EXCERPTS FROM PAT BRADLEY’S PERSONAL JOURNAL

“EXPERIENCING GOD DAY-BY-DAY”

3/21/00 – Father, I do ask that you reveal your purpose for my life and being at CIU and being in the Youth Ministries Department. Help me not to compromise what you require of me. Help me to stand firm and do what you require. May I be open to your will today and every day you give me. God you put us here for this time. My I be faithful to you and your Word. For the glory of God. Amen

3/24/00 – Father, may I be like clay. Moldable, pliable, totally submissive to your will. May I be willing to submit to you. Give me understanding and wisdom. You know my weaknesses and strengths. Father, I want to be useable clay for you. Please help me, for your glory, honor, and to praise you. Amen

4/4/00 – Father, help me to seek your heart and your will for me and my life. May my eyes and ears be open to your word and your voice. Am I in your will now? Am I doing all that you want me to do? Involved in what you have for me? I want to obey you.

4/17/00 – May my heart be open to the will and call of God. Whenever and wherever! May I operate out of faith, not fear or anxiety about what if?! Can I truthfully say, “Here I am. Send me!”?

5/2/00 – Father, I want to allow the Risen Christ to live His life through me. May others see and hear Christ in me. Help me to remember that all of your resources are in me when Christ lives in me. May Jesus Christ have total access to my life. God may you be free to work mightily thru me.

5/20/00 – I want to be faithful and obedient not only when it is easy but also in the hard times. Easy to say, but hard to do and be! God is faithful. I want to trust Him in that He does everything for a reason. He has a plan and will supply all that I need spiritually, emotionally, physically, and mentally to fulfill His purpose in and for me.

7/17/00 – You are the Good Shepherd. I NEVER have to fear. You go everywhere with me. You go before, beside, and behind. You lead through the valley when that is where I need to go. You walk closely, reassuring all the way. You have seen Everything! Nothing surprises you. You are always prepared. No evil surprises you. You know where and when I will experience difficulty. Thank you, thank you, thank you!

8/17/00 – I am so thankful that God’s ways and thoughts are higher than mine. My job is to obey God and he will take care of the consequences. Things may become worse in my way of thinking, but God is in charge. How neat that God doesn’t eliminate my common sense but consecrates it and gives me wisdom to understand His ways. Help me to look back and see God’s activity in my life.

8/27/00 – God’s grace is all sufficient. It covers every area of life. What a comfort! I want to live as someone who is covered and surrounded by God’s grace. For every good work I attempt for Him, I will never face a shortfall. God’s grace sustains, upholds, enables to forgive, forgive me, surrounds me, will never be a shortfall. Thank you, Father.

8/29/00 – Jesus knows why, when, where, and how. My obedience not only affects what God does next in my life but may also affect how others around me experience God. The Christian life is not singular but plural. My life affects others as they observe my relationship with God.

9/20/00 – Having God reside within me is a treasure of infinite value. Immeasurable value. When Jesus dwells in us, EVERYTHING available to Christ dwells within us. Nothing is withheld. I need to allow God to fill me and renew my inner self so that others can see God’s treasure of immeasurable worth.

9/22/00 – I am so thankful that I have the gift of eternal life through Jesus Christ, My Lord. I do not need to fear death but to remember that death is the door by which I gain access to heaven and all that means. Jesus has prepared a place and gone on before me. Death is the vehicle to experience God’s glory!

10/25/00 – Thank you Jesus that you are continually interceding with the Father on my behalf. I do have fears but desire to bring them to you. You are greater than he who is in the world. I have your strong protection. May my life reveal this trust.

11/7/00 – A Servant carries out the Master’s Will. The servant follows instructions. My task is to help fulfill the Master’s purposes. Father, may I be obedient to what You have for me to do. May I be sensitive and open to Your plans.

11/16/00 – God what are you inviting me to be? What adjustments are you/will you be – asking me to make to obey you? Am I not receiving an assignment from you? May I be available to you and be willing to align my life with your will – no matter what the cost is.

12/5/00 – God, I want to serve you with my life. Whatever I am able to do is because You put it in me. May my life count for you and your glory. May I serve you with fervor.

2/8/01 – JOY not matter what the circumstance. True Joy – knowing God who Himself lives within me. Real Joy – lies in the knowledge that the Holy God has completely forgiven me of every sin and has prepared a place for me in heaven. I am a child of God. I can be filled with His unquenchable joy by His Holy Spirit.

2/21/00 – My hope is in the One who is faithful. I am personally related to the Lord of the universe, who is sovereign over ALL creation and circumstances I experience. He who promised is faithful.

3/1/01 – True Joy, satisfaction and pleasure can only be found in a relationship with God. I want to exalt your name, God and pray for your Kingdom to be extended. I want to see people and things as You see them. The desires of my heart, Lord, are for unsaved family members to be saved; for marriages to be healed and stable; and for relationships to be healed; for people to be physically healed.

3/3/01 – A reminder that God used ordinary people to be use mightily in Scripture and in His plan for each time. Father, it is amazing to think that you could use me. If you are initiating some new thing(s) in my life may I be open to what you are doing and be available. May I be listening and allowing your power to work in me to do immeasurably more than I ask or imagine. I pray that my heart is honoring to you and you find me trustworthy.

3/16/01 – God’s purposes do not depend on me/us. He has limitless ways to accomplish His work by His own divine power. I am not irreplaceable to the Lord. He will achieve His purposes. Will I be a part of God’s activity or will He find/use someone else?? I want to be a part. To serve Him is an honor to God that he bestows on us – not a favor for God from us. He will see that His will is carried out.

3/20/01 – The effect of God’s presence remains the same. God is the same, yesterday, today, and forever. God does what He wants to and needs to do through us. His power is the same. God make your presence be mighty in me. Guide and equip me for all that you have for me to do. Amen!

3/26/01 – God, you have been faithful to your Word and to me and Steve and your family. You have kept all of Your promises. May I in times of crisis hold on to You and your promises. I need to review from time to time Your faithfulness. Thank you God for who you are. Your Word is truth.

3/29/01 – Do I love you with all my heart God? I want to and I want to give my very best back to you as you are the source of everything I have. I do want my heart to overflow with praise and thanksgiving for your love. Time, possessions, money, and energy I need to sacrifice to You, God. I have all that I need. May I return it to you.

4/13/01 – God’s will should be the only priority in my life. As I pray I need to ask for God’s will to be done “on earth as it is in heaven.” The Holy Spirit will guide my praying. God will ask me to become a part of His activity as He answers my prayers. What an honor!! God wants me to be a collaborator as I seek to be of the same mind.

6/18/01 – Thank you Father that you want to guide us every step of the way. I am to obey all that I do know and God will show me the next step. You have said that your Holy Spirit will give me sufficient revelation and strength to take the next step with God. I don’t need to fear today, tomorrow or the future. Your Holy Sprit is in me to give me all that I need.

7/25/01 – Bring others to Jesus for His divine work in their lives. Father, may people hear and see Jesus in me. May my life cause people to want to know You. May my life count for you. May I be willing to serve but not get recognition.

8/6/01 – God, I do want my children and grandchildren to see you in my heart and life. I want to be part of what you are doing and will always do to redeem a lost world. God, may you find me faithful and full of faith to you. May my children and grandchildren be influenced in a Godly manner by my walk with you.

11/1/01 – God, this is my prayer that I can fight the good fight, finish the race and keep the faith. I pray for endurance in the battle. May my struggles not be in vain. May I be faithful to you God. May I persevere. Only You can empower me to do this.

11/27/01 – (Pat’s last journal entry…5 days before she went to be with her Lord. The day’s devotional was entitled “Preparing for the Presence of God”) Prepare for the coming of the Lord in my heart. He IS LORD!