Prayer Changes Things

Greetings from Adele's Inspiration Cafe!
Today's blog post: Prayer Changes Things


“Pray for one another, that you may be healed. The fervent prayer of a righteous person is very powerful.” James 5:16

Though it is truly a blessing to have people to pray for us, it is important as Christians to recognize that each of us has equal access to God through Jesus Christ, and the power of the Holy Spirit. Whenever we pray and ask for Jesus’ help, it is always a powerful experience whether we pray with others, have them pray for us, or we pray for ourselves.

All of us have times have infirmity, worry, anxiety, sadness, and fear. So what can we do about that which is beyond our control? How can we maintain and restore balance, peace and joy in our lives in times of adversity, against all odds? One vitally important way is through prayer as prayer changes things. Relationships are restored, doors are opened, people are strengthened, comforted, protected, healed through God’s abundant supply, as He cares for all our needs in His own special time and way.

Sometimes we all need divine intervention, and there is great relief to be found in prayer as we hand the situation to Jesus, giving Him control. For the Bible tells us in Matthew 18:19:  “Amen, I say to you, if two of you agree on earth about anything for which they are to pray, it shall be granted to them by my heavenly Father.” When you turn to your ‘praying friends’ or family to prayerfully intercede for you on your behalf, you will certainly be blessed. Prayer really does change things. However, each of us is capable of praying and having our prayers heard and answered. This is not relegated to a few—it is a great privilege we all have whenever we venture into prayer.

The fervent prayer of a righteous person is very powerful.”  James 5:16

To become a righteous person in the eyes of God, we simply need to keep on trying to discern and follow His Will. We all have the potential to be righteous—it is a choice we make. Though we are striving souls focused on doing God’s Will, we all fall short. All of us. Yet, God sees our efforts and hears our anguished cries. He knows our thoughts and actions. He wants us to trust Him with all our being in every situation. That’s why God sent Jesus to be with us—all of humanity--to hold our hand; and trust Him through the storms we all encounter and lead us into eternal life.

© Copyright 2018   |   Chaplain Adele M. Gill

http://www.theinspirationcafeblog.net 

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Chaplain Adele M. Gill, RN, BSN, ABDA is the author of 3 books including “From Broken to Blest: Embracing the Healing that Awaits You,’ written with Dr. Verna Benner Carson. From Broken to Blest is now available on Amazon and Barnes at Noble in print, Nook & Kindle versions.                To order your copy, click on this link:

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Good News!

Greetings from The Inspiration Cafe

Today's blog post: 

Good News!

^{Adele M. Gill}

^{http://www.theinspirationcafeblog.net} 

^“Every time I think of you, I give thanks to my God. ⁴ Whenever I pray, I make my requests for all of you with joy, ⁵ for you have been my partners in spreading the Good News about Christ from the time you first heard it until now.”

^6 “And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns.”

Philippians 1:3-6

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Scripture tells us that we as Christians are called, and enabled, to spread the Good News in one form or another. Sometimes it happens inadvertently, as is the case when we simply smile or say “hello” to a total stranger as we go about our day. Other times it is more purposeful as in praying for others or providing compassionate encouragement to a loved one, friend or even an acquaintance who is hurting. As this passage says, we are all partners in bringing the Bible message to the world right around us; to the people whose lives touch our own, and beyond. And to that end, it begs the question, if we, as believing Christians, don’t reach out to others, especially in times of need, who will?

Everyone’s way to share their faith is different. Some people prefer to quietly help others and thereby spread their faith through their actions sharing one-on-one. As Christians, we need to pray and look for opportunities in our daily lives to share our greatest hope, our most prized treasure—Jesus Christ.

As an aside, I have found that the internet is my chosen medium for sharing Jesus. For this effort, each time I write this blog, I post it on Catholic Online (over 1 million readers), Wordpress, Facebook, Twitter, Author’s Den, Blogger, an email service such as Mail Chimp, and most recently, FeedSpot: Christian and Faith Blogs, which reportedly has 2.2 million readers. Because of this blog about God’s Love which I have been writing and distributing for 8 years, I continue to pray for my readers and continue to look for places to post it, and by the grace of God, great opportunities continue to open up. The writing process is this: I pray and write whatever comes, edit it, then post it online. It is pure joy to write what God sends, and share His message, and I pray, with your help, that I will be able to continue this ministry for many years to come.

Even something as simple as ‘liking’ or ‘sharing’ this blog can have a far-reaching positive ripple wave effect on souls, helping them to grow in faith. I am truly grateful and consider people who do that for this blog to be important partners sharing in this effort, this ministry, also known as Silverlining Communications. Some people attend seminary and go on to preach in parishes or congregations. Others engage in leading or participating in Bible study or the written Word. 

