18. The Curse God Put On Earth Brought Thorns & Weeds

“The ground will produce thorns and weeds.” Genesis 3:18 NCV

Thorns and weeds appeared as a direct result of the curse.

God’s curse on the ground caused thorns and weeds to appear.

Satan’s leading man to sin brought thorns and weeds to the earth itself.

The curse on earth brought thorns and weeds to the planet.

God’s original, perfect creation had no weeds or thorns.

Disobedience literally caused thorns and weeds to appear on earth.

Lord, give me the strength and courage to make it through this life that full of thorns and weeds, and help me to remember that You are in charge of it all. In Jesus Name, Amen.

Steve is author of a book featuring an in-depth study of heaven called, "My search for the Real Heaven." It's available @ Amazon.com and on His www.PrayerThoughts.com web site.

17. The Curse God Put On Earth Made It Hard To Grow Food

“You will have to work very hard for your food. In pain you will eat its food all the days of your life.” Genesis 3:17b NCV

Food was provided in the beginning with no effort on Adam’s part, but sin changed that.

God provided food without man’s hard work before sin.

God freely provided sustenance for Adam, His covenant partner, until Adam disobeyed.

Satan’s leading man to sin lead to difficulty in getting food from the earth itself.

The curse on earth required man to work hard for sustenance throughout life.

In God’s original creation, food was freely provided for His creatures.

Disobedience literally caused man to have to work hard for food throughout life.

Lord, until the day we’re free from the curse, I thank You for my ability to work and provide food for my family. May I honor You with my words, my deeds, my example, and my abilities. In Jesus Name, Amen.

Steve is author of a book featuring an in-depth study of heaven called, "My search for the Real Heaven." It's available @ Amazon.com and on His www.PrayerThoughts.com web site.

16. Cursed Earth, The 2nd Of 5 Earths In Scripture

“Then God said to the man, ‘You listened to what your wife said, and you ate fruit from the tree from which I commanded you not to eat. So I will put a curse on the ground.’ ” Genesis 3:17a NCV

Sin caused God to put a curse on the planet, changing everything good into something cursed.

God cursed the ground when man disobeyed in Eden.

Adam broke his covenant with God by disobeying, causing paradise to be cursed.

Satan’s leading man to sin lead to a curse on the earth itself.

The curse on earth was a direct result of man’s disobedience to God’s only command.

Heaven on earth and direct fellowship with God ended when the curse was pronounced.

God has the right to put a curse on the creation He made.

Disobedience in Eden literally caused a curse to be put on the planet itself.

Lord, I honor You as the One with the power to create or destroy, and I worship You as King and Lord of all creation forever. In Jesus Name, Amen.

Steve is author of a book featuring an in-depth study of heaven called, "My search for the Real Heaven." It's available @ Amazon.com and on His www.PrayerThoughts.com web site.

2. Devote Yourself To Prayer

“Devote yourselves to prayer with an alert mind and a thankful heart. Do not forget to pray.” Colossians 4:2-3 NLT

Your eyes do not have to be closed. Pray as you go. Pray continually

God wants us to pray with a thankful heart.

Pray with an alert awareness of the true enemy, Satan.

If you’re not careful, it’s easy to forget to pray.

Heaven deserves our thanks.

God wants you to literally be devoted to prayer.

Lord, remind me to pray; don’t let the cares of this word keep me from this most important task. In Jesus Name, Amen.

Steve is author of a book featuring an in-depth study of heaven called, "My search for the Real Heaven." It's available @ Amazon.com and on His www.PrayerThoughts.com web site.

1. Learn To Pray

“One day he was praying in a certain place. When he finished, one of his disciples said, ‘Master, teach us to pray just as John taught his disciples.’ ” Luke 11:1 The Message

The disciples never asked to learn how to preach, but they recognized how important it was to learn to pray.

God notices your devotion to prayer.

Satan does not want you to learn to pray.

Jesus practiced regular, often extended, prayer.

Prayer is literally one of the most important things you can ever learn.

Lord, help ME to learn to pray. Help me to trust You as I begin learning how to have a continual, daily, personal relationship. In Jesus Name, Amen.

Steve is author of a book featuring an in-depth study of heaven called, "My search for the Real Heaven." It's available @ Amazon.com and on His www.PrayerThoughts.com web site.

Welcome

Welcome to the Prayer Thoughts blog, by Steve Hemphill.

This site is dedicated to the study and thoughtful consideration of and meditation on the Bible, God’s Holy word.

I believe the Bible is the literal, inerrant word of God. I believe Jesus is the only way to heaven. I believe in baptism and the Lord’s Supper.

I am focused on the evaluation of scripture in light the major themes in scripture: What does the verse or passage teach about God, spiritual warfare, prophecy, heaven, creation vs. evolution, the literal nature of scripture, and about our covenant with God. If we can’t trust God to reveal truth in Genesis 1, when can we trust Him? For easy reference, throughout the exploration of each Bible passage, I will use the following colors to discuss insights in these important, specific categories:

Insights about God will be in black.

Insights about baptism will be in purple.

Insights about our covenant with God in brown.

Insights about spiritual warfare & sin will be in red.

Insights about prophecy will be in green.

Insights about heaven will be in blue.

Insights about creation & evolution will be in orange.

Insights about women in scripture will be in grey.

Insights about the literal nature of scripture in burgundy.

Thanks for visiting. Keep praying, keep studying, and keep reading God’s word. The benefits are enormous. In fact, they’re eternal. Your Servant, Steve.