Full Attention/0 Comments/in /by

 

Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances.

Technology today seems to demand our constant attention. The modern “miracle” of the internet gives us the amazing capacity to access humanity’s collective learning in the palm of our hand. But for many, such constant access can come at a cost.

Writer Linda Stone has coined the phrase “continual partial attention” to describe the modern impulse to always need to know what’s happening “out there,” to make sure we’re not missing anything. If that sounds like it could produce chronic anxiety, you’re right!

Although the apostle Paul struggled with different reasons for anxiety, he knew our souls are wired to find peace in God. Which is why, in a letter to new believers who’d endured persecution (1 Thessalonians 2:14), Paul concluded by urging the believers to “rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances” (5:16–18).

Praying “continually” might seem pretty daunting. But then, how often do we check our phones? What if we instead let that urge be a prompt to talk to God?

More important, what if we learned to exchange a need to always be in “the know” for continual, prayerful rest in God’s presence? Through relying on Christ’s Spirit, we can learn to give our heavenly Father our continual full attention as we make our way through each day.

By: Adam R. Holz

Reflect & Pray

How would you say technology impacts your faith, both negatively and positively? What might help you grow in undivided focus on God?

Father, thank You for inviting us into a relationship with You, one in which You long to hear from us continually.

FAIR ISAAC CORPORATION/0 Comments/in , /by

Have you ever wondered what FICO stands for?  If you have, FICO is an acronym for Fair Isaac Corporation, the company that developed the FICO® credit scoring models that many lenders use to help accurately predict a consumer’s ability to repay a debt on time.

According to the Wall Street Journal, the calculation process for your FICO credit score, which is key to getting a loan for a house, a car, and even credit cards, is changing soon.  FICO makes these changes every few years based on the economy, consumer debt, and other factors. The new system will reflect two years, while right now, it reflects a monthly report.

Experts say the most recent change could mean a significant gap between people with good and bad credit.  “It won’t just be a snapshot of one month of your payment ability and your debt load,” said Angi Renna, president of the Sterling Financial Group. “It’ll be two years’ worth, so it is going to affect people on a longer-term.”

FICO said most consumers would see modest swings if anything. But, about 40 million people with higher scores are expected to see their scores jump, while 40 million people with lower scores can expect a decrease.  “Most consumers will see less than a 20-point swing in either direction,” David Shellenberger, FICO’s vice president, said in a statement on Thursday. “That’s roughly 110 million that will see only a modest change to scores, if at all.”

FICO is making the changes to its new version of its credit ratings, called FICO Score 10 Suite. Lenders, however, determine which version to use, and many may continue to rely on older, more lenient iterations. For example, FICO’s last update in 2014, was seen as bolstering credit scores. But the most-used FICO model is still the one released 2009, says Ted Rossman, industry analyst for CreditCard.com.

The updates, first reported by The Wall Street Journal, are likely to widen the divide between consumers already judged as good or bad credit risks.  Americans with high FICO scores of 680 or higher who continue to make loan payments or pay credit card bills on time will likely get ever higher scores while those who keep missing payments will see their scores drop more sharply than with previous FICO versions.

Settlements among states and the credit reporting agencies – Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion – removed most tax liens judgments from the reports, for example. The agencies and Fair Isaac also began figuring in information such as utility payments and bank account balances to give consumers with sparse credit histories more of a chance to get a loan.

FICO says its latest version “gives lenders unparalleled flexibility and predictive power to make more precise lending decisions.” The new FICO version will put more emphasis on how consumers’ debt levels have changed over the past few years.

 

So, beware of the new changes.  But Saints, rather than getting too hung up on which model a particular lender is using; we should practice fundamental good habits such as paying our bills on time and keeping our debts low.  This is good stewardship.

 

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January 2020 Year of Divine Reversal/0 Comments/in /by

YEAR OF DIVINE REVERSAL

“Call to me and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things which you do not know.”
Jeremiah 33:3 (NKJV)

What He is going to show you, speak to you, release to you, reveal to you in 2020
are going to be things that you have NEVER seen.

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Welcome to the year of massive benefits. I am so excited that we have entered into ten years of new beginnings, God opportunities, readjustments, and reclaiming our years. In 2020, I have prayed and decreed over our lives that this will be the opening of years of divine reversal of everything that was on hold, lacking behind, broken, or lost. I have been trusting God for total recovery, and this will be an amazing year of uncommon victories. God is declaring over His people that; we will not have to work and labor hard for our harvest. God is releasing and removing things at the same time; however, it is working in our favor. He is saying rest and receive your blessings. There are things that will come looking for you this year, and you will see long-awaited prayers answered. This will be a year of prophetic miracles, provision, and fulfillment. Just as the Lord took seven loaves of bread and fed a multitude, so shall it be that supernaturally the Lord will take our little and make it great. Many will go from not having anything to having more than enough! 2020 is our year to live in our fields of harvest, I am excited and awaiting our months of seeing the hand of the Father in operation. I believe that God has been preparing us for the best years of our lives. God has been watching your potential and not your trial; He is ready to reward you for making it through your years of drought.

The number 20 is associated with a trial, a period of waiting, and if successfully completed, the reward is generous and full of God’s love. The number 20 in the Bible symbolizes the cycles of completeness. It is not so widely used, but often it is connected to a period of waiting, laboring, or suffering that is compared to a trial and afterward rewarded. Jacob waited 20 years to get his wives and property and be released from his father-in-law. Solomon was building a house for himself and God; it was 20 years until he got a place to live. Jabin, the Canaan king, was oppressing the Israelites for 20 years until Deborah and Barak managed to release them from the trouble. God told Abraham that if he finds at least 20 righteous people in the city of Sodom and Gomorrah, he will not ruin them. We have entered into the years that everything changes.

It is time to celebrate and walk with great expectations of the divine access that has been released over this new decade. Open your mouth and decree that these next ten years shall be filled with the manifested promises of God. “Thou shalt make thy prayer unto him, and he will hear thee, and thou shalt pay thy vows. Thou shalt also decree a thing, and it shall be established unto thee, and light shall shine upon thy ways.” Job 22:27-28. This brand-new decade will bring about willpower inside of us. You will have the determination and grit to no longer stand on the outside of your dream and purpose, looking in. Instead, in this year of 2020 and beyond, you will seize territory with every step you take.

Welcome to our year of Greater

Pastor House

PROMPTED TO PRAY/0 Comments/in /by

I constantly remember you in my prayers. 2 Timothy 1:3 

Several years ago I was prompted to pray for you often, and I wonder why.”

That text message from an old friend came with a photo of a note she’d kept in her Bible: “Pray for James. Cover mind, thoughts, words.” Beside my name she’d recorded three separate years.

I looked at the years and caught my breath. I wrote back and asked what month she began to pray. She responded, “Sometime around July.”

That was the month I was preparing to leave home for extended study abroad. I would be facing an unfamiliar culture and language and have my faith challenged like never before. As I looked at the note, I realized I’d received the precious gift of generous prayer.

My friend’s kindness reminded me of another “prompting” to pray, Paul’s instruction to his young missionary friend Timothy: “I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people” (1 Timothy 2:1). The phrase “first of all” indicates highest priority. Our prayers matter, Paul explains, because God “wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth” about Jesus (v. 4).

God moves through faithful prayer in countless ways to encourage others and draw them near to Himself. We may not know someone’s circumstances when they come to mind, but God does. And He’ll help that person as we pray!

By: James Banks

Reflect & Pray

Who comes to mind that needs your prayers in this new year? How can you remind yourself to pray for them often?

Loving God, please help me to pray often and to make a lasting difference in others’ lives through my intercession for them.

To learn more about prayer, visit https://bit.ly/2kTeSVt.

Today’s Scripture & Insight: