities