I remember as a child, kneeling by my bed, saying the child's prayer:
Now I lay me down to sleep
I pray the Lord my soul to keep
If I should die before I wake
I pray the Lord my soul to take.
I guess that was my first experience of kneeling in prayer. After I grew up, I continued to pray, not "canned" prayers or recited ones, but from my heart. I can't say I was ever taught that...guess I just picked up how from listening to others at church pray.
As an adult there have been some times that I knelt to pray. It seems the more serious we get in prayer, the more our posture gets low. I can remember reading Kay Arthur's testimony years ago. She talked of lying prostrate on her face before God. That was new to me. I had never done that. More recently, we have had Bible teacher, Angela Thomas, at our church. She spoke of getting face down in the carpet quite often. And I have learned to do that a few times myself, again, more in times of deepest need.
It's in those times of bowing our knees or lying face down in our carpet, that we are humbled. We are brought low before a righteous and a holy God. It puts us in our place, if you will. And somehow, the more on our face we are, the more humbled we become, the nearer we feel to Him. Because then we are in a position that we have to look UP to Him.
At our church, we get on our knees every Sunday.
Funny thing is, at our former church, they also did that, but I was not raised to do that. It felt odd. Sad, isn't it, that getting on my knees in God's house felt "odd", but it did. And there, some people did and some didn't. But where we are at church now, there is scarcely a person who does not bow, and most of them are because they can't for physical reasons. And, you know what? It doesn't seem odd any more. It feels right.
God has blessed me with an added bonus of being able to worship with our daughter and son-in-love most Sundays. And to be able to bow with them and to see them bowing before the Lord together blesses this momma more than words can express.
May I ask you who are reading this....when was the last time YOU bowed your knee before the Lord? Maybe you do it on a regular basis, or maybe you never have. That is not to say that you don't pray, but you just don't bow. I certainly believe you can "bow" in your heart in an attitude of worship and humility. But, I can tell you firsthand that there is something powerful and humbling by actually bending the knee before the Father.
Maybe you don't bow because it really isn't important to you. You acknowledge that there is a God. Maybe you even pray occasionally when you get in a jam. But most days, you really do not think that much about Him. Or maybe you don't bow because you do NOT believe. Maybe you think that any god will do as long as you believe in something or someone.
But you need to know that one day, EVERY knee will bow to God the Father.
"Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else.
I have sworn by myself, the word is gone out of my mouth in righteousness, and shall not return, That unto me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear." Isaiah 45: 22, 23
Did you catch that word in red? EVERY!!
That includes every person who reads this blog.
Every person on Facebook.
Every person in the U. S.
Every person around the world.
Yes, EVERY person past, present and future.....including:
Billy Graham
Tim Tebow
Mitt Romney and Newt Gingrich
President Obama
Martin Luther King
Mother Theresa
Christopher Columbus
George Washington
Abraham Lincoln
George Wilkes Booth
The list is endless because it says "EVERY" knee. That also includes you and me.
So you see, whether we ever find time to bow now or not. Whether we ever think it is important or not. Whether we have ever even THOUGHT about it before or not....one day, "EVERY knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of the Father." Romans 14:11
If you have never bowed your knee to the Father, I pray that you will today. Personally, I want my knees to be so used to bowing that when that time before the Father comes when ALL knees are bowed, that it will not feel "odd", but it will feel more like coming home as I bow before MY Heavenly Father.
For thoughtful people, how they pray for the soul is governed by how they believe God acts. So, for example, if they believe God changes people’s souls so that they make new and right choices, then they will ask God to make those soul-changes through evangelism and nurture. But not everybody is thoughtful about the way they pray. They don’t think about what view of God is behind their praying.
So what I suggest is that we learn first to pray for the soul from the way the Bible prays for the soul. If we do that, then our prayers will probably be good prayers, and in the process we will also learn about how God acts. Here is the way I pray for my soul. I use these prayers over and over again—for myself and my children and wife and for the staff and the elders and for all the church. This is the meat and potatoes of my prayer life.
The first thing my soul needs is an inclination to God and his word. Without that, nothing else will happen of any value in my life. I must want to know God and read his word and draw near to him. Where does that “want to” come from? It comes from God. So Psalm 119:36 teaches us to pray, “Incline my heart to Your testimonies and not to gain."
Next I need to have the eyes of my heart opened, so that when my inclination leads me to the word I see what is really there and not just my own ideas. Who opens the eyes of the heart? God does. So Psalm 119:18 teaches us to pray, “Open my eyes, that I may behold wonderful things from Your law.”
Then I need for my heart to be enlightened with these “wonders.” I need to perceive glory in them and not just interesting facts. Who enlightens the heart? God does. So Ephesians 1:18 teaches us to pray “That the eyes of your heart may be enlightened.”
Then I am concerned that my heart is fragmented and that parts of it might remain in the dark while other parts are enlightened. So I long for my heart to be united for God. Where does that wholeness and unity come from? From God. So Psalm 86:11 teaches us to pray, “O Lord, I will walk in Your truth; unite my heart to fear Your name.”
What I really want from all this engagement with the Word of God and the work of his Spirit in answer to my prayers is that my heart will be satisfied with God and not with the world. Where does that satisfaction come from? It comes from God. So Psalm 90:14 teaches us to pray, “O satisfy us in the morning with Your lovingkindness, that we may sing for joy and be glad all our days.”
But I don’t just want to be happy in my own little private world with God. I want my happiness to be as full as possible for spreading and expanding for others. I want to be strong in joy. This will make me durable in the face of threats or adversity. Where does that strength and durability come from? It comes from God. So Ephesians 3:16 teaches us to pray, “That God would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man.”
Finally, I want my strength in Christ to produce good deeds for others so that the glory of God will be seen in my life. Who produces these good deeds? God does. So Colossians 1:10 teaches us to pray, “That [we] will walk in a manner worthy of the Lord . . . bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God.”
All this I pray “in Jesus’ name,” because God gives these things to my soul only because Jesus died for me and removed the wrath of God so that the Father might “freely give me all things” (Romans 8:32).
To remember some of these prayers, I use an acronym—IOUS—almost every day in praying for those I love, asking God to give us an inclinationto his Word and not to money or fame or power (Psalm 119:36), and to openour eyes to see wonderful things when we read his Word (Psalm 119:18), and to have hearts unitedin the fear of God rather than fragmented over a dozen concerns (Psalm 86:11), and to be satisfiedin his steadfast love (Psalm 90:14).
"Prayer reminds you WHO is in charge. You don't take your requests to somone with less authority. You take them to someone who outranks you in the solutions department. Prayer decreases you and increases God.
Prayer gives permission to God to complete the request according to His will. Hopefully, you don't pray just to let God know what's going on. He's way ahead of you on that one. You are praying to transfer 'my will be done' to 'God's will be done'. Since he is in charge, he knows the best solution. Prayer exercises your willpower and gives God authority to work in your life.
Prayer relieves the stress of perceived inactivity. Now that God has been given the task, you don't have to worry about it any longer. God has his people on it. With less stress comes more strength. Prayer transfers the burden to God and lightens your load.
People struggle with life when they don't have answers. The darkest valleys are blackened by the shadows of question marks. So what do you do? Think harder? Try harder? Hold longer conversations with yourself? Why not pray to the One with all the answers and let Him take over?
Prayer pushes us through life's slumps, propels us over the humps, and pulls us out of the dumps. Prayer is the OOMPH we need to get the answers we seek."
How often does Jesus come to your mind in a given week?
Do you converse with Him throughout your day or do you occasionally yell for help when something goes wrong?
Many people believe in God....they give mental assent to the fact of His existence. They would even admit to the occasional prayer. They might own a Bible which they carry to church from time to time. But James says "You believe there is one God? You do well...the devils also believe, and tremble." James 2: 19
I know many people who profess to be Christians who have not opened their Bible in years EXCEPT on Sunday mornings, who only pray when they are in trouble and who rarely think of Jesus except on Sundays or when they or someone they know use His name in vain.
In essence, they tip their hat to Jesus and say "Thanks for dying for me on that cross. Appreciate the ticket to Heaven. See ya up there one day!" and go about their merry way. Does that describe YOU?
What does Jesus REALLY mean to you? Do you REALLY know Him at all? Do you have a RELATIONSHIP with Him? You can and I assure you that it will change your life.
Everyone must make a decision regarding Jesus. EVERYONE.
You can choose to reject Him.
You can choose to tip your hat to Him.
You can choose to call Him Savior and Lord and have a one-on-one relationship, up close and personal.
It is your choice, but it will impact you for all eternity and for every day til then.
This is a word that ALL of us can relate to, it is something we live with almost daily. Yet there are times when it becomes almost unbearable, one weight pressing in on another....one crisis following another. We long desperately to escape, yet there seems to be nowhere to run.
How do YOU deal with stress?
Maybe you are like the wife from the movie "O Brother Where Art Thou" whose husband said she just "Runn oft"....
Or maybe you are like Jenny from the movie "Forest Gump" who prayed "Dear God, make me a bird so I can fly away...far, far away!"
Scarlett O'Hara from "Gone with the Wind" had another method of dealing with her many stresses. She said "I won't think about that today. I'll think about that tomorrow".
The psalmist, David, surely knew a little something about stress when he penned these words "My heart is sore pained within me and the terrors of death are fallen upon me. Fearfulness and trembling are come upon me and horror hath overwhelmed me. And I said 'Oh that I had wings like a dove! for then would I fly away and be at rest." Psalm 55:4-6 (Sounds a little like Forest' Jenny, doesn' t it?)
Still others turn to alcohol, drugs, sex, and other avenues of relief.
There are really only two places you can go for true stress relief...to the Lord Himself in prayer and to His Word.
Just listen to a few verses from the Book of Psalms:
"Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why are thou disquieted within me? Hope in God; for I shall yet praise Him who is the health of my countenance and my God." Psalm 43: 5
"God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear though the earth be removed and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea." Psalm 46:1,2
"Be pleased O Lord to deliver me; O Lord make haste to help me!" Psalm 40:13
"Why art thou cast down, O my soul? And why art thou disquieted within me; hope in God for I shall yet praise Him for the help of his countenance...yet the Lord will command his lovingkindness [toward me] in the daytime and in the night his song shall be with me and my prayer [shall be] unto the God of my life." Psalm 42: 5, 8.
Yes, David certainly knew where to take his stress, didn't he?
We can take our stress to the Lord on our knees, also, for no one knows us like He does. No one cares for us like He does. No one understands the depths of our sorrow, our hurt, our anxiety, our fears, our disappointments or our struggles like He does.
We may share some of our problems with our friends or family and they will do their best to help. But there is no greater friend than Jesus for He knows us like no other and He loves us like no other.
If you find yourself stressed today, I pray that the words to this old familiar hymn will remind you where to go and that there, on your knees, you will find the peace and rest your soul longs for.
Have you poured out your heart to God.....yet Heaven seems silent?
Have you prayed for what seems like forever ......yet see no results?
Have you sought answers.....and still have none?
Have you plead with God repeatedly for help....yet none has come?
Have you prayed scripture....yet...it seems to no avail?
Have you wet your pillow with tears continuously...still no relief has come?
Have you laid your burden at the feet of Jesus more times than you can count....but you seem bent on picking it up again?
If you answered yes to any or all of those questions, then these are for YOU: Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid neither be thou dismayed for the Lord thy God IS with thee wherever you go! Joshua 1:9 [translation...DON'T GIVE UP! You are NOT alone no matter what the circumstances seem like.] I will praise thee, O Lord with my whole heart. I will show forth all thy marvelous works. Psalm 9:1 [Praisedispels the darkness. As the Casting Crowns Song 'Praise You in This Storm' so eloquently says, "I'll praise you IN this storm and I will lift my hands. For you are who you are no matter where I am. Every tear I've cried, you hold in your hand...I'll praise you in this storm."] As for God, his way is perfect; the Word of the Lord is tried..." Psalm 18: 30 [God doesn't make mistakes!] Weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning. [God promises joy will follow the weeping. Some nights are just longer than others.] Cast your burden on the Lord and He shall sustain you. He will never allow the righteous to be moved. Psalm 55: 22 [No matter how many times you have to do it, just keep casting it!] Thou which has shown me great and sore troubles WILL quicken me again and shalt bring me up again from the depths of the earth...and comfort me on every side. [God WILL come through in HIS time!] Thou will keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on thee. [Keep your eyes on Jesus and NOT on your circumstances] And the Lord shall guide you continually and satisfy your soul....and you shall be like a watered garden and like a spring of water whose waters fail not. And they that shall be of thee shall build the old waste places; thou shalt raise up the foundations of many generations; and thou shall be called The Repairer of the Breach, the Restorer of paths to dwell in. Isaiah 58: 11, 12 [God is going to use this to teach future generations to follow Him] God .... cannot lie...Titus 1:2
When the darkness overtakes us, we must not listen to Satan's lies. We must instead call to mind TRUTH as found in God's word. For God cannot lie. He is faithful to all generations. Though He sometimes takes a long time to act or respond, we must use that time to reflect upon His goodness, His mercy and His faithfulness. He has promised to never leave us or forsake us. He has promised to help us. He has promised to turn our mourning into dancing and our weeping into joy. Do we believe Him? If we do, no matter how we feel or how things look at the moment, no matter how long we've been waiting for God to act, we must surrender to His Holy and perfect will, believing that He does ALL things well. We must rejoice and trust in His Holy Word. We must PRAISE HIM IN OUR STORM!!
Don't you just love how personal God is? !! Oh how He loves us and desires to communicate with us, His beloved children.
Before church this morning, I prayed "Lord speak to me today. Encourage my heart."
I love our church and just being there is encouraging to me. I love the people in our Sunday School class (aka Connecting Points Class) and the women I'm in Women's Ministry with. Seeing familiar faces as I walk down the hall blesses me as we connect with a word of greeting or a smile or a hug. This is my family and I am at home here.
As I sat in worship, our worship leader, Hank, took a moment to share a thought that God had planted in his heart just for me. Hank is a pilot. He shared that pilots gauge their day by the weather. Pretty, sunny days mean great flying. Gray, overcast days mean low ceiling and they are limited in what they can do. He said as a young pilot he would always be disgruntled when the cloudy, rainy days hindered his plans for flying. But as he matured, he realized that it was not all about the fun things you could do on the sunny days. That gray skies are as much a part of life as sunny days and that it was actually on those dismal days that his skills as a pilot were honed and perfected.
How like our lives. Who doesn't prefer the sunny days? I happen to be "solar energized" and too many days of rain and gray skies really get me down. In life, I too do not like the "storms". I prefer the happy days to the gray days of worry, anxiety, hurt and discouragement. I do not like conflict. I tend to be more like Joan Rivers..."can't we all just get along?"
I think of some of the happiest days in my life and often wish that every day could be just that happy. But, that is wishful thinking. Jesus told us, "In this life you WILL have tribulation. But, be of good cheer for I have overcome the world!" John 17: 33
I realized as Hank spoke that though we have those gray days, God is IN those days just as He is IN the sunny days. And, just as when we fly, we can rise above the clouds to the sunshine of His love, His peace, and His comfort. We must look past the clouds to the SON who wants to shine through the clouds and warm our hearts. The earlier part of John 17:33 says "These things have I spoken unto you, that IN ME you might have peace."
But, God was not finished speaking to me. In the message which was given today by one of our elders, David Olford shared that as a young 8 year old boy he went to the beach with some friends. He was led way into the water by the man whom he was with. Suddenly a huge wave engulfed him. He was thrown up and down in the water and remembered thinking, "OK God, if this is it, I'm coming to you!" Having had a similar experience some years ago, I totally related to his dilemma. Just when he thought it was all over, his head bobbed up and he realized that the gentleman he was with had hold of his arm. He had never let go! He had held on to David the entire time he was churning in that wave, yet he was so overwhelmed he didn't realize it.
Sometimes life crashes in on us in wave after wave til we think we cannot hold on any longer. We feel helpless and nearly overtaken by our circumstances. What we need to remember is that God is holding on to us by His mighty right hand. He will not let go no matter what!!!!!!!!!!
"Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage, neither be thou dismayed. For the Lord THY God is with thee wherever you go." Joshua 1:9
"I will be with you. I will not fail you nor forsake you." Joshua 1: 5
"Fear not for I am with thee; be not dismayed for I am THY God; I will strenthen thee, yea I will help thee; yea I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness....for I the Lord THY God will hold your right hand saying unto thee, Fear Not I will help thee." Isaiah 41: 10, 13
Today, though your clouds may be gray and your life may be churning, look THROUGH the clouds and realize that God is there. You are not alone. He is holding you by His mighty right hand. He will see you through. The sun will shine again. Seek Him today. Ask Him to reveal Himself to you in the midst of your storm. He will. He loves you and wants you to know that He is there.
Ephesians 3: 16-19 contains a prayer that I have decided to pray daily for my husband, my children and their spouses.
I am a firm believer in praying scripture. We always want to pray God's will and when you pray scripture you KNOW that you are praying within the will of God.
Father, I pray today for my husband, my son, my daughter-in-love, my daughter and my son-in-love. I ask Lord that you strengthen them with might[Might denotes superior power and strength, force, the ability to conquer. Gideon was called a 'mighty man of valour' by the Lord and he used him to destroy the Midianites. We need might because from the time we set our feet on the floor in the morning til we lay our heads on our pillow at night, we are at war with the enemy. I I Corinthians 10:4 tells us "For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds". Furthermore, Ephesians 6:12 tells us who we are fighting, "For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places." Is it any wonder we need to be strengthened with might?! However, as we go to battle, God has already equipped us with all we need to go up against the enemy. He has given us His armor to protect us and to shield us from the fierty darts of Satan. (Ephesians 6: 13-17)]
"with might by His Spirit in the inner man"[The inner man denotes our soul...the seat of our mind, will and emotions. It could also be indicative of our new nature which we received when we received Christ. The new nature does battle with our old nature daily so we pray for God to strengthen our new nature with His might so that we might yield to it more readily than to our old nature.]
I pray that Christ would dwell in their hearts by faith[Dwell...abide...take up residence within. Dwell denotes permanence, being at home there. I want Christ to be at home within my family's heart..not just a passerby. I want them to be so in tune with Him that they respond immediately to whatever He moves them to do. 'By faith' indicates this is a prayer for the believer. Christ does not dwell in an unbeliever's heart.]
I pray that they would be rooted and grounded in their love for You. [Oh that their love would have deep roots, roots that go deep into the soil of God's love. Roots that will keep them strong, immoveable, unshakeable, unwavering in their conviction even when the storms of life toss them to and fro. Grounded, knowing WHO they are and WHOSE they are.]
Lord, may they be able to comprehend[grab hold of, get their minds around, truly KNOW] what is the breadth and length, and depth and height[the sheer magnitude...the unending, immeasureable, unconditional, infinite aspects] of your love which surpasses knowledge [It's more than mental assent that God loves them, but a personal knowing, an intimate relationship with God Almighty.] so that[object of the exercise] they might be filled with all the fulness of God[which will make one complete..."For IN HIM dwells all the fulness of the godhead bodily and you [believers] are complete in Him which is the head of all principality and power." Col. 2: 9,10]
This is a powerful prayer. I cannot think of a greater prayer to pray for someone you love. Maybe you will want to pray this prayer for your loved ones, too. God's word shall not return void.
David Wilkerson, author of the beloved Prayer of Jabez, wrote the following devotional. As I pondered on it, I've added my own thoughts in red:
As I was in prayer, the Holy Spirit spoke to my heart about four expectations that God’s people should trust him to bring pass. These expectations are based on absolute promises the Lord has made to us. Our God is a promise-maker and a promise-keeper!
1. EXPECT TO BE REWARDED AS YOU DILIGENTLY SEEK THE LORD. “God is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him” (Hebrews 11:6).
You can ask in faith for a token from the Lord to encourage and rekindle your confidence. God is always on time, and he knows you need a ray of hope and good news in your time of testing. Expect him to keep his promise to reward you now, when you are in greatest need. God cannot lie – he has said he rewards those who diligently seek him – so seek him daily. And truly believe this will be your season of great spiritual blessing.
I can think back and remember numerous times in my life when I was in the midst of a hard place or my heart was hurting, when God would send me that "token". I recall early on in our marriage my husband and I had had a quarrel one night. The next morning I left for work with a very heavy heart. My mother and I worked for the same government agency at the time, only she generally went in much earlier than me. On that particular morning, I had cried out to the Lord all the way to work. As I was walking to my desk, I met my mother in the hall. She had a beautiful bouquet of roses for me in her hand. She had no idea of the heaviness of my heart...but God did! It was if He had whispered to me "I heard you, My Child....all is well." Within just a short time, my husband phoned and asked me to meet him for lunch. All was well!
2. EXPECT TO SEE EVIDENCE OF A PROGRESSIVE MIRACLE IN YOUR LIFE. “With God all things are possible” (Mark 10:27).
I have written about instantaneous miracles and progressive miracles. Progressive miracles start in unseen, quiet ways and unfold little by little, one small mercy at a time. You are now in such a miracle. Expect to see God working in mysterious ways, unseen to the human eye. This should be the season you can say, “I don’t know how it will come to pass – I don’t see much happening right now – but I believe God set into motion an answer to my prayers the very first hour I asked.”
In our recent study of the book of Esther, we saw again and again how perfect is God's timing. As I wrote a few weeks ago, God is constantly weaving his Kingdom Tapestry in our lives. He is orchestrating the very minute details of our lives and all for a divine purpose. I heard of just one such instance this week. I will let our Connecting Points leader share in his own words:
"This guy....hit me upside the head and did not even realize it when he did it. I was leaving a company to move to Omaha, NE. He gave me a going away card, and in it, he wrote something and then just put the scripture "I can do everything through Christ who gives me strength" Phil 4:13. I will never forget that, after I re-read that card, I went and looked up that scripture and read about it and it made me curious. Soon thereafter, I took that scripture to my knees and asked Christ into my life at a TOUGH time in my life. Rick, thank you for sharing that scripture with me. That little seed you planted has done incredible things in my life!"
Who would have thought God could use a simple greeting card to change a man's destiny? But you see, his friend, Rick, incorporated the Word of God into his card and that is what made the difference!! God had brought these two men together in a work setting who knows how long before. Now He was moving one out of that setting, possibly to never see the other again. But God was working the whole time!!!!!!! He was orchestrating His divine plan in the life of each of these men.
How many times have you been tempted to write a note in a card, or share a verse of scripture and then held back for fear of what that person would say or think? The Word of God is powerful, it is life-changing. And, because Rick was not afraid to go out on a limb and simply share one verse with Barry, Barry's whole life was changed!!
3. EXPECT TO ENTER INTO GOD’S PROMISED PLACE OF REST. “There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God…enter into that rest” (Hebrews 4:9, 11).
The recent year has been one of the most stressful for many believers. It was a year of incredible calamities, problems and trials. Now the Lord desires that you trust him to bring you into his promised rest. God never intended his children live in fear and despair. We need a reckless faith, a trust in him in the face of fear and trouble. Now is the time to lay it all on Jesus.
God wants us to rest in Him. He tells us "Come all ye that are weary and heavy laden and I will give you rest." Matt. 11: 28 The only place of rest is found in Him. Our burdens are too heavy for us to bear alone. He desires for us to find our comfort in Him and Him alone. We will not find rest in Oprah, nor Dr. Phil. We will not find rest in the latest best seller. We will not find rest in wealth or health or philosophies. We will only find rest IN HIM. But that rest belongs only to those who know Him, who have placed their faith and trust in Him. Do you long for rest? Do you know Him?
4. EXPECT THE HOLY SPIRIT TO BE ALWAYS “IN HIS TEMPLE.” “Know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit” (1 Corinthians 6:19). The Holy Spirit abides in the heart of every believer. He is omnipresent throughout the world and universe. I face each day acknowledging that he is here in his temple to comfort and guide me, encourage and anoint me, to reveal the glory of Jesus Christ in ever-increasing revelations. He desires that you expect him to make his presence manifest to you, and more so each passing day.
Believe these promises. Lay hold of these four expectations, and you will see marvelous things in this season of your life.
Having a "God consciousness" will change the way you live your life. When you are constantly aware of His presence with you and IN you, it changes the way you go about your daily life. He becomes more than just the topic of the Sunday School lesson. You realize that HE, the one and only God, abides with you moment by moment. He is truly "nearer than breathing, closer than hands and feet".
Last week my mother had a really rough week. A few months ago, she had major plumbing problems that cost her quite a bit of money. Then last week, her air conditioner went out. I don't have to tell you how much one of those costs!!:( On top of that she has had to have yard equipment repaired and other expenses out of the ordinary budget.) When they A/C man said she needed a new one, it was just about the last straw. She was really down and yet she breathed a prayer to the Lord and said "God....I really could use a hug right now."
Later than afternoon, my husband stopped by to see about something for her. She told him about her prayer as he was about to leave. He said "Well I can give you a hug!!" and he did. Then as he left, he leaned out the window and said, "Granny, don't worry...we'll be praying for you and we love you!" She was SO moved that she called me to tell me how much that had blessed her. Such a simple thing, but God knew exactly what she needed. My husband thought was going by to fix a small problem. He did not know that he was the insrument God would use to answer her prayer. He is THAT personal to us!
Whatever your needs today, GOD KNOWS. Take it to Him and see if He will not pour upon you a blessing, pressed down and running over!!!!!!!!!!
Recently, I overheard a mother and daughter in their last moments together at the airport. They had announced the departure. Standing near the security gate, they hugged, and the mother said,
"I love you, and I pray you enough."
The daughter replied,
"Mom, our life together has been more than enough. Your love is all I ever needed. I pray you enough, too, Mom."
They kissed, and the daughter left.. The mother walked over to the window where I was seated. Standing there, I could see she wanted and needed to cry. I tried not to intrude on her privacy, but she welcomed me in by asking,
"Did you ever say good-bye to someone knowing it would be forever?"
"Yes, I have," I replied. "Forgive me for asking, but why is this a forever good-bye?"
"Well...I'm not as young as I once was, she lives so far away & has her own busy life. I have some challenges ahead, and the reality is - her next trip back will be for my funeral," she said.
"When you were saying good-bye, I heard you say, 'I pray you enough.' May I ask what that means?"
She began to smile.
"That's a prayer that has been handed down from other generations. My parents used to say it to everyone."
She paused a moment and looked up as if trying to remember it in detail, and she smiled even more.
"When we said, 'I pray you enough,' we wanted the other person to have a life filled with just enough good things to sustain them."
Then, turning toward me, she shared the following as if she were reciting it from memory.
"I pray you enough sun to keep your attitude bright no matter how gray the day may appear.
I pray you enough rain to appreciate the sun even more.
I pray you enough happiness to keep your spirit alive and everlasting.
I pray you enough pain so that even the smallest of joys in life may appear bigger.
I pray you enough gain to satisfy your wanting.
I pray you enough loss to appreciate all that you possess.
I pray you enough hellos to get you through the final good-bye.
I pray you enough faith to have comfort and peace with God."
FACEBOOK can be quite addicting. As you become part of a community of friends and family, you can keep up with what is going on in everyone's life at a glance. But it seems that new faces are always cropping up. Someone you had not seen or heard from in years suddenly appears as a "mutual friend". That happened to my daughter a few weeks ago.
As a neonatal intensive care nurse, she often keeps up with babies that have been through their unit. So was the case a few weeks back, as the mom of one of her previous "preemies" added photos to her FACEBOOK page. As she was looking at this mom's page, she noticed someone that might be a "mutual friend". She recognized the first name, but not the last. She contacted this person to see how she knew the mom. To her surprise it was a girl she had gone to high school with. She was a few years younger than my daughter. It seems that this girl now lives in the same neighborhood with the mom of the preemie. As they began to talk, it suddenly dawned on this young woman that my daughter had been the nurse mentioned in all of the mom's prayer requests. Each day as her daughter was fighting for her life in the NICU, this mom would send out specific prayer requests and she would always include the names of the doctors and nurses who were caring for her on that given day. My daughter's name was one of the 3 nurses who continually cared for this little angel!
My daughter loves her job. It's all she ever wanted to do and God has definitely equipped her for it. Not everyone can be a nurse with tiny, premature babies with numerous problems. I couldn't. I'd bawl every single day. But not my daughter. God has gifted her for this job without a doubt. I pray for her daily and I pray for her as she works to be a blessing to the babies, to their parents and to those she works with. Others in her family pray for her as well.
But little did she know that a girl she had not seen in years and did not even know that well was praying for her as she cared for this little baby. Their paths had not crossed in all these years (and probably wouldn't have again except for FACEBOOK). Yet God gave her a glimpse of His Kingdom plan at work, threads of His tapestry being woven in her life. He showed her that He has lots of people praying for her that she doesn't even know about on any given day. Prayers being lifted to the throne for her, blessing her, equipping her, strengthening her. He is orchestrating protection and blessing for her sight unseen and in realms unknown to her. Wonderful threads of love and blessing and prayer being woven into her life every day. He is doing the same for you and for me.....all part of the kingdom tapestry!
I cannot imagine living my life without prayer. I could not survive.
To be able to enter the throne-room of the King of Kings and Lord of Lords is a privilege that we too often take for granted. We should not. To encounter the living God is an experience that every believer can have, not just once in a lifetime, but moment by moment!
Every day my INBOX is filled with prayer requests. My heart is torn by the magnitude of some of these requests...of the hurts that some are enduring at this moment. It seems that Satan is unleashing all the weapons of his arsenal in a last ditch effort to steal, to kill and to destroy. Disease is running rampant as I hear every day of someone else who is suddenly confronted with a catastrophic illness. Lives are being snuffed out in accidents and suicides, devastating families. Jobs are being lost and financial woes are plaguing those that until recently had always lived the "good life". Families are being torn apart by divisions in relationships, by divorce, by unfaithfulness and by neglect.
Needs are great...some seemingly insurmountable. What do you do when it comes to YOUR door? There is only one answer. Take it to the Lord in prayer.
What a friend we have in Jesus
All our sins and griefs to bear
What a privilege to carry
Everything to God in prayer.
--WHAT A FRIEND WE HAVE IN JESUS, Charles Converse
If the world from you withhold
all its silver and its gold
And you have to get along with meager fare,
Just remember in His word
how He feeds the little bird,
Take your burden to the Lord
And leave it there.
If your body suffers pain
And your health you can't regain
And your soul is almost sinking in despair,
Jesus knows the pain you feel
He can save and He can heal.
Take your burden to the Lord
And leave it there.
When your enemies assail
And your heart begins to fail,
Don't forget that God in Heaven
Answers prayer
He will make a way for you
and will lead your safely through.
Take your burden to the Lord
And leave it there.
When your youthful days are gone
and old age is stealing on
And your body bends beneath the weight of care,
He will never leave you then
He'll go with you to the end.
Take your burden to the Lord
And leave it there.
Leave it there...
Leave it there...
Take your burden to the Lord
And leave it there.
If you trust and never doubt,
He will surely bring you out.
Take your burden to the Lord
And leave it there.
--LEAVE IT THERE, C. Albert Tindley 1916
Yes, prayer is a gift to us. Jesus paved the way of prayer for us when He died on Calvary and split the veil in two. We no longer require a mediator... a priest. He IS our high priest. We can go directly to the throne and "leave it there". Today avail yourself of this precious gift. Take your troubles to the Lord and leave them there. Allow Him to speak to you, to comfort you, to direct your paths. He delights to do so. He longs to spend time with you. Jesus paid a high price for this gift. Won't you "unwrap it" and make use of it today?
Friends are a priceless gift. A friend who will share your joys but will also walk through the valleys with you is a rare jewel. If you have such a friend, treat them well, for they are few and far between. Many friends are there for the good times and will even be near a while in the difficult times. But often, if the trial lingers, friends get weary. Some may even develop 'prayer fatigue'....tiring of your endless requests for prayer in regard to the thing which is besetting you. One who will continue to hold you up, care for you, weep with you, pray for you when the weeks roll into months and the months become years....now that is a TRUE and treasured friend! There are few of those around, so if you have one, thank God for her.
However, if you do not have a friend like that, just know that you DO have such a friend in Jesus. He is always there. He is never too busy. He never tires of our pleas. He never avoids us. He never gets weary of our calling. He is always available, always cares and says to us, "Come unto me all ye that are heavy laden and I will give you rest." He IS our very best Friend!
Friday, October 24, 2008
I received the following from a friend this week. It is a bit long, but worth the read if you are remotely concerned with the upcoming election. If time is short and you do not have time to read it, please scroll down and view the YOUTUBE video. It is powerful!
Letter from Dutch Sheets
October 20, 2008Dear Praying Friend,In 2000, I wrote the 2nd most important letter of my life—a call to prayer for the elections of that year. I’m now writing what may be my most important letter. I knew the importance of those elections in 2000 was beyond any in my life up to that point and that the spiritual warfare surrounding them would be unlike anything any of us had ever seen. That letter was read by millions of people and I believe millions of them responded by praying. I also believe the prayers turned the tide.
You may question whether President Bush was the right choice; obviously, he has made some blunders in his tenure as president. But two of his decisions alone left no doubt he was God’s choice: Roberts and Alito.These two Supreme Court Justices have proven critical in the process of breaking the hold of humanism, death and anti-God agendas that have ruled the Court for 50 years. I assure you that more devastation—the shedding of innocent blood, immorality, decay of the family and an erosion of our godly heritage—has flowed into our nation through that institution than any other door in America. Many times more. The poison allowed into America through their decisions is beyond any of our abilities to articulate. The reality in America is that you don’t need to control Congress or the White Hose to rule the nation. You only need 5 people – 5 out of 9 on the Supreme Court. And for decades those who disagree with just about everything you and I stand for have been in control!In Bush’s two terms, the process of turning this around began with the appointments of Roberts and Alito. Now, we win some cases 5-4 and lose some 4-5. (We barely outlawed partial birth abortion. The vote of one judge saved thousands of babies from this horror.) We need one more conservative Justice for a consistent majority, then more to build a strong majority.
In Obama’s own words, “the next president will appoint at least one, perhaps two or more Supreme Court Justices.” He’s right. Almost certainly two or more older, liberal Justices are waiting until after the elections to retire, in hopes of Obama winning and appointing more liberals to replace them. And he certainly would. He voted against the confirmation of Roberts and Alito. So did Biden. And Biden led the fight against Justice Thomas several years back, another of the 4 solid conservatives. Make no mistake about it, the two of them do have a litmus test for Supreme Court Justices, and a major part of that test is Roe vs. Wade. McCain and Palin, on the other hand, both have very strong pro-life positions. This alone makes the choice for President simple.
To vote for the 2nd and 3rd most liberal senators (Obama and Biden), both of whom are firmly and blatantly pro-abortion, would be unconscionable. Obama has actually said that if he wins, he would like his first action as president to be the signing of the Freedom of Choice Act, which would eliminate every other law against any aspect of abortion (partial birth abortion, parental notification, etc., etc.). And with a democratic majority in the House and Senate, pretty much any legislation he and Biden want to pass will be a slam-dunk. There are many other unrighteous positions they hold but this position alone makes the choice easy. If they win this election, it will set America back decades in the cause of life and the restoration we seek.
Just as many of you do, I too, want to see a first black President, but not Senator Obama. To allow that noble and godly desire, the economy or one’s position on the war to trump this issue of life and death for the innocent unborn is simply wrong. The scriptures teach that if we choose first to exalt righteousness and turn from evil, God promises to heal our land (see Proverbs 14:34; 2 Chronicles 7:14). It is righteousness that exalts a nation, not wealth, prosperity or armies. If we will finish the process of removing the curses of death and anti-God laws off of America by electing a president that will continue to shift the Court, God will grace us with breakthrough in other areas such as the economy, the war against terrorism, etc.
My faith is not in a person, and certainly not a political party, for the healing of America, but I know God’s word and His ways well enough to know that our decisions do move Him to action or inaction. Now to the heart of my reason for writing this letter (I realize I am “preaching to the choir”—most of you who know or listen to me are conservative enough to vote for McCain and Palin.) I have not written any appeals for prayer concerning this election because:1) others have, and2) I believe our movement has matured to the point that the prayer base of the Church is already praying. But I now feel the need to raise my voice.
I am appealing to you to pray for these elections the next two weeks like you’ve never prayed for any in the past. Faithfully. Passionately. Boldly. Ask God for His mercy and grace. We deserve His judgment for removing His influence and authority from our government, schools, homes and businesses; for the killing of 50 million babies; for leading the world in the consumption and exporting of pornography; for passing laws to reject His; etc. But mercy triumphs over judgment and in His wrath He remembers mercy. In 2000 we actually lost the popular vote and won the election—talk about grace!
Please pray for this grace to be released again.But I am also asking you for something more than normal prayer. For those of you who understand spiritual warfare, I am asking you to also include this aspect of prayer. There is no doubt that we have entered a Daniel 10 moment in time: “Then he said to me, ‘Do not be afraid, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your heart on understanding this and on humbling yourself before your God, your words were heard, I have come in response to your words. But the prince of the kingdom of Persia was withstanding me for twenty-one days; then behold, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, for I had been left there with the kings of Persia’” (Daniel 10: 12-13 NAS).
The spiritual warfare in this election is incredibly fierce, and just as it was in Daniel’s day, is all about the restoration of a nation. And also like Daniel, we must keep praying until we win the battle in the heavens.In August of this year I predicted that September would mark a shift in momentum for these elections. This happened with the appointment of Sarah Palin as the Vice Presidential nominee (who is a true Esther in our generation), but when the economy began its meltdown and the media ramped up their unprecedented attacks on Palin, that momentum wasn’t sustained. But we can see it turn again if we approach this battle as the spiritual warfare it truly is and bind the evil forces involved (see Matthew 16:18-19).
The reality is that this election can be the breakthrough we need to fully shift the Court (and ultimately our nation) or it will be an immeasurable setback that could take many years to reverse—if ever. Please understand what I am saying: if we engage in this battle and do what I am asking—in mass—we will win; if we do not, we will lose. I, for one, don’t intend to allow the latter.
I am in Washington, D.C. now (October 20-22) with Lou Engle and a team of prayer leaders from around the nation to war for this election. Join us! Lose some sleep, miss some meals— pray! Pray like never before for these elections. And as you do, involve yourself not only in petitioning prayer but also in spiritual warfare. Use your God-given authority over the plans and strategies of Satan’s kingdom. Bind all witchcraft that is working to control the outcome, including occult powers that are suppressing truth. Release Christ’s Kingdom rule in every way the Holy Spirit leads you.Don’t be deceived and don’t lose hope (if you have to, turn off the TV.) It is not too late to turn these elections. God is plenty powerful enough to do so.
The real question is will we rise to the level of prayer and spiritual warfare necessary to release that power. And remember, we don’t need a majority of Christians who are willing and able to do this—only a praying remnant. We can do it!
Here are some practical suggestions to consider:
1) Fast (a meal a day; a day a week; a Daniel fast; 3 days; 10 days; TV; etc.) and spend the time praying.
2) Agree in prayer with someone everyday for God’s will to be done.
3) Form/participate in prayer groups regularly. Churches could pray everyday.
4) Take time in every gathering to pray. (Take 15 minutes in every service to pray for the elections. Turn an entire service to harp and bowl style intercession—worship and prayer combined.)
5) Join 2 or more on a conference call and pray for 15, 20, or 30 minutes.
6) Pray on the way to work (and on the way home).
7) Pray before you go to sleep.
8) Pray before church services.
9) Ask God to give you His strategy—He will!
In His grip,
Dutch Sheets
Known for his passion for prayer and intercession, Dutch Sheets is the President and Co-founder of Dutch Sheets Ministries, a non-profit organization devoted to passionate prayer and world-changing revival. He is the author of the best-selling book Intercessory Prayer and eleven other books including Watchman Prayer and Tell Your Heart to Beat Again.
Several years ago, I learned something that has come to mean SO much to me....praying scripture. Taking a verse of scripture and personalizing it for yourself or for the one for whom you are praying. We always want to pray in God's will. When we pray scripture, we can be sure that we are doing so.
Here's an example: When my daughter first began work as a neonatal intensive care nurse, she often had to work nights. Her system just could NOT adjust to that shift. She could not rest or sleep during the day, her digestive system would give her fits. It was a nightmare! One of the verses that I prayed for her was Psalm 127: 2b "...he gives his beloved sleep". I would pray that God would give her sleep during the day so that she would be able to do her job. I also prayed Psalm 4: 8 "I will both lay me down in peace and sleep, for thou, Lord, only makes me to dwell in safety. " I would pray that He would give her peaceful sleep.
After learning that concept, I began to pray verses for my children. They were in their late teens and early adult years and being faced with many temptations and decisions that would affect the rest of their lives. Recently, I have talked with several mothers who are in the same place with their children. Our children are our heart and we desire nothing more than God's very best for them. Yet when they become adults, it is out of our hands. We must place them in God's hands.
Today I'd like to share some of the verses that I have prayed for my children in hopes that these will be verses that you can pray for YOUR children as you lift them up to the Lord each day in prayer:
Try ________'s heart Lord. Visit him in the night. Hold up his goings in YOUR path, Lord. Do not let his foot slip. Psalm 17: 3, 5, 18
Help ______ to acknowledge her sin and not hide it from you. Help her to confess all of her sins so you can forgive her and renew a right relationship with her. Psalm 32:5
Help ______ to depart from evil and do good always. Psalm 34:14
Lord, give ________ a companion who knows and fears you and who obeys your word. Either turn _________'s heart to you or chase him/her away. Psalm 119:63
________ has gone astray like a lost sheep. Seek her Lord. Remind her she is yours. Psalm 119:176
Bring _________'s soul out of prison so he may once again praise you. Deal bountifully with him Lord. Psalm 142:7
O Lord search ___________'s heart, for you know her like no other. You know every move she makes and every thought she has. You are acquainted with all of her ways. There is not a word she speaks that you do not know it, Father. Enclose her behind and before and keep your hand upon her this day. Where can we go and be apart from you? There is no place we can go where you are not....from the highest of highs to the lowest of lows. Wherever we go your hand will lead us. The darkness cannot hide you. Wherever ________goes, you are there. She is your possession. You covered her when she was still in my womb. She is fearfully and wonderfully made by you....marvelous is your creation! All her members are written in your book. How precious are your thoughts toward __________. How great is the sum of them. Therefore, search her O God and know her heart. Try her and see if there is any wicked way in her and show her YOUR path everlasting. Psalm 139
May ________ walk not in the counsel of the ungodly...but may his delight be in your word and may he meditate on it day and night. Psalm 1: 1, 2
Show ________ your ways O Lord; teach her your paths. Lead her in your truth for you are the God of her salvation. Psalm 25: 4, 5
God may you always be ________'s hiding place. Preserve him from trouble. Psalm 32: 7
Keep _______'s tongue from evil and her lips from speaking perversely. Psalm 34: 13
May _______depart from evil and do good. May he seek peace and pursue it. Psalm 34: 14
Let those who seek to pull _________away from you be confounded and put to shame. May they be turned back....let the angel of the Lord chase them away. Psalm 35: 4,5
Father, help ________ to fret not, but to trust in you. May she delight herself in you so that you may give her the desires of her heart. Help her to commit her way unto You, rest and wait patiently for you. Psalm 37: 1-7
Order _______'s steps Lord in your way. When he falls, pick him up and uphold him with your mighty right hand. Psalm 37: 23, 24
Hide not your face from ________, Lord. When they are in trouble, hear them speedily! Psalm 69: 17
May _______ be blessed because her strength is in you and may her heart be set on you. Psalm 84: 5
Help _______ to behave wisely....help him to walk within his house in a perfect way. May he set no wicked thing before his eyes. Psalm 101: 2,3
May she seek you with her whole heart....may she not wander from the commands of your word. May she hide your word in her heart so that she will not sin against You. Psalm 119: 10, 11
Let ________always hope in the Lord for with the Lord there is plenteous mercy and with him there is plenteous redemption. Psalm 130: 7
Maybe these will give you a start on choosing verses for your loved ones...not just your children. Praying God's word is a powerful tool in our arsenal of weapons of warfare.
There is something within each of us that yearns for relationship. We need to be loved, cherished and needed...to know that we are valued by another human being, that we matter to someone.
The longer I live the more lives I see that have been so wounded and so affected by relationships gone wrong. Sexual abuse, verbal and emotional abuse, rape, incest, divorce, neglect, abandonment....just to name a few. I truly believe there are more DYSFUNCTIONAL families than there are what we would term "normal" families. Just further evidence of the havoc the sin nature wreaks in our lives.
Yet in the midst of all of this mahem stands ONE who loves us unconditionally. "For God SO LOVED the world [you and me] that He gave His only Son, that WHOSOEVER [includes you and me] believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life." John 3:16 KJV
What's more, He longs to have fellowship with us...to communicate with us...to have RELATIONSHIP. God is not so much interested in what religion you are affiliated with...or what denomination you favor. What He IS interested in is a RELATIONSHIP with you!
Bob Sorge, author of SECRETS OF THE SECRET PLACE, explains it this way:
Nothing is deadlier to the secret place than a false idea of how God views you....When you gain ownership of the fact that God is smiling on you, that He is desiring your company, and that He longs to be intimate with you,, the truth of that reality starts to touch your emotional chemistry and you actually begin to feel attractive to God. When you know you're attractive to God, you come into His presence with boldness. You come into His presence the way He wants you to, with a lifted face, with expectant eyes, with a delighted smile, with an eager voice and with a burning heart.
He doesn't enjoy you any less because you struggle. He knows your weakness. He sees your failures, but yet He owns you as His child and enjoys you even when you fall! He loves it when you pick yourself up and keep stepping forward again into His arms. How comforting to know we can bring the entire package of our inadequacies and shortcomings into His presence and know that He lovingly embraces us and delights in us! He enjoys us at every stage of the maturity process.
Does that not just blow you away?!!! It does me. If you can just catch a glimpse of the fact that our Holy and AWESOME God is waiting for you each morning...waiting for you to come and spend time with Him because He loves you and wants to spend time with you, you will RUN to your secret place to spend time with Him! Do not miss out on all that He has in store for you today. Jesus, the lover of your soul, awaits!!!!!!!!!!
"If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there shall thy hand lead me and thy right hand shall hold me." Psalm 139: 9, 10
I am married to my high school sweetheart, have two precious children...a wonderful son and a sweet daughter-in-love; and a lovely daughter and a great son-in-love....I am truly blessed! But then God has seen fit to double those blessings by also giving us 2 precious, beautiful, adorable granddaughters and the happiest, sweetest grandson in the world. GOD IS GOOD! I have worn many hats in my life, but none more rewarding than being a wife, mother and grandmother. I have loved writing all my life and also enjoy scrapbooking, which allows me to both be creative with photos AND journal to create a legacy for our family. I am what is known as true GRITS...grown and raised in the South. My blood runs ORANGE for the University of Tennessee VOLS but still will cheer for the University of Memphis (as long as they are not playing UT). Teaching women to pursue a passionate relationship with the Lord is the delight of my life. I thank God for giving me that opportunity to be used by Him and to put Him on display.
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