The options for faith expression and sharing are endless as we are all unique. It does not require eloquent speech or grand standing—just heartfelt love for God and others. But make no mistake about it, God will use all of your efforts to ‘plant seeds’ of faith—No effort is too small or is ever wasted, as we walk in peace, Love and joy, sharing the gift of faith we have so generously been given by God Himself through the power of the Holy Spirit.

^6 “And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns.” Philippians 1:6

© Copyright   2018   |   Adele M. Gill

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Chaplain Adele M. Gill, RN, BSN, ABDA is the author of 3 books including, “From Broken to Blest: Embracing the Healing that Awaits You,’ written with Dr. Verna Benner Carson. Their book is now available on Amazon and Barnes at Noble in print, Nook & Kindle versions.              Amazon link:  https://amzn.to/2pNt9Sk

Wherever You Go

Greetings from Adele's Inspiration Cafe!

Today's blog post: Wherever You Go

^9 “This is my command—be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged.                        For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”

Joshua 1:9

Some say God can only be found in church, others say he is nowhere to be found. However, today’s Holy Scripture tells us He is with us wherever we go. As believing Christians, we need to guard against limiting God in our own minds and hearts, and help each other understand the truth, the timeless realities, revealed in the Bible. The New Testament promises us that Jesus, our Savior, God’s only Son who was resurrected from the dead for us, is with us always; that He will protect us, guide us, lead us, comfort us and save us as we go about our daily lives and lead us into eternal life for the asking. He is intimately involved in our lives as we invite Him in.

In as much as Jesus loves us all unconditionally, He is ‘Emmanuel,’ which means God with us. He is with us in good times and in bad. How can it be that He is with us through it all; that He knows us better than we know ourselves? It is through the power of the Holy Spirit, imparted to the Disciples on Pentecost that the Holy Spirit it came into being when He breathed new life into the disciples.

In order to be present to humanity, Jesus stands close to us all, as the above Scripture says, ‘with us wherever we go.’  This is true for believers and non-believers alike, though the latter are generally unaware of His presence, or they would likely believe in salvation through Jesus Christ.

“If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” Romans 10:9 / NIV

This passage also talks about the command to be strong and courageous. Though through free-will, and fear and uncertainty we often fall short, we need to try to follow God’s commands. Perhaps to gain strength in times of weakness, and grow in our relationship with Jesus, we need to approach life reminding ourselves that we are never alone; that all that is good comes from God. He IS our strength in times of adversity, watching over us especially in times of need. Yes, it is easy to forget we are children of God and need to depend on Him for everything. But in our humanness we sometimes don’t trust Him as we should, as fear takes hold and we lose our courage.

Could it be that we need to pray more fervently for God’s help, that we will be able to trust Him fully, seek Him more often, and accept His Son as our Lord and Savior? Certainly it would be helpful in assisting us to grow spiritually, in peace and Love, the essence of Christian life. 

© Copyright 2018   |   Adele M. Gill   |   Distributed by News Consortium

http://www.theinspirationcafeblog.net

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Chaplain Adele M. Gill, RN, BSN, ABDA is author of 3 books including “From Broken to Blest: Embracing the Healing that Awaits You,’ written with Dr. Verna Benner Carson. Their book is now available on Amazon and Barnes at Noble in print, Nook & Kindle versions.              

Please click on this link: https://amzn.to/2pNt9Sk

Whom Do You Trust?

    Greetings from Adele's Inspiration Cafe!

                          Today's blog post: In Whom Do You Trust?              

                                        “Commit your way to the Lord; trust in Him and he will act."                                            Psalm 37:5 / New American Bible (NAB)

For the best outcome, whenever starting something new, a new school year, a new job, a new family, etc…, it is important to commit your way to the Lord as you go through your daily life, even while doing the ordinary, the mundane. Yes, we all know that we need to work hard and believe in ourselves to succeed; we need to do our part.

As Bible reading Christians, we need to believe that all true and enduring power comes from trusting Jesus Christ, the Great Healer, Comforter, Protector, Guide, Lover of Souls, friend, Lord, and Savior—eternal and living in our daily lives. Yes, Jesus is all these things. It is through trusting Him that peace that surpasses all understanding, and discernment freely flow. In God’s generous grace, through His saving hand of His Only Son, Jesus, we are able to accomplish far more than we ever could on our own, especially in times of adversity. He will step up and step in when we call upon the holy name of Jesus.

Certainly there are limits to what anyone can accomplish on our own as Matthew 19:26 tells us:

 “For human beings this is impossible, but for God all things are possible.”

To forge a connection with God is to establish a life source to fall back on, even, and especially, to trust and depend on His Only Son, Jesus Christ. Some may say God is a crutch, and that they are self-made and have no use for Him in their lives. They prefer to go it alone—but perhaps they do so with great risk. God our Creator knows each of us inside and out, whether or not we believe in Him or His Son, Jesus Christ does not change that fact. He stands in wait for us to believe in Him with sublime trust, with the understanding that He will work all things for the good. Even for those who have ‘done a lot of living, He stands in wait for us to turn to Him with open arms.

For those life-long agnostics who don’t believe in God—yet--(I personally don’t believe in atheism), I say take another look. God’s majesty in nature is but a foretaste of his capabilities for those who follow Him. Defined as Love, He Created all of Heaven and Earth, and all of humanity, and stands close by those who love Him with all their being. As we trust God and seek Jesus, the Great Healer, rather than the healing, we give God glory and He will intervene on your behalf:

“Keep seeking and keep knocking and the door will be opened to you.”  Matthew 7:7

Someone asked me once about my belief in Jesus. In a practical sense, He is like a large umbrella. If you stay close to Him, and believe and trust in Him, He will keep you dry from the torrential rains that occur throughout our lives. But we have to trust Him and stay under the umbrella for that protection. Step away, and you will be drenched and left to your own devices.

Trust is Jesus is not always easy. Sometimes it is truly a leap of faith involving a high level of trust. Most often Christians turn to Him in times of need. This sublime trust—a manifestation of faith, belief in the unseen--brings discernment, peace and joy in the knowing He’s ‘got this.’

And He does!

© Copyright 2018   |   Adele M. Gill

Catholic Church: Time to Heal

By Adele M. Gill 

“For we must all stand before Christ to be judged. We will each receive whatever we deserve for the good or evil we have done in this earthly body.” 2 Corinthians 5:10 / New Living Translation (NLT)

Most days this blog is about Scripture and God’s Love. However, in light of recent events, I feel I would be remiss if I did not address the ongoing crisis in the Catholic Church. Certainly by now most have read or heard about the reports about the devastating, reprehensible abuse that child victims have suffered at the hands of some Catholic priests going back some 70 years, and the complicit cover-up by Catholic Bishops and Cardinals. It is my expressed hope to shed some light on this extreme evil that has occurred over time, so we can all better deal with the heinous news that is unfolding even as I write this.


Initially, my reaction was astonishment, disgust, and deep sadness. How dare those priests defile vulnerable, helpless children? How dare they bring scandal and evil into the lives of so many? Clearly, the church has made a big mistake all along with dealing with—or not dealing with—pedophile priests--two words that should never be used in the same sentence. I believe that to say these priests are mentally ill is a mistake, which may be why they say there is no help available for pedophiles; that even with psychiatric treatment, they cannot and do not change. Rather, I believe pedophilia is pure evil--evil incarnate--that needs to be dealt with swiftly and directly to get innocent children out of harm’s way.


These pedophile priests should have been charged for their high-crimes and incarcerated rather than hidden. Most of the accused priests on the list reportedly have never been tried in a court of law, have died, or are covered by the statute of limitations, due to the Church knowingly covering for their crimes. There are precious few who will actually be charged for their crimes, and perhaps fewer yet who seek out the opportunity to reconcile with God for their sinful behavior.


This week, I have started praying for all the children who were used and abused, whose lives were affected, forever changed, by sexual abuse by their trusted parish priests. I pray these children/adult children can someday, somehow, some way be able to forgive those who molested them, and the Lord will heal them fully. As difficult as it is, I have also been praying for the priest perpetrators, as they are in dire need of God’s mercy. They have both destroyed lives and brought scandal and shame upon the Church of my faith. Once trust worthy, they have destroyed mental and physical health of many of those they abused, have eroded public trust in priests and the Catholic Church, and these effects will likely last for decades to come.


My gut says they need to be punished to the full extent of the law, and the victims need to be afforded much needed resources and help-- every opportunity to heal. In all of this, when I pray, it has occurred to me over and again that, as much condemnation as I feel, I cannot be judge and jury. By the Church hierarchy covering up for these pedophile priests, they likely avoided incarceration, which may have led them to repent of their sins and ask for forgiveness, which the Bible tells us is necessary to make things right with God. Due to the Church hiding and shuffling them from parish to parish, most, in essence, went Scot-free.

‘There is forgiveness of sins for all who repent.’ Luke 24:47

I especially pray for all the good, caring priests left behind in the wake of this travesty, those who may be somehow held accountable by the people for the sins of their priest colleagues, though they are really good priests—and that is the majority. May our Dear Lord protect them and give them peace, comfort, wisdom, and discernment as they continue to effectively minister to their parishes/communities.


The Bible tells us to let Jesus handle the evil among us that we encounter; our job is forgiveness. Take it to the foot of the cross and allow Jesus to deal with the perpetrators as He will. Most of all, my fervent prayer is that God’s will be done in all of this, as He deals with each of these pedophiles as only He can, while enabling their victims to fully heal.

© Copyright 2018   |   Adele M. Gill

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Adele M. Gill is a retired RN/BSN, a Chaplain, and the author of 3 inspirational self-help books including 'From Broken to Blest: Embracing the Healing that Awaits You,' written with Dr. Verna Benner Carson, available on Amazon in print, Kindle and Nook formats. 

God's Gifts for You

Greetings from The Inspiration Cafe!

Today's blog post: God's Gifts for You

by Adele M. Gill

http://www.theinspirationcafeblog.net

“Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others,  as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms.”  I Peter 4:10

We all have gifts that God has bestowed upon us—No one is exempt. He has equipped each of us to reach out to others in various ways, be it through the gift of hospitality, compassion and empathy, the ability to comfort others, to encourage others, to love unconditionally; gifts of divine discernment, wisdom, an ability to pray on behalf of others, and my personal favorite: the gifts of faith and love.  In fact, He has prepared each of us well to be a beacon of light to each other. As stewards of these blessed gifts, we are meant to share our gifts freely and mindfully. Ultimately, for Christians, these gifts are designed to help us faithfully lead souls, in love, to Jesus Christ.

The gifts of faith and love are particularly important, as they encompass all of the other gifts. When you have the gifts of faith and love, you are able to share the other gifts with complete abandon. Doors open wide by God Himself, when you authentically and consistently share God’s love with others.

For it is only through God’s unprecedented grace that we have the gift of faith at all! The gift of faith is the entry way to God’s other gifts, one that is to be celebrated. The gift of faith is one that runs deep, as it is the core foundation for reaching out to others. The simple truth is that you have to have faith in order to share faith.

Sometimes Christians are easily frustrated by what appears to be a lack of faith in other people. But in actuality, we need to thank God for the grace He has given us through the gift of faith in our own lives, while praying ceaselessly for God’s gift of faith for others. We can never judge or boast about our faith, as it is received through God’s grace. Instead, we need to grow in gratitude for it, while fervently praying for the gift of faith for our family, friends and yes, even for our enemies.

© Copyright 2018   |   Adele M. Gill

Adele M. Gill, RN, BSN, ABDA is a retired nurse and Chaplain, and the author of 3 books available on Amazon including her memoir, 'From Broken to Blest: Embracing the Healing that Awaits You,' written with Dr. Verna Benner Carson. She is also author of The Inspiration Cafe Blog http://www.theinspirationcafeblog.net 

Top 5 Reasons to Pray then Step Aside

 “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is made perfect in weakness.” 2 Corinthians 12:7-10 

Every day, through God’s unprecedented mercy and kindness, He provides grace generously for those who seek Him with all their heart. He provides for every need abundantly, as we try our level best to trust in Him. Sure, it takes both humility and holy boldness to turn to God and ask for what we need, but no request is too great or too small; He answers each plea for help in His own special time and way.

It is important that we pray specifically for all that we and our loved ones need. This calls for praying throughout the day whenever possible, asking for whatever we need as needs arise, lest we try to depend fully on our own devices, with mixed or even mediocre results. Yes, we all need to do our part. Yet, praying to God with confidence, in the name of Jesus, can reap awe-inspiring outcomes because of the enduring, unwavering Love God has for each of us, without exception.

Top 5 Reasons to Pray then Step Aside

1) Step aside Confident prayer enables us to step aside so God can step in to intervene, thereby realizing His abundant gifts of grace. There is great relief when we are able to focus on the blessings God has already bestowed upon us with a grateful heart, rather than complaining or worrying about whatever is going on. The ability to recognize God’s past graces, blessings already received, is a great indicator for greater things to come.

2) Break free from the bondage of fear Praying with confidence can promptly free us from the bondage of fear and weariness, and bring us new found strength and rejuvenation. Even and especially in times of weakness, confident prayer allows us to breathe a sigh of relief as we trust that whatever we face will work out.

3) Revel in peace of mind When we ask for God’s holy intervention with confidence, we can rest assured He’s ‘got this.’ He will work all things for the good. The result of this trust is tremendous peace of mind, despite whatever challenges we face.

4) Know you will always have what we need We are able to grow in the understanding that God is all-powerful, omnipotent, and compassionate; and He provides for us and accomplishes great things on our behalf. With God, through the grace He lavishes on His people, we always have what we need as His grace is sufficient for each of us when we turn to Him especially in times of weakness when we feel most vulnerable.

5) Relish the gift of abundant grace Trusting God is vitally important in realizing and acknowledging all the graces, undeserved blessings, the Lord sends our way. God blesses each of us throughout our lives, and we need to recognize His hand in all things and give credit where credit is due.

(C) Copyright 2018   |   Adele M. Gill   |    Distributed by News Consortium

http://www.theinspirationcafeblog.net