Always the Answer

was thinking about the typical kid sayings the other day when I took four of the grandkiddos to the dentist. It was a day of . . .

Five milkshakes . . .

Four fillings . . .

Three extractions . . .

Two whiny kids . . .

And a nana sitting in a Ford . . . two and a half hours. (‘Cause I couldn’t go in . . you know why.)

So, that gave me lots of time for thought.

My kids’ Top 8 “I’m . . . ” statements:

#8 I’m scared.

#7 I’m frustrated.

#6 I’m not smart enough.

#5 I’m not interested.

#4 I’m sad.

#3 I’m mad.

#2 I’m tired.

#1 I’m bored.

Some were easily addressed with pep talks, prayer, or typical parenting strategies. “You’re bored? Good, ’cause the dishes need to be done.”

But as in Sunday school, the real answer to those negative feelings was and is . . . yes, Jesus.

In fact, Jesus had a Top 8 I AM List–in chronological order, as told in the book of John.

#8 And Jesus said to them, “I AM the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst” (John 6:35).

#7 Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, “I AM the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life” (John 8:12).

#6 Jesus answered, “I tell you the truth, before Abraham was even born, I AM” (John 8:58).

#5 “I AM the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture” (John 10:9).

#4 “I AM the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep” (John 10:11).

#3 Jesus said to her, “I AM the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live” (John 11:25).

#2 Jesus said to him, “I AM the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me” (John 14:6).

#1 “I AM the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser” (John 15:1).

Jesus is my bread of life, because he is my provider.

He is my light, because he nudges and guides me each day out of confusion to direction.

He is my truth, because he brings clarity into my life. He is the Word who existed before words were formed here on earth.

He is my door to eternal life with my heavenly Father.

He is my good shepherd who lived and died for me. He would not lead me astray.

He is my resurrection and my life, and I have hope for heaven and for my life here because of him.

He is my way, my truth, and my life whose earth life shows me daily how much he and the Father love me. That alone helps me through off my insecurities and move forward in confidence.

And he is the true vine that keeps me productive and purposeful.

What is Jesus to you? Does one or more of his I AM statements help you right now with something through which you are struggling?

Janet McHenry is a speaker and the author of 24 books–six on prayer, including The Complete Guide to the Prayers of Jesus. She would love to connect with you: https://www.janetmchenry.com.

#LookingUp #pray #prayer #prayers #justpray #needprayer #PrayLikeJesus #PrayersofJesus #PrayerWalk#walkandpray #PrayerStreaming #praywithoutceasing #PrayerExperiment #answertoprayer #prayerworks#beananswertoprayer #PrayerChangesTeens #DailyPrayerWalk #Bible #Bibleverse #Biblestudy#dailyBibleverse #Bibleteacher #speaker #Christianspeaker #retreatspeaker #Jesus #whoisJesus

#Scriptures from the NLT